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Padme's Legacy
by: padmeskywalker77
date posted: Jan 21, 2008 5:17 AM  | 
updated: Jan 21, 2008 11:15 AM
A Still Moment in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...
There is much fear in you...Skywalker. You have hate; you have anger...but you don't use them. Dooku to Anakin (ROTS)

I can feel your anger. It gives you focus...makes you powerful. Palpatine to Anakin (ROTS)

I hate you!! Anakin/Vader to Obi-Wan (ROTS)

You were my brother...I loved you. Obi-Wan to Anakin/Vader (ROTS)

OK...you may be wondering *what is she talking about here?!* :^O ;) Well, I am referring to this particular *Still Moment in a Galaxy Far, Far Away..*

The *Battle of Heroes,* Anakin versus Obi-Wan, one of the most important battles of our beloved saga, was much more than just a battle between the two people we see on the screen. This was a battle between Anakin and Vader...a *Hero's Battle* of sorts. Anakin was always full of passion...a passion that allowed him to be the Jedi he was. It motivated him to do things throughout his entire life. As the Dark Side clouded the minds of the citizens of the Old Republic, it added fuel to Anakin's fire. His passion, his "hatred and anger," allowed him to be successful in battle. He channeled these Dark Side emotions when confronting an opponent...and was successful. However, as per the Jedi Code, use of the Dark Side was discouraged, as the powers were considered *unnatural*. But Anakin had fueled these emotions, these feelings, all his life. It was what made him...him. :x

As Anakin faced Obi-Wan, a fire was ignited within. He was now Darth Vader, a Sith Lord, one who was "all-powerful." Nobody could stop him...not Obi-Wan, not Palpatine, not even himself. He felt invincible...ignited by an energy for which he had long desired. Not even the river of hot lava below him could stop him.

But, just as the passion burned inside, so did the fire that fueled it. Anakin's passion was so strong that he would eventually get burned...and he did. He let his, well, arrogance get the best of him (as much as I hate to admit that :( ). The previously feeling of invincibility was cut short by those he thought could not do so...namely Obi-Wan and himself. Obi-Wan may have literally cut him down, but the continued fire that fueled the hatred toward this one-time mentor...brother...essentially led to him erupting in flames. The angrier he became, the faster he burned. But...out of that hatred and anger came a plea for help...a subtle change of expression that indicated that Anakin was still there...that he had not been completely lost to the Dark Side. However...Obi-Wan turned, picked up Anakin's lightsaber, and walked away...leaving him to breed even more hate and anger toward those he once loved.

Backing up to Dooku's words to Anakin...he just may have been on to something. Sure, it was a ploy to bring Anakin closer to the Dark Side. However, as one of my good friends pointed out the other night, we all have anger and hatred within us. Sometimes we allow it to surface, but most of us know how to work through it. Anakin, however, always had to suppress that, and was never really taught the proper way of working through it. As a slave on Tatooine, he had to control his reactions or risk punishment by Watto. As a Jedi, he was taught to control his emotions and channel them through the Force. He was never really allowed to just "be"...to work through his emotions and conflicts. We all know what happened when Anakin was finally pushed over the edge on which he was so tediously balancing...he lost everything and everyone near and dear to him. :(

**For more Still Moments in a Galaxy Far, Far Away please visit the Official PLB Fan Fiction Club at: http://fanficforbloggers.blogspot.com/

hansgirl3
Invoking the Squee
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 6:23 AM
Niiice!!

We all know what happened when Anakin was finally pushed over the edge on which he was so tediously balancing...he lost everything and everyone near and dear to him.

Including himself... ;)
jediprincess77
I Know...
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 6:45 AM
Anakin, however, always had to suppress that, and was never really taught the proper way of working through it.
That is a darn good point!!

But...out of that hatred and anger came a plea for help...a subtle change of expression that indicated that Anakin was still there...that he had not been completely lost to the Dark Side. However...Obi-Wan turned, picked up Anakin's lightsaber, and walked away...leaving him to breed even more hate and anger toward those he once loved.
Oh my goodness...this is making me tear up. Beautifully put...

:x
amidalooine
The Emotional Galaxy
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 7:36 AM
He was never really allowed to just "be"...

And for me, that's the whole crux of Anakin's downfall. He was who he was...but no one EVER appreciated that.

Good stuff, ps77!!!!! :x
Granny-Wan
I Am NOT an Old Fossil!
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 8:09 AM
Hate is a powerful emotion, and Vader let it control him... where Anakin was controlled by Love, an equally powerful emotion... or perhaps a MORE powerful emotion...

But...out of that hatred and anger came a plea for help...a subtle change of expression that indicated that Anakin was still there...that he had not been completely lost to the Dark Side.

This could have come from the agony he was in, or perhaps the realization that this nightmare really WAS happening... It reminds me of the part on Mustafar, before Padme arrives, when we see him with tears on his face.... where he realized he could never go back...

"Then you ARE lost," Obi-Wan said. And so was the galaxy.

The Stooge
Star Wars Joke-A-Day (gone fishin')
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 8:31 AM
I never quite viewed Anakin like that before... in the way you present him in your final 'graph. He always had to be in control, but never had the opportunity to learn how. So when he lost control, oh boy did he lose it. Nice insight!
ewanandhaydenfan5
I Have You Now!
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 9:15 AM
made him...him
Right. What ticks me off is that Padme accepted him for what he was, even if she didn't understand what he was going through at the end, and he threw that away.

a fire was ignited within
Great analogy! Just as the darkside consumed him, so did the fire.
nob01
Oil Bath Bubbles
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 9:39 AM
We all know what happened when Anakin was finally pushed over the edge on which he was so tediously balancing...
Physically and literally!

A great entry, my dear!! You truly evoked the passion of the scene!!
MomOf2YoungPadawan
Mamadala's Lair
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 9:40 AM
"Passion" is such an interesting word - it can be defined in so many ways, and can have so many connotaions. As you so eloquently point out, Anakin's "passions" did indeed run the full gamut of emotions.

But Anakin had fueled these emotions, these feelings, all his life. It was what made him...him Ohhh....wow! Indeed, Anakin was intense, and his final outburst of emotion was like someone had held their thumb atop a pop bottle while shaking it all those years...eventually, the pressure was too great and he burst.

as one of my good friends pointed out the other night, we all have anger and hatred within us. I think I was there ;)

Excellent job, PS77!! :D
JediMelindaWolf
Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 10:13 AM
The angrier he became, the faster he burned.

Oh my gosh, Yes! Yes! Yes!!!


However...Obi-Wan turned . . .

Clouded, himself, by Anakin's actions. Oftentimes, through our own hurt and rage, we are unable to hear and see what another is trying to tell/show us.

Thank you for such a thought-provoking entry!

MTFBWY :)
Jedi Master Mina
Jedi blogging, go back to your drinks!
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 11:40 AM
However, as one of my good friends pointed out the other night, we all have anger and hatred within us. Sometimes we allow it to surface, but most of us know how to work through it.

So true. And sometimes we just can't get past it, no matter how hard we try to work through it or try to let go of it. What Anakin failed to learn was how to let go of his anger and everything he wanted to control.

Great entry, my dear. You LILWA always come through with passionate blogs when it's about the Chosen One. ;)

Jade Sabre777
A luminous being, I am...
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 1:21 PM
This was a battle between Anakin and Vader...a *Hero's Battle* of sorts
So true!!

Anakin, however, always had to suppress that, and was never really taught the proper way of working through it.
Good point!! And that always leads to even more problems down the road....

It was what made him...him.
:x :x

(as much as I hate to admit that ).
Doesn't it stink? :(

Great job, PS77!!
JediPug1
Like My Father Before Me
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 1:43 PM
Beautiful job my friend! :)

Happy Birthday, too! :x :x
  Sol Kassar
Ramblings from the Detention Center (Startled)
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 1:46 PM
Great blog. Very insightful, and I like the way you delved into Anakin's psyche. :)
jedilily1026
Years Matter Not (Gone Crazy...Be Back Soon)
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 3:11 PM
Anakin's passion was so strong that he would eventually get burned...and he did.

So true...very nice. I never thought of his burning passion burning him.

Happy Birthday!!!

  Senator Soph-ia
date Posted: Jan 21, 2008 8:03 PM
It was what made him...him

Absolutely!

Your juxtaposition of those lines at the beginning could've been your whole blog. Brilliant. I gasped when I got to Obi-Wan. We all know those lines and could tell you the difference - -but to read them back-to-back-to-back. Wow.

And it was his passion -- his LOVE -- for his son -- that saved him in the end.

Let's hear it for passion!

  padmeskywalker77
Padme's Legacy
date Posted: Jan 22, 2008 6:14 AM
Thank you all for your comments!! :x

As many of you know...I had to work last night, so I have been unable to respond to any comment that has been left. Now, I am exhausted, so it will be another day or so before I return here.

Again...thank you, and May the Force Be With You...Always :)
  Smuggler Jedi
Hokey Religions and A Good Blaster at My Side
date Posted: Jan 22, 2008 2:14 PM
Nice choice for a moment. Although many don't care for the way it was carried out in the movies, I think Anakin's fall is one of the most interesting stories in the movies. There is so much to it. Blogs like this really help to establish how monumental it is.
  Jedi Arwen Skywalker
date Posted: Jan 23, 2008 11:20 AM
Very deep. He was indeed consumed by his fire, and that he could have been taught different, so many times I ma like "don't you see? He just needs a bit of help here and everything would have been ok!!" So sad. :(
viagoangel2
Were Anakin and Padme' really one?
date Posted: Jan 23, 2008 11:52 AM
First off, lemme just say, I am so, so, SO sorry for my disappearance (as of late :(), my dear friend... :x I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me :x like our beloved Anakin, "I have no excuse." :|

He was never really allowed to just "be"
Whoa! Intriguing statement here, extremely spellbinding. (at least to me ;))
This hit me hard. Anakin was always "a label", A slave, A padawan learner, A Jedi Knight, and eventually, A Sith Lord]:) Throughout his life's entirety, he was NEVER just and I quote, "My name is ANAKIN and I'm a *Person*." Anakin to Padme` in TPM.

cont.
viagoangel2
Were Anakin and Padme' really one?
date Posted: Jan 23, 2008 12:00 PM
*sigh*... just the sheer thought of that statement from a mere, 9 yr. old boy brings tears to my eyes. :( All that Anger and Rage, had been rumbling and bubbling since his youthful days on Tatooine, that his son, Luke, so lovingly calls, ;) "This Rock" , finally Burst forth into "flames" on the beaches of Mustafar.


Wonderful entry, M'lady :x
XO
Michelle1968
M68- Star Wars Kid at Heart
date Posted: Jan 25, 2008 12:30 PM
a subtle change of expression that indicated that Anakin was still there..

Brilliance on GL's part there. Whew.... chills babes.

You might think Im getting off topic here, but you know me... always looking for lessons from Star Wars that I can put to use in my day to day life. This is a HUGE one. What I mean is, how we handle people during confrontaions can very easily change the outcome of a situation. If Obi hadn't reacted the way he did, that Anakin we saw may have shown through and changed the outcome. So here's a question for ya M'lady...

What if Obi had seen that expression and reached out a hand? What would Anakin have done?

Ponder this, I must.

Loved this entry. It was from the heart, as always. :x
DJ Maul: Got Feet?
DJ Maul's Dancin' Cantina Party
date Posted: Jan 31, 2008 8:41 AM
Im STILL catching up on these blogs LOL...sigh, sorry for the delay.

great thoughts.

I think falling to the Darkside can be likened to a temper tantrum that just never really goes AWAY.

we've all had bursts of anger, sometimes even violently, but eventually that anger fades and with it the cloud that fogs our brains and causes us to react in a violent manner.

Anakin unfortunelty never lost that cloud, it stayed with him up until his son finally helped him clear it away and see clearly for the first time in many years.

  PrincessAngel39
date Posted: Feb 29, 2008 5:21 AM
Great entry. Very interesting the idea of what would have happened if Obi-Wan, instad of leaving his life to the Force's will, would have given him a hand ... But I think that in this moment they had already hurt each other too much, and that is why Obi-Wan acted as a Jedi not finishing him off but was simply human and could not help being hurt by all the death and disaster produced by Anakin, and not acting as a saint - forgive and forget.
As for Anakin, I think that his anger would not have allowed him to take Obi-Wan's hand should he have offered it to him. His anger and lust for power led him to almost kill Padmé and to confront his former master, so I don't think he would have taken the opportunity. I think it was too late anyway.
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