Image by Harry Knowles
The younger life of the man who becomes Darth Vader is unknown to us for the most part. Jake Lloyd, the young actor playing Anakin as a 9 year old, has said on a morning television program that his character is a good person who cares more for others than for himself. It seems clear from official pictures that Anakin spends at least part of his youth on Tatooine. His family certainly has a residence there.
In these excerpts from the Return of the Jedi novelization Obi-Wan Kenobi explains a bit about what we'll see of Anakin in the prequels:
"When I first encountered your father," Ben continued, "he was already a great pilot. But what amazed me was how strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to train Anakin in the ways of the Jedi. My mistake was thinking I could be as good a teacher as Yoda. I was not. Such was my foolish pride. The Emperor sensed Anakin's power, and he lured him to the dark side." He paused sadly and looked into Luke's eyes, as if he were asking for the boy's forgiveness. "My pride had terrible consequences for the galaxy."
"I thought he could be turned back to the good side. It couldn't be done. He's more machine now than man--twisted and evil."
"When I saw what had become of him, I tried to disuade him, to draw him back from the dark side. We fought ... your father fell into a molten pit. When your father clawed his way out of that fiery pool, the change had been burned into him forever--he was Darth Vader, without a trace of Anakin Skywalker . Irredeemably dark. Scarred. Kept alive only by machinary and his own black will..."
Reborn as Darth Vader, he became an ally of Emperor Palpatine's new order. Vader carried out Palpatine's Jedi Purge, a genocide destroying and scattering the guardians of the Republic. Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, became a symbol of the fear inspired by Palpatine's Empire. James Earl Jones has publicly said that his services will be called upon again for the voice of Darth Vader, which he reports will be needed towards the end of Episode III.
Here's the casting call for the young Anakin:
ANAKIN SKYWALKER (DARTH VADER): Caucasian, 8-9. Anakin is a handsome young boy with extraordinary charm. He has a vulnerability and earnestness that makes him totally disarming. His amazing aptitude for things mechanical together with his quick wit and physical fitness make him a natural pilot at an early age, maturing into a fighter pilot of exceptional talent. Anakin's resourceful imagination and inventive mind already set him apart from others. OBI WAN KENOBI is later to recognize his innate gifts, becoming his friend and mentor teaching him the attributes of a Jedi Knight. Anakin is a role model of the highest order, someone e very boy would like to be...LEAD.
The following is a picture of Anakin's bedroom, as shown on the official Episode I site (notice a certain astromech droid in the corner):
This is the kitchen of the house that Anakin grows up in:
Delta Source: SPOILERS! Highlight area below to uncover them!
Anakin will be involved in scenes that take place in the backyard of a slave quarters in Mos Espa, and in scenes depicting a pod race in the Mos Espa Arena. The Slave Quarters scenes involve Padme, Kister and R2-D2, while the Pod Race scenes involve Qui-Gon Jinn, Shmi Skywalker, Jar Jar, Wald, Padme, Kister, Sebulba (a CG creature who has an "interaction with Anakin's engine), Jabba and a number of extras in the crowd and as human and alien crew members for the other "pods" in the race. Delta also mentioned the Qui-Gon Jinn-Darth Maul lightsaber duel which was shown in the French Premiere photos.
Delta also told us that Madison Lloyd, Jake's five year-old sister, would be playing a character named Ellie (probably Anakin's little sister).
Unnamed Source: In the first film, young Anakin Skywalker will do amazing things well beyond his age that blow everyone away. The source did not elaborate. But for those of you who went to Sunday school, they likened it to young Jesus in the temple courts. "Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished..." Luke 2:47-48.
French Premiere Magazine: SPOILERS! Highlight the area blow to uncover them!
The article that accompanied the famous French Premiere pictures told us that Liam Neeson's Jedi (now known as Qui-Gon Jinn) was telling Anakin to run back to their ship as he dueled a dark Jedi. The scene seems straight out of the first draft that George Lucas wrote for Star Wars. In that draft Anakin's father yelled for him to get back to their ship, while he dueled a Sith Knight who just murdered Anakin's younger brother (his place taken by Madison Lloyd's character Ellie?)
Who will play the older Anakin?
It's unclear as of yet who will be playing the older, that is to say age 20-22, Anakin Skywalker. We hear from a reliable source that the testing for the part will begin late 97/early 98. One of the actors up for the part is a 21 year old local San Jose actor, Anthony L. Solis.
Speculation over the years has placed Russell Crowe, Michael Biehn, and Mark Hamill in the part, but all of those actors are clearly too old. Back on his old site, Chris held a poll to see what actor fans would like cast in the role, and Sean Patrick Flannery, who played the young adult Indiana Jones in the Indy TV series, won by a landslide. No word if Sean is actually up for the part, though. Christian Bale was the closest runner up to Sean, receiving the only other significant amount of votes. No word if Bale is under consideration either. Brian McCardie, who played Rob Roy McGregor's younger brother in Rob Roy has also been mentioned as a possible Anakin.
Will he own the droids?
The picture of Anakin's room on the Episode I site has R2-D2 in it. Anakin owning R2 makes a sense. Remember, as Mike Bastarache pointed out to me, that R2 and Vader never share a scene in the films. Also R2 seems to know where he is going in the begining of Star Wars which implies he is familiar with Tatooine (where Anakin will be living in the movies). 3P0 doesn't seem to have ever been to Tatooine before, however. It's also been speculated that Anakin might build one of the droids. There is a scene involving a location known as "Watto's Junk Shop" according to our spy Delta Source. Perhaps Watto's Junk shop is where Anakin buys parts for the droid he constructs. Imagine him buying a broken protocal droid, which happens to be missing a leg. Young Anakin toddles down to Watto's shop and asks old Watto if he has any droid legs. The droid is gold, but old Watto only has a silver leg suitable for that type of droid, so Anakin buys it anyway. That scenario would answer the question of why See Threepio had the one silver leg! Of course Artoo may have a hand in picking the leg out, as Delta Source tells us there is a scene called "Artoo Detoo enters Watto's Junk Shop".
We suspect a relationship that is more than "just friends" does not develop in any way until the second prequel. From what We've heard the relationship between the two characters will be quite innocent in the first film.