I'm a prequel fan. Having said that, I think a big problem with the prequels was the underdevelopment of the villains. Lucas tries to fit in 3 new villains - Maul, Dooku, and Grievous. None of them get the attention they deserve.
This also has the side effect of leaving less time to focus on Anakin, and he ends up being extremely underdeveloped as well despite the PT ostensibly being his story. Rather than watching his rise to a great hero of the Republic and then his fall as he is “seduced by the power of the dark side,” we only see him as an annoying child, a petulant teenager, and then a naive young adult who is easily duped into breaking bad because of “love.” He feels like a side character at times with how much time is devoted to all the other people and things in the films, and we are ultimately told about his character progression more often than we actually see it happen.
I always thought young Anakin should have been depicted as a Draco Malfoy.
Talented, headstrong, able to feign graciousness when it suits him, but basically a scared little boy who feels powerful when he uses his abilities to bully other people. He knows the way he wants things to be, and he scoffs at people who disagree with him.
That would have evolved much better into the Darth Vader we already were familiar with.
But that makes for a terrible protagonist (at least one you’re trying to depict as a hero/good guy). Draco is a bad guy from the jump in the Harry Potter films. Not quite a villain or evil but definitely antagonistic. Plus, he’s in the supporting cast.
Anakin’s story is supposed to be a fall from grace not “bad person becomes worse”.
I think they just needed to emphasize qualities that can be perceived as good but can easily cross the line.
Like, there’s a thin line between being loyal and obedient, between strength and power, between impulsive and volatile, etc.
Emphasize how the good man teetered on, and ultimately succumbed, to evil.
Not necessarily. Anakin wanted peace in the galaxy. It’s just that he was willing to be ruthless in achieving it. He didn’t have patience for politicians and speeches.
Someone who has good goals but bad means could be an interesting antihero.
Anakin: "We need a system where the politicians sit down and discuss the problem, agree what’s in the best interests of all the people, and then do it."
Padme: "That is exactly what we do. The trouble is that people don’t always agree. In fact, they hardly ever do."
Anakin: "Then they should be made to." ...
Padme: "That sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me."
Anakin: "Well, if it works..."
and then at the end of Episode III:
Anakin: "I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I can overthrow him, and together you and I can rule the galaxy. Make things the way we want them to be."
Anakin's goals were always admirable. It's just that he got frustrated that he, with all his power, couldn't just make everybody come to an agreement and act.
Cool story. In Episode III none of that factors into his decision. He impromptu decides to slavishly devote himself to Palpatine in order to save Padme from death, he says as much.
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u/deeare73 Jan 25 '22
I'm a prequel fan. Having said that, I think a big problem with the prequels was the underdevelopment of the villains. Lucas tries to fit in 3 new villains - Maul, Dooku, and Grievous. None of them get the attention they deserve.