Saga What if Anakin did not turn to the Dark Side?

Lets just say the PT goes exactly the way it went, from TPM to ROTS up until the moment where Mace confronts Palpatine.

What if Anakin made the right decision and does NOT attack Mace and never joins with Sidious.

In this alternative timeline Sidious jumps out of the window and the story goes on from there. How in your mind's creative eye would it continue?

Would Anakin still achieve his destiny as 'The Chosen One'? If so, how?

Would Order 66 still be a succes?

And more importantly, would Sidious win because of this ( never being killed by Vader on DS2 ) or actually die much earlier?

 

Simple, in that case it would practically deny the existence of the OT, which was there first. It's like asking what if Bilbo never got the ring (we would have 6 movies to watch village life in the Shire ). Then there would be no story, that's exactly what would have happened. The prequels' purpose was to tell the background of an already existing story. Why would it contradict or eliminate that story? What if the Nostromo never landed on Acheron (We would have a two-hour movie of watching empty corridors and astronauts in hypersleep)? What if the Tycho monolith was never found? What if Conan's village was never attacked (another two hours of village life)? What if there was never a shark at Amity Beach (we could observe everyday life in Amity and watch Brody work at his desk) ? What if Indy were not interested in finding artifacts? What if Batty and the other replicants never came back to Earth? The answer is always the same: no story.
Or rather, an alternate universe would be created where the OT never happens, one without Vader, without an Empire, without a Rebellion, in other words, NO STAR WARS.

 

Let's try a thought experiment: The empire will arise, Palpatine is destined to be Emperor, the jedi purge will happen but the things @Libs said also happen.

So how would the story unfold?

 

Happy ending for PT, no OT

 

This would happen:

 

"Video unavailable". That would certainly happen to the OT, at least.

 

well that video was one of the weirdest things I've seen awhile...

as to the OT the senate would be like

"alright, well that was awkward, lets make sure that never happens again, let's create a united nations!"

which would mirror RL and be as useful as a chocolate fireguard.

 

I guess Palpatine would activate Order 66 immediately, once he escapes, which should still take the Jedi off-guard because they still don't know about it. If Palpatine's office had something like video evidence, and in canon he destroyed any evidence that he was the aggressor, then in this timeline Mace and Anakin would have access to it, unless a bunch a Clone Troopers burst in and interrupt them as it happens. Most of the Jedi would still die, but I imagine Anakin and Mace could survive.

Palpatine could still turn the Republic against the Jedi and organize the empire, the main difference I guess would be that instead of Yoda fighting Palpatine alone, there's now no reason for him to not bring Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Mace with him and Palps may be screwed here, unless clone troopers arrive to intercept the fight but even they might not even be enough. But assuming they are, I guess the remaining Jedi still go into hiding?

I'm not up to speed on my inquisitor lore, so I don't know if Palpatine still had a way to get *any* force-using enforcers on his side. Either way I imagine the Empire loses earlier at the very least. Luke and Leai are raised together since their dad didn't become Hitler and hopefully, their mother still didn't lose the will to live. With Ahsoke still alive maybe they all make contact with the Ghost crew.

After the Empire is defeated, everybody just chills? Han probably doesn't get involved at all, so Kylo doesn't exist, and his turn to darkness was so incomprehensible it's anyone's guess if the same thing happens to a different Jedi in the New Jedi Order. So the Galaxy is better prepared when Palpatine shows up in a cloned body with hundreds of Star Destroyers with Death Star lasers.

 

I've actually seen quite a few Youtube videos about this. There are number of variations, some involving Qui-Gon's ghost intervening, others having Anakin dream about Order 66, or such. Some are rather interesting. (Although, I think whatever changes you have, Anakin has to be the one to kill Palpatine, otherwise what does being the Chosen One actually mean?) I had a couple of ideas myself that I hope to write someday.

If Anakin didn't become Sidious' apprentice, I imagine Maul would've been happy to take his old spot back. I liked the idea of Obi-Wan and Ahsoka duelling him in a 3-person fight, similar to Phatom Menace, while Anakin faces Palpatine.

One thing that I think would need to happen (which I haven't seen in many of those videos) is that effectively destroying the Sith should be a really BFD, and however he dos it, frankly, Anakin should probably have to die himself in the process, as he did in ROTJ (i.e. killing Palpatine in a light saber duel, but also being mortally wounded). This would emphasize how difficult this task was, and given that Anakin was seemingly immaculately conceived by the force for this purpose, once he's actually fulfilled his destiny (not to mention siring a couple of children to help populate the next generation of Jedi), the universe doesn't really need him anymore.

I imagined a dying Anakin living long enough to tell a grieving Padme to stay strong for their children (so she doesn't die of a broken heart) and a grieving Obi-Wan calling out the Jedi Council on their many mistakes and telling them to get their act together i.e. quit being so tied to the politics of the Republic, quit being so detached to the point that they can't see a freakin' Sith lord hiding in plain sight, make things right with Ahsoka, get back to helping people, etc. Mace might chafe at this, but Yoda and few others would probably be more receptive.

 

I think if they went that direction, Darth Jar Jar feels more likely as Plags. They would eventually defeat Palpy in a galactic civil war type situation instead of a unified empire to start. Then Jar Jar would show up later in my mind. It is an interesting world where Naboo is probably the seat of the Rebel Faction and Anakin and Padme get to raise their kids. I hope someday they make an official what if comic on this it could be so much fun.

 

I know that Star Wars Theory on YouTube has done a what if scenario video which was Anakin being granted the rank of Master, and never turning to the dark side.

 

I wish he was still worth watching. I used to love his stuff on Mace and Qui Gon and various characters.

 

Palpitate would still go through the plan and initiate order 66, only difference Anakin would be in hiding and more Jedi would have survived the attack the Jedi Purge. I can see Sidious using Darth Maul, using the robots to kill, as the separatists are still with Sidious. I can see Sidious still trying to kill Padme and trying to turn Anakin to the Parkside. The Jedi would go into hiding, raising Anakin's children, Padme sacrificing herself for the senate under Anakin's protection. Anakin being granted Master. Windu, Yoda, Obi-Wan and Anakin playing a major role in carrying out the training of Luke Leia. Anakin eventually becoming stronger than the Emperor.
Jedi would have a harder time getting to Sidious, as Thrawn would be given a bigger role

 

I quite like the idea Anakin is killed by Palpatine and dies as an outright hero. How long Palpatine rules for, if he even does, would be up for debate.

 

I think Anakin would have lived, but as for what afterwards, I'm not sure. But I think it's more likely than not that the truth of him and Padme would have come out. Either this would:
-lead to the Jedi organizationally begin to loosen up, and allow marriages/families as long as they were trained to not put them before the morally good
-lead to the Jedi making a "there can be some exceptions" that doesn't make anyone that happy
-lead to Anakin leaving the Jedi for good, focus on being a husband and father first, while still volunteering to do (or being asked to do) special missions on occasion
-lead to Anakin leaving the Jedi for good, like the above, but maybe eventually founding his own Jedi branch that does allow families/marriages

I also think, in all cases where he lived and never fell, Anakin would eventually play a large role in rescuing/freeing slaves, in some fashion.

Also, in this case, there's never a true Empire and therefore no reason for there to ever be a First Order. But imagining an older Anakin facing something like the First Order in his later years... I can forsee him taking on the same role Leia played as "General Organa" in the Sequel Trilogy. Trained by the Force, trying to do the right thing for the galaxy that's outside the government but still in support of it and an ideal vision of it.

 

• Palps stops pretending and kills Mace and incapacitates Anakin.
• Palps still issues Order 66.
• Palps sends a fleet to Mustafar to end the CIS.
• A race is on to find Padme...the surviving Jedi to save her and the twins...Palpatine to use them to manipulate Anakin.
• As the galaxy turns to empire, a few more surviving Jedi lead a more active resistance to the new order.
• In a dark hole on a secret world (Byss/Exegol/etc) Anakin is imprisoned and tortured, compelling him to turn. His only hope is a sense his wife and child(ren) are safe somewhere.
• Once the twins are old enough, they join the fight and attempt to find and free their father. Their combined strength perhaps enough to defeat the Emperor.

 

Hmmm...
What if, instead of a big lightsaber battle, the matter lead to a courtroom drama? Like, say, this:
(Strap in, folks. It runs a bit long.)

Instead of attacking Mace, Ani Force pushes both Mace and Palpatine apart, breaking up the fight. He then arrests Palpatine for suspicion of treason, and Mace for attempted murder. Mace is shocked and angered over this, but, strangely, Palpatine goes along with it and peacefully surrenders. The trial begins only a couple of months later. The Jedi provide the D.A. with their evidence of Palpatine's corruption, but the defense attorney deflects each charge as mere speculation or the Jedi overstepping their authority. (For example, the Jedi view that the war was over and Palpatine had to be forced to resign is refuted by the State of Emergency declaration being a political matter, not a legal one, and thus outside of Jedi jurisdiction.) Ani is put on the stand and testifies about his conversation with Palpatine, but under cross admits that Palpatine said he had Force knowledge, but never admitted to being a Sith or of conspiring against the Republic. Ani is also forced to admit that he'd been ordered to spy on Palpatine by the Council, an act he knew to be illegal. Later, Palpatine testifies that, yes, he does have Force powers, but his family refused to hand him over to the Jedi. He maintains that not agreeing with the Jedi "Light Side vs. Dark Side" philosophy didn't make him evil or even criminal, as there was no law against private use of such powers by non-Jedi. Then, the defense calls a rebuttal witness: Sate Pestage. He testifies that he'd been brought in by Republic Intelligence, without the knowledge of the Supreme Chancellor, to investigate the progress of the war. And he produces true, legally-obtained recordings of the Jedi Council deciding to arrest Palpatine without a formal charge, and then take control of the Republic, a total violation of their covenant with the government. With the Order's credibility ruined, and no real grounds for the case, the defense moves for dismissal and the judge grants it.
A month later, Palpatine has been returned to office by a landslide victory in the Senate vote. He meets with a discouraged Ani, who has been excommunicated from the Jedi upon their discovery of his marriage (and, Ani suspects, as a scapegoat for the failure of the case). Palpatine is gracious to him, saying he understands that Ani only wanted to do the right thing. Palpatine has even asked that the charge against Mace be dropped, wishing to move on to more important matters. Ani says he's still worried about Padme (whose career has been affected by Ani's disgrace) and raising his young children, and that now he has no job possibilities beyond helping Owen on the farm. Palpatine, though, has an idea.
Epilogue: Ani is appointed commanding general of all Republic forces, second only to Palpatine in authority and outranking all Jedi. The Senate votes overwhelmingly to seriously restrict Jedi powers of arrest, search and seizure. The Separatists begin a big counterattack, now with Durge as commander of the droid forces, as the war continues. And then...

What do you think, sirs?