The theme of redemption in Star Wars

Many people say many things about what the most important theme in the Star Wars saga would be however most would agree that one of the most important themes would be that of redemption.

Having a conversation in the pub recently with my housemate we got into a debate as to whether Anakin redeems himself by saving his son and killing the emporer knowing that doing so will kill him.

His arguement is that one single action cannot compensate for a near lifetime of bad doings including the death of close friend(s) (mentioning no names for you people who don't want to be spoiled) and the involvement (directly or indirectly) in the great Jedi purge.

I would answer this by saying that it is a matter of fundamental change of character and that the darkside was a kind of madness that consumed him and that he snapped back out of it in the throne room.

How would you describe it to him?

 

Anakin redeems himself.

Anakin Skywalker (Pre-Vader) did a lot of good for the galaxy. He went on missions with Obi-Wan and was a defender of Justice. He was also a great leader during the Clone Wars. He became evil and betrayed his friends. He was evil but then in the last minutes of his life he killed the Emperor and helped destroy the Empire. Vader brought balence to the Force. He did an amazing thing! The Old Republic was corrupt! The New Republic could begin a new with better leadership and a better structure!

Anakin/Vader is a hero.

 

One single action can never compensate for all Vader did. He can never "reverse" what he's done, nor if he'd survived RotJ ever "pay back" all those he'd wronged and hurt. However, with the one single action of destroying the Emperor (and Vader, from a certain point of view), he put a complete stop to the evil that was running loose in the GFFA. That paved the way to rebuild, to start over fresh, as Darth-Seldon said.

On a personal level, I don't think Vader really considered his death at the time of the PalpyToss. I think he just realized what was happening, realized he loved his son and didn't want Luke to die. IMHO that's the only reason he destroyed the Emperor. He didn't do it because he's the Chosen One, or because it would be good for the rest of the galaxy. He wanted to end his son's suffering; a byproduct of which turned out to end the suffering of billions of others.

 

I know I've heard Lucas mention in interviews that it's Luke who redeems Anakin, just as all parents can be redeemed by their children.

Consider that Anakin Skywalker is a man who turned to evil and committed unspeakable wrongs for over two decades. Yet, he has a son who is good, decent and pure. Luke avoids the pitfalls that ensnared his father and lives on as an example of one good thing that came from Anakin Skywalker.

 

Yea I agree and something funny is that in 100 years The original Trilogy will me claimed as a work of art.

 

Of course no one action can compensate for the death of thousands--nay, billion, when you consider Alderaan. But his redemption has meaning beyond the notion that Vader merely killed the Emperor. It shows how there is good in everyone, that even in the most ruthless, seemingly inhuman man in the universe, there still existed his love for his son, one that brought him out of the dark and into the light. Its less about reperations and more about discovering the humanity within ones self.

 

Becoming bad was part of his destiny. It was the only way he could kill the Emperor. I say he redeems himself with his last action.

Remember, with or without Anakin the Emperor would still kill all the Jedi and take over the galaxy. Anakin was merely his selected henchman.

Also, Tarkin was in charge of the Death Star when it destroyed Alderran. Those deaths would he charged to him, not Vader.

 

Anakin is redeemed and it is a very powerful, very hopeful message.

"It's so wonderful, Ani. You have given hope to those who have none."

 

Anakin was redeemed. Vader and the Emperor were dead the Force was balanced. Anakin returned to the light and made the ultimate sacrifice to save his son. He can never undo or take back all he did as Vader. But he gave his life, you can't make much more of a sacrifice than that.

 

One thing that I like in SW is it's hope.By the end of the saga,after we(the fanatical fans )made our 12-hour marathon,the message of it all is-there's always hope.Even when things look complelty ****ed,there's always an exit.That is one of the lessons that the ancient myths thought us and that the saga updated.