Annikin Skywalker

"And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior and he shall be known as the Son of the Suns"

- The Skywalker

Annikin Skywalker, also famously known as Darth Vader, was a legendary Jedi Knight in the final days of the Jedi Order and a Sith Lord during the Galactic Civil War. He was also the prophetic Son of the Suns spoken of in one of the more legendary Prophecies of The Skywalker. The prophecy that spoke of him became the only one of the Prophecies of The Skywalker carried over into the Jedi Order after the great schism that broke apart the Order of the Jedi Bendu of the Ophuchi, making him all the more legendary amongst the Jedi.

Annikin was born the son of Shmi Skywalker, though he had no father. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn believed that it was the will of the Force that caused his conception, making him and some others believe that Annikin was the Chosen One spoken of in the prophecy. Later in life, Annikin married Padme Amidala. After Annikin fell to the Dark Side and was nearly killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar, Padme gave birth to Annikin’s twins Luke and Leia.

During his training, he was slowly seduced to the Dark Side of the Force by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who was truly the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. After the formation of the Galactic Empire at the end of the Clone War, Annikin finally embraced his darker emotions and became Darth Vader, the apprentice of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Annikin’s soul was not redeemed until the very end of the Galactic Civil War during the Final Battle for Coruscant, though the path to his redemption began shortly after he found out that his son, Luke, had survived. He had already known about Leia, as he had seduced and trained her in the ways of the Dark Side four years earlier, but she had later escaped his grasp and was redeemed. Luke did not simply tell his father that there was good in him, but rather tempted him to return to the light. Annikin allowed the temptation to overcome him and was redeemed in the eyes of the Force.

Immediately following his mortal death, he found himself on Ashlan Four with Ussej Padric Bac, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Yoda. After they explained to him how he was able to retain his bodily form even after death, Padme approached him from a garden. Annikin begged her to forgive him for everything he did, but she told him that she had already forgiven him. All he had to do was forgive himself. He later appeared as a ghost before Luke and Leia along with Obi-Wan, Yoda and Kane Starkiller. Before Luke and Leia turned away, the Force granted Padme the one-time ability to appear as a spirit as well and they were both able to look proudly upon their children.

Behind the scenes

 * Unlike George Lucas’ version of Return of the Jedi, Brandon Rhea portrays Annikin as having to fight for and prove his redemption.
 * Though it is clearly hinted upon in Lucas’ version of the Star Wars Saga, the Alternative Star Wars Saga clearly portrays Annikin as a representation of Jesus Christ.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones 
 * Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Beginning
 * Star Wars: Episode V - Shadows of the Republic
 * Star Wars: Episode VI - Fall of the Lettow
 * Star Wars: Episode VII - A New Hope
 * Star Wars: Episode VIII - Sins of the Father
 * Star Wars: Episode IX - Return of the Jedi
 * Star Wars: The Lost Legacy
 * Star Wars: Prince of the Shadows
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Force
 * Earth Wars: Chapter One - Legends of the Jedi Bendu
 * Earth Wars: Chapter Two - Revenge of the Jedi Bendu
 * Earth Wars: Chapter Three - Destiny of the Jedi Bendu