Anakin Skywalkeris a fan-favorite Jedi for a reason, and he was undoubtedly one ofStar Wars’most powerful Jedi, but he can’t be the ‘best’ Jedi inStar Warsmovies and TV showsfor several critical reasons. Anakin’s importance to the largerStar Warstimelinereally can’t be overstated.
Two years ago, Lucasfilm’s Dave Filoni - George Lucas' protégé and a rising star in Lucasfilm - shared a controversial opinion. Filoni believesAnakin Skywalker the greatest Jedi of all time, a stunning accolade that doesn’t really make any sense. Because one thing’s for sure;as important and impressive as Anakin is, he can’t be considered the best Jedi.
Anakin Committed Horrible Atrocities Even As A Jedi
The Tusken Raiders Incident Was A Key Example, But There Were Others
While the metrics by which someone could be consideredStar Wars’best Jedi are varied and largely subjective, it’s true thatAnakin did many things throughout the prequel trilogy that suggest, even as a Jedi, he had a shocking darkness in him. The most obvious example was inStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones.
In that movie, when he finds his mother tied up and clearly suffering injuries from torture only to have her die in his arms, Anakin goes on a rampage, cutting down not only the Tusken Raiders who were responsible for Shmi Skywalker’s death but also every single Tusken Raider in the camp.
Famously, this included,“Not just the men, but the women and the children too.“Despite how obviously evil this massacre was, this occurred before Anakin fell to the dark side. As pointed out byLuke_Maxxingon X,committing a genocide should probably preclude you from the status of best Jedi.
Concerningly, this also wasn’t the only dark act Anakin carried out before he officially became Darth Vader. While not as egregious as the slaughter of the Tusken Raiders,Star Wars: The Clone Warsrevealed multiple violent outbursts by Anakin, ranging from Force choking Asajj Ventress to beating Rush Clovis nearly to death.
The Clone Warsrevealed multiple violent outbursts by Anakin.
Therefore, despite Anakin being one of the greatest war heroes of the Clone Wars, he also committed horrible acts throughout the prequel trilogy that were not in keeping with being a good Jedi, let alone the best. In fact, that role in the war was another part of the problem.
Anakin Was A Warrior, Not A Peacekeeper
This Isn’t Entirely His Fault, But It Is A Problem
Another significant issue with Anakin being considered the best Jedi inStar Warsis the fact that, when it really comes down to it, Anakin just didn’t embody what a Jedi was truly meant to be. Particularly after the Clone Wars began inAttack of the Clones,Anakin became a soldier, not a peacekeeper.
When it really comes down to it, Anakin just didn’t embody what a Jedi was truly meant to be.
In fairness, this issue wasn’t entirely his fault. The Jedi themselves had betrayed their own values when they entered the war, and they became increasingly involved in politics, which meant straying further and further from the peacekeeper role they were meant to have in the galaxy.
What this does mean, though, is that it is difficult to compare Anakin to the great Jedi of the past - including the Jedi of the High Republic Era. In fact,George Lucas thought Anakin shouldn’t be a Jediat all.
While admittedly a shocking take for George Lucas to have, his rationale holds up and further supports the notion that Anakin can’t be the best Jedi. Namely, Anakin was incredibly dangerous, and as was the fear of the Jedi Council from the very beginning, eventually that danger came about when he fell to the dark side.
There Are Many Other Jedi Who Were More Exemplary Than Anakin
I’ll be the first to admit that Anakin Skywalker is my favorite Jedi, and I stand by the fact that he’s one ofStar Wars’best characters, if not the single best character in the entire franchise. However, being the best character is far from the same as being the best Jedi.
There were specific rules, traits, and roles in the galaxy that made someone a great Jedi, and, sadly, many Jedi bested Anakin in those categories. As mentioned, this included in part being peacekeepers in the galaxy. Just based on what we’ve seen in the Skywalker Saga, many of those Jedi were likely in the High Republic Era and earlier.
Even other traits associated with great Jedi, though, like selflessness and compassion, were much more present in other Jedi than they were in Anakin. Anakin’s own son, Luke Skywalker, is just one example of a Jedi whose ego was not at the forefront; Luke genuinely cared about others and was willing to die for them.
Other Jedi, such as Kanan Jarrus, have likewise better reflected these traits, andthere’s of course the massive issue with Anakin’s struggle to let go of attachments. InThe Clone Warsalone, there are multiple times he says he ‘can’t’ let his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, die.
That same sentiment of being unable to let someone go was present throughout Anakin’s Jedi years, most obviously with Padmé inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, but with Obi-Wan Kenobi as well, whom Anakin consistently refused to leave behind.
It pains me to admit it, becauseAnakin Skywalkeris easily my favoriteStar Warscharacter, but the truth is, while he may be a brilliant character in the franchise, he just can’t be considered one of the best Jedi, as he didn’t match what a true Jedi should be in many ways.
