SWDD #7: Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

No matter how far I fall away from God's grace, he is always there to guide me and forgive me, despite my sinful and rebellious heart. I am reminded of Psalm 139:8 which states "If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there" (NIV). No matter where I try to run, God will be there, and there is always a chance and a choice for me to choose him above all other things. And yet, the mind-blowing thing is that I cannot save myself; it is instead God who works through the Holy Spirit in me; my salvation is not of my own actions, but rather through God's mercy. It is this redemption and mercy that is found in today's final SWDD character: Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader; a character who started off with such promise, fell from grace, and then redeemed himself in the end.

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker
Image credit: Lucasfilms

Anakin's story begins with The Phantom Menace, where, though he started off as a junk shop worker, was liberated by Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anakin continued to prove himself afterwards, winning the podrace contest and destroying the Federation droid control ship. He was later accepted as an apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi and became a jedi knight as well. During Attack of the Clones, his list of feats only continued to grow, stopping bounty hunter Zam Wesell and fighting in the pivotal battle of Geonosis. Though he suffered the loss of his hand due to Count Dooku, Anakin did not let his physical ailments stop him; he continued to serve as a strong, dynamic, and brilliant commander during the Clone Wars. Anakin's legendary reputation coupled with the cryptic prophecy of him being "the chosen one" made him the center of much talk and speculation. 

Yet, despite the fact that Anakin initially showed a lot of promise, he ended up being the reason for the end of the golden reign of the jedi. The seeds of Anakin's capacity for violence was hinted at after he murdered all of he Tusken Raiders, and was more clearly defined when he killed Count Dooku (he also did other questionable acts in the Star Wars The Clone Wars TV series) but those deeds were only the stepping stones for his true barbaric acts; murdering countless jedi including younglings. Having given his soul to the dark side and been manipulated by Darth Sidious, Anakin cast off the mantle of jedi, and became Darth Vader. Though Anakin claimed that the actions he was doing was in the name of love for his wife, Padmé, he didn't realize how twisted and selfish he became. 

Darth Vader flanked by Imperial Stormtroopers
Image credit: Lucasfilms

Though Vader was severely wounded by Obi-Wan Kenobi (who cut off both of Vader's legs and his other arm), Vader continued to push past the pain and became the Emperor's enforcer throughout the galaxy, wiping out any renegade jedi, destroying any members of the Rebel Alliance, and putting planets under the Empire's control. While Vader was once a man who fought for the valiant jedi order and who had a wife in Padmé Amidala, his heart became just as black and mechanical as the armor that grafted his body. Vader became embittered over the years, losing all semblance of humanity, and embracing the Dark Side as his comfort.

Things changed however, once he realized that he had a son: Luke Skywalker. In the ending scenes of Return of the Jedi, Darth Sidious ordered Vader to kill Luke, but Luke got the better of Vader, slicing off the dark lord's right hand. Sidious then told Luke to kill Vader, and when Luke refused, Sidious began electrocuting him, increasing the voltage by small increments as time went on. As Vader witnessed the Emperor torturing his son, Vader picked up the Emperor and tossed him off a ledge. Vader succumbed to the grievous wounds that Sidious had inflicted upon him (for as Vader tossed Sidious off the ledge, Sidious also shocked him with lightning), but not before talking with Luke and telling him that "you already saved me" and that there was still good in him. Even after spending so much time in darkness, Vader was able to redeem himself and choose good over evil. 

Father vs Son
Image credit: Lucasfilms

2 Corinthians 5:17 states "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (NLV). I can relate to being like Vader; letting the weight and gravity of sin overwhelm me and looking for other things to find satisfaction in. Yet, in Christ, I can be a new creation. I am saved not only from the penalty of sin, but also the power of sin. Romans 6:11 states "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus" (NIV). I do not have to be beaten by sin; like 1 Peter 1:3-5 says "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time" (NIV). There is a hope; Vader could have easily watched his son die and went on living as the Emperor's pawn. But he chose differently. I do not have to succumb to the trials of the world; I can live in my inheritance through God.

Well, this wraps up the SWDD series. I hope you all have enjoyed it. There were other characters that I wished to include, but didn't quite make the cut. Next May, I will post a new SWDD series.