Note: The following post contains discussion of things that happen in Episode III. If you haven’t seen it yet and don’t want to be spoiled, consider yourself warned.
Normally, I’d try to keep my geek-ness to myself until you know me better, but alas, this has been on my mind, and I’d like to discuss it. So, embrace your inner geek (really, it’s a lot of fun), and join me in this discussion.
Was Darth Vader’s redemption after his death-bed repentance justified?
His arrogance led him to the dark side. He thought there was no way he could be wrong, but of course it made sense (to him) that everyone else was wrong. When Palpatine told him that, yes, he was the Sith lord they were all after, at first Anakin said (paraphrasing), “Hey, you’re the bad guy we’ve been after!” but then he promptly joined him. It took hardly any effort on Palpatine’s part, but then again, he’d been gaining Ani’s trust for years.
But why did Ani listen to him over Obi Wan, who he’d been with even longer? I assume over the years that Jedi training includes more than just how to handle a light saber and how to sense the bad guy in the next room. Ani had been borderline bad for years, and Obi Wan stayed with him, loved him, and defended his questionable actions to the council (though it probably would have been better to come up with some sort of intervention – Obi Wan was guilty of blindness to Ani’s turning right in front of him).
Yet Ani continued down his reckless path, not caring about anyone but himself. Sure, it’s against the rules to enter romantic entanglements, but the rules don’t apply me. Hey, Padme, let’s get married. Sure, my Master has loved me and cared for me and taught me, but why should I listen to him? I’m the Chosen One. Killing little kids is certainly the right thing.
After Anakin told the Jedi Council that, hey, Palpatine is Darth Sidious, and Mace Windu had Palpatine at saberpoint, Anakin knew exactly what he was doing when he chose who he would save.
Anakin wasn’t duped. He wasn’t tricked. Yes, he thought he was doing the right thing, but he thought so because he chose to ignore those who loved him and focus only on his immediate needs, his own gratification. Sure, he says Jedi’s don’t care for themselves, they only care about others, but he hadn’t lived that way for years. He murdered people. He murdered children. He soon destroyed entire worlds, all to achieve his own desires.
So, ultimately, in Episode VI (Return of the Jedi) he kills the Emperor, thus killing himself. The one selfless thing he did, saving his son? Maybe. I had always thought that, yes, it was a sincere turning, that he finally realized that what he’d done for all those years really wasn’t good. After all, his spirit (or whatever the proper Star Wars universe term is) was standing next to Yoda and Obi Wan, implying that he is a good guy now. However, just because he protected his son doesn’t mean he really turned. He loved Padme, too. Sure, he attacked her, but that was a very impulsive act. The thing with Luke wasn’t as emotionally charged or fast.
So, no, his redemption was not justified. He’d killed at least millions and probably billions. He’d tortured people. He brought suffering to the galaxy. And just killing the Emperor, just to save his own son, is supposed to erase all that? No, I don’t buy it. Such an ending weakens the entire saga.
Yes, he is a tragic character. But he chose his path. He chose arrogance and his own desires. He wasn’t tricked into the dark side. He chose it. Episode III makes it clear that he knew exactly what he was choosing.