Greetings, all!...

Upon my first viewing of Ep III, I thought: "Wow, Anakin downshifted really quickly!" It was a very brief period of time between Anakin stating that he would like to kill Palpatine, and the swearing of his allegiance to the very same person. Yet, when did Anakin's transition to the dark side really begin, and when was it definitively brought to a conclusion?

The Inception

You'll no doubt recall the scene in ROTS where Anakin dutifully informs Mace that the Chancellor is the Sith Lord, and Mace orders Anakin to stay put while he investigated the situation. Well, the very next scene shows Anakin waiting in the council chambers. The sound of mournful wailing can be heard in the background, and Anakin recalled the words of Palpatine: "You do know, don't you: If the Jedi destroy me, any chance of saving her will be lost." Ani begins to gaze out of the panoramic windows towards Padme's apartment and onto a rapidly-setting sun as the airborne traffic casually passes him by. Padme gazes out of her own windows as well. Padme seems to be concerned with the state of galactic affairs in general, but we well know what Anakin is concerned with. A tear of anger rolls down his cheek, and as he turns from the window, the bitter expression on his face speaks volumes of his inner turmoil. He then races to his ship and heads to the Chancellor's offices.

I found a bit of symbolism in the aforementioned scene. Anakin has already dreamed that Padme will die in childbirth. Therefore, the rapidly-setting sun represents the fact that Padme, as the light of his life, is quickly moving toward death. The fact that the traffic casually passes him by shows how everyone else will continue with their affairs obliviously, while Anakin loses the one thing in life he wants to hold onto. So Anakin's selfishness* gets the best of him, and he disobeys Mace's express orders and intervenes between him and the Chancellor. Is this when Anakin's transition to the dark side begins?

Was it perhaps a bit prior to that when he first found out that the Chancellor was the Sith Lord, and put faith in Palpatine's false promise to help him save Padme from certain death?

It may have even been when he conscientiously did what he knew to be wrong, and killed Count Dooku.

However, IMO (and perhaps a few of you will agree on this point), Anakin's transition to the dark side began many years earlier with the death of Shmi Skywalker and the slaughter of the desert people. Even though he continued his Jedi training after this abomination, and even held a temporary position on the Jedi Council, I truly believe that the dark side had cast a pall over him ever since his outburst in the Tuscan Village.

The Point of No Return

I believe that Anakin's point of no return was when he ultimately sided with Sidious and chopped off Mace Windu's hand, thus aiding the leader of the Sith to murder one of the most esteemed Jedi Masters in the galaxy. There was no way the Jedi would have welcomed him back into their ranks after he committed such an atrocity. And yet, IMHO, Anakin's transition still wasn't complete.

The Denouement

What would you say was the culminating factor in Anakin's transition to the Dark Side? When Anakin fell down upon his knees and pledged himself to the teachings of Sidious, maybe? Or perchance when he received the name of "Darth Vader?" From a certain POV, yes.

However, I don't believe that Anakin/DV became 100% Sith until he carried out the slaughter of the younglings. Here's an analogy:

A person who is considering a career in surgery may serve as an intern (or assistant) in conducting operations, the way Anakin assisted in killing Mace Windu. This person may pass a test and thereby receive the title of "Surgeon," just like when Anakin was appointed with the new name, "Darth Vader." However, I don't consider said individual to be a full-fledged surgeon until he's performed his first successful operation. In the same way, I've come to conclude that Anakin fully completed his transition to the Dark Side when he successfully accomplished the task to which the Sith have devoted themselves: the destruction of Jedi (or in this case, Jedi trainees.) Thus was the decline of Anakin into full-fledged Sith-hood.

Thank you for listening.

G'bye, then!
-Tee



*Why do I say "selfishness?" Weren't Anakin's intentions to save Padme completely selfless? Not necessarily. Do you remember his statement to Sidious: "I will do whatever you ask. Just help me save Padme's life. I can't live without her." He didn't say: "She's such an asset to society; someone like her deserves to live." He didn't say: "Help me save her because if my baby lives it is going to need its mother." He was essentially thinking about himself. And in the words of Master Yoda: "Attachment leads to jealousy, the shadow of greed, that is."