gffa: So, I was listening to this audio reading of Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith #1 and I HAVE
gffa:So, I was listening to this audio reading of Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith #1 and I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS.I’m trying to parse Palpatine’s reaction here, why does he yell “NO!” when Vader says that Obi-Wan took his lightsaber, when we know they have a ton of lightsabers available and, literally seconds later, he’s like “nvm that one belonged to another, to a Jedi.”?MY HEADCANON IS THIS: Originally, Palpatine wanted Vader to keep that lightsaber because, as we know from Rebels (when Kanan tells Sabine about how their thoughts and actions become part of the blade) and the whole “bleeding a kyber crystal” story in general, that feelings linger in those semi-sentient crystals.So why would Palpatine want Vader to keep Anakin Skywalker’s crystal? Because then he could NEVER forget this:The murder of those innocent children (and the Tusken women and children before them eta: the Tusken murder was indeed a different saber! but I would still say the memories would be connected in his head so I’m leaving that bit in XD /eta) could never be forgotten, as long as they were part of that blade.I also headcanon that this is one of the reasons why Palpatine had Vader be part of the Temple assault, despite how it might have tempted Anakin to go back to the light, forcing him to cut his family down like that. Because once he did it, he could never go back. No Jedi could ever reach him again, the gulf would be too great, and when Anakin murdered the children? That was the line that could not be crossed back from. Both in his own mind (if he comes back from it, then he murdered innocent children, it had to be for a reason) and as a moral truth in the story.And that’s why the next few pages–where Palpatine says, “Come, my friend, I have something to show you.” and leads Vader to see Mas Amedda’s speech about how the Jedi were involved in a Separatist plot and how the galaxy would would never have to fear their instruments of oppression ever again–are important to this as well. Palpatine is all about misdirection and propaganda and lies, all about making up whatever narrative suits his interest.Which is exactly what he does with the lightsaber. He wanted Vader to keep it, because it would be a reminder, would be a physical container for the memories of killing all those children, that imprint would be on it as long as Vader wielded it, because he would never let himself be free of that, because he could never escape them then. He shouts, “NO!” when Vader tells Palpatine that Obi-Wan took the saber, like his plans were foiled. But then he thinks on his feet, hmm, well, okay, I can use this. It was a weapon of a Jedi Knight, it has all those good memories, too, and it would mean a chance that Anakin might reconnect with those instead. So, we’ll get you a new one. Another betrayal of another Jedi, to always remind you of what you did, because Vader will never be able to let any of that go. -- source link
#star wars#anakin skywalker#sheev palpatine