2. The Continued Connections Between Luke & Anakin
Luke and Anakin both begin their Jedi training under the same Master Obi-Wan Kenobi but here in Episode II we see an established Anakin Skywalker in a fully functioning Jedi order, a level Luke Skywalker would never get to reach. However, the two Skywalker stories are still very much intertwined. The big deal for Anakin in Episode II is his mothers death. Away from the Jedis watchful eye, Anakins anger took hold of him and he slaughtered a Tusken camp without mercy. Luke never really had this response to the death of his Aunt and Uncle and never once took his anger out on the Stormtroopers that killed them. Additionally, Luke never went after Darth Vader for revenge after killing Obi-Wan, either. Arguably we could say that the differences between the two Skywalkers are that their friends provided different things to them. Anakin has Padme, a secret lover who has to pretend theres nothing between them and Obi-Wan, a master who struggles to keep Anakin on the Jedi way doing things because Anakins sense of the right thing to do differs from the orders of the largely emotionless Jedi. Looking at Luke, he has a solid support base. Leias rebels welcome Luke with open arms and put him straight into battle because of his skills and Han Solo returns to help his friend destroy the Death Star and forms a bond with the kid who would help save the galaxy across three more movies. Since Anakin joined the Jedi order, hes felt like an outsider and the added pressure of being the potential chosen one cant help either. Anakin begins to desire more as he loses the things he cant control. His mother dies and Anakin wants to have the power to stop death. Hes nearly killed in battle and he secretly marries Padme. Anakin is conflicted on every aspect of his life but hes slowly making decisions against his training, holding onto dark secrets and hidden emotions making him more vulnerable to outside influence. Skip forward to Luke and he wants nothing more than to be a Jedi. Arguably seeing Obi-Wan die at Vaders hand would have fueled him to seek revenge but Luke got to seen Obi-Wan after death and his training continues with the blue ghosts aid. Luke is always fully supported, so when he makes the decision to leave Yoda and Ben to help his friends, the fear that the Jedi will lose another Skywalker to his emotional connections returns. Of course, both Luke and Anakins rush into facing a Sith end with them losing a hand and the father and son paths come back together at the end of the second installments of both trilogies.