Does the Star Wars Galaxy Know Darth Vader Was Anakin Skywalker?

The Big Picture

• The true identity of Darth Vader likely remained a secret in the Star Wars galaxy, as most residents never connected him to Anakin Skywalker.
• Luke, Leia, and Ahsoka’s reputations in the sequel era would be harmed if their connection to Darth Vader was revealed.
• The audience’s knowledge of Vader’s lineage is crucial to the emotional weight and logic of the Star Wars saga.

Since Darth Vader (David Prowse, James Earl Jones) revealed himself as Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) father in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, fans have known the tragic arc of Anakin Skywalker. “No, I am your father” is one of the iconic lines of cinema. The twist of all twists! The spoiler of all spoilers! The franchise becomes the Skywalker family saga! Vader’s fall from grace is the purpose of multiple installments and nearly inseparable from Star Wars itself.

But aside from family and a few others, do the characters in the Star Wars galaxy know Darth Vader’s true identity after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi? Do the stormtroopers, rebel pilots, bounty hunters, Jawas, Ewoks, moisture farmers, droids, aliens, cantina patrons, and all manner of scum and villainy ever learn the universe’s mightiest hero became its greatest villain, and the galactic civil war was partially a family spat? Does it even matter? Vader’s identity likely remained concealed, but absurdities abound either way and question Luke, Leia (Carrie Fisher), Ahsoka’s (Rosario Dawson) credibility in the sequel era.

Darth Vader’s Identity Probably Remained Secret in Star Wars

The Empire likely did not tolerate a free press, so it is hard to imagine headlines after the events of Return of the Jedi proclaiming: “Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith and Former Republic Hero, Dies Usurping Emperor Above Endor After Expressing Regret for Misdeeds.” Or Tatooine tabloids splashing: “Princess Leia and Her Evil Father – A Family of Tyranny? And Who Is Her New Scruffy-Looking Boyfriend? Read the Exclusive Interview”. Odds are, most residents of a galaxy far, far away never connected Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker.

Darth Vader spent much of his life denying his own identity. He killed almost everyone he knew while overthrowing the Jedi Order in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. In the original trilogy, Vader and Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) refer to Anakin Skywalker in the third person. Most imperial officers are terrified to speak in Vader’s presence, let alone ask personal questions. On the rebel side, Yoda (Frank Oz), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guiness, Ewan McGregor), and Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) agree to hide the Skywalkers’ identities.

In Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vader’s proclamation that he killed whatever remained of Anakin in his soul makes it even easier for Obi-Wan to keep the truth from Luke and Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair). We do not hear much from others; avoiding Vader’s torture, murders, and invasions was understandably more pressing than investigating his biography. Rey (Daisy Ridley) provides one hint in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens by implying she thought of Luke more as a legend than a real person. If people find it difficult to prove facts about Luke in the sequel era, it is even more unlikely that anything about Vader, a generation further removed, is certain.

Yet, Vader’s identity remaining a secret makes some moments in Return of the Jedi absurd. Stormtroopers on Endor saw and overheard Vader chatting with Luke about feelings and morality. It is odd enough Vader did not kill a rebel on sight, let alone discuss emotions with him! Then again, stormtroopers are not very bright. But rebels are! Surely, one of the many rebels celebrating victory on Endor saw Vader’s funeral pyre and asked Luke why he mourned the galaxy’s greatest villain. And who are all these force ghosts at the party, especially the dashing one? The moment begs an explanation but, conveniently, the movie ends and everyone lives happily ever after — at least until the sequel trilogy.

Luke, Leia, and Ahsoka’s Legacies Are Tied to Darth Vader’s Reputation

As difficult as it might be to imagine Luke and Leia somehow kept Darth Vader’s identity secret, it is even more ridiculous to imagine they actively shared it. Revealing their connection to Darth Vader would harm Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Ahsoka Tano’s reputation in the sequel era. As a leader of the Rebellion, the New Republic, and the Resistance, Leia is a politician who does not need her constituents tying her to her father’s violent tendencies as she tries to rebuild the galaxy. Vote for Leia! She’s royalty and the daughter of a mass murderer! How could Leia credibly establish a just society when she and Luke quickly forgave their father after he simply admitted his morality in his final moments? Vader never even apologized (the nerve!). Is that really justice for all of Vader’s crimes? Where is the galactic tribunal, or truth and reconciliation commission? Leia’s reputation in the sequel era crumbles if everyone knows Vader was her father.

As leader of the Jedi Order, Luke’s credibility rests on ethics, morality, and avoiding the Jedi’s past mistakes. Would the galaxy send its children to Luke for training if it knew his dad was a villain, and that Luke caved to anger to defeat Vader during the climax of Return of the Jedi? Send your kids to the Skywalker School of the Force, where violent rage is sometimes okay! Indeed, Luke has a complicated relationship with the Force in the sequel trilogy, and the dark side briefly tempts him to murder his own nephew (and Vader wannabe) Ben Solo (Adam Driver). Hardly an ideal mentor for students.

The same is true for Ahsoka Tano. Anakin’s turn to evil traumatizes Ahsoka in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels series, and she grapples with her abilities as a Jedi and a teacher in season one of Ahsoka. Ahsoka’s encounter with the ghost of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) reminds us he encouraged her to be a child soldier (yikes) and to win by any means. Admitting that Vader, not just the memory of a heroic Anakin, gives her the strength to continue would certainly undermine Ahsoka’s authority. Nothing to see here, leaders of the New Republic, his ghost only checks in occasionally! Ahsoka needs Anakin, and she jokes in The Book of Boba Fett that she is a “friend of the family,” but she also does not advertise that Anakin became evil.

The Skywalker Saga Relies on Its Audience’s Knowledge of Vader’s Lineage

The absurdities of the Star Wars galaxy knowing, or not knowing, Darth Vader’s identity is unusual in film. Sometimes, filmmakers keep characters in ignorance while revealing a plot point to the audience to build dread — like how the audience knows Chancellor Palpatine is Darth Sidious. Other times, filmmakers reveal something to the audience and imply it becomes common knowledge among the characters to save time — like Rey knowing who Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is when they meet.

The truth of Darth Vader’s identity does not fit neatly into either category; there is no dreaded reveal after the initial twist, and it is also not common knowledge in the galaxy. The franchise relies on the audience’s awareness to give the saga emotional weight. Without this tension, Star Wars either loses the theme of family or loses the logic of its heroes. Such are the blessings and curses of a well-known, beloved franchise! To make sense, the Skywalker saga does not just need its characters, it also needs our memory.

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