Anakin Skywalker

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Anakin's path to the dark side began when Chancellor Palpatine manipulated him with visions of his wife, Padmé Amidala, dying. Although previous script versions included a belief that the Jedi were plotting against the Republic, Lucas emphasized in the final version of Revenge of the Sith (2005) that Anakin fell primarily to save Padmé from death. The original surname for both Anakin and Luke was "Starkiller," a name dropped due to unpleasant connotations with Charles Manson before being replaced by "Skywalker." In 2008, the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars portrayed Anakin as less tormented than in the films, described by director Dave Filoni as a combination of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Filoni noted his unwavering support for his apprentice Ahsoka Tano, describing their bond as essential to the story.

In Their Own Story

The turning point of Anakin's life occurred after a lightsaber duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar, where he was severely injured and transformed into a cyborg. He spent over two decades serving Palpatine, hunting remaining Jedi while clad in black armor and a breathing apparatus created by sound designer Ben Burtt using modified scuba recordings. In The Empire Strikes Back, the revelation that Vader is Luke's father was kept secret from actor David Prowse; he was fed the line "Obi-Wan killed your father" during filming, while James Earl Jones dubbed the actual line "No, I am your father." The narrative culminates in Return of the Jedi when Palpatine attempts to kill Luke. Vader turns against his master, killing him but sustaining fatal injuries. Unmasked by Luke, Anakin dies as a Force spirit, which was originally portrayed by Sebastian Shaw before being replaced with Hayden Christensen's likeness in later editions.

Reader's Guide

Anakin Skywalker is portrayed across media by multiple actors, each defining a specific era of his life. David Prowse physically embodied Vader in the original trilogy, while James Earl Jones provided the voice for all films and media until his retirement in September 2022, with Respeecher later recreating his voice digitally. Sebastian Shaw played the unmasked Anakin and his Force spirit in Return of the Jedi (1983), a role later replaced by Hayden Christensen in 2004 pickups. In the prequel trilogy, Jake Lloyd portrayed young Anakin, while Hayden Christensen took on the adult role, reprising it in Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) and Ahsoka (2023). Spencer Wilding and Daniel Naprous shared the physical portrayal in Rogue One (2016), with Jones returning for the voice. His character is tied to mythology, with Lucas stating his mysterious birth aligns him with heroes like Hercules.

Did You Know?

• The name 'Starkiller' was replaced with 'Skywalker' due to Charles Manson's association with being a 'star killer' in 1969.
• David Prowse did not know the famous line 'No, I am your father' during filming; he read 'Obi-Wan killed your father' instead.
• James Earl Jones was uncredited for his voice work in Star Wars (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back because he felt the role was too small.
• In 2004, Italian fans voted to keep the name 'Dart Fener' for Revenge of the Sith, though it reverted to 'Darth Vader' by 2015.
• Sebastian Shaw's contractually obligated secrecy meant even his family did not know he had appeared in Return of the Jedi until after filming.