10 Traumatic Star Wars Facts You Wish You Hadn’t Heard
7. Anakin Skywalker Was A Slave Pretty Much His Whole Life
Along with being the place where Wuher told Artoo and Threepio to keep out of his watering hole, Tatooine was also the planet Anakin Skywalker called home during his early years.
It wasn't exactly the greatest upbringing, of course, with little Ani being a slave on the desert world up until the age of nine. Thankfully, that all changed for the youngster when Qui-Gon Jinn and co. flew into town. Anakin eventually won his freedom in a podrace after the Jedi had made a bet with his owner, Watto.
Or did he?
As tough as it may be to hear, Anakin was always a slave to someone or something in his life in a way.
Even when he left Tatooine to join the Jedi Order, that "freedom" consisted of him being made to follow the strict rules of the Jedi and being told off when he opted to do things his way. Then, when he turned to the dark side and joined forces with Emperor Palpatine, that alliance saw Darth Vader again being constantly ordered around by the Sith Lord.
The most heartbreaking part of all of this? Anakin only experienced a short period of genuine freedom in his entire life, with that coming in those few moments between defeating his master and dying in his son's arms.
Skywalker's arc is already one of the most tragic in all of Star Wars, but this often-overlooked detail makes it even more devastating. If your heart wasn't already broken by the rise and fall of The Chosen One, this hidden-in-plain-sight lack of true freedom will likely do the trick.