My good lady wife Frans Latka posted a blog the other day that really got me thinking. While there are plenty of Jedi who seem to fall to the dark side, or the ways of the sith, are there any journeys in the other direction?

I thought about it and - as far as my knowledge of the EU goes - there aren't any.

Perhaps Anakin counts, she asked, but I've been thinking about that one.

Anakin was a Jedi - the Chosen One - who became a sith by necessity - to save Padme, not just because he lusted power.
After 20 years of terror for the galaxy - and continued slavery for Anakin - he partially redeemed himself by carrying out another act of necessity, saving his son.

Now, we all know that the main reason Anakin turned to the Dark Side was to save Padme, but that wasn't the only reason. He was angry at the way the Council treated him, and undeniably he did lust after more power. But, due to Palpatine's clever manipulations, young Anakin saw the only way to save Padme was to turn to the ways of the sith. Even during the fight with Mace Windu, the crux of Anakins arguement is that he needs Palpatine to save Padme, regardless of whether or not he's a sith.

Even Dooku, who was one of the lost 20, dallied with the idea of turning back to the Jedi. Maybe because he forsaw the path Palpatine was taking re: recruiting Anakin to his side.

Once turned, Vaderkins is trapped in his decision and can't turn back. Padme is dead, his former fellow Jedi largely dead and frankly, he has nowhere else to go. His decision, made out of necessity, haunts him until the final minutes of his life, when he makes another choice of necessity and saves his son.

I say necessity because Vader doesn't HAVE to save Luke. Palpatine has decided that Luke will not turn, and is carrying out his promise of killing him. By saving Luke, Vader could be condemning himself to death, as Luke is to replace him. So, instead he takes the logical way out and kills Palpatine instead. But Luke is his son. He made Luke an offer at Bespin, much like the one made to him, only Luke rejected it whereas Vader accepted. Trapped, Vader knew that Luke would be the one to end the sith - effectively be The Chosen One - and therefore it was necessary to allow him to do this.

Vaders life was one of slavery and obligation, but despite this even he knew that there were necessary choices to make, and he made them.