Anakin Skywalker - Hero and Villain
Anakin and Shmi Skywalker were sold by their owner, Gardulla the Hutt, to Watto, a Toydarian junk dealer. Working in Watto's junk yard the young Anakin learned valuable mechanical and technical skills, and built himself a droid to help his mother around the house. He also built and piloted a pod racer, his excellent piloting abilities enhanced by the Force.
Anakin's life changed with the arrival of a pair of Jedi at Watto's junk yard. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan learner Obi-Wan Kenobi were escorting Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo to the planet Coruscant when they were forced to set down on Tatooine for repairs to the Royal Starship.
Realising how strong Anakin was in the Force, and suspecting that he might be the Chosen One, Qui-Gon made a wager with Watto. He bet Padmé's starship against Anakin's freedom and the parts he required for repairs. In order to win young Anakin had to win the Boonta Eve Classic Podrace.
The race was a difficult one, but with the aid of his innate Force abilities Anakin was victorious, and won not only the race but also the affections of the 14 year old Queen Padmé. Unfortunately Anakin had won only his own freedom, and not his mother's, and so was forced to leave Shmi behind when he left Tatooine on the Royal Starship to travel to see the Jedi Council on Coruscant.
Qui-Gon requested of the Council that he be allowed to begin training Anakin as a Jedi, but his request was refused. The Council were concerned that Anakin's future was clouded and that he was too old to begin his training. It was not until after Qui-Gon's death at the hands of the Sith Lord Darth Maul that the Council relented and allowed Qui-Gon's former apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi to train Anakin.
Ten years later, when Anakin was 20, he and Obi-Wan were assigned to protect Padmé Amidala, who was now Senator for Naboo. Seeing the beautiful Senator again reawakened memories and feelings in Anakin that he had suppressed during his training, and which now began to affect his judgement.
At first Padmé seemed aloof toward Anakin, but when the young Jedi escorted her back into hiding on Naboo the affection that they felt toward each other blossomed into stronger feelings.
Anakin had never forgotten his mother, and his promise to one day return and free her. While on Naboo with Padmé he suffered from constant nightmares about Shmi, and finally left Naboo with Padmé to return to Tatooine. When he arrived Anakin learned to his horror that Shmi had been abducted by the dreaded Sand People over a month earlier.
Anakin tracked his mother to a Tusken Raider encampment, arriving only in time to witness her death. Filled with anguish Anakin went against all he had been taught as a Jedi, and gave in to his rage and hatred, emotions which could easily lead to the dark side. Igniting his lightsaber Anakin slaughtered every man, woman and child in the camp, and even then his violent hatred was not fully quenched.
Afterwards Anakin was remorseful, and admitted to Padmé what he had done. He vowed to her that one day he would become powerful enough to stop people from dying.
From Tatooine Anakin and Padmé travelled to the planet Geonosis, to rescue Obi-Wan who had been captured by Separatist forces led by the former Jedi, Count Dooku. The rescue failed, and Anakin and Padmé joined Obi-Wan in the Geonosian arena, under sentence of death. Faced by the prospect of death Padmé gave in to her emotions and admitted to Anakin that she loved him, an admission that he returned wholeheartedly.
The three prisoners were rescued when a taskforce of Jedi arrived on Geonosis, and Anakin and Obi-Wan left the raging battle to pursue the fleeing Count Dooku. They intercepted him in a darkened hanger and the three fought a duel with their lightsabers. Ignoring Obi-Wan's advice to work together Anakin again gave in to his headstrong nature and raced to attack Dooku alone. The former Jedi Master, now a powerful Sith Lord, made short work of the Padwan, incapacitating him with a blast of dark side lightning. Obi-Wan then attacked Dooku but was wounded. Dooku was poised to finish Obi-Wan off when Anakin re-entered the fray, only to have his arm severed by Dooku's lightsaber. The two Jedi were only saved by the timely arrival of Jedi Master Yoda, who battled Dooku but was unable to prevent his ultimate escape.
Anakin's arm was replaced with a mechanical one, and after convalescing he returned with Padmé to Naboo where the two were secretly married. They went on to have two children, a boy named Luke and a girl they called Leia.
The couple's happiness was short-lived though. As darkness engulfed the Galaxy and the Old Republic fell, to be replaced by the Empire, Anakin was seduced by the dark side, and became Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith and apprentice to the evil Emperor Palpatine.
It was not until many years later the Anakin Skywalker would reappear. During the Battle of Endor the Emperor was trying to turn Anakin and Padmé's son, Luke, to the dark side. Luke's defiance of the Emperor shamed his father, who saved Luke's life by hurling the Emperor to his death down a deep shaft.
Although by finally renouncing the dark side Darth Vader had become Anakin Skywalker once more, he had sustained mortal injuries in the process. Anakin died in Luke's arms, but his spirit appeared, accompanied by those of Obi-Wan and Yoda, to watch the celebration on Endor following the death of the Emperor.