George Lucas originally had a much different plan forAnakin Skywalker/Darth Vader’sbackstory inStar Warsmovies and TV shows, andStar Warsjust made use of it in the most unexpected place:Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures.Star Warsjust released brand-new episodes ofYoung Jedi Adventuresseason 2, following the season’s premiere in August 2024. Among the new episodes was “Unmasked,” which focuses on the double life of a character named Prince Cyrus—thought to be on the side of the Jedi.
Sadly, for the Jedi, he was revealed to have a secret identity as Taborr Val-Dorn, a pirate who had opposed them before. To make this all the sadder, in the end, Cyrus/Taborr chooses the path of evil, which Kai Brightstar in particular struggles to come to terms with.While this may not sound like a Darth Vader story, this double life is precisely the plan George Lucas initially had for Anakin/Darth Vader—and, honestly, it would have been so much better.
George Lucas Set Up A Very Different Darth Vader Story In A New Hope
Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Comments Suggest Vader’s History Was Initially Quite Different
InA New Hope,Obi-Wan Kenobi’s description of Darth Vader’s backstory heavily hints that he too was living a double life, secretly killing the Jedi. In the now very well-known conversation between Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan in the movie, Obi-Wan explained that Darth Vader had"helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights"and tells Luke,“He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct.“Order 66 explained this in part, but these lines actually reveal an entirely different plan for Vader.
Obi-Wan explained that Darth Vader had"helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights.”
Yes, inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Anakin/Vader did kill countless Jedi during Order 66, although the description that he hunted them down wasn’t really applicable.Star Warshas since explored the ways in which Vader ‘hunted’ Jedi throughthe Imperial Inquisitors, who were entirely meant to track down and kill anysurvivors of Order 66and any Force-sensitive beings they identified. Yet, these were later adjustments. Originally,the notion that Vader had hunted Jedi and betrayed and murdered Luke’s father was part of a much darker story.
5 Ways Lucas' ORIGINAL Prequel Plans Differed From The Movies
George Lucas’ original plan for the Star Wars prequels back in 1981 had a drastically different version of Anakin’s fall to the dark side.
Lucas' Original Plans For The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy Saw Anakin Live A Double Life
Anakin Was Meant To Be A Jedi Serial Killer
In George Lucas' original plans,Darth Vader would have been revealed to have a similar double life in the prequel trilogy, essentially becoming a secret Jedi serial killer. Playing off of what Obi-Wan says inA New Hope, the prequels would have shown Vader slowly killing off Jedi all while still being part of the Jedi Order and going out on missions. This would have completely changed Anakin’s role in the destruction of the Jedi, as he would have had much more agency in those killings and been considerably less sympathetic as a character.
The prequels would have shown Vader slowly killing off Jedi all while still being part of the Jedi Order and going out on missions.
Another fascinating layer of this would have been Padmé’s role. With this plan,Vader would have been exposed by his wife after she discovered his double life. This would have made Padmé a much stronger character, specifically when it comes toStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. In that movie, in addition to the disappointingway Padmé died, her character is diminished to little more than a heartbroken wife in denial about what has become of her husband—which is entirely contrary to how she’d been in the other prequel movies.
In this version of the story, it would have been Padmé herself who brought the truth about Anakin/Vader to light. This would have given her so much more agency and been much more in keeping with her character, and it would have addressed the bewildering lengths she was willing to go to in ignoring the glaring red flags with Anakin (such as the Tusken Raider incident). In addition to what this would have meant for Padmé though,this would have been a considerably darker turn for Anakin/Vader’s backstory.
It’s Fascinating To Get A Glimpse Of The Star Wars Story Lucas Could’ve Told
This Would Have Made Anakin’s Already Dark Story Even Darker
I’m a massive fan of the prequel trilogy, so I’m not complaining about the directionStar Warstook with the prequels. However,a serial killer Anakin Skywalker is an absolutely thrilling concept. This would have made Anakin so much darker, for one. He would have been killing Jedi not because Palpatine had meticulously manipulated him and made him fear Padmé’s death couldn’t be prevented without him, but rather for truly evil reasons.
In addition to that, it would have simply made for a brilliant story on screen. Watching Anakin secretly wiping out the Jedi one by one is a chilling prospect—and it’s something I would be fascinated to see. As it stands, though, the closestStar Warshas come to this originalAnakin Skywalker/Darth Vaderplan is the brand-newStar Wars: Young Jedi Adventuresepisode “Unmasked.”
