Dooku's Temptation
In the second installment of every Star Wars trilogy, a villain tempts a hero to join him on the dark side. In Attack of the Clones, Count Dooku tempts Obi-Wan Kenobi; in The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader tempts Luke Skywalker; and in The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren tempts Rey.
These scenes of temptation reveal the loneliness of the dark side users. Darth Vader promises that "together," he and Luke can rule the galaxy "as father and son," highlighting his desire to be part of a family. He lost his wife and now seeks to fill that void with his son. Similarly, Kylo Ren promises Rey that they can "rule together." He is estranged from his parents and seeks to fill that relational void with Rey. Dooku's temptation of Obi-Wan is phrased in similar terms: "You must join me, Obi-Wan, and together, we will destroy the Sith."
"The Sith Lord" (Tales of the Jedi 1.4) reveals that Dooku, like Vader and Kylo Ren, is lonely because of a relational loss: the loss of his apprentice, Qui-Gon Jinn. It is no coincidence that, during the temptation scene, Dooku reminds Obi-Wan of their shared connection to Qui-Gon: "He was once my apprentice just as you were once his." Like Anakin Skywalker, Dooku was never allowed the option of healthy grief – both the Jedi and Palpatine denied it to him – and this is part of what pushed him to the dark side. Also like Anakin, Dooku jumps at the chance to fill the relational void left by his loss; if Obi-Wan were to accept Dooku's offer, he would presumably become Dooku's new apprentice, filling the void left by Qui-Gon's death.
Dooku's desire for an apprentice is also apparent in The Clone Wars. He is grieved when Darth Sidious orders him to kill his pupil, Asajj Ventress, and after he loses her, he seeks a new apprentice to take her place. The Nightsisters prey on this desire to further their revenge plot, giving him Savage Opress.
The fact that Dooku's primary relational desire is to have an apprentice speaks to the fact that he was once a Jedi. Like a true Jedi, he has cut off any possibility of familial or romantic relationships. Within the framework of the Sith, however, he cannot have a lasting relationship with an apprentice, because there can only ever be two Sith. Dooku is not able to supplant his master, and even if he could, his apprentice would ultimately have to betray and supplant him. The way of the Sith draws people to the dark side with empty promises; it can never truly fulfill the desires of those who follow it.
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Characters: Anakin Skywalker / Asajj Ventress / Count Dooku / Darth Vader / Kylo Ren / Luke Skywalker / Obi-Wan Kenobi / Palpatine / Qui-Gon Jinn / Rey / Savage Opress
Films: Episode II: Attack of the Clones / Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back / Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Shows: The Clone Wars / Tales of the Jedi
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Concepts: grief / Jedi / Sith / teachers and students / temptation
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