So I got thinking about different elements that make up Anakin and define his life and his struggle. And this led me to actual elements that represent his character.

Now I'm sure it's been blogged about before, but not by me so I thought I'd give it a whirl. And that is the use of fire in the Star Wars saga, in particular in Anakin's case. And not just fire, but also its arch-nemesis ... water. But I'll get to that in a bit.

As we know, fire plays a pivotal role in Anakin's life. Fire is one of the most basic elements as we know it on earth ... providing warmth, a means for cooking and also light. But it also has destructive powers in that it can destroy places and lives. In my thinking, fire has a dual role here on earth ... and a role in which we must handle very carefully. If used properly it can be of great help. If used improperly it can be of great hindrance. And both aspects can be attributed to Anakin.

And as we met little Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace, he had a fire within him that could have been used for good, for help. If used properly, the fire that he held within him could have done a lot of people a lot of good. As we would find out, he was very strong in the Force and his fire could have been a good thing, for the right reasons. The environment he grew up in somewhat stoked the fire within ... always planning to get away from the life of a slave and into the stars. The fire of the twin suns of Tatooine burned hot within his soul, so hot in fact, that he yearned to get away from it and jumped at the chance of a life with the Jedi.

But the life of a Jedi would prove to be as destructive as a raging forest fire. Stoked by the words of Palpatine and the unforgiving rules of the Jedi, Anakin allowed the fire that had begun on Tatooine to grow within him. But it was not used for good, or for light. The fire that was consuming him was an inferno of rage and despair that was unstoppable and would burn on relentlessly. Much like an out of control fire, he felt his life was out of control and that he was powerless to stop the flames. His love for Padme was further fuel and the thought of losing her like he did his mother was all he needed to allow it to spread. Imagine yourself in front of an out of control fire and being scared and powerless to stop it. That's how Anakin felt and he thought he must do what he had to do to stop it.

But then Mustafar happened. He turned on the ones he loved and spread his internal flames to choke the love of his life and fight his former master and brother to the point a brutal loss. The fire that had been burning him up from the inside was manifested in reality and it now burned him up from the outside. The feelings he had and the flames that dominated his soul for so long became an actual part of him ... solidifying the person he would become. It's as if the fire burst out from him rather than he being consumed by it. It was his last step towards self-destruction and allowing the flames to forever change his physical self and his soul. He may as well have set a hyperspace co-ordinate straight into the twin suns of Tatooine ... what he was born under, he now became. As he lie there in agony on the shores of the lava river, his new life was forged and Darth Vader was truly born.

And of course, a hearty fire can be put out by a good dousing of water. Anakin spent so long as Vader, and consumed by the fire that still existed within him, that he never saw the bucket of water being thrown at him. Luke represented the life-giving and refreshing properties of water that Anakin needed to put out the flames. Luke gave Anakin his life back by pouring water on the fire ... by showing his love for the lives of others and also for believing in Anakin and giving him the chance to make things right. Luke didn't fan the fires of Anakin's hatred, he gave it the water it so desperately needed and put an end to his life-long struggle. Anakin has indeed seen fire and rain.

And I also find it interesting how fire gave a symbolic end to Darth Vader. Luke burned the body in Jedi fashion. What gave Vader his very beginnings also gave him his ending ... the fire that tormented his soul for almost his whole life would eventually consume even his physical being once and for all. What was left behind on Mustafar would finally be gone.

As the twin suns of Tatooine burned on.