In an interest to preserve innocence, my parents were very serious about what media my siblings and I were allowed to consume growing up. But Star Wars made the approved list for which I am grateful. I grew up a Star Wars fan. As a boy, I enjoyed the action, the futuristic nature of the film, and it was a classic light vs dark story in which you could cheer for the good guys. Plus, I don’t know how many times I tried to move things with ‘the Force’ just to see if I could.
Today, I am still a Star Wars fan, but I do not necessarily appreciate what Disney has done to the franchise in various movies and spin off shows. Some have been good, but many have been subpar (Episodes 7-9 being the worst). I did not know why I preferred the first 6 movies until I saw a viral clip of Dave Filoni (Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm) explaining that the entire story of Episodes 1-6 was a commentary on fatherhood.
The Star Wars that was introduced to the world in the 1970s and prequeled in the 2000s is essentially about a family: The Skywalkers. The main character of this family is Anikan Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), the Chosen One meant to bring balance to the Force and restore peace to the galaxy. This expectation came from an ancient prophecy combined with his abnormal strength in the Force – the cosmic lifeforce. He is a Christ figure in the franchise, even to the point of having a virginal birth. The entire film series for many years was focused on this long story arc of Anikan Skywalker, his wife Padme Amidala, and their children Luke and Leah Skywalker, as their familial relationship affects the entirety of the Galactic Republic/Galactic Empire. What made the original Star Wars and their Prequels so good is that it speaks to an eternal truth about family, particularly fatherhood.
An unspoken key to Anikan’s character development that Filoni pointed out is that Anikan never has a father figure. When Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) finds him on Tatooine as a 9 year old, the only male authoritative figure in his life was his alien slave master Watto. Watto didn’t seem abusive, but he certainly was not affectionate nor protective toward his slaves other than them being his assets. While Anikan’s mother had done an excellent job of raising a kind, empathetic son, he never had a father to protect him, advocate for him, and show him how to suffer well.
Once Anikan is freed from slavery, Qui-Gon (58 years old) steps into his life as the first person to be his advocate and is ready to take on a fatherly role in a master/apprentice relationship in the Jedi Order (the good guys). However, he is tragically killed by Darth Maul, a Sith apprentice (the bad guys). Before his death, Qui-Gon asks his apprentice who was about to be a Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi (25 years old), to promise to train Anikan regardless if he was allowed to do so. Fulfilling his dying master’s wishes, Obi-Wan now takes on the role as Anikan’s master in the Jedi Order.
But Obi-Wan was too young, or he was not mature enough to be a father figure to Anikan. As they both grow, they form an older brother/younger brother relationship but it never develops further. This is largely due to Anikan’s powers making him arrogant. While he had a filial attachment to Obi-Wan, he knew that he could surpass Obi-Wan in his powers. Obi-Wan sensed this too, especially when Anikan’s powers often saved the day. Thus, Obi-Wan failed to have the gravity of age or authority to assist Anikan in critical moments of his life. Anikan did respect Obi-Wan and learned much of his teachings, he ultimately thought himself to be above the rules, and Obi-Wan did little or could do little to stop this. Anikan does graduate Obi-Wan’s training and becomes a powerful Jedi, but he also has a forbidden wife, Padme.
Also entering into Anikan’s life at this time was Chancellor Palpatine who was secretly Darth Sidious (Bad guy trying to take over the Galaxy). Drawn to Anikan’s power in the force, Palpatine became Anikan’s biggest cheerleader. He showed Anikan preferential treatment and often touted how gifted Anikan was. As can be imagined, growing up as a favorite of the most powerful person in the galaxy certainly had an effect on Anikan. Everywhere the Jedi Order told him no, Palpatine slyly encouraged yes, increasing Anikan’s disregard for the rules. Thus, he was receiving mixed signals from the male authority figures in his life without having a true father figure to authoritatively and compassionately guide him through pain and suffering.
When it comes to the first major pain in Anikan’s life (losing his mother), rather than accepting and enduring the pain with support of the Jedi Order, he chooses to take matters into his own hands. He lashes out by exacting revenge on the whole tribe of his mother’s murderers. To compound it all, he was disobeying his superiors by being there in the first place. Anikan’s act of disobedience put him in a situation that he was not equipped to handle, and he gave in to his passions which resulted in committing mass murder. Other than his guilt, no consequences resulted from this action. This is why it is no surprise that when years later it comes to saving the life of his secret wife Padme, he chooses to give in to his emotions and betray the Jedi Order, again committing mass murder, believing he could save her. Anikan leaned on his emotions and his power, because his arrogance had taught him to. He tried to stop pain and suffering for himself and the people he loved, but ultimately failed. He turned to the Dark Side, a life controlled by the passions, and Padme died because of it. This resulted in a life of becoming Darth Vader under Darth Sidious inflicting pain and suffering on others as the Galactic Republic became the Galactic Empire.
After a couple of decades, things will begin to change. Vader encounters Luke Skywalker and Leah Organa who are fighting against his evil, and soon learns that they are his son and daughter. While they are both trying to escape Vader’s ship, the Death Star. Obi-Wan will confront Vader and allow Vader to strike him down so that Luke and Leah can escape. In his last act of life, Obi-Wan shows Vader what it means to be a father – sacrifice everything for your kids.
After the escape, Luke trains as a Jedi and is not perfect. He has his moments of disregard for his superiors just like his father. However when it comes to the final test of whether he will give into his anger and kill his father Darth Vader in an effort to save his sister and his friends as the Emperor Palpatine wants, he does not succumb to the temptation. Luke does this knowing that Palpatine will kill him for the refusal. He sacrifices himself for his Father. As Palpatine is killing Luke with force lightning, the good that was left in Darth Vader was aroused and he saves his son Luke by killing Palpatine. Darth Vader, now Anikan Skywalker again is mortally wounded, but is able to connect with his son before his death.
In the end, Star Wars Episodes 1-6 is telling the truth of fatherhood. Anikan initially failed because of his lack of a father figure (amidst other issues), but found his fulfillment not in becoming more powerful, but in becoming a sacrificial father. The Skywalker Saga resonates with so many people because it speaks to the truth of masculinity – a truth that Jesus taught us. True masculinity finds its fulfillment in sacrifice. While the world may value power and strength that dominates, being able to endure pain and suffering in order to give yourself away for the people you love is the meaning of life, and what it means to be holy. Jesus did so for us, and He gives us the grace to do this for others. So as Disney continues to make more Star Wars films and series, they would do well to find more stories that reflect truth rather than agendas, to focus on stories rather than eye candy. Inherently we all desire truth, because it is what our hearts were made for: The Way, the Truth, and the Life.
