How much of Anakin's descent into darkness can be blamed on his love for Padme? Perhaps the better way to address this question is to ask, was it really love that Anakin felt for his wife? For a true and selfless love would not have allowed Anakin to so violently turn from the light and twist his soul in the way he did. Was it then more likely that lust for power, a sense of being held back and even betrayal were the true causes for his self destruction? His obsessive attachment to Padme may very well have been an excuse, one that Anakin could easily hold on to... one that could ease some of the pain when he ultimately gave his soul to evil. It would have been easier to believe, if he told himself that he did it all for her... instead of facing the reality, that he turned to the Darkside for himself and his own desire for more.


"If you only knew the power of the Darkside..."


I do not doubt that in some way Anakin did indeed care for her, there was after all still good in him. However, I doubt that he truly understood what an honest, selfless love felt like... if he had, then the temptation of the Darkside would not have been so strong. Such selflessness would have shown him the true way of the Force, and even Palpatine could not have twisted enough lies to change that. Instead Anakin found himself empowered by the seductive strength offered through the Darkside, luring him with the promise of everything he could ever want. He had convinced himself that it was all done for his wife, but could he ever really believe that? One can only imagine the pain when he realized she was dead, understanding that everything he did was out of selfishness... and it would bring about the one thing he feared. As strongly as he tried, as desperate as he was, he could not save his wife from the same fate as his mother.


Easier to Believe the Lie, Than Live with the Truth


Believing that it was all done for love would have, in some way, helped ease the pain of his tortured life as Darth Vader. The scars that would imprison his body and soul, would daily remind him of the loss and betrayal. How painful it would be to face the truth, to realize that all was lost for selfish gain, for lust and power. Could Anakin have lived in such a condition, trapped in that dark suit, if he had to face the horrible truth of what he had done? He could just as easily rationalize all that he had done on his long descent into darkness, ignoring the painful truth that he dare not face.


We know of the Darkside's inherent power, it's ability to lure even the most powerful Jedi into its grip. The ease at which it flows, the basic emotions that fuel it, are more than enough to drive someone down a dangerous path... especially someone like Anakin Skywalker. He wanted so much as a Jedi, he knew it was wrong, but believing it was done for love could have been enough to rationalize the choice. As Palpatine had deceived him, so had Anakin deceived himself... into believing that his selfish turn to evil was done for the most noble reason of all. Love.


"I won't lose you the way that I lost my mother."


It was perhaps more likely that what drove Anakin's choice was his powerful desire to hold on to his wife. The attachment that had been so important to him all those years, would be his undoing. Selfish need, a desire to control that aspect of his life, all of these found resonance in the promise of power offered by the Darkside. A twist of fate that began with his mother's death, would consume his soul and twist love into obsession... fear into hate. But was this truth something Anakin was prepared to face?


"I feel the conflict within you, let go of your hate."


How much of the truth had Luke awakened in his father? Could the very existence of his son show Anakin that he had twisted himself with selfish desire? At the final moment, when Luke threw down his lightsaber, I would like to believe that Anakin had at last understood. He had seen what love, what selfless love, truly looked like... he had seen it in his only son. Such a revelation would have been both frightening and liberating, showing him the deception that tore him from his former life. If Anakin had not witnessed the sefless love of his son, could he ever have hope of understanding what drove him to the Darkside of the Force? Could he ever have the strength to finally turn away from it? A very interesting question, one of many that surround the complex life of the Chosen One.