The first six films of the Star Wars saga focus on Anakin Skywalker. From slave to powerful Sith Lord, Anakin carved a unique journey across the galaxy. He got a later start than most younglings to Jedi training, and though Obi-Wan Kenobi did the best he could to teach the boy, he may not have been 100 percent ready to take a Padawan learner under his wing. On top of that, Sheev Palpatine was operating from the sidelines and behind the scenes, pulling every string possible to influence and manipulate Anakin.
Those factors and more affected Anakin's development. Inch by inch, he was pushed; he made the decision to turn away from the light side towards the temptation of the dark side. But before he became Darth Vader, Sith and villain, he was a Jedi -- considered by some to be a hero. And if you want more of prequel era Anakin Skywalker, these are the stories you should read and watch...
To get a richer, more complete look of what Anakin was like in his Jedi prime, you need only to turn to Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The six season animated series is set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith and follows General Anakin Skywalker alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano. Because it's set after the beginning of the Clone Wars, the fight between the Republic and the Separatists, the series is packed with action and plenty of scenes that showcase Anakin's exemplary piloting and combat skills.
While most episodes of the show are worth watching, Anakin doesn't play a role in each installment. To focus on the Anakin of it all, try these key arcs:
The Mortis arc - The Mortis trilogy from Season 3 is a mystical set of episodes that delves into the mythology of the Force and the Chosen One prophecy. The decisions Anakin makes on Mortis affect his future path.
Slaves of the Republic arc - A three-parter from Season 4, this story pits Anakin against Zygerrian slavers and brings things from his past to the surface.
Citadel arc - Taking place immediately after Mortis, the Citadel Rescue trio of episodes sees Anakin work alongside Tarkin (who of course would eventually be Darth Vader's ally in A New Hope) and you can watch how their relationship clicks into place.
Let's go back to a time before the Clone Wars when Obi-Wan was trying his best to teach Anakin. Obi-Wan became a Jedi Knight after killing Darth Maul and took Anakin as a Padawan because he sort of promised a dying Qui-Gon Jinn he would. You can't break a deathbed promise. This is known. But what's it like between the relatively young Obi-Wan and the youth three years into Anakin's training? Marvel's Obi-Wan and Anakin comic by writer Charles Soule and artist Marco Checchetto covers that territory.
In the comic mini-series, Anakin and Obi-Wan respond to a distress call and end up on a world embroiled in a civil war. They have to choose the best path out of the situation, all while Anakin is questioning whether he really wants to be part of the Jedi Order (can you imagine if he would have decided to quit?!). It's not a period we've seen explored in depth, and it's worth reading just to experience Obi-Wan and Anakin's early time together.
Star Wars: Clone Wars, the micro series from Genndy Tartakovsky, isn't part of the canonical Star Wars universe, but that doesn't make it less deserving of your time. The stylized animation depicts the Jedi in a superhero like fashion, presenting them kind of like ultimate fighting champions. They are capable of extreme, semi-ridiculous feats. Over the course of the three seasons (the episodes are short), Anakin goes on a variety of adventures. He faces off against Asajj Ventress multiple times -- including an encounter on Yavin 4 -- and gets his scar, he has to experience a trial of fire, and much more. Like Tartakovsky's Samurai Jack, Clone Wars is light on dialogue and heavy on visual storytelling.
Novelizations of films are one way to get more into characters' heads and learn what they're considering beyond what's unfolding on screen. The novelization for Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover means more time with Anakin. The pages match the movie to a large degree but also include more of Anakin and Padmé, with additional scenes on Anakin being jealous of a non-existent relationship between Obi-Wan and Padmé. You'll get more insight on how and why their marriage headed downhill quickly (some episodes of The Clone Wars go into that as well).
One especially interesting facet of the Revenge of the Sith novelization is further examination of Palpatine's intentions towards Anakin. Palpatine has a must-read conversation with Count Dooku to detail the plans of his duel with Obi-Wan and Anakin.
Amy Ratcliffe is a writer for IGN. She likes Star Wars a little. You can follow her on on Twitter at @amy_geek.
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