Exactly what does bring balance to the Force mean? Was Anakin supposed to make the number of Jedi equal to the number of Sith or was he supposed to destroy the Sith? Since George Lucas has defined bringing balance to the Force as destroying the Sith, I want to address why I think balancing the Force meant destroying the Sith.

We learn in all six films that the Force surrounds us all. It binds the galaxy together, and according to Yoda, grows through the creation of life. Since the Sith twist the Force and use it to destroy life, their continued existence could be a threat to the Force itself and the galaxy.

The very balance of the galaxy began to permanently shift in ROTS after Anakin pledged himself to become Sidious' apprentice. Yoda felt it on Kashyyk and knew something was seriously wrong. With that decision, Anakin plunged the Force and the galaxy into a deep chaos, from which it would take decades to recover.

Anakin's whole rationale for going to the dark side is to save Padme from dying, which was all for naught since it was his turning to the dark side that caused Padme's death. This dark deed further pushed whatever good there was in him deep below. The irony lies in how much Vader continued to believe Palpatine's lies for all those years. Things began to change when Vader learns that somehow, the baby Padme carried did survive. By now, Vader must realize that he is no longer strong enough to destroy Palpatine on his own, so he tries to turn Luke to the dark side, so Vader can become the Master and rule the galaxy.

I think that Vader's change begins when Luke refuses those overtures. He begins, for the first time in years, to remember what he once wanted to be. In this instance, the old Jedi teachings don't help matters at all. Vader has turned to the dark side, and the Jedi held that it was impossible to come back from it. At the very least though, Vader's loyalty is shifting. We aren't sure where it lies yet, but it's no longer completely with Palpatine.

In my mind there are three instances which show Vader's slight shift. First, he spares Piett's life after the Falcon jumps to hyperspace. Second, he tells the Death Star Commander that "the Emperor is not as forgiving as I am." Since when was Vader forgiving? Thirdly, and most telling, is when Palpatine realizes that he has not felt Luke's presence. Just as the Jedi's ability to see the future was clouded by the rise of the Sith, Palpatine's ability to see the future is now clouded by Luke's emergence. Luke's emergence has also shifted Vader's thinking away from being completely obedient to Palpatine. Once again, the Force hinges on the choice that the Chosen One will make.

The conflict is quite clear when Vader and Luke meet on Endor. There is sadness when Vader tells Luke "it is too late for me, my son." He may want to be good again, but doesn't believe he can given all the horrible things that he has done. He now believes that joining the dark side was his destiny, not understanding that he made the choices that determined that destiny.

When Vader lifts his lightsaber to block Luke's after Luke takes it from Palpatine, why is he doing it? Is it an attempt to protect the Emperor or is Vader trying to save Luke from his own fate? After all, doesn't he want Luke to destroy the Emperor, so Vader can become the Master? As the fight continues, Vader keeps trying to bait Luke to the dark side by playing on his emotions, just as Palpatine did to him so many years ago. I wonder how hollow it feels when Vader tells Luke to save his friends by giving in to the dark side. Surely, he must remember how joining the dark side helped him save Padme from death.

The final key to his redemption comes when history again repeats itself. A young Jedi has just defeated a Sith Lord in battle. He holds the life of that very monster in his hands. And Palpatine, as he did with Anakin before, tells that young Jedi to strike down the Sith Lord and become the new apprentice. Vader may remember the look of shock on Dooku's face from many years earlier. Now, at the end, Vader finally understands the true nature of the dark side. Greed and selfishness. Palpatine doesn't care one iota about Vader and he never did. He only cared about what would give him power. Now Obi-Wan's words about not trusting Palpatine come back to haunt him. Only now, it truly is too late. Vader is about to die, at the hands of the son of the woman who loved him. A woman who died because he, Darth Vader, pledged himself in service to a man who never cared about him at all, but only about how he could keep his power.

Yes, only now at the end does the foolish young Jedi know the true nature of the dark side. And now, at the end, will he also see the true nature of the light side, compassion. For Luke looks at his defenseless father, looks at the hand that Vader cut off, and realizes what he is on the verge of becoming. Unlike his father, Luke takes his weapon and throws it away, for he is a Jedi and will not kill an unarmed prisoner. Revenge is not the way of the Jedi. After Palpatine unleashes his fury on Luke, Vader realizes that he has another chance. Mercy and compassion, especially after he didn't deserve it, have spared his life. And Vader realizes that now he can still choose good. It is too late to save his beloved Padme, but he can save her son, their son, and also ensure that what his wife believed in will continue to survive. Summoning every last bit of strength, Anakin Skywalker picks the Emperor up, shifting the lightning away from Luke and instead into his own mechanical body. The electricity now fries the machine that has kept him alive all these years, ensuring his death, but as he destroys the Emperor and defeats the darkness within himself, the Sith are destroyed and the Force is balanced.

Dying, Anakin wanted to look upon his son with his own eyes. He longed for forgivness from his daughter for what he had done to her, her mother, and the galaxy at large. His noble sacrfice, finally a selfless act, gave Anakin the opportunity to make up for what he had done. While he could not escape the consequences of what he had done, he could begin to set right all the wrongs he had committed. His destiny was fulfilled.