Becoming Unlike Vader
In Attack of the Clones, Anakin Skywalker’s mother Shmi is murdered by Tusken Raiders. In a vengeful rage, Anakin slaughters the Sand People – including their children – and carries his mother’s body back to the Lars homestead. This massacre is one step on the path that will transform Anakin into Darth Vader. Anakin, who reacted to the loss of his mother by slaughtering children, will again slaughter children – the younglings of the Jedi Temple – in a futile attempt to ward off the loss of his wife.
In “Part VI” of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Inquisitor Reva – a former Jedi, whose fellow younglings were killed by Anakin on the day he became Darth Vader – intends to avenge their death by killing the child of their murderer. She pursues the young Luke Skywalker into the desert and, drawing back her lightsaber, prepares to strike him down, as Anakin struck down the Tusken Raiders who killed his mother.
However, Reva cannot bring herself to kill Luke, and instead carries his unconscious body back to the Lars homestead, where she tearfully asks Obi-Wan Kenobi, “Have I become him?” Obi-Wan replies, “No. You have chosen not to.”
The truth of Obi-Wan’s answer is underlined by the direct parallel between the image of Reva carrying Luke and the image of Anakin carrying Shmi. Reva fears that she has become like Vader, but in fact, she has done precisely the opposite by not reacting to loss with vengeful rage as Anakin did. At the very moment Reva thinks she is failing to avenge her fallen friends, she is honoring them by choosing not to follow in their murderer’s footsteps.
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Characters: Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader / Reva
Shows: Obi-Wan Kenobi
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Concepts: children / grief and loss / revenge
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