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- "Do you believe you are the Chosen One?"
"How can I know?"
"I can tell you what I believe. I believe you will bring balance to the Force. That you will face your demons and save the universe." - ―Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin Skywalker
Anakin Skywalker was a legendary Force-sensitive human male who was a Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic and the prophesied Chosen One of the Jedi Order, destined to bring balance to the Force. Also known as "Ani" during his childhood, Skywalker earned the moniker "Hero With No Fear" from his accomplishments in the Clone Wars. His alter ego, Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, was created when Skywalker turned to the dark side of the Force, pledging his allegiance to the Sith Lord Darth Sidious at the end of the Republic Era.
A vergence in the Force, Anakin Skywalker was born on the desert planet of Tatooine in the Outer Rim Territories in 41 BBY. He was the son of Shmi Skywalker, a slave who conceived a child without a father. His blood contained over twenty-thousand midi-chlorians, surpassing Grand Master Yoda and all other Jedi in the galaxy. Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi Master who discovered Skywalker during the Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY, theorized that Skywalker was conceived by the midi-chlorians. Following the Battle of Naboo, the Jedi High Council admitted Anakin Skywalker into the Order as the Padawan of Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi despite feeling that he was too old and emotional to adhere to the Jedi Code. Skywalker remained a Padawan through the beginning of the Clone Wars, instigated by events set in motion by Count Dooku. Although Jedi doctrine prohibited personal relationships, Anakin Skywalker had a secret wife, Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo. During the early days of the Clone Wars, Skywalker served as a Jedi General in the Grand Army of the Republic, commanding the clone troopers of the elite 501st Legion against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. After receiving his knighthood, Skywalker oversaw the Jedi training of his own apprentice, Ahsoka Tano. By 19 BBY, when Tano walked away from the Jedi Order, Skywalker began to struggle with feelings of failure towards his apprentice and the Order itself.
Following the death of Count Dooku during the Battle of Coruscant, Anakin Skywalker's faith in the Jedi was further shaken when he was put on the Jedi Council without the rank of master. He also learned that Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine was Darth Sidious, the elusive Dark Lord of the Sith who orchestrated the war in order to take over the galaxy. Manipulated into believing that the Jedi had failed him and coupled with his fear of losing Amidala in childbirth, Skywalker betrayed and turned against the Jedi Order, believing Sidious had the knowledge to cheat death. Consumed by the persona of Darth Vader, the fallen Jedi Knight marched his legion on the Jedi Temple of Coruscant where they executed its inhabitants, including Jedi younglings, as part of Order 66 and the Great Jedi Purge. Vader was then sent to Mustafar to exterminate the Separatist Council at the behest of his Sith Master, who became the self-proclaimed Galactic Emperor. Vader subsequently sustained severe injuries in his duel with Kenobi, and was rebuilt as an armored cyborg while his wife died of a broken heart, though not before giving birth to the twins Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa who were hidden from their father and the Emperor as the Galactic Empire rose to power.
Being the Emperor's Fist and acting as de facto Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Military despite not holding a military rank, Vader enforced the rule of the New Order as the Emperor's Sith apprentice throughout most of the Imperial Era. In the aftermath of killing Kenobi in their third rematch and the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY, he discovered the existence of his son and was determined to turn Luke to the dark side. Luke sought to become a Jedi, like his father before him, and believed that Vader had the potential to turn back to the light side of the Force. Vader was defeated by Luke during the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, but the young Jedi refused to strike down his father in anger, causing the Emperor to torture Luke with Force lightning. The pain inflicted on his son awakened the part of Vader that was still Anakin, resulting in a redeemed Skywalker killing Sidious at the cost of his own life. Having destroyed the Sith and fulfilled his destiny as the Chosen One, Skywalker made peace with his son and became one with the Force.
Anakin Skywalker was one of the most powerful Jedi and Sith in galactic history. The Force was especially strong in the Skywalker bloodline, which culminated in Anakin's grandson, Ben Solo, Organa's son who was born by the end of the Galactic Civil War in 5 ABY. Solo would turn to the dark side as well, becoming the dark warrior Kylo Ren during the rise of the First Order. Like his grandfather, however, Solo found redemption by sacrificing his life for the love of another—the Jedi apprentice Rey, who heard Skywalker's voice telling her to restore the balance, as he once had, during the Battle of Exegol in 35 ABY. Solo's death ended the Skywalker bloodline, although Rey, the granddaughter of Sidious, rejected her true heritage and took their surname to honor their legacy.
Biography
Early life
- "Had he been born in the Republic, we would have identified him early. The Force is unusually strong with him, that much is clear. Who was his father?"
"There was no father. I carried him, I gave birth, I raised him, I can't explain what happened." - ―Qui-Gon Jinn and Shmi Skywalker
Shmi Skywalker and her baby, Anakin Skywalker
Believed to have been conceived by the midi-chlorians,[37] Anakin Skywalker was born to the slave Shmi Skywalker.[10] Although Skywalker was listed as born on the desert planet of Tatooine,[3] a holographic log stated that Shmi and he moved to the planet when Skywalker was at a very young age. Regardless,[38] Tatooine was Skywalker's homeworld.[1] While living on Tatooine, Skywalker and his mother were originally owned by Gardulla the Hutt until she lost them to the Toydarian Watto in a podracing bet when Skywalker was around age 3. Affectionately nicknamed "Ani," he worked in his master's shop, located in Mos Espa.[10]
Even at a young age, Skywalker exhibited exceptional piloting skills, and built the protocol droid C-3PO, specially modified to withstand Tatooine's sand and heat[39] for his mother.[10] Once, while he was working in Watto's scrapyard, he found a broken servomotor which he thought he could repair and use on the droid that he was building and asked his master for it. With a glance, Watto saw that it was worthless and grunted that he could, but as Skywalker walked away, Watto told him nothing was free and had him work harder the next day.[39] On one occasion, Skywalker and his mother were lost in a sandstorm, but the boy refused to listen to her when she demanded he return home if he could see it. Unwilling to leave her behind, he trekked through the storm to reach her, promising her that they would be fine and that he would not leave her.[40]
Skywalker used salvaged parts to rebuild a protocol droid for household duties and to help his mother.
Skywalker got the photoreceptors for the droid at a market in Mos Espa. Though a Gran wanted them too and chased him through the market, Skywalker escaped by destroying an Ithorian's stall and blocking the Gran's pursuit.[41] Before he had even turned nine, Skywalker's work had ensured 3PO was operational.[42] He was close friends with fellow slaves Kitster Banai and Wald, as well as the elderly Jira. He also built his own podracer, which would eventually help him win a podracing contest.[10]
Over the course of his life on Tatooine, Skywalker never saw it rain.[43] At some point, Watto told Anakin to go and throw away some scrap. When looking at it, Anakin found an ultra power cell, just what he needed for his pod. Suddenly, a swoop gang with a Devaronian member attacked the streets and shot the generator for the medical center. When Anakin examined it to see if he could repair the generator he saw that it needed a power cell. So, he took his power cell and saved the medical center. A week later, Anakin participated in a pod race with Sebulba who made him lose by cheating. Anakin stated that if he would have used the power cell on his own pod, he would have won but it was more important for the medical center to receive it.[44]
On hard nights, Anakin's mother would tell him the story of the sun-dragon. Generations of Tatooine dwellers told of the sun-dragon myth with their own personal significance, but only Shmi's held the most feeling. The sun-dragon was a creature that lived inside the core of a star. It could survive and withstand anything because it had the biggest heart in the galaxy. It guarded everything it loved and treasured, through fire and flame. Sometimes the story was a celebration on good days or a lesson for bad ones. Anakin normally heard it on days where Watto was exceptionally cruel. Her intent was always clear, however. To Shmi, Anakin was the sun-dragon. He had the strongest heart in the galaxy and it would always guide him to do what he needed, so long as he trust in it. It was a story Anakin kept extremely close to his heart and shared with very few other people.[16]
Helping a Tusken slave
Skywalker dreamt of becoming a Jedi from a very young age.
One day, Anakin dreamt he was a Jedi, saving his mother from slavery. He was awoken from his dream by his mother, who told him that there were no Jedi in the Outer Rim. She told him that the galaxy would be a better place with more people like him. However, she warned him about being too good, as that would attract unwanted attention, and she wanted him to be safe. Then an Otoga-222 maintenance droid came in and warned them both of the work Watto wanted them to do while he was gone. The Toydarian needed young Skywalker needed to go to Mos Eisley spaceport to pick up a shipment. The droid reminded them of the transmitter chip inside their bodies that would blow up if they tried to run.[45]
Skywalker went to the spaceport, but could only pay the person delivering the shipment on credit. Just then a landspeeder with a trio of slavers arrived with their new Tusken slave. Skywalker overheard one of the slavers mention that he hadn't put a transmitter chip in the slave yet, so he messed with the wiring of the speeder causing the speeder to fly away on its own. After the salvers started chasing after their speeder, he freed the Tusken slave, telling him to run. When the Nikto slaver asked Skywalker where the slave went, he pointed them in the wrong direction. Skywalker walked home that day, happy that he was able to save someone. He told his mother that he stayed out of trouble, and went to bed.[45]
Discovery
Found by the Jedi
- "There's something about this boy."
- ―Qui-Gon Jinn
Skywalker introduced himself to Padmé Amidala, who was surprised to learn that the boy was enslaved.
One day, at the age of 9, Watto shouted for him to come inside the junk shop, to find a tall man, a young woman, a Gungan, and an astromech droid, conversing with Watto.[10] Skywalker had first seen the young woman, Padmé Naberrie, when he looked up from his work, mistaking her for an angel,[46] a species he had overheard spacers talk about, from the moons of Iego. Unknown to Skywalker, Naberrie was in fact Padmé Amidala, the Monarch of Naboo, who had switched places with one of her Royal Handmaidens, to visit Tatooine.[10]
At Watto's instructions, Skywalker manned the shop while Watto took the man, Qui-Gon Jinn, into the junkyard. Skywalker was fascinated by the beauty of Padmé, so much that he asked her if she was an angel. Shortly after Watto and Jinn returned to the shop, Jinn informed his companions that they were leaving.[10]
Fortunately for Skywalker, Watto allowed him to leave after he cleaned up the mess that Jar Jar Binks had made. As he headed home, Skywalker came across Binks, who was being attacked by Sebulba after the clumsy Gungan had disrupted the racer's meal. Breaking up the fight, Skywalker greeted Naberrie and the rest of her group when they arrived to see what was happening, and he convinced the group to follow him to Jira's fruit stand nearby. As he gave one of the pallies to Jinn, the boy was astonished to see a lightsaber on the man's waist when his poncho opened. When Jira warned the group that a sandstorm was coming, Skywalker insisted that the unprepared group come with him to his home.[10]
When they reached his house, he introduced the group to his mother and explained about the sandstorm before pulling Naberrie into his room to show her his project. Naberrie was genuinely impressed by Skywalker's work on C-3PO, prompting him to turn the droid on, and he also told her about the podracer he was constructing. The group stayed at the Skywalkers' as the sandstorm continued to rage, and during a meal, he began to explain life as a slave, though a brief argument between Naberrie and Shmi about slavery led Anakin to the subject of podracing. Mustering his courage, Skywalker asked Jinn about his lightsaber, and he refused to believe the Jedi's statement that he was not there to free the slaves. As the conversation turned to the group's damaged Naboo Royal Starship, Skywalker volunteered to race in the Boonta Eve Classic podrace so that Jinn could get the prize money. When his mother objected, Anakin reminded Shmi of her belief that people needed to help one another, convincing her to allow Anakin to race for Jinn.[10]
The next morning, Jinn and the others accompanied Skywalker to Watto's shop, and the boy began to tell Watto about Jinn's proposal when Naberrie stopped Jinn outside for a brief conversation. When Watto asked how Jinn intended to sponsor the boy, Jinn proposed that that his ship would cover the entry fee. Watto initially suggested they split the winnings fifty-fifty, when Jinn proposed that Watto front the cash for the entry, and keep all of the winnings minus the cost of a new hyperdrive. Watto accepted the deal, and Skywalker was dismissed immediately with instructions to check out Jinn's podracer. As Skywalker worked, his friends, Banai and Wald among them, arrived, but Wald and the others were skeptical of Skywalker's chances and left to go play elsewhere, except for Banai. Despite Skywalker's warnings, Binks became caught between the podracer's energy binders, causing his face to go numb. Anakin used a power pack that Jinn had lifted from Watto's shop to start the podracer, and the group was heartened to witness the engines activating and running perfectly.[10]
That afternoon, Skywalker sustained a cut on his arm, though he did not notice it until later that night when Jinn tended to it and took a sample of his blood. Before Skywalker could get Jinn to tell him what he was doing with his blood, his mother called him inside their house for bedtime. He then sent this blood sample to Kenobi, who found that the young boy had even more midi-chlorians than esteemed Jedi Grandmaster Yoda.[10]
Racing to freedom
- "Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think. Use your instincts."
"I will."
"May the Force be with you." - ―Qui-Gon Jinn advises Anakin before the beginning of the podrace
With two eopies, Naberrie, Banai, Shmi, Anakin, R2-D2, and C-3PO hauled the podracer to the arena hangars, where Jinn had gone to meet with Watto. The Toydarian angrily left the hangar just as they arrived, confusing Skywalker with a comment about Jinn and betting, but Banai unintentionally revealed to Naberrie and the others that Skywalker had never actually finished a race, causing Naberrie to lose hope in the boy's chances.[10]
A little while later, the racers and their pods entered the arena and lined up for the race, and Shmi stopped her son to ask him to be safe before he headed out to his racer. Not even Sebulba's threats rattled Skywalker as Jinn helped him into the podracer cockpit. But to Skywalker's dismay, when the starting light turned green, the pod's engines stalled immediately thanks to Sebulba's sabotage, leaving him stuck at the starting line with only Ben Quadinaros and his stalled racer as the rest of the competitors flew off. Realizing that he had left out one step to start the pod, he rapidly flipped switches and adjusted settings to reset the engines and succeeded in starting the engines, flying out of the arena and chasing after the others.[10]
Skywalker entered the Boonta Eve Classic to help his new friends, unaware that he was also competing for his freedom.
He soon caught up to the other racers, passing two before they even noticed him, and he prepared to pass the Troiken Gasgano as they approached Arch Canyon. Gasgano blocked his first few attempts, but Skywalker overtook him as they dropped over a short mesa and proceeded to slip into Arch Canyon quickly and without any trouble. Teemto Pagalies tried to push him into the rock, but Skywalker was able to pass him with a twist. Sebulba tossed a piece of debris behind him and into Mars Guo's left engine intake, clogging the motors inside. The engine intake stopped working before the entire engine combusted. With Guo crashing into the desert sands, Skywalker was free to move ahead, going neck and neck with Sebulba as they passed the grid line into the third lap.[10]
Going into the third lap, Sebulba still held the lead, as narrow as it was. With Skywalker close behind, and now out of surprise tricks, Sebulba resorted to sheer brutality in order to either keep Skywalker behind him or batter the boy enough to destroy his pod. Approaching the Laguna Caves, a part of the course where Tyerell had crashed earlier, Sebulba rammed Skywalker off course, forcing him onto a steep service ramp. Boosting, Skywalker sped up the ramp at an exhilarating speed, propelling himself into the sky. The boy was quick to act and adjusted his pod accordingly, leveling his podracer's nosedive as he headed back for the ground. Not only did he save himself from an explosive wreck, but his jump off of the ramp put him directly in front of a surprised Sebulba. Skywalker continued to hold the lead until they ran into a series of archways. Suddenly, Skywalker's left engine bucked and began to give off a stream of dense smoke. Sebulba's earlier sabotage was beginning to take effect as Skywalker pushed his pod to its limit. Skywalker managed to resolve his engine difficulties and quickly regained his ground, passing up several other podracers before gaining a tail on Gasgano. Although Skywalker had had issues with passing the Xexto earlier in the race, this time he swerved past Gasgano with little effort and eventually flew parallel with Sebulba as they headed for the final stretch of the course.[10]
As they approached the arena, Sebulba blocked every attempt of Skywalker's to pass, and he finally swerved his larger racer into Skywalker's in anger at the boy's repeated attempts—only for the two racers' steering rods to be caught together. When Skywalker's rod finally snapped completely, his podracer began to shudder violently but broke free of Sebulba's racer, the engines of which shot forward and went flying out of control, slamming into rock and sand and exploding. As Sebulba's pod skidded to a halt, Skywalker shot toward the arena and across the finish line, winning the Boonta Eve Classic.[10]
As Skywalker came to a halt, the crowd swarmed his racer. Jinn hoisted Skywalker onto his shoulders in celebration. In the hangar, Skywalker met up with his family and friends who gave him hugs and congratulations for winning the race.[10] Jinn then beckoned Skywalker over. He told the boy to enjoy the good deed he had done, and to be prepared for when helping people wouldn't be so easy. Skywalker figured out that Jinn was talking about him becoming a Jedi. Jinn told him that path ahead would be difficult, and would require discipline and sacrifice. Skywalker wasn't dissuaded by this, saying that he wanted to help people no matter what. He then went to celebrate with Kitster and Wald.[45]
Farewell to home
- "Be brave. And don't look back."
- ―Shmi Skywalker's parting words to her son
Shmi Skywalker and her emancipated son said goodbye to each other, the latter leaving Tatooine to join the Jedi Order.
Returning home with Jinn, Skywalker ecstatically showed his mother the credits he got from selling his podracer. His happiness only increased when Jinn told him that he had been freed and Jinn wanted him to travel with him and become a Jedi. Anakin was so excited that it was several minutes before he realized that Shmi had not been freed as well, and he was dismayed when Shmi insisted that Anakin go with Jinn to a better future without her. Packing his stuff, Skywalker bid goodbye to C-3PO, but when it came time to leave, Anakin's resolve broke and he ran back to his mother. He promised that he would return and free her. Despite their sorrow at parting, Shmi convinced her son to go with the Jedi.[10]
As they raced towards the starship that Naberrie and Jinn had come to Tatooine on, Skywalker was suddenly ordered to drop to the ground and complied just as a dark-robed figure, Sith Lord Darth Maul,[10] shot overhead on a speeder. The man leaped at Jinn, drawing a red-bladed lightsaber and attacking the Jedi as Jinn urged Skywalker to get aboard the ship and to take off. He rushed aboard, and Naberrie took him to the cockpit to tell Jinn's apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, what had happened. The pilot Ric Olié followed Kenobi's instructions to fly towards the fight, and Skywalker scrambled into a seat as Kenobi raced to the landing ramp and helped Jinn escape from the dark warrior. Skywalker and Kenobi rushed to help Jinn as the ship took off and left Tatooine. When they were convinced Qui-Gon was fine, the Jedi master introduced Obi-Wan to Anakin, who was happy to meet another Jedi.[10]
Before the Jedi Council
- "He is the Chosen One. You must see it!"
- ―Qui-Gon Jinn pleads to the Council to train Anakin
Qui-Gon Jinn believed Skywalker was the Chosen One, though the Jedi High Council deemed him too old and emotionally compromised.
Later that night, aboard the ship, which Skywalker learned was the personal starship of the Queen of the planet Naboo, Skywalker struggled to fall asleep in the central chamber, as the ship's temperature was radically different to the constant heat of Tatooine that he was used to. As he huddled in silence, Skywalker witnessed Naberrie enter the room and watch a recording of a plea for help from the Naboo official Sio Bibble. She then noticed him and gave him her blanket, and the two discussed the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo and Naberrie's hopes that the Republic's Galactic Senate could resolve the crisis. Skywalker gave her a japor ivory wood pendant that he had carved for her so that she would remember him, and Naberrie comforted him as he became sad as he remembered his mother.[10]
Amidala accepted Skywalker's gift and came to wear the japor snippet as a necklace, which she wore for years to come. She came to view it as a way to represent remembrance and luck.[14] When they finally arrived at the Republic capital of Coruscant, Skywalker watched from the cockpit in awe as they approached the city-planet, and the ship was greeted when it landed by Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, Senator Palpatine of Naboo, and a contingent of Senate Guards. The Queen and her handmaidens—including Naberrie—departed with Palpatine, though they brought Skywalker and Binks along with them to Palpatine's office and left them outside while they discussed the situation. Before he went to the Jedi Temple, Skywalker went to the Queen's chambers in search of Naberrie, but the Queen promised to pass on his message when the handmaiden was absent. Unbeknownst to Skywalker, however, the Queen was in fact Padmé.[10]
Harboring strong premonitions he had received on Tatooine, Qui-Gon Jinn believed Anakin Skywalker to be the Chosen One of prophecy who, it was foretold, would bring "balance to the Force"; Jinn revealed his belief and Anakin's corroborative midi-chlorian test results to members of the Jedi High Council before bringing the boy before them for their consideration of the boy's aptitude for life as a Jedi.[10] At the Jedi Temple, Skywalker took a moment to look out across the city and down at his hand before Jinn told him it was time to meet the Council.[40] With Skywalker before the twelve Jedi Masters on the Council, Mace Windu tested Skywalker's abilities by asking him to determine what images were appearing on a testing screen that the Jedi was holding but that the boy could not see. Skywalker named them all with perfect accuracy. However, when Windu and Master Yoda questioned him about his feelings and his mother, Skywalker asked how that was relevant. Yoda explained that fear was the starting point on the path to the dark side. The ancient Jedi Master said he sensed a lot of fear in Skywalker.[10]
As night fell, Skywalker, Kenobi, and Jinn were called before the Council. The Jedi Masters acknowledged Skywalker's great power but refused to train him on account of his age—causing Jinn to declare that he would take the boy on as his own apprentice. The Council would initially refuse this, as Jinn already had his own apprentice, who was Kenobi but Jinn stated that he believed that Kenobi was already ready to become a Jedi Knight. However, Windu declared that the matter would be dealt with later, as the Naboo problem was more pressing.[10] After, Skywalker talked with Binks about the Council's decision. He told Binks that he might never be a Jedi. Binks told him that all Gungans miss their family and worry for them. Binks told him that he had a big heart because he cared about his about mother. The Council permitted Skywalker to accompany Jinn, and the three returned to the Queen's starship. Skywalker told R2 that they are going to Naboo on a secret mission, but as he said this he overheard Kenobi calling him dangerous.[45] Skywalker told Jinn that he didn't want to be a problem, to which Jinn reassured him about his presence on the mission. He then questioned Jinn about midi-chlorians, and Jinn explained to him the nature of them and their connection to the Force. The Queen and her retinue departed not long afterward, leaving Coruscant and heading back to the occupied Naboo in hopes of freeing the world from the Trade Federation.[10]
First Battle of Naboo
- "Now this is podracing!"
- ―Anakin, escaping the droid control ship
On the way to Naboo, Skywalker asked Jinn if he was dangerous as Kenobi had said. Jinn told him that his emotions were normal, but that as Jedi they needed to be held at higher standard. He told Skywalker that he needed training, which Jinn would ensure that he got.[45] As they came out of hyperspace and approached the Naboo system, Skywalker sat in the cockpit with Olié and learned about the ship's controls while Queen Amidala held a meeting with the Jedi and her staff and announced her intentions to ally with the Gungans in order to drive the Trade Federation off Naboo. The group landed in the swamps of Naboo and sent Binks to the Gungan capital city of Otoh Gunga. When Binks finally returned, he explained that Otoh Gunga was empty, but he took the group to the Gungan Sacred Place, where the Gungans had no doubt fled after the Trade Federation invaded.[10]
Skywalker participated in the Battle of Naboo, piloting the starfighter that destroyed the Trade Federation's droid control ship.
When the group was brought before Boss Rugor Nass, the leader of the Gungans, Skywalker was astonished to learn that Naberrie was, in fact, Padmé Amidala, the Queen of Naboo and that she had been posing as her double's handmaiden as a safety precaution. Skywalker, the Jedi, and Amidala's handmaidens joined the Queen in dropping to their knees before Boss Nass in a plea for Gungan aid, and Nass agreed to lend his army to the Queen's cause. In the hours that followed the meeting, Amidala and the Jedi began strategizing with the Gungan generals, leaving Skywalker to wander over to the Gungan sentries who were keeping watch for the returning Captain Panaka.[10]
As everyone prepared for the coming battle, Skywalker spotted and approached the handmaiden who had been acting as the Queen. Asking for her name, Skywalker told the girl, Sabé, that he was happy to meet her and thanked her for keeping Naberrie safe. He was then called away by Jinn, but Sabé was left touched nevertheless.[46]
Anakin was a member of the group which, led by Amidala, grabbed the chance to recapture the Theed Royal Palace. When the group entered the Theed hangar bay, Skywalker heeded Jinn's command for him to stay hidden in the cockpit of one of the hangar's N-1 starfighters. When several droidekas cornered the Naboo personnel in a firefight, Skywalker attempted to aid them with the N1's blaster cannons, although he accidentally activated the ship to go into space in the process. Skywalker fought in the Battle of Naboo in a vicious starfighter battle above the planet,[10] coming to realize how much he loved flying over the course of the battle.[46] After accidentally joining the battle in orbit, Skywalker single-handedly destroyed the orbiting Droid Control Ship from within the ship, thus rendering the Trade Federation's ground forces inactive and saving the Gungan Grand Army from destruction.[10] After the battle Skywalker landed his starfighter in the Theed hangar and talked with a distraught Kenobi. Trying to reassure him, Kenobi told him that he just saved everyone, but Skywalker already knew that Jinn was dead. Thinking about what Kenobi said earlier about him, he started to walk away teary-eyed. Kenobi grabbed him and Skywalker admitted that Jinn was the only one who had faith in him. Kenobi told him that it was Jinn's last wish to train him, and that he was adamant about following through with that promise.[45] Skywalker was present during the following arrest of Rune Haako and Nute Gunray. Kenobi and Skywalker were then greeted by Chancellor Palpatine, who said that everyone would be watching his career with great interest. They then greeted Ki-Adi-Mundi,[10] but Skywalker's mind was clouded by the things Ki-Adi-Mundi had said to him before. As Skywalker watched Palpatine congratulate the Queen, his thoughts continued to be clouded with visions of his mother and of the dream he had of saving her. Kenobi grabbed Skywalker's shoulder, startling him. He told the boy that his mind was clouded, but that he, as well as Jinn, believed in him.[45]
Joining the Jedi Order
- "What will happen to me now?"
"The council has given me permission to train you. You will be a Jedi, I promise." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Accepted into the ranks of the Jedi Order, Padawan Skywalker attended the victory celebration on Naboo.
During the Master's funeral, Kenobi told him that the Council granted permission for him to train Skywalker to become a Jedi.[10] The two did not leave the site of the funeral until the last embers of the fire had gone out. The only others to remain as long as them were Amidala and her court.[46] Later, Skywalker and his fellow Jedi attended a parade, held by the Naboo and the Gungans, in Theed to celebrate their victory and mark their newfound friendship.[10] Afterward, Skywalker and the other Jedi left Naboo,[46] marking the last time Skywalker would see Amidala for a decade.[12]
Kenobi's Padawan
- "Confer on you the level of Jedi Knight, the Council does. But agree with your taking this boy as your Padawan learner, I do not."
"Qui-Gon believed in him."
"The Chosen One, the boy may be. Nevertheless, grave danger, I fear, in his training."
"Master Yoda, I gave Qui-Gon my word. I will train Anakin... without the approval of the Council, if I must."
"Qui-Gon's defiance, I sense in you. Need that, you do not. Agree with you, the Council does. Your apprentice, Skywalker will be." - ―Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Chosen One trains
- "His education is... complicated. He came to us later than we would ordinarily have liked. Obi-Wan took on an extremely difficult task when he accepted Anakin as his Padawan."
- ―Mace Windu to Sheev Palpatine, on Skywalker's training
As he grew, Skywalker's exceptional skills made him cocky,[12] but he nevertheless idolized Kenobi,[48][11] thinking there was "no one better" than his master.[49] Having given up his life with his mother and lost Jinn, Skywalker clinged to his master, not wanting to lose him; throughout his first year as a Padawan, he had a habit of sleeping on the floor next to Kenobi's bed, wanting to ensure his mentor would not vanish in the night. Kenobi sometimes awoke at night and saw this.[43] During one of their many adventures, he also rescued Kenobi after he fell into a nest of gundarks.[12]
Shortly after becoming Kenobi's Padawan, a surge in overwhelming emotions shut Skywalker off from the Force entirely. This was able to give Skywalker temporary relief from his worries and fears for a time, but he soon realized that avoiding the Force was not the answer, and he reconnected to the Force.[16] During his time as Kenobi's apprentice, Skywalker was distrustful of teachers who corrected him, wondering if they were trying to help him or simply put him in his place, knowing that many had not wanted him trained in the first place.[38] Even so, there were many Jedi who had faith in him, seeing his potential.[50]
Skywalker and Kenobi were at one point joined by Jedi Master Shaak Ti for a complicated mission to Naran-Shiv.[16] In addition to struggling to control his emotions,[50] he found it hard to make friends, as his fellow Padawans were all aware of the rumors of him being the Chosen One. Often lonely, he generally spent his free time in his quarters tinkering with machinery he found in trips outside the Jedi Temple. He also harbored a lingering resentment regarding the fate of his mother.[38]
Mission to Dallenor
- "With the little kids. I'm already so far ahead of them."
- ―Anakin Skywalker
Skywalker was apprenticed to Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was himself apprenticed to the late Qui-Gon Jinn.
Sometime after his enrollment into the Order, Skywalker was meditating with his master while also holding together many pebbles using the Force. However, when Master Tosan informed his master that he had a mission from the Council, Anakin's concentration broke due to the surprise of him leaving again. The mission was to go to the planet Dallenor so that he could collect an ancient Jedi holocron from a dig site. Obi-Wan told Anakin that he would be back shortly and that he would be training with Yoda in the meantime. Skywalker, displeased, complained that he would have to be in the class with "little kids" and that he was far ahead of them in his training. However, he complied and spent his time with the younglings, although he did not enjoy himself. However, after some encouragement from Yoda, Kenobi took Skywalker along with him on the mission in a T-6 shuttle.[51]
Skywalker was glad that he was finally in space again and asked if he could pilot the shuttle. Kenobi told him that he could when they got closer to Dallenor. Skywalker asked what Obi-Wan's life was like before joining the Jedi Order. Kenobi told him that he did not remember as he was taken in at a very young age. Anakin, sadly, expressed that he was always a Jedi and nothing else. Kenobi tried to reassure him by telling him that he still needed to train and was a Padawan when they both met. However, Skywalker was unconvinced and stated that his life was already set out for him and that he was not anything else, unlike him who was a slave. He concluded that this must be why the Jedi Council said he was too old to be trained. Obi-Wan tried to reassure him again by saying that the Council was not perfect and that Qui-Gon Jinn chose him just like he chose Kenobi. Skywalker, angered, proclaimed that Kenobi's master was dead and that now he was stuck with him. Before Kenobi could reassure Anakin, he walked away.[51]
Skywalker and Kenobi both felt that they had been forced to become Master and apprentice as a result of Jinn's death.
Upon arriving on Dallenor, Kenobi and Skywalker encountered a female Togruta archaeologist named Clatriffe. She was glad that they arrived so they could take the holocron away due to the fact that it was causing problems. She explained that the local pirates wanted to get it and she had to hire local guards to keep them at bay. Kenobi ordered Skywalker to stay outside to keep watch whilst he and Clatriffe went inside the facility to obtain the holocron. After they went inside, Skywalker noticed that the pirates had arrived.[51]
Kenobi, Skywalker, and Clatriffe went out to meet them and were introduced to the Krypder Riders and their leader Hudso Shaku, who knew that the holocron was something important due to offworlders wanting to get it. Kenobi stated that they had come in peace but were willing to defend themselves. He activated his lightsaber, whereupon Shaku ordered his pirates to attack him because he found the laser sword to be more valuable than the things that they dug up. Kenobi quickly disarmed the pirates but, while Skywalker froze up due to the suddenness of the attack, Shaku captured him by placing his sword under his chin. He ordered a trade, the boy for the lightsaber, but was taken down by Skywalker using the Force to assault Shaku with small pebbles. With Shaku knocked unconscious and the pirates' weapons destroyed, they surrendered to the Jedi.[51]
On the shuttle home, Kenobi praised Skywalker for his great work on his first mission. Skywalker, however, exclaimed that he froze up and was not ready for a mission even though he believed otherwise. Kenobi reassured Skywalker that it was he who was not ready. He asked how he could save his Padawan if he could not save his master from dying. Skywalker, with renewed confidence, stated that they would save each other and that that was what Qui-Gon would have wanted. Kenobi agreed and then recalled that Anakin wanted to fly the shuttle. Skywalker, in response, said yes enthusiastically.[51]
A chancellor for a friend
- "I have an errand to run, of sorts, and I thought Anakin might accompany me."
- ―Sheev Palpatine to Obi-Wan Kenobi
By the time he was 12 in 29 BBY, he had built his first lightsaber;[47] after its construction, Kenobi said to him, "Anakin, this weapon is your life."[52][53] Like he had helped Kenobi before, Jedi Battlemaster Cin Drallig helped Skywalker train in lightsaber combat, with Skywalker learning a great deal from Drallig's unparalleled expertise.[54] When Kenobi was assigned to study a dead star system that orbited a black dwarf, Skywalker decided to join his master without permission but fell asleep during the journey. Upon being found by Kenobi as he slept, Skywalker's mentor decided to bring him along for the mission, showing him the dead star before them as an example of why the Jedi needed to avoid attachment because all things, even the brightest of stars, would pass on.[16]
Skywalker considered Chancellor Palpatine a friend and a mentor.
That year, which which point three years had passed since the Battle of Naboo, Skywalker sought to impress his peers at the Jedi Temple. During a training session, he defeated a training droid, which he had programmed to mimic the appearance of the Sith of Naboo. All the while, Mace Windu, Kenobi, and Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine watched—the last of whom was impressed.[47] Sometime later, Skywalker struggled to learn the skill of taming creatures when Kenobi told him that the Chancellor wanted to see him. The two arrived at his office, where Palpatine requested that Skywalker accompany him on an errand, declining Kenobi's company. Left alone, Skywalker escorted Palpatine to Club Kasakar in Level 2685, all the while listening to Palpatine express concern for the situation on the sub-surface levels of Coruscant,[49] the inability of the Jedi to respond efficiently,[55] and the corruption that plagued the Senate, such as Colandrus—subtly, and unbeknownst to Skywalker, marking the beginning of his influence over him.[48]
At the end of the errand, Palpatine asked if Skywalker was happy as he was. Though Skywalker answered that he was and that "training to become a Jedi [was] all [he] ever wanted," it did plant a seed of doubt in his mind. Later, at the Jedi Temple, Skywalker confided in Kenobi that he wished to leave the Order, feeling uncomfortable at the prospect of his entire life being decided when he was only nine years old, and surrendered his lightsaber to his master. Though Kenobi took the weapon, he pleaded for Skywalker to reconsider.[55]
Mission to Carnelion IV
- "The road lies before you, Anakin Skywalker. Will you walk it alone?"
"No, Master. As a Jedi. If you'll show me the way." - ―Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker
Before Skywalker could give his definite answer, at Yoda's behest, both student and master responded to a mysterious distress signal from the supposedly dead world of Carnelion IV that specifically called for Jedi intercession. They began their journey to the coordinates, but their shuttle was damaged due to the planet's atmospheric debris field, and the two had to eject from the doomed vessel, landing below the Celadon Sea. Not too long afterward, they came to be aware of life on the planet as a sky battle raged over them, and Kenobi returned his lightsaber to him so that he could defend himself. As one of the combatant airships began to fall, Skywalker and Kenobi saved its two-person crew by delaying the crash.[47]
Though tempted by the prospects of life outside of the Jedi Order, Skywalker chose to continue his training under Kenobi.
The two survivors, Kolara and Mother Pran, who identified themselves as "Open," knew nothing about what a Jedi was.[47] They were forced to take cover when a "Closed" airship, which Kenobi fell; Skywalker saved its pilot, Grecker, from falling to his death. But due to the historical feud between their factions, Grecker and Pran tried to murder each other, forcing Skywalker and Kenobi to destroy their weapons and to escort them to safety. To facilitate their journey, they used the intact parts of each of their airships to form a new one in order to fly to their destination. During the conversations that ensued, Skywalker mentioned his and Kenobi's purpose on the planet: to find the person who had sent the Jedi distress signal,[49] which alerted Pran and Grecker to the location of "the scavenger."[48]
During the journey, Kolara told Skywalker about the mysterious kites, before noticing that he was good at fixing things, as he made an adjustment to his lightsaber. Kolara and Pran then had Skywalker repair a bag of droid brains and, seeing his usefulness, threw away his lightsaber and abducted him when a horde of fishers attacked the ship, leaving Kenobi alone with Grecker as the airship crashed[48] below the Celadon Sea. Skywalker was taken to one of the Open's fortresses, where he witnessed as Pran used the processors he had repaired to activate some battle droids. As they left to wage war on the mysterious scavenger (who reminded both Open and Closed of everything they had lost and how badly they had failed),[55] Skywalker remained with the younger Open, whom he convinced to protect the scavenger and help him get back to Kenobi.[56]
Using their help, Skywalker fixed the remaining droids and intervened in the skirmish between the Open and Closed unfolding right next to Sera's fortress. He saved his master from Mother Pran and met with Kolara and Sera, but rather than try to stop the fight, Kenobi had Skywalker repair a communications unit and called the Republic for aid. Soon enough, a task force arrived and forced the natives to cease hostilities. In the aftermath, his master offered Skywalker his lightsaber, asking if he was still adamant about leaving the Order, but Skywalker decided to remain a member.[56]
Inquiring about lightsabers
- "The lightsaber symbolizes the care with which we approach our gifts through the force and the care with which we wield them. It reminds others that while we could do more... we very purposely do not."
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi
Skywalker asked his master about why the Jedi use lightsabers
Some time after his and his masters mission to Carnelion IV,[58] Skywalker and Kenobi were about to spar in the Jedi Temple training grounds when Anakin asked his master why the Jedi use lightsabers as opposed to any other weapon powered by kyber crystals. Upon hearing this question, Kenobi used the force to take Skywalker's weapon and told him how when he was young, Kenobi had the idea for two short lightsabers to be connected by a chain. Upon revealing this tidbit to his apprentice, Kenobi told him the same thing Qui-Gon Jinn had told Kenobi; that wielding a lightsaber shows intent and that the user put thought behind wielding the weapon before drawing it, enforcing the idea that Jedi are protectors as opposed to destroyers.[57]
Rescuing Master Yoda
At some point after the mission to Carnelion IV,[59] Skywalker was being tested by Kenobi, who was having the Padawan attempt to defend from a group of Marksman-H training remotes using a wooden stick rather than his lightsaber, in the presence of Yoda, Windu, and Master Bant Eerin. When Skywalker used the Force to grab his master's lightsaber, completing the trial using it instead, he and Kenobi began to argue with one another, which made Yoda, Windu, and Eerin walk away. As Kenobi left with a team of Jedi Temple Guards, investigating a disturbance in the Force, he ordered Skywalker to remain there and clean up.[60]
Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi fight a supposed-battle droid incursion into the Jedi Temple.
Disobeying Kenobi and riding down to the Temple storage level by using two training remotes to travel through the Temple's vents, Skywalker followed the Force to the training stores, where he was attacked by the cause of the disturbance: a team of battle droids. As the droids and Skywalker fought, the Padawan was forced to use the Force and electroblades he found in a nearby box, as Kenobi had taken his lightsaber after his training maneuver. However, Kenobi and the guard team quickly arrived, giving Skywalker back his lightsaber and joining the fight, only for Skywalker to leave upon having a Force vision about the Council chambers. Rushing to the council chambers and past a seemingly-knocked out guard, Skywalker was held back as a masked enemy, disguised as a Temple Guard, appeared to kidnap Yoda himself, with Skywalker failing to catch up the escaping enemy on a jetpack. After being returned to the council chamber after the jetpack failed him, Skywalker reported what he had seen, with one temple guard finding the seemingly-unconscious guard to actually be a disguised battle droid.[60]
When Skywalker spotted a non-Techno Union logo on the droid's head, Kenobi and him traveled to the Temple archives, where they learned it was the symbol of the Nova Crime Syndicate. Traveling to the syndicate's base-of-operations on the Wheel space station, albeit in disguise to not disrupt the uneasy truce the Jedi held with its Baron Administrator Jaspara, the two Jedi located whom they believed to Grynask Sanberge, the leader of the Nova syndicate. With their mind tricks appearing to work, the supposed criminal gave them new information that pointed them to the planet Glee Anselm, where they encountered several aquatic battle droids and found the fake Temple Guard's underwater base of operations. Upon finding Yoda trapped in the base within a thick seaweed and besting the fake Temple Guard, Kenobi allowed Skywalker to unmask their foe as thanks for noticing the Nova symbol on the battle droid back at the Temple.[60]
Upon unmasking the enemy, however, Skywalker and Kenobi were shocked to see it was Eerin. Their confusion was only increased when Sanberge appeared, only to reveal himself to be a Force-sensitive and then remove his mask, showing himself to actually be Windu in disguise. When Skywalker realized the entire adventure had been a test, Yoda easily freed himself from the seaweed and confirmed Skywalker's theory, revealing it was a test for Skywalker and Kenobi both. Having seen how well they could work together instead of arguing, Skywalker and Kenobi began to view each other as brothers. To leave the world, the two lifted their shuttle off the seabed together.[60]
A memorable training session
- "You are a great warrior, Anakin. But your need to prove yourself is your undoing. Until you overcome it, a Padawan, you will still be."
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi, to Anakin Skywalker
Skywalker and Kenobi spar within the Jedi Temple
Later, Skywalker was waiting for his master in one of the Jedi Temple's training areas, where he gazed out the window until Kenobi joined him for a sparring session. After exchanging light-hearted remarks with his master, whom he had started to think would not be coming, Skywalker and Kenobi began their duel, during which Skywalker showed extreme aggression. Kenobi warned his Padawan that the fighting style was antithetical to the Jedi mission to protect life, but Skywalker, certain his aggression would win him the duel, rebutted by claiming mercy was no way to defeat an enemy. He continued his aggressive strikes until Kenobi was backed into a corner, where he locked sabers with his master and demanded he admit defeat. Instead, Kenobi slipped away when Skywalker raised his blade and inadvertently created an opening. The duel carried on as Skywalker again continued to beat Kenobi back until he knocked his master's lightsaber away, which Skywalker took as a sign that the duel was over.[61]
However, Kenobi noticed his Padawan was blinded by a need for victory, telling him as such before continuing the duel without a lightsaber. Kenobi managed to get behind Skywalker and use the Force to claim his lightsaber as his own, using it as proof that Skywalker's need to prove himself would always keep him back. While admitting his Padawan was a great warrior, he told his apprentice he would never advance to become a Jedi Knight if he failed to overcome his need to show his worth. Skywalker was given back his lightsaber by Kenobi, who smiled at his apprentice after his warning. Skywalker then followed Kenobi out of the room. Both men remembered the training session for years to come.[61] At some other point, Skywalker and Kenobi were also involved in a mission to Taris, during which Skywalker worked on a RazBohan high-encryption comlink.[16]
Protecting Padmé Amidala
Reuniting
- "Ani? My goodness, you've grown."
- ―Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker
Skywalker was tasked with protecting Senator Amidala, whom he had not seen in a decade, an experience he described as intoxicating.
Ten years after the Battle of Naboo in 22 BBY,[2] as the Separatist Crisis threatened to tear the Galactic Republic apart,[12] the 19 year old[62] Skywalker[42] and Kenobi[12] were involved in an important mission[42] to settle a border dispute on Ansion. Upon their return to Coruscant, an assassination attempt on Padmé Amidala, now Senator of Naboo, prompted the Jedi Council—at the behest of Chancellor Palpatine—to send Skywalker and Kenobi to protect Amidala from future attacks. Anakin was delighted to see her after so many years; he had thought about her every day since they parted.[12] In at least her first year in the Senate, Amidala had at times thought about the boy she had met on Tatooine, such as when she passed the Jedi Temple. She also dispatched Sabé to free slaves on Tatooine with the particular mission to free Shmi, feeling as though she had made an unofficial promise to set her free, but Sabé was unable to locate Skywalker's mother.[14] When Padmé said she wanted to know who wanted her dead, and Obi-Wan started to explain that they were only there to protect her life, not to investigate, Anakin promised Padmé to find who was responsible, annoying Obi-Wan. When Padmé retreated to her chambers, Anakin was disappointed, claiming that Padmé hardly even recognized him.[12]
However, Jar Jar, who was a representative in the Senate during this time, said Padmé was very happy to see him too. During that night, Anakin and Padmé agreed on a plan of using her as bait, in order to capture the assassin, much to Obi-Wan's dismay. Anakin told him that although Padmé had covered the cameras in her bedchamber, he was certain he would sense if anything were to happen in the room. Kenobi had doubts about his Padawan's power. Shortly after, when his master noticed that Skywalker was tired, he admitted that he had constant nightmares about his mother; he also revealed his powerful affection for Amidala. Obi-Wan warned him to control his emotions, saying that Padmé was a politician after all, and could not be trusted. This led the two into a debate about whether every politician, including Amidala and Palpatine, was corrupt. As Skywalker expressed his faith in Palpatine's benevolence, he sensed something in Padmé's room. He arrived just in time to cut two venomous kouhuns in half, just a few centimeters from the senator's face. Obi-Wan noticed the assassin's droid at the window and threw himself out, grabbing it.[12]
Skywalker and Kenobi chasing Zam Wesell
Anakin rushed to a row of speeders parked near Padmé's apartment. When the bounty hunter Zam Wesell shot her droid down, Skywalker arrived upon the scene as his Master was in free fall. Catching Kenobi, the Padawan continued the pursuit of Wesell's airspeeder. Spotting the Jedi, Wesell took her speeder on a nosedive—plunging several meters toward the lower levels of Coruscant. With the Jedi relentlessly pursuing her, Wesell flew through the exhaust flames of the Kerdos Company recycling plant, hoping that the flames would scorch her adversaries in the open-top speeder. Seeing the pair still chasing her and unharmed by the flames, Wesell fired at the couplings of a nearby electrical plant, causing the Jedi's speeder to be inundated by electrical shock.[12]
Skywalker, an expert pilot himself, quickly caught up to Wesell. The bounty hunter steered her craft into a network of skytunnels, aiming once again to lose the pursuing Jedi. Skywalker did not chase directly into the tunnel but opted to travel an alternate route. Wesell wove through the local network of tunnels. Anakin and Obi-Wan thought they lost her, but just a few minutes later Anakin noticed the bounty hunter's airspeeder below, and jumped out, let his body drop the intervening distance through the air, then latched a firm hand-grip to its rear canopy handle. He ultimately was forced to let go when she shot at him, although not before getting a good look at her, wherein he deduced that Zam was not only a female but also a changeling (he'd briefly glimpsed Wesell's true form when she looked up). The Jedi ignited his lightsaber and sliced at the windscreen, knocking out the guidance systems. Wesell shot the lightsaber out of Skywalker's hand, but the ensuing struggle caused Wesell to misfire her blaster pistol, damaging the control pipes. Meanwhile, Kenobi, who was behind Wesell at this point, caught Skywalker's lightsaber. The airspeeder began to plummet toward the surface, crashing near the Outlander Club. Wesell crawled from the crash site and fled into the club.[12]
Anakin was about to follow Zam into the building when Obi-Wan stopped him, returning to him his lightsaber, reiterating, "this weapon is your life." As they headed to the Outlander, Kenobi said he had the feeling his apprentice would be the death of him. Anakin indignantly responded that Obi-Wan was like a father to him. Inside the Outlander Club, Anakin was instructed by his master to search the premises while he went for a drink at the bar. Wesell hid until the two Jedi separated, then slowly approached the seemingly vulnerable Jedi at the bar. To secure the accuracy of her shot, she continued approaching the Jedi with her weapon drawn while Kenobi, through the Force, sensed the bounty hunter's intentions. In an instant, Kenobi ignited his lightsaber, spun around, and severed Wesell's arm below the elbow.[12]
Skywalker and Kenobi took the wounded bounty hunter and dragged her from the club, setting her in an alley behind the club for interrogation. Wesell was initially reluctant to give any information about who had hired her, replying that it had simply been a job. As Skywalker pressed her, however, Wesell prepared to divulge the information. Suddenly, a mysterious figure fired a toxic dart into Zam's neck.[12]
Return to Tatooine
- "Ani? Is it you? Ani?"
"I'm here, Mom, you're safe." - ―Shmi Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker
Subsequently, the Council sent the Master and Padawan on separate missions—Skywalker, on his first solo mission, would protect Amidala on Naboo, whereas Kenobi continued an investigation into Amidala's aggressors that took him to Kamino. Joined by R2-D2, Skywalker and Amidala departed for Naboo aboard the Jendirian Valley, a refugee ship leaving[12] from the western spaceport.[63] On Naboo, the two visited Amidala's family home, and Skywalker noticed how much she loved the flower garden maintained by her father, Ruwee Naberrie.[64]
Skywalker, at the funeral of his mother, Shmi
While on Naboo, as he experienced inner conflict between his strong desires for her and his duties as a Jedi, Skywalker revealed to Amidala his love for her, but she refused since Skywalker was not supposed to form attachments as a Jedi, even though she felt the same for him. Skywalker was also troubled by dreams of his mother suffering, which prompted him to return to Tatooine and rescue her, to which Amidala agreed to accompany him. On Tatooine, the two located Watto, who revealed that he had sold Shmi to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars. The couple then visited the Lars farm only to discover that Shmi had been abducted by Tusken Raiders about a month before their arrival, and was feared to be dead. Determined to save her at all costs, Skywalker took the swoop bike of his stepbrother, Owen Lars, and searched for his mother.[12]
Though he managed to find her in a Tusken camp, she had her wrists tied up to a stick, and she had a cut on the side of her face and then she died in his arms moments later. Consumed with grief and rage, Skywalker slaughtered the entire village of Tusken Raiders—men, women, and children. Only then did Skywalker bring his mother's body back to the homestead, where her funeral was held, and when he claimed he would become so powerful in the Force he could stop the people he loved from dying.[12] The event left him full of pain and guilt, for failing her and failing as a Jedi, as well as haunted by the prospect of letting go of the people he loved.[65]
First Battle of Geonosis
- "You call this a diplomatic solution?"
"No, I call it aggressive negotiations." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala
Skywalker and Padmé Amidala at the first Battle of Geonosis
It was then that Skywalker received a message from Kenobi telling him of Separatist presence on Geonosis, which they retransmitted to Coruscant so that the Jedi Council could see it for themselves. Upon learning he had been captured, Skywalker and Amidala departed for the planet, where they entered one of the factories (where his lightsaber was destroyed) but were subsequently captured and placed with Kenobi into the Petranaki Arena to be executed by beasts. However, the trio managed to avoid the creatures (in Skywalker's case, a reek), only to be surrounded by droidekas on Count Dooku's orders.[12]
Count Dooku cuts off Anakin's right forearm
However, a Jedi assault team, led by Mace Windu, arrived to rescue them. Anakin was given a green-bladed lightsaber lent to him by another Jedi named Nicanas Tassu. Nevertheless, they fought a losing battle against an overwhelming amount of battle droids, including droidekas, B1-series battle droids, and B2-series super battle droids, until Master Yoda arrived with the newly established Grand Army of the Republic and safely boarded the survivors of the arena onto LAAT/i gunships. As the battle raged between the clone troopers and the Separatist Droid Army, they caught sight of Dooku. When Amidala and a clone trooper were knocked from the troop bay by a cannon blast, Skywalker argued with Kenobi about going after her. After he proclaimed he did not care if he would be expelled from the Jedi Order if it meant saving her, Skywalker only agreed to continue when Kenobi reminded him Amidala would continued on her duties if she had been in a similar crisis. Skywalker then looked back at where she had fallen as they continued to race after Dooku.[12]
Kenobi and Skywalker pursued the Count to a secret hangar, where they engaged him in a duel. Both were defeated, and though Kenobi suffered minor wounds, Skywalker lost his right forearm. It was then that Yoda arrived and fought Dooku until the Sith Lord made his escape on his solar sailer. The battle marked the start of the pan-galactic Clone Wars, and Skywalker received a cybernetic replacement for his lost arm.[12]
Marriage to Padmé Amidala
Skywalker marries Padmé Amidala on Naboo.
While Kenobi returned to Coruscant, Skywalker accompanied Amidala to Naboo, where they were secretly married, their sole attendants being their faithful droids R2-D2 and C-3PO.[12] As he still needed to recover from the Battle of Geonosis, Skywalker was able to remain on Naboo[66] for several days,[16] enjoying his honeymoon and time after it with Amidala.[66]
The Clone Wars begin
Serving as a Jedi Commander
- "I was afraid, before I left Kamino. We don't really know what happens to unusual clones. But my brothers never let me doubt. I wasn't sure if the Jedi would understand."
"The Jedi are all about transcending things. I don't think we can complain if you've transcended gender."
"Transcended gender. We'll work on it, but I like where it's heading." - ―Sister and Anakin Skywalker
Following the engagement on Geonosis, Skywalker built a new lightsaber to replace the one he lost.[11][17] Early in the war, Skywalker quickly came to have encounters with Dooku's personal agents.[16] Later, Skywalker served with his Jedi Master as a Jedi Commander, participating in battles on a rocky planet alongside Kenobi's[64] 7th Sky Corps[15] and Clone Marshal Commander CC-2224. Afterwards, Skywalker encountered the clone trooper known as "Sister," who was arranging the helmets of her fallen brothers beneath a tree as a memorial.[64]
Skywalker spoke with Sister, and she explained that she was saddened by her brothers' deaths, as well as the origins of her name and the camaraderie her clone brothers had shown for her and her gender identity. Skywalker shared that the Jedi supported such identity and the belief of rising above things, such as Sister's transcendence of the concepts of gender. Sister agreed, and both moved to rendezvous with Kenobi at his location. A short time later,[64] Skywalker was promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight. This was initially done informally as a result of the increased need for Jedi in the battlefield. Though the Jedi were not yet formally integrated within the Grand Army of the Republic, his appointment to Knighthood made Skywalker an acting Jedi General.[16]
Business on Cato Neimoidia
- "You don't always have to be the sun-dragon."
- ―Mill Alibeth to Anakin Skywalker
Skywalker's knighthood was soon legitimized by a Knighting Ceremony. Skywalker spent the night after his Knighting ceremony with Amidala in which he presented her with a Padawan braid pendant he had made for her after his Padawan braid was cut. Shortly after his knighting ceremony,[16] the Purse World of Cato Neimoidia, the headquarters of the Trade Federation,[67] was rocked by a destructive explosion that was blamed on the Republic. Kenobi, now a Jedi Master and an acting Council member, was selected to travel to Cato Neimoidia to investigate the explosion. Wanting to clear any Separatist involvement, Dooku sent his own agent to Cato Neimoidia as well, which was later revealed to be the Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress.[16]
Skywalker expressed his desire to accompany Kenobi on this mission but was instead assigned to instruct a group of younglings, passing on what he had learned as a Padawan, much to his dismay. Before Kenobi left for Cato Neimoidia, Skywalker gave him a RazBohan high-encryption comlink so they could remain in contact. He later accompanied the younglings on an aid mission to Langston in which he was given command of the 302nd Battalion, with Clone Commander Theo serving as his second-in command. While enroute to Langston, Skywalker became acquainted with the youngling Mill Alibeth, a Zabrak girl who was experiencing nausea as a result of a unique connection to the Force. Empathizing with her struggles as a mirror to his own, Skywalker chose to guide and instruct Alibeth as she grew to accept the Force and her connection to it. Kenobi eventually contacted Skywalker, asking him to analyze data he found that incriminated the Republic in the bombing. When he lost contact with Kenobi, Skywalker disobeyed orders to rescue his former master with Alibeth by his side.[16]
Skywalker and Kenobi on Cato Neimoidia
Shortly after arriving on Cato Neimoidia, Skywalker and Alibeth found a series of bombs planted in important Neimoidian landmarks which they later discovered were planted by Ketar Nor to send a message to the Republic. They came to find that Kenobi was on trial for conspiracy against Cato Neimoidia after Ventress found the data that incriminated the Republic. Skywalker rescued Kenobi moments before rifles from Neimoidian guards fired on him. With the help of Ruug Quarnom and Amidala, the Republic was cleared of any involvement in the bombing. Instead, revealing that an outside actor orchestrated the bombing to point to the Republic and Separatists in order to play on the fear of both sides of the new war.[16]
When they returned to Coruscant, Palpatine passed the Jedi Military Integration Act, officially making the Jedi a part of the Grand Army of the Republic and marking the beginnings of General Skywalker and General Kenobi. Skywalker also told Alibeth of a myth from his childhood about the sun-dragon of Tatooine in order to steady her emotions. Becoming apprenticed to Rig Nema to avoid the war and instead provide special medical and spiritual assistance, Alibeth bid farewell to Skywalker and Kenobi, thanking the former for his guidance and letting him know he did not always have to act like the story's sun-dragon, leaving Skywalker speechless as he considered her words.[16] The mission was one of several Skywalker counted as the times he saved Kenobi's life, but Kenobi, however, insisted that "the business on Cato Neimoidia" did not count towards the tally.[11] Skywalker also believed the operation was the first time he encountered Ventress, but he recognized her Ginivex-class fanblade starfighter and she already knew his name.[16]
Rescue at Staggec
- "Good to see you alive."
"Did you have doubts?"
"Just for a moment." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Skywalker cut down battle droids on Staggec
When Senators Amidala and Yarua were ambushed by General Grievous on the Moon of Staggec, Kenobi volunteered himself and Skywalker for the mission. Shortly after they arrived on the moon, Skywalker followed a trail of footprints into a nearby forest. There, he and Kenobi discovered Yarua's daughter, Viiveenn, who gave Skywalker a flower and led the Jedi to the ship where her father had been taken. When Viiveenn headed for the ship, Kenobi ran after her, causing him to be captured by the surrounding battle droids. Skywalker attacked the battle droids and tried to stop Kenobi and Viiveenn from being captured, but he was too late.[68]
As the ship left, Skywalker lamented not leaving any droids intact for interrogation. Calming his mind, he meditated to think of a solution. Skywalker then used the Republic shuttle they'd arrived in to sneak onto the Providence-class Dreadnought Grievous was commanding. Alongside Kenobi, Skywalker cut down the remaining droids and ran off to find Amidala while Kenobi went to confront Grievous. By the time he reached her however, he found that the senator had already rescued herself and her associates. Skywalker then returned with the group to the Republic shuttle. Kenobi arrived shortly after with Viiveenn, informing the group that Yarua had died saving his daughter. After leaving the ship and escaping into hyperspace, Kenobi reported to Yoda while Skywalker checked on Amidala, who comforted Viiveenn over her loss.[68]
Lesson on Naboo
While on Naboo with Kenobi, Skywalker noticed and hastily attacked Ventress, who was amongst the crowd. As she ran Kenobi told him to wait, but Skywalker ignored his master and ran after anyways. When Skywalker lost Ventress, Kenobi caught up with him and told him a lesson about patience and trusting others. Listening in, Ventress heard Kenobi tell Skywalker that he cares about him staying alive. Ventress initially saw this as a sign of weakness, but would go onto intentionally fail her mission because she realized Dooku did not care for her like Kenobi did for Skywalker.[69]
General of the 501st
- "You fought in the Clone Wars?"
"Yes. I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father. […] He was the best star pilot in the galaxy and a cunning warrior. […] And he was a good friend." - ―Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, on Anakin Skywalker
Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker in his Jedi Commander armor
The 501st Legion was under Skywalker's command during the war effort, with his "first-in-command" often being Clone Captain CT-7567, who was also known by his nickname "Rex."[70] At some point before[71] he received a scar over his right eye,[11] Skywalker participated in the Battle of Arantara with his troops. During the battle, Rex was wounded and rendered unconscious. After being found by Skywalker, Rex was surprised to see that he had come back for him. Skywalker responded that it should have been him in his place, telling his captain that a true leader always led from the front.[71]
After that, Skywalker and Rex soon developed a mutual respect and even became friends.[2] While at first Rex needed to adapt to his maverick Jedi General because of the Clone Captain's by-the-book and no-nonsense nature, Rex would come to admire, and even would sometimes emulate, Skywalker's willingness to bend the rules and genius for improvisation,[72] and Skywalker and Rex would even become friends.[71]
Anakin Skywalker during the early Clone Wars
The Venator-class Star Destroyer Resolute served as his personal flagship, under the admiralty of Wullf Yularen.[17][73] During the war, Skywalker cut the B1 battle droid R0-GR down on a number of occasions. Years later, after R0-GR met C-3PO and learned the protocol droid had been built by Skywalker, he thought this fact practically made him and the 3PO unit family.[74]
Siege of Hisseen
Skywalker, Koon, and Kenobi fight battle droids during the siege
Sometime later, the Jedi Council sent Skywalker, along with Kenobi and Jedi Master Plo Koon, along with their respective battalions to the besieged planet of Hisseen in order to stop a Separatist victory on the planet. While protecting a village from oncoming droid forces, the clones required backup before Skywalker, Kenobi, and Koon arrived to rescue them. The three jumped into combat as Koon used the Force to push several droids into one another, destroying them. After a short battle with the droids, the Republic emerged victorious over that wave of droid forces. With this, Skywalker deactivated his lightsaber and met with Cody, Clone Commander CC-3636, and as well as Clone Captain Rex regarding the Hisseenian parliament as well as a Hisseenian premier who was to meet with Count Dooku and Asajj Ventress, which could potentially lead to Dooku dissolving the government on Hisseen and allow him to control the planet.[75]
With that, Kenobi informed the clones that they would need to hold that position while the three went after Dooku and Ventress. With that, the three Jedi left to confront Dooku and Ventress. Meanwhile, Rex told a story about him and Skywalker during a mission on Benglor.[75] Eventually, the three managed to find Dooku, leading Skywalker to enter a duel with him while Koon contacted trooper Boost requesting immediate aid.[76] As Skywalker and his fellow Jedi chased Dooku and Ventress, they received a distress call from Rex, leading to the Jedi breaking off their pursuit to help their soldiers. Upon rescuing their clones, it was clear the day had been won for the Republic[77] because the soldiers had rescued the Hisseenian parliament from Dooku's droids.[78] Skywalker and his allies then departed Hisseen to return to Coruscant.[77]
Battles at Corvair sector and Kudo III
- "…Let's finish this."
- ―Anakin Skywalker
Anakin Skywalker after defeating the Separatist fighters
Skywalker later led several of his bombers and fighters against the Separatists in the Corvair sector. After defeating the separatist fighters, Skywalker spoke with Admiral Yularen aboard the Resolute. Yularen confirmed that the Separatist contingent came from the droid foundry on Kudo III. Skywalker agreed to attack the foundry quickly before Separatist reinforcements arrived. However, Skywalker did not approve of the attack's high casualties that included the Kudon. Yularen suggested that they should do a surgical strike on the foundry's generator.[79]
Skywalker spoke with Master Kenobi about his plan for attack, who reminded Skywalker to trust his feelings and the Force. Skywalker took R2 with him aboard his interceptor and made his way to Kudo. After Skywalker landed, he made his way into the foundry and saw the Kudon being used as slave labor. Skywalker fought the battle droids and freed the Kudon. Skywalker was able to convince the Kudon to arm themselves and fight the battle droids. The mission was a success, and Skywalker returned to the Resolute.[79]
Battle of Christophsis
- "You're reckless, little one. You never would have made it as Obi-Wan's Padawan… but you might make it as mine."
- ―Anakin Skywalker to Ahsoka Tano, following the Battle of Christophsis
Skywalker pilots the stealth ship against the Invincible.
A few months into the war,[80] Skywalker and his former master, Kenobi, were tasked by the Jedi Council to break the Separatist blockade on Christophsis, and assist Alderaanian Senator Bail Organa on his relief effort on the planet's surface. Initially overwhelmed, Kenobi presented Skywalker with a Republic stealth ship prototype with a cloaking device and tasked him with flying it past the blockade, in order to deliver supplies to Organa. Accompanied by Yularen, Skywalker chose instead to engage Separatist Admiral Trench directly and divert his attention from Organa on the surface.[81]
De-cloaking his stealth ship, Skywalker launched torpedoes at the dreadnought Invincible, but his missiles were repelled by the ship's powerful thermal shields. After successfully evading Trench's return fire, Trench sent a message over an open frequency, warning that he had faced this kind of ship before and that they should retreat before they were destroyed. Using the information supplied by Kenobi, Skywalker surmised that Trench would lock onto the ship's magnetic signature to destroy it and so, Skywalker de-cloaked once more, firing another volley of missiles at Trench's dreadnought. Trench took the bait and locked onto the stealth ship's magnetic signature, firing several tracking torpedoes. Skywalker steered the ship straight at the Invincible, scraping right past its hull before Trench's missiles struck the bridge. As Trench had just fired the missiles, his ship's shields were still recharging, and the dreadnought was destroyed. After defeating Trench, Skywalker delivered the supplies to Organa.[81]
Skywalker with Clone Captain CT-7567, "Rex"
After breaking the blockade, Kenobi joined Skywalker and the rest of the Republic forces on Christophsis' surface and together, they planned an ambush on the advancing droid army; instead, they were ambushed and forced to evacuate. Aware of a possible with a traitor amidst them, the Jedi duo decided to go behind enemy lines in order to seek information, leaving Rex and Cody to find the traitor. In the empty Separatist headquarters, Skywalker and Kenobi ran into Asajj Ventress, whom they dueled before flying two STAPs back to base. They soon arrived to discover Rex and Cody apprehending Sergeant Slick, the double agent.[82]
As the battle raged, Skywalker's squad and the rest of the Republic forces managed to force the Separatists into a temporary retreat, but the need for reinforcements was evident. Instead, a young Togruta girl, Ahsoka Tano, arrived to relay Master Yoda's message for them to return to Coruscant for a new mission, presenting herself as Skywalker's new Padawan, much to his dismay. The impending Separatist threat made it impossible for them to leave their post, so Skywalker and Tano (whom Skywalker nicknamed "Snips") went behind enemy lines to destroy their droids' deflector shield generator while Kenobi stalled for time by holding a fake surrender negotiation with General Loathsom. Despite having to fight a few droids that protected the generator, the two managed to destroy it, allowing the Republic army to finish off the droids and win the battle. Only then did Skywalker and Tano find common ground, and he accepted the responsibility of mentoring her.[17]
Battle of Teth
- "So, this is where the fun begins."
"Race you to the top."
"I'll give you a head start."
"Your mistake." - ―Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker
As Yoda arrived with reinforcements, Skywalker, Kenobi, and Tano were informed that Jabba Desilijic Tiure's son, Rotta had been kidnapped, and Skywalker and Tano were to go to Teth to search for the Huttlet, whereas Kenobi would speak with Jabba on Tatooine.[17]
Skywalker and Tano fighting their way on a cliff towards the monastery
With a time limit of only one planetary rotation to deliver Rotta, Skywalker and his Padawan landed in Teth, where they were flanked by battle droids. Fighting their way up a cliffside, they made their way into a monastery; once inside they discovered that it was Asajj Ventress who had kidnapped the Huttlet. With considerable effort, the Master-Padawan pair seized Rotta and escaped aboard an abandoned G9 Rigger-class light freighter, the Twilight. They saw that help had arrived and planned to take the Huttlet to one of their Star Destroyers for help, as he had gotten sick. Unfortunately, the cruiser was destroyed, forcing them to take Rotta to his father on their own.[17]
Missions in Hutt territory
- "—that means we have a little bit of time to enjoy the cruise."
"Annie, we're supposed to be discreet!"
"What better disguise than a couple in love on a romantic getaway?" - ―Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala aboard the Halcyon
Skywalker and Tano briefly part ways on Tatooine.
Upon arriving on Tatooine, they were attacked by MagnaGuards and, though they defeated them, the Twilight crashed, forcing them to travel through the desert. Choosing to split up in the Dune Sea, Tano took Rotta to Jabba's Palace, whereas Skywalker was confronted by Count Dooku. After a brief duel, Skywalker stole Dooku's speeder bike, knowing his Padawan was in trouble and reached Jabba's Palace, where he was told that Rotta had not been delivered and that he would be killed. Just then, Senator Amidala contacted the Hutt crime lord and informed him that his uncle Ziro was involved with the kidnapping, just for Tano to arrive along with Rotta, resolving matters to Jabba's satisfaction.[17]
Sometime after the treaty between the Republic and Hutt Clan was finalized, Skywalker and Amidala were sent to meet with Lannik senator Zast Tri'vak on the luxury MPO-1400 Purgill-class star cruiser Halcyon and ensure that he would not sway Lannik to align with the Separatists and cut off Republic supply routes. After assisting a Logistics droid named D3-O9, Skywalker and Amidala observed Tri'vak as he hurriedly returned to his cabin. Knowing that Kenobi had the ship's destination staked out with a unit of clones due to reports of Separatist agents, the couple decided to enjoy their time together on the Star Cruiser. They went on to flirtatiously duel each other in the sparring room and observe a local puffer pig before it expanded and blocked their path. As they relaxed in the Climate Simulator, Skywalker suddenly sensed Ventress on the ship and realized that she was there to extract Tri'vak. He and Amidala then broke into the senator's cabin and discovered a hole cut into the floor. Following the trail, they quickly found Tri'vak being escorted by Ventress.[83]
Skywalker and Ventress duel
As Skywalker dueled Ventress, he and Amidala were threatened by a few guards before Amidala stunned them with the help of a young Tholothian boy named Shorr Komrrin. Just then, the fighting was stopped by a Hutt who had the combatants surrounded by security. When the Hutt threatened to end the Hutt Clan's treaty with the Republic, Amidala explained to him that they were there to root out a traitor and reminded him of the Mid Rim trade routes they each benefited from. While Tri'vak begged the Hutt for mercy, Ventress stabbed the senator in the back and used her lightsabers to shatter a nearby window, leaping out into space and escaping in her fanblade starfighter. Amidala held onto Shorr's hand as Skywalker sealed the opening with the Force. She then commended the boy for his bravery while Skywalker watched as Ventress flew away.[83]
Following the Battle of Hypori, Kenobi, Cody, and the 212th Attack Battalion were sent to aid Commander Mekedrix and his forces from Roon at a battle on Abrion Major. As he went to meet with Yularen, Kenobi contacted Skywalker and the Jedi wished each other luck before Kenobi left for his mission.[84]
The Malevolence
- "That's your plan? Just fly there, land, hope they don't spot us and walk in the door?"
"Basically."
"Oh. Brilliant. Let's get going." - ―Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker
Anakin and Padmé fleeing pursuing troops on Malevolence
When news reached them of the destruction of Jedi Master Plo Koon's fleet in the Abregado system, Skywalker and his Padawan set out to rescue him and any survivors in spite of his orders to rendezvous with Kenobi's fleet. Though he sent his ships and most of his men, Skywalker himself and Tano used the Twilight to rescue Koon and three other clones, who told them of a new Separatist superweapon, the Subjugator-class heavy cruiser Malevolence, which was commanded by Grievous.[86]
After yet another attack from the Malevolence, Skywalker decided to lead the Shadow Squadron into an attack against the heavy cruiser, only to narrowly escape the Malevolence's ion cannon, which left too many bombers destroyed or incapacitated. Forced to change the plan, Skywalker and the bombers dropped their payload on the ion cannon, forcing it to overload, damaging the ship and causing the Malevolence to retreat from its attack on a Republic medical station.[87] While making his escape, Grievous captured Senator Amidala, who entered the system in the belief she was sent to negotiate with the InterGalactic Banking Clan Supreme Executive, rather than a trap. Ordering their ships to halt their fire, Skywalker and Kenobi boarded the Malevolence to rescue her. While on the ship, Skywalker sabotaged the ship's navigation system to cause the ship to crash into a moon should the hyperdrive be engaged, before escaping the ship alongside Amidala and Kenobi.[85]
Following the battle wherein a group of clones from Rishi Station prevented a surprise attack on Kamino, Skywalker and Kenobi awarded medals to two of its survivors, newcomers Echo and Fives, with Skywalker welcoming them onto the 501st Legion.[88]
R2-D2 lost
- "So let me get this straight, Anakin. You risked the mission, all your men, even your Padawan, to save a droid?"
"Artoo found the listening post, and he saved our lives. We couldn't just leave him there, Obi-Wan."
"Oh, Anakin, one day…" - ―Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker
Following numerous Separatist victories from General Grievous, and the defeat of the Falleen battle group, Skywalker attempted to stop the cyborg from taking his sector and planned an ambush for the Separatist forces as they were passing through Bothawui's asteroid field. Placing AT-TEs on the nearby asteroids, he managed to destroy the Separatist frigates and forced Grievous to retreat in the Soulless One, resulting in a pursuit by Skywalker. However, debris from the destroyed Separatist frigates damaged his ship, leaving him to be rescued by Rex at the cost of losing R2-D2. Though he was supplied with a new astromech droid, R3-S6, Skywalker was saddened by the loss of his friend and did not take to the new droid, and felt something suspicious on its true allegiance. Instead, he launched a search, scouring the battlefield; unable to find R2-D2, they boarded a nearby scavenger ship, the Vulture's Claw, only to leave empty-handed as Gha Nachkt delivered R2-D2 to Grievous.[90]
Skywalker engaging an IG-100 MagnaGuard
With all hope lost, Skywalker attempted to continue life without the droid, scouting for a possible Separatist listening outpost,[90] until R2-D2 sent a message revealing his location at Skytop Station. Upon arrival, Skywalker ordered Tano and Rex to fulfill the mission objective—to destroy the station—while he went to find his lost droid. Though Skywalker engaged several MagnaGuards, he found R2-D2 and met up with Rex and Denal, who told him that Tano was gone to distract Grievous alone while they completed the mission. It was then, as Anakin already suspected about R3-S6's true allegiance, that R3 revealed himself to be Grievous' spy and set several vulture droids and super battle droids against them. As they resisted, Tano rejoined the group, only to be scolded by her master for engaging the droid general alone; R2-D2 opened the hangar doors, defeating R3-S6 in the process, to be retrieved by a happy Skywalker, delighted to have his longtime friend back safe.[89]
Following Viceroy Nute Gunray's capture in Rodia by Amidala, Skywalker separated from Tano, who went onto serve as Gunray's escort alongside Luminara Unduli. Although the two failed in their task, Skywalker reunited with Tano at the rendezvous point.[91]
Captured on Florrum
- "You should be more patient, Master. After all, the Count is an elderly gentlemen, and doesn't move like he used to."
"I suppose you're right."
"I would kill you both right now if I did not have to drag your bodies." - ―Skywalker and Kenobi mock Dooku as the three attempt to escape
Dooku's incarceration confirmed by Skywalker and Kenobi
Together with Kenobi, Skywalker spearheaded an attempt near the planet Vanqor to capture Count Dooku, where Skywalker let himself be captured by Dooku's Munificent-class star frigate and taken to a prison cell, only for Kenobi to come and rescue him. The two Jedi then gave chase to Dooku, who escaped in his solar sailer, with a Sheathipede-class transport shuttle. After taking direct hits to their shuttle, they were forced to crash-land on the planet. In a nearby cave, the two Jedi began to hunt for Dooku, but the Sith Lord ambushed them by causing a sudden collapse in the cave ceiling. While Dooku escaped the cave, they had to render a gundark unconscious, only to nearly succumb to poison gas released from a trapped pocket in the cave. They were saved just in time, as Tano and a detachment of clone troopers rescued them.[93]
Later, as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and his representatives were contacted by Hondo Ohnaka to receive a reward for capturing Count Dooku, Skywalker and Kenobi were assigned to verify the pirate gang's custody of Dooku, agreeing to the pirates' condition to arrive unarmed. The Jedi were met at gunpoint in the Twilight and escorted to Ohnaka, who arranged a meeting with their prisoner. The Jedi mocked Dooku's imprisonment, and the Sith Lord warned them not to underestimate the Weequay. Skywalker and Kenobi were invited to a "party" by the pirates, only to wind up passed out in a cell, chained together with Dooku.[93] Despite several attempts by the Jedi and Sith to escape on their own, Representative Binks was the one to rescue them, though the mission came at the cost of Senator Kharrus' life and Dooku's escape. Obi Wan told Anakin not to harm Hondo and left peacefully.[92]
Later, Skywalker heard about the situation on Ridlay, where the entire planet stopped communicating for an unusual amount of time. He contacted Windu, who was already there to investigate the situation. He offered his and Tano's assistance, but Windu denied their involvement.[94]
Quell and Maridun
- "This battle is inevitable. You can stand by your beliefs, but let us stand by ours."
- ―Anakin Skywalker, to Tee Watt Kaa
A gravely injured Skywalker, tended by Tano and Aayla Secura
Sent in as reinforcements for Jedi Master Aayla Secura's and Commander Bly's forces, which were heavily outnumbered and overpowered during the Battle of Quell, Skywalker, Tano, Rex, and their forces assisted in an evacuation of Secura's cruiser as it fell under heavy Separatist fire. Meeting with Secura, a raging inferno ran through the cruiser, and Skywalker sacrificed himself to save the others, severely injuring himself in the process. Tano and Secura dragged Skywalker onto the evacuation frigate, where he was given medical treatment for his injuries. As they prepared to dock with the Resolute, an ambush by several vulture droids caused the ship's hyperdrive to activate, sending them into deep space. After narrowly avoiding an incoming star, they crash-landed on Maridun, where Skywalker was left in the care of Rex, while Secura, Tano, and Bly set out to ask the natives for medical support. Rex defended Skywalker from several vicious mastiff phalones until Tano arrived back with Bly and Lurmen healer Wag Too, before a final confrontation against the vicious attackers.[96]
Soon after their arrival, Separatist forces landed on the planet, and the Lurmen leader Tee Watt Kaa accused the Jedi of bringing the war to their peaceful planet, ordering them to leave immediately. Though they did, the Jedi returned to the Lurmen village after learning about the Separatists' sinister objective—to test their new superweapon, the defoliator, on the Lurmen. The group set up a shield generator to protect the village from the blast of the weapon, as well as from the incoming waves of battle droids. As their shield was destroyed and the defoliator was being reloaded for another shot, Skywalker disabled the weapon before capturing Separatist General Lok Durd. The Jedi then left the planet, now peaceful again, on several Republic cruisers sent by Yularen.[95]
Orto Plutonia
- "...and this is the planet's tropical zone."
"It's not Tatooine, that's for sure." - ―Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, on Orto Plutonia
Skywalker, dressed for Orto Plutonia's cold climate
After losing contact with a Republic outpost on Orto Plutonia, Skywalker, his droids C-3PO and R2-D2, and Kenobi were sent to investigate with a squad of cold assault troopers under the command of Captain Rex, in the company of Pantora Senator Riyo Chuchi and Chairman Chi Cho. Skywalker and Kenobi investigated the outpost following the mysterious death of all its clone troopers, and the two Jedi deduced that all the clones had been killed, but not by battle droids since another nearby Separatist base had also been attacked. Skywalker and Kenobi followed their clues to a nearby canyon, where they found a village inhabited by Talz, who explained that they were only trying to protect their home as translated by C-3PO. Acting as a mediator, Kenobi proposed a peace meeting between the Talz and Chairman Cho, but the latter refused to share the moon with the Talz, and declared war, despite the Jedi's efforts to bring forth peace. As a battle broke out amongst the clone troopers and the Talz, Senator Chuchi convened with the Pantoran Assembly and called Cho out of order. The battle came to an end when Cho was killed, and Chuchi gave a proposal to the Talz to share the moon with them.[97]
Blue Shadow Virus
- "You must move cautiously if you—"
"There's no time for caution. My Padawan is trapped on there, and so is Padmé—I mean, Senator Amidala." - ―Gregar Typho and Anakin Skywalker, much to Kenobi's disapproving look
Upon Amidala's petition to send Skywalker and Kenobi to assist them in locating suspected Separatist presence on Naboo, Skywalker, Kenobi, and Tano arrived to find that Amidala and Binks had gone to investigate the eastern swamps. Sending the young Padawan with Peppi Bow to find them, the two Jedi were informed by Captain Gregar Typho that before losing contact with Amidala, she had informed them of the laboratory's location and of Dr. Nuvo Vindi's intentions to release the dangerous Blue Shadow Virus back into the galaxy. While Tano led an attack on the southern entrance, providing a distraction for Kenobi and Skywalker to enter through the hatches undetected, Skywalker confronted Vindi, who electrified Amidala and Binks to make his escape. After saving the Senator, Skywalker pursued the scientist, capturing him with the help of Peppi Bow and Kenobi on the swamp above.[99]
Skywalker and Kenobi, taunted by Nuvo Vindi
Prepared to transport Vindi to Theed for his trial, they heard an alarm go off below them and Skywalker contacted Tano; she told him that Vindi's servant droid had set off one of the viral bombs, liberating the virus, and that she along with the clones were trapped in the laboratory, just like Amidala was. Once in Theed, Captain Typho told the two Jedi that they had found a possible antidote for the virus, a reeksa root, but that it could only be found on the planet of Iego. Despite Typho's warnings that it was suicide, Skywalker set off alongside Kenobi aboard the Twilight.[98]
Upon arrival, Skywalker and Kenobi were greeted by a group of inoffensive B1-series battle droids that had been reprogrammed to do the bidding of a local boy, Jaybo Hood; he told the Jedi that the planet was protected by a deity known as Drol, who would not let any who arrived on the planet leave again, but also instructed them on how to retrieve the reeksa roots. Though the plant attacked them, they obtained the root and bid farewell to Hood before taking off, only to be forced to turn back after encountering a laser web, the work of the Separatists. On their second attempt, however, they used Hood's reprogrammed vulture droids, and Kenobi managed to shoot the laser generator, liberating the inhabitants of Iego. Skywalker and Kenobi then arrived in time to rescue their friends on Naboo.[98]
Battle of Ryloth
- "It was a trap, Snips. It was not your fault."
"I lost so many of my pilots."
"Take heart, little one. That's the reality of command." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano
Skywalker trying to bolster Tano's confidence
During the Battle of Ryloth, Skywalker gave Tano command of a squadron to fend off Mar Tuuk's blockade to make way for Kenobi's ground assault, encouraging Tano to overcome her nervousness about leading her first squad. However, during the battle, she disobeyed her master's orders and lost many men, for which Skywalker reprimanded her when she arrived back at the Resolute, yet understood her good intentions. Skywalker then reported his losses to Windu and Kenobi. He gave her some time to recover but informed her that they needed to proceed with the attack on the blockade, which upset Tano because he was rushing the plan despite their recent losses. Though he told her to go cool off somewhere, Skywalker had an idea—he evacuated the damaged Defender, which he would pilot by himself into the Ryloth system to distract the Separatists, while he gave Tano full command of the attack operation. By the time Turk realized the ruse, it was too late, for Skywalker had already escaped in an escape pod and let the Defender collide with Tuuk's control ship; though Tuuk escaped, Tano destroyed the Confederate fleet, and Skywalker was rescued from his escape pod.[73]
After Kenobi and his men were able to take out the proton cannons and allow the transports to land,[100] whereas Windu headed for Lessu with his forces, Skywalker and his forces secured the space around Ryloth, forcing the remaining Separatist cruisers to flee. He reported this in a holographic conference with Chancellor Palpatine, Yoda, Admiral Yularen, Senator Orn Free Taa, and Windu. However, Separatist General Wat Tambor soon deployed Hyena-class Droid Bombers to destroy Ryloth's villages and Skywalker engaged them in his interceptor, accompanied by Tano and clones. Before Lessu was destroyed on Count Dooku's orders, Skywalker and Tano shot them down. Subsequently, Tambor was captured, and the Republic was victorious: Ryloth was finally free once more.[101]
Holocron heist
- "This could be a trap, Master. Are you sure you don't need us to go?"
"Of course it's a trap, Skywalker." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu
Republic forces retreating from Felucia
Skywalker and Clone Commander "Wolffe" fought alongside each other during the Battle of Khorm, where the Clone Officer lost his right eye[103] to Ventress.[104] Sometime later,[105] during the First Battle of Felucia, Skywalker, Tano, and Kenobi fought against the Droid Army, but, while Tano was away on a jungle patrol, Skywalker, Kenobi, and their clones were surrounded. However, a Republic fleet[106] commanded by Wolffe[107] was able to break past the Separatist blockade, so Skywalker and the others could be evacuated by Master Plo Koon. However, Tano refused to retreat, and Kenobi and Skywalker went to retrieve her before her forces were overrun by droids. While Skywalker and Tano argued about the retreat, as Tano believed the droids were retreating, she boarded the gunship in time, and the three Jedi watched as her abandoned vehicles were destroyed. Back at the Jedi Temple, Skywalker attempted to take the blame for her disobedience, citing that he had given her more freedom due to her skills. Still, the Council relegated her to guard duty in the Jedi Archives to reflect on what she had done.[106]
When Yoda sensed that thieves would arrive at the Temple, Skywalker, and Kenobi inaccurately deduced that their enemies were after their transmission codes and went to secure them, only to be proven wrong when they located the intruders' position at the ventilation shaft. They were misdirected then to the communication center, where they narrowly escaped an exploding Todo, and realized only too late that Cad Bane had stolen a holocron from the Vault. Furthermore, the bounty hunter that was assisting Bane, Cato Parasitti revealed that Bane's next target was Bolla Ropal, keeper of the Kyber memory crystal, which contained a list of all known Force-sensitive children in the Republic.[106] Skywalker then volunteered himself and Tano to meet with Ropal, arriving in the Devaron system to cut off the Separatist fleet that was assisting Bane, who already had captured Ropal and tortured him to death in a containment field after he defiantly refused to open the holocron.[108]
Skywalker, Tano, and Rex boarded Bane's Munificent-class frigate and stormed its bridge, where R2-D2 accessed the ship's computer to locate Ropal, or rather, Ropal's dead body. After an explosion rocked the ship, the Jedi spotted Bane and chased him into a trap. After a duel with Tano, the bounty hunter took her as a hostage, and Skywalker was forced to bow to Bane's demands and open the holocron. Though he did so, Skywalker also pulled his and Tano's lightsabers to himself and attacked Bane. However, Bane distracted him by opening the airlock on Tano's cell and escaped, while Skywalker saved his Padawan and made their way to the hangar, where troopers had stolen a shuttle the escape the exploding Separatist ship back to the Resolute, not before letting Bane enter, disguised in trooper armor.[108] After landing on the Resolute, Rex later noticed Duros blood in the shuttle, and pursued Bane, who nevertheless managed to escape in a V-19 starfighter. Skywalker and Tano returned to the Jedi Council to report their failure.[102]
Skywalker and Tano rescue Force-sensitive children from Mustafar.
Skywalker, along with Kenobi, Windu, and Yoda, meditated in hope of finding the children that Bane was after before he kidnapped them. Sensing the future, Skywalker and Tano were assigned to Naboo to set a trap for Bane in Jan-gwa city, capturing him as he attempted to kidnap Roo-Roo Page. With the real child safe, the two Jedi took Bane to the Resolute, where Skywalker, Windu, and Kenobi interrogated the bounty hunter with a combined mind trick; exhausted, Bane gave them coordinates that Kenobi and Windu were to follow, while Skywalker reported the details to Palpatine on Coruscant. Soon, however, he reunited with his Padawan and R2-D2 and began to examine Bane's Starfighter, from which Skywalker and Tano deduced from the ashes on it and its refueling record that Bane had been to Mustafar. With nothing else to do, the Jedi pair left on the Twilight for the planet, where they found the children. Though one of the droids set the building to be destroyed in the lava on Sidious's orders, Skywalker and Tano saved the children and returned to Coruscant. Skywalker admitted to the Council that they were unable to find out who was behind the kidnappings, to which Yoda advised caution on the path ahead.[102]
Battle of Felucia
- "That's it. We'll just train the villagers to defend themselves."
"But we are just simple farmers. Why are we paying bounty hunters to defend us if we're just going to end up doing it ourselves? Hush."
"Trust me. We'll have you ready." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Dilanni
Skywalker and Kenobi helping bounty hunters on Felucia
On a mission to investigate the disappearance of Felucia Medical Station HCTFF2 that was orbiting over Felucia, their shuttle was attacked by a group of six vulture droids deployed from an automated deployment station, forcing them to crash-land on Felucia. Trapped on the planet, they came across a nysillin farm village after searching around for a while. They soon realized that the Felucian villagers were being protected by a group of bounty hunters led by Sugi—Embo, Rumi Paramita, and Seripas. The village elder,[109] Casiss Midagatis,[5] explained to the Jedi trio that they had hired the bounty hunters because pirates had been taking their crops. After some debate amongst them, Skywalker, Kenobi, and Tano decided to help the farmers to defend themselves.[109]
That night they were visited by the pirates, Hondo Onaka's gang, familiar to Skywalker and Kenobi. Ohnaka then told the group that he would be back, but by then Skywalker had taught the Felucians how to fight with staffs—though slow at first, they eventually picked up the craft. After a few days, the Ohnaka Gang returned as promised, and a skirmish ensued between the factions. During the confrontation, Skywalker dueled Ohnaka and his electrostaff, leaving him hanging off a cliff and begging for mercy, to which the Jedi Knight pulled him up and Ohnaka realized that their efforts were no longer profitable, leaving on his ship. Alongside the bounty hunters, the Jedi themselves left soon after as well, to reach the closest Republic outpost.[109]
The Zillo Beast
- "Well, you made the right choice. We got the fuel and you saved your creature. And now, he will be safe."
"Let's hope we could say the same about Coruscant." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu
Skywalker and R2-D2 fleeing from the Zillo Beast
During the lengthy campaign on Malastare, Skywalker discussed with Palpatine, who contacted them via hologram, and Windu the effects of the new electro-proton bomb, just as the Separatist Droid Army prepared a new attack—with the Republic expecting to successfully defend the Dugs and secure a treaty for their fuel. Though exceedingly effective, the bomb created a crater, which Windu went to investigate whereas Skywalker was to ensure the treaty with Doge Urus, only to be called by Windu to assist him with the scouting. The two soon discovered a gigantic creature whose armored skin was impervious even to lightsabers, the Zillo Beast, from which they fled, only to be told by Urus that they wanted it killed, even though it was previously thought to be extinct. With the use of RX-200 Falchion-class assault tanks, the Republic forces put the creature to sleep, convincing the Dugs that it was dead. With the treaty signed and Malastare now a member of the Republic, Palpatine ordered that the beast be shipped to Coruscant for study, despite Windu's objections.[110]
After the Zillo Beast was brought to the Republic capital, Kenobi and Amidala asked Skywalker to speak with Palpatine about the fate of the creature; reluctantly, he agreed. When both he and Amidala met with the Chancellor, Palpatine and the Vice Chair Mas Amedda tried to justify that killing the beast was for the greater good—Amidala objected to their claims, but Skywalker chose to stay neutral, instead of opposing either his wife, Amidala, or his friend, Palpatine. Although Palpatine claimed that he wished to kill the beast, he in fact wanted to research it as he was intrigued by the durability of the Zillo beast's armor. However, the beast escaped from captivity in Dr. Boll's laboratory and directly targeted the Chancellor himself for his attempts to kill it. Cornered by the beast, Skywalker and the others evacuated his office on his executive shuttle, only for the beast to grab it upon take-off. They were freed when Skywalker sliced the shuttle in half, causing everyone to fall out of the shuttle, with Skywalker saving Amidala from falling from the Senate Building's roof. The Beast was ultimately killed when gunships fired gas at its mouth on Palpatine's orders.[111]
No end in sight
Another mission to Cato Neimoidia
- "Wait. Now give me back my disk."
"Don't worry, Clovis. It's good to know you have a heart. I wish I could give you the disk, but I have a lot of faith in your survival skills." - ―Rush Clovis and Anakin Skywalker
Skywalker holding his poisoned wife, as Rush Clovis demands the antidote
Even as the Clone Wars continued with no end in sight,[113] Skywalker was allowed a leave after a long tour of duty. After returning home to his wife's apartment for a romantic evening, Skywalker was recalled to the Temple by the Jedi Council. Believing Senator Rush Clovis to be a Separatist supporter, they decided they needed a spy—in this case, Senator Amidala, of whom Clovis was an old friend. The next day, Skywalker met Amidala in the Senate and asked her about Clovis, who initially refused to do it until she heard that Clovis could be a Separatist. Skywalker accompanied her to the Jedi Council, where the Masters encouraged her to find out about his possible treachery. After learning that he was planning to go to Cato Neimoidia, Skywalker dressed as the pilot of Padmé's starship and took them there, all the while frustrating Clovis's attempts to get closer to his wife.[112]
During the mission, Skywalker and R2-D2 waited for Amidala to give them a signal; when she did, Skywalker sneaked into her quarters, where he saw Amidala and Clovis embracing. Though it prompted a surge of anger and jealousy in Skywalker, she discretely showed him the disk she had stolen from Clovis and gave it to Skywalker, after which the Jedi retreated. It was soon after that the poison that Amidala had been given by Lott Dod began to set in, and she passed out. After Dod revealed to Clovis she was a spy, he helped Skywalker take her back to their ship, back to Coruscant, and forced Dod to give him the antidote, only for Skywalker to leave Clovis behind, stranded on the planet.[112]
Second Battle of Geonosis
- "I knew they were still alive. I told you not to give up on them."
"It's not that I gave up, Skywalker, but unlike you, when the time comes, I am prepared to let my student go. Can you say the same?" - ―Anakin Skywalker and Luminara Unduli
Planning the second battle of Geonosis
Immediately after routing Separatists near Dorin, Skywalker and Tano were sent to participate in the Second Battle of Geonosis, alongside Kenobi and Ki-Adi-Mundi, as the Republic returned to destroy the Geonosian primary droid factory. Intending to make a three-pronged attack against the shield generator, Skywalker, Tano, and the 501st Legion set out to attack the Separatist defense lines from the south to reach the rendezvous point—with only Kenobi's forces arriving at the landing zone, as both Mundi's and Skywalker's transports were shot down and forced to make their way to Kenobi's position by foot. Though they encountered resistance, Skywalker's team met up with Mundi's forces. After contacting Yularen to deploy a squadron of BTL-B Y-wings to help them, they reunited with Kenobi and his company, where they planned the assault on the shield generator.[113]
They then improvised on their plan; leading the charge, Skywalker and Tano disabled the enemy cannons with EMP grenades, enabling the AT-TEs to destroy the shield generator; as the gunships arrived, the Geonosians in the area surrendered. Though Mundi and Kenobi left for medical treatment,[113] the Republic forces continued pushing towards the massive droid foundry, and Skywalker and Tano were joined by Luminara Unduli and her Padawan, Barriss Offee, who met as Skywalker and Tano angrily discussed Skywalker's lack of trust in Tano's dependability. As Offee and Tano were sent into the Geonosian catacombs under the factory to plant explosives, Unduli realized that Skywalker was unable to let go of Tano and put her at risk, rather than distrusting her. Nevertheless, the two Jedi generals went onto distracting the droid army by marching straight to the factory and engage the enemy.[114]
As Poggle the Lesser had his super tanks deployed, Skywalker and Luminara left their men behind and destroyed the bridge, only to learn that their Padawans had not returned yet. Cornered by droids coming from the factory, Skywalker was contacted by Tano and she apologized, uncertain that she and Offee would survive their ordeal, before using a super tank to destroy the factory. Refusing to let his Padawan die, Skywalker ordered to have them found; Unduli, however, told him that he needed to let go of his attachment to her if she were to be dead. Fortunately for them, Skywalker was contacted by Tano; after locating them, they rescued the two Padawans.[114]
Skywalker and Luminara Unduli escaping from Karina's brainless servants
Sending Tano and Offee to recover out of the battlefield, Kenobi and Mundi returned to join in the clean-up of Separatist forces. For her part, Unduli left in search of Poggle before he could escape, when a sandstorm broke out. Forced to wait until the storm lifted after her last contact, Skywalker and Kenobi went to Unduli's last known location, the Progate Temple. Entering the catacombs below, not only they discovered undead Geonosian warriors, they also encountered the captive Unduli, Poggle, and the Geonosian Queen, Karina the Great. Setting up their men to surround the Queen and her brethren, Skywalker and Kenobi tried to negotiate with Karina, for Kenobi wanted to know how the undead warriors were created. After discovering her use of parasitic brain worms), they freed Unduli, captured Poggle and fled from the Queen, with Rex and Cody burying the Queen in her lair.[115]
With Poggle in Republic custody, the four Jedi generals prepared to deliver him to Coruscant, while they sent Tano and Offee on a mission to transport medical supplies from a medical station near Ord Cestus to Mace Windu on Dantooine. Unbeknownst to them, one of the troopers, Scythe, was infected with one of the Queen's brain worms and boarded their Pelta-class frigate, the TB-73, forcing the two Padawans to fend off the infected clones. When the ship failed to report in as scheduled, Skywalker believed there to have been a complication, and was proven right when Tano contacted him to tell him about the situation.[116]
Skywalker, choking Poggle the Lesser during interrogation
Angered, Skywalker went to Poggle's cell on his own and told the guard troopers to leave them alone. He demanded that Poggle answer his questions with a mind trick, but the archduke informed him that it would have no effect on a Geonosian like him. It was then that Skywalker resorted to physical violence, attacking the captive Geonosian; with Poggle still unwilling to talk, Skywalker gave in to his anger and began to Force choke him. Only then did Poggle tell the Jedi Knight, through a translator droid, that the worms were affected by the cold. Skywalker relayed this information to his Padawan, telling her through her comlink to rupture the cooling system. Thanks to his advice, Tano was able to defeat the worms as they reached the medical station. Skywalker rushed to her encounter, where he consoled Tano on her doubts about sparing her friend's life.[116]
Saleucami
- "Where there is Kenobi, you will always find Skywalker not far behind."
- ―Grievous
Following the capture of Jedi Master Eeth Koth in the Outer Rim, General Grievous sent a holo-transmission to the Jedi Council, in which Grievous stated that he did not care about the Jedi's politics, nor their Republic, concluding that he lived only to see them all die. As Kenobi decoded Koth's hand signals that told them of their location at the Saleucami system, Skywalker, Kenobi, and Adi Gallia were dispatched on a mission to rescue him. As a distraction, Admiral Yularen and Kenobi engaged Grievous's forces over Saleucami, with Kenobi allowing the Surrogator to be boarded by Grievous. Discreetly, Skywalker, Gallia, Rex, and a group of clone troopers would execute a hyperspace jump into the system in an ambassador shuttle that would bring them right alongside Grievous's cruiser.[117]
Skywalker and Adi Gallia fighting droid commandos
Once they boarded it, Skywalker and Gallia made their way to the stern of the cruiser, where they encountered a T-series tactical droid with a group of BX-series droid commandos. The two Jedi destroyed all the droids and rescued Koth, with Skywalker taking the injured Koth back to the shuttle. When Kenobi reported that Grievous had defeated him and escaped, Gallia left them to help Kenobi flank Grievous and capture him once and for all. Unsuccessful in their endeavor, Skywalker picked the two up at the hangar with their shuttle, only to leave for the Resolute,[117] where he waited while Kenobi conducted a search mission for Grievous on the planet below alongside Cody, Rex, and other troopers.[118]
Sometime later, Skywalker and his Padawan spearheaded a mission to Coruscant's underworld to apprehend Car Affa, an arms dealer selling Republic weapons to the Separatists. When they arrived at a cantina where Affa was hiding, Skywalker instructed Tano to wait outside while he apprehended the fugitive. The confrontation, however, caused a crowd to leave the bar at once—during which Tano lost her lightsaber, which prompted her to seek the help of Jedi Master Tera Sinube when they went back to the Temple, as she did not want Skywalker to find out she had lost her weapon.[119]
Mandalore
- "What will you do? If you shoot me, you prove yourself a hypocrite to every pacifist ideal you hold dear. And you, Kenobi, you are no stranger to violence. You'd be hailed as a hero by everyone on this ship— Almost everyone. Come on, then. Who will strike first and brand themselves a cold-blooded killer?"
- ―Tal Merrik, to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine Kryze, before being killed by Skywalker
Skywalker engaging an assassin probe
Following allegations that Mandalore had allied with the Separatists, and Kenobi was sent to the planet to speak to his old friend, Duchess Satine Kryze, Skywalker joined them to escort the Duchess on her journey to Coruscant aboard the Coronet.[121] On the ship, Skywalker and Kenobi told their men to be on alert, when Kryze requested their presence before her, and Skywalker correctly surmised that Kenobi had strong feelings for her just as his former master told him of their past together. When R2-D2 picked up readings in the cargo hold, the two generals were informed by Rex, and Skywalker went to investigate—only to be attacked by assassin probes. After destroying two of them, Skywalker informed Kenobi that there might be a traitor on board the ship, and Skywalker returned to sweep the hold in search of more.[120]
After Kenobi lured the traitor out, Tal Merrik, and Skywalker destroyed another probe, he helped search the Coronet for Merrik and Kryze, now his hostage, until several B2 super battle droids sent by the Death Watch boarded the ship. Leaving Kenobi to save his "girlfriend," he destroyed the droids and then went to find Kenobi, who like Kryze, hesitated to kill Merrik; Skywalker, however, had no such compunctions and impaled Merrik, branding himself a "cold-blooded killer," to retrieve the Senator's detonator before he could destroy the ship. With no further complications, they arrived at Coruscant; as Kryze complimented Kenobi, Skywalker noted that she was quite the remarkable woman.[120] Following the Mandalore Defense Resolution, Skywalker and Kenobi escorted Amidala to a meeting with the Chancellor in which he thanked her, but also apologized to Kryze, before leaving Kenobi and Kryze alone.[122]
Trapped on Vanqor
- "That kid destroyed an entire cruiser trying to get to you, and you're just gonna let it go?"
"Is there something else I should be doing, Skywalker?"
"How about tracking him down?"
"So I should behave as this child does. I should seek revenge."
"No. How is it revenge if you stop this kid and bring him to justice?" - ―Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu, on Boba Fett
Preparing to rendezvous with a Republic frigate, Skywalker and Mace Windu traveled aboard the Endurance, on which they greeted a squad of clone cadets, with an infiltrated Boba Fett among them. After Fett sabotaged the ship and everyone had to evacuate in escape pods, including himself before being rescued by Bossk and Aurra Sing on the Slave I, Skywalker and Windu rescued the missing cadets' damaged pod.[124] As the survivors were being transferred to medical frigate, the two went to the Endurance's crash site, where they searched for Admiral Kilian and any other survivors. As the bridge appeared relatively intact, they resolved to enter the wreckage, even with R2-D2's misgivings, which prompted Windu to chastise Skywalker for encouraging individuality in his astromech.[125]
Skywalker approaching Jango Fett's explosive-rigged helmet
Leaving R2-D2 and R8-B7 to scan for life forms, Skywalker and Windu entered the bridge to find the survivors executed, with Skywalker noticing a Mandalorian helmet. With Windu correctly surmising that it was bait set by Boba Fett, he saved Skywalker from taking the full brunt of the explosion set off by touching the helmet. Now trapped under the rubble, the wounded Skywalker and the unconscious Windu were soon found by R2-D2, whom Skywalker told to call the Temple for help. As they waited for the astromech to come back, Windu told Skywalker why Fett wanted him dead: he sought revenge for killing his father, Jango, during the first battle of Geonosis.[125]
As the Endurance began to collapse, they were rescued by Tano, Plo Koon, and a clone squad, thanks to R2-D2 delivering the message at the Temple itself.[125] After spending time in a bacta tank at the Temple, Skywalker urged Windu to track Fett down and bring him to justice. The Jedi Master did not agree, until Koon and Tano showed them a message from Fett and Sing, with hostages—one of them, Ponds, killed in cold blood by Sing. Though Windu decided to go, Koon said that he would take the mission, alongside Tano, since both Windu and Skywalker were still recovering from their injuries.[123] As they arrived on Coruscant with Bossk and Fett in custody, Skywalker was present as Fett apologized for causing so much destruction, but claimed he would never forgive Windu for killing his father,[123] before they were taken away to the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center.[126]
Balith
- "I hope this assignment was not too boring for you."
"Ah, it had its moments."
"Huh, like the one where you convinced untrained children to help you overthrow a corrupt government?"
"That was a highlight."
"It sounds pretty risky. You're lucky you didn't get hurt."
"Nothing you wouldn't have done." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano
Skywalker and Tano are received on Mandalore
Following his wife's mission to discover a conspiracy on Mandalore,[128] Skywalker and Captain Rex escorted Tano to her solo mission on Mandalore to instruct cadets at the Royal Academy of Government at the behest of Duchess Kryze and the Jedi Council. Upon their arrival at Sundari, Skywalker presented Tano to the Duchess and Prime Minister Almec. Before leaving to join with Kit Fisto, Skywalker took his Padawan's lightsaber to respect Mandalore's laws. After Tano exposed Almec's black market operation, Skywalker reunited with his Padawan, to whom he returned her lightsaber.[127]
Back in the Jedi Temple, the Jedi Council congratulated Tano on her courage and strength, but also ordered Skywalker to command the Third Legion on Balith to give assistance in their civil war. Told by the Council to stay behind so she could give them her full report, Tano pleaded to Skywalker to let her come along, but he told her that she should use this time in the library to prove him wrong about his assertion that she learned more on the battlefield than in the Temple, before leaving for Balith with Rex.[129]
Skywalker returned to Coruscant to greet, along with Yoda, his Padawan, Amidala, and Bail Organa after the Alderaan Refugee Conference, during which Tano captured Aurra Sing. Wondering who would pay for Amidala's assassination, Yoda had Tano use her improved precognitive abilities to find out who was behind the assassination attempt. With her description, Amidala realized who it was—Ziro the Hutt. Skywalker and his Padawan then went to the Judiciary Detention Center to question Ziro, who was tricked by Tano into confessing that he had hired Sing for the job. Satisfied, Skywalker and his Padawan then left the Hutt to his misery.[129]
Battle of Kamino
- "I suppose you expect me to surrender."
"Actually, I plan to let the clones execute you. Right now."
"Not this time." - ―Asajj Ventress and Anakin Skywalker
Skywalker against Asajj Ventress on Kamino
Forewarned by the destruction of Rishi Station[88] and an intercepted transmission between Asajj Ventress and General Grievous, Skywalker and Kenobi traveled to Kamino to warn Shaak Ti and Prime Minister Lama Su of an upcoming Separatist attack, with Rex, Cody, Echo, Fives, and the rest of the 501st Legion in their company. Shortly, Grievous's fleet arrived and Skywalker led the Republic space forces, scoring several serious hits against the enemy. On the planet below, Tipoca City was attacked by Trident-class assault ship and AQ-series battle droids, prompting Kenobi to recall Skywalker to the city. Soon after returning, Skywalker engaged Ventress, who had stolen the prime DNA sample of the clones' template, Jango Fett. With the aid of clone trooper platoon, Skywalker recovered the sample from Ventress, but she, like Grievous, managed to escape yet again.[130]
The blockade of Pantora
- "Should you really proceed without the Council's approval?"
"We do it all the time. Don't we, Snips?"
"Yup." - ―Amidala, Skywalker and Tano discuss the kidnapping of Papanoida's daughters
Skywalker was later informed by his apprentice that Pantora Chairman Papanoida's daughters had been kidnapped. Knowing that the Jedi could not get officially involved, he slyly gave her permission to rescue them due to "personal concerns"; this turned out to be successful, with both daughters being safely returned to their father.[131]
Senate crisis
- "Young Skywalker… Not so impressive without your lightsaber, are you, Jedi?"
- ―Cad Bane to an unconscious Skywalker
Skywalker, trying to ease his wife's mind
Supposed to be on a meditative retreat,[52] Skywalker spent some time with his wife on her apartment, observing as Amidala anxiously arranged a party for Senator Aang, who held the deciding vote on the Military Oversight Committee. Skywalker tried to ease her mind, telling her that the party would work out and that she should relax, when they saw C-3PO being fuzzy about the arrangements. At Amidala's request, Skywalker sent the protocol droid and R2-D2 to buy the jogan fruit that the latter had forgotten to buy for Aang's favorite dessert, jogan fruitcake. Although they were delayed, Amidala nevertheless hosted the party all the same, with her and Skywalker waiting for the two droids to come back—who did so just in time to present the cake to Senator Aang.[132]
Not too long after, Skywalker went to the Senate Building to convince Amidala to go away together for two weeks, to a faraway place where no one would recognize them, so that they could actually be husband and wife, instead of Senator and Jedi. Amidala, however, rejected the idea, for she was preparing an important bill for the Senate. Skywalker retorted that the bill seemed more important than their love, but Amidala countered that it was not, just that they both lived to serve the Republic. However, Skywalker stated that there was nothing more important than the way he felt about her, and proved it by giving Amidala his lightsaber, which, Kenobi had told him once, was his "life." Though she believed he was teasing her, Skywalker was sincere about his feelings, and the two shared a kiss.[52]
Amidala, using Skywalker's lightsaber to free him
They were soon interrupted by C-3PO and Senator Organa's voices, prompting Skywalker to hide under her desk and Amidala to hide his lightsaber in her sleeve. As she went to the lobby to attend a meeting about the Enhanced Privacy Invasion Bill, only to be taken hostage along with several other Senators by Cad Bane and his team. Following her, Skywalker saw the situation, when Bane spotted him and sent his henchmen to capture him, but Skywalker avoided them long enough to contact Palpatine and defeat an IG-86 sentinel droid empty-handed, before being shocked into unconsciousness by Robonino and Aurra Sing and brought before the Senators. After the bounty hunters planted bombs that would go off if their laser detectors were triggered and left the building, Skywalker woke up and Amidala returned his lightsaber. He then used it to cut a hole in the floor, dropping all the senators one floor down into safety, just before Bane triggered the bombs and escaped alongside the now-freed Ziro.[52]
Meeting Madam Synata
- "I'm still not convinced this trip is a good idea, Anakin..."
- ―Padmé Amidala
Skywalker and Amidala meet Risha Synata.
Following the crisis, Skywalker went with Amidala to Caamas to board legendary actress Madam Risha Synata's private ship. However, they were late to see Madam Synata's play about Darth Krist-Ov. After they arrived, Skywalker and Amidala met Synata. Skywalker agreed to see her museum, despite Amidala's reluctance. Skywalker took Amidala to her room. The next day, Skywalker and Amidala went to the museum. There, Skywalker and Amidala saw a display of Varykino,[133] where they exchanged their vows.[12] Skywalker and Amidala came under attack by several robots from the displays. Skywalker fought them off and helped Amidala escape them. Skywalker and Amidala then discovered a Separatist banner and a hologram of Count Dooku.[133]
Skywalker and Amidala discovered that Synata was collaborating with Dooku and the Separatists. Skywalker then took one of the Separatist agents while Amidala discovered a list of anti-Separatist senators. Skywalker and Amidala discovered that along with Amidala, Synata planned to kill them with Dioxis gas. Skywalker and Amidala fought several LEP servant droids to stop Synata from killing the senators. With assistance from R2-D2, Skywalker and Amidala reached the theater.[134]
Skywalker defeats Synata.
As Amidala told the audience to run, Skywalker borrowed a mask and helmet from an actor before confronting Synata, who had her own lightsaber. Skywalker fought Synata until he held her at the end of his lightsaber. Skywalker and Amidala then reported their trip to the Jedi Council.[134]
Intense training
- "Look, I know this is tough, but…[sigh]…I want it to be difficult. This is about life and death. And as your master, I'm responsible for you. The best way I can protect you is to teach you how to protect yourself."
- ―Anakin Skywalker, to Ahsoka Tano
Skywalker and Tano talking after her training session.
After arriving late to one of Tano's training sessions, Skywalker became frustrated with the simplicity of the exercises. In turn, he told her to meet with him later for an actual training session. Later, Skywalker took Tano to an isolated area with Rex and the 501st. He then had the clones surround Tano and fire stun bolts at her. The sessions continued for hours until Tano told Skywalker that the battle droids weren't nearly as good as the clones. Skywalker explained that this was the point and that he wanted her training to be difficult so that she would know how to protect herself. Tano would continue the sessions with Rex and the 501st throughout the war.[135] Sometime later, Skywalker was sparring with Tano, teaching her how to fight with two lightsabers. She struggled to consciously utilize the other lightsaber, but Skywalker reassured her. When Master Yoda entered to spar with her, Skywalker watched as she struggled against Yoda, but ultimately learned how to use Jar'Kai more effectively.[136]
Unexpected Company
Skywalker, Amidala, and the univited Tano during the Mission to Alderaan.
Sometime later, Skywalker was assigned to a mission with Amidala to Alderaan. It took Skywalker a lot of work to get the mission with her, but they were both happy to spend some time alone together. That is until, Tano ran up to them, saying that she was encouraged help with the mission by Kenobi. They all get on a T-6 shuttle, where Skywalker charted a shorter course in order to speed up the mission. Tano warned him that the Separatist fleet was spotted on that flight path, and that they shouldn't take it. It was too late, however, and Skywalker's ship exited hyperspace in the midst of the fleet. Skywalker took control and tried to maneuver around oncoming fire, while Amidala and Tano took control of the laser turrets. Despite their best efforts, stray laser fire hit Amidala's side of the ship. Skywalker jumped to protect Amidala, which resulted in them embracing in a hug. Tano was able to take control of the ship and jumped into hyperspace. Upon their arrival on Alderaan, Skywalker told her that he was glad she came. Amidala mentioned that her and Skywalker made a good team, with Tano returning the compliment.[137]
Trouble with Tomarian
The showman Tomarian later requested Skywalker as a Jedi escort for his Annual Festival of Light Gala. Skywalker thought that there would be an actual threat at the event, but in actuality Tomarian had requested him to impress his guests. Skywalker was then surprised to see Senator Amidala dressed up for the occasion. They both talked, glad to see eachother. Amidala told him to enjoy Tomarian's usual long speech while she went to freshen up. Skywalker, along with Tomarian, walked into the theater where the gala was being held. Suddenly, the room went dark and Skywalker ignited his saber. He asked Tomarian if this was apart of the show, to which he answered no and put on a gas mask. Skywalker, along with everyone else, fell unconscious as the room filled with a noxious gas.[138]
Skywalker and Amidala finding each other during the attack on the 17th Annual Festival of Light Gala.
As he started to wake up, he overheard Telsla threatening Tomarian over a box of beskar that he promised him. Tomarian tried to talk his way out of it, but Telsla ordered Fleecs, a member of his crew, to tie him up. Telsla then set off a bomb in the venue, the commotion allowing Skywalker to escape unnoticed.[138] He managed to catch up with Amidala, who had escaped the gas attack and stolen a blaster from one of Telsla's goons. H e snuck behind her, scaring her, before he offered to get her out of there. She denied his request as she didn't want to leave anyone in the building behind. After they argued they agreed to hide in the scaffolding to come up with a plan. Amidala tried to contact "Checker", who was unresponsive. As more explosives went off, she tried to contact him again, but there was massive feedback that revealed their position. They fought off Telsla, causing him to flee. They jumped down and killed Fleecs before chasing after Telsla. Just as Telsla was about to blow up the music hall where most of the guests were, Skywalker stopped him. He bargained with Telsla, saying that he would make Tomarian talk in exchange for one bar of beskar. Meanwhile, Amidala snuck up behind Telsla and pressed her blaster against his back. He swung at her, dropping the explosive detonator. Checker was able to catch it, and Amidala confidently placed Telsla under arrest, making Skywalker fall in love with her a little more. After everyone had woken up, Skywalker complimented the senator on her performance. Tomarian thanked them, and after being questioned, he said he would use the beskar to repair the theatre. After Skywalker glared at him, he backtracked and also said he would donate a lot of it to charity. Amidala wished him luck, and Skywalker asked her out for dinner, to which the senator agreed.[139]
Jedi Ceremony
Skywalker looking at Tano's new padawan braid extensions.
One day, Skywalker was waiting with Master Yoda in the Jedi temple grounds for Tano. Once she arrived, Skywalker reprimanded her for being late, but Yoda praised her for helping out and proceeded to extend her Padawan braid.[140] Following a debate in the senate about a financial reform bill, Skywalker was asked by Amidala to persuade the Jedi Council to speak with Palpatine about denying the continuation of the war. Skywalker allowed Tano to go with Amidala in order for her to learn more about politics. After an apparent Separatist attack, Skywalker confronted his apprentice about her and Amidala's meeting with Onderon's senator Mina Bonteri on Raxus Secundus and how foolish it was. Despite that, Skywalker's apprentice learned that politics were not as black and white as she had previously thought.[141]
Dathomirian threat
- "Warrior-like men, witches—this place has all kinds of fun."
- ―Anakin Skywalker to Obi-Wan Kenobi, on Dathomir
Skywalker and Kenobi commanded Republic forces in a battle against Asajj Ventress's fleet in the Sullust system. Directly participating in the battle with their starfighters, Kenobi was singled out and attacked by Ventress, whose Ginivex-class fanblade starfighter was, in turn, disabled by Skywalker. As Kenobi and Ventress crashed in the hangar of the Separatist command ship, Skywalker soon landed to assist his former master; together, the two Jedi engage Ventress in a duel. They were interrupted, however, by the destruction of the ship, secretly ordered by Count Dooku. The two Jedi fled in their interceptors, presuming Ventress to be doomed.[143]
Skywalker and Kenobi, about to face Savage Opress on Toydaria
After the massacre on Devaron,[144] Skywalker and Kenobi were sent to Dathomir, as footage had shown the Council of a Dathomirian's role during the attack on Devaron. Once on Dathomir, they made their way to a village, where they were ambushed by the Nightbrothers until Skywalker took their leader hostage; the Zabrak then told the Jedi that a Nightsister had taken one of them to their fortress, prompting the Jedi to go there. Skywalker and Kenobi questioned Mother Talzin, who told them his name—Savage Opress—and whereabouts. The two Jedi then headed to Toydaria where they confronted Opress, but failed to stop him from killing King Katuunko. Using the king's ship as theirs was destroyed, Skywalker and Kenobi caught up with their target on Dooku's Separatist flagship; however, Opress managed to overpower them, forcing the two to retreat and leave the ship.[142]
Killing a defector
- "Master, I didn't mean to--"
"It's all right, Anakin. You did nothing wrong."
"Don't…hold it against me, boy. It merely seemed…the quickest way back…to the sunrise…" - ―Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mekedrix
Following their encounter with Opress, Skywalker and Kenobi were called away from a blockade at Herdessa to meet with Yularen. The admiral informed them that Mekedrix had gone missing. In addition, an execution squad known as the Death Wind had been striking at Republic and Separatist targets. The group's namesake, the Death Wind Corridor also passed by Mekedrix's home planet of Roon, creating a possible link. Yularen went on to say that the Death Wind may have taken up a covert position on Ando. As such, Skywalker and Kenobi were to locate the Death Wind and kill Mekedrix if he was involved with them. Skywalker initially refused, believing that killing a potential ally would make the Jedi like the Separatists. Kenobi assured Skywalker that they would attempt to find a peaceful solution before they departed for Ando. After arriving on the planet and pushing through the local swamplands, the Jedi came upon empty sets of clone armor being used as effigies. Upon reaching the terminus of a river, they discovered an outpost built from the ruins of a Sith temple. They were then met by the Death Wind, who allowed the Jedi to see their leader in exchange for their lightsabers. Entering the outpost, Skywalker and Kenobi came upon Mekedrix, seated on a throne and wielding a sword. Mekedrix claimed he had saved his victims by showing them the truth; that the purpose of existence was to kill and die. When Mekedrix revealed that his sword was made from the bones of a clone trooper, Kenobi asked him what the clone's name was. Kenobi went on to claim that life gave the galaxy meaning and that death had no use for a sunrise, a name, a home or a friend. Mekedrix then lunged at Kenobi, but Skywalker retrieved his lightsaber and stabbed Mekedrix through the chest. Skywalker expressed regret over killing him, but Mekedrix assured that this was the quickest way back to the sunrise before he passed away.[145]
Personal and wartime conflicts
The Destiny of the Chosen One
- "You are the Chosen One. You have brought balance to this world. Stay on this path and you will do it again… for the galaxy. But beware… your heart…"
- ―The Father's last words, to Anakin Skywalker
The figure of his mother, Shmi, appearing before him on Mortis
When the Jedi Council received a 2,000-year-old Jedi distress signal, Skywalker, along with Kenobi and Tano, were sent by the High Council to the Chrelythiumn system, where they were supposed to meet up with Captain Rex and an armed cruiser. Though they both made it to the rendezvous point, neither Rex's nor the Jedi's ship could see each other. In fact, the Jedi's ship was guided to a mysterious planet, Mortis, where they met by a mysterious figure called the Daughter, who asked Skywalker if he was "the one" and who wanted to lead them to the Father, when Skywalker was separated from Kenobi and Tano, and the Daughter.[65]
Skywalker tried to follow her, only to reach the monastery, where he met the Father and was given shelter for the night. As he tried to sleep, the figure of his mother, Shmi, appeared before him and encouraged him to tell her of his pain and guilt—that he was too late to save her, and that he had failed as a Jedi and that he had failed her, having tasted only vengeance when he slaughtered so many to avenge her death. But, as he mentioned his wife, who he claimed was "everything" to him, the figure finally revealed itself to be the Son, briefly assuming a monstrous appearance before disappearing.[65]
Skywalker, proving himself to be the Chosen One
Shaken by the encounter, he confronted the Father, who told of his family's history, and wondered if he was truly the Chosen One. Though Skywalker dismissed the prophecy as a myth, the Father arranged a test to see whether the Jedi Knight was fit to fulfill his destiny. Ordering his children to kill Tano and Kenobi, the Father goaded Skywalker into choosing between his master and his apprentice, but Skywalker instead controlled the two beings, bringing them to their knees. Having proved himself to be the Chosen One, the Father pleaded with him to stay, but Skywalker refused, leaving with Tano and Kenobi on their shuttle.[65]
They were interrupted when the Son kidnapped Tano, prompting Skywalker to pursue him, at the cost of damaging their ship near Son's cathedral. Despite Kenobi's reservations, Skywalker went after his Padawan and climbed the tower to find Tano, corrupted by the dark side. Skywalker fought her, soon to be joined by Kenobi, only to be interrupted by the Father's arrival. Kenobi tried to hand Skywalker the Dagger of Mortis, but Tano grabbed it and gave it to the Son, who killed her, for she was no longer useful; the dark side user then mortally wounded his sister as she stepped in to save her Father. Skywalker begged the Father to save Tano, and the dying Daughter used Skywalker as a conduit to channel the last of her life force into Tano, resurrecting her. The Father told them to leave the planet before the Son used their ship to do so.[146]
Skywalker's vision of his future self, consumed by the dark side
The ship's repairs forced them to stay a bit longer, though, and Skywalker went to the Father for guidance. On their meeting, the Father was determined to kill Son, but refused Skywalker's offer of aid, telling the Jedi Knight to look inside himself for the answer for what was to be done. Leaving him, Skywalker encountered the Force spirit of his first mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn. Though Skywalker sought his advice, Jinn advised him to remember his training and trust his instincts, and to go to the Well of the Dark Side to face his most personal challenge. There, the Son forced Skywalker to confront his future, one consumed by the dark side. Horrified, Skywalker submitted to the Son as he promised him the power to avert this destiny. Soon, Kenobi arrived, and Skywalker left him trapped at the well, claiming to have seen the truth—that it was the Jedi who would stand in the way of peace.[36]
Skywalker arrived as his Padawan disabled the ship and went to rescue Kenobi, while the Son went to steal the Dagger. As Skywalker waited, the Father appeared before him and recognized that his son had broken the rules of time; he wiped Skywalker's memory of these future visions, leaving him unconscious, and brought him to his monastery. Skywalker awoke to find the Father, Kenobi, and Tano, moments before the Son arrived with the Dagger. To end the conflict, the Father impaled himself to distract his Son, while Skywalker killed the Son with his lightsaber. As the Father also died, he warned Skywalker to be wary of his feelings as they could lead to his downfall. As was noted by the Father,[36] Skywalker had brought balance to the Force[5] on Mortis through the deaths of the Force wielders, and he still had a chance to do so for the full galaxy.[36]
After the Father's death, the three Jedi were transplanted back to the galaxy to finally rendezvous with Rex. Surprised to learn that, to Rex and the others, they had only been gone for a moment, they returned to the Star Destroyer.[36] They would later report this encounter to the Council, with Skywalker even mentioning that he had spoken with Jinn to Yoda. Even though Skywalker was not entirely convinced, they came to believe it had merely been an illusion of the old mentor.[147] In reality, it had truly been the spirit of Jinn.[148]
The Citadel
- "I'm not sure what to think of your new ally."
"Well, I think we need people like him. This is a war. If we aren't willing to do what it takes to win, we risk losing everything we try to protect." - ―Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, on Wilhuff Tarkin
More than one year and nine months into the war,[150] following the capture of Jedi Council member Even Piell by the Separatists, Skywalker and Kenobi were briefed by Master Plo Koon and sent along with their team—which included Rex, Cody, Echo, and Fives—to infiltrate the Citadel on Lola Sayu to retrieve Master Piell, who held the information on the Nexus Route. Refusing to let Tano risk her life on such a dangerous mission, Skywalker devised a strategy to bypass the lifeform scanners of the prison; the whole team underwent carbon-freezing and were transported to the Citadel by Commander R2-D2 and his reprogrammed battle droid squadron.[151]
After landing, Skywalker was thawed out and he found, to his surprise, that Tano had disobeyed orders and followed him. Forced to take her along, the team made its way to the facilities, leaving the astromech to guard their shuttle. After free-climbing to the entry point through a cliff wall blasted by a strong gale and littered with electro-mines, and after Tano deactivated the ray-shield on the entrance, the team was able to enter, except for Charger, who fell to his death and alerted the prison staff, led by Osi Sobeck, of their presence. Inside, they lost Longshot, but finally made it to Master Piell, whom they freed and who told them they needed to rescue his officers.[151]
Skywalker putting Captain Tarkin in his place
Despite the many traps laid through the fortress, the team rescued the officers, when they met the other carrier of the Nexus Route coordinates, Captain Wilhuff Tarkin. The team was split into two—while Kenobi's team created a diversion, Skywalker would lead the others away. In Tarkin's company, Skywalker and his team escaped through the cavern system below the prison, when Tarkin expressed some skepticism about the Jedi's plan, to which Skywalker told Tarkin that he reserved his trust to those who understood gratitude.[151] However, they soon found common ground, for they both believed the Jedi Code prevented the Order from going far enough to achieve victory in the ongoing war,[152] and Tarkin developed a grudging appreciation for Skywalker.[150]
As they made their way out of the fuel line to rendezvous with R2-D2 and the shuttle, they were attacked by droids and forced to join Kenobi at their pick-up point, with the shuttle heavily guarded. During the skirmish, Echo tried to defend the shuttle, but its destruction and subsequent explosion seemingly killed him. As they ran into the cave system, Skywalker and Kenobi contacted the Council, telling them they needed to escape, and Koon immediately departed to pick them up.[152] They contacted the Council again to be informed of the extraction point; as they proceeded to the location, Sobeck sent anoobas after them. The creatures claimed Master Piell's life, who passed his intel on to Tano, and the group took a moment to honor his death. Ultimately, they got to the extraction point on time, and fled on Plo Koon's rescue shuttle, with Saesee Tiin's fleet covering them to allow their escape back to Coruscant.[149]
Padawan lost
- "When I was out there, alone, all I had was your training and the lessons you taught me. And because of you, I did survive. And not only that, I was able to lead others to survive as well."
"I don't know what to say."
"I do. Thank you, Master. "
"You're welcome, my Padawan." - ―Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker
Skywalker searching for Ahsoka Tano with the Jedi Temple star charts.
Skywalker, Tano, and 501st forces fought on Felucia alongside Plo Koon and his clones in taking out a reinforced Separatist outpost. Breaking their forces into three groups, Skywalker and Rex's team were responsible for attacking the front gate and destroying the tactical droid, TZ-33, securing the outpost together with Koon and Tano's teams.[154]
However, Skywalker then noticed that Tano had disappeared during the battle, and ordered a perimeter sweep. Skywalker had his men search around the outpost, to no avail several times over. Master Koon then informed that he had alerted all forces throughout the Outer Rim and assured Skywalker that she would be found eventually, but also firmly told him that their mission on Felucia was finished and that they had to return to Coruscant. However, Skywalker refused to abandon her, to which Koon observed his emotions were clouding his judgment. Skywalker countered "I will not leave her fate up to others." Koon insisted, "It's time to go." Only then did Skywalker comply and call everybody in to leave the planet.[154]
Back at the Temple, Skywalker relentlessly searched for possibilities in the star charts, which prompted Koon to suggest that he should trust in Tano's abilities.[154] Following the events on Wasskah, Skywalker's search for his Padawan came to an end when she arrived to the Temple on the Halo, in company of her Wookiee allies and the younglings O-Mer and Jinx. Upon seeing her, Skywalker profusely apologized for all that happened, heavily blaming himself for his apparent inability to protect her. Tano, however, assured him that his instruction gave her the skills necessary to survive and thanked him for his guidance. The two bowed to each other in newfound mutual respect under the delighted eye of Master Yoda.[153]
Battle of Horain
- "Stand down! It's General Kenobi. And it looks like he's bringing a new friend."
- ―Anakin Skywalker
Sometime later Skywalker participated in the Battle of Horain, alongside Kenobi and Rex. Skywalker was contacted by Rex, who was requesting assistance, though he was already preoccupied with a group of Vulture Droids. Skywalker later met Kenobi and Rex in disbelief, noticing they had hijacked an AAT alongside faulty battle droid Bats.[155]
Skirmish on Retta
On Retta, Skywalker ambushed a group of B1 battle droids alongside Grand Master Yoda. Skywalker was soon attacked by Kreeda, a Segredo who was attempting to scare the Jedi away. However, Kreeda soon became friendly to the Jedi, as she was an old friend of Yoda. When Skywalker attempted to recruit Kreeda as a spy, the Segredo left, and Skywalker and Yoda were attacked by battle droids soon after. After being separated with Yoda, he met the Jedi Master and Kreeda again, the latter of whom explained she was protecting refugees of the Clone Wars. Using a hat from one of the individuals she was protecting, Skywalker pretended to be using the "cloaking cap" to distract General Flebek, allowing Yoda to take out a B1. Believing there was no secret to invisibility and that it had been a trick, Flebek fled the area and boarded her ship. Upon asking what his report would entail, Yoda told Skywalker that he would tell Mace Windu there was nothing of interest on Retta.[156]
Battle of Mon Cala
- "Alright. I think I'm getting the hang of this."
[Skywalker gets electrocuted]
"Less talking helps." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Kit Fisto, restrained by Mon Calamari eels
After the assassination of King Kolina of Mon Cala and new discord in the fragile peace between the Mon Calamari and the Quarren, Skywalker and Amidala, sent as representatives of the Republic, arrived to the planet at the behest of Captain Gial Ackbar of the Mon Calamari Guard and protector of young Prince Lee-Char, but so did Riff Tamson, Separatist ambassador. Though Skywalker and Amidala tried to mediate between the parties, the Quarren left the council hall, dissatisfied with the Mon Calamari rule. Along with Ackbar, they contacted Yoda and Windu, who dispatched a company of clone troopers equipped for underwater combat under the command of Kit Fisto and Tano.[158]
Skywalker, alongside Gial Ackbar and Kit Fisto, during the Battle of Mon Cala
In the meantime, during the Quarren attack assisted by Separatist aqua droids, Skywalker and Amidala accompanied Lee-Char, who in turn was bodyguarded by Ackbar. He engaged the Quarren soldiers until he was recalled by his wife to help Senator Meena Tills, while leaving Tano to cover the prince and rescue him from Tamson. As the first Separatist/Quarren assault came to an end, Skywalker reunited with Amidala, Tano, Fisto, Ackbar, Lee-Char, and Tills to await the second assault, this time assisted by the Hydroid Medusas, which proved incredibly effective against the Republic-Mon Calamari army. Forced to retreat into the caves below, they regrouped to decide their next course of action—to retreat to the surface, only return to the sea floor as their frigate was destroyed and they were attacked by more enemies.[159]
They split into two groups: Skywalker went with his wife, Ackbar, and Tills, whereas Fisto, Tano, and two troopers accompanied the Prince. Expecting Republic reinforcements to come soon, Skywalker and his group proceeded to the Mon Calamari central planetary scanner facility, where the Jedi Knight collapsed the entire structure with the Force, rendering planetary defenses blind to upcoming Republic reinforcements—the Gungan Grand Army, and Representative Binks, sent at the behest of the High Council. However, Tamson used Trident-class assault ship to create whirlpools, disorienting the Republic-Gungan forces, and though Skywalker managed to destroy one of them, all but Tano and Lee-Char were captured.[159]
Brought before Riff Tamson, Skywalker and Fisto were restrained by electric eels, whereas Amidala and Jar Jar Binks were imprisoned within containment devices, interrogating the two Jedi about the whereabouts of Prince Lee-Char. During the interrogation, Tamson attempted to force them to talk by biting a tiny hole into Amidala's helmet, allowing her suit to fill up with water. However, Tamson left to see the located Prince in person, Skywalker and Fisto used the Force to remove the water from her helmet, while Binks used his saliva to seal the puncture, saving her from drowning. The four were soon taken to witness Prince Lee-Char's execution, in which Nossor Ri, the Quarren leader, saved the prince at the critical moment and turned his people against the Separatists, resulting in the victory of the Mon Cala people. With the peace restored, Skywalker and his friends were present for the coronation of Lee-Char, now recognized by both Mon Calamari and Quarren as their new monarch.[157]
Naboo
- "Padmé, I'm sorry."
- ―Anakin Skywalker, after being traded for Grievous
Following rumors that the Gungans planned to aid the Separatists in an attack on Theed, Skywalker accompanied Amidala to Theed and later, to the Gungan territory near Lake Paonga where they met with Binks, who confirmed the troubling rumors. He took the couple to Otoh Gunga, where they spoke to Boss Lyonie, and realized he was under the influence of a mind-controlling necklace, which Skywalker telekinetically snatched, making him recover; Lyonie told them that new minister, Rish Loo, had given it to him.[160]
Anakin gets captured by Dooku
Skywalker, Amidala, and Binks assisted Lyonie as he confronted Loo, only to face droid commandos, and for Lyonie to be stabbed by Loo before the minister's escape. Taking the Boss to an infirmary, the couple noticed the uncanny resemblance between the unconscious Lyonie and Binks, who they convince to impersonate Lyonie and cancel the Gungan assault on Theed. As he did so, uncovering Loo's deception to the army, Skywalker pursued the fugitive minister to a trap set by Count Dooku in Loo's laboratory. As Dooku killed Loo and revealed his secret input in the Battle of Naboo, Skywalker dueled the Count, only to be overwhelmed by Dooku's powers and his four MagnaGuards.[160]
Dooku then contacted Amidala and offered an exchange—the Jedi Knight for General Grievous, who had been captured by the Gungan Grand Army, thanks to Gungan General Tarpals's sacrifice. An hour later, Skywalker was brought and handed over to Amidala, Queen Neeyutnee and the Gungans, while Grievous was allowed to remain free.[160]
Battle of Umbara
- "Does my battalion have to do everything?"
"You seem to always volunteer." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Skywalker leading the 501st Legion on Umbara, before leaving it to Pong Krell
During the campaign on Umbara, Skywalker and Kenobi discussed their attack strategy against the Umbaran capital city, which was being defended by Confederate and local militia forces. Together with Rex and Fives, Skywalker prepared to repel enemy reinforcements striking against Kenobi's joint attack with Jedi Masters Saesee Tiin and Pong Krell, who would be supporting Kenobi from the south whereas Skywalker and 501st Legion would advance from the north.[70]
Amidst heavy fire, Skywalker and his battalion made it to the landing site, and then to a ridge which they used as a staging area. As he and Rex awaited the rest of their men, hoping to move out soon and reinforce General Kenobi's battalion, Dogma reported that all platoons had reported in, and Skywalker told him to get some rest. Dogma replied that he was fine, but Rex told him it was a direct order, prompting Dogma to do as he was told. As Rex observed Dogma was "wound tight but loyal," Skywalker joked that he reminded him of Rex, who disagreed, saying that was him in the old days.[70]
Shortly after this, the Umbarans ambushed Skywalker and his troops, but an airstrike by Master Krell and Odd Ball saved them. After the quick save, Krell approached Skywalker with a disconcerting message: the Council had ordered Skywalker back to Coruscant, effective immediately, as requested by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, for reasons unknown. Though reluctant to leave his troops in the midst of battle, Skywalker was forced to relinquish command over his troops to Master Krell and make the journey back to Coruscant.[70] Despite Krell's efforts to sabotage the Republic effort by tricking the 501st and the 212th battalions into attacking each other, Kenobi was successful in taking the capital and routing the remaining Umbaran forces, securing all sectors of the planet for the Republic.[161]
Kiros
- "Zygerrian scum! I'll handle that slaver…"
- ―Anakin Skywalker, on Darts D'Nar
Tano, taken aback by her master's intensity
After ten rotations of Yoda's last contact with the Togruta colonists on Kiros, Skywalker, Tano, Rex, Cody, Kenobi, and their forces arrived at the world to investigate its silence, with Skywalker particularly worried they would be too late. After landing, suspicious of the lack of colonists in the town, they used BARC speeders to break through the city and surround the governor's tower, used as the Separatist Headquarters. The enemy commander, Darts D'Nar, then sent a message to Kenobi to discuss terms of surrender. Skywalker then took the holoprojector out of Cody's hand and called D'Nar "Zygerrian scum." Though Skywalker wanted to deal with the slaver himself, Kenobi told him to locate the missing colonists while he negotiated. As Skywalker contacted Admiral Yularen to conduct a planetary bioscan to find them, Kenobi explained Skywalker's behavior to Tano.[162]
Overhearing from Kenobi's negotiations that D'Nar had planted bombs throughout the city, Skywalker and Tano set out to disarm them. Despite sniper droids, they destroyed the bombs in the nick of time, just for Kenobi to tell them D'Nar was escaping on the Tecora. With some effort, they managed to board the ship, inside which D'Nar pitted a blixus against them, but Skywalker managed to throw it off the ship, while Tano bested D'Nar in the cockpit. Soon, Skywalker joined her and, with frightening intensity, threatened the Zygerrian into revealing the colonists' location, much to Tano's surprise. However, it proved effective as D'Nar revealed that his Queen would hold the Royal Slave Auction.[162]
Zygerria
- "A most curious Jedi who cares more about his friends than his own mission. Hero. General. And now, my servant."
- ―Miraj Scintel
When Skywalker, Kenobi, Yularen, and Tano told the Jedi Council of their findings, they were tasked with locating the colonists.[162] On the Tecora, and disguised as Zygerrian, they land on the capital city of Zygerria; splitting into two teams (Kenobi and Rex went to located the colonists), Skywalker and Tano went to meet Queen Miraj Scintel, with Skywalker posing as "Lars Quell" and bringing news of Bruno Denturri's supposed death, and presenting Tano as a present. He quickly won Scintel's favor, with the Queen inviting him to accompany her during the slave auction, where she intended to have Skywalker prove himself a slaver by torturing Kenobi.[163]
Instead, he freed Kenobi and tried to escape with R2-D2 returning their lightsabers, Rex providing cover fire and Tano confronting the Queen. Despite their efforts, however, they were subdued, but Scintel saw Skywalker's determination, for five electro-whips were needed to reduce him. Despite Dooku and half her kingdom demanding his death, Scintel had Skywalker brought to her quarters. There he woke up and interrogated Scintel about his friends' whereabouts, while he throttled the Queen with the Force. However, Scintel gasped that his friends would die unless he obeyed her, and Skywalker was forced to comply and become her bodyguard and escort, just as she became infatuated by him.[163]
Dooku blasts Skywalker with Force lightning
After a few days, Dooku would arrive, and Skywalker observed that she too was a slave to the Count, before she left to receive the Sith Lord. With the help of R2-D2, he escaped his guards and freed Tano from her cage and sent her to prep the ship, while he interrogated Scintel to tell him Kenobi and Rex's location. However, he found himself before Atai Molec, who had betrayed Scintel, and Dooku, with whom Skywalker futilely dueled before Dooku blamed him of killing Scintel before her guards. Skywalker then took Scintel and escaped to the Tecora, aboard which she told him Kenobi was in the Kadavo system and that she, just like Skywalker, was a slave, before dying.[164]
After contacting Plo Koon to send reinforcements, Skywalker and Tano soon reached Kadavo and entered the slave-processing facility. During the battle that ensued, Skywalker disabled the turrets that were attacking Koon and his forces, while Tano saved the Togruta colonists from falling to their death (as caused by Keeper Agruss) by placing Admiral Barton Coburn's Arquitens-class light cruiser Hand of Justice underneath the facility. Along with Rex and Kenobi, Skywalker evacuated the facility before it was destroyed on Koon's orders, before returning to the rest of Koon's fleet.[164]
Palpatine kidnapped
- "Skywalker, a powerful Jedi you are, yet unpredictable and dangerous you can be, to both your friends and enemies. For Obi-Wan, on your patience, everything depends."
- ―Yoda, to Anakin Skywalker
Skywalker and Tano, searching for Kenobi's "killer"
After the capture of Moralo Eval, rumored to be the mastermind of a plot to kidnap Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Skywalker, Tano, and Kenobi were recalled to an emergency meeting by the High Council while they walked through the nightly streets of Coruscant. On their way to the Temple, however, a sniper opened fire at them, which prompted the three Jedi to chase their aggressor. However, the sniper killed Kenobi before escaping on a speeder, prompting Skywalker to return to his master, to find Tano crying and his old master dead, whom he called several times trying to get him to respond. Becoming withdrawn and grim, Skywalker would not say a word since then, until after the funeral held to honor Kenobi, when he went on a self-imposed mission to locate his murderer, Rako Hardeen, at Trueping's. Though Skywalker would rather kill him, he arrested Hardeen and ferried him to the Republic Detention Center.[126]
After hearing that Hardeen had escaped from jail, Skywalker held a meeting with his friend, Palpatine, when Windu informed the Chancellor that they would remove the bounty on Hardeen and the two other escapees, Eval and Cad Bane; a decision did not sit well with Skywalker. Palpatine suggested that the Council perhaps did not trust him to control his feelings, and Skywalker felt the Council was doing nothing to catch the murderer of his master—his best friend. Exploiting this to his advantage, Palpatine told him not to deny his feelings, for they were what made him special, and deliberately sent Skywalker and Tano to Nal Hutta. There, two Jedi harshly interrogated locals for information, which led them to Orondia, the fugitives last known location.[166]
After spotting their quarry as they prepare to leave, Skywalker rammed their ship into submission and board it in midflight, but was foiled by Bane and a subsequent crash-landing of both parties resulting from the chase. Surrounded by smoke, Hardeen left the ship, and Skywalker confronted him, ready to kill Hardeen when Bane interrupted him. Hardeen intervened then and wrestled with Skywalker, whispering to Skywalker's ear "Anakin, don't follow me." As he felt a connection, Skywalker passed out, only for Tano to protect him for Bane's attempts to execute him.[166] As they returned to Coruscant, Yoda summoned Skywalker to his chambers and revealed the truth to him—that Kenobi was "Rako Hardeen."[165]
Skywalker and Count Dooku rematch on Naboo.
Afterwards, Skywalker was briefed along his Padawan about the security plans the Council had for the Chancellor during the Festival of Light on Naboo. Skywalker, Tano, and Windu would escort the Palpatine and Mas Amedda to Theed, where Skywalker was greeted by his wife. At the festival itself, the abduction was initially successful with Cad Bane and Moralo Eval ferrying Palpatine away, while Skywalker and Windu captured Embo and Twazzi; however, Kenobi stopped Eval and Bane, long enough for Windu and Skywalker to arrive and take the two into custody.[167]
As he reunited with his old master, he voiced his resentment for the Council's lack of trust in him as well as Kenobi's decision to hide the truth from him. Wondering how many other lies he had been told by the Council, he set out on his own to bodyguard Palpatine, who continued to place seeds of doubt in Skywalker until they were greeted by Dooku. After destroying two of his MagnaGuards, Skywalker dueled the Count with ferocity, until Kenobi arrived to help him rescue the Chancellor, whereas Dooku fled.[167]
A phantom menace
- "I sense a disturbance. Something sinister."
"All the way out here?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what…or who it is?"
"[sigh] No. But whatever it is, it feels familiar." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano
Sometime later, when Skywalker and Tano were on their way to rendezvous with a cruiser, they decided to land at the Stobar Spaceport, as Skywalker was hungry and tired of government rations. The two walked into Plop Dribble's, only to find police droids and an unconscious waitress. Though they attempted to investigate the assault, both the police and its owner, Loubo, told not to worry; instead, he offered them a free meal. However, Skywalker sensed a disturbance in the Force, something sinister and familiar—which, unbeknownst to him, heralded the return of the now renegade Sith Lord Maul.[168]
Onderon Rebellion
- "I feel responsible for them."
"I know you do, Snips, but remember, purpose must come before feelings." - ―Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker
Following a plea made by a rebel cell on Onderon, the Jedi Council considered how to help them fight the Separatists. Skywalker suggested training the rebels in subversive combat tactics; though it verged on terrorism, which the Jedi would not support, the High Council decided to send advisors to the rebel cell for the upcoming battle. On the Nu-class transport Valkyrie 2929, Skywalker, Tano, Rex, and Kenobi reached the planet during the night, when they met Steela Gerrera and were guided to their rebel secret base, where they met her brother, Saw. The team trained the rebels to combat droids, until Separatist probe droids discovered their outpost and attacked, which prompted the cell to enter Iziz.[170]
After some successful operations, Skywalker, Kenobi, and Rex decided to return to Coruscant and report to the Council, while Tano stayed behind as a liaison to the rebels, without revealing herself as a Jedi.[171] They kept in frequent communication with her, to provide guidance,[171][169] but also to provide help by hiring Hondo Ohnaka to deliver missile launchers to the Onderon rebels for the final assault. Skywalker attended the funeral service for Steela Gerrera.[172]
Losing Satine, saving R2
Skywalker was later present when the Jedi High Council met up with the chancellor to discuss Maul's return, during which they decided to leave him alone even though they knew he was still alive.[173] Skywalker lent the Twilight to Kenobi, who used it to travel to Mandalore to rescue Satine Kryze. With all its technical problems, after landing on Mandalore, Kenobi vowed not to borrow another ship from Skywalker. However, as he escaped, the ship was shot down by Mandalorian commandos and destroyed, moments before Kryze was murdered by Maul during the Mandalorian civil war.[174] Skywalker was waiting for Kenobi when the Jedi Master returned to the Temple hangar, where Skywalker saw through Kenobi's attempt to hide his sorrow. Kenobi explained he had lost someone important to him and that he had struggled with his rage, something Skywalker knew all too well. Skywalker offered to come with him for a report to the Council, which Kenobi happily agreed to.[175]
Skywalker was later present when the Jedi Council sent Meebur Gascon and a team of Republic droids to steal an encryption module from the Separatists.[176] Later Skywalker participated in the Republic strategy conference on the space station Valor, while on the station he noticed the Renown was going a little too fast. Tarkin told Skywalker that they are scanning Rhydonium on the ship, Skywalker instantly realized it was a bomb, Skywalker was later contacted and informed by Gascon of R2's sacrifice. However, Skywalker refused to believe that his friend was gone. He sent out salvage teams to scour the wreckage, who retrieved R2's remains and repaired him. The two reunited, and Anakin was happy to have him back.[177]
Nearing the end
Tano's trial
- "I know you believe in me, Anakin, and I'm grateful for that. But this isn't about you. I can't stay here any longer, not now."
"The Jedi Order is your life. You can't just throw it away like this. Ahsoka, you are making a mistake."
"Maybe, but I have to sort this out on my own, without the Council and without you."
"I understand. More than you realize, I understand wanting to walk away from the Order."
"I know." - ―Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker
During the defense of Cato Neimoidia, Skywalker and Tano engaged Separatist forces on their Eta-2 Actis-class interceptors, until they received an urgent mission recalling them to the Jedi Temple. Its hangar had been bombed and, as the two had been off-world during the attack, Skywalker and Tano were to lead the investigation to uncover the criminal—likely to be a Jedi. They went to the crime scene, where they met Russo-ISC, whom Skywalker sent alongside Tano to interview the witnesses, whereas he meditated at the hangar. Unable to discover anything, he met up with Tano, who told him about their missing suspect, Jackar Bowmani, a clue which, in turn, led to his wife, Letta Turmond, who under pressure admitted to feeding Bowmani with nano-droids, but would not reveal her motives.[179]
Skywalker was present at Yoda's eulogy for the six Jedi who died during the explosion, and later took the opportunity to speak with Tarkin. Skywalker and his Padawan were then summoned to the war room to be briefed about a Separatist attack on Saleucami, when Tarkin informed them that Turmond had requested to speak with Tano. When she was framed with Turmond's death and imprisoned, he was forbidden to see her, and only returned to track her down on her escape, following Tano into the pipelines.[180]
Skywalker tries to convince Tano to stay.
Alone, they revealed that their trust in each other was absolute, but as Skywalker pleaded for her to surrender herself and make her case to the Council, she refused to take the blame for something she had not done and asked Skywalker to trust her, just as she jumped onto a passing ship, thus escaping to the Coruscant underworld.[180]
As Tarkin declared she was being accused of sedition, Yoda assigned Skywalker and Plo Koon to search for Tano, with some resistance from Windu—who did not believe Skywalker to be emotionally detached to do what had to be done. Nevertheless, when she was captured, Skywalker escorted her to the Temple,[181] where he was later summoned to the Chamber of Judgment along with his Padawan. He was outraged to learn that the Council had already made their decision and that the meeting was simply a formality, and they proceeded to expel her from the Order. Resentful of the Council, he asked his wife, Amidala, to defend Tano at her trial before leaving to capture Ventress himself.[178]
Skywalker soon found and interrogated Ventress, who admitted she was about to turn in Tano to the authorities, until she realized Tano had been abandoned by Skywalker and the Jedi Order, just like she had been forsaken by Dooku.[143] She also said that whoever had attacked Tano had stolen her lightsabers and that Tano had contacted Barriss Offee for help. Promising to kill Ventress if she lied, Skywalker left for the Temple, where he went to Offee's quarters and questioned her, only to engage her in a duel. After subduing her, Skywalker brought Offee to the Republic military base where Tano was being judged. As the Mirialan Padawan confessed, all charges against Tano were lifted.[178]
Tano leaving Skywalker and the Order behind
Back at the Temple, Skywalker and the Council apologized to Tano and invited her back into the Order, with Skywalker offering her severed Padawan braid. However, Tano apologized, leaving him in possession of her braid, and declined the offer. As she left the Temple, Skywalker followed her and asked her to reconsider. Tano, however, declared that she felt she could not stay with the Order, due to their lack of trust in her. Despite Skywalker's heartfelt protests and his mentioning that he himself had considered leaving the Order before, she chose to walk away.[178] Tano's departure had a deep impact on Skywalker, leaving him feeling more alone than ever in bearing the expectations of being the prophesied Chosen One.[104] The circumstances surrounding her departure also served to intensify his frustration with the High Council, as he felt they had betrayed her by not backing her innocence.[38] Without Tano as the counterbalance to his concerns and passions, Skywalker's attentions also focused ever more upon Amidala.[182]
Kamino conspiracy
- "He's in on it! I don't know to what extent. But I know he orchestrated much of this. He told me in the medical bay!"
"He told you? When you tried to assassinate him? You have gone too far, Fives. The Chancellor isn't capable of what you claim."
"He is! I swear to you, General. You've no idea—" - ―Fives and Anakin Skywalker, before being interrupted by the Coruscant Guard
A short time after Tano left the Jedi Order,[184] Skywalker, alongside Jedi Generals Tiplar and Tiplee, and the 501st were sent to take control of Ringo Vinda's planet-wide station back from Admiral Trench. Only after seven rotations of stalemated combat, did they manage to push Trench's forces to a breaking point. However, one of Skywalker's troopers, Tup, intentionally killed General Tiplar, forcing Skywalker to order his and Tiplee's troops to fall back. He then had Tup checked out to see if he had been brainwashed by the Separatists, only to find nothing in him, even as he repeated nonstop "Good soldiers follow orders" as well as apparent amnesia. Though he did not find anything in him, Skywalker had Tup sent to Kamino for further examination.[185]
After Tup's shuttle was destroyed and he was taken prisoner by Trench, Skywalker investigated the wreckage. Seeing that Tup was not among the dead, Skywalker decided to infiltrate the Separatist lines. Alongside Rex and Fives, Skywalker reached the Separatists' hangar and saw that Commander Kraken had Tup aboard his shuttle. Skywalker and the others the boarded the shuttle and took out Kraken's crew, including Kraken himself, who refused to reveal why they had abducted Tup. Skywalker then had Tup transported to Kamino with Fives and Rex as escorts.[185]
Following the end of Skywalker and the 501st Legion's participation on Ringo Vinda,[183] and the death of Tup,[186] Skywalker and the High Council were informed by Shaak Ti that Fives attempted to kill the Chancellor. Windu, aware that the Jedi were not requested to participate in the manhunt, allowed Skywalker and Rex to secretly search for the clone. They soon were contacted by Kix, who told them that Fives wanted to meet the two at a warehouse in Level 1325. As Anakin and Rex entered the warehouse, they dropped their weapons on Fives' request. After doing so, they were encircled by a ray shield, which prompted Skywalker to question Fives' actions, but he and Rex listened to the fugitive's side of the story. Skywalker refused to believe that the Chancellor was involved in this conspiracy about the inhibitor chips, but their conversation was cut short by the arrival of the Coruscant Guard. Skywalker watched as they gunned Fives down, dying in Rex's arms.[183]
He would report the event to Yoda, Windu, Ti, and the Chancellor, who was swift to lie to the Jedi that all had been the product of a parasite from Ringo Vinda, one that had caused the decay of Fives and Tup's chips; Palpatine urged the Jedi to leave the matter behind, for each day, they grew "closer and closer to victory."[183] From that point onward, Skywalker was faced with the fact that Tup and Fives, two of his best men, had died under mysterious circumstances, which became another weight on his emotional health.[184]
Clovis returns
- "Anakin, I understand to a degree what is going on. You've met Satine. You know I once harbored feelings for her. It's not that we're not allowed to have these feelings. It's natural."
"Senator Amidala and I are simply friends."
"And friends you must remain. As a Jedi, it is essential you make the right choice, Anakin, for the Order." - ―Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker
Upon his wife's mission to Scipio and subsequent reencounter with Rush Clovis, when she was accused of sabotage and her aide Teckla Minnau was killed, Skywalker was sent to protect Amidala, but was upset to hear that Clovis was involved. Nevertheless, he agreed to help her, and together, they went to Clovis's residence to assist in exposing the Banking Clan's corruption. As they were about to depart along with Clovis, Skywalker defended both Senators from the bounty hunter Embo and his pet anooba, Marrok. The trio were able to escape Embo, thanks to R2-D2, and make their way to Coruscant.[188] Escorted by Yoda, they met with Palpatine and other members of the Jedi Council, and Senator Bail Organa, during which Skywalker's animosity towards Clovis was perceived by Yoda.[187]
Skywalker separates Rush Clovis from his wife.
As Amidala was appointed by the Chancellor to work closely alongside Clovis to investigate the Banking Clan, Skywalker questioned her decision, as he wanted her away from Clovis, whom he greatly distrusted. Though he demanded that she step away from her assignment, she refused and left with Clovis. Frustrated, Skywalker went to his quarters, where Kenobi (at the behest of Yoda) spoke to him, revealing that he was well aware of Skywalker's feelings for Amidala, and asked his former apprentice not to let himself carried away by them before leaving. Later that night, Skywalker went to his wife's apartment, where he found Clovis about to kiss her, for which Skywalker briefly Force choked him—before giving him a one-sided beatdown despite Amidala's protests, willing to kill Clovis in his jealousy.[187]
Before it was too late, he realized his mistake and stopped, only for Captain Typho to enter. Much to his surprise, Clovis lied about the attack. As they carried Clovis to Amidala's bedroom, Skywalker tried to apologize to his wife, but she told him to stay away from her. Only when they were alone afterward, she questioned their marriage, too steeped in lies and deception, and decided that they take a break from one another after admitting to not feeling safe around Skywalker—who, in turn, admitted to being unable to control himself, even though he did not know why.[187]
Clovis was accepted as the new head of the Banking Clan by the Senate, and Skywalker confided to the Chancellor of his distrust in Clovis, which Palpatine shared.[187] Soon, when Clovis apparently joined the Separatists the day after (which Skywalker found strange), and Scipio was occupied by Separatists, Skywalker was then sent to retake Scipio. After landing, Skywalker went to Clovis's office and tried to reason with Clovis to make him let go of Amidala. At that very moment, though, a vulture droid crashed into the office, making it unstable and causing Amidala and Clovis to fall, but Skywalker grabbed them both, each with one hand. As he could not hold the two, Clovis told Skywalker to let go of him, but he would not; Clovis apologized to Amidala and then let go of Skywalker, falling to his death. Though Skywalker and Amidala reconciled, the Banking Clan came under the control of the Chancellor.[189]
Sifo-Dyas' secret
- "The creation of the clone army, kept secret from us Sifo-Dyas did. How this was done we know not, yet now a new piece of the puzzle we have. Perhaps clarity it will bring us, yes."
- ―Yoda
After Jedi Master Plo Koon intercepted a distress call from a lost shuttle and discovered Sifo-Dyas's lightsaber, its late owner being responsible for the secret creation of the Clone Army. Relaunching the investigation of Sifo-Dyas's death, Skywalker and Kenobi were sent to Felucia, where they spoke to the tribal leaders to find out what happened to the late Jedi Master. Kenobi was told that the Felucians had cremated his body and that another Jedi had been with him when he was killed and reported their findings to Master Yoda.[190]
Kenobi and Skywalker's meeting with the leader of the Pyke Syndicate
The two were then sent to Oba Diah when former Chancellor, Finis Valorum told Yoda that Sifo-Dyas had been sent to negotiate with the Pyke Syndicate to stop an underground war. Valorum, however, said that there was no other Jedi sent alongside Syfo-Dyas, but rather his personal aide Silman. On Oba Diah, Kenobi and Skywalker met Lom Pyke, who denied any involvement until Kenobi noticed that he was wearing the crest of Valorum and Skywalker grabbed the necklace and told the Pyke to "stop playing games." Lom finally complied with the Jedi, and told them that they had been paid by a man called Tyranus to shoot Sifo-Dyas's shuttle down. However, as they feared that anyone who paid for the death of a Jedi was dangerous, they kept Silman locked away for ten years as insurance.[190]
Once they met Silman, they realized he had gone mad after being locked up for so long, and were unable to learn much from him before Dooku arrived to kill him before Skywalker and Kenobi's eyes. After engaging Dooku in combat, they learned that the man called Tyranus was, in fact, the Count. Although Skywalker pursued the count after he tried to escape on a Coruscant Freighter, Dooku escaped aboard his solar sailer, leaving the Jedi without the chance to learn more about the clone army. Nevertheless having learned the identity of Tyranus, they informed the Council of their findings, only for them to question why Dooku had been behind the creation of the clone army, and what the game of the yet-unidentified Dark Lord of the Sith was playing.[190]
Yoda's journey
- "Help me to escape. Yes."
"Escape? But you're not in prison."
"No, perhaps, but perhaps I am. Already, all around us, the cage may be. A journey I must make alone."
"The Council will not want you to travel at all, alone even less."
"Disobeying the Council your expertise is. That is why I ask for your help. It is the spontaneity you find so easily which others do not. That is what sets you apart. Now, a walk you will take me on. Come, come." - ―Yoda and Anakin Skywalker
Upon Yoda's brief contact with Qui-Gon Jinn, Yoda requested that Skywalker meet him on the Temple's training grounds to speak about their experience on Mortis, where both he and Kenobi had spoken to Jinn. As Skywalker, too, was in disbelief of the idea that an individual could retain its identity after death, Yoda left him to rest. Later, when Yoda submitted himself for medical examination by Rig Nema, Skywalker informed them that Chancellor Palpatine wanted to hold an emergency meeting with Yoda, to which Windu responded, leaving the Grand Master free to undergo a deprivation ritual. Skywalker, Mundi, Kenobi, Koon, and Nema watched over the old master until Kenobi interrupted it before it was too late, and Yoda claimed to have spoken with the dead.[147]
With the Council worried for his health, Yoda was placed under the surveillance of guards, so the Jedi Master asked to Skywalker to see him. Yoda asked Skywalker to help him escape, which Skywalker did. Accompanying Yoda to his fighter, Skywalker even lent R2-D2 to Yoda to accompany him on a journey that would take him to Dagobah, a mysterious planet and Moraband,[147][191][192] to learn that the Jedi Order would not win the war, and that there was "another Skywalker."[192]
An Excuse to Fight
After a skirmish against Tofen's Raiders, in which Kenobi's starfighter malfunctioned, a Republic fleet was attacked by Separatists. Skywalker and Kenobi were present alongside the young wookiee Viiveenn during the attack. They both argued about who should be the one to join the fight and who should be the one to deliver Viiveenn to safety. When a missile that entered the hangar bay exploded near the three, Skywalker and Kenobi were separated, with Kenobi left with Viiveenn. Skywalker used the wreckage that landed in his way as an excuse to join the fight. As another explosive entered the hangar, Kenobi reluctantly took the wookiee into his starship and told her that Skywalker did that sort of thing all the time.[193]
Mission to Batuu
Alliance with a Chiss "commander"
General Skywalker and "Commander" Thrawn
Skywalker was told by Senator Amidala that one of her former handmaidens, Duja, had found something near Batuu that she and Skywalker should investigate. Unfortunately, Skywalker was unable to join her due to being sent to battle. Skywalker allowed her to travel to Batuu by herself. Upon his return to Coruscant after the battle, Skywalker could find records of Amidala's travels in the Outer Rim. After another battle, Skywalker received a message that Amidala's ship was found on Batuu. Skywalker, along with R2-D2, took his interceptor to Batuu. En route to Batuu, Skywalker encountered a freighter. Skywalker spoke with the freighter's captain, Chiss Defense Fleet Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo, known simply as Thrawn.[194] Unknown to Skywalker, Thrawn was actually a Senior Captain.[195] Skywalker accepted Thrawn's assistance in finding Amidala and Duja.[194]
Skywalker found Amidala's ship near Batuu's Black Spire Outpost. There, he stopped a group of smugglers who were angry about the ship being in their landing spot. Skywalker fought them until Thrawn broke up the fight. Together, they investigated Amidala's ship and learned about Duja's ship, Nomad Four. The two then went to a nearby cantina. After speaking with the bartender, Skywalker and Thrawn came under attack by four assailants. The two of them were able to kill the assailants. Thrawn suspected the assailants were sent to kill Skywalker and that there was the fifth nearby. Skywalker and Thrawn came up with a plan to capture the last assailant. After Skywalker took one of the assailant's body, he pretended to suffer engine damage in his interceptor. After landing, Skywalker came under attack by an assassin droid but was to destroy it. Thrawn was able to capture the assailant and found his freighter, which belonged to the Separatists.[194]
Mission to Mokivj
Skywalker investigated his wife's disappearance.
Skywalker and Thrawn took out the droids guarding the freighter. Together, they found out the freighter was headed to Cermau. As they returned to Black Spire, they came under attack by several thugs. Thrawn was able to use their speeder, to capture the thugs. Skywalker and Thrawn questioned the cargo inspector Oenti, who reveals that the cantina's bartender, Janott had ties to the Separatists' Duke Solha. They learned that they were shipping supplies to a droid factory. After learning of Duja's death, Skywalker told Thrawn about the politics behind the Clone Wars. Skywalker and Thrawn traveled to Mokivj. There, they discovered that the Separatists were mining Cortosis and discovered a factory.[194]
Following Skywalker's and Thrawn's location of the factory, and later their change of clothing, Skywalker contacted the duke, to infiltrate the factory and informed him that Captain Boroklif was indisposed, that there was trouble at Black Spire, and that the he and the others were losing. The Serennian was shocked when he heard this news and asked if the Separatist captain and his companions were dead, to which Skywalker replied that he did not know as he was not there at the end of the battle.[194]
The Jedi Knight offered the Separatist to bring the cargo he had lost to his factory, Solha accepted and told him he'd open the shield when he was on the coordinates of the courtyard, that he was not stupid and he would not open it until it was truly necessary, just when he was in position to land. Following their arrival, the Jedi Knight and the Chiss commander were hailed by the Serennian duke escorted by a pair of B2-series super battle droids and two squads of B1-series battle droids, who inquired their possession of an astromech droid that belonged to the Republic, R2-D2. In response, the Jedi explained that he had found the droid and believed it could be worth something if he desired to purchase it.[194]
The Chiss commander and the Jedi Knight asked the Serennian what happened to Amidala's former handmaiden, Duja. They also told him how they acquired Boroklif's ship, the Larkrer, that they came to Mokivj because there was a preset hyperspace course on the ship, the Serennian asked who had put in that course, to which they replied they assumed the Separatist captain did. The duke then warned the pair that they did not have anything else to bargain with and that he could have them shot. However, the pair told them there was another preset hyperspace course locked below the current one, which was locked by a two-stage encryption passcode, and that each of them had one half, Skywalker then presented his Chiss companion as "Brix." The Serennian ordered all of his droids to lower their weapons and to escort them while they entered the factory. The lights went off while the group was entering the building, and the Jedi sliced a droid squad and threw his lightsaber to the top of the building so the duke would not be aware that Skywalker was in fact, a Jedi. Then two B2s blocked the courtyard's opening to prevent any escape.[194]
Solha knew that there was a Jedi loose on the factory, however, he didn't know who Skywalker was, he then sent Thrawn and Skywalker to some improvised prison cells. Calling the Jedi a thief, the Serennian aimed at Skywalker from the corridor in front of his cell with his blaster, and said that the Jedi wanted to be here and that he got here thanks to Skywalker, and for that alone he should be shot. He then revealed he was the Duke Solha of the Free System of Serenno, to which the Jedi Knight replied if he should be impressed, Solha said he should be, and that he would be at some point. One B2-series super battle droid took all of their weapons and communication devices, even taking Thrawn's small hold-out blaster located in his boot. Solha and the droids left with R2, who was dropping oil so Skywalker knew where they had taken him. They left the room and locked the cell's doors.[194]
The pair agreed on running a test, which would discover if Skywalker's wife had been captured, if she was free or was not on the factory by waiting two hours as Amidala, and if she did not join them on the detention block, they would break out and try to locate her. Thrawn asked the Jedi that if he recognized the ship in the courtyard, telling him it was an ore carrier, which was full of ore, so this was not a staging ground but a manufacturing facility, he also told Skywalker where was there more activity and where was there less activity, as Chiss could see more infrared than humans, and he noticed the heat signatures, and that where they were in was the most active section.[194]
Following the completion of Thrawn's and Skywalker's test, the Chiss crafted a cord from the clothing he got from the Larkrer and unlocked their cells from the inside. Meanwhile, the senator had entered the building and was accompanied by a group of locals, consisting of maintenance workers of the factory, Cimy, Huga, and LebJau. They had entered the factory through the service level, which was usually unprotected and only them and the Separatists knew of. Amidala had promised the group a fortune, which would be given to them by her Uncle Anakin if they helped her access the factory. The group later arrived at the detention block, defeated the droid guards and found the Chiss and Jedi Knight inside.[194]
After the Chiss was presented to the newcomers by Skywalker, the group created a plan to retrieve Skywalker's lightsaber, which involved Thrawn and the senator going alone to the roof to retrieve the lightsaber. The Jedi was scared of her going alone with the Chiss, but accepted it. After the Chiss and the senator left, the Jedi began to wander across the factory, and found a section of the factory that produced cortosis B2 super battle droids, which was guarded by the duke and his relatives and some droid sentries. The Serennians were protecting themselves with clone trooper armor covered with cortosis, Skywalker tried to confuse Solha's droids but he only achieved making the Serennians aware of his presence. Skywalker then left the room and began his search for the senator once again.[194]
On the roof of the building, Amidala and Thrawn retrieved Skywalker's lightsaber, they also witnessed some spheres which descended onto the factory, which were part of a Chiss mission to retrieve a deflector shield generator from the factory. The senator asked the Chiss commander to continue helping them but he insisted that his mission came first. Meanwhile, the Jedi, disarmed, used the Force to see where Solha and his droids sentries were, so he did not have to fight them, while he traveled across the maze of rooms, and corridors that the factory contained. Until he met with his wife who gave him his lightsaber, and told him that Thrawn had abandoned them. Their meeting also coincided with the Chiss Ascendancy's raid on the factory, retrieving the shield generator. Skywalker fought several B2s and discovered that their armor disabled lightsabers and deflected blaster bolts. However, he used the Force and disabled them.[194]
In the meantime, Amidala evacuated the workers with LebJau before the factory was destroyed, Thrawn joined the senator and the Jedi Knight who revealed that the ore was cortosis and that it deflected blaster bolts and disabled lightsabers, thanks to its large energy absorption rate. They learned that the ore was mined in the river next to the factory and strengthened the battle droids' armor making them invulnerable, something that could change the Clone Wars forever. Thrawn then agreed to destroy the factory after the Chiss retrieved the shield generator.[194]
Amidala encountered the duke, who wore clone trooper armor covered with cortosis, who protected him from his husband's lightsaber, he then told her that by using the factory he was going to build his name in the Confederacy. As he knew Skywalker and the senator, he rejected Amidala's ultimatum to surrender and told her that he had no doubts that he'd live and that he'd never surrender.[194]
In another section of the factory, the Jedi and Chiss learned the Separatists were are also producing clone trooper armor covered with cortosis. The Jedi thought they were planning to infiltrate the Republic by sending Serennian troopers wearing clone trooper armor to Coruscant. After the battle droids protecting the room were defeated by Skywalker and Thrawn, and the Serennian duke by the senator, knocking him out with her grappling hook, they left the factory and then destroyed the factory. Skywalker decided to destroy the mine too, so the Separatists could not start again on Mokivj, though, Amidala, Thrawn, and LebJau asked him not to do it, he ignored their petition, and he destroyed the mine too, which gained him the anger and devastation of the already devastated Mokivj, as it caused a massive explosion expanded by the cortosis.[194]
Aftermath of Mokivj
Skywalker destroyed the Separatist's ability to produce cortosis super battle droids (a regular super battle droid pictured).
The mission ended with a catastrophe for Mokivj and an end to Solha's career. In an effort to collapse the Separatist's efforts to produce cortosis battle droids, Skywalker accidentally sent lava, ash, and smoke into the planet's best cropland and water. Skywalker did not know the cortosis in the mine would redirect the heat of the explosions, the heat was sent down the planet's crust, activating volcanic activity and leading to widespread devastation, deforestation, and desertification on Mokivj, resulting in the explosive force doing more than merely collapsing the mine's tunnels.[194]
The catastrophe forced LebJau to move to another planet as the population knew he had collaborated with the ones who devastated Mokivj. Thrawn had warned Amidala that Skywalker's plan seemed reckless, yet she had known that he would be unable to be talked out of it, leaving the Jedi and Senator to regret their actions as they looked upon the ruined world. Thrawn had also warned Skywalker that his theory about the clone armor being used to infiltrate the Republic seemed unlikely based on how great the risk of discovery would be. Despite Skywalker's shortsighted plan, Thrawn continued to respect the man and still viewed him as an effective warrior.[194]
Bombing of the Temple
Skywalker and R2-D2 at the Jedi Temple prior to an attack.
Skywalker and R2-D2 were in the Jedi Temple prior to it being bombed[196] by Separatist captain Rackham Sear. The bomber was foiled by Depa Billaba and Caleb Dume.[197]
Amidala's departure
Prior to a mission that Amidala was taking to Clabron, Skywalker insisted that he be allowed to assist Amidala, under the impression it was a diplomatic mission to Duro. After assurance from Amidala, Skywalker agreed to remain on Coruscant, kissing Amidala. He was startled when he realized Amidala's handmaiden, Moteé, had witnessed their display of affection, though Amidala assured Skywalker that Moteé understood discretion.[198]
Crystal crisis on Utapau
- "How well would you sleep, knowing that I failed you?"
"Not very well, I imagine. Luckily, that isn't true, and never will be." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi
During the last months of the war, Kenobi and Skywalker were sent to Utapau to investigate the mysterious death of Jedi Master Tu-Anh. Once they landed on Pau City, Inspector Jen June led them to see the corpse at the morgue. After examining the body, they went to the place where she had been found, only to determine she had been hit in the optic nerve with a precision laser dart by a sniper. As they found the sniper's position, from the building's owner, Garri, the two Jedi learned of the involvement of MagnaGuards and began to suspect the involvement of General Grievous, and had Inspector June analyze some slimy substance they had found—the secretion of an Amani's skin.[200]
Kenobi and Skywalker speaking to Inspector June
Though Governor Torul Blom asked them to leave Utapau, Kenobi and Skywalker persevered and rented two dactillions to go talk to the leader of an Amani tribe, who revealed that an Amani outcast had entered one of the caves. The two Jedi entered it to find MagnaGuards. Despite some resistance, they managed to have the droids reveal the involvement of the Sugi and went to see Inspector June once again. Soon after, the two attended the funeral for Tu-Anh.[200]
As they reached the Amani settlement they had been looking for, the Amani scattered, leaving Skywalker and Kenobi to follow the tracks of one that appeared to be their leader. During the hunt, Skywalker mentioned Tano for the first time since her departure, and Kenobi asked if he wanted to talk about it, yet Skywalker refused. Kenobi then suggested for them to set up a camp and rest. However, he insisted on the subject, prompting Skywalker to tell Kenobi he missed Tano and to voice his anger at the High Council for turning its back on her. To Skywalker's annoyance, Kenobi stood by the Council's authority, asserting that it had been Tano's decision to leave and that she had allowed her emotions to cloud her judgment, something against the Jedi way. Then, Kenobi suggested he rest, but Skywalker declined so that he could keep the first watch. Finally, he questioned Kenobi on what would happen if he had turned out to be a "major disappointment," but Kenobi wanted to believe it would never happen.[199]
Kenobi and Skywalker defending a massive kyber crystal
However, they both fell asleep and were captured by a group of Sugis led by Chong, who brought them before Endente as Kenobi told Chong of their "intention" to buy weapons. They learned Endente was, in fact, selling a kyber crystal, and Skywalker prompted him to show it before they made the deal. Brought to the starship where the crystal was being kept, they escaped from their captors, and Skywalker eliminated all the Sugi, except for Endente, who fled. After they discovered the massive kyber crystal inside the ship,[199] the two Jedi managed to transport the crystal through Utapau's plains until they reached Pau City, where Blom had the two Jedi surrounded with his men and Grievous's droids. As the kyber crystal was loaded into a shuttle and sent to a ship on orbit, Kenobi and Skywalker stole a freighter to recover the crystal.[201]
During the persecution, Grievous damaged their ship, forcing them to perform a number five special; they crashed it to disable the hyperdrive and, with their escape pods, boarded the ship where the crystal was then held. As they got separated, Kenobi was captured by Grievous, and Skywalker recovered his lightsaber, located the crystal, and freed Kenobi. Together, they made their way to the kyber crystal at the vault, where they were temporarily trapped until a squad discovered them. Using the crystal and the Force to knock them out, he managed to get to a hangar, where Skywalker stole a shuttle to escape. Meanwhile, Kenobi set several AATs to shoot and overload the crystal, destroying the crystal and the ship, while they escaped from the explosion in the nick of time and returned to Coruscant to report to the Council.[53]
Stationed on Coruscant
- "Should I send a detachment, General?"
"[...] No. It's nothing." - ―Yularen and Skywalker, as the latter senses Ahsoka Tano
Sometime later, while on a Venator-class Star Destroyer, Skywalker discovered an unknown ship, the Silver Angel, in military airspace. Skywalker then asked Admiral Yularen who was on that transport. After he closed his eyes and sensed Ahsoka Tano's presence through the Force, he decided not to send a detachment to arrest the crew and to let Ahsoka and her companions leave.[202]
Vos and Ventress
- "Ventress isn't capable of anything as selfless as love. And Vos couldn't possibly have cared about a murderess like her. Besides, she's the one who took him to the dark side in the first place."
"Stranger things have happened. And maybe, if she loves him, she's his way back from it." - ―Skywalker and Amidala discuss Vos and Ventress' relationship
Jedi Master Quinlan Vos had been tasked by the Jedi Council to assassinate Dooku with the help of Asajj Ventress, but during a mission to Raxus Secundus the Jedi turned to the dark side due to Dooku's manipulations and Ventress's training. Ventress staged a rescue mission, which failed and prompted her to contact the Jedi Council. When she arrived at the Jedi Temple, Skywalker and Kenobi escorted her to the Council Chamber, where despite Mace Windu's open disapproval, Yoda dispatched Skywalker and Kenobi to go with Ventress to rescue Vos above Taris. Soon enough, Kenobi, Skywalker, and Ventress were on the cockpit of her ship, the Banshee, to infiltrate the Separatist dreadnought from which Vos, or rather "Admiral Enigma," was issuing orders.[203]
Stealthily, the three boarded the ship and made their way to the bridge, where they found Dooku, instead of Vos. Skywalker then engaged in a duel with the Count, distracting him while Kenobi and Ventress discovered a captive Vos. Though she knew Vos was consumed by his hatred, they escaped to the Banshee, and Skywalker joined with them to escape the enemy ship and return to Coruscant. Back in the Jedi Temple, Skywalker saw as the Council welcomed Vos and pardoned Ventress. That same night, Skywalker reunited with his wife, Amidala, for a moment of respite, during which Skywalker told her of the ordeal—after which, Amidala conferred that perhaps Ventress's love could be Vos's way back from the dark side, leaving Skywalker at a loss for words.[203]
A month later, Skywalker was sent alongside Kenobi, Vos, and Akar-Deshu in a mission to take over a Separatist supply storage base and redistribute the supplies to worlds in need of them. However, their mission went awry when Vos, unbeknownst to them, arranged the base's destruction. After another failed mission to Vos's name, he was suspected of treason, Skywalker and Kenobi were sent to spy on Vos and Ventress as they were deployed to assassinate Dooku during the second battle of Christophsis. When they saw Vos attempt to force the Count to lead him to his master, Darth Sidious, rather than kill him, Skywalker and Kenobi intervened, taking the pair by surprise and arresting them.[203]
However, Vos and Dooku soon escaped from the Vigilance, causing the death of Akar-Deshu and Kav Bayons, and boarded Ventress' ship, Banshee to escape Christophsis. Skywalker had the Banshee fired on, forcing the renegades to land on the planet below. He and Kenobi pursued the three injured fugitives to a Separatist-controlled tower, where they surrounded them. There, Skywalker and Kenobi witnessed [203]what appeared to be[204] Ventress' last moments, sacrificing herself to save Vos from Dooku's fatal Force lightning. After her death, Skywalker and Kenobi were joined by the redeemed Vos, and they tried to capture Dooku, to no avail. They then transported Ventress' body and Vos to Coruscant, where the fallen Jedi confessed his crimes and Kenobi defended Ventress.[203]
Anaxes
- "Tell me the sequence to disarm the bomb!"
"Never. Dooku would kill me for losing Anaxes."
"And you think I won't?"
"You're a Jedi. Your nobility--"
"I don't have such weaknesses! Now, let's try that again." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Trench
Jedi General Anakin Skywalker leading an attack in the air
Following an assault on Cato Neimoidia,[206] Skywalker was dispatched alongside Windu to participate in the Battle of Anaxes to defend the Republic shipyards on Anaxes. With mounting losses on the Republic side, Captain Rex told Skywalker and Windu his theory that the Separatists had learned his own strategy. Considering this possibility, Windu sent Rex and Commander Cody to take a squad, and Clone Force 99, behind enemy lines to infiltrate a Separatist Cyber Center while he and Skywalker held the line.[207] The general staff was told about the possibility of sending a mission to Skako Minor, and Skywalker was sure the Jedi High Council would approve it. Clone Sergeant "Hunter" also stated The Bad Batch would go with them. Although Rex was eager to get going, Skywalker informed him they had a "thing" to do, and, although Rex felt they did not have time, they both went to the barracks.[208]
Rex remained outside on watch while Skywalker, holding Rex's helmet, went in and contacted Amidala. Skywalker apologized for being away for so long, but, as the two spoke, Obi-Wan Kenobi approached Rex. The Clone Captain knocked on the door to speed up Skywalker. Skywalker confided that he was worried about his captain, worrying that Rex was letting his personal feelings drive him too much on the mission, although Amidala believed Rex had learned that trait from him. Outside, Rex tried to lie about what Skywalker was doing. However, Skywalker and her ended their conversation, and both went on their way to Skako, although Kenobi revealed he knew he had been talking to Amidala by quipping that he hoped Skywalker at least greeted Padmé for him. In response the Jedi stopped in his tracks, and although dismayed that his effort to be secretive had been for naught, Skywalker kept his composure and only gave his master a knowing glance before walking away.[208]
Skywalker, alongside Rex and Clone Force 99's leader, Hunter
As they reached Skako Minor on the Marauder, Skywalker was captured by the Poletec on their keeradaks, prompting Rex and the Bad Batch to follow them to the village and rescue the Jedi General. They apologized and explained the situation, and the chief helped them reach Purkoll, which they infiltrated with some effort. When they reached the antechamber, Foreman Wat Tambor sent a transmission saying they had violated the Techno Union's neutrality, and sent droid reinforcements. While Skywalker, Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair destroyed them, Rex and Tech found Echo—alive, but as a cyborg.[208]
Skywalker, Rex, Echo, and the Bad Batch escape the droid forces of the Techno Union.
Tech managed to unplug Echo, and they escaped to the ventilation system before being vaporized by Tambor's Decimator, after which Wrecker destroyed the Foreman's main computers with explosives. As they escaped, however, they were surrounded by his D1-series aerial battle droids, but thanks to Tech, they rode keeradaks to the Poletec village. There, they convinced the natives to help them against the Techno Union's forces, including their octuptarra tri-droids, with Skywalker effectively destroying two of them.[209]
Following the skirmish, Skywalker, Rex, and Clone Force 99 returned to Fort Anaxes, where Windu and Kenobi were to take the Separatist assembly complex by air, whereas Echo was to be escorted by the Bad Batch, Skywalker, and Rex into Trench's communications vault on a dreadnought on the planet's orbit, where he would plug himself to the dreadnought to feed the Separatist's strategic movements. When Echo did so and deactivated the droids attacking the assembly complex, he realized that Trench had initiated a countdown for an explosion that could destroy most of Anaxes. While Kenobi assisted in the evacuation efforts, and Windu deactivated the bomb, Skywalker went to the dreadnought's bridge to confront Trench, destroying his droid bodyguards. Trench refused to give the final sequence number, believing that Skywalker would not harm him. Skywalker amputated Trench's prosthetic attachments, prompting the Harch to immediately give in. After relaying it to Windu, who deactivated the bomb, Trench then tried to electrocute him; in response, Anakin thrust his lightsaber through the Harch's chest, killing him. He then took the self-destruct detonator for the dreadnought and reunited with the rest of his team.[205]
As they left aboard the Marauder, Skywalker let Wrecker destroy Trench's flagship, the Invulnerable, damaging the nearby Separatist fleet, and they went back to Fort Anaxes. Following the victory, Corporal Echo joined "The Bad Batch."[205]
Birth of Darth Vader
Battle of Yerbana
- "Sir, we've received a transmission from someone using your subspace frequency "Fulcrum"."
"Saw Gerrera?"
"Perhaps the siege at Onderon has taken a turn for the worse."
"No, sir. It's not Gerrera. You had best take this transmission here on the ship. Both of you." - ―Yularen, Skywalker, and Kenobi
At some point before the Battle of Coruscant,[11] Skywalker was on Tythe and had another encounter with Dooku, yet he failed to defeat the Count.[211] Along with the 501st and 212th, Skywalker and Kenobi were sent to Yerbana to take down the Separatist forces in the planet. The fight caused Skywalker and Kenobi to split their respective battalions into two fronts.[210]
Anakin Skywalker stands tall during the Battle of Yerbana, approaching the Droid Army without a hint of fear.
Skywalker, Rex, and the 501st Legion defeated the Separatist Droid Army on their front, so they left to assist Kenobi and his 212th Attack Battalion, which was suffering heavy casualties from the ongoing conflict. While Kenobi and Commander Cody were taking cover from the blasts, Skywalker ordered his men to hide under the bridge, while R2-D2 would tell them when to launch. Next, Skywalker stepped into the fight and convinced his Master to follow his plan. Skywalker faked a surrender to draw out the droid commander, who saw through the lies of the Jedi Knight; however, it was too late, as Skywalker used his Force abilities to destroy the droid commander, allowing his 501st Legion led by Captain Rex to make a surprising ambush on the rest of the droid army, ending the conflict.[210]
The 212th Attack Battalion proceeded to help the 501st while Skywalker was approached by Kenobi who complimented him, which Skywalker answered by thanking Kenobi for helping achieve victory. The two were soon contacted by Admiral Wullf Yularen, who informed them of an upcoming transmission going under the code "Fulcrum," while the two Jedi thought it might have been Saw Gerrera, Yularen confirmed otherwise saying it was necessary for the generals to attend the call themselves.[210]
The last meeting of a friendship
- "You capture Maul. I'll take care of Grievous. With any luck, this will all be over soon."
"Master Kenobi always said there's no such thing as luck."
"Good thing I taught you otherwise."
[Skywalker begins to leave]
"Anakin! Good luck." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano's final words to each other as friends
At Yularen's ship, Skywalker and Kenobi were surprised to see Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan Kryze were the ones that had made the call. Emotionally shocked to see his former apprentice after several months of being apart, Skywalker barely managed to control himself and proceeded to talk to Tano, who remarked the moment was not a reunion as Maul had been located on Mandalore and they had an opportunity to capture him.[210]
Ahsoka Tano was given her old lightsabers back by Anakin Skywalker, who had modified them in the interim.
Tano hoped Skywalker and Kenobi would be able to join forces with her to confront him.[212] Tano, Kryze, and her Mandalorians boarded the ship, where they were greeted by Skywalker and Kenobi. The former tried to greet Tano, but his former apprentice turned him down saying they had to act immediately if they wanted to capture Maul. The group went to discuss the possible attack, but Kenobi was not willing to help Tano and her allies unless the Jedi Council gave their permission, causing Skywalker to unnoticeably scowl at him. While Kenobi contacted the Council, Skywalker had Tano accompanying him through the complex. Skywalker led Tano to a room full of the 501st clone troopers, including Rex, who had painted their helmets as a way to honor her former Commander. Skywalker then prepared to give Tano her old lightsabers, but before he could do so, the ship's alarm suddenly went off.[210]
Kenobi rushed in and informed Skywalker and Rex that they would be jumping to hyperspace immediately. When Skywalker asked if this meant the attack on Mandalore was approved, Kenobi revealed that they were actually heading for Coruscant, where a dire situation was happening: General Grievous had launched a full-scale attack on the capital of the Republic, and the Jedi Council had lost contact with Shaak Ti, Chancellor Palpatine's assigned protector. Skywalker was visibly uncomfortable about this news, but Kenobi assured him that their fleet would arrive at Coruscant very soon.[210]
Tano, however, was angered by her former Masters' decision to abandon Mandalore. Kenobi pointed out that they were entering a pivotal moment in the Clone Wars, but Tano countered that Kenobi was playing politics and that the Jedi Order had lost their way by forgetting that their duty was to help people and not politicians, which was why the people, and Tano herself, had lost faith in them. Skywalker heard the argument and weighed in; so as to help Tano in the upcoming siege while also taking part in the mission to rescue the Chancellor, Skywalker promoted Rex to Commander so he could lead the a new formation of the 501st[210] that was dubbed the 332nd Division,[3] assigning Tano to assist as an advisor due to her being unable to hold an official military title. When Kenobi agreed, Tano accepted the proposal. Kenobi left the room to prepare their troops leaving Skywalker and Tano behind. Skywalker gave Tano her new lightsabers complimenting them as better than before.[210]
Skywalker then headed to rescue the Chancellor, believing the defeats of Maul and Grievous would mark an end to the war. While he was leaving, Tano stopped him by wishing him good luck in his mission. Happy to have been reunited with his apprentice, Skywalker smiled and they both parted ways.[210] Unbeknownst to either of them, this would be the last time they ever saw each other as friends.[213]
Confrontation on the Invisible Hand
- "Good, Anakin, good! [...] Kill him. Kill him now."
"I shouldn't…"
"Do it." - ―Sheev Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker, on killing Dooku
Skywalker beheaded Dooku using the Sith Lord's own lightsaber paired with his own.
Having been away from Coruscant for months due to the Outer Rim Sieges, Skywalker and his Master finally returned to the planet[11] after leaving Tano,[213][212] to lead the rescue of the Chancellor from General Grievous before the cyborg's fleet could flee the besieged Capital. Assisted by a squadron of ARC-170 starfighters led by Clone Commander Odd Ball, the two Jedi fought their way through a swarm of Vulture and tri-fighter droid starfighters protecting the Invisible Hand, General Grievous's flagship. Skywalker and Kenobi headed for the ship while the clones distracted the droids, but Kenobi's ship was damaged and partially disabled by Buzz-droids. Although Kenobi told Skywalker to abandon him and complete the mission, the younger Jedi refused and cleared his former master's ship of droids before escorting him to the Invisible Hand's hangar. After crashing landing, the two Jedi disposed of the few remaining droids in the hangar while R2-D2 located the Chancellor.[11]
Once they discovered that he was being held at the top of the ship's observation spire, they concluded that they were walking into a trap when Skywalker sensed the presence of Count Dooku. Not long after they arrived at the top of the spire, the Sith Lord appeared before them and the two Jedi engaged him in a duel. Dooku managed to gain the upper hand and knocked Kenobi out, but his taunting, intended to erode Skywalker's morale, instead enraged him. Skywalker unleashed his fury on the Sith Lord, brutally overwhelming him and slicing off both of his hands. Taking Dooku's lightsaber, he crossed both his and the Count's blades at the Count's throat, and Palpatine urged him to kill his helpless opponent. Skywalker initially hesitated, but after the Chancellor's continued insistence, he gave into his hatred of his nemesis and beheaded Dooku. He expressed regret afterward, stating it was not the Jedi way, but the Chancellor assured him that he had been right to kill the Count.[11]
Despite the Chancellor's pleas, he carried Kenobi on his back to make their escape. However, the elevators leaving the spire had been disabled. With help from R2 and the attack taking place on the Invisible Hand by a neighboring Republic cruiser, they were able to escape in the elevator shaft until the ship's crew was able to regain control of the ship, restoring its gravity and turning the shaft once more into well. Kenobi regained consciousness while they were hanging on inside the shaft and together, he and Skywalker were able to escape the shaft just as a reactivated elevator was about to crush them. However, their good fortune failed them, and they were trapped by a ray shield and apprehended, along with R2, by battle droids. The two Jedi and the Chancellor were brought before Grievous in the Invisible Hand's control room. The cyborg personally taunted them, derisively commenting on Skywalker's youth considering his reputation. Skywalker retorted with a taunt about the General being shorter than he had expected.[11]
Anakin Skywalker was a prisoner of Grievous aboard the Invisible Hand, finding the cyborg to be shorter than he anticipated.
Eventually, R2-D2 caused a distraction, allowing Kenobi to draw his lightsaber to him with the Force, freeing himself and then Skywalker. Once the younger Jedi had also summoned his weapon, they engaged and made short work of Grievous's MagnaGuards and the battle droids holding them and the Chancellor. However, as they attempted to apprehend Grievous, he used one the MagnaGuards' electrostaffs to shatter the viewport, depressurizing the bridge and letting the vacuum take him. Skywalker and Kenobi caught onto nearby command consoles until security measures allowed the bridge to depressurize. Before they could reach him, however, Grievous escaped, jettisoning all the escape pods to prevent them from escaping. As the command crew had fled, Skywalker took control of the damaged flagship, which had begun to enter Coruscant's atmosphere. Although he briefly managed to slow the ship's descent, the damage it had sustained proved too great, and the Invisible Hand broke in half, picking up considerable speed as it fell towards the Republic capital. Skywalker eventually succeeded in crash-landing the Invisible Hand on a deserted landing strip, returning the once-captive Chancellor to Coruscant unharmed.[11]
Looming fatherhood
- "Are you all right? You're trembling. What's going on?"
"Something wonderful has happened. Ani, I'm pregnant."
"...That's... That- That's won- That's wonderful."
"What are we going to do?"
"We're not going to worry about anything right now, alright? This is a happy moment. The happiest moment of my life." - ―Padmé announces her pregnancy to Anakin
Following the ordeal, the two escorted the Chancellor to the Senate building, where they separated—while Kenobi went back to Jedi Temple to report to the Council, Skywalker remained with the Senators who had come to greet the returning Chancellor. He briefly spoke with Senator Organa, who expressed hope that Count Dooku's death could bring a quick end to the war. Skywalker disagreed, saying that as long as General Grievous remained as leader of the Separatist armies, the war would continue. At that moment, he noticed Amidala behind one of the columns, took his leave from the Senator and reunited with his wife for the first time in months.[11] Having been away fighting in the Outer Rim Sieges, Skywalker's single focus was reuniting with Amidala.[214] Amidala then revealed to her husband that she was pregnant. Though they were both worried that this might expose their secret, Amidala especially, Skywalker was overjoyed and told her not to worry, saying that it was the happiest moment of his life. The couple returned to Amidala's apartment, where they began to make plans for when the baby would be born, deciding that their child would be raised on Naboo, in the Lake Country. Amidala also planned to head there before the birth, to prepare the room.[11]
However, that same night, Skywalker's happiness was marred when he suffered a nightmare of his wife dying in childbirth, similar to the visions he had had of his mother before her death. Although Amidala tried to comfort him that it was only a dream, he was terrified that he would lose her, as he had lost his mother. Amidala tried to convince him that they needed help and suggested they ask Kenobi for his assistance. Skywalker refused, insisting that their baby was a blessing, not a curse. The next day, at the Jedi Temple, he sought Yoda's counsel concerning these dreams, but the Grand Master told Skywalker that death was a natural part of life, and to let go of all that he was afraid to lose.[11]
Tensions of loyalty
- "Is it possible to learn this power?"
"Not from a Jedi." - ―Skywalker and Palpatine discuss the power to stop people from dying
At the same time, tensions were rising between Chancellor Palpatine and the Jedi Council, who were concerned with his increasing power. Matters were made worse when the Senate announced that they planned to grant him more executive powers in order to facilitate the end of the war. When Skywalker was informed of this by Kenobi, he was supportive of the measure, despite the reservations of the Council and Kenobi's warning to be wary of Palpatine. He then told him that the Chancellor had requested his presence for unknown reasons, without informing the Council. So Skywalker met with Palpatine at his office, where he told him that he was appointing the young Jedi to be his personal representative on the Council, a decision that Skywalker believed the Jedi Masters would never accept.[11]
When informed of this, the Council allowed Skywalker to sit on the Council, yet they refused to grant him the position of Master, a decision which greatly angered Skywalker. Skywalker turned to Kenobi, who so remained silent. Angered more by this, Skywalker reluctantly accepted his position and took his seat on the council. At the end of the meeting, Kenobi acknowledged to Skywalker that his appointment had been accepted so that, on behalf of the Council, he could spy on the Chancellor, which Skywalker was reluctant to do.[11] In recent weeks, Amidala and other senators concerned about Palpatine's expanded powers had also created the Petition of 2,000 in the name of protecting democracy,[215] requesting he return his emergency powers to the Senate[216] and end the war with cease-fire negotiations.[215] Skywalker was manipulated by Palpatine into believing Amidala could have ulterior motives that she was keeping hidden.[217]
Chancellor Palpatine recounting the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis to Skywalker
At the Galaxies Opera House in the Uscru District, Skywalker joined Palpatine in watching the Mon Calamari Aquatic Ballet performing Squid Lake. During the performance the Chancellor began to stir Skywalker's distrust in the Jedi council, deducing that they had asked Skywalker to spy on him. He claimed that the Jedi were only perceived as good because "good is a point of view," stating that the Jedi and the Sith were not so different. Skywalker rebutted by saying that the Sith were selfish while the Jedi were selfless. The Chancellor recounted the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis to Skywalker, showing that not all Sith were as evil as the Jedi claimed while also seducing the Jedi with knowledge of the power to stop death. Afterward, Skywalker bid farewell to Kenobi, showing gratitude for his teachings and said to each other "May the Force be with you," before parting ways.[11]
Fall to the dark side
- "A powerful Sith you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth… Vader."
- ―Darth Sidious to his apprentice
Shortly afterwards, Anakin and Windu attended a hologram meeting with Yoda, Ki-Adi Mundi, and Aayla Secura in the Temple's war room. During the meeting, Cody joined the meeting and informed the group learned that Obi-Wan had engaged Grievous on Utapau. Windu then tasked Anakin with informing the Chancellor and see what his reaction is in order to learn his true intentions. Skywalker informed the Chancellor of Kenobi's forces engaging Grievous's, but during the meeting, Palpatine revealed that he knew the dark side of the Force, leading Skywalker to realize that he was the Sith Lord they had been searching for. Palpatine told Anakin that if he turned him over to the Jedi, then he would be unable to aid in saving his wife, Amidala, from her "fated" death that Anakin had been dreaming of.[11]
Despite his confusion, Skywalker still was loyal to the Jedi Order. He told his findings to Mace Windu, who went with Kit Fisto, Saesee Tiin, and Agen Kolar to arrest Palpatine, leaving Skywalker behind. After recalling Sidious's words, Skywalker headed to Palpatine's office. During the ensuing duel, Sidious killed three of the four Jedi with ease but was disarmed by Windu just before Skywalker arrived in his office. Skywalker pleaded with Windu not to kill Sidious, saying that he should be left for the Senate to judge, but Windu felt that Sidious was too dangerous to be left alive, as he essentially controlled the Senate. Ignoring Skywalker's words, Windu prepared to execute the Sith Lord, but a desperate Skywalker who needed Sidious alive to save Padmé, drew his lightsaber and severed the unsuspecting Windu's right hand, causing Windu to drop his lightsaber and allowing Sidious to send him plummeting out of a shattered window with a blast of Force lightning,[11] all of which was sensed by Tano.[218]
Darth Vader leading the 501st Legion to slaughter the Jedi in the Temple
Though horrified that he betrayed and contributed to the death of Windu, Skywalker saw this as the final straw against the Jedi Order, and as such there was no turning back for him. Desperate to save Padmé, he reluctantly betrayed the Jedi and pledged himself to service under his new Sith Master, Darth Sidious. Sidious named him "Darth Vader,"[11] a title that he did not bestow lightly.[219] After Sidious declared all Jedi enemies of the Republic, he ordered Vader to kill the Jedi at the Temple and execute the Separatist Council on the Mustafar System. Sidious then executed Order 66, during which the clone troopers were forcibly brainwashed into turning on their Jedi Generals and executing them on the spot, while Vader led the 501st Legion to attack the Jedi Temple. During the assault, Vader entered the council chamber and found a group of younglings trying to hide. Thinking Vader was still a Jedi Knight, one boy asked him what they should do, but the new Sith Lord slaughtered the boy and the other younglings.[11]
Similarly, as he led a force of clones further into the Temple, he encountered a group of younglings who assumed he had arrived to help. Instead, however, he cut the children down, leaving only one survivor; after Vader stabbed her and looked her in the eyes, the human youngling Reva Sevander, growing to be filled with rage, survived because she played dead amongst the corpses of her classmates.[61] Also during the battle, Vader killed dozens of Jedi,[220] such as Master Cin Drallig,[221] before meeting with Sidious, who then sent him to Mustafar. Following the attack, he went back home to Amidala and told her the Jedi Order had tried to topple the Republic, much to her disbelief, and that he was about to go to the Mustafar system, where the Executive Separatist Council was. Telling her that he would end the war, they kissed and he left aboard his green Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor, which replaced the interceptor he had lost in the Battle of Coruscant.[11]
Vader confronted the Separatist Council on Mustafar where, one by one, he killed them all.
On Mustafar, Vader slaughtered the entire Separatist Council, including Wat Tambor, Poggle the Lesser, and Nute Gunray, along with their aides, his eyes now yellow and red with rage. Simultaneously, Sidious carried out the proclamation of the New Order in an emergency session of the Senate, claiming that the Jedi Order had committed treason against the Republic, and reorganized the Republic into the first Galactic Empire with himself as its Emperor.[11] During this time, Vader was followed by Kakan, who believed he was a jedi. Vader showed his face, eyes to Kakan and chased after him to ensure there would be no witness. During his chase, Vader ran into a cloud of Lava fumes. The fumes caused Vader to see hallucinations his fellow Jedi such as Windu, Jinn, Koon, Billaba, Yoda, and his former apprentice Tano. Vader was able to push the fumes away from himself and dismissed the hallucinations.[222] Soon, Vader reported his mission's completion to Sidious; on his orders, Vader sent a shutdown signal to the Confederate navy and army, effectively ending the Clone Wars. With his mission completed, and the Separatists dead, Vader looked on from a balcony and shed a tear at the man he had become, but knew it was too late to turn back.[11]
Becoming Darth Vader
Duel on Mustafar
- "You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!"
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi, to Darth Vader
Soon thereafter, Vader saw Amidala's star skiff land and ran to meet her. She told Vader that Kenobi had discovered their secret and had also told her that Vader had joined the dark side, hoping that he'd prove Kenobi wrong. However, Vader only confirmed it to be true. Driven power-hungry by the Dark Side and declaring the galaxy was at peace, Vader tried to convince her that they could be happy together as rulers of the new Empire, promising he could overthrow Sidious.[11] In Vader's ideal world, Amidala would have taken his hand, believing the man before her was still her husband.[223] In reality, however, Vader's propositions and actions horrified his wife, who begged him to leave the dark side behind.[11]
Vader was blinded by rage while battling his former master on Mustafar
At that moment, Vader saw Kenobi walking out of Amidala's ship because he had secretly stowed away. Convinced that his wife had betrayed him to give his old master a chance to kill him, Vader, ignoring her attempts to explain, Force-choked Amidala until Kenobi demanded he let her go, by which point she had already fallen unconscious.[11] While what he had just done horrified him,[223] Vader lashed out at Kenobi by blaming him. Although Kenobi tried to reason with his former pupil, Vader refused to listen, as the new Empire was everything he wanted the galaxy to be. Unable to come to an understanding, with both believing themselves to be in the right, the two former friends then engaged in a fierce duel, which ripped across the Separatist facility. As they fought throughout the Separatist war room, their duel damaged the computers, causing the facility shields to deactivate and allowing the building to start falling into the lava river below.[11]
After fighting across the crumbling building and over a lava river, the duel ended on the river banks, where Kenobi claimed the high ground and warned Vader not to attack. Blinded by rage and arrogance, Vader leaped to continue the duel, only to have his remaining limbs severed by his former master's blade, leaving only his cybernetic arm. Crippled, Vader slid down to the riverbank while screaming his undying hatred for his former master. Kenobi, taking Skywalker's lightsaber, told him he had considered him his brother and remorsefully left him for dead as a flap of Vader's clothing caught fire and he started burning. Kenobi then left the planet with Amidala, C-3PO, and R2-D2 as Vader lay screaming and burning on the riverbank.[11]
Rebirth
- "Lord Vader, can you hear me?"
"Yes, Master. Where is Padmé? Is she safe? Is she all right?"
"It seems, in your anger you killed her."
"I? I couldn't have. She was alive! I felt it! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" - ―Darth Sidious and Darth Vader, after the latter rises in his armor
Vader was forced to undergo extensive surgery, leaving him more machine than man, and unable to survive on his own.
Although Vader survived, he was horrifically scarred, both physically and mentally, and had damaged lungs due to the hot ash in the air. Shortly afterward, the Emperor (having sensed his apprentice's peril) arrived on Mustafar, where he found the severely wounded Vader and took him back to Coruscant, in a medical capsule. As the Emperor could not afford to lose Vader, he turned to the Republic's best scientists, among which was Cylo,[224] who in doing so, gained private access to Vader's cybernetics),[225] and by the Emperor's orders, Vader was put into a life-sustaining black suit of armor and outfitted with three new robotic limbs by numerous droids skilled in both cybernetic reconstruction and medical surgery.[226] Among the droids working on Vader was FX-6, an FX-9 surgical assistant who previously worked on Grievous's armor.[227] After two days of nonstop labor, he was finally sealed within his new armor. His eyes showed a brief flicker of fear before his mask and helmet locked together and he drew his first breath. Vader's rebirth was complete.[226]
Upon regaining consciousness, Vader asked the Emperor what had become of his wife, and he told Vader that he had killed her in his anger. Unbeknownst to either of the two Sith, Amidala gave birth to the twins Luke and Leia before her death. Overwhelmed by his despair in the belief he had killed Amidala and their unborn child, which fulfilled his prophetic dreams of her death, Vader incidentally destroyed the medical droids and severely damaged the entire room through the Force. He broke free of his bindings on the operating table and, despite struggled to walk under the sheer weight of his new prostheses and armor, let out a cry of despair over losing everything he had loved.[11]
Driven further into the persona of Vader by Amidala's death, the man who was once Anakin Skywalker is hit by Force lightning by his new master as a showcase of why not to turn against him.
Vader's despair then turned to rage and he telekinetically slammed the Emperor against a wall in the surgical bay, snarling that his master had promised to save Amidala. The Emperor, as Vader attempted unsuccessfully to strangle him with the Force, responded that in death Amidala had provided Vader a gift: Pain. The Emperor continued by giving Vader a choice; to either accept and use that gift or to die. After a moment, Vader replied that he would live. The Emperor then immediately launched a barrage of Force lightning at his apprentice, and rhetorically demanded that Vader use the power of his lightsaber to defend himself, but Vader replied that his lightsaber had been taken by Kenobi at the conclusion of their duel.[228]
As he continued his barrage, the Emperor angrily shouted that the weapon Vader spoke of was not his. Rather, it had belonged to a Jedi, and Vader was now a Sith. Ceasing his Force-based assault, the Emperor drew his own lightsaber. He put the blade to Vader's throat and stated that he understood how traumatic the last few days had been for his apprentice, but warned that should Vader ever use the Force against him again, he would finish what Kenobi could not. The Emperor then deactivated his weapon and stated that, as friends, he hoped that the two of them would never find themselves in a similar situation. He instructed Vader to put aside his rage and lust for revenge against the Jedi for the time being, for the two of them had a great deal of work to accomplish.[228]
Hunting a kyber crystal
- "No. I refuse. This is all there is."
- ―Believing himself irredeemable after everything, Vader rejects a vision of returning to the light
Immediately after his surgery, the Emperor took Vader to a balcony overlooking the old Jedi Temple. There, he and Vader watched as Mas Amedda directed a ceremonial burning of the lightsabers of all the Jedi who had been killed in the Temple. As they listened to Amedda's speech, the Emperor asked if his apprentice knew how or why Sith lightsaber blades were red in color. Vader replied that he did not, as the Temple's information on the subject had been "incomplete." The Emperor laughed and contemptuously mused that the Jedi had been uncomfortable with the information and had buried it as a result. He then explained that kyber crystals felt pain just like any living being, and could be made to bleed after a fashion by pouring rage, pain, and hate into them. He asked Vader if he understood, to which Vader replied that he did, stating that he could have given him any of the burning Jedi lightsabers to corrupt, even Yoda's. But he had not, as Vader realized that the crystal of a Sith's lightsaber should be taken directly from a Jedi by that Sith.[228]
Vader is dropped off on a desert world.
As the ceremony progressed, the clone troopers attending the vent threw a basket full of various lightsabers into the incinerator, including Yoda's. The lightsabers caught on fire and a moment later, a powerful blast of energy was released into the air as the kyber crystals were destroyed. Afterward, the Emperor brought Vader to Gattering in the Mid Rim and assigned him the task of hunting down a Jedi to take a kyber crystal from. The Emperor took his apprentice to a site where he had arranged for a starship to be delivered for Vader's use, but the ship had been stolen by a group of pirates. Leaving Vader to reclaim the vessel, the Emperor departed, and Vader struck out for the planet's nearest settlement on foot. Once there, he eliminated the group of pirates who had stolen the ship[228] and traveled to the Jedi outpost Brighthome. The station was garrisoned by a group of clone troopers, who noted Vader's approach and hailed him.[230]
Though he could have provided the security codes necessary to secure the clone troopers assistance, Vader decided instead to simply kill them. During the fight, Vader summoned a green-bladed lightsaber from the wall to kill most of the clone troopers. After exterminating the garrison, Vader tasked the droid co-pilot of his ship to search through the station's archives for data on any Jedi who had taken the Barash vow prior to Order 66. Vader's hope was that any Jedi who had taken the vow, one of complete non-interference in all Jedi affairs, would have been not only out of harm's way when Order 66 was issued but would have ignored its occurrence in accordance with the vow. The search identified Jedi Master Kirak Infil'a, a Jedi who had been completely dedicated to combat to the exclusion of all else. When a grenade was thrown at him by two surviving clones, "Ding" and "Kicker," he managed to contain the explosion, which the clones believed would make him unable to do anything else as all his concentration was diverted on freezing the explosion.[230]
Consumed by rage in his first days as a Sith, Vader kills clone troopers "Ding" and "Kicker" while declaring he has no limits.
As they talked of how they would restrain and bring in what they believed was just another Jedi survivor before the Emperor in the hopes of being rewarded, Vader proved their beliefs that he was too preoccupied with the explosive to be false by telekinetically throttling the clones and breaking their necks, before walking far enough away from the explosion to release it.[230] Vader quickly located the Jedi on the river moon of Al'doleem and sensed as he disembarked his ship that Infil'a was waiting for him. The Jedi Master immediately confronted Vader, and was seized in a Force choke by the Dark Lord. However, Infil'a quickly released a Force blast at Vader which staggered him and disrupted his concentration. Infil'a declared his Barash to be complete and began to ascend the mountain upon which he lived, calling out to Vader to follow if he could. One of the Jedi Master's training droids, Arex, then opened a sluice gate which sent a river of water crashing down upon Vader.[231]
The Sith Lord was visibly battered by the rush of water, but managed to telekinetically part the river and walked to the shore. He was then set upon by a group of gigantic carnivorous birds, which damaged one of his cybernetic legs. Vader eventually crushed them all with the Force and made his way to the peak of the mountain. There, he found Infil'a and Arex awaiting him. Vader quickly unleashed a Force push that blasted Infil'a off his feet and dazed him long enough for Vader, who was unarmed, to destroy Arex and take the droid's training saber. He threw the droid off the mountain and engaged Infil'a, who sensed that Vader not only wanted to kill him but wished to take his lightsaber as well. However, Vader's previously damaged leg broke apart at the knee a short time into the duel, rendering him unable to continue the fight. Infil'a then declared his intention to seek out Sidious and kill him, and blasted Vader off the top of the mountain with the Force.[231]
Vader fights Infil'a on the Am'balaar city dam
Regaining consciousness, Vader used the Force to reassemble his cybernetic limbs with the dismembered pieces of Arex, who coincidentally had landed near where Vader had fallen. He then tracked Infil'a to Am'balaar City, where he reengaged the astonished Jedi Master. Fighting atop the Am'balaar city dam, the two crossed blades until the duel was interrupted by a trio of security guards. Annoyed, Vader telekinetically flung the guards from the top of the dam, but Infil'a caught them and used the Force to lower them to safety. Infil'a then shouted at Vader not to involve anyone else in their duel, but Vader instead took advantage of Infil'a's concern for innocents by ripping apart a building-sized water storage tank situated in the city below. As Infil'a attempted without success to use his own powers to stop the destruction, Vader telekinetically removed the Jedi's lightsaber from his belt and claimed it for his own. He then grabbed Infil'a in a Force choke and lifted him from the dam. Infil'a pleaded with Vader to spare the civilians below the dam, but Vader ignored him.[232]
As the enormous tank burst completely, flooding Am'balaar City, Vader crushed Infil'a's throat with the Force and tossed his body into the wreckage below.[232] After obtaining a Jedi lightsaber and the kyber crystal within, Vader reboarded his ship, whereupon the droid co-pilot seized control of the vessel and jumped to hyperspace. The droid then began to play a pre-recorded message from the Emperor to Vader. The message stated that, per the Emperor's instructions, the droid had plotted a course to the planet Mustafar, where Vader would find a dark-side locus which he could use to help him corrupt the kyber crystal. As the message concluded, Vader touched down on Mustafar and quickly found the locus the Emperor had spoken of, an ancient Sith shrine within a shallow cavern. There, he disassembled Infil'a's lightsaber on a small, flat rock formation and removed the kyber crystal.[229]
However, when he attempted to corrupt it, the crystal resisted and used the Force to send Vader careening into one of the cavern walls. The crystal then caused Vader to experience a vision wherein he rejected the dark side, journeyed to Coruscant, and killed Palpatine. In the vision, Vader then found Obi-Wan and begged for his forgiveness. As he knelt in contrition in front of his former master, Obi-Wan called out to Vader by his former name, Anakin. Upon hearing this, Vader snapped out of his vision and firmly rejected the possibility shown to him by the crystal, declaring that a life as a Sith was all he could be after everything he had done. He then began to pour his hatred, pain, and rage into the crystal. As the planet around the cave was consumed in a violent storm, Vader succeeded in corrupting the crystal.[229]
Darth Vader returns to Coruscant with his newly bled lightsaber, affirming his place as a Sith.
Afterwards, Vader returned to Coruscant and stormed into the Emperor's office during the middle of a discussion between Tarkin, Mas Amedda, and the Emperor regarding the construction of the Death Star. As Vader was completely unknown to anyone other than Palpatine at the time, the Royal Guards in the Emperor's office attempted to intercept him, only to be blasted back into the office's large window. Seeing Vader, the Emperor dismissed both Tarkin and Amedda, the former of whom expressed concern for his safety. Reassuring Tarkin, the Emperor repeated his command, and the two Imperial officials departed, leaving Vader to display Kirak Infil'a's lightsaber, emitting a crimson blade, to the Emperor in triumph, thereby affirming his status as a Sith apprentice.[229]
Training the Inquisitorius
- "The Inquisitors are formidable fighters. They are former Jedi!"
"And they fight like it. Defensive. Moving to attack only when there is no other choice. The Jedi taught that a battle could be counted a victory even if both parties survive. This error has infected the Inquisitors' tactics." - ―The Grand Inquisitor and Darth Vader
Shortly after returning to his master, Vader retired to a medical chamber so his damaged cybernetic components could be repaired. As Vader floated within a bacta tank, the Emperor congratulated him for taking his first step to mastery of the dark side, although Vader was angered when he learned a group of droids would be fixing his suit. Sensing as such, the Emperor allowed Vader to repair his armor on his own and informed him there was a new mission to undertake once his convalescence was complete. From his bacta tank, Vader guided the service tools with the Force to repair his armor to his liking.[27] At least one of Arex's pieces would remain in Vader's armor for years to come, filling in part of his knee joint.[234] As a residence, Vader was given a personal suite on Coruscant,[27] where he was served by a cloaked assistant.[235]
Vader cuts off the Sixth Brother's arm during a training session
As he repaired his helmet, having repaired and donned the rest of his suit by then, Vader was informed of an intruder in the Jedi Temple Archives. He promptly confronted the intruder, who wielded a red lightsaber. As the two fought each other, the intruder appeared to take the advantage, but after a time Vader revealed that he had simply been testing the modifications that he had recently made to his armor, and promptly destroyed the intruder's lightsaber. As Vader went in for the kill, the Emperor arrived and told him that the intruder, titled the Grand Inquisitor, was part of the Inquisitorius. Vader was then taken to The Works, where Vader saw the rest of the Inquisitorius training themselves. Vader was told that most of the Inquisitorius were Jedi who converted to the dark side in the wake of the Order's destruction in order to save themselves. As they overlooked the dark side agents, Vader inquired if the Grand Inquisitor would have taken his place as a Sith apprentice should he have lost the duel but soon declared there had been no chance of the lesser agent winning.[27]
Vader and the Inquisitorius were given the mission to hunt down and finish off surviving Jedi of the Emperor's Purge. Given the mission to train the Inquisitorius and agreeing to do so right away,[27] Vader dueled the Sixth Brother in a training session and cut off his arm in order to teach him about loss. Vader then spoke with the Grand Inquisitor about improving the Inquisitorius' training methods. They began to search for other Jedi that survived the purge. Vader saw the Inquisitors' target list and noticed the Jedi Archive's Chief Librarian, Jocasta Nu, on it. He asked the Emperor what was so important about her. The Emperor explained that she had knowledge of the Sith that she and the Jedi council had kept secret. The Emperor told Vader to find Nu and bring her to him. Vader assigned the Grand Inquisitor to search the Archive for information on her.[233]
Hunt for Jocasta Nu
At that time, Nu had returned to Coruscant and sneaked into the former Jedi temple to search for a list of young Force-sensitives in her secret archives.[233] As she roamed the ruins, her droid, Beetoo, informed her that her ship was about to be discovered. She informed the droid that she would adjust her plans accordingly. As Coruscant Security Forces came into the hanger, Beetoo detonated Nu's ship and killed the three security officers. As Nu made for a secret archive vault, she noticed the Grand Inquisitor reading through the Jedi knowledge. She continued, only focusing on the mission at hand.[235]
Vader and the Imperial Security Bureau major
Vader was contacted by an Imperial Security Bureau major, who had discovered a Jedi insignia on the wreckage of Nu's ship, and he went to the Imperial Security Bureau headquarters to check it out. When Vader arrived, the major asked what rank he should address him by, and Vader said, "lord." The major explained to Vader their suspicions that the explosion was premature and the Jedi insignia was merely "rabble-rousing graffiti" used as a calling card. Vader told him he was wrong, and as the major explained his experience in intelligence, Vader used the Force to reconstruct Nu's ship, showing the major that he was indeed wrong about the cause of the explosion. Vader then ordered him to search every level of Coruscant, steering clear of the Jedi temple.[235]
Meanwhile, Nu was about to vacate the temple when she noticed the Grand Inquisitor insulting the Jedi knowledge he was examining. His comments eventually drove her over the edge and she confronted him with her lightsaber.[235] Vader arrived at the temple entrance and Clone Commander Fox already had sealed the place. When Fox asked him what they were expecting to happen and Vader told him that they had missed a Jedi during Order 66. As Vader entered the temple, Nu was pinning down the Grand Inquisitor with her lightsaber and threatening him. The Grand Inquisitor asked how she did not remember who he was, stating the times she had denied him the Jedi knowledge he sought. Nu attacked him, kicking off a short duel where the Grand Inquisitor quickly outwitted her. The Grand Inquisitor would have killed Nu if not for Vader's arrival. As Vader stopped the Grand Inquisitor from slaying the Jedi, Nu used the Force to rain Jedi books on them, and she fled the scene.[236]
Vader made chase and as he followed Nu's trail, she made it to the archive vault and used a terminal to purge the entire library of its knowledge. As Vader entered the vault, he was confronted by the droid guard, Cator. He identified Vader as Anakin Skywalker and told him he was not authorized to be there. Vader threw his lightsaber at the droid, but being a guard against possible Force-sensitive threats meant the droid was ready for that move, and it caught Vader's weapon. Vader then punched Cator's arm off, and the droid caught his wrist and squeezed it with its robotic hand. Vader drove his fist through Cator's face before the droid could damage him any more. But as Cator dropped to the floor, Vader noticed a powerful shot being fired at him and used his lightsaber to deflect it. The shot, fired by Nu using a lightsaber rifle, knocked Vader back as it ripped through a bookcase. Nu stood at the entrance of the vault, confronting Vader.[236]
As Vader got up again, he tried to convince Nu to drop her weapon. Nu ignored him and fired again. Vader dodged her shot and she fired a third time, further devastating the vault. As she continued firing, she tried to convince Vader that he was just a tool to the Emperor, saying that he could never get rid of the light side of the Force as it always found its vessels. Nu's rifle then failed to keep firing, and Vader deactivated his lightsaber, telling her she would not be harmed. Nu's rifle then began beeping and she threw it towards Vader. He used the Force to push it away, and it exploded, throwing both of them to the floor and breaching the side of the temple.[237]
Vader and the clones corner Jocasta Nu.
Nu fled through the fresh hole in the wall to find newly alerted clone troopers around the perimeter. They fired at her and she jumped down, deflecting their shots back at them. As the clones put more pressure on her, she Force-pushed them over the ledge behind them. Vader then appeared through the wall and the clones assumed he was too a Jedi and fired on him. At that moment, Commander Fox approach the scene on an Imperial Patrol Ship and realized that they were firing on Vader. He then had his ship fly over to Vader and ordered his units to a ceasefire. Vader jumped onto the ship and when Fox tried to explain the misunderstanding, he used the Force to break his neck.[237]
The clones on the ground continued firing on Nu and managed to disarm her. She then found herself cornered by Vader and the clones, and she attempted to jump off, only for Vader to use the Force to catch her. He brought her to his ship, and there she told the clones that he was the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. Vader used the Force to throw the clones off the ship and when Nu asked of what became of her, he killed her. Vader then crashed the ship and contacted Sidious, telling him that Nu died in an attempt to escape. With Nu having revealed Sidious would create more dark side agents with the list and questioning what it was that Vader truly wanted before her death, Vader then crushed the list of Force-sensitive children that she had with her.[237]
The Weapon of the Sith
- "The Sith's weapon is not the lightsaber. It is the dark side of the Force and the dark side touches everything. The saber is merely a symbol. A flame, signifying the great blaze of the dark side. The inferno that consumes all who come against it. All."
"I understand, my master." - ―Darth Sidious and Darth Vader
Vader followed his master to The Works district on Coruscant, where the two prepared for a sparring match in which Sidious intended to teach him a lesson. Sidious ignited one of his lightsabers and told Vader to fight him, to which Vader ignited his own saber before his master charged against him. As the blades of the two Sith clashed, Vader was quickly overpowered by Sidious, who knock the saber out of his hand and later pushed him away with the Force.[238]
As Vader was on the ground, his saber was grabbed by Sidious while he told him that he still fought like a Jedi. His master told him that the lightsaber was not his only weapon and that the Dark Side of the Force was his true weapon, a weapon that touches everything. Vader was then hit by multiple peaces of wreckage that Sidious lift with the Force while he told him that he lightsaber was merely a symbol of the inferno that consumed all who came against the Dark Side. On his knees, Vader told his master that he understood his lesson.[238]
Defiance from the Imperial hierarchy
Hunted by the Chas
- "Do you remember Cabarria, Vader? Two decades ago, on a lonely stretch of skyway. A family. A man, a woman, and a girl of 12. You killed my mother. Her name was Ramat Cha. You killed my father. His name was Bhada Cha. My name is Chanath Cha, and that day, I vowed to end your life."
- ―Chanath Cha
The Ninth Sister and Darth Vader investigate a Jedi sighting on Cabarria.
Believing that he lost all that he cared about by his own hand, Darth Vader embraced his role as the Emperor's chief enforcer. Few knew who he was, and even fewer suspected that he had once been Anakin Skywalker.[240] Some rumors circulated that Vader was a counterpart to the late Separatist warlord General Grievous, whom Palpatine had held in reserve, while others speculated that he was a technologically modified warrior trained in the now-forbidden arts of the Force.[150] His appearance at the Imperial court and the favor he carried from the Emperor earned him the distrust of Imperial officers. They resented him for appearing out of nowhere and having authority over them because of his link to his Master. They also resented his heavy-handed treatment of them, such as when he used the Force in the presence of his Master to choke Colonel Barokki. In secret, Barokki and another Imperial officer plotted to assassinate Vader, whose position in the new Empire they did not understand.[240]
For Vader, the situation came to a head when he investigated a Jedi sighting on Cabarria. Accompanied by the Ninth Sister, he headed to the bar, where the identification had happened. Although the Ninth Sister had originally been planning to investigate alone, Vader had come, claiming she was not yet ready to face a Jedi in combat but secretly because he wanted to fight another Jedi. The Ninth Sister commented on his true desire, using her empathic abilities to read him clearly. As a result, Vader ordered her to remain outside while he investigated. Once inside, the Dark Lord was attacked by a family of bounty hunters consisting of Bhada, Ramat,[241] and their twelve year old daughter[239] Chanath Cha. Using ion grenades, they neutralized all the weapons in the bar while Chanath tried to seize Vader's lightsaber with a tractor rifle. However, he used the Force to seize the lightsaber midair and, under the strain of the two opposing forces, the hilt shattered, leaving only the red kyber crystal.[241]
The Chas told the assembled customers that they had come only for the "Jedi" and that they were not planning on harming anyone. However, a disarmed Vader disagreed and used the Force to turn the customers into projectiles aimed at the Chas. Taken by the surprise, the bounty hunters turned on their shields to protect themselves. As they attacked him, Vader also used the customers and the bar's furniture as shields. Eventually, the hunters realized they could not defeat him and made to flee. Reclaiming his crystal with the Force, Vader pursued them. Emerging from the bar, Vader initially suspected that the Inquisitors had been behind the attempt on his life and threatened the Ninth Sister with her own lightsaber. The Inquisitor's denials did not sway the Dark Lord, but neither did they prove her guilt. Determined to find who had placed a bounty on his head, he pursued the Chas. They eluded him for a time until he crashed a massive vehicle into their path, causing their speeder to crash. Seizing Chanath in a Force choke, he commanded they tell him who had ordered his death.[241]
Darth Vader cuts down the Cha parents with the Ninth Sister's lightsaber in front of their daughter, Chanath Cha.
Understanding they and their daughter were at risk, they told him about an anonymous bounty with an exorbitant price posted on the Hunter Net. Ramat Cha, a talented slicer, offered to uncover their employer for him in exchange for their daughter's life. When they demanded that he release Chanath first, Vader refused. However, the Chas refused to work if their daughter was killed, further declaring that they would happily die as well to exist in death with her. Grudgingly impressed, the Dark Lord demanded proof that Ramat could deliver her side of the deal, which she proved by tracking the signal of the bounty back to Coruscant. Vader released Chanath as agreed, at which point the bounty hunters made their daughter swear that she would seek no vengeance against the Dark Lord, a deal Vader chose to honor. To complete the deal, Ramat provided Vader with the information he had requested and gave him the source of the bounty on him: the Imperial Executive Building on Coruscant, specifically the Emperor's office.[241]
Vader then killed both Cha parents[239] right in front of their daughter, who was filled with rage. Despite her oath to not hold a grudge, she ignored her promise and spent her life hunting the Dark Lord[242] in revenge. Eventually, as the years passed on, the Sith Lord himself simply forgot the murders he carried out on Cabarria. Cha, however, never forgot[239] and became a skilled bounty hunter,[242] studying every report she could and speaking to anyone she could find who had witnessed Vader in battle. She trained herself to counter Vader's abilities, eventually enlisting a team of fellow hunters as "the Orphans" to help her in her quest. Cha's skills rose to a level that even Palpatine took notice,[239] becoming a bounty hunter the Emperor could trust[243] all in the name of possibly getting close to Vader, only to never see him.[242] In effect, Vader had completely upended Cha's life, only for the crusade her life turned into to not impact Vader at all.[239]
Cementing his place
- "Still, I understand that our shared vision remains new, and perhaps some elements of the hierarchy remain unclear. It is time to elimate any confusion. This is Lord Vader. He speaks with my voice. A command from him is a command from me. Pass this information down to your men. All must understand."
"Ferro. Bingan. Strephi. Azoras. Barokki. Step forward. Two attempts have been made on my life. Evidence suggests a conspiracy within the Imperial Officer Corps. I do not yet know the precise individuals behind these attempts… although I have my suspicions. It does not matter. I will always survive. Every time, I will survive. But five of you, chosen at random… [Force chokes the five] will not." - ―Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader speak to the Imperial Officer Corps
Faced with a conspiracy to assassinate him, Darth Vader used his skills as a pilot to avoid incoming missiles.
With their business on Cabarria completed, Vader and the Ninth Sister left the planet and returned to Coruscant. Now suspecting that the Emperor had placed the bounty on his head, the Dark Lord planned to confront his Master about his intentions. As the Ninth Sister piloted the ship through hyperspace, Vader worked on creating a new lightsaber. His droid meanwhile investigated the origins of the kill contract placed on him and confirmed that the order could have come from the Emperor's office, with no evidence of slicing to indicate foul play. But, as the ship arrived in orbit over Coruscant, the ship's attempt to transmit clearance codes for landing was jammed and the ship itself was marked as being part of a Separatist splinter cell. The Imperial capital's orbital defenses targeted Vader's ship. Only the Dark Lord's skill as a pilot prevented them from being destroyed, although the ship was damaged and forced to crash land on Coruscant. Tired of the repeated attempts on his life, the Dark Lord headed to the former Jedi Temple to confront the Emperor.[240]
The Emperor was investigating the hoard of artifacts that Jocasta Nu had collected and stored in the Jedi Archives when Vader arrived. The Emperor sensed that his apprentice did not wish to discuss his recent discovery, although he did praise him for having found the Librarian's stash. Vader informed his master of the events on Cabarria and his investigation into the kill order against him, before directly asking his Master whether he had placed it on his head as part of a test. Noticing Vader's new lightsaber, the Emperor asked to see it, approving of its design. He also chastised his apprentice for believing that he would resort to such methods as placing a bounty on his head if he wanted to have him killed and that he did not "test": he "taught." He also told Vader that finding the assassins was his task, not theirs. This echoed a previous lesson he had taught Vader when he had "disciplined" Colonel Barokki: that they must not kill everyone in the galaxy, but that having power meant they could, and that they would never lack for people to destroy.[240]
Vader returned to his quarters, where he meditated on the past events and his Master's words. Thinking back to all that had happened, he eventually realized the cause of the conspiracy against him was that his sudden elevation had caused concern and fear among the ranks of the Imperial officers, who knew that he had "strength," but not that he shared the Emperor's "power." Despite a lack of proof, Vader became convinced that Colonel Barokki, who had so suddenly borne his displeasure, must be involved in the conspiracy. The Dark Lord met with the Emperor and shared his conclusions, and requested that he be publicly recognized and allowed to show them the consequences of opposing him. The Emperor asked whether he was sure, and Vader confirmed it: he would not kill them all unless he had to, but would not allow them to act against him with impunity. The Emperor agreed to Vader's plan, but forbade him from killing Tarkin, as he was essential to his plans.[240]
Darth Vader meditates in his suite after establishing his place in the Imperial Military.
The Emperor gathered the elite officers of the growing Imperial Military to clarify the new hierarchy. He formally introduced Vader as his emissary, who spoke with his voice and whose commands would need to be obeyed as if they had come from the Emperor himself. The Emperor then moved aside and allowed Vader to speak: the Dark Lord summoned five officers before him: Corin Ferro, Zorta Bingan, Joon Strephi, Tomas Azoras, and Barokki. Informing them that the two attempts on his life had been made from within the Officer Corps and that he had his suspicions who had been responsible, he instituted a new rule: for every assassination attempt he survived, and he warned them that he would always survive, five officers chosen at random would be executed. He instantly executed the five designated officers with a Force choke before departing, leaving the remaining officers stunned and afraid. With his position in the hierarchy established,[240] Vader never held an official military rank but acted as the de facto Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Military,[244] being recognized as part of both Imperial High Command[19] and the Imperial Ruling Council as well.[20] Afterward, Vader returned to his personal suite and mediated, cracking the window in his anger that positive thoughts still came.[240]
War on Mon Cala
Vader awakes from his meditation
In 18 BBY,[2] one year into the reign of the Empire, Vader was reliving his duel on Mustafar through meditation. During his experience, he was already in his cybernetic suit, and he used the Force to throw lava at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan jumped up to dodge it, but Vader Force-choked him and threw him into the rocks. Vader watched Obi-Wan burn before he awoke in his meditation chamber as the Emperor asked for him over the comm. In his throne room, the Emperor told Vader that a year after his ascension, it was time to show that his voice was the only voice within the Empire. Vader asked how, and the Emperor told him that Mon Cala would make a great example of the price of defiance. He further told Vader that King Lee-Char may have had an adviser helping him with his negotiations with the Empire. Vader asked if it could be a Jedi, and the Emperor said it was possible. He told Vader to take a team to investigate this and claimed the military aspects of the operation would be left to Moff Tarkin.[31]
Vader arrived at Mon Cala aboard the Zeta-class shuttle Infernum. With him, he took three Inquisitors, the Sixth Brother, Ninth Sister, and Tenth Brother, and a death squad of Purge Troopers. At this time, the Imperial ambassador Telvar had just finished another meeting with Lee-Char, and the man was walking to his shuttle when he saw Vader descend from the ramp of his shuttle. The Ninth Sister struggled to get past the king's Chief of Security, Gial Ackbar, and Vader confronted the Mon Calamari, asking if he had read the writ that the Ninth Sister had given him. Ackbar confirmed that he had, but demanded that he knew their business as he had a job to do and so did Vader. Vader complied and explained about a possible enemy of the Empire on Mon Cala. As he said that, Telvar's shuttle took off and flew for Tarkin's Star Destroyer, the Sovereign—which was in orbit above Mon Cala. However, as Ackbar denied the possibility of an enemy of the Empire being on Mon Cala, Telvar's shuttle exploded.[31]
Vader and his Inquisitors seize the landing pad.
Telvar's assassination prompted Tarkin to enact a full-scale invasion of Mon Cala. His forces landed at Dac City, where Vader had arrived, and laid siege to the Mon Calamari and Quarren defenses. Vader and his team sprang to life and soon seized the landing pad where the Infernum was parked. He then led them to the Dac City palace to find Lee-Char and ask him about the possible Jedi. They fought their way through the palace guards and entered the palace, where the Ninth Sister began torturing Lee-Char for the location of the Jedi. However, another threat loomed over them. A massive tidal wave had suddenly erupted as a part of Lee-Char's defensive plan. The Sixth Brother warned them of this, and he and the Tenth Brother began shielding Vader and the Ninth Sister from the wave using the Force. When their attempts began failing, Vader joined them, but it was not enough. The group was washed away by the wave, and Dac City was left in ruins.[245]
Vader awoke at the bottom of the Great Ungeness Trench. As his oxygen supply was dwindling, he used the Force to create an air bubble for himself. Suddenly, he was attacked by a squid-like creature, and after wrestling with it, he killed it with the Force. Vader then rode its body using the Force and eventually picked up a transmission from the Inquisitors. Vader asked them to come to his position, and they did so in an Imperial submarine. When they picked him up, he asked about the Jedi, and the Inquisitors said that he was still alive somewhere. Vader then asked about Lee-Char, and the Ninth Sister said that they did not know, but she then revealed that she had gotten the Jedi's location from him. Knowing exactly where their target was, they began traveling for the Jedi.[246]
Ferren Barr discovered that Darth Vader was once Anakin Skywalker, the prophesied Chosen One of the Jedi Order.
Vader and his team arrived at the Jedi's location to find the individual and his disciples evacuating. The Jedi, an Iktotchi Padawan called Ferren Barr, had been notified by Lee-Char after he was recovered following the events at Dac City. The group of them immediately scattered, but one of the disciples instead attacked the submarine head-on with his blaster. The shots bounced off the window, and Vader used the Force to crush his helmet. The other fled in the direction of Bel City, and as Vader caught up with them, another disciple turned around to attack them. He too died in the process but managed to slow Vader's submarine, and the rest of the group followed Barr to Bel City. Vader and the Inquisitors arrived at Bel City and marched down the hallway, reinforced by the Inquisitors and the Purge troopers. Vader was then contacted by Tarkin, who was struggling to deal with the grueling conflict on Mon Cala. Vader told Tarkin that he was busy, but Tarkin knew that and asked him to do something else instead: capture Lee-Char. Vader told Tarkin that he did not answer to him, but Tarkin replied that capturing Lee-Char was the only way to end the fighting quickly on Mon Cala, and he pledged to owe Vader a favor if he did so. Vader agreed and told the Inquisitors to continue the hunt as he left.[247]
Vader arrived at Lee-Char's Royal Command Bunker and killed his guards. He then disarmed Lee-Char and contacted Tarkin, who told him to take Lee-Char to a window and send him his exact location. Vader asked Tarkin if he was going to send a shuttle, and the man said not yet. Once Vader did what he asked, Tarkin began a bombardment of Mon Cala. Lee-Char watched in horror but refused to surrender. The two were interrupted by Barr, who had outsmarted and scattered Vader's team. Barr confronted Vader and the two dueled. As they fought, Barr revealed that he had assassinated Telvar to send the Mon Calamari into war. Lee-Char overheard this and realized his mistake in following Barr. He ran to his terminal and sent a message to the Mon Calamari and Quarren forces, ordering them to cease fire. Lee-Char then contacted Tarkin, notifying him of the surrender. Tarkin sent a shuttle to pick him up but continued the bombardment.[248]
Vader duels the Jedi Ferren Barr.
Vader and Barr continued fighting, and Barr began laughing. Lee-Char questioned this, and Barr said that he had completed his plan. Barr prophesied that the Mon Calamari vessels would be at the forefront of a great rebellion decades from then, and decades after that. Vader told Barr that he was not a Jedi anymore, and Barr told him that that made two of them, saying that he still beat the Sith. Vader then slew him, and the shuttle arrived to pick up Lee-Char. The king told Vader that Mon Cala would rise again, but Vader told him that there was no Mon Cala, only the Empire.[248] Some time after the mission, Vader ordered to imprison and torture the people of Mon Cala.[249]
Investigation on Geonosis
Vader soon became aware of a project that was taking up many resources. He began investigating, which led him to the data vault on Scarif. There, he found Project Stardust, a project that was a large battle station the size of a small moon. Vader studied its design before he was interrupted by Tarkin, who was very displeased with Vader's snooping. Tarkin told him he was not authorized to be there, and Vader claimed that the Force was all the authorization he needed. Vader denied that he was Tarkin's beast but the man denied his claim and taunted Vader, saying he did not need the Force to know he was very angry. Tarkin then produced a hologram of the Emperor, who told Vader he did not recall sending him to Scarif. Vader apologized and told the Emperor he only sought to study the ways in which the Empire would extend its rule over the galaxy. The Emperor told Vader of a new mission he was to go on. There had been certain instances of sabotage during the Death Star's construction that Vader needed to discover the source of before it got worse. The Emperor further told Vader that Tarkin had full authority over him and that if he disappointed him, he disappointed Palpatine.[250]
Vader visits Galen Erso's office.
Vader arrived at Geonosis and met with Commander Orson Callan Krennic. As they greeted, an overhead rock formation exploded and rained down on them. Vader saved himself and Krennic and they went to his office to discuss the matter. Krennic claimed it was Tarkin sabotaging his efforts in order to get rid of him and take over the project. Vader asked him if there was any proof and Krennic was not able to produce anything. Krennic then explained to him the incidences that had occurred in the last three months. Vader gave his knowledge on the situation to loyalty officer Sid Uddra, who met him at the Petranaki Arena to discuss what she suspected. She told Vader that as much as Tarkin and Krennic's rivalry arose tension between them, it was unlikely for either to be the culprit. She then offered Vader with another individual to look into: the scientist Galen Walton Erso. Vader looked through his office and found many kyber crystals in which he bled for himself without issue. He then found a recording of Erso and his family. Vader also noticed that Erso called his daughter stardust, which was the codename for the Death Star's project. Finally, Vader found an ootheca egg in a box. Knowing that Geonosians were a slave race and were forbidden from breeding freely, he confronted Krennic about this. Krennic denied that it was him and suggested that some of the slaves may have sent it as a distress call to Erso. Vader then deduced for himself the saboteurs at hand.[250]
Vader and a squad of death troopers entered a Geonosian hive and found the queen and her minions. The two sides engaged but Vader quickly came out on top, slaying the queen. After the battle, he returned to Tarkin on the Carrion Spike and reported his findings to him. Tarkin asked Vader how he knew the queen's hive had orchestrated the sabotages and Vader told how their slicers had confirmed the hive to have installed corrupted tech into production, ensuring accidents. Tarkin then asked Vader how he may have dealt with them and Vader said that they were animals and so they were slaughtered like animals. Tarkin finally asked Vader if there was anything else and he stated to Tarkin that his project, the Death Star, was able to destroy a planet. Tarkin asked how he knew and he told him of the kyber crystals he saw in Erso's office. Tarkin then asked Vader why he was not happy for this revelation, and Vader said that he distrusted his reliance on technological aberration. Tarkin then told Vader that he was one of those before realizing that Vader wanted to be the only technological aberration. Vader warned Tarkin that the Death Star may become his tomb, and when Tarkin asked if that was a threat, Vader told him it was only a prediction.[250]
Accepting the dark side
The Emperor's emissary
- "This galaxy is vast, Lord Vader. I must rule it from a distance, through proxies, promises and threats. It is rare that I am able to take a direct hand against my enemies. Those tasks, I have left largely to you."
- ―Emperor Palpatine, to Darth Vader
Over the next two decades of the Empire's reign, Vader would remain one of the few who enjoyed direct access to Palpatine. He was Palpatine's preferred envoy for all matters that the Emperor took a direct interest in.[150] With Palpatine forced to spend most of his time governing the galaxy at large,[252] it was Vader who was tasked with taking a direct hand against the Empire's enemies,[251] becoming known as the "Emperor's Fist" to both Imperials[253] and, eventually, criminals.[254] Such matters included the elimination of rebel uprisings and the continued construction of the Death Star. One of Vader's earliest missions on the Emperor's behalf was to effect an execution on Murkhana.[150] He was indeed made privy to the secret construction of the Death Star, to be overseen by Wilhuff Tarkin.[11] Vader's high status also gave him the ability to alter Imperial records under the off-the-books Directive 081-Omega.[255]
One Imperial captain who served under Vader in the immediate aftermath of the Clone Wars alleged to a later subordinate, Yrica Quell, that Vader "matured" over the years: while during his first days as an Imperial enforcer Vader would simply murder out of annoyance, Vader came to wait for a subordinate to commit a mistake, albeit sometimes a trivial one, to have an excuse to kill.[256] The Imperial officers remained wary of Vader and his power, as well as his continued devotion to the ancient ways of the Force, but none rose to challenge him without feeling the consequences.[257]
For two decades, Vader was the loyal enforcer of Emperor Sheev Palpatine, commanding the might of the Imperial Army as well.
Despite the mistrust and even hatred he generated among the officers, Vader was held in high esteem by the Stormtrooper Corps, as he often fought alongside them at the front line rather than remaining in command centers. As the Emperor's enforcer, Vader retained command of the unit he had commanded during the Clone Wars as Anakin Skywalker: the 501st Legion. When the Emperor retired the clone troopers, the rank and file of the 501st were composed of recruited stormtroopers, some of whom received training from the Dark Lord himself, such as Sergeant Kreel, an undercover agent whom Vader trained in lightsaber combat. Through their missions on Vader's behalf, the 501st came to be known as "Vader's Fist."[258] On one occasion, the stormtrooper Terex met Vader, becoming terrified of him while also respecting him.[259] Vader also garnered strong support from the pilots of the new Imperial Navy.[260]
A young officer named Enric Pryde personally saw Vader in combat at one point.[261] At some point, Vader was deployed to put down resistance on the mineral rich world of Bandomeer, where miners were fighting back against Imperial exploitation. Vader punished them for their rebellion.[262] Apparitions of Vader and other dark siders were once faced by surviving Jedi Vanzell Mar-Klar and Nedriss Narr, who attempted to train a new generation of younglings after Order 66.[263] Having killed Tambor along with the rest of the Separatist Council during his mission to Mustafar,[11] Vader was also dispatched to Skako Minor to kill the Techno Union Foreman's remaining loyalists[264] by wiping out the planet's Ruling Council. Massacring the council officials, including Tambor's son Wat Tambor II,[265] Vader established a new Imperial-loyal regime on the planet,[264] which also fell under Imperial occupation.[255]
Relics of the Clone Wars
Around 17 BBY[2] during the early Imperial era,[266] around two[2] years after the skirmish aboard[267] the Tribunal[5] during Order 66, Vader traveled to the snowy moon that was home to the crash site of the Venator-class Star Destroyer. Investigating the wreckage with a contingent of snowtroopers, Vader discovered a memorial to the clone company that perished in the crash, as well as a lightsaber, partly frozen but still functional, that once belonged to his former apprentice, Ahsoka Tano.[268]
Vader finds Ahsoka's lightsaber on the snowy moon, realizing, deep down, that she is alive.
Igniting the lightsabers' blue blade, Vader heard a squawking sound and turned his head to the sky, where he saw a strange bird soaring through the air.[268] Deep down in his heart, he realized his former Padawan was alive,[269] but he lacked any concrete proof[270] and did not sense her presence. As such, he assumed to himself that she may have died, thereby closing the painful memories she represented,[271] despite deep down realizing she had to be alive.[269] After gazing at the bird for a moment, Vader deactivated the lightsaber and turned away from the crash site with the saber in hand, his image reflected in an abandoned clone trooper helmet.[268]
Battle against the Benathy
- "I remember when another like you came here with demands. He was taller. Far more impressive. He killed our last king. But even he could not stand against our god."
- ―King Kristoff, to Kylo Ren on Vader's attempt to subdue the Benathy
Around 15 BBY,[2] Vader and his men fought against the Benathy in Wild Space. The imperial army consisted of at least several thousand stormtroopers, AT-AT walkers, AT-STs, TIE fighters, and TIE bombers. While thousands died on both sides, Vader managed to kill the king of the Benathy. Vader ordered his troops to attack and despite the high amount of casualties, he did not retreat. The attacking force was only stopped by a Zillo Beast the Benathy saw as their god. However, Vader managed to subdue the Benathy anyways.[272]
Rebellion on Ryloth
Preparing for the operation
- "Are you testing me, Master?"
"Testing you? Is that how you perceive things?"
"Am I wrong?"
"We are, all of us, always being tested, my friend. Tests make us stronger, and strength is power, and power is the point. We must pass all the tests we face. Or die in the effort." - ―Darth Vader and Darth Sidious
Vader fights insurgents alongside his Master after becoming stranded on Ryloth.
Five years into the Age of the Empire, Vader, while meditating aboard the Perilous, was informed by Captain Luitt of an attack on the Yaga Minor shipyards. The attack had been staged by several dozen members of the Free Ryloth Movement, a primarily Twi'lek insurgency intent on liberating their homeworld from the rule of the Empire. The insurgents hijacked an Imperial weapons transport, and Vader led a squadron of V-wing starfighters in pursuit. After a long chase, during which the transport fled through hyperspace to several different systems, its engines overloaded when it attempted to make yet another jump and Vader's squadron was finally able to engage it. The squadron brought down the transport's shields with minimal casualties while Vader crippled the engines.[260]
Though the squadron commander suggested allowing the Perilous to tractor the transport into one of its hangar bays when it arrived, Vader assumed (correctly) that the insurgents planned to destroy the transport by detonating the heavy ordnance present in the ship's cargo bays. In order to prevent this eventuality, Vader crashed his black Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor into one of its gun bubbles and ejected just before the collision. He then entered the ship through the damaged gun emplacement and proceeded to kill all of the insurgent Twi'leks on the ship. After eliminating the insurgent leader Pok, Vader noticed an active comlink on the bridge. Assuming that another rebel ship was nearby, Vader had his V-wings fan out in a search pattern, but the rebel ship escaped detection by shutting down nearly all of its systems and hiding in the rings of a nearby planet. Finding nothing, Vader had the Perilous collect the transport, and returned to Coruscant.[260]
In the Imperial Palace, Vader reunited with his master. There, he and Sidious met with Ryloth's Senator Orn Free Taa involving the inconvenience that was the Free Ryloth Movement. The movement, though relatively minor, had been conducting raids on Imperial shipping facilities and transports and had seriously impacted the flow of Spice from the planet. As such, Sidious believed that the situation warranted his personal attention, and decided that he, Taa, and Vader would travel to Ryloth for a state visit. After informing the Senator of the planned journey and dismissing him, Sidious informed his apprentice that Taa almost certainly had a traitor in the midst of his support staff who was feeding the movement classified information on Imperial doings.[260]
Though Vader understood his master's purpose in acting as bait alongside himself and Taa, he saw no reason why the Emperor should potentially risk his own safety over such a minor issue. Rather, Vader advocated for simply killing Taa and his entire staff, thereby guaranteeing the elimination of the traitor. However, Sidious wished to eliminate the roots of the treachery, and not simply the lone traitor in Taa's staff. To that end, Sidious gave the order for Moff Delian Mors to be informed that Taa would be arriving for a state visit, but stipulated that she should not be told that either he or Vader would be accompanying the Senator. In this way, Sidious hoped to provide further encouragement for the movement to attack, as he assumed that they would discover his and Vader's plans via their spies. Ten days later Vader, the Emperor, Taa, and a contingent of Royal Guards journeyed to the Ryloth system aboard the Perilous.[260]
Assassination attempt on the Defiance
- "This guy again. I don't care if you kill me."
- ―Commandant Pell Baylo to Darth Vader
While traveling from Coruscant to Ryloth, the Emperor ordered the Perilous to stop in the Denon system to consult with several navy chiefs on how to better integrate disparate naval academies into one Imperial Naval Academy. The Emperor ordered Vader to oversee a training session conducted by Commandant Pell Baylo on the Defiance while the Emperor met with his naval chiefs in Baylo's office on the training ship. It was during this training session that Vader began to believe that Sidious was treating him much the same way the Jedi Council had previously: acting as he knew better, keeping information from Vader, giving him "busywork." Baylo ordered the Defiance to enter hyperspace on a course for Christophsis. Cadet Rae Sloane entered the coordinates, only to have her hyperspace path overridden by Baylo, who said she was going to send them too close to a singularity.[273]
Pell Baylo attempted to assassinate the Emperor, only for Vader to undo his plot by ordering Rae Sloane to adjust the starship's path.
Sloane studied the path, suspecting that Baylo was incorrect in his adjustment. Vader and Sloane discovered that the changed hyperspace route would crash the Defiance into Christophsis' sun, killing all aboard. Vader ordered Sloane to correct the problem, and without revealing that he knew of Baylo's treachery, Vader and Baylo went to see the Emperor. The Emperor ordered Baylo to turn over command of the Defiance and take a position at the training center on Corellia. Baylo, however, was loyal to the Republic and considered the Empire a hostile power. Instead of turning over his command, Baylo offered his resignation from the navy. Vader then revealed he knew of Baylo's plan to crash the Defiance, and the Emperor congratulated Vader for handling the "petty problem," annoying him.[273]
As Baylo railed against the Emperor, Vader Force-choked him to death, drawing ire from the Emperor, who had wished to see Baylo suffer and force him to watch his beloved Navy be turned into something he hated and have the Defiance be melted down into cafeteria trays. Above all, he wanted to use Baylo for his own ambitions since the old man was willing to kill his own students for a cause. Vader tried to explain that his way was more efficient, but the Emperor wanted to hear nothing of it as he did not order him to kill Baylo. Later, he ordered Sloane to have the Defiance renamed the Obedience as a subtle final jab at Baylo and a not-so-subtle reminder toward Vader to learn his place.[273]
Crash land on Ryloth
Shortly thereafter, Vader and the Emperor reboarded the Perilous and resumed their course to the Ryloth system. However, upon their exit from hyperspace, the ship immediately began slamming into spacial mines set up by Cham Syndulla's rebels. Hidden amongst these mines were specialized devices designed to drain the ship's shields, which began to buckle under the continual assault. As the shields neared failure, a swarm of several hundred reprogrammed Vulture Droids set upon the Perilous from the system's asteroid belt. Vader boarded his personal interceptor and took several squadrons of Imperial pilots to destroy the droid fighters and mines, but discovered a short time into the battle that Vulture Droids were each carrying a payload of explosive buzz droids.[260]
Realizing that the Vultures themselves were simply delivery systems meant to unload the buzz droids near or inside the Star Destroyer, Vader ordered his squadron to concentrate fire on them, as they presented a far greater threat than the mines. But between the mines and the Vultures, there were simply too many targets for Vader and his squadrons to handle, and the Perilous was severely damaged. The second wave of Vultures was detected immediately after the first had been destroyed, further compounding the already bleak situation. A message came to Vader from Captain Lewitt of the Perilous that the ship could sustain virtually no more damage without being destroyed.[260]
Vader moved to intercept the second wave alone, ordering his squadrons to remain near the Perilous to destroy any droids that got past him. Though incredulous, the squadron commander obeyed, and Vader used the Force to begin tearing apart the compartments on the Vulture droids that housed the explosive buzz droids. He then used the Force to begin flinging the buzz droids at other incoming fighters and repeated this process until the vast majority of the Vulture Droids had been destroyed. The remaining fighters were annihilated by Vader's squadrons, and he himself returned to the Perilous. Vader marched to the Star Destroyer's bridge and Force choked Taa for a short time, informing him of the traitor in his staff that had been responsible for the assault on the Perilous. Utterly terrified, the Senator vowed to find the traitor, but the Emperor had Taa and his staff confined to their quarters. An order was then broadcast from the Imperial headquarters on Ryloth for any and all repair ships to aid the Perilous as it sped, badly damaged, towards the planet.[260]
Twi'lek revolutionary Cham Syndulla (pictured) tried to kill Vader and the Emperor
Unbeknownst to Vader, some of the Twi'lek repair teams in fact comprised members of the Free Ryloth movement, one of which was a group of saboteurs with orders to plant timed explosives on the hyperdrive core of the Perilous. Shortly after the teams landed, one of the Free Ryloth groups engaged in a firefight with Imperial stormtroopers. When Vader learned of this, he ordered all of the Twi'lek repair teams, numbering over 100, to be killed regardless of whether they were aiding the assault and proceeded to Deck 17, where the firefight had been reported. On the way, he killed a group of apparently uninvolved Twi'leks before proceeding to the hyperdrive chamber. The saboteurs, who were led by Cham's second in command, Isval, had managed to seal the hatch to the hyperdrive core before any Imperial troops could interrupt them, and Vader began to use his lightsaber to cut it open.[260]
By the time Vader finished cutting through the hatch, the saboteurs had already concluded their business and escaped. The main hyperdrive core had been riddled with timed charges, set to detonate if anyone attempted to disarm or remove them. Vader concluded that the ship was lost, and ordered the captain to evacuate. Vader contacted Sidious, who instructed his apprentice to meet him aboard his shuttle. Before departing, however, Vader made one last attempt to kill the saboteurs, but they narrowly evaded him and escaped in an Imperial escort boat. Subsequently, Vader reunited with the Emperor and left on the shuttle, mere minutes before the Star Destroyer exploded. Shortly thereafter, the Imperial traitor Belkor Dray provided Cham with the transponder identity of the Emperor's shuttle, and he directed Isval and her group aboard the escort boat to attack it.[260]
Vader's exceptional piloting skills allowed him to evade the boat and then fly upside down over its cockpit within direct visual range of its pilots. Once there, he used the Force to choke both Isval and her co-pilot, but before losing consciousness, Isval rammed the shuttle with her escort boat. The crash disabled the shuttle's main power, and Vader had to use a nearly depleted backup battery to attempt a crash landing on Ryloth. As he guided the ship through the atmosphere, he had flashbacks of events and people from his past. Though distracted, Vader managed to land the ship in Ryloth's equatorial forest region, but his distraction did not go unnoticed by the Emperor, who noted that the landing had been poor compared to what he knew Vader to be capable of.[260]
Not too long afterward, the Twi'lek insurgents continued their assault on freighters, prompting Vader and the Emperor to take action and destroy them, before moving away from their fallen shuttle. At night, they stopped to rest, when the Emperor questioned his regret and loyalty, but Vader showed himself devoted still. They were soon attacked by a lylek horde, forcing them to retreat into a tunnel, unaware that they had entered their nest. They stood their ground against hundreds of lyleks and their significantly threatening queen, and killed them all before exiting the tunnel and finding a young Twi'lek, Drua. When the Emperor tried to kill her, Vader stopped him, intending to have the girl guide them to her village, where they obtained a communicator to speak with Moff Mors.[260]
After giving them their coordinates, they were finally surrounded by Syndulla's forces, but so did Mors's, aiding them in quelling the rebellion. As the stormtroopers killed the Twi'leks, Vader noticed a trio of Twi'leks: Syndulla, Isval, and Goll watching from afar and went on to kill them, but Goll and Syndulla escaped, leaving Vader to capture Isval and bring her before the Emperor. He mocked her, telling her that her people had accomplished nothing, and Vader subsequently executed her. On the Emperor's orders, Vader then killed the villagers to leave no witnesses, concluding their mission.[260]
Teller's campaign
- "We haven't stood on Coruscant in some time, Governor."
"The needs of the Empire keep us elsewhere occupied, Lord Vader."
"Just so." - ―Darth Vader and Wilhuff Tarkin
When Moff Tarkin's Sentinel Base was attacked, Vader was stationed in the Imperial Palace on Coruscant, where he held a court with the Deputy Director of the ISB, Harus Ison, berating Coruscanti criminals as well as Prefect Phoca Soot of Level 1331, for ignoring the Emperor's decrees. Telling them to move their operations out of Coruscant, Vader then made an example of Soot for his disrespect and crushed his heart with the Force, and adjourned the court to meet with Tarkin and Grand Vizier Mas Amedda. The latter politely asked Vader to refrain from killing all those who displeased him, to which the Sith replied that he would give thought to the matter, before greeting Tarkin and sharing the latest developments of the Death Star's construction.[150]
Vader and Wilhuff Tarkin arrive on Murkhana.
The pair separated when Vader left Tarkin, who met with the Emperor alone. Afterward, Vader (like Tarkin and Amedda) partook in a meeting between the Imperial Ruling Council, and the leaders of Imperial Security Bureau and Naval Intelligence Agency in the palace's audience chamber, overseen by the Emperor. He then assigned Tarkin and Vader to a mission on Murkhana to investigate recently discovered Shadowfeed technology and its relationship to the attack on Sentinel Base. The pair traveled to the planet on the Carrion Spike, which Vader made to carry his meditation chamber.[150]
On Murkhana, however, the Spike was stolen by unknown dissidents, prompting Vader and Tarkin to kill the Sugi crime lord Faazah, and take his Parsec Predator to pursue the stolen ship, hidden by its cloaking systems. Making use of his connection to his meditation chamber, Vader pinpointed the rebels' location to the Fial system and later, the Galidraan system, where they engaged the Spike before they jettisoned his meditation chamber and escaped to Lucazec. With the Predator disabled, Vader and Tarkin boarded the Liberator, from which Vader issued his black Eta-2 interceptor to be transported on the Goliath from Coruscant.[150]
On the Goliath, Tarkin told Vader that the insurgency was surely being supported by someone high up in the Imperial Military, and predicted that the insurgents would go to Phindar to refuel the Spike. Subsequently, Vader led a squadron to attack the stolen corvette in the Phindar system. Though they greatly damaged the ship, it escaped, prompting Tarkin and Vader to calculate its trajectory to Obroa-skai system. Teller transmitted false intelligence that the insurgents were heading to the Obroa-skai system. Hoping to capture the Carrion Spike, Tarkin and Vader deployed substantial Imperial resources including three Interdictor vessels. The prototype Immobilizer 418 cruiser malfunctioned, yanking several ships out of hyperspace and causing a massive accident.[150]
Despite failing to catch the Spike, the Imperials managed to capture the YT-1000 light freighter Reticent, which Teller had sent as a decoy to throw the Imperials off-scent. While Vader interrogated its Koorivar captain on the Executrix, Tarkin accessed Imperial databases and discovered the identities of the insurgents, including its leader Berch Teller. Vader also interrogated the Reticent's Sy Myrthian navigator, who suffered a heart attack. However, Vader learned from one of his contacts in the Crymorah Syndicate that a lieutenant had negotiated a deal with the Sugi crime lord Faazah for a supply of custom fuel cells. These fuel cells had reached Murkhana shortly before Tarkin and Vader's arrival, thus confirming that Faazah had been colluding with the insurgents.[150]
Tarkin and Vader, commanders of the Empire
After a private holo transmission with the Emperor, Vader told Tarkin that Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit was sure the insurgents would attack the Imperial academy at Carida next. Then, Vader parted ways with Tarkin to meet with Rancit, but not before asking for the meaning behind the Carrion Spike's name and Tarkin told him about his test in Eriadu's Carrion Plateau. On the Carida system, Vader boarded the Secutor-class Star Destroyer Conquest and met Rancit just as the Spike reverted to realspace, astrogating on autopilot. Aware of Rancit's treason, as a co-conspirator of Teller, Vader had Lieutenant Crest place Rancit aboard an escape pod and had Rancit give himself the command to issue the fire order that destroyed it. Elsewhere, Tarkin dealt with the rebels, ending the insurgency.[150]
Following the defeat of Teller's insurgents, Vader spent the next three weeks helping Tarkin to interrogate the captured insurgents with the exception of Teller, who managed to escape. While none of the insurgents had died under questioning, the Emperor had the insurgents executed privately. Vader also led a crackdown on the warehouse workers and salvages who supplied Teller's dissidents along with several scientists at Desolation Station who had provided Teller with information. Vader also took action against the Tenloss Syndicate and lower-level members of the Crymorah Syndicate who had assembled Berch Teller's warship, a modified Providence-class Dreadnought.[150]
Hunt on Chandar's Folly
- "Kill me, if you can."
- ―Darth Vader, to Tarkin
Tarkin still owed Vader a favor for capturing Lee-Char on Mon Cala. After some time, Vader came to Tarkin with his request, and, as he learned of Tarkin's hunting, Vader asked Tarkin to hunt him down. Vader told him to keep him on his feet, killing him if he had to. Tarkin was shocked at this and began considering why Vader would ask him to hunt him. Tarkin looked through the reports from the Inquisitorius and saw that Vader's hunt for the Jedi had left him with little to no challenge. Tarkin deduced that Vader wanted to be challenged again and was flattered that he had chosen him.[274]
With so few Jedi left, Darth Vader requested that Grand Moff Tarkin hunt him to provide himself with a challenge.
The hunt took place on the Outer Rim planet Chandar's Folly, and Tarkin immediately began trying to take on the Dark Lord of the Sith. Knowing of Vader's brutal abilities, Tarkin outfitted the hunters with slugthrowers and flamethrowers to avoid the possibility of Vader deflecting their shots. On the second day, they cornered Vader at a copse of Thurian trees, and four hunters engulfed him with their flamethrowers. As Tarkin watched Vader get covered by the flames, he thought he saw fear in his body language. Vader's possible fear was brief, however, as he targeted the hunters' flamethrowers, incinerating the four hunters. Through the following days, Tarkin saw that Vader was not hard to track, leaving clear signs wherever he went. They learned why as on multiple occasions Vader ambushed them. On one occasion, Tarkin and his hunters were tracking Vader near a cliff when he revealed himself and killed one of the hunters with his. Two others fired on him but failed to kill him.[274]
Tarkin realized that as long as Vader had his lightsaber, he could not be beaten. So over the course of the next four days, he attempted to steal Vader's weapon. After six men perished, one of Tarkin's hunters managed to snatch it out of Vader's grip while he was fighting. After this, Tarkin saw that not only was Vader turning to new tactics, he was angrier. Tarkin knew that enraged prey was usually easier to take out, but he admitted that this rule did not apply to Vader. Soon after, Vader fought five of Tarkin's hunters as they fired on him, hitting him many times and scarring his armor. Tarkin watched from a hilltop as Vader came close to the hunters and used the Force to snap one's neck. The other hunters retreated, and Vader Force-choked another to death. Once understanding how capable Vader was with the Force, Tarkin assumed that the hunt would soon end. However, Tarkin soon realized that Vader was so keen on getting back his lightsaber, that so long as Tarkin's team hunted him, he hunted them.[274]
On the ninth day of the hunt, Tarkin was down to his last seven hunters. Vader managed to kill a Valath, the apex predator on the planet, and take its hide, which could help him camouflage better. One of Tarkin's Chadra-Fan hunters, Sissian, spotted Vader northwest of Tarkin's camp, and the hunter Yerga notified Tarkin of this. Tarkin got his binoculars and saw Vader on top of a peak wearing the Valath hide. Tarkin had his hunters form a group around him, and they walked in Vader's direction. Vader lured them into a ravine of blue crystals, where his breathing could echo and be untraceable by Sissian and his grandfather, Hardhear. Hardhear heard Vader's breathing, but although he could say Vader was near, he could not say which direction. Vader loomed over them at the top of the ravine and watched as Tarkin ordered his team to run. The group ran down the ravine, and Vader made his move, Force-pushing one of the hunters into the ravine wall. Vader then Force-choked Hardhear before leaping down, under the cover of his Valath hide, and attacking the droid hunter.[274]
Darth Vader was hit by the lightning of the Stormlands.
Tarkin had the rest of his team run into the Stormlands, where it was open ground. They set up camp, and Sissian listened for Vader's breathing. However, Vader had deactivated his suit, which stopped his breathing apparatus from giving him away, and he slowly crept up to the camp, before Force choking Sissian. Yerga attempted to attack Vader, but he took her by the neck and killed her. The last two hunters opened fire, and Vader used the Force to retake his lightsaber. Tarkin then jumped at the two hunters and slaughtered them. Tarkin ran away from Vader, but after realizing he would catch up with him eventually, he stopped and fell to his knees. Vader loomed over him, not realizing that as he was standing higher than Tarkin, he was more susceptible to the lightning in the Stormlands.[274]
Without warning, Vader was struck by lightning and he fell to the ground. Tarkin got up and contacted his flagship, the Carrion Spike, to pick them up. Tarkin sat by Vader and waited for the Carrion Spike to arrive. The corvette soon approached them, being frequently struck by lightning due to its height in the Stormlands. Vader remained immobile and Tarkin told him that whatever he had hoped to learn from this madness, he hoped he had learned it. Tarkin then told Vader that he would get him to a repair bay soon enough. However, Vader was not finished yet, and he Force-choked Tarkin, showing him that he had not lost just yet. Tarkin soon crawled from the range of Vader's Force abilities, and Vader continued lying there.[274]
Hunt for Eeth Koth and rogue Inquisitors
- "Fear. Anger. Resentment. I sense them in you. You have let yourself feel, Eeth Koth. It gives you power. More than the Jedi would ever have allowed you."
"Perhaps it's the Zabrak in me. Or perhaps…now I have something to lose." - ―Darth Vader duels Eeth Koth
Vader dueling Eeth Koth
Vader, along with the Fifth Brother, Tualon Yaluna, and the Thirteenth Sister Inquisitors,[32] was able to track down former Jedi Master and Council member Eeth Koth to a planet where he was a priest of the Church of the Ganthic Enlightenment. Vader approached Koth after the birth of his daughter. Koth offered Vader codes, secret contact frequencies and a way to find other purge survivors, knowing that he was not a threat to anyone. As Koth's wife and child made their escape, Vader fought Koth. Vader then sent the Fifth Brother and the other Inquisitors after Mira and Koth's daughter, and he continued to fight Koth. After the Inquisitors captured Koth's daughter, Vader killed Koth. He then held Koth's child.[275]
Vader and the Inquisitors took the child to Coruscant, where Vader met with the Grand Inquisitor and gave the child to two nursemaids that belonged to Project Harvester. Vader then spoke with the Grand Inquisitor about his next target. The Grand Inquisitor told him that there were still a few Jedi left, but they had vanished with no way to find them. He told Vader they would have to wait.[275]
Vader confronted the Twi'lek and Thirteenth Sister in the Inquisitorius Headquarters. Vader sensed a connection between the two Inquisitors due to their previous mission with Vader. Without the assistance of the other Inquisitors, Vader hunted them down. Vader and two Coruscant Guards searched for the two Inquisitors. After Vader's speeder was destroyed, he continued to pursue them through the skylanes until they all landed on a platform. When the Inquisitors refused to kill him, Vader used the Force to activate their lightsabers and kill them.[276]
Building Fortress Vader
Choosing his own world
- "I have destroyed the remaining Jedi for you. I will perform any other tasks you require. But first…I ask that you give me a world."
- ―Darth Vader, to Darth Sidious
Darth Vader is presented with the Naboo Royal Starship once used by his wife.
Vader then informed the Emperor of the two Inquisitors' treachery. Vader told the Emperor that the female Inquisitor allowed Mira and Koth's daughter to briefly escape and only captured the child because she was seen. He also believed they were building a coalition against himself and the Emperor. Despite this, the Emperor was displeased with Vader's pursuit across Coruscant that cost the life of a senator. The Emperor decided to move the Inquisitors to another world. The Emperor asked Vader how Koth tried to hide. Vader said he was posing as a priest, which was the closest thing to a Jedi. Vader was given a reward: Padmé Amidala's Naboo Royal Starship, which a P-100 pick-up droid reported was in working order inside and only needed around two more days for repairs to the hull to be finished up.[276] Wanting the exterior of the craft to retain a damaged appearance,[277] Vader was content with the current progress and quickly destroyed that droid.[276]
Vader was then ordered by the Emperor to go to Alderaan to deal with Senator Bail Organa. However, to the surprise of his master, Vader refused. Having carried out Palpatine's will for so long, Vader was content to continue to do so, but he first he demanded a world of his own. Rejecting Sidious's offer to give him Tatooine or Naboo, Vader asked to be given Mustafar,[276] the world where he had been defeated by Kenobi. The Emperor agreed to his request and would send Colonel Alva Brenne to build a facility for him there. Before leaving for Mustafar, Vader was then shown the Mask of Darth Momin, which Sidious gave him to help with construction. When Vader questioned how his master had learned of a Sith Lord not mentioned in any Sith nor Jedi holocron he had studied, Sidious vaguely answered that the mask itself had told him about Momin.[277]
Return to Mustafar
- "Perhaps your Padmé does await you on Mustafar. Perhaps the dark side will bring her to you. Go. I think, one way or another, you will learn a great deal. That is good. After all, your power…is my power."
- ―Sidious to Vader, before the latter departs for Mustafar
Vader, along with Colonel Brenne and her aide, Lieutenant Roggo, took Vader's Naboo starship to Mustafar. During the flight, Vader saw a vision of his younger self with a face that matched his mask. Upon entering the planet's atmosphere, Vader deactivated the starship's shields and allowed it to burn as they landed. Once on the planet's surface, Vader commented that the ship looked better burnt. He then told Brenne that he was there to understand a great mystery. While Brenne and Roggo got to work designing Vader's castle, Vader returned to the cave where he bled his kyber crystal. As he reached out to the power within the cave's locus, he was presented with a design for the castle from Brenne, which Vader rejected. However, shortly after leaving, Vader heard Brenne scream and returned to the starship to find her dead. He also discovered that Roggo had donned Momin's mask. Vader attacked Roggo, but stopped upon seeing that he had created a new design for the castle.[277] Removing the mask from Roggo's corpse, Vader took the mask into the cave and placed it upon the locus. He then asked the mask who he was, to which he replied "I am Momin".[278]
With his spirit surviving in his mask, the ancient Sith Momin claimed to Vader a completed design could restore Padmé Amidala.
Momin proceeded to show Vader his entire life, from creating morbid works of art from the deceased to being trained in the ways of the Sith by Darth Shaa. After killing his master and studying the lore of the dark side, Momin constructed a weapon which, along with his use of the Force, would freeze a city's population forever at the moment of their deaths. However, an attack by the Jedi caused him to lose control, destroying both the city and himself in the process. As a result, Momin's essence became trapped within his mask, forcing him to take on host after host in order to create his art. Vader placed the mask upon his head, but quickly cast it aside and then departed with it from the cave. Once outside, he engaged in a fight with two Mustafarians, one of which he killed and the other he placed the mask upon. With his new body, Momin explained that his design for the castle was actually a key to open a door to the dark side, which Vader could use to reunite with Padmé Amidala. Vader threatened Momin not to offer him things he could not provide and Momin responded that he only wanted another chance to create. Vader accepted Momin's offer, but warned the ancient Sith not to betray him.[278]
Under Momin's guidance, Vader used his Imperial resources to begin construction of his castle. With each new design, Momin insisted that this would be the one to open the door. Though each attempt to do so would subsequently end in failure. And with each failure, Vader would cut down Momin's current body in frustration and place his mask upon a new host. Each new attempt to open the door would also bring ruin to Mustafar itself, prompting the Mustafarians to attack in retaliation. The cycle of creation and destruction carried on[279] for two years.[280] Vader did not remain on Mustafar for that entire time[28] but always returned to test Momin's latest design.[279]
Mission to Nur
- "You have failed me, Inquisitor."
- ―Darth Vader, to the Second Sister
Vader controlled the entire Mustafar system.[281] Concurrent to the construction of Fortress Vader,[280] the Inquisitors, due to Vader's destruction caused when he chased the rogue Inquisitors on Coruscant,[276] moved to a similarly designed Fortress on the ocean moon of Nur[28] in the Mustafar system.[282] In 14 BBY,[280] Vader journeyed to the Fortress Inquisitorius to retrieve a holocron containing a list of Force-sensitive children, which the Second Sister had been hunting for. Instead, he found that the Second Sister had failed to stop surviving Jedi Cal Kestis and Cere Junda, who was pleading for the Inquisitor to return to the light and apologizing for failing her; during the early Jedi purge, Junda, while under torture by Vader, had revealed the hiding location of Trilla, who became the Second Sister, and a number of younglings under her protection.[28]
Darth Vader effortlessly overwhelms the young Jedi Cal Kestis with a Force choke.
As Junda and Trillia talked, Vader approached, his breathing alone scaring the Second Sister. Junda also recognized Vader on sight, telling the worried Kestis that he was right to be scared. Executing the Second Sister for her failure and before she could return to the Jedi, Vader used the Force to throw Junda into a pit with little effort, then suggesting to Kestis that he surrender. Regardless, Kestis launched multiple futile lightsaber attacks against Vader only for Vader to effortlessly neutralize all of his assaults and telekinetically choke him. Quickly realizing his disadvantage, Cal fled the encounter, after barely surviving by pulling a piece of machinery at his and Vader's direction, forcing Vader to defend himself from that and toss Cal aside, with Vader in hot pursuit.[28]
Despite Cal managing to escape from Vader moments before he could enter the elevator, Vader soon managed to catch up to him just as he was about to escape the fortress and attacked him. As he quickly gained the upper hand on Kestis and began to overpower him in a blade-lock, Cal's droid, BD-1, attempted to short-circuit Vader's life-support suit, forcing Vader to disengage and stop the droid. Before he could crush BD-1, Cal made use of the distraction to impale Vader in the mid-section, only for Vader to retaliate by tossing Cal aside once again with the Force and as Cal desperately attempted to fight back and summon his lightsaber back, Vader stopped Cal's lightsaber before it could return to his hand and once again offered a chance for Cal to surrender the holocron and when Cal refused, Vader simply activated the lightsaber and forced it into Cal's mid-section, the same way that Cal attempted to defeat him.[28]
Moments later, Junda reappeared to aid Kestis, only to be easily defeated after a short clash of blades, being flung aside. Commenting on the strength of Junda's hatred, Vader was impressed when Junda was able to temporarily bring him to his knees with the dark side of the Force and commented how he could feel it inside of her. Once Junda resisted his efforts to goad her into the darkness, Vader attempted to kill both her and Kestis, but Junda was able to hold it at bay with a force-barrier long enough for Kestis to use the Force to shatter a number of windows surrounding them, causing water to pour into the complex and forcing Vader to use the Force to hold back the flood, as Kestis grabbed Junda and escaped through the opening.[28]
The final castle
- "Let the past die. Kill it if you have to."
- ―A voice during Darth Vader's vision
In 12 BBY,[280] Momin's ninth design for Fortress Vader was constructed, which Vader stated would be his final chance. Upon activating this castle, Vader found that he was finally able to open the door. However, before he could enter, he was informed of another attack by the Mustafarians. And while Vader dealt with the attackers, Momin took the opportunity to open the door himself. He then summoned his younger self from the past and placed his mask upon him, thus finally creating his masterpiece; himself.[279]
Leaving the battle, Vader reentered the castle while the Mustafarians continued their attack. Upon returning to the locus, he used the Force to unleash a devastating attack, wiping out the rest of the Mustafarians. Vader was then met in combat by Momin, who mocked Vader for thinking he could control the dark side. As he chastised the Dark Lord for his ignorance about the Force, Vader used the Force to ram Momin with a rock, crushing his new body and killing him. With Momin dead, Vader finally opened the door and stepped inside.[284]
The spirit of Darth Vader in a realm beyond the physical body.
Abandoning his physical body, Vader entered a realm in which he experienced visions of his past, present, and future. He saw himself as a child haunted by the very form of what he would become. Becoming a child once again, he gradually grew up along with the memories of his upbringing. After experiencing a vision of him dueling his former apprentice Ahsoka Tano, Vader entered another vision of the Jedi Temple and fought against the specters of various Jedi. After disposing of them, Vader journeyed further into the Temple until coming upon the forms of Sheev Palpatine and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who both claimed to be his father. After killing Kenobi, the vision of Palpatine motioned at Vader to stand down, to which Vader responded with a barrage of Force lightning that destroyed the specter.[283]
Finally, Vader found himself on a balcony with a vision of Amidala standing before him. Vader, now in the form of Anakin Skywalker, told Amidala to come with him. However, Amidala simply told him that Anakin Skywalker was dead before leaping from the balcony. Vader screamed in agony as the specter of Amidala was destroyed by a bolt of lightning. He then saw a beacon of blue light in the distance. Within the beacon was a figure who activated a blue lightsaber, pushing Vader back and returning him to his body. After awakening in the castle and retrieving his lightsaber, Vader destroyed the dark side locus, sealing off the door,[283] because he was unable to restore his wife.[285]
Sometime later, Vader contacted his master and informed him that he was still alive. The Emperor asked Vader if he would return to Coruscant, to which Vader said he soon would. The Emperor then asked Vader if the truth he learned of on Mustafar was what he needed. Vader then hung up and, while standing in front of the finally completed Fortress Vader, answered "Yes".[283] Vader went on to return Momin's mask to Sidious, who placed it in his personal yacht, the Imperialis, under the watch of two Royal Guards.[285]
Hunting Kenobi
Duel on Mapuzo
- "What have you become?"
"I am what you made me." - ―Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader
In 9 BBY,[286] Vader at last had a chance for his long-awaited rematch with Kenobi[30] after an Inquisitor known as the Third Sister—who was obsessed with finding Kenobi[29] because she was in fact the youngling Reva, who wanted to use Kenobi as bait to get close to Vader and enact revenge for his slaughter at the Jedi Temple years before[61]—arranged for the kidnapping of Leia Organa to draw Kenobi to the planet Daiyu. Although he escaped with Organa, the Third Sister told Kenobi that Skywalker had survived his injuries. As Kenobi grabbled with the information, Vader awoke in his bacta tank[29] in Fortress Vader on Mustafar. Assembling his suit, Vader moved to his throne room and spoke to the Third Sister via hologram, demanding to know where Kenobi was. Dismissing the apparent death of the Grand Inquisitor, whom Reva had stabbed in her desire to claim credit for Kenobi's capture herself, Vader ordered her to prove herself capable, with the position of Grand Inquisitor as her reward should she succeed.[30] In truth, he knew the Third Sister was the youngling Reva and that she intended to betray him, but Vader kept her alive so long as she was useful.[61]
Darth Vader declares to Obi-Wan Kenobi that he will suffer as he burns his former mentor.
Vader also warned the Third Sister that if she failed, she would not live to regret it. Later, Vader was informed that Obi-Wan was on Mapuzo. Vader arrived with his three Inquisitors and a squad of stormtroopers and walked through the streets of the settlement, terrorizing and killing random civilians in order to draw Obi-Wan out. Vader pursued the Jedi Master into the quarry. Horrified at what had become of his former apprentice, Obi-Wan tried to flee, but Vader ambushed him. Vader taunted Obi-Wan with regards to his lost strength, and Obi-Wan attempted to flee again. Once again, Vader caught up to Obi-Wan, this time lifting him with the Force, as he ignited flammable rocks with his lightsaber. Promising to make Obi-Wan suffer, Vader lowered Obi-Wan to the ground and dragged him through the flames, scorching him. Vader extinguished the flames as a squad of stormtroopers arrived. Vader ordered Obi-Wan brought to him, but before the stormtroopers could comply, a hidden Tala Durith opened fire, killing several stormtroopers and reigniting the flammable rocks. This gave NED-B the opportunity to retrieve Obi-Wan and for Tala to escape with the injured Jedi.[30]
Following the successful rescue of Leia from Fortress Inquisitorius, Vader angrily made to kill the Third Sister, lifting her into the air with the Force and choking her while reminding her that she was warned what would happen if she failed. Vader allowed her to speak, which enabled her to reveal that she had planted a tracker on Leia's droid, Lola, which would reveal the location of the Hidden Path network. Vader acknowledged that he had underestimated the Third Sister, and spared her, though he warned her that he would not tolerate any further mistakes.[281]
Attacking Jabiim
- "He was wise to use you against me."
- ―Darth Vader to Third Sister
Aboard the Devastator, Vader reflected on a long ago training duel against Kenobi in the Jedi Temple as the Jedi's Padawan before his captain alerted him to the Third Sister's arrival. Ordering the pleasantries dispensed with, Vader demanded to know Obi-Wan's location. The Third Sister reported that he had been tracked to Jabiim. Satisfied, Vader demanded that the Third Sister kneeled before him, and he promoted her to the rank of Grand Inquisitor. He then ordered the bridge captain to set a course for Jabiim.[61]
Darth Vader effortlessly holds back the Third Sister's strike.
En route to Jabiim, Vader ordered the Path's base locked down. The Third Sister warned Vader that if they trapped them, their opponents could hold out for several days. Vader responded that he did not intend to break their enemies. After the Third Sister and her forces secured the Path's hangar, Vader arrived on the surface. The Third Sister told him that Kenobi was inside, but Vader stated that he wished to bring him in himself. Vader forced his way into the hangar and found a transport attempting to leave. He used the Force to ground it and rip it apart, only to find that it was a decoy and the real transport with the Path—and Kenobi—aboard took off successfully. The Jedi Master had remembered the old training duel where his Padawan had shown shortsightedness because of his anger, which inspired him to exploit Vader's ruthlessness and single-minded focus.[61]
The Third Sister attempted to use that moment as a distraction to stab Vader, but Vader used the Force to stop her blade, stating that Kenobi was wise to use her against him. Vader hurled her aside, but she charged at him again, and he used the Force to deflect her blade and throw her. The Third Sister activated her lightsaber's twin blade spinning mode, but Vader used the Force to stall the blades rotation, and then ripped her saber from her grip. Vader detached her lightsaber into two singular hilts, and tossed one on the ground at the Third Sister's feet, taunting her. She retrieved the weapon and continued to attack Vader, but the Sith Lord quickly disarmed her again, before stabbing her in the abdomen. As she collapsed, the Grand Inquisitor arrived, revealing he had survived, and Vader stated that he had known her intent for some time, but had decided to allow it because it was useful in the hunt for Kenobi. Vader declared that the Third Sister was no longer useful, and he and the Grand Inquisitor left her to die.[61]
The second rematch
- "Anakin…"
"Anakin is gone. I am what remains."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Anakin. For all of it."
"I am not your failure, Obi-Wan. You didn't kill Anakin Skywalker. I did. The same way, I will destroy you."
"Then my friend is truly dead. Goodbye, Darth." - ―Obi-Wan Kenobi says goodbye to Darth Vader
Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi dueled once more.
Vader returned to the Devastator as it pursued the Path's freighter. Kenobi left the Path's freighter on a drop ship with Lola. Against the advice of the Grand Inquisitor, who stated that he should continue the pursuit of the Path's ship, Vader ordered the Devastator after Kenobi to a rocky moon. Vader departed the Devastator alone aboard a shuttle[287] and chased Kenobi above the moon's moon's dry lands[288] before landing in[287] those dry lands,[288] where he confronted Kenobi and asked if his former master was there to destroy him. Kenobi replied that he will do as he must before igniting his lightsaber. Vader vowed that Kenobi would die and the two engaged in a lightsaber duel, with Vader utilizing a combination of one-handed and two-handed combat, that passed from the dry lands into[287] a labyrinth of rock pinnacles.[288] During the duel, Kenobi attempted to collapse a pinnacle on Vader, who stopped it with the Force. Remarking that Kenobi's strength had returned since their last duel but that his weakness remained, Vader hurled the pinnacle at Kenobi before resuming their duel.[287]
Vader collapsed the ground beneath Kenobi and hurled rocks to keep him down there. Before leaving, Vader taunted Kenobi for thinking that he could win against his former apprentice. However, Kenobi, drawing on his desire to protect Anakin's children, managed to break free and charged at Vader again. On the offensive, Kenobi used his superior use of Soresu and the more aggressive Ataru utilized by his late master, Qui-Gon Jinn to overwhelm the Sith Lord before using the Force to hurl Vader against a rock. With Vader stunned, Kenobi then pummeled him with a maelstrom of rocks. Kenobi then resumed his lightsaber duel with Vader, critically damaging Vader's chest plate with multiple strikes from his lightsaber's pommel and slashing him across the back before pushing him back with the Force again, and then leaping at him, striking the left side of Vader's helmet with his lightsaber and revealing the scarred face of Anakin beneath. Kenobi addressed him as Anakin Skywalker, prompting Vader to respond that Anakin was gone and that he was what remained.[287]
Vader addresses Kenobi from beneath his damaged helmet.
Kenobi was visibly distraught and apologized to Anakin. Vader replied that he was not Kenobi's failure and that Kenobi did not kill Anakin: instead, Vader replied that he killed Anakin and vowed to destroy Kenobi as well. With that, Kenobi was left to believe his friend was truly dead before bidding Vader, whom he simply called "Darth," farewell. As Kenobi left, Vader called out to him while trying to rise to his feet, unable to catch Kenobi before he slipped through his grasp once more.[287] Vader was left with the belief that he had been but a learner in their latest duel, convincing him to increase his strength to cement his power over Kenobi for whenever their next encounter came.[18] Vader's suit was repaired and he returned to Fortress Vader, where he conferred with the Emperor via hologram, stating that he had dispatched probes along all possible routes and that Kenobi would not escape him again. The Emperor noticed Vader's agitation and suggested that Vader could not move beyond his past. Vader, seeing the threat hidden in Palpatine's reply, affirmed that Kenobi meant nothing to him and that he only served the Emperor.[287]
Attack on the Archive
- "It’s been a while. I was hoping you drowned on Nur when we blew a hole in your underwater base."
"It is delusional to think your actions have had any consequence. The Fortress stands. The Inquisitorius continues its work. And I have come for you." - ―Cere Junda and Darth Vader
Darth Vader duels a prepared Cere Junda, who managed to hold back the Sith Lord for a time.
After Bode Akuna, secretly a Jedi Purge survivor, tipped off the Empire about the location of the Archive on the holy moon of Jedha, Vader launched an assault, acting long before Akuna's superior, Lank Denvik of the ISB, intended to attack. During the attack, he breached the burning Archive and came face-to-face with Cere Junda once more, beginning a heated duel between the Sith Lord and the prepared Jedi Master, whose skills had grown considerably since their battle on Nur; having let go of her fear, Junda proved to be a challenge for Vader over the course of their duel, during which Vader also used the various Jedi texts around them as projectiles. As the conflict continued, Vader managed to back Junda into a shelf, but she rolled out of his next strike in time to send the entire shelf crumbling down onto him. After a moment, a damaged Vader rose from the flaming wreckage and re-engaged Junda. The duel would end after Junda managed to Force push Vader against another shelf and rushed to stab him, but Vader managed to strike her through the chest, ending the conflict with injuries but leaving Junda dead. Vader later traveled to the II-0810 Satellite Station, where he killed Denvik for treason.[289]
War with the Rebellion
Lothal
- "We will squeeze Lothal until someone reveals the whereabouts of these traitors."
- ―Darth Vader to Minister Maketh Tua
Vader continued to look for leads on Kenobi's location, albeit in a more patient manner that did not jeopardize his service to the Empire,[270] as per Sidious's order.[287] In 5 BBY,[290] the Sith Lord was approached by Sidious, who informed Vader that he had seen a new threat—the "children of the Force"—arising against them. Vader then contacted the Grand Inquisitor via hologram to inform him of the Emperor's vision, ordering the Grand Inquisitor to hunt down these children to either press them into Imperial service or be eliminated. The Grand Inquisitor promised Vader that the mission would be done.[26] In time, the Grand Inquisitor's focus would be centered on the Spectres rebel cell that mainly operated around the world of Lothal, as two Jedi worked as part of the cell:[291] Order 66 survivor Kanan Jarrus,[292] who had gone by the name Caleb Dume during the Clone Wars,[196] and his Padawan Ezra Bridger. The failure of the Grand Inquisitor and other Imperial leaders to defeat the Spectres led to Tarkin being deployed to resolve the issue[291] in 4 BBY.[2]
After Imperial forces under Tarkin captured Jarrus during the Spectres' raid against the Lothal Communications Center,[291] he was scheduled to be taken aboard Tarkin's Star Destroyer Sovereign to Mustafar,[292] where he would be taken to Fortress Vader.[293] By that point, Jarrus had indeed heard rumors that Mustafar was where Jedi went "to die," which he told to his fellow rebel Hera Syndulla.[292] However, over Mustafar, the union of multiple rebel cells into a growing rebel alliance was revealed when the Spectres were rescued by the Phoenix Squadron, with the Grand Inquisitor also being killed aboard Tarkin's crippled Star Destroyer. As rumors of what had happened over Mustafar became known, riots and uprisings began to occur on several worlds, including Lothal. The Emperor, concerned at the rise in rebel activity, sent Vader to Lothal with Tarkin to end the growing rebellion.[294] Vader also made sure the Grand Inquisitor's service was not yet finished: Vader prevented the Inquisitor's spirit from passing into the Netherworld of the Force and forced him to stand guard over a Jedi outpost on Tempes as a trap for any would-be Jedi searching for artifacts. With that, the Inquisitor's spirit eternally suffered from the flames[295] of the Sovereign[294] yet was not allowed to die.[295]
During his mission to end the rebels in Lothal, Vader faced the Jedi Kanan Jarrus and his Padawan Ezra Bridger.
Arriving on Lothal, Vader stepped off a Sentinel-class landing craft with Tarkin and passed[294] high-ranking ISB Agent Alexsandr Kallus. Shortly thereafter, Kallus was assigned to report directly to the Sith Lord.[296] In an effort to track down the root of the rebel problem, Vader concocted an elaborate trap in which he intended to track the Spectres back to their primary base of operations. Sometime into the siege, Vader met with Kallus and Minister Maketh Tua to discuss his plans with dealing with the Spectres. During this meeting, he informed Tua that Tarkin intended to hold her accountable for her failure to stop the rebels. Fearing for her life, Tua contacted the Spectres, promising them information in exchange for smuggling her off of Lothal before her meeting with Tarkin. The rebels agreed and returned to Lothal. However, Vader had intended for Tua to contact the rebels in order to lure them back to Lothal and saw to it that a bomb was placed on Tua's shuttle. Once the rebels arrived, they attempted to escape the planet with Tua in her shuttle, only for the bomb to go off as Tua boarded the ship, killing the Minister.[270]
Immediately after the incident, Vader had it broadcast all over the planet that the rebels had assassinated Tua in order to discredit them. Vader then ordered Kallus to lock down the planet's spaceport and publicly announce that any ship attempting to reach orbit would be destroyed. Vader knew that the lockdown, combined with the populace's mistrust of the rebels, would essentially guarantee that they would need to steal a ship in order to escape. As such, he provided a tempting target at the local Imperial garrison; a shuttle capable of hyperspace travel. When the rebels attempted to steal it, Vader confronted them with a small group of stormtroopers. Vader engaged the rebels' Jedi members, Jarrus and Bridger, while his troops engaged in a small scale firefight with the other rebels. As his intent was for the rebels to escape, Vader lazily toyed with the two Jedi while their cohorts attempted to launch the shuttle.[270]
The confrontation came to an end when two of the rebels threw thermal detonators at a number of walkers on the landing pad, damaging their legs and scattering the stormtroopers underneath them. When Vader glanced up at the collapsing walkers, Ezra and Kanan combined their power to telekinetically push him into the path of the falling war machines. Believing him to be dead, the two rebels were instead astounded to see Vader, completely unharmed, use the Force to lift both of the walkers off of himself and drop them behind him. Recognizing that they were hopelessly outmatched, Kanan ordered Ezra to run with him to the commandeered shuttle. Hoping to prevent Vader from pursuing them, Sabine Wren fired a number of blaster bolts at Vader. He reflected two of them back into her chest and helmet but made no attempt to board the shuttle or otherwise stop it. After the shuttle successfully launched, one of the stormtroopers who had been present for the confrontation assured Vader that he would scramble fighters immediately to intercept it.[270]
Vader engages Phoenix Squadron
However, Vader informed him that doing so would not be necessary, as he believed that the rebels would not attempt to leave the planet for some time. Vader later ordered Kallus to destroy Tarkintown in order to draw out the rebels or, failing that, to demoralize them. Shortly thereafter, the rebels used the stolen shuttle to escape the planet and rendezvous with the rebel fleet. However, Vader had placed a tracking device on board the shuttle, and mere minutes after the rebels had reached the fleet, Vader's TIE Advanced x1 fighter dropped out of hyperspace and attacked Phoenix Squadron. The rebel CO deployed the A-wing interceptors of Phoenix Squadron, but they were unexpectedly decimated by Vader's lone assault. Weaving through the defensive screen of fighters, Vader attacked the rebel command ship, Phoenix Home, disabling it in short order.[270]
The apprentice lives
- "The apprentice lives."
- ―Darth Vader senses Ahsoka Tano
The Spectres quickly boarded their ship, the Ghost, and fought back against the Dark Lord. However, neither the Ghost nor the remainder of Phoenix Squadron could land so much as a hit on Vader's craft, and he continued to bombard the now-crippled Phoenix Home while picking off interfering fighters at his leisure. With its fighter escort all but destroyed and its weapons, shields, and engines disabled, the rebel command ship appeared to be doomed as Vader prepared for a final assault. However, on board the Ghost, Ahsoka Tano decided to combine her powers with Kanan's in order to probe Vader's mind with the Force. The probe enabled Ahsoka to see deeply enough into Vader's mind for her to recognize him as her former master, and for Vader to recognize the one probing him as his former apprentice. Ahsoka promptly lost consciousness as a result of the psychic backlash of the probe but Vader was unaffected.[270]
Upon discovering Ahsoka's presence aboard the rebel craft, Vader's priorities immediately changed. In an unexpected turn of good fortune for the rebels, Vader broke off what would have been a killing run at Phoenix Home in favor of engaging the VCX-100 light freighter. As Vader peppered the Ghost with blaster fire, Kanan and Hera Syndulla managed to convince Jun Sato to evacuate Phoenix Home as Admiral Kassius Konstantine entered the system with three Star Destroyers. The Admiral contacted Vader in order to receive instructions, and Vader ordered Konstantine to block the Ghost's escape, but not to fire at it, as he wanted the rebels aboard it alive. Meanwhile, the crew of Phoenix Home abandoned the crippled command ship and fled the system with the tattered remains of the rebel fleet. As Vader closed in on the Ghost, it jumped to hyperspace just as the Destroyers activated their tractor beams, catching Vader instead of the Ghost.[270]
