Anakin Skywalker famously turned to the dark side throughout the Star Wars prequel trilogy, with his transition to becoming Darth Vader coming at the end of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, but many characters contributed to it. Anakin was stated in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace to be the Chosen One, which inadvertently put more pressure on him to succeed as a Jedi. While many factors contributed to Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side, his ultimate choice was built on the shoulders of others, as well.
One of the major issues that Jedi have to face is trying to keep their emotions out of their decisions; however, as a Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker struggled with this frequently. He had emotional attachments to several other people, most notably his secret wife, Senator Padme Amidala. Anakin’s desire to protect those he loved, like Padme and his mother Shmi, often led him to make questionable, if not outright horrible decisions that led him further down a dark path.
Palpatine
Palpatine was grooming Anakin for over a decade to become his newest Sith apprentice. Not only could Palpatine identify the uncertainty and darkness that resided within Anakin, but he actively used it to turn him toward the dark side. As Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine developed a camaraderie with the young Jedi that led Anakin to trust the Supreme Chancellor and even consider him a friend and mentor.
With Palpatine secretly being the elusive Sith Lord Darth Sidious, it was clear his end goal was wielding Anakin’s power for his own gain. The final twist in the game Palpatine played in grooming Anakin as his next apprentice was convincing the struggling Jedi that he could teach him how to save Padme from dying in Revenge of the Sith. Palpatine eventually acknowledged that he was the Sith Lord the Jedi had been hunting, but deflected off of that by promising to teach Anakin how to cheat death. Palpatine, through his mentorship with Anakin, was able to plant the seeds of distrust in the Jedi early, which made it easier for him to turn Anakin when he revealed himself to be a Sith Lord.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi had just finished his apprenticeship under Qui-Gon Jinn when he became Anakin Skywalker’s master. On the surface, Obi-Wan was very hard on Anakin, scolding him in public and telling the Jedi Council he wasn’t ready for a solo mission in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. However, he truly cared for Anakin, and saw him as a brother, especially once they began fighting alongside each other in the Clone Wars. Obi-Wan usually playfully made fun of Anakin, but the pair worked really well together, which is probably why it hurt Anakin so much when Obi-Wan didn’t defend him when he wasn’t given the rank of Master.
For much of the back end of Revenge of the Sith, Anakin felt that Obi-Wan had betrayed him and was trying to also turn Padme against her husband. Obi-Wan had also given Anakin a reason not to trust him before. In a The Clone Wars season 4 arc, Obi-Wan fakes his death to gain information on one of Count Dooku’s plans. This means that Anakin had to believe his former master was assassinated. Anakin was very on edge and was willing to resort to violence to get to his master’s murderer to avenge the perceived death. Obi-Wan eventually showing up alive and revealing the decision for secrecy was his planted seeds of distrust in Anakin.
Qui-Gon Jinn
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn was the reason why Anakin Skywalker from freed from slavery and started down the path of the Jedi. Upon meeting Anakin and having Obi-Wan confirm his Midi-chlorian count, Qui-Gon was convinced that Anakin was the Chosen One. While Qui-Gon had no idea what would become of Anakin, he brought the boy to the Jedi Temple and ultimately pushed for him to be Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Padawan. Freeing Anakin from a life of slavery was the right thing to do, but his becoming a Jedi eventually spelled the end for the entire Order.
Additionally, Anakin most likely wouldn’t have become Obi-Wan’s student if it wasn’t for Jinn’s death. In his dying breaths, Qui-Gon asked Obi-Wan to train Anakin, something that Obi-Wan couldn’t deny his master. If Qui-Gon had lived and trained Anakin himself, it’s possible that Anakin wouldn’t have turned to the dark side. Even though Obi-Wan was a good teacher, Qui-Gon would’ve been a better fit as Anakin’s master, as he was the father figure the boy needed. This isn’t to say that Obi-Wan wasn’t a good teacher, but his and Anakin’s personalities and opinions greatly differed, and brotherhood wasn’t the right bond for Skywalker.
Padme Amidala
Padme Amidala’s secret marriage with Anakin Skywalker was one of the biggest reasons he eventually turned to the dark side. His emotions and love for her often clouded his judgment, and sometimes led him to be violent. This was seen in The Clone Wars with Rush Clovis and how Anakin became erratic and controlling over Padme. Anakin letting his emotions control him meant he flirted with the dark side, making it easier to be manipulated by Palpatine.
Additionally, during Revenge of the Sith, Padme’s pregnancy was of great concern, as Anakin had a vision of his wife dying during childbirth. This vision led Anakin to accept help from Palpatine, who promised that he could teach Anakin to save Padme and their unborn child. While Anakin had already given himself over to Palpatine and the dark side at the end of Revenge of the Sith, it was Palpatine telling Anakin that he had killed Padme that ultimately destroyed him and was a final point of no return. It would be Anakin’s love of Padme, and therefore their children, which brought him back to the light in Return of the Jedi.
Ahsoka Tano
Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, didn’t contribute quite as much to her master’s fall to the dark side as others, but she did little to help him in his time of need, either. At the end of The Clone Wars season 5, Ahsoka was framed for bombing the Jedi Temple and several murders. While Anakin eventually found the real offender, Barriss Offee, and brought her to justice, he was one of the few who witnessed and got Barriss’ side of the story. She was disillusioned and didn’t believe in the Jedi Order any longer, something that Anakin would feel more and more towards the end of The Clone Wars and throughout Revenge of the Sith.
When Ahsoka decided to leave the Jedi Order after she was acquitted, it hurt Anakin and made him feel like he failed her as a master, and she as his student. Afterward, Ahsoka was seemingly always short with Anakin when they briefly reconnected in The Clone Wars season 7 before the Siege of Mandalore. While Anakin wanted to know how Ahsoka was doing, she just wanted to talk strategy and said there’d be time to catch up later, though they did have a nice goodbye. Ahsoka knew her master well and should’ve sensed the darkness rising in him, but she didn’t accept Maul’s words that he was being groomed by Darth Sidious.
The Jedi Council
A major factor that contributed to Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side was the Jedi Council. The Council, led by Jedi Grand Master Yoda ,refused to give Anakin the rank of Master, despite being allowing him a seat among their ranks. This move upset Anakin greatly, and he expressed this frustration to Obi-Wan Kenobi. In fact, Mace Windu made it known to Anakin that he did not trust him, despite Anakin proving his abilities and loyalty time and time again.
The Jedi had lost their way long before Anakin joined the Order, but they nonetheless failed him, and their hubris was their ultimate downfall. Because they did not trust Anakin, it formed seeds of discontent, and the task to spy on the Chancellor was later exploited by Palpatine. If the Jedi and Yoda had been more attentive to the growing darkness in Anakin, the Jedi Council may have been able to fight off the temptation of the dark side and Palpatine. Instead, they isolated him and made his fall to the dark side inevitable.
Watto
The Toydarian junk dealer was the former owner of Anakin Skywalker and his mother Shmi. Skywalker’s hatred for slavery started with how he and his mother were treated by Watto and the fact that when Qui-Gon Jinn tried to free both Anakin and Shmi, he was only able to rescue the boy. If Watto hadn’t kept Shmi as his slave, she wouldn’t have been taken by the Tusken Raiders, tortured, and killed by them. Shmi Skywalker’s brutal death was one of the first times the dark side was truly visible in Anakin, and it was completely avoidable.
Anakin’s hatred for slavery was also shown in an arc in The Clone Wars season 4, when he, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka were all captured by Zygerrian slavers. Anakin was once again (though briefly) a slave, and it triggered an anger that wasn’t seen often during the show. It was vicious focus the Jedi struggled to stave off, showing how deep the threads of the dark side ran in Anakin. This anger and hatred all began with Watto and the fact that he owned Anakin and his mother during Skywalker’s upbringing.
Many factors led to Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side and his transformation into Darth Vader. However, no matter how much darkness resided within Anakin, the people who surrounded him shaped and contributed to his inevitable fall. While most of these entities never meant for him to fall to the dark side, their actions (or inaction) contributed to his descent into evil and the ultimate demise of Star Wars‘ Republic and Jedi Order.
