Star Wars: Luke and Anakin had many similarities throughout the saga

Luke and Anakin had a number of similarities depsite not growing up together. The Star Wars characters were more similar than they realize.

Like father like son!

Anakin and Luke Skywalker had very similar traits and characteristics through out their life and would make choices accordingly.

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“I am a Jedi like my father before me!” Luke proudly says to an angry Emperor Palpatine aboard the second Death Star.

Like his father before him, Luke was trained in the Jedi arts by both Obi-Wan and Yoda. Father and son were each considered too old to begin training but were trained regardless.

Anakin and Luke both lived on Tatooine nearly 20 years apart and experienced the hardships of life on such a desolate planet. At a young age Anakin Skywalker was able to build (and pilot) podracers, droids and utilize other various tech. Anakin built C-3PO and constructed his own podracer with which he was able to enter into the Boonta Eve Classic and win his freedom.

Anakin was very sad that his mother Shmi would not be freed and allowed to travel to Coruscant with him, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. He vowed to return.

The Skywalkers are very protective of those that are close to them and constantly rush into danger to save them. Anakin had a vision of his mother and traveled back to Tatooine to spring a rescue, unfortunately he is unable to save Shmi. (he does however get his revenge on those sand people)

After Kenobi is captured Anakin rushes into danger once more, this time with Padme to rescue his master on Geonosis. It turns out badly.

Anakin and  Luke are constantly trying to prove themselves to masters and anybody around, really. Anakin tells Padme he is ready for the Jedi trials in AOTC and constantly tries to prove to Obi-Wan that he is not rash or foolish, but tends to be proved otherwise. As is the outcome of rushing in to face Dooku. On Dagobah, Luke also wanting to prove his worth pleads with Obi-Wan to assure Yoda that he is ready. “Ben, tell him I’m ready.”

Luke is also eager to rush into danger to save his friends. Namely his new R2 unit that just happens to end up on Kenobi’s turf.  He selflessly takes a stand against the Empire’s dreaded Death Star. Luke does not hesitate to begin a rescue attempt of Leia, Han, Chewbacca and 3PO on Bespin, haphazardly facing Vader and actually needs the rescue himself. Anakin and Luke blame themselves when things go south. That is in part why they do rush off to face danger.

Father and son exhibit a certain stubbornness time after time and tend to do things their own way. Luke switches off his targeting computer in the ill advised attack on the Death Star. On Dagobah,“I can’t kill my own father,” he declares to Kenobi and Yoda.  Later, “I will not fight you,” he pronounces to Vader aboard Death Star 2. Anakin stubbornly orders the gunship to turn around to retrieve Padme, but is reprimanded by Obi-wan. Anakin continues doubting the Jedi Code, denouncing the council, “How can you be on the council and not be a master? It’s unheard of, it’s unfair!”

But with all the doubts and stubbornness finally cleared away, in the end, both Luke and Anakin selflessly put themselves into harm’s way to save people they care a great deal about. Some of the shared traits may be bad, but can not be overshadowed by selfless choices in the end.

What do you think of the similarities in Star Wars between Anakin and Luke?