How did Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader

Rating: 9/10 (5 February 2010)

He had everything he ever needed-his love Padme,his teacher and best friend Obi-Wan Kenobi,he was faithful to Republic,he was best Jedi,someone who would never betray his ideals and beliefs. He would die for them. So,what happened to him,how he betrayed himself? That happened to him because he lost his balance between good and dark side of "force". And what is force. It represents our personality,our life strength,our faith in our selves,our life energy. But as everything else it can be used in service of good and evil. Good and evil are in all of us-symbols of our virtues and faults. And side that prevails will define the way we are. He was a person of extremity- if he was faithful to someone or something he would n't hesitate to sacrifice himself. If he was fighting against somebody or something he would fight until complete destruction of that. That was dangerous side of him,that side eventually pushing him from one end to another one. That commitment became fatal to him.
Love and fears.His love to Padme was unconditional,she and their newly born children were something he could n't live without. He could n't imagine his life without them. He would lose purpose of his life if something would happen to them. There we come to fears. His deepest fears of losing them were slowly finding their place in his mind,eventually becoming paranoia as situation got worse in Republic. He did n't listen words of wise master and fighter Yoda-"Give up from everything you are afraid that you will lose". It meant to accept life the way it is and to understand that we all die,who or what ever we love will leave us one day,and we have to find our balance and internal peace. If we don't, our fears and ego will overcome us and push us to dark side of our personalities.
Someone knew that.Someone who was slave of his own ego,greed,hatred and above all,someone who was perfect manipulator. Personification of pure evil. Chancellor Palatine. He made Anakin to let dark side of force to overcome in him. He increased Anakin's worst personal fears and turned him against his best friend-Obi Wan Kenobi and other Jedi knights. Manipulating over situation and people Palatine executed a state- coup,crushed Republic, formed Empire and became Emperor himself. As Padme said-"This is how democracy dies". In confusion,being manipulated and under pressure of his own fears Anakin selected a wrong side when he saved Palatine's life killing Mace Windu a Jedi who tried to kill Palatine. But as much as he saved Platine's life, he will take away his life many years later when time came. He lost his love Padme,he thought that he lost his children Luke and Leia too,but he did n't know that they were saved by Obi Wan Kenobi and brought to safety. He became mad, he did terrible crime killing young Jedi students as Palatine told him completely controlling him. Obi Wan Kenobi defeated him in a fierce battle,Anakin was burned and almost dead (Kenobi was wrong thinking that he is dead and leaving him like that, years later as Darth Vader Anakin killed him,but Obi allowed Luke Skywalker to escape). When Palatine found him like this,he put him into his new clothes and life-supporting devices. Despite body almost destroyed his mind and fighting skill survived,he received new name-Darth Vader. Transformation to dark side was complete.
Many years later he was fighting against his own son Luke Skywalker who inherited his excellent fighting instinct, but unlike his father Luke kept his balance and remained on a good side of force. In the end Darth Vader reveals to Luke that he is his father Anakin and offers him to fight on the same side which Luke refuses and offers him to join him against Emperor (Palatine). Palatine tries to kill Luke who is begging his father to help him,and Darth does n't know what to do. Eventually his father's instinct prevails and he kills Emperor Palatine saving life of his son Luke. At least in the end he did a right thing. After that he dies,Empire is destroyed and forces of good have prevailed. Luke as a winner learned a truth of his father and gave him a warrior's funeral respecting him for the rest of his life. Darth Vader died,Anakin Skywalker lives. Saga of "Star Wars" with its non-linear approach to story tells us a great and beautiful story of ourselves. Anakin,Darth,Luke,Obi,master Yoda,Palatine,Padme and others live in every one of us. They are reflection and personification of our own personalities, deep inside of us we choose our side of "force". And where the Force will take us,it depends on us.Choice is ours.