With his appearances inObi-Wan Kenobi,Anakin Skywalker fans are again getting to swoon over the incredible character, who is as close tothe main character asStar Wars has as a saga. Whether it be through TV shows, movies, or extended canon, his character is so often fascinating and tragic, but also the subject of so many memes (which accurately comment on him and his story).
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
Like most aspects ofStar Wars, Anakin has been memed in a funnier, joke way - largely due to some of his prequel dialogue - but there are also memes out there that sum up either part of Anakin's personality or his life.
Lies Were Told
Via:CBR on Youtube
Darth Sidious promised himself a mentor and a friend to Anakin throughout his life before promising him the ability to save Padmé's life, a promise he never kept, nor was he ever going to keep.
It is one of the many tragic aspects of Anakin's character that he so powerfully loved Padmé and just wanted to protect her like he could not his mother. Palpatine preyed on this mercilessly. These two aspects of Anakin's character - his love for Padmé and his seduction by Palpatine - make for the perfect inclusion to this often hilariousToy Story meme template.
There Is A Way To Defy Orders
Via:knowyourmeme
Anakin may not have meshed well as a Jedi mentor to many Padawans who were interested in stringently following the Jedi Council and their orders, but he proved the perfect match with Ahsoka, with the two being so similar to one another.
They did not necessarily look to disobey the Jedi Council, but if they felt they had a better or more efficient way of doing things or wanted to save someone's life asthe pair did with Plo Koon - in turn defying the Jedi Council - they would do it. This was Anakin's specialty especially, with him teaching Ahsoka that there is a way to defy orders.
Attachment Was Always A Big Issue
Via:Reddit
Whether it be for Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, his mother and his wife, or even his trusty droid companion, Anakin always had so much love and care to give, to the point where protecting and/or saving them was always of the utmost importance.
He was never willing to give up on anyone he cared about, even if that put other lives in danger in his quest to save them. Just look at when he goes to rescue Artoo inThe Clone Wars, whenhe goes to Geonosis with Padmé, or even when he takes Ahsoka to save Plo Koon, leaving his fleet vulnerable.
The Jedi Council Pushed & Pushed
Via:Reddit
The Jedi Council so often infuriated fans with not just its debilitating hubris, but with how it treated others. Fans see, especially inThe Clone Wars, that regular people lost faith in them because of their ignorance and role in the war. They also treated some of their own as subpar.
The Jedi Council's not treating Anakin like royalty does not mean they are bad or that Anakin is justified. However, they did often look down on him and mistreat him. Anakin himself, in the recentBrotherhood novel, describes how Mace Windu constantly made Anakin feel like he was unwanted, and fans can see that throughoutThe Clone Wars and the prequels too; even as far back as his first meeting with the Jedi Council in The Phantom Menace. As mentioned, it does not justify what Anakin does, but it does make it far more understandable why he fell into the embrace of the dark side.
The Quintessential Tragic Character
Via:Reddit
Anakin has always been known as one of, if not the most tragic character inStar Wars, and that is not just shown by his layered and complex character (which is constantly built upon, but through the relationships depicted in this accurate meme).
Both Ahsoka and Obi-Wan are the closest people to Anakin outside of Padmé and perhaps the only people before Luke who could have had any hope of helping him before it was too late. This meme not only sums up how heartbreaking those goodbyes are but how fans react to seeing them even this long after the fact.
Anakin Had A Real Confidence Issue With Padmé
Via:Reddit
The prequels, particularlyAttack Of The Clones,are oftenlambasted for their dialogue, especially in scenes between Anakin and Padmé when the former attempts to flirt. That makes it a bit jarring whenAnakin's charisma is through the roof when he flirts in The Clone Wars.
This does not just illustrate the differences between the writing of the two but, in terms of some headcanon, shows how Anakin truly loved Padmé and felt so awkward around her because of feelings he did not quite understand. He falsified his opinions on Miraj and had the confidence to do so because there was no real pressure, no emotion involved. In contrast, with Padmé, like this meme shows (on top of just being funny), he was awkwardbecause of all of his conflicting emotions.
Another Happy Landing
Via:Reddit
Alongside the likes of Hera Syndulla, Poe Dameron, and the other typically great pilots, Anakin is known as one of the finest flyers in the Galaxy. Nevertheless, he so often crashes his ships, leading to hilarious moments.
Anakin is skilled enough to pilot crashing ships and maneuver them to keep those on board safe, but they are crash landings nevertheless, such as numerous times throughoutThe Clone Wars and inRevenge Of The Sith. As Ahsoka says in one of her funniest quotes, "He always blames the ship."
Anakin Was Not As In Control As His Jedi Master
Via:Reddit
One thing thatThe Clone Wars and extended canon has done so wonderfully is show how Obi-Wan also struggled with his feelings and emotions at times. However, unlike Anakin, he was able to control them and not let them cloud his vision and his judgment.
As this meme hilariously depicts, Anakin struggled more with keeping his feelings at bay and making decisions with no emotional input than anything else. In fact, not only did he struggle with this, but he failed time and time again. Look at when he nearly beats Clovis to death, when he slaughters the Sandpeople, or even when he kills Dooku.
"Calm Down, Anakin."
Via:9gag
The prequel trilogy is a goldmine for meme-able quotes and content. However, this line from Obi-Wan may well be the perfect summation of the entire trilogy, not just because it is sound advice, but because it is a line that could be used a whole tonne of times in the latter two films.
His emotions are turned up to eleven compared to other Jedi, and he often fails to control them. He gets angry, sad, ecstatic, violent, and downright scary time and time again throughout the prequels andThe Clone Wars, and, at points, even the audience is thinking to themselves, "Calm down, Anakin."
He IsFinally Back
Via:Reddit
For those who grew upadoring the prequel trilogy as their introduction toStar Wars, Hayden Christensen will always be a bit of a hero, with the mass criticism from others around his performance always being a bit bizarre in their eyes.
Objectively, there is no doubt that much of the dialogue and writing can be incredibly weak, and sometimes the chemistry is not there, but Hayden is great. Especially inRevenge of the Sith, he plays the role of Anakin wonderfully. Seventeen years later, he is doing the same inObi-Wan Kenobi, validating the opinions of those who have loved him all this time.
NEXT: