The Moral Problem Of Anakin Skywalker
A character analysis of Anakin's Skywalker. What meaning can be read from the moral arc of his entire life?
Comments (3)
The idea of free will, "fate" and morality within the SW universe is the central question of SW: Knight of the Old Republic II. Noah Gervais made an excellent video essay talking about KotoR games, check it out if you havent played them.
I have always interpreted it that Anakin did fulfill the prophecy, in the order that it was given. He brought balance to the Force. Because there are many hundreds of Jedi, and only a handful of Sith. The Sith are necessarily more powerful individuals because they must counteract the mass of Jedi. This interpretation is based on "The Force" being a physical force of nature that must necessarily be in balance, or at least if it is out of balance, it will seek to restore balance. I like this interpretation because it implies that the Jedi themselves were responsible for creating the imbalance. Then, as you point out, Anakin does eventually lead to the downfall of the Sith and completely fulfilling the prophecy. At this stage, Luke is the only remaining Jedi and the only source of imbalance.
You were right, this went much deeper than I thought it would. Great work!