Anakin Skywalker

I'd just recently rewatched Return of the Jedi and I'm sure all of you asked this same question: how did that scrawny white boy turn into that big black man? D:

The prequel trilogy and even the CG series didn't make him nearly as gallant or heroic as original trilogy made him out to be.  We're told about a guy who was a starfighter ace, a swaggin jedi and overall a pretty cool dude. What we got was an angst-y moron who has issues talking to women. I'm mostly doing this for myself to right the wrongs in my mind, so forgive me if you've heard this all before.

This is how I would have done it:

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Anakin was a slave on Tatooine, his mother had died when he was very young and he had no idea who his father was.  He worked at a junk shop run, putting his technical skills to work repairing and reworking airspeeders that are flown in local tournaments.  He hoped to earn his freedom by winning an upcoming tourney, but at the last moment he was taken down by a brutal rival racer that totaled his owner's vehicle.  With that faint hope for another shot, he began working on his own machine in his spare time.

Skip ahead to his teens. When another tourney was just around the corner, strange off-worlders entered the junk shop (who weren't accompanied by a certain gungan).  They were looking to buy parts for their damaged ship, but were unable to; Anakin's owner only took local currency.  Anakin approached them privately, asking that they sponsor his speeder in the race.  With his piloting skills he could win them their money, on the condition that they take him when they leave.  One of the Jedi, Qui-Gon, sensed a powerful connection to the Force within his boy and agreed to do so.

After winning, Anakin returned to pick him some things at the shop only to find it burned and torn inside out.   Inside he found another stranger choking his owner to death.  This mysterious murder attempted to interrogate Anakin, but was stopped by the Jedi.  However, the killer was not alone and his minions began chasing them out of the city and back to their ship.

Once safely aboard, Anakin became acquainted with Padme, Queen of Naboo.  He was immediately smitten with her, but in the rush to escape and the important political business that was to take place on Coruscant, she was at a distance from him.  While on Coruscant he was taken to the Jedi temple to be evaluated.  His connection to the Force was extremely powerful, even for someone who wasn't trained since birth to control it.  The Council was reluctant to inter him into the Order until they had time to meditate on it further; he had not the discipline nor training and Master Yoda sensed a fear and hate toward their unknown assailant.  This would prove to be problematic if he was suddenly given a vast power to control, but it may prove to be even worse if he was not trained at all and left on his own.

Before the Council could reach a conclusion, Qui-Gon spoke out and took him as his padawan learner.  Obi-wan, Qui-Gon's current padawan, claimed he was ready to take on the trails of becoming a full fledged Jedi Knight.  The Council was in disagreement, as most viewed Qui-Gon as a maverick.  Despite this, Qui-Gon took Anakin when they left Coruscant back to Naboo, where a spark would soon ignite a series of events that would lead to the Clone Wars. Qui-Gon, surviving the incident on Naboo, continued to train Anakin in the ways of the force. Obi-wan was right along side them.

Skip head a few years.  Anakin and Padme are reunited on Coruscant, as he, Qui-Gon and Obi-wan become her personal security detail during a terrible wake of terrorist attacks.  She's a key spokesperson against the Separatist Movement and is often the target for such attacks.  In part of uncovering who is behind it all, the jedi discover that bounty hunters led by a certain Jango Fett have been targeting Padme specifically.  Obi-wan follows a trail of leads that take him to little-known planet called Kamino, while Anakin leaves with Padme to give her a much needed respite.  Qui-Gon stays with a decoy to mask their departure.

Anakin, now alone with her, attempts to romance the senator.  Just imagine cute-awkward instead of stupid-awkward.  Padme tells him that others have clear expectations from her and that any distractions, no matter how flattering, may cause her to waver.  Disheartened, but understanding, Anakin distances himself and receives a distress call from Obi-wan to be relayed back to Qui-Gon: He had uncovered a Separatist plot.  Relaying the message, he manages to wrangle Padme into leaving with him to save their friend.

Upon landing on Geonosis, both Anakin and Padme are captured and sentaced to die alongside Obi-wan. Before they're strung up, Padme confesses to Anakin that she does have feelings for him, because what better time then now! Dawws happen.  Then arena shenanigans ensue.  Before Count Dooku is able to blast them to bits, Jedi burst into the Arena with ARC troopers and commandos in tow. Cue epic gunfight, Jango gets a bad case of the dead and lots of droids are mangled.

Republic gunships then arrive to carry them off to safety.  Anakin wishes to stay with Padme, but Qui-Gon and Obi-wan need him in the pursuit of Count Dooku.  Promising that he'll come back, they take to the skies and rush after the elusive Count.  They arrive some ways from the battlefield, only to be beset on by Dooku's darkside minions.  Obi-wan and Anakin deal with the mooks and Qui-Gon moves in to take on his old master.  Then Qui-Gon gets dead.  Anakin goes banana balls and gets his arm cut off in the attempt to slay the Count.  Dooku lols evilly and escapes.

Onboard a Republic vessel, Anakin receives a new arm and he watches from a large window with Padme as Obi-wan leaves to find Dooku.  Imagine the end to Empire Strikes back.

Jump ahead a few more years.

Anakin has grown up to be a cyborg'd badass and is a Jedi Knight.  He's become the face of the Republic Military and leads from the front as the combined effort of the jedi and clones reclaim planet after planet taken by the Separatists.  The only thing hidden from public eye is his relationship with Padme.

After a daring mission to rescue the Chancellor from the grip of Dooku and Grievous (Dooku is still alive and doesn't die like a chump), the jedi are beginning to grow weary of the war.  Reminding of them of the past when Jedi were called to take up arms, they realize that this prolonged bloodlust could be a lure to the darkside.  Because of this, the Council holds Anakin back from becoming a master and send Obi-wan without Anakin in search for the missing Separatist leaders. Disappointed and a tad insulted, he finds comfort in Padme along with the Chancellor, who celebrates his efforts in ending the Clone Wars.

Because of this growing relationship between himself and the Chancellor, the Council askes Anakin to spy on the Chancellor, if only to understand how and why he has stayed in power so long.  He begrudingly does so, if only to prove that they've nothing to fear from him.  Palpatine finds out about Anakin's double dealing and through clever deceit, his intimate relationship with Padme as well.  He stages an attack on Padme's residence, making it look like she was killed, but instead kidnaps her. Anakin is filled with uncontrollable grief.  Palpatine then redirects that grief and rage in the form of making Anakin the Supreme Commander of the Republic Army,  allowing him to use any and all resources available to end the war.

Windu, and some other council members who are still on Coruscant, attempt to stop him, but Anakin covers up his feelings, claiming its for the good of the Republic.  The jedi believe that too much power is placed in Anakin's hands, along with Palpatine's.  They Jedi on Coruscant refuse to continue fighting and refuse to lead any army until they both step down.  Palpaine convinces Anakin that it's a ploy against them to drop their guard so that Jedi might take over.  Anakin then leads an attack on the Jedi Temple and confronts Mace Windu.  During the fighting, Windu is cut down by Anakin.

To reinforce his position in the Republic, Palpatine uses the Jedi's so called "revolt" as a basis to reforge the Republic into a Galactic Empire.  He claims that this new government is for the safety and security of the people and that such a war may never happen again as long as it stands. When Palpatine is secure on Coruscant, Anakin leaves for Mustafar, gaining information about the whereabouts of Dooku and the heads of the Confederacy through Palpatine's agents. Anakin heads to Mustafar, slaying all the heads of the Confederacy before they can split up and hide throughout the galaxy.  Dooku faces Anakin in duel and is brutally killed. With the Jedi Council members fighting on other worlds, Palpatine then issues Order 66 to finally kill them all.

Obi-wan meets Anakin on Mustafar's surface and tries to convince him that what he's doing is wrong.  Anakin refuses to join him and they begin fighting.

Yoda infiltrates Palpatine's Imperial Palace and discovers Padme imprisoned within.  Yoda then frees her and instead tries to escape.  Palpatine catches up with them and fights Yoda in a short duel, but he is unable to capture them.  He lashes out instead at Padme and mortally wounds her. Bail Organa secretly picks Yoda and Padme up and they escape off of Coruscant.

Anakin is defeated by falling into a furnace and Obi-wan leaves him for dead.  Later, Palpatine arrives on Mustafar to reclaim Anakin's body. Obi-Wan meets up with Bail and Yoda, finding out about Padme's situation and the fact that she's carrying twins. Padme dies after giving birth and is later buried on Naboo. The twins are split up, Leia going with Bail to Alderaan and Luke going with Obi-wan to Tatooine to live with his aunt and uncle

Anakin is brought back to Palpatine's palace where his body is cybernetically reconstructed.  He then pledges his allegiance to Palpatine and becomes Darth Vader.

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Whew, glad I was able to get all that out of my system.  Feels good.

So you're probably wondering what's up with the other picture.  Well if you're familiar with Star Wars Infinities, the RotJ alternate ending had Darth Vader live become good again. Only his armour/leather/EVERYTHING was white. It looked stupid so I had to fix that up right quick, along with a recoloured lightsaber, cuz you know, maybe he got bored of blue?

Music: Master of Darkness - Star One