15 best Anakin Skywalker moments in Star Wars
By Tom Farr
8. Anakin tortures Poggle the Lesser
In the season two episode of The Clone Wars, “Brain Invaders,” Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee are trapped on a medical ship on its way to take medical supplies to Mace Windu on Dantooine. The clones aboard become infected with Geonosian mind-controlling worms. Ahsoka and Barriss are forced to fight for their lives as the infected clones try to catch both of them. Without knowing how to defeat the worms while preserving the lives of the clones they’ve infected, Ahsoka manages to send a transmission to Anakin, asking for help.
When Barriss is infected, Ahsoka narrowly escapes and has to fight on her own until Anakin can help. The Republic has the Geonosian leader Poggle the Lesser in custody, and Anakin goes to question him. Poggle refuses to reveal the secret to defeating the worms, however, and Anakin becomes more aggressive with his negotiation tactics. In a moment that reveals the depth of his attachment to his Padawan and his willingness to flirt with the dark side if it will get him what he needs to help someone, Anakin hits Poggle the Lesser before Force choking him. Poggle finally relents and gives Anakin the information to save Ahsoka.
Anakin doesn’t tell anyone how he got the information, but it’s clearly a moment that reveals Anakin’s subtly slow descent toward the dark side and the often noble reasons that led him there.