From lil' podracer Ani to Jedi Knight or Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader, Star Wars fans have developed a love/hate relationship with the saga's most iconic Big Bad over his time on screen. As the mysterious masked villain of the original series, we loved to hate Anakin. As the angsty teenage anti-hero of the Prequel series, we... just plain hated him. A nemesis as perfectly imposing as Vader deserved an origin story befitting his place in cinema history, one that George Lucas was unfortunately unable to deliver in Episodes I-III. That's not to say that the films aren't without some merits.
The podracing sequence in Phantom Menace delivered a solid high-speed action sequence; Ewan McGregor was well-cast as a young Obi-Wan; Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn and Samuel L. Jackson's Mace Windu quickly became fan favorites; and the faster and more intricate dueling choreography was a huge improvement on the originals. However, clunky dialogue, hollow characterization and convoluted political plots weighed all three films down considerably. Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen's portrayals of Anakin -- the trilogy's central figure -- seriously rubbed most fans up the wrong way (not that the actors had much to work with). For every true moment of darkness foreshadowing the "Chosen One's" future, there's a cringe-inducing one to make us just as irritated by Luke and Leia's dad as we are appalled by him.
15 THE SAND SCENE
Let's be fair to poor Hayden Christensen here -- how on earth is any actor supposed to make a line about the texture of sediment sexy? This infamously awful scene took place in the equally reviled Attack of the Clones. After surviving an assassination attempt, Padme Amidala took refuge at Naboo's scenic Varykino lake retreat. Jedi Padawan Anakin was sent to guard her, a spectacularly bad decision in hindsight for the Council.
No sooner had the pair arrived than Anakin dropped any semblance of professionalism just to prove he had no idea what flirting was to Padme: "Do you like sand? I don't like sand, it's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere." Luckily, he accompanied the clunker with a smoldering look that he'd definitely been practicing in the mirror, and Padme seemed to fall for it.
14 SLAUGHTERING INNOCENT TUSKEN RAIDERS
Attack of the Clones gave us our first glimpse into Anakin's dark future. After leaving Shmi Skywalker back on Tatooine to begin his Jedi training with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan in The Phantom Menace, Anakin promised to fulfill his potential and one day free his mother from slavery. Sadly, Shmi meets a horrible end before he can make good on his promise.
Her son arrives just in time to watch the life leave her body (pretty grim) before his rage at those responsible -- the Tusken Raiders (better known as "Sand People," and we know how he feels about sand...) -- explodes into a murderous rampage. Later, he confesses to Padme that this included slaughtering "the women and children" too, and the novelization expands on how gory the massacre is. Padme's response? "To be angry is to be human." Reeeeally, Padme?
13 LOSING TO OBI-WAN
The climactic confrontation between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith was one fans had been waiting for since their last face-off three decades earlier in A New Hope. On the Death Star, Darth Vader struck down his former Master and BFF, making Obi-Wan "more powerful than you can possibly imagine." The battle was emotionally charged, but kind of slow paced.
That's why, when their second (or, first, if we're talking chronologically) battle kicked off in Episode III, our hopes were high for something even more spectacular and dramatic than before. After some impressive duelling and lava-dodging, Obi-Wan scored a tactical advantage: "I have the high ground!" So, what did Anakin do? Clumsily launch himself at Obi-Wan, allowing the Jedi to easily separate his former Padawan from his limbs.
12 OBSESSING OVER PADME FOR TEN YEARS
When Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala first meet in The Phantom Menace, he's 9 years-old and she's 14 years-old. The pair bond in a kind of big sister-little brother way and then go their separate ways: Anakin to become a Jedi Knight and Padme to become a Senator on Naboo. By the time they reunite in Attack of the Clones, a whole decade has passed.
From the predatory thirst on Anakin's face when he lays eyes on her, it's clear that he's spent all of his entire teenage years fantasizing about a girl he met once and barely knows. What's worse is the word salad he blurts out when she comments on how much he's grown: "So have you. Grown more beautiful, I mean. Well, for a Senator, I mean." Real smooth, Ani.
11 HELPED OFF MACE WINDU
Mace Windu's casting was always going to make him a memorable character. It's hard to not find the image of Samuel L. Jackson wielding a lightsaber instantly appealing, particularly such a uniquely colored one -- something that the Hollywood legend petitioned for himself. Windu was one of the most respected members of the Jedi High Council and a devout Master.
This meant it was only a matter of time before he stood directly in the way of Palpatine's plans as the scheming politician's stranglehold over the Galactic Senate grew. When Windu finally confronted Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith, he almost had the Sith Lord beat... until Anakin intervened, finally revealing his true true colors to the Jedi Master, and Windu -- along with the Council -- unfortunately suffered a horrible demise.
10 HIS EMO LOVE FOR PADME
The Jedi way of life forbids the complications that come with emotional attachments. Jedi Knights are essentially a cross between Samurai warriors and celibate monks (with some space magic thrown in.) There's also the danger that the passing on of Force-rich blood makes for monstrously powerful Force-sensitive offspring, as demonstrated by Anakin's future son and grandson.
It's understandable that someone as rebellious and emotional as Anakin would struggle to commit to this rule and the "forbidden love" aspect of his origin story is a decent hook. But, why did Lucas have to saddle teen Vader with lines that the world's worst emo band would consider to be overkill? "You are in my soul, tormenting me." Because what woman wouldn't be swept off of her feet after being told loving them is like being "in agony."
9 YOUNG ANI'S CRINGEY LINES
It's unfair to be too harsh on child actors, given their obvious inexperience and lack of emotional insight compared to adult ones, but at the same time, we've seen plenty of young stars turn in amazing performances. George Lucas' directing and writing skills leave a lot to be desired as well, so again, we can't leave The Phantom Menace's Jake Lloyd with all the blame.
Young Anakin may have appealed to a new, younger demographic, but for older Star Wars fans, the heavy-handed delivery of alien languages and his incessant "YIPPEE!" whoops during the podracing sequence are hard to sit through without squirming. Then there's his, "Are you an angel?" question to Padme. The cheesy choice of words combined with the equally cheesy delivery is shudderingly bad to hear.
8 OFFING COUNT DOOKU
Played by the late, great Christopher Lee, the amoral, ex-Jedi Master Count Dooku turned to the Dark Side after becoming fed up with the limited ways of the Jedi Order. He conspired with his Sith master, Darth Sidious, to become more powerful than his former Master, Yoda, and install the Sith's iron-fisted rule in place of the democratic Galactic Senate.
The pesky Sith "Rule of Two" also ended up getting in Dooku's way. He trained multiple apprentices as both a Jedi and Sith Lord in secret, two of whom tried to assassinate him. Under Palpatine's orders, Anakin was the one to successfully off Dooku in the end -- and a brutal end it was. Anakin's execution method was to use two lightsabers, placed on either side of the Count's head, like a giant pair of scissors.
7 TRUSTING (THE CLEARLY EVIL) PALPATINE
We know the path from Jedi to Sith well. In fact, Yoda pretty much explains the process step-by-step to Anakin when he first meets him: "fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." (Because telling a kid exactly how to do the one thing they shouldn't do will definitely ensure they won't do it...) Despite fair warning, Anakin still became putty in Palpatine's hands.
Obviously, Anakin was always going to fall somehow, and Palpatine played the slow game with the impressionable young Jedi -- whispering into his ear, feeding his uncertainties about the Order and his fears about losing those he loved. But, there was rarely a moment when Anakin stopped to scrutinize the fact that this creepy old man was stoking all the feelings that Yoda had warned him about. Wise up a little bit, Ani.
6 THINKING HE COULD CHEAT DEATH
When Anakin became haunted by visions of Padme's death, he became desperate to do anything to save her. Despite being warned against trying to predict and control fate, Anakin was convinced he not only had no choice to save her but also that he would be strong enough to pull the feat off. He sought advice on this from Master Yoda.
Yoda instructed the conflicted young Jedi to let go of the things he was afraid to lose because fear left him open to the influence of the dark side of the Force. Anakin wasn't thrilled by this answer, seeking out Palpatine instead, who fed him a story about Darth Plagueis, a Sith Lord who supposedly saved his loved ones from death. If only Anakin knew it's always easier to believe a lie if it's what you want to hear.
5 HIS ARROGANCE
Cockiness isn't always a bad thing in a character. In someone like Han Solo, both effortlessly cool and endearingly blundering, it's part of the appeal. (Just ask Leia.) But, that line between it being a likeable and detestable quality is a fine one, and certainly one that many feel Anakin Skywalker crossed. Anakin is a messianic figure so natural talent is an essential part of his character.
But, that doesn't make his smirking boasts to anyone who'll listen any less irritating. Especially when, time and time again, his confidence doesn't pay off. He thought he was good enough to take on the most skilled Masters in the galaxy like Count Dooku and Yoda single-handedly when, in the end, he couldn't even get the better of Obi-Wan, who defeated him relatively easily.
4 FASCISM AND ROMANCE
It seems that, after his successful sand rant won over Padme's heart, Anakin decided no topic of conversation was off-limits on his dates with her. Most of Anakin and Padme's exchanges throughout the Prequel trilogy are painfully hard to listen to, from their stiff content to their wooden delivery. Their political chit-chat over a picnic in the grounds of her Varykino retreat does get interesting, though.
Padme digs into her love of politics and her commitment to the democratic ideals of the Republic -- an ideology she thinks is the best way to govern. Anakin hints at his inner darkness by arguing that people should be forced to fall in line, preferably by one, all-mighty ruler. After this chilling confession, we inexplicably cut to the two lovebirds giggling and rolling around in the grass. How did Padme fall for this guy, again?
3 THE YOUNGLINGS
Dispatching Count Dooku and Mace Windu were pretty evil deeds. Slaughtering the Tusken Raiders -- women and children included -- was more evil still. But, by far the most memorable victims of Anakin Skywalker's wrath are the Jedi "younglings" (as Obi-Wan weirdly calls them.) Mace Windu's death officially cemented his fall, but killing innocent children made us believe in it.
The move was a tactical -- as well as gruesome -- one for the Sith to stamp out potential threats from the light side of the Force, no matter how small and inexperienced they were. The worst moment is when the new Sith Lord makes his way into the Jedi Council chamber. A small boy approaches him, clearly seeking reassurance only to then cower in fear as Anakin silently ignites his lightsaber.
2 HIS LAME COMEBACKS
Anakin was presented to us as a cheeky and rebellious boy in The Phantom Menace, something that was clearly supposed to follow him into adulthood through the film's two sequels. Recklessly jumping out of windows and hooking up with Padme certainly fulfil that, but it's just a shame that Anakin's dialogue -- as always -- let his character down so much.
What genius put-down did he have for General Grievous? “I thought you’d be taller.” Grievous is 7” tall so is this Anakin’s bad attempt at sarcasm? Then there’s his childish retort to Obi-Wan reminding him that the Sith are evil: “From my point of view, it’s the Jedi who are evil!” before yelling the infamous "I HATE YOU!" line. Honorable mention goes to this reply when Obi-Wan asks Anakin if he pressed the "up" button in a moving elevator: “No, did you?”
1 FORCE-CHOKING PREGNANT PADME
Once Anakin brutally took out an entire new generation of Jedi, we didn’t think the newly appointed Sith Lord could sink much lower. And then his heavily pregnant wife made the error of trying to appeal to what was left of his humanity. The distraught Padme traveled to Mustafar after hearing of the atrocious acts he'd committed from Obi-Wan.
Anakin's cold lack of remorse and his pledge to the Emperor confirmed the horrible truth to her, and she finally (FINALLY) saw Anakin for what he was: a power-hungry, selfish and cruel man. Things then took a turn for the worse as Anakin spotted Obi-Wan standing on the gangplank of Padme's ship after sneaking aboard without her knowledge. Feeling betrayed, Anakin took out his anger by Force-choking her, almost robbing her of the very thing he'd given everything to protect: her life.