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The following presentation discusses the downfall of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, by applying Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory to examine the impacts of his relationships.

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What are the 4 stages of social learning theory?

The social learning theory proposes that individuals learn through observation, imitation, and reinforcement. According to the theory, there are four stages of social learning:

1. Attention: In this stage, individuals must first pay attention to the behavior they are observing. This requires focus and concentration on the model's behavior.

2. Retention: In this stage, individuals must remember the behavior they observed. This involves cognitive processing and memory storage.

3. Reproduction: In this stage, individuals attempt to reproduce the behavior they observe. This may involve practicing and refining the behavior until it can be performed accurately.

4. Motivation: In this stage, individuals must have a reason or motivation to perform the behavior. This may involve reinforcement, punishment, social approval, disapproval, or other incentives.

What is the main idea of social learning theory?

Social Learning Theory, proposed by Albert Bandura, posits that people learn through observing, imitating, and modeling others' behavior. This theory posits that we can acquire new behaviors and knowledge by watching others, a process known as vicarious learning.

Bandura emphasized the importance of cognitive processes in learning, which set his theory apart from traditional behaviorism.

He proposed that individuals have beliefs and expectations that influence their actions and can think about the links between their behavior and its consequences.

Why is social learning theory important?

Social learning theory helps us understand how our environment and the people around us shape our behavior. It helps explain how individuals develop new skills and behaviors by paying attention to the behavior of others and then trying to reproduce that behavior themselves.

It is an important theory for psychologists, educators, and anyone interested in human behavior and development.

Who is Albert Bandura?

Albert Bandura was a prominent Canadian-American psychologist known for his work in social learning theory and the concept of self-efficacy.

His groundbreaking research on observational learning, through experiments such as the Bobo Doll experiment, shifted the focus of psychological theory from behaviorism to cognitive processes.

Bandura's work significantly influenced the understanding of how individuals learn within social contexts.

Albert Bandura is best known for his contributions to the field of psychology, particularly in the areas of social learning theory, self-efficacy, and aggression. He is considered one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century.

Bandura's work has significantly impacted our understanding of human behavior and has informed fields such as education, psychology, and social work.

References

Ahn, J. N., Hu, D., & Vega, M. (2020). "Do as I do, not as I say": Using social learning theory to unpack the impact of role models on students' outcomes in education. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 14(2), e12517.

Bagès, C., Verniers, C., & Martinot, D. (2016). Virtues of a hardworking role model to improve girls' mathematics performance. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 40(1), 55-64

Bandura, A. Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through the imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575-582

Bandura, A. (1965). Behavioral modification through modeling procedures. In L. Krasner & L. P. Ullman (Eds.), Research in behavior modification. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Bandura, A. (1969). Principles of behavior modification. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Bandura, A. (1971). Social learning theory. New York: General Learning Press.

Bandura, A. (1972). Modeling theory: Some traditions, trends, and disputes. In R. D. Parke (Ed.), Recent trends in social learning theory (pp. 35-61). New York: Academic Press.

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Bennett, S., Farrington, D. P., & Huesmann, L. R. (2005). Explaining gender differences in crime and violence: The importance of social cognitive skills. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 10(3), 263-288.

Cheryan, S., Siy, J. O., Vichayapai, M., Drury, B. J., & Kim, S. (2011). Do female and male role models who embody STEM stereotypes hinder women's anticipated success in STEM? Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2(6), 656-664.

Dasgupta, N. (2011). Ingroup experts and peers as social vaccines who inoculate the self-concept: The stereotype inoculation model. Psychological Inquiry, 22(4), 231-246.

Deaton, S. (2015). Social learning theory in the age of social media: Implications for educational practitioners. Journal of Educational Technology, 12(1), 1-6.

Fryling, M. J., Johnston, C., & Hayes, L. J. (2011). Understanding observational learning: An interbehavioral approach. The Analysis of verbal behavior, 27, 191-203.

Grusec, J. E. (1994). Social learning theory and developmental psychology: The legacies of Robert R. Sears and Albert Bandura.

Huesmann, L. R., & Kirwil, L. (2007). . Cambridge University Press.

Lin-Siegler, X., Ahn, J. N., Chen, J., Fang, F. F. A., & Luna-Lucero, M. (2016). Even Einstein struggled: Effects of learning about great scientists' struggles on high school students' motivation to learn science. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(3), 314-328.

Lockwood, P., & Kunda, Z. (1997). Superstars and me: Predicting the impact of role models on the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(1), 91-103.

Marx, D. M., & Ko, S. J. (2012). Superstars "like" me: The effect of role model similarity on performance under threat. European Journal of Social Psychology, 42(7), 807-812.

Nabavi, R. T. (2012). Bandura's social learning theory & social cognitive learning theory. Theory of Developmental Psychology, 1(1), 1-24.

Overskeid, G. (2018). Do we need the environment to explain operant behavior?. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 302037.

Rosenthal, L., Levy, S. R., London, B., Lobel, M., & Bazile, C. (2013). In pursuit of the MD: The impact of role models, identity compatibility, and belonging among undergraduate women. Sex Roles, 68(7-8), 464-473.

Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories an educational perspective (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Stout, J. G., Dasgupta, N., Hunsinger, M., & McManus, M. A. (2011). STEMing the tide: Using ingroup experts to inoculate women's self-concept in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(2), 255-270

Weiner, B. (1979). A theory of motivation for some classroom experiences. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71(1), 3-25.

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

Saul Mcleod, PhD
Educator, Researcher

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, Ph.D., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years experience of working in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

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Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory In Psychology

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Social Learning Theory, proposed by Albert Bandura, posits that people learn through observing, imitating, and modeling others' behavior. This theory posits that we can acquire new behaviors and knowledge by watching others, a process known as vicarious learning.

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How Observational Learning Affects Behavior

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How Observational Learning Affects Behavior

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Observational learning describes the process of learning by watching others, retaining the information, and then later replicating the behaviors that were observed.

There are a number of learning theories, such as classical conditioning and operant conditioning, that emphasize how direct experience, reinforcement, or punishment can lead to learning. However, a great deal of learning happens indirectly.

For example, think about how a child may watch adults waving at one another and then imitates these actions later on. A tremendous amount of learning happens through this process. In psychology, this is referred to as observational learning.

Observational learning is sometimes called shaping, modeling, and vicarious reinforcement. While it can take place at any point in life, it tends to be the most common during childhood.

It also plays an important role in the socialization process. Children learn how to behave and respond to others by observing how their parent(s) and/or caregivers interact with other people.

History of Observational Learning

Psychologist Albert Bandura is the researcher most often associated with learning through observation. He and others have demonstrated that we are naturally inclined to engage in observational learning.

Studies suggest that imitation with social understanding tends to begin around 2 years old, but will vary depending on the specific child. In the past, research has claimed that newborns are capable of imitation, but this likely isn't true, as newborns often react to stimuli in a way that may seem like imitation, but isn't.

If you've ever made faces at a toddler and watched them try to mimic your movements, then you may have witnessed how observational learning can be such an influential force. Bandura's social learning theory stresses the power of observational learning.

Bobo Doll Experiment

Bandura's Bobo doll experiment is one of the most famous examples of observational learning. In the Bobo doll experiment, Bandura demonstrated that young children may imitate the aggressive actions of an adult model. Children observed a film where an adult repeatedly hit a large, inflatable balloon doll and then had the opportunity to play with the same doll later on.

Children were more likely to imitate the adult's violent actions when the adult either received no consequences or when the adult was rewarded. Children who saw the adult being punished for this aggressive behavior were less likely to imitate them.

Observational Learning Examples

The following are instances that demonstrate observational learning has occurred.

A child watches their parent folding the laundry. They later pick up some clothing and imitate folding the clothes.

A young couple goes on a date to an Asian restaurant. They watch other diners in the restaurant eating with chopsticks and copy their actions to learn how to use these utensils.

A child watches a classmate get in trouble for hitting another child. They learn from observing this interaction that they should not hit others.

A group of children play hide-and-seek. One child joins the group and is not sure what to do. After observing the other children play, they quickly learn the basic rules and join in.

Stages of Observational Learning

There are four stages of observational learning that need to occur for meaningful learning to take place. Keep in mind, this is different than simply copying someone else's behavior. Instead, observational learning may incorporate a social and/or motivational component that influences whether the observer will choose to engage in or avoid a certain behavior.

For an observer to learn, they must be in the right mindset to do so. This means having the energy to learn, remaining focused on what the model is engaging in, and being able to observe the model for enough time to grasp what they are doing.

How the model is perceived can impact the observer's level of attention. Models who are seen being rewarded for their behavior, models who are attractive, and models who are viewed as similar to the observer tend to command more focus from the observer.

If the observer was able to focus on the model's behavior, the next step is being able to remember what was viewed. If the observer is not able to recall the model's behavior, they may need to go back to the first stage again.

Reproduction

If the observer is able to focus and retains the information, the next stage in observational learning is trying to replicate it. It's important to note that every individual will have their own unique capacity when it comes to imitating certain behaviors, meaning that even with perfect focus and recall, some behaviors may not be easily copied.

Motivation

In order for the observer to engage in this new behavior, they will need some sort of motivation. Even if the observer is able to imitate the model, if they lack the drive to do so, they will likely not follow through with this new learned behavior.

Motivation may increase if the observer watched the model receive a reward for engaging in a certain behavior and the observer believes they will also receive some reward if they imitate said behavior. Motivation may decrease if the observer had knowledge of or witnessed the model being punished for a certain behavior.

Influences on Observational Learning

According to Bandura's research, there are a number of factors that increase the likelihood that a behavior will be imitated. We are more likely to imitate:

People we perceive as warm and nurturing

People who receive rewards for their behavior

People who are in an authoritative position in our lives

People who are similar to us in age, sex, and interests

People we admire or who are of a higher social status

When we have been rewarded for imitating the behavior in the past

When we lack confidence in our own knowledge or abilities

When the situation is confusing, ambiguous, or unfamiliar

Pros and Cons of Observational Learning

Observational learning has the potential to teach and reinforce or decrease certain behaviors based on a variety of factors. Particularly prevalent in childhood, observational learning can be a key part of how we learn new skills and learn to avoid consequences.

However, there has also been concern about how this type of learning can lead to negative outcomes and behaviors. Some studies, inspired by Bandura's research, focused on the effects observational learning may have on children and teenagers.

For example, previous research drew a direct connection between playing certain violent video games and an increase in aggression in the short term. However, later research that focused on the short- and long-term impact video games may have on players has shown no direct connections between video game playing and violent behavior.

Similarly, research looking at sexual media exposure and teenagers' sexual behavior found that, in general, there wasn't a connection between watching explicit content and having sex within the following year.

Another study indicated that if teenagers age 14 and 15 of the same sex consumed sexual media together and/or if parents restricted the amount of sexual content watched, the likelihood of having sex was lower. The likelihood of sexual intercourse increased when opposite-sex peers consumed sexual content together.

Research indicates that when it comes to observational learning, individuals don't just imitate what they see and that context matters. This may include who the model is, who the observer is with, and parental involvement.

Uses for Observational Learning

Observational learning can be used in the real world in a number of different ways. Some examples include:

Learning new behaviors: Observational learning is often used as a real-world tool for teaching people new skills. This can include children watching their parents perform a task or students observing a teacher engage in a demonstration.

Strengthening skills: Observational learning is also a key way to reinforce and strengthen behaviors. For example, if a study sees another student getting a reward for raising their hand in class, they will be more likely to also raise their hand the next time they want to ask a question.

Minimizing negative behaviors: Observational learning also plays an important role in reducing undesirable or negative behaviors. For example, if you see a coworker get reprimanded for failing to finish a task on time, it means that you may be more likely to finish your work more quickly.

A Word From Verywell

Observational learning can be a powerful learning tool. When we think about the concept of learning, we often talk about direct instruction or methods that rely on reinforcement and punishment. But, a great deal of learning takes place much more subtly and relies on watching the people around us and modeling their actions. This learning method can be applied in a wide range of settings including job training, education, counseling, and psychotherapy.

Additional Reading

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How Observational Learning Affects Behavior

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Observational learning can be a powerful way to learn in many situations. See observational learning examples and learn the four stages of this type of learning.

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Learning theory tells us how we take in and process information and knowledge. A person's environment influences his learning. In the case of Pavlov's dog, for example, the physiologist Ivan Pavlov found that the sound of a metronome produced saliva in a dog's mouth. The dog was conditioned to hear the sound and associate that sound with food, hence the salivation. This is called classical conditioning.

In operant conditioning, coined by B.F. Skinner, we learn through reinforcement or punishment. We avoid touching a pot of boiling water, for example, because we will burn our fingertips. Skinner developed the operant conditioning chamber, later known as the Skinner Box, to study animal behavior. The chamber or box has a key or bar that can be pressed so that the animal obtains a reward like food or water. Manipulating the key meant food, that is the premise of reinforcement in learning.

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The basis of social learning theory is simple: People learn by watching other people. We can learn from anyone-teachers, parents, siblings, peers, co-workers, YouTube influencers, athletes, and even celebrities. We observe their behavior and we mimic that behavior. In short, we do what they do. This theory is also known as social cognitive theory.

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Always Two: How Matters of Trust Built and Broke Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi

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Always Two: How Matters of Trust Built and Broke Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi

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Megan Crouse

Every Jedi needs a teacher - and every Sith apprentice aspires to be a Sith Lord. Always Two follows the stories of teachers and students throughout the Star Wars saga, exploring their role in the story and what they learned from one another.

When I sat down to write about Anakin and Obi-Wan, I wondered what I could bring to them that hadn't been said before. As heroes of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin suffered not just the tragedy of their duel during the fall of the Republic, but also the aftermath, almost two decades of living on opposite sides of the galaxy-spanning war. So much has been written about them before, and about how Palpatine slowly and subtly chipped away at Anakin's trust in the Jedi in general and Obi-Wan in particular. So I'm going to talk about how that trust manifested in the prequel trilogy - about how their relationship was built on it, how Palpatine manipulated Anakin's trust, and how that trust was bent to breaking.

I've written before about Obi-Wan as a Campbellian archetype when it comes to his role in Luke's story; he is the "supernatural helper" who guides the hero. However, when Anakin and Obi-Wan are introduced to one another they are both just starting their hero's journeys. Anakin heeds his call to adventure, while Obi-Wan is just about to experience what Joseph Campbell calls "the Abyss," or a tragedy - the death of Qui-Gon Jinn. The fact that the two Jedi met after such formative experiences - Anakin leaving his mother and Obi-Wan losing a father figure - might have made them even closer to one another. They were the only family they had left, and their brotherly connection made both of them stand out in the Jedi Order. Although Jedi were not supposed to form attachments, Anakin and Obi-Wan clearly established an almost familial relationship. The Jedi Council and Palpatine both noticed this and both sought to use it as leverage, playing Obi-Wan and Anakin against one another in Revenge of the Sith.

Some cracks show long before that, though. In the Obi-Wan & Anakin comic book series, the two Jedi are sent on a rescue mission to the ruined planet Carnelion IV. Anakin was considering leaving the Jedi Order, disturbed by what he saw as the hypocrisy of the Republic. For some Star Wars fans, this was a major revelation: Anakin had considered leaving the order before Revenge of the Sith, trading the life of a Jedi for a peaceful civilian existence? (Maybe he would have ended up as a navigator on a spice freighter. What a different world it would have been if Owen Lars had been telling Luke the truth.)

Leaving the Jedi wouldn't have changed Anakin's desire to help people, though. He wants to solve the galaxy's biggest problems. When confronted with the warring factions on Carnelion IV, he immediately tries to find a way to take action, asking "what are we supposed to do?"

Obi-Wan's goals in the same situation are more specific. He devotes himself to saving the crew of one airship, a temporary but kind gesture that Anakin didn't spot in his need to solve the planet's systemic problems. Anakin's ambition is already affecting the way he sees the world: he is concerned less for individual people and more for grand reform.

That reform sometimes includes himself. In the comic, Anakin realizes that his decision to leave his mother might have been more about his perspective on life as a slave than about what was actually best for him. At this stage, Anakin doesn't feel stifled by the Jedi Order per se, but feels wanderlust for the rest of the galaxy and turns to introspection when he can't physically leave the temple on his own. He wants to leave both because he wants to have an adventure and because he isn't sure that he made the right decision in the first place. Now that he has more context, his own young life with the Jedi looks different to him.

Obi-Wan respects this choice, and it's notable that Obi-Wan does not argue with Anakin here. Instead, he goes to Yoda, who suggests that Anakin and Obi-Wan go on one more mission together because they both have a lot to learn. The comic also suggests that Anakin's desire to fidget with machines is a manifestation of his need to make changes to the environment around him. He's restless, and droids or pod racers can move at speeds fast enough to outrun his uncertainty.

By the end of the comic, Anakin has agreed to stay in the Jedi Order, but his inaction has opened him up to Palpatine's pressure once again. One of those manipulations leads to another trauma for Anakin: when Obi-Wan faked his death in order to infiltrate a group of bounty hunters assigned to capture the chancellor. In Season Four of The Clone Wars, Anakin reacts to Obi-Wan's death by devoting himself to violently hunting down his killer. It's ironic when you think about what Darth Vader would do decades later.

The arc in which Obi-Wan goes undercover doesn't focus on Anakin's words after he finds out that Obi-Wan is alive. Instead, it shows him taking action. He becomes increasingly focused and increasingly determined to save the chancellor - the very same one who preyed on Anakin's insecurities in the first place.

We see Anakin's self-destructiveness lead to tragedy in a much more literal way in the Darth Vader comics, in which Vader has a vision of himself literally killing the person he used to be. Like in the Obi-Wan & Anakin comic, Anakin examines his own choices and finds them lacking, declaring to his former self: "You were a child. I am well accustomed to killing children."

Anakin re-imagines himself in both series, but one has much more violent outcomes than the other. His conflicted feelings toward his own upbringing - and the loss of his mother in Attack of the Clones - destroy his sense of self-control and cause him to lash out. When he can't control the people around him, he begins to want to control the entire galaxy.

Throughout the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan was Anakin's anchor, one of the few voices on the Jedi Council to whom he would listen. However, the fact that Obi-Wan was Anakin's teacher as well as his friend strained the relationship.

The bounty hunter arc of The Clone Wars Season Four also illustrates Obi-Wan's willingness to deceive the people closest to him for the greater good, something that we also see later, in the original trilogy. The relationship seems repaired, but it is a patch over a wound - one which Palpatine is happy to exploit.

In Obi-Wan & Anakin, Palpatine asks Anakin whether joining the Jedi Order was all he ever wanted, and Anakin says yes. But there's a moment of silence between them in which Anakin could be wondering many things. He could be wondering whether he ever could have dreamed bigger, wondering whether the Jedi could solve Coruscant's problems if the chancellor was just allowed to command them to do so. He could be wondering where he fits in the metaphor - are the people of Coruscant slaves too, never seeing the sun instead of baking under Tatooine's two stars? Anakin doesn't have the answer, and he doesn't open up to Obi-Wan about that.

The story of Anakin and Obi-Wan is not just a story of a friendship breaking. It's also a story about two people who did a lot of good together, despite their differences. From starting a precarious peace on Carnelion IV to protecting the chancellor and bringing their skills to the many battlefields of the Clone Wars, Kenobi and Skywalker represented the best of the Jedi - for a little while.

Megan Crouse's work has appeared in Den of Geek, FangirlBlog, and Star Wars Insider . She podcasts on Western Reaches and Blaster Canon and can be found on Twitter at @blogfullofwords .

TAGS: Always Two, Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars), obi-wan kenobi

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Always Two: How Matters of Trust Built and Broke Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi | StarWars.com

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Megan Crouse Every Jedi needs a teacher - and every Sith apprentice aspires to be a Sith Lord. Always Two follows the stories of teachers and students throughout the Star Wars saga, exploring their role in the story and what they learned from one another.

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Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda & the Jedi Younglings

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Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda & the Jedi Younglings

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Darth Vader Was Mentally  Ill, Researchers Say

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Darth Vader Was Mentally  Ill, Researchers Say

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Jun. 9, 2010— -- Don't blame it on the Dark Side. Anakin Skywalker's epic transformation into the evil Darth Vader may have been a result of mental illness, according to a group of French psychiatrists and psychologists.

In a paper published in the journal Psychiatry Research, Eric Bui and his colleagues at Toulouse University Hospital have given new meaning to the term "Jedi mind tricks" with their psychoanalysis of why the tragic "Star Wars" hero fell from Jedi grace. Apparently, he had borderline personality disorder.

As he came of age, Skywalker showed problems with impulsivity, violent outburst, illusions of invincibility and crises of identity, all of which are in line with borderline personality disorder diagnosis, the researchers concluded.

The absence of a father and early separation from his mother set the stage for his later developmental issues, the authors noted, and violent, dissociative events, such as when he kills a tribe of Tuskans in blind revenge, precipitated his turn to the Dark Side.

Indeed, Skywalker exhibited six out of nine of the borderline personality disorder criteria laid out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV), although fitting five is enough for a diagnosis.

What's more, they argued, because adolescents tend to display some traits of borderline personality disorder during their development, Skywalker's erratic behavior and struggles with identity may be behind the wild success of the sci-fi saga.

But some U.S. psychiatrists believe the researchers may have jumped the gun.

"Anakin shows borderline traits, but these do not persist into his adulthood," UCLA child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. H. Eric Bender said.

The borderline personality traits listed in the paper would have to be "enduring and maladaptive patterns" over the lifetime in order to justify a diagnosis, he added.

When Skywalker made the transformation to Darth Vader, the borderline personality traits didn't really come with him. In other words, Bender said, he was firm in his identity as a villain.

Therapy Session at Comic-Con

Although he disagreed with the diagnosis, Bender would be the first to approve of the spirit behind the Darth Vader paper.

While a fellow in child psychiatry at UCLA, Bender joined forces with fellow psychiatrists Dr. Vasilis Pozios of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Dr. Praveen Kambam of Los Angeles to form Broadcast Thought, an advocacy group that seeks to educate the public about mental illness through fictional characters of the comic book or sci-fi variety.

"We are 'fanboys' ourselves," Bender said. "We love comics" and wanted to use the genre "to examine how mental illness is portrayed in media and how it educates the public."

In the past year, the trio has spoken at renowned comic book conventions Comic-Con and WonderCon, where they delivered an analysis -- to sold out crowds, no less -- of which Batman villains actually deserved to be in the fictional psychiatric hospital of the series, Arkham Asylum.

"People really have a hunger to learn more about these characters and it's a great opportunity to educate public on the accuracy of depictions of mental health disorders, and in that way, help reduce mental health stigma," Pozios said.

As for which Batman criminals were actually criminally insane, surprisingly few made the cut.

Maximillian Zeus, who believed himself to be the ancient Greek deity, was deemed mentally ill, considering that delusion. But the Joker, the notorious Mad Hatter of the Batman series, was not.

Although he had an extreme anti-social personality disorder, his highly planned scheming belies a knowledge of right and wrong. Were he in the real world, he would likely be put in the slammer, not in the psych ward, they said.

Broadcast Thought will speak again at this year's Comic-Con in late July, this time about the effect of trauma on the formation of comic book heroes and villains, such as Batman. The group will also continue to conduct research on the audiences to whom it speaks to gauge whether its work is actually changing perceptions of mental illness and reducing stigma.

According to preliminary data from their latest talks, it is.

Through Broadcast Thought, the doctors hope to enact what Bender called a "paradigm shift" in the way the media, be it movies, comics or television, portray mental illness.

"Our hope would be one day that writers and producers and directors say, [when dealing with a character with mental illness], 'What do you mean you didn't consult with psychiatrists'?"

Was It the Force or Just a Tough Childhood?

Still, at issue is whether Darth Vader would have really been better off in a psych ward.

Skywalker portrayed many of the traits of the disorder as a youth, but even in the world of fictional "diagnoses," the French paper may be pushing the limits of diagnosis, psychiatrists say.

"It's important to note that any person, when put in highly stressful situations, may display certain traits, such as impulsivity, which are associated with borderline personality disorder," UCLA's Bender said.

But one time period in a person's life is not enough to justify a diagnosis, especially if that is a highly stressful period early on in life.

"Teenagers are impulsive and can practice risky behavior," said Dr. Sue Varma, assistant professor of psychiatry at the N.Y.U. Langone School of Medicine.

"They are trying to find out who they are and in playing around with identities, they show characteristics similar to borderline," she said. "But this is not enough for a diagnosis. Most teens come out the other side by their 20s."

That Skywalker came out the other side a villain didn't mean he was still grappling with the identity crises of his early Jedi years, Bender noted.

Bender believes that narcissistic personality disorder might be a better diagnosis because of some of the traits, such as delusions of grandeur and an obsession with power, seen in the later three films, as well as the first three.

Although made with good intentions, the comic comparisons may have an unfortunate flip side, however.

While explaining the disorders of fictional villains may help educate the public, comparisons to loathed characters also run the risk of increasing the stigma.

"Being likened to Darth Vader can be pretty stigmatizing as well," psychiatrist Pozios said. "You have to be careful [and] responsible with how you present these comparisons. You don't want people with borderline personality disorder to be labeled 'Darth Vaders.'"

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Darth Vader Was Mentally Ill, Researchers Say

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The tragic hero of the three prequel films of 'Star Wars' had a rough childhood that lead to erratic, violent behavior, all of which are in line with a borderline personality disorder diagnosis, researchers say. Perhaps this explains why Anakin Skywalker morphed into Darth Vader.

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Anakin Skywalker & his wife Padmé Amidala

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Anakin Skywalker & his wife Padmé Amidala

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Anakin after finding out Padmé died during childbirth

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Anakin after finding out Padmé died during childbirth

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After he wakes up from the procedure that put him in the Darth Vader Suit to save his life, he finds out that his wife died and his efforts to save her failed.

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Not surprising, as a kid who snuck down her parents' hallway and watched the original Star Trek with her head stuck under the coffee table because it was way past her bedtime. Whose entire childhood experience with the adult library in our town were those eight shelves marked 'Science Fiction'. Who stood in line for days to watch the original (ONLY!) Star Wars movie on its opening weekend and whose world was rocked by that opening scroll and that huge Star Destroyer flying overhead. (Han shot first.)

But those first three movies? Not so much. I call them The Dark Trilogy.

I have an irrational attachment to Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace. Yeah, I had to get over Jar Jar. But Qui-Gon Jin touched something deep in me when I was trying to learn to be a mentor to my grad students. And let's face it, Darth Maul was just awesome with his double ended light saber and that wicked tatoo.

But Star Wars II and III? Attack of the Clones had things in it I just could not reconcile. Like having the former leader of a planet just shrug off the fact that her boyfriend had murdered a whole village. And Revenge of the Sith? Only watched it once - on DVD - and never looked back.

But with The Force Awakens out I binge watched them all. In the original order: 4 to 6 over Thanksgiving. Then 1-3. Just because.

Why Did Anakin Turn? A Psychological Journey

I actually found the first three movies interesting.

I'm a developmental psychologist, and the only point of the first three movies is watching cute little Ani's development into the evil Darth Vader. That's what motivated those films. I think I finally got it. It's well-hidden in clones and battles and flip flopping Yoda, but it's there. From a psychological perspective, Revenge of the Sith - everyone's least favorite Star Wars film - is probably the most interesting. Bear with me while I get to that point in my story. You need the backstory first.

The Phantom Menace:

Ani - a young slave - is marked by talent and identified as the future savior. He is attracted to the Jedi immediately. He sees their power: a Jedi, he says, can't be killed. He also sees them as a force for good: the only reason the Jedi would have come to Tatooine is to free the slaves. Slavery and the failure of people to help others in need ("mom says the biggest problem in the universe is no one helps each other") are the two great evils in Anakin's universe.

Anakin is a child who gives selflessly 'without thought of reward'. Joining the Jedi allows Anakin to aspire to his childhood ideals. In the process, he also meets 'an angel': Padme, who will one day become his wife. The cost, however, is leaving in slavery the one person who loved him unconditionally. In addition, he leaves the world he has known, meets rejection from his idealized vision of the Jedi Council, and eventually loses his protector: Qui-Gon.

Episode I takes Anakin from a young boy

who idealizes the Jedi

who joins them to realize his core values of helping others and finding a means to free the slaves

who loses the only two people committed to protecting him: his mother and his mentor

Rejection and sibling rivalry. Eventually, Anakin is grudgingly accepted into the Jedi Order under the wing of an untried young Jedi - Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan isn't eager, he's doing this out of duty. He had originally argued with Qui-Gon that Anakin should be left to live out his life a slave. Not only was Obi-Wan an untried mentor, but one less idealistic and more into realpolitik than Qui-Gon ('you would be on the Council if you followed the Code') and one who had been displaced by Anakin. (Remember, Qui-Gon had ended Obi-Wan's apprenticeship prematurely in order to take Anakin on.) So later, in Revenge of the Sith, when Obi-Wan describes Anakin as his 'brother'? This is a relationship that started with sibling rivalry. It is not a father-son one as would be more typical of a mentor:protege relationship.

A dangerous mentor. One final key piece in Anakin's development is introduced at the very end of Star Wars I. He has attracted the notice of another powerful mentor: Chancellor Palpatine. A supposedly good guy in this movie, but one we all know is the embodiment of evil: a hidden Sith Lord.

Attack of the Clones

Attack of the Clones is what really turned me off the Dark Trilogy. This could have been a great tragedy in the classic mold: Good man wants to right evil (slavery). His power is great but not enough, so he yields to temptation (the Dark Side). In drawing on the Dark Side to achieve a great good more quickly he loses his soul. Great plot - around since the time of the ancient Greeks. Lucas didn't use it. Instead, Anakin's takes a more mundane (and less mythological) route to evil: he gets pissed off.

In the development of Anakin's character, three major themes in this film:

We see Anakin frustrated because he feels his talents aren't recognized

We see Anakin find his dying mother and kill an entire village in his rage at her death

We see Anakin fall in love with Padme

The teenaged Jedi: Anakin is, frankly, whiney in this movie. He is playing the stereotypical (and statistically unusual) teenager who is pissed at the restrictions of the establishment and doesn't feel his talent, maturity, and ability are being recognized and rewarded as they should be. He shows off. He rebels. He falls in love. He has sex. There are light sabers and weird balloony cows.

Developmentally, the key point is that he feels hemmed in and frustrated because his brilliance isn't recognized. In terms of personality, he is clearly established as a talented narcissist.

Anakin in love. Anakin has idealized Padme since he first met her as a child and she was a much older, beautiful, and eventually shown to be very powerful young woman. Ten years later, he reveals he has thought of her daily in the many years of their separation. In meeting him, it's clear that Padme remembers him, but as a little boy briefly met at a time when she had a planet to run. Thrown together, Anakin is still younger and less experienced than her, of course, but now in the role of her protector. He shows off. They fall in love. Whether Anakin has fallen in love with the woman Padme or his ideal 'angel' Padme is unclear.

Anakin the evil. A recurring theme in recent teen fiction (see Rick Riordan's most recent Sword of Summer and his earlier Heroes of Olympus novels), is that a powerful Other plots to change the course of child development by manipulating a child's love for a parent. In Attack of the Clones, Darth Sidious (Chancellor Palpatine) arranges for Anakin's beloved and much missed mother to be captured and tortured by the Sand People. (Apparently Skype does not exist in the Star Wars universe, as Anakin seems to have completely lost contact with his mother once he left planet. She didn't even send word when she was freed from slavery, got married, and moved.)

Haunted by nightmares planted by the Sith Lord, he sees that she is in danger and takes his first step of radical disobedience to the Jedi order: he tries to find and rescue her. This is consistent with his original values and character (the highest good is helping others and 'he gives without thought of reward'). It does, however, represent a rejection of the path he had chosen to fulfill those values: the Jedi order.

When Anakin finds his mother tortured and dying - apparently for no reason - he is enraged. He kills an entire village - men, women, and children - in revenge. This represents a marked departure from all of his previous values, including both personal and those of the Jedi. And, when he tells the person he loves - an idealistic politician! - that he has done so, she is bizarrely silent. No negative repercussions. Tacit consent.
Revenge of the Sith
Does anyone like Revenge of the Sith? On rewatching Revenge of the Sith, I was struck that it had three major sections: a beginning that was more awful than I remembered, a kind of interesting middle, and an oddly compelling end. Each serves a different function in establishing Anakin's developmental trajectory and transformation from Jedi to Sith.

Skill without wisdom. If Anakin was a whiney teenager in Clones, he is an arrogant 20-something in Revenge. He has massive skills, but no wisdom: he moves ahead without thinking and is constantly getting into dangerous situations because of it. He gives in to hate - the path to the Dark Side. He knows he shouldn't kill a defenseless adversary, but betrays his expressed values when angry and encouraged by a person in power - Palpatine. Again, this is key developmentally, as every time you betray your values, self-justification kicks in to protect self esteem. Every bad move makes it more likely you'll make another one.

Palpatine the mentor. Until watching it again, I hadn't realized how compelling and clever Palpatine - the hidden Sith Lord - would have been to Anakin.

Anakin is socially isolated. First, remember Anakin's position: he is older than all the other Paduan learners at his level (he was too old to go into training). He has been isolated with Obi-Wan, traveling constantly from one firefight to another. He is frustrated with his assigned mentor, who is constantly limiting him and whose job it is to keep him humble. He is married to a woman he loves but barely knows. That relationship must be kept secret. When he is on planet, they can rarely meet (though obviously often enough for her to get pregnant). And he's separated from her for months at a time.

Socially, Anakin is:

Separated from his childhood friends and loving mother

In a peer group where he is much older than others at similar levels of training and probably isolated

Mentored in a strict discipline where a major part of the mentor's job is to keep him from becoming arrogant and bending his will to service and obedience

And here's the Chancellor: the most powerful man in the Republic. A man who takes a lonely boy who has lost his mother and his idealized protector - and ex-slave - under his wing.

Palpatine is clever in his seduction.

He takes his time: in this film they've been close over ten years.

He flatters Anakin, telling him over and over how talented he is and how he is much greater than those on the Council who hold him back.

He encourages Anakin's secret dark thoughts. The Council is jealous. The Council is corrupt. The Council isn't motivated by the pure goals you thought it was.

He encourages Anakin to indulge himself: Sure kill the bad guy. I know you're married. They don't understand, but I do.

Fear leads to the Dark Side. One of the repeated messages of the Star Wars franchise is that fear leads us to hate and to acts of evil. We reach for easy ways to protect ourselves and compromise our principles when afraid.

Darth Sidious - the revealed name of the Chancellor in his role as Sith Lord - appeals to Anakin's fear.

Padme is going to have Anakin's child (children, actually, but that comes later). When she tells him, he says it is good news, but it is obviously also terrifying for him. He cannot continue to be a Jedi and also be the father and protector of his wife and family. So Padme's pregnancy immediately puts his future with the Jedi at risk or, alternatively, it means he will lose her.

Padme is going to die. Nightmares planted by the Chancellor (or just nightmarish premonitions, but I think the Chancellor) have convinced Anakin that Padme will die in childbirth.

Palpatine offers a way out of this. He says that the Sith have discovered a way to conquer death.

Anakin has an endangered future with the Jedi, because to remain a Jedi he must relinquish his wife and children.

The cost of remaining with the Jedi makes the limits they put on him feel harsher, their imperfections and realpolitik more stinging, and their lack of recognition of his skills more galling.

Turning to the Dark Side allows him to save someone he loves. And helping others is why he joined the Jedi in the first place, isn't it?

Palpatine manipulates politics, builds a deception, sets up plots, kills Jedis . . . yada yada yada. But what sets Anakin up to become a Sith is fear of losing the one person who he idolizes - she herself says that his love has made him blind. And he is being seduced to do so by a powerful figure who has been unconditionally caring to him since he was a lost, lonely boy who had just lost his mother and his mentor - the man who had freed him from slavery.

Broken down step by step. Child soldiers are frequently brutally recruited by forcing them to kill family members so that they can never go home again. Anakin first killed a fallen but defenseless enemy (Dookoo) at the order of a loved mentor (Palpatine). He was torn between that loved mentor and an institution whose restrictions he was chafing against (the Jedi Council) when each asked him to spy on the other. Because of duty, he was separated by another loved mentor - Obi-Wan - and put in a position of choice. On the one hand, was averting the death of his wife and the support of a flattering mentor who told him what he wanted to hear. On the other hand was hard work, limitations, and rivalry. The only excuse for the beginning of this movie (except the battle scenes) is to establish the kind of rivalrous sibling relationship - not mentor:protege relationship - that Anakin and Obi-Wan had established.

And then Anakin sees what is apparently the head of the Jedi Council violating all of its principles. He had been told the Jedi were corrupt and only wanted power. He hadn't believed. Then he finds his beloved mentor - the legitimately elected Chancellor - pleading and apparently helpless with the head of the Council holding a light saber to his throat. Anakin reminds the Jedi that he can't kill, and the Jedi says he must. The Chancellor - old, without a weapon, begging for help - reminds Anakin of what he has said: the Jedi are hypocrites and only want power. Anakin betrays the order. Anakin - the new Darth Vader - pledges himself to his new mentor - the Sith Lord. Now ordered to kill the younglings at the Jedi Temple, there is no going back.

So we have:

slaughter of anonymous innocents in revenge of his mother's death

slaughter of a defenseless enemy in the name of right

caught in a choice between beloved and commitment to a hard life he has come to see is less than the ideal he had once believed

slaughter of the head of the Order, so he can't return to it

slaughter of the innocents

And Anakin turning to Sidious - because the only good that can come of this betrayal of his values and his friends is that the Republic will stand and his beloved wife will live.

Darth Vader. Darth Sidious, the Sith Lord, has stated that Anakin will one day become the strongest of all Sith Lords. Further, we know that the way of the Sith is to have "one Master and one Apprentice". Potential apprentices are played off each other, with promising challengers killing off the current apprentice. And, from the myths we are told, young and strong apprentices eventually kill their masters.

Why would Palpatine want an apprentice who will eventually kill him off, who has been foretold to bring balance to the Force, and who he himself sees as eventually being more powerful than himself? Seems like a conflict of interest.

Palpatine solves the problem: he builds Vader's strength while defeating his ego. We know that for a brief moment, Anakin declares that he will kill Lord Sidious (recently elected as the first Emperor). Then, in one of the more ridiculous moments I had forgotten in the Dark Trilogy, he declares that he and Padme will rule the galaxy together. That's when Padme finally decides Anakin has lost it, her moral compass finally kicks in, and she rejects him. But it's also the moment that Palpatine has most feared.

Was the Emperor really manipulative and subtle enough to have foreseen this? I don't know. But what we have is a situation where:

Anakin/Vader has betrayed the family and future to whom he had given his life

Anakin/Vader was wracked by guilt because he had failed to protect his mother

Anakin/Vader believed that his beloved wife would die if he did not pledge himself to Palpatine, and he had done so

Anakin/Vader reveals the great sacrifice he has made to his beloved

Anakin/Vader is rejected and betrayed by the beloved. She cannot love a man who would act with evil to save her. (Note interesting point: Padme, as hero, cannot accept the lives of innocents in exchange for her own.)

Now betrayed by all but the Dark Emperor, and following his new behavioral pattern, he strangles Padme, only failing to kill her when distracted and challenged by Obi-Wan.

Betraying the beloved: The act that destroys the ego of Anakin. The rejection by Padme is actually central to why Vader remains a faithful SERVANT to the Emperor, rather than overthrowing him as originally planned.

What is left of Anakin - the good we keep being told is in Darth Vader's soul - sees the revulsion in Padme's eyes. She shows him the evil man he has become.

He is physically destroyed and is rescued by the Emperor. His old mentor, Obi-Wan leaves him to die in pain (what is WITH that?), reinforcing his hatred for the Jedi who he has betrayed and consolidating his rejection by them.

The Emperor heals him, but through pain. It definitely looks like they use only limited anesthesia during his rehab, inducing trauma and breaking him down. He is hidden and no attempt is made to restore him to look like his normal self. I mean, you can barely tell Luke's hand is artificial. It seems as if the major purpose of the suit Vader now dons is to isolate him from others so that he can never form restorative relationships (yes, his lungs are ravaged, but the Jedi have those cool little scuba mouthpieces - there must have been something better available). All he has now is the Emperor. Having cut off all other relationships for that one, basic psychological principles say he should reorganize all his thinking to justify that choice: the Jedi were corrupt, Padme was unworthy. And there's also Stockholm syndrome. We identify with the powerful when we feel weak so we will be protected, even as they hurt us.

The Emperor, being truly evil, manipulates him further. He tells Vader that he has killed Padme. Vader knows - he feels - that she was alive when he left her (gasping on the ground). But she has died. So his last memories of his beloved are that she rejected him because he had become evil, he had become evil to save her, he had lost her, and he had failed. He had killed his beloved and was - as she had known - evil and unworthy.

And there is the Emperor. Savior. The only reliable protector. The only one who valued his broken and unworthy self.

Now we're set up for the good movies!

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Not surprising, as a kid who snuck down her parents' hallway and watched the original Star Trek with her head stuck under the coffee table because it was way past her bedtime. Whose entire childhood experience with the adult library in our town were those eight shelves marked 'Science Fiction'.

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Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - Palpatine and Anakin at the Opera

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Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - Palpatine and Anakin at the Opera

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Star Wars Revenge of the Sith - Palpatine and Anakin Opera Scene (The Tragedy Of Darth Plagueis)

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Over 40 years ago, films entered a new era with the release of Star Wars, the epic space saga created by George Lucas. It's a franchise known by everyone and adored by many. It has spawned countless famous characters and launched the careers of highly recognised and respected actors and actresses.

It also gives detailed looks into mentoring, teaching us things we may have known but could not picture in our heads. For example, Yoda's line of "Do or do not, there is no try," is used by both fans and mentors across the globe.

But this blog will be focusing on one specific character, that of Darth Vader, formally known as Anakin Skywalker, during Episodes 1 to 3 as he begins his journey of bad mentoring, lost love, and choosing which side he must fight for.

The Misguided Mentors

Four Jedi, third from the left played by Samuel L. Jackson.
No copyright infringement is intended.

Let's begin with the Jedi, a monk-like organisation of peace keepers which has existed for thousands of years. When we are introduced to them, the Jedi are seemingly negotiators with laser swords. They try not to engage in violence unless the situation calls for it. Due to their beliefs, the Jedi train themselves to become near emotionless, banishing romantic or family attachments because they are considered a path to the Dark Side.

In The Phantom Menace, we learn the Jedi's archenemies the Sith have been considered extinct for a thousand years. This has caused the Jedi to become ignorant and blind, not believing they have returned without the Jedi knowing when one of their own delivers such news. They are quick to deny the suggestion until Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master fight a Sith and kill him. Even so, they are slow on the uptake, allowing members to abandon the Jedi Order and eventually join the Sith.

If our planet was looking for mentors, I would not recommend the Jedi. Mentors should bring out the best in their students, not brainwash them into compliance. How can a mentee succeed if everything they love gets removed or pushed away, if they aren't given the chance to be themselves? The Jedi refused to adapt and held to an outdated way of thinking, which ultimately led to their downfall at the hands of the Sith.

The Rise of Darth Vader

From right to left, the five stages of Darth Vader.
No copyright infringement is intended.

The main plot line of the Prequel Trilogy is the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into the feared Darth Vader. In the Phantom Menace, Anakin lived nine years before meeting the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn on a seemingly random occasion. Freed from slavery but forced to leave his mother behind, Anakin was taken to the Jedi Temple for further testing. He passed the test, but the Jedi, especially Yoda, were fearful of training him because of his attachments to his mother. When Jinn was slain, Obi-Wan took Anakin as his apprentice.

In Attack of the Clones, Anakin is now nineteen and is becoming a rebellious and grouchy student. Anakin is too brash and hot-headed for Obi-Wan to train effectively, leading to defeat against the fallen Jedi, Count Dooku. Anakin and Padme enter a relationship and by the end of the film, are married in a secret ceremony. By doing this, Anakin has broken a strict rule of the Jedi. If they ever discovered his marriage, he would either be forced to abandon Padme or the Jedi Order.

In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin falls to the Dark Side. A combination of lack of faith in the Jedi, and empty promises of saving Padme from death, results in the birth of Darth Vader. The final push comes when Anakin chooses Padme over the Jedi and later dones the iconic black suit, helmet, and cape and accepts his new role, mourning the death of his wife in a terrifying rage of power.

Throughout Anakin's story, it is apparent he feels frustration and disappointment about how the Jedi are treating him and teaching him. Mentors should never bring these feelings out of their mentees. If mentees do feel this way, then the mentor is not only failing them, but they are failing themselves too.

Conclusion

Darth Vader with his evil master, Emperor Palpatine.
No copyright infringement is intended.

I could talk about Darth Vader's entrance into the Star Wars universe for thousands more words, but we must keep it short, so I shall summarise.

In conclusion, Anakin Skywalker is a mentoring failure of epic proportions. Not only was the one mentor who should have trained him killed, he was passed onto an inexperienced mentor and entered an organisation that did not trust him or want him, ending in betrayal and death. You could say the evil Emperor Palpatine gave Anakin better mentoring than his official teachers. The Jedi too easily pushed Anakin's concerns and emotions aside, trying to force him into their way of thinking.

Let me ask you some questions. What would you do if Anakin was your mentee? How would you teach him? What advice would you give? How would you stop him from becoming Darth Vader? I highly recommend researching Anakin Skywalker's mentoring and those connected to it, even if you are not a Star Wars fan or haven't watched a single movie.

Darth Vader is a story of how not to mentor and when mentoring fails. Not to say that all young people will become Darth Vader, but without the proper mentoring tailored for them, they could walk a path neither you nor they wish to see.

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Over 40 years ago, films entered a new era with the release of Star Wars, the epic space saga created by George Lucas. It's a franchise known by everyone and adored by many. It has spawned countless famous characters and launched the careers of highly recognised and respected actors and actresses.

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Anakin and Obi-Wan are sent to rescue Chancellor Palpatine after he was kidnapped and encountered the Sith Lord Count Dooku. After Anakin disarms Dooku, Palpatine encourages him to kill Dooku to get revenge.

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Star Wars theory reveals who was really behind the death of Anakin's mother

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Star Wars theory reveals who was really behind the death of Anakin's mother

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Anakin Skywalker's journey to becoming Darth Vader didn't happen overnight. Molded and shaped by external forces that amplified his latent dark inclinations, Anakin first killed in anger after the murder of his mother Shmi in Attack of the Clones. However, a thoughtful new theory suggests that Emperor Sheev Palpatine - and not the Tusken Raiders - who was the one behind Shmi's death.

After learning of his mother's kidnapping, Anakin set out to find her, but Shmi died in his arms when he arrived too late. Filled with rage, Anakin infamously slaughtered the men "but the women and the children too." The moment proved to be a pivotal turning point in his fall to the Dark side.

Shmi and a young Anakin Skywalker. Lucasfilm

Reddit user Steinrikur theorizes was Palpatine "staged the attack and delivered Shmi to the [Tusken Raiders] to torture." The implication is that Palpatine likely bribed (or likely threatened) the Tuskens to take Anakin's mother so as to fuel his anger and fully commit himself to the Dark side.

Palpatine was enormously influential in shaping Anakin's understanding of the Force and the Dark side, throughout the Star Wars prequel trilogy and beyond. It's possible Palps figured the only way to push him over the edge was to kill Shmi and blame others for his heinous crimes. How else would Anakin become Vader if not for these personal attacks?

The theorist also draws a grim connection between Shmi's abduction and the deaths of Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru in A New Hope. They were both presumably killed by Stormtroopers masquerading as Tusken Raiders, though that's never confirmed.

Palps was really busy trying to isolate Anakin. Lucasfilm

After saving Luke, Obi-Wan suggested the Tusken Raiders weren't behind the attack, only that it was meant to look like they were. It's possible the missing link was Palpatine, who was probably behind both attacks, needing to eradicate anyone from the Skywalker family in hopes to lure them to the Dark side.

What's more, James Luceno, the author of the Revenge of the Sith Visual Dictionary once implied that "Sidious's fingerprints are all over Shmi's abduction." It's never been proven, but we all know Palpatine has the resources and is evil enough to set such a plan in motion.

We may never get confirmation regarding whether Palps was truly behind Shmi's death. But, he certainly had the motive and opportunity to execute such an act to further enforce his influence over Anakin and isolate him from anything keeping him from straying to the Dark side.

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Star Wars theory reveals who was really behind the death of Anakin's mother

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Anakin Skywalker's journey to becoming Darth Vader didn't happen overnight. Molded and shaped by external forces that amplified his latent dark inclinations, Anakin first killed in anger after the murder of his mother Shmi in Attack of the Clones.

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How can you not love a carefully planned revenge? Even if it kills all the heroes and throws the galaxy into darkness? That is what Palpatine achieved.

Let's break this master plan down.

Palpatine was Darth Sidious. He was a Sith Apprentice. His Master was Darth Plagueis, the wise.

A long time ago, the Sith decided to create the rule of two.

MACE WINDU : There is no doubt. The mysterious warrior was a Sith.
YODA : Always two there are....no more...no less. A master and an
apprentice.

Apparently, the Sith kept destroying each other and their defeats always came through inner conflict. Darth Bane created the Rule of Two. This way, there would always be one master and one apprentice. When the apprentice's power surpassed that of the master, it was his obligation to kill the master and find a new apprentice. That would ensure the perpetuation of the Sith doctrine. Also, after each generation, the Sith would become more powerful.

Darth Sidious simply fulfilled the Sith ways. As soon as he knew he became more powerful that Darth Plagues, he killed his master in his sleep.

PALPATINE: He became so powerful . . . the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. (smiles) Plagueis never saw it coming. It's ironic he could save others from death, but not himself.

Darth Sidious' nature is that of a puppet master. He operates in the background. He never gets his hands dirty, unless it is unavoidable.

Therefore, he took an apprentice who is hands-on. Darth Maul is a Sith Assassin. A martial artist. Someone filled with aggression and hatred.

According to Jedi Master Ki-Adi Mundi, there had been no news on the Sith for a thousand years. They were extinct.

They were extinguished by the Jedi, by their own internal conflicts and by Darth Bane, once he decided to rule through the Rule of Two.

QUI-GON : ...my only conclusion can be that it was a Sith Lord.
MACE WINDU : A Sith Lord?!?
KI-ADI : Impossible! The Sith have been extinct for a millennium.
YODA : The very Republic is threatened, if involved the Sith are.
MACE WINDU : I do not believe they could have returned without us knowing.
YODA : Hard to see, the dark side is. Discover who this assassin is, we
must.

The Sith wanted revenge against the Jedi, against the Republic. This revenge was cooked for a thousand years. Until Palpatine was ready to strike.

Creating Turmoil at His Home Planet

Palpatine invested in his political career until he became a Senator of Naboo, his home planet.

In the background he associated himself, as Darth Sidious, with the Trade Federation. These guys are economically important. Let's talk about economics later.

The Senate decided to tax the trade routes to outlying star systems, such as Naboo. The Senate already was under the influence of Palpatine. Surely, he was involved in creating the new taxation.

DOOKU : The truth. What if I told you that the Republic is now under the control of the Dark Lords of the Sith?
KENOBI : No, that's not possible! The Jedi would be aware it!
DOOKU : The Dark Side of the Force has clouded their vision, my friend. Hundreds of senators are now under the influence of a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious.
KENOBI : I don't believe you.

The Trade Federation now is angry and Darth Sidious approaches them to help out. How nice of him.

Sidious suggests them to blockade Naboo. No shipments shall enter or leave the system.

Manipulating the Queen

Queen Amidala of Naboo is 14 years old. Palpatine is sure he can manipulate her. That was not so easy.

Also, not every single detail went on as he expected. Starting with Chancellor Valorum dispatching two Jedi Knights as ambassadors to solve the crisis. That was unexpected. Sidious ordered the Trade Federation to kill them, in which they failed.

He also ordered the Trade Federation to occupy the planet.

This part of the plan is the most questioned by fans that criticize Episode I. What's up with the treaty? Once the Trade Federation occupies Naboo, the Queen must sign a treaty that will make the occupation official, making it legal.

However, if the treaty is signed, the crisis is "solved". Palpatine would not get the 'vote of no confidence' he wanted Amidala to issue. The lack of solution to the crisis was fundamental to take Chancellor Valorum down.

So, why does he insist so much? Let's see how obsessed with the treaty everybody is.

BIBBLE : ...how will you explain this invasion to the Senate?
NUTE : The Naboo and the Federation will forge a treaty that will
legitimize our occupation here. I've been assured it will be ratified by
the Senate.

[...]

QUI-GON : That won't be a problem. (to Amidala) Your Highness, under the
circumstances, I suggest you come to Coruscant with us.
AMIDALA : Thank you, Ambassador, but my place is here with my people.
QUI-GON : They will kill you if you stay.
BIBBLE : They wouldn't dare.
CAPT. PANAKA : They need her to sign a treaty to make this invasion of
theirs legal. They can't afford to kill her.
QUI-GON : The situation here is not what it seems. There is something else
behind all this, Your Highness. There is no logic in the Federation's move
here. My feelings tell me they will destroy you.

The fact that Qui-Gon acknowledges that there is no logic in this is a signal that indeed the treaty meant nothing.

NUTE : We control all the cities in the North and are searching for any
other settlements...
DARTH SIDIOUS : Destroy all high-ranking officials, Viceroy...slowly...quietly. And Queen Amidala, has she signed the treaty?
NUTE : She has disappeared, My Lord. One Naboo cruiser got past the
blockade.
DARTH SIDIOUS : Viceroy, find her! I want that treaty signed.
NUTE : My Lord, it's impossible to locate the ship. It's out of our range.
DARTH SIDIOUS : ...not for a Sith...

Sidious insists that the Trade Federation must get the treaty signed at all costs.

DARTH MAUL : Tatooine is sparsely populated. If the trace was correct, I
will find them quickly, Master.
DARTH SIDIOUS : Move against the Jedi first...you will then have no
difficulty taking the Queen back to Naboo, where she will sign the treaty.
DARTH MAUL : At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will
have revenge.
DARTH SIDIOUS : You have been well trained, my young apprentice, they will be no match for you. It is too late for them to stop us now. Everything is
going as planned. The Republic will soon be in my command.

Now, even talking to his Sith Apprentice, Sidious is still focused on the treaty.

This exchange also reinforces the REVENGE aspect. That is the ultimate goal. All the rest are tools to achieve the final objective.

Also, it shows that Sidious still feels everything is going as planned. He is not concerned that the treaty still hasn't been signed.

AMIDALA : With the Senate in transition, there is nothing more I can do
here...Senator, this is your arena. I feel I must return to mine. I have
decided to go back to Naboo. My place is with my people.
PALPATINE : Go back? But, Your Majesty, be realistic! You would be in
danger. They will force you to sign the treaty.
AMIDALA : I will sign no treaty, Senator. My fate will be no different from
that of our people. Captain!

This part maybe explains it. Perhaps Palpatine is so in control of everything, maybe he already knows Queen Amidala so well, that he is 100% sure that she will never sign the treaty under any circumstance. So, he pushes everyone in the direction of the treaty. He wants this crisis to go on forever, until he can use it in his favor.

This happens when she arrives in Coruscant. She speaks to the Senate. The Senate is so corrupt and filled with bureaucracy that they are incapable of solving anything in a practical way. Democracy has its problems, and Palpatine wants to eradicate it.

Palpatine finds his opportunity window.

PALPATINE : ...the Republic is not what it once was. The Senate is full of
greedy, squabbling delegates who are only looking out for themselves and
their home sytems. There is no interest in the common good...no civility,
only politics...it's disgusting. I must be frank, Your Majesty, there is
little chance the Senate will act on the invasion.
AMIDALA : Chancellor Valorum seems to think there is hope.
PALPATINE : If I may say so, Your Majesty, the Chancellor has little real
power...he is mired down by baseless accusations of corruption. A
manufactured scandal surrounds him. The bureaucrats are in charge now.
AMIDALA : What options do we have?
PALPATINE : Our best choice would be to push for the election of a stronger
Supreme Chancellor. One who will take control of the bureaucrats, enforce
the laws, and give us justice. You could call for a vote of no confidence
in Chancellor Valorum.
AMIDALA : He has been our strongest supporter. Is there any other way?
PALPATINE : Our only other choice would to be to submit a plea to the
courts...
AMIDALA : There's no time for that. The courts take even longer to decide
things than the Senate. Our people are dying, Senator...more and more each
day. We must do something quickly to stop the Federation.
PALPATINE : To be realistic, Your Highness, I'd say we're going to have to
accept Federation control for the time being.
AMIDALA : That is something I cannot do.

Queen Amidala issues her Vote of No Confidence. Chancellor Valorum is impeached. Palpatine wins the election. The whole Naboo crisis has resulted in many sympathy votes for Senator Palpatine.

Palpatine becomes Chancellor. Another step of the plan is completed!

The next step is to create a war. An external enemy that will unite the people. His new Sith apprentice must be someone who can play the role of a charismatic leader. Count Dooku, a former Jedi, would fit in just right.

Dooku established the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Many planets joined. Those that were unhappy with the Republic, its bureaucracy and its lack of power to solve issues. It is easy to imagine that many other crises similar to the Naboo one were created. Palpatine ensured that the Senate became as ineffective as possible.

This next step is a little bit more complicated. The Republic has no army that answers to it. The Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. However, they don't answer to the Chancellor. They answer to the Senate. They don't take direct orders from anyone. They are an independent force that collaborates with the Republic.

How can a single Sith Lord and his apprentice deal with 10,000 Jedi that are around the galaxy? Get a numerous army, of course.

Here is how the pieces are set on the board:

Convince Sifo-Dyas to order a Clone Army. This part, according to the Expanded Universe (Legends), is done by Darth Plagueis.

Dooku kills Sifo-Dyas.

Dooku becomes the contact with the Kaminoans.

Dooku enlists Jango Fett to be the genetic source for the army.

Erase Kamino from the Jedi Library.

Plant Order 66 in the clones' programming.

There still isn't a war between the Republic and the Confederacy, but there is a lot of unrest in the galaxy, with planets seceding every day.

The Jedi can't cover the whole galaxy at the same time. They are already overwhelmed and spread thin.

Palpatine proposes to the Senate that an army is created, to do what the Jedi cannot: maintain peace, justice and security in the Republic. Another crisis is created, to ensure he can manipulate people into doing what he wants.

After the droid factory is discovered at Geonosis, 200 Jedi are dispatched there, after Palpatine suggests it to Master Yoda and Mace Windu. Almost all of those die.

After the clone army becomes the Grand Army of the Galactic Republic, even the Jedi think it is best to use them in the Battle of Geonosis.

To keep his invisibility and his role, it is important to Palpatine that he gets what he wants. However, it has to look like it is not his idea.

He just needs the Confederacy to keep worrying the Republic. He needs the tension to increase. But again, he does not want the crisis to be solved. He wants to make it last as much as possible, in a way that the only solution is giving him emergency powers. With that, he can rule without interference from the Senate.

Events in Episode 2 allow him exactly that.

The Trade Federation agrees to support the Confederacy if they can kill Amidala.

Dooku hires Jango Fett and Zam Wessel to do it, but they fail in killing her.

The Jedi conduct an investigation on the assassination attempt. This leads them to discover the existence of the clone army and the existence of the droid factory. The Confederacy is getting ready for war. The situation is urgent.

Now is the time for Palpatine to make his move. It is clear that the Republic needs an army. It is also clear that the Senate will take forever to approve the clone army. It's manipulation time!

PALPATINE : But what senator would have the courage to propose such a radical amendment...?

[...]

JAR JAR : In response to the direct threat to the Republic from the Confederacy of Independent Systems, I propose that the Senate gives immediate emergency powers to the Supreme Chancellor.

Here is another Star Wars lesson for you: politics aren't for the innocent. Poor Jar Jar.

PALPATINE : And as my first act with this new authority, I will create a grand army of the Republic to counter the increasing threats of the Separatists.

The Chancellor now has emergency powers and an army. To the general population, none of the two was Palpatine's idea. Brilliant!

In the Expanded Universe (Legends), it is suggested that Anakin is the result of midi-chlorian manipulation by Darth Plagueis. That is why Anakin has no father.

This would indicate that Palpatine was always aware of Anakin and of his potential. It would only be a matter of waiting for the right time.

If you want to ignore that, it is also fine. Palpatine feels Anakin is going to become the most powerful Jedi ever. Palpatine wants this power brought into the Sith Order.

DARTH SIDIOUS : Darth Vader will become more powerful than either of us!

His influence over Anakin starts at their first encounter in Naboo.

PALPATINE : And you, young Skywalker; we shall watch your career with great interest.

He becomes close to Anakin, a counselor, a father figure he never had. Palpatine knows his weaknesses. It is Palpatine who suggests the Jedi Council to place Obi-Wan and Anakin in charge of protecting Amidala after the first assassination attempt. Getting Anakin and Padme together will feed his feelings for her, putting him in an uncomfortable situation with the Jedi.

The other weak spot is Anakin's mother. I find it odd that it was never made clear in the movies that Palpatine was involved in the Sand People capturing and torturing Shmi to death. That would only make sense.

Palpatine also kept convincing Anakin of how special he was, how the Jedi were holding him back. How the Jedi were envious of him and his capabilities.

Palpatine pushes Anakin to kill Dooku.

Anakin confided in Palpatine.

PALPATINE : It is only natural. He cut off your arm, and you wanted revenge. It wasn't the first time, Anakin. Remember what you told me about your mother and the Sand People.

[...]

PALPATINE: Anakin, I've known you since you were a small boy. I have advised you over the years when I could ... I am very proud of your accomplishments. You have won many battles the Jedi Council thought were lost . . . and you saved my life. I hope you trust me, Anakin.

Palpatine finally puts Anakin in an even more uncomfortable position between him and the Jedi Council.

PALPATINE : Nevertheless, their actions will speak more loudly than their words. I'm depending on you.
ANAKIN : For what? I don't understand.
PALPATINE : To be the eyes, ears, and voice of the Republic . . .
ANAKIN thinks about this.
PALPATINE : (continuing) Anakin . . . I'm appointing you to be my personal representative on the Jedi Council.

The Council approves Anakin's presence in the Council, but don't grant him the title of Master. Anakin is again unhappy with the Jedi Order.

Palpatine also convinces Anakin that the Jedi are plotting to overthrow the Government and take control of the Republic. The Jedi, of course, play that role very well. They are too deep into the war, into politics. They lost their ways, making Sidious' plan even easier.

Palpatine reveals himself as Darth Sidious to Anakin. Palpatine already has everything planned. He knows of his secret marriage with Padme. He knows she is pregnant. He knows he is dreaming that she is going to die. He uses it to turn Anakin.

At first, Anakin does what is right. He reports to Mace Windu that Palpatine is the Sith Lord they have been looking for.

Mace Windu arrives to arrest the Chancellor. But Darth Sidious is finally ready to get his hands dirty. He destroys the Jedi party, but is almost defeated by Mace Windu. Actually, he fakes being almost defeated by Mace Windu, just to play with Anakin's feelings.

The Jedi have entered his office to either arrest or kill him. The scenario is set. Palpatine's story has its evidence. The Jedi are trying to take over the Republic. Even Anakin believes in this version.

Palpatine offers Anakin the power to save his wife and kid. He takes it. He didn't like the Jedi that much anyway. Because of the Jedi ways, he lost his mother. When he talked to Yoda about his dreams of Padme's death, Yoda's counsel was to "let her go". He had tasted fear and anger and it tasted good. It boosted his power. Made him feel invincible. The Dark Side of the Force is a drug.

YODA : If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice.

The continuity of the Sith is guaranteed. Palpatine's apprentice is the most powerful Force user in the galaxy. The Sith will rule forever.

Anakin kills Mace Windu and becomes Darth Vader.

In the process, Darth Sidious lets his face be burnt on purpose, I believe, to gather more sympathy from the Senate. Every single detail matters in the Master Plan.

Palpatine issues Order 66. All clones shall kill their Jedi Generals, traitors of the Republic, currently on the field. Order 66 was planted in the clones' brains from the very beginning.

Darth Vader enters the Jedi Temple with the 501st Legion and wipes out the Jedi there, even the kids.

The main threat is gone.

The Clone Wars almost comes to a close after Dooku dies. But Palpatine must ensure once again that the crisis never stops, so he can keep his dictatorial powers and, if possible, make them definitive.

MACE WlNDU : Chancellor Palpatine, what a welcome sight! Are you all right?
PALPATINE : Yes, thanks to your two Jedi Knights. They killed Count Dooku, but General Grievous has escaped once again.
MACE WlNDU : General Grievous will run and hide as he always does. He is a coward.
PALPATINE : That may be true, but with Count Dooku dead, he is the leader of the Droid Army, and I assure you, the Senate will vote to continue the war as long as Grievous is alive.

The war continues. Obi-Wan finally kills General Grievous. Mission accomplished.

Order 66 comes, the Jedi are eliminated. It is time for the final political move. Palpatine addresses the Senate.

PALPATINE : The Jedi rebellion has been foiled. The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated. The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed. But, I assure you, my resolve has never been stronger. In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire for a safe and secure society.

Padme saw just fine what was happening.

I think it is quite easy to win a war when you are the leader of both sides.

However, there is an interesting aspect of this war.

Palpatine ensured that all the big corporations aligned themselves with the Confederacy:

Corporate Alliance

Trade Federation

Commerce Guild

Intergalactic Banking Clan

Techno Union

After both Dooku and Grievous were dead, Vader easily took down the leaders of these groups.

Notice how all these leaders are aliens.

Some people say that Hitler focused so much on the Jews because they were the most prominent business owners and had the largest fortunes in Germany.

I understand the analogy applies here. These "aliens" were among the wealthiest in the galaxy and, by eliminating them and taking over their assets, it ensured economic stability to the Empire.

It shall also be considered if Palpatine really was or was not an alienphobic, but that is another story.

At this time, darkness was taking over the galaxy. Palpatine's plans were working. The Dark Side of the Force was rising. As a bonus, it also "clouds everything" for the Jedi.

YODA : Blind we are, if the creation of this clone army we could not see.
WINDU : I think it is time we informed the Senate that our ability to use the Force has diminished.
YODA : Only the Dark Lords of the Sith know of our weakness. If informed, the Senate is, multiply, our adversaries will.

The Force was sided with Palpatine. The more he climbed, the stronger he got and the weaker his enemies got.

Also, how "lucky" it is that Darth Vader ends up killing his own wife? Surely, Palpatine already had a plan for her. He could never have total control over Vader while she was alive.

The fact that Obi-Wan debilitated Vader might also have been good at the end. There are multiple interpretations here. A weak Vader could never defeat the Emperor alone, which is good for Palpatine. On the other hand, the Sith thrive on having each generation being more powerful than the previous one. In this case, a weaker Vader is disappointing to Palpatine. In both cases, the providence of the Force put Vader entirely in his hands.

Surely there were Senators who opposed the absolutist powers of Emperor Palpatine. We already see them in Episode III.

Loyalist Committee

His move to get rid of the Senate was first seen in Episode II.

The Emperor had to put up with the annoying Senate for 32 years. Until the ultimate weapon was ready.

TAGGE : The Rebellion will continue to gain a support in the Imperial Senate, until...
TARKIN : [walking in with Darth Vader] The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I have just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.
TAGGE : That's impossible! How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?
TARKIN : The regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.

Everything went according to the plan until, of course, a certain farm boy blew up the Death Star. It all went downhill after that.

By the way, do you know what "master plan" does not make much sense? Luke's plan to rescue Han Solo in Episode 6!

It is fascinating that one of Palpatine's main tools was patience. Patience is a Jedi tool. Some parts of Palpatine's plan took years. The Revenge of the Sith itself took one thousand years. Be patient!

Star Wars is also a fable that teaches history. There are many analogies between the rise of Palpatine and the rise of Hitler. Every step can be matched with something that really happened: forming an army, labeling an external enemy to unite people, extend the war effort indefinitely to make people feel insecure. Spread terror and manipulation.

Some things in life we can control, but most things we cannot. Focus on what you can control directly. For things you cannot control, just be ready, be prepared.

"Luck favors the prepared," Louis Pasteur said.

KENOBI : In my experience, there is no such thing as luck.

"The Force favors the prepared," Obi-Wan would say.

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How can you not love a carefully planned revenge? Even if it kills all the heroes and throws the galaxy into darkness? That is what Palpatine achieved. Let's break this master plan down. Palpatine was Darth Sidious. He was a Sith Apprentice. His Master was Darth Plagueis, the wise.

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A Social-Psychological Approach

First of all, be careful what you wish for. Before the Star Wars prequels were made, people wanted them. They wanted to know about the Clone Wars Obi-Wan mentioned to Luke in Episode IV. They wanted to know who Luke and Leia's mother was. The wanted to know why Anakin Skywalker turned to the Dark Side.

What do these people, who really wanted those prequels, say about them now? Are they satisfied? No. I will say this till the day I die, but some things are better left to our imaginations. Prequels and sequels are perfect evidence of this.

O all the critiques of the prequels, one I hear frequently is: Anakin Skywalker. Critics think he was too old or too young in Episode I. They say Hayden Christensen was bad at portraying him (and this post is in defense of Hayden Christensen, as well). They say that Anakin and Padme had no chemistry. They say she was too old for him. They shout "Bad acting!"

In a more meta-physical way, people complain about Anakin's life. That he should have known better than to turn to the Dark Side. That he should have listened to Yoda, or Mace, or talked to Obi-Wan.

In short, people have problems with prequel Anakin Skywalker. They are dissatisfied. At first blush, their arguments are sensible if not down right convincing. The point of this post, however, is to defend Anakin and Hayden through a basic assumption of Social Psychology.

The premise of Social Psychology is that a person and their environment interact. Sounds obvious. It may surprise you how often a person's surroundings or circumstances are minimized, or ignored.

One poignant example is the Fundamental Attribution Error. Simply put, people tend to latch personal attributes to explain people's actions, and do not consider their situations. If a person drives fast and cuts you off, you assume he's a jerk, but what if he's rushing to see the birth of his first child? (Search F.A.E. for more info on the Fundamental Attribution Error. See also: Actor-Observer bias).

So let's take another look at Anakin Skywalker, taking into critical consideration his environment and circumstances:

Unlike typical Jedis who, according to Qui-Gon Jinn, are detected quite early in life, Anakin was discovered later in his life. Qui-Gon, not Anakin himself, argued with the Jedi council vehemently for Anakin to be trained, notwithstanding his age.

Aside from being old, Anakin had grown up (experiencing several brackets of development not typical of Jedis his age) as a slave. He was the property of a rude, greedy salesperson. Furthermore, Anakin (who has a rich capacity for love) loved his mother deeply. According to Google, Anakin was nine years old when he was emancipated.

Can you imagine being nine years old and departing from the person you love the most, likely to never see said person again?

Anakin was also raised until age 9 without a father figure. I'm not sure what the effects of this are, but likely some negatives are involved (though his mother did the best she could). Besides, a potential Jedi is supposed to be taken away from their family at a very young age.

Before Anakin had made any covenants to be a Jedi, or knew he would ever be one, he fell in love with Padme. This occurred the very first time he meet her, even originally thinking she was an angel. Anakin was infatuated. Can you blame him for loving her? What was he supposed to think? "Well, I may be a Jedi so I better not love her?" At the time of his initial run in with Padme, there was no evidence, in Anakin's eyes, that he'd ever, ever be a Jedi.

So before Anakin gets on the spaceship to leave Tatooine, he loved his mother deeply, and was in love with Padme. But Jedi's aren't supposed to love! Anakin didn't even know this, yet. He eventually learned this tenet of the Jedi way, but by then it wasn't applicable. Younglings are taken away from their families so they don't develop such connections in the first place.

It's not easy to experience love and then be told simply to forget it.

Are Padawans solely the result of what and how their Masters trained them? Yes and no? How good of a mentor was Obi-Wan to Anakin?

In Episode II, a spotlight is on Anakin and Obi-Wans' turbulent relationship. Judging by Episode II, Obi-Wan is often irritated and annoyed with Anakin; he's tired of telling Anakin the same thing over and over.

Mentor Fatigue

Obi-Wan trained Anakin out of duty to his own Mentor, Qui-Gon. When they first meet, Obi-Wan deems Anakin "Another useless life-form." It's possible that Obi-Wan resented Anakin. Obi-Wan may have been jealous that Qui-Gon seemed to value Anakin over himself.

Either way, Obi-Wan had a patronizing, condescending tone and approach towards Anakin. He seemed exasperated by the task of training him. Anakin claimed that Obi-Wan was holding him back.

Unaddressed Triggers

Despite their often hostile relationship, Obi-Wan had a crucial chance to divert Anakin from the path that led him to the Dark Side. Anakin told Obi-Wan his true feelings: that being around Padme again felt intoxicating. Obi-Wan tells Anakin to be mindful and reminds him of his commitment to the Jedi Order.

This would have been an appropriate time for Obi-Wan, who Anakin claimed was as wise as Master Yoda, to actually sit down with Anakin. To talk with Anakin about his feelings and help him sort things out.

Though it can be argued that turning to the Dark Side was Anakin's destiny, it is incontrovertible that what led him there could have been better addressed and remedied by his Jedi overseers.

In addition, Obi-Wans' simple reply to Anakin's recurring nightmares of his mother was that dreams pass in time. I don't expect Obi-Wan to be a Freudian expert on dreams, but really, this was another opportunity Obi-Wan had to discuss the love that Anakin had within himself.

The Non-Counseling Council

Lest it seem that we are putting all the blame on Obi-Wan Kenobi, let's look at the Jedi Council. From the get-go, they can be blamed for letting Anakin train in the first place. But more prudently, they made a crucial error in Episode II:

The Jedi Council sent Anakin and Padme to be alone together on her home planet.

In Mormon missionary service, companions are not to be out of sight or sound of one another (except for using the restroom). Though this may seem extreme, it saves them from potential difficulties. I don't necessarily recommend such an approach to Jedis. Still, leaving Anakin alone with Padme for an extended, private stay is a bad idea. This setup would be risky for any Jedi, let alone the volatile Chosen One.

To further complicate Anakin's life, he sees his mother again. But he does not see her in a happy state. Anakin's mother, the person he loved first, still loved, and, in his own words, "Missed so much," has been abused; she is the hostage of the Sand People.

The Chosen One, holding his own mother in his arms, helplessly watches her die. "Why couldn't I save her?" he wonders.

Full of rage anyone who has loved someone and seen them die at the hands of others can relate to, Anakin destroys the Sand People. And understandably so, his mother was exceedingly good-hearted; she didn't deserve this. His sweet mother, who wasn't mean to anyone and encouraged Anakin to love, suffered at the hands of merciless monsters.

The next day Anakin tells Padme what he did, and that something is wrong; that he's not the Jedi he should be. He is feeling the overwhelming burden of being the Chosen One and simultaneously not living up to the expectations of the Jedi and the Council, as well as his own expectations. On top of his under-performance in his own eyes and the eyes of others, he has just slaughtered a tribe. He has anger and guilt all mixed into one:

Anger at the Sand Peoples' actions, yet guilt at what he did in response.

One downfall for Anakin was his Jedi masters not realizing Anakin's need of a particular teaching: that he can't control everything, and that he is not, and never will be, all powerful.

Tatooine in General

Not including his mother, Tatooine represented to Anakin everything he sought to get away from. Yet, Tatooine, in all its roughness, would forever remain Anakin's home. He would forever be drawn to it and repulsed by it. These are very conflicting feelings for a Jedi to experience, especially considering Jedis are supposed to be removed from their home and family at a much earlier age than Anakin was.

The person who Anakin opens up the most to is not Obi-Wan or Padme, however. The person Anakin opens himself up to the most is Palpitine. He shares the incident of the Sand People with him, and discusses his mother with him, too.

In Episode III, Obi-Wan mentions the fact that Anakin is spending a lot of time with Palpitine. Palpitine and Anakin were having numerous private conversations.

At the beginning of Episode III, Palpitine pressured Anakin into murdering the hand-less Count Dooku, against the Jedi way, which must have bothered Anakin then and after the fact. Such pressuring towards Anakin from Palpitine, pressure to kill, would occur again soon.

Oh, and by the way, Palpitine is a Sith Lord. As their relationship likely began while Anakin was still in training, it is the fault of Obi-Wan and the Council for not curtailing, or at least looking into, Palpitine and Anakins' relationship.So, starting sometime in Episode II, Anakin was manipulated and border-line brainwashed by a Sith who, at the end of Episode III, caused Yoda to flee in defeat.

Again, Anakin, who spent so much time with Padme and Palpitine, a.k.a. the woman he loved and a Sith Lord, is not to blame for this. Though Mormon-isc full time companionship may be too much, at least keeping tabs on how and with whom he spends his time seems appropriate. For this, the blame falls on Obi-Wan and the Jedi Council.

In Episode III, Anakin admirably asks Yoda for help regarding his dreams of Padme. Yoda instructs him to let go of everything he fears to lose. But by then it is too late.

For one, Anakin is married and loves Padme. Furthermore, Yoda can't pry and make Anakin share his dream. Anakin, by that point, is an adult and a Jedi-Knight. The Jedi Council is not responsible for Anakin's problems; he is old enough and Jedi-enough to take care of them himself.

The important truth to realize is that Anakin loved Padme more than he loved himself. He cared more about Padme than he did about the Jedi, the Jedi way or the Jedi Council. And that's understandable. Are there men out there who are willing to let their own wife die for a cause? Men who are more committed to their country, religion, or government than they are to their wife? If they truly love their wife, the answer is no.

If a man truly loves his wife, she is his first priority.

Side note: Can any guy really blame Anakin for falling for Padme? He liked her for who she was, but she was also beautiful. You're lying to yourself if you assume that you wouldn't fall for her under such circumstances.

After slaughtering Jedis and Younglings for the explicit purpose of saving his wife (since he believed that only by doing whatever Palpitine says could he save her), Anakin faces the closest thing he had for a non-Sith father figure: Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan drops the ball here again. The two have a brief discussion before the fight ensues. But Obi-Wan, in essence, shrugs, saying, "Only a Sith speaks in absolutes," (which is an absolutist statement) therefore I guess we have to fight.

As if speaking in absolutes was the one critical requirement to tell if someone is completely a Sith. Indeed, a long list could be compiled of all the absolutist things Obi-Wan has said (This weapon is your life, the Sith are evil, I will train Anakin with or without the Council's approval, etc.).

After failing again, which seemed to be, from a Jedi perspective, the theme of Anakin's life, Anakin is left with all three of his remaining human limbs cut off (by his father figure). Obi-Wan again guilts Anakin for not being the Chosen One everyone thought he was supposed to be. And to add insult to injury, Anakin is caught on fire and burned nearly to death.

Oh wait, more insult to injury comes:

After betraying the Jedi Order, battling and losing against his former Mentor, killing Jedis and children who looked up to him, and pledging himself to a Sith Lord, the person for whom he did it all dies; because of him.

The love he did everything for, who he killed his own friends to keep alive, dies because of the things he did trying to save her. Then, Anakin is placed in a robotic suit to live in for the rest of his life. Its stiff, heavy, and he is physically scarred.

So, in sum, Anakin had it rough, from the very get-go. He felt love from his mother and fell in love with Padme all before leaving Tatooine. His mentor, Obi-Wan, was critical and dropped the ball several times. The council made mistakes, failed to detect a Sith in their midst, and allowed said Sith to essentially be Anakin's true guardian and mentor. Anakin witnessed his mother's death and couldn't save her, then did everything he could to prevent a similar catastrophe with Padme, only to see his efforts painfully backfire.

Anakin' choices play a role in what unfolded, but they are in no way the whole story or even the most significant factors. Anyone who criticizes anything prequel Anakin did or didn't do should better consider his situation.

And the same goes for critics of Hayden Christensen's portrayal. I doubt Hayden knew what would happen in Episode III, so he had no true context for his Episode II acting. You'll notice a much more confident Hayden in Episode III (since he fully understands the scope of his role).

Hayden had all the preconceived notions from all Star Wars' die hard fans, an incomplete understanding of the plot, as well as the weight of portraying the early life of one of America's favorite villains, all resting upon him.

So folks, give Anakin and Hayden a break.

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First of all, be careful what you wish for. Before the Star Wars prequels were made, people wanted them. They wanted to know about the Clone Wars Obi-Wan mentioned to Luke in Episode IV. They wanted to know who Luke and Leia's mother was. The wanted to know why Anakin Skywalker turned to the Dark Side.