6 Reasons Palpatine's Manipulation Of Anakin Is Still So Horrifying Today

Summary

Palpatine manipulated Anakin’s fears and vulnerabilities, paving the way for his turn to the dark side.
Anakin’s need for affection made him susceptible to Palpatine’s grooming tactics.
Palpatine exploited Anakin’s isolation, fed his fragile ego, and encouraged his self-loathing.

Palpatine’s manipulation of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars is nothing short of horrifying. Chancellor Palpatine wasted no time sinking his claws into a young Anakin. As soon as the battle on Naboo was over in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Palpatine introduced himself to Anakin, promising he would observe the young Jedi’s career “with great interest.” Anakin – who was still reeling from saying goodbye to his mother and losing his only father-figure, Qui-Gon Jinn – was emotionally vulnerable, and thus an easy target for Palpatine, who sensed Anakin’s underlying darkness and fears from the start.

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Over the years, Palpatine inserted himself into Anakin’s life, setting himself up as a confidante, a friend, and a champion for the young Jedi. Anakin craved affection, love, and recognition, and Palpatine was willing to give it to him, much more than the Jedi ever would, or indeed, could. Palpatine manipulated Anakin in numerous ways, each arguably more disturbing than the last, using Anakin’s trauma, fears, guilt, and unending capacity for love against him until one day, Anakin was finally ready to give in to his despair and become Darth Vader.

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While an argument could be made that Anakin would have one day turned to the dark side even without Palpatine’s help – Palpatine merely coaxed Anakin’s darkness to the surface, he was already susceptible to strong emotions, and his relationship with Padmé was bound to be his undoing – Palpatine poked and prodded at Anakin’s flaws and weaknesses without ever giving him a chance to change and learn from his mistakes. Anakin may have been doomed from the start, but that doesn’t make Palpatine’s manipulative actions any less abhorrent.

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6 Palpatine Became A Father Figure For A Boy In Need Of One

What if Qui-Gon Jinn had lived?

Anakin’s attachment to Qui-Gon Jinn was understandable. Here was a man who recognized his talents, encouraged them, and presented him with an opportunity to leave Tatooine and his life as a slave behind for power and adventure. Having grown up with only his mother, never knowing who his father was, it created a hole inside Anakin. He needed that kind of attention, and Qui-Gon was willing to give it to him, even only because he believed Anakin was the Chosen One.

When Qui-Gon was killed by Palpatine’s apprentice, Anakin was handed over to Obi-Wan Kenobi instead, who, at the time, was just a Padawan, and not much older in the grand scheme of things. Instead of being taught about the Jedi and the Force by a father, he was instead taught about his new life by a brother, someone who still had a claim on Anakin’s heart but couldn’t protect him from the emptiness that festered after leaving his mother behind and losing Qui-Gon. Enter Palpatine.

Palpatine was older, wiser, oddly gentle, and proud of Anakin’s accomplishments. He knew exactly what Anakin was missing in life and became that person for him. How could Obi-Wan and the emotionally detached Jedi ever compete?

5 Palpatine Used The Jedi Council’s Reluctance Towards Anakin Against Him

The Jedi believed Anakin was too old and emotional to join the Order

The Jedi were initially reluctant to let Anakin join the Jedi Order. Not only was he much older than most Jedi initiates, who are often brought to the Temple as babies and toddlers, but Anakin was more emotionally volatile, too. He was understandably afraid, he missed his mother, and he was all too curious about what his new power would mean. As the Jedi Council pointed out, Anakin was emotionally compromised. It would be incredibly difficult for him to let go of his future attachments and regulate his feelings when he was already so attached to someone he had left behind.

Though the Jedi eventually relented and allowed Anakin to train under Obi-Wan’s watchful yet inexperienced eye, they never fully and truly let go of their doubts. Yes, they allowed Anakin to have a Padawan, but only because they hoped it would teach him how to let go. Yes, they made him a General in the Grand Army of the Republic and recognized his incredible strength, but they also refused to include him in certain important missions – Obi-Wan’s undercover mission as a wanted criminal in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 4 comes to mind – as they never truly trusted him.

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Palpatine knew the Jedi had distanced themselves from Anakin and used that to his advantage. He preyed upon Anakin’s self-doubt, forcing the Jedi to include Anakin on missions he wasn’t actively assigned to. In doing so, he pushed both sides to the breaking point.

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.

Created By George Lucas Cast Bob Anderson , Hayden Christensen , James Earl Jones , Matt Lanter , Matt Lucas , Jake Lloyd , David Prowse , Sebastian Shaw First Appearance Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope Died Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi Alliance Jedi, Sith Race Human Movies Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope , Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back , Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi , Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace , Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones , Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith , Rogue One: A Star Wars Story TV Shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars Rebels , Obi-Wan Kenobi , Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi , Ahsoka Franchise Star Wars Expand

4 Palpatine Promised Anakin Things The Jedi Could Not And Lied About It

Anakin wanted to save Padmé, but he never could

Though the Jedi Council’s reservation was one of Anakin’s biggest insecurities, his main weakness, of course, was Padmé Amidala. Anakin couldn’t help himself when it came to her. He loved her, he craved her love in return and decided that the Jedi Order’s rules were less important than his relationship with his wife. Anakin’s need for affection, both physical and emotional, played a major part in his secret love affair. The Jedi Order was too restrictive and too cautious, and as a result, they pushed Anakin into a doomed relationship, one that would eventually doom the entire Jedi Order.

Palpatine knew all this, of course. He had seen Anakin’s need for love and twisted it into something desperate and ugly. Finally, when Anakin becomes obsessed with saving Padmé’s life, Palpatine lies to Anakin and tells him he can still save her. He essentially pushed Anakin into a corner – Anakin would either turn to the dark side to save his wife, or he would turn to the dark side out of grief and anger after losing her. Palpatine left him with no other choice. Using Anakin’s love for Padmé against him like that was truly disturbing.

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3 Palpatine Used Anakin’s Isolation Against Him

Palpatine forced Anakin to distance himself from the Jedi

As the end of the Clone Wars came in sight – precisely as Palpatine had orchestrated, of course – Palpatine began to use Anakin’s trust in him to isolate him. Anakin already felt like he was being neglected by the Jedi, and his faith in the Order started to wane as soon as his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, left the Jedi Order after being falsely accused of treason in The Clone Wars season 5. He was frustrated; he wanted to prove to the Order that he was the best of them, and he also wanted to keep Padmé safe at all costs.

Palpatine slowly but surely began to pull Anakin further away from the Jedi, something he had set in motion years ago. He wanted to convince Anakin that the Jedi were the enemy. They took Ahsoka away from him, they forced him to hide his relationship with Padmé. Essentially, Palpatine groomed him. Anakin trusted Palpatine so much that when Obi-Wan eventually asked Anakin to spy on the Chancellor in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, his loyalty to Palpatine only grew stronger.

Additionally, in Kristin Braver’s Skywalker family biography, Skywalker: A Family At War, it was revealed that, when Anakin was younger, Palpatine used to take him on covert expeditions to Coruscant’s seedy underworld. There, he highlighted the criminality and slavery that was sure to anger Anakin given his harrowing past as a slave on Tatooine, “proving” to Anakin that the Jedi were useless when it truly mattered. Palpatine used Anakin’s differences and needs to isolate him from the Jedi so that when the time came, Anakin would have no problem leaving the Order behind to get what he truly wanted.

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Palpatine’s hunch turned out to be right. After Mace Windu’s death, Palpatine ordered Anakin to destroy what was left of the Jedi – including the innocent younglings – and Anakin agreed, because he no longer saw the Jedi as a force for good. He viewed them as the ultimate enemy.

Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious

The senator for Naboo, Palpatine rose to power and influence during the dying days of the Republic. In reality, his public persona was just a mask; he was really Darth Sidious, greatest of the Sith Lords, and he used his political skills and Machiavellian cunning to bring down both the Republic and the Jedi. Palpatine ruled his Galactic Empire for decades, until he was betrayed by his apprentice, Darth Vader. Even this wasn’t enough to stop the Emperor, however, as he was resurrected by his followers – only to be defeated once again.

Created By George Lucas Cast Ian McDiarmid , Sam Witwer , ian abercrombie First Appearance Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back Died Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise Of Skywalker Alliance Sith, Empire Race Human Movies Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope , Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back , Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi , Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace , Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones , Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith , Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker TV Shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars Rebels , Star Wars: The Bad Batch , Obi-Wan Kenobi Franchise Star Wars Expand

2 Palpatine Fed Anakin’s Fragile Ego

Anakin craved recognition

Palpatine didn’t just isolate Anakin from the Jedi, though. He also stroked his fragile yet overpowering ego. Anakin knew he was powerful. He was cocky, sure of himself, and quick to lead in battle, following his instincts rather than direct Republic orders. Those attributes made him a great albeit unpredictable Jedi General, and Palpatine lauded Anakin’s efforts at every turn, encouraging him to do more by asking him to join and lead top-secret Jedi missions, even when the Jedi Council disagreed.

In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine took this all one step further by convincing Anakin that he had earned a seat on the Jedi Council. Anakin had been praised by Palpatine his entire life, and he believed that the Chancellor knew better than anyone. As such, when the Council refused to give Anakin a seat, one he believed was rightfully his, Palpatine was there to comfort and console him, giving Anakin the power and recognition the young Jedi so desperately craved.

1 Palpatine Encouraged Anakin’s Self-Loathing, Forcing Him To Become Darth Vader

Palpatine forced Anakin to wallow in his despair

Anakin was a mess of contradictions, and Palpatine used that to his advantage. Anakin believed he deserved more praise from the Jedi Council, so Palpatine gave it to him. At the same time, Anakin believed he wasn’t strong enough to save Padmé, so Palpatine told him he could teach him how. Anakin loved himself and hated himself in equal measure, torn between his loyalty to Palpatine, Obi-Wan, Padmé, and the Jedi Order until he finally snapped. He hurt Padmé even though he had promised not to, and he fought with Obi-Wan until he became scarred beyond recognition.

That was Palpatine’s final step. Anakin needed to hate himself and be overwhelmed by grief and anger, so overwhelmed that there was nothing left for him but the dark side. He encouraged Anakin’s negative feelings, forcing him to become something else, someone else. That was the birth of Darth Vader. Once Anakin Skywalker was lost and Darth Vader took over, Palpatine dropped his caring mask and revealed who he was at his core: a selfish, egotistical, dictatorial manipulator.

Star Wars

Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.

Created by George Lucas First Film Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope Cast Mark Hamill , James Earl Jones , David Prowse , Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , Daisy Ridley , Adam Driver , Ian McDiarmid , Ewan McGregor , Rosario Dawson , Lars Mikkelsen , Rupert Friend , Moses Ingram , Frank Oz , Pedro Pascal TV Show(s) The Mandalorian , Andor , Obi-Wan Kenobi , The Book of Boba Fett , Ahsoka , The Acolyte , Star Wars: Skeleton Crew , Lando , Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars Rebels , Star Wars: The Bad Batch , Star Wars: Resistance , Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures , Star Wars: Visions Character(s) Luke Skywalker , Han Solo , Rey Skywalker , Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious , Obi-Wan Kenobi , Ahsoka Tano , Grand Admiral Thrawn , Grand Inquisitor , Reva (The Third Sister) , The Fifth Brother , The Seventh Sister , The Eighth Brother , Yoda , Din Djarin , Grogu , Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader , Leia Organa , Ben Solo/Kylo Ren Video Game(s) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic , Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords , Star Wars Battlefront (2015) , Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2005) , Star Wars: The Force Unleashed , Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II , Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order , Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Expand

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