Why Darth Vader wasn’t the evil guy we all thought he was

BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 20: A man dressed as the Star Wars character Darth Vader arrives for a church service centered around the 1983 film 'Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi' at the Zionskirche (Zion Church) on December 20, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. The latest Star Wars film, 'Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens,' was released in the country two days earlier, and local priests used the opportunity to tie Biblical parallels concerning good and evil to the movie, while using the original film's score by John Williams as organ accompaniment, along with video clips. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 20: A man dressed as the Star Wars character Darth Vader arrives for a church service centered around the 1983 film 'Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi' at the Zionskirche (Zion Church) on December 20, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. The latest Star Wars film, 'Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens,' was released in the country two days earlier, and local priests used the opportunity to tie Biblical parallels concerning good and evil to the movie, while using the original film's score by John Williams as organ accompaniment, along with video clips. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images)
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Photo: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).. © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

Manipulations

Yes, Anakin’s life was one misfortune after another, but most of these were manipulated. If Vader had looked back at his life and realized that Palpatine was behind almost everything that happened, than he wouldn’t have been so focused on trying to find the pilot who destroyed the Death Star.

Palpatine wanted a servant that wouldn’t question his orders. By corrupting Anakin and creating ‘Darth Vader’, he broke the young man to the point of no return by taking away the people he loved most. Qui-Gon. Shmi. Ahsoka. Obi-Wan. Padmé. By losing everyone closest to him was the best way the Sith Lord could break his would-be apprentice. By achieving this, it would give him unofficial permission to continue breaking him.

Sidious knew how Anakin’s mind operated better than Skywalker probably realized. Furthermore, there’s a theory floating around that Palpatine placed the visions of Padmé’s death in the young Jedi’s mind to get him to fall to the dark side quicker. However, that also brings into question whether he knew about the senator’s pregnancy with Luke and Leia.

It’s likely he did as there’s a now Legends deleted scene from Revenge of the Sith where Padmé meets with him and Anakin happens to be present as his ‘protection’. Also, she was serval months pregnant by the time the scene takes place. However, it’s unknown if they met in Canon during these events.

What isn’t made clear is if Palpatine planted the visions of Shmi’s kidnapping and later death and ordered the Tusken Raiders to do his bidding. It’s likely he had Dooku do this, but we have no proof either way.