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Psychological Analysis of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

Introduction

The Star War Saga's main protagonist Anakin Skywalker, exhibits differing behaviors

and is involved in a serious intrinsic conflict moral values and iniquity, equality and betrayal,

and the fundamental aspects of good and evil. His transformation into becoming Darth Vader is a

major concept across the pop culture. Having been brought up in a distinct universe and age, his

early life experiences enabled the development of his personality traits.  In their society, Anakin's

entire life was based on the existence of two opposing powers; the Jedi, embodying virtue and

righteousness, and the Sith, who symbolize the dark side force’s wickedness, and desire. The

force is the source of any living being that is mostly acclimated and controlled by other persons

(generally the Jedi). Anakin's change, among other factors that contributed to it, can be addressed

by various psychological perspectives.

Born by Shmi Skywalker in a murky world, Anakin Skywalker was raised on Tatooine's

desert planet (Strasser 5). His mother argued that Vader was miraculously born because she had

not interacted with any man. Throughout their lives, Vader and his mother worked as slaves for a

dealer known as Watto, who adopted them through a bet he made when they were still young.

Although Anakin earned his freedom from slavery at a pod race, it did not include his mother’s

as such, he was forced to leave her under Watto’s slavery. After leaving his life in slavery, the

young Anakin is taken to the Jedi council, where despite Qui-Gon’s warning is trained to become
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the Jedi Knight by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Later on, he sees his mother’s pain through a vision and

returns to Tatooine, where he is informed that Tusken Raiders had kidnapped his mother. Hoping

to save her, he heads to the Tusken camp, unfortunately she succumbs to her injuries. Angered

by the events he seeks vengeance against the Tusken and ends up killing the whole tribe.

Subsequently, he gets another vision about his wife, therefore, in a despair to save her life, he

pledges to become Sith Lord’s apprentice, Darth Vader. As a result, Anakin transformed from a

compassionate hero Jedi to become the dark commander of the Clone war force.

According to Carducci (2009) Karen Horney’s psychological viewpoint asserted that the

personality of an individual is motivated by their search for security in the world (176). As a

result of this motivation, a person will develop neurotic trends and different coping strategies in

order to achieve this security (Carducci, 176). Anakin was born as a slave without a father.

From his birth, something already was missing in his life. When he then is forced to leave his

mother completely, his sense of basic maternal security is gone. After failing to save his mother

from death, one of Horney’s neurotic trends, the neurotic need for power, is apparent in Anakin.

While the need may not be for power over other people, it is for power of life, in that he wants to

save his wife from the same fate as his mother (Strasser, 33). His need for this life-saving power

is so great that he actually turns to the dark side of the Force in an attempt to gain it. He exhibits

the moving against people coping strategy of Horney’s when dealing with this. He shows anger

to those he once considered loved ones (Padmé, Obi-Wan) when he feels that new found power

he has being threatened by them.

Anakin’s turn to the dark side can also be an example of a poorly adjusted self according

to Carl Jung. Carducci cites Carl Jung assertion that an individual’s collective unconscious

contains wisdom that all people have, share, and develop together over time (Carducci, 135).
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This wisdom prompts people to think and act in a certain way in certain circumstances that is

consistent with the collective wisdom. Jung believed that the most important of these prompts is

called the archetype which represents a series of images, thoughts, symbols and emotions. The

importance of the archetype comes from generations of development. The well-adjusted self is

able to take all of these archetypes and unite them in a way that will be conducive to the

individual’s best interests. (Carducci, 138). One of these archetypes, the shadow (which is a

representation of all the dark and more primal side of the personality), is extremely present in

Anakin Skywalker. In order to gain what he wants, he chooses to succumb to his darker desires

of power, regardless of the people that he may have to kill (Strasser, 55). By choosing the dark

side of the force, Anakin is now allowed to tap into any and all of his baser needs, wants, desires,

and ambitions. He has denied all other archetypes, and instead, has solely incorporated this one

into his life. According to Jung’s theory, Anakin’s archetype of the self has not correctly unified

all the other archetypes.

Anakin’s exhibition of different defense mechanisms during his change to the dark side is

also apparent. According to Freud, defense mechanisms are used by an individual’s ego to

unconsciously decrease any anxiety they might be feeling. When Anakin makes his turn to the

dark side, he appears to use rationalization to defend it. Rationalization is the individual’s

attempt to make logical justifications for deplorable or unthinkable actions (Carducci, 89). He

makes himself believe that he had to make this transition and commit these horrible acts in order

to get the power to save his wife. He also allows himself to believe that he has to become a

member of the dark side because the Jedi are evil. Although this is not true, it appears that

Anakin’s ego, or more likely his superego, cannot cope with the terrible decision he has made

from Galactic defender of truth and justice to evil Sith Lord guilty of murder (Strasser, 45). He
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also exhibits dissociation, which is a drastic change of one's personal identity or character in

order to avoid emotional distress. This is especially clear when he takes the name Darth Vader.

In taking this completely new identity, he is no longer Anakin Skywalker, but instead, an evil

Sith Lord. In Anakin’s mind, Anakin is dead. He even goes so far as to refer to Anakin in the

third person after he becomes Darth Vader. It appears that Anakin could not accept what he was

doing as Anakin, so instead, he becomes Vader.

However, later, when he sees Luke being hurt by the Emperor, he kills the Palpatine, in

an attempt to undo what he has done. This is an example of undoing, which consists of

participating in behaviors in order to make up for terrible acts the individual committed before.

In killing the Emperor, Anakin is essentially making amends for all he has done since turning to

the dark side. Anakin shifts from an unhealthy use of a defense mechanism to a healthy one,

which redeems him as a Jedi.

Conclusion

It is clear that although Anakin’s turn from Jedi to Sith Lord showed a very poorly

adjusted personality and sense of self. Fortunately, by the end of the Star Wars films, Anakin

has returned from the dark side. Perhaps this is an example of the Humanistic belief that

everyone is inherently good (Strasser, 53). In Anakin’s redemption, one can see how even those

the most far away from their best attributes can recover and life a better adjusted lifestyle.
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Works Cited

Carducci, Bernardo J. The Psychology of Personality: Viewpoints, Research, and Applications

2nd ed., Wiley-Blackwell Publishers, 2009, pp. 89-190.

Lucas, G. (Writer), Lucas, G. (Director), & Lucas, G., & McCallum, R. (Producers). Star Wars,

episode I, The Phantom Menace (1999). [Video file].

Strasser, Todd. Star Wars. Episode I. Anakin Skywalker. Paris, Pocket, 1999.