somniumlunae:

THE THING IS, OBI-WAN ISN’T WRONG ABOUT THIS.

It’s Anakin’s inability to let go, that he’ll engage in reckless and foolhardy behavior to save someone he cares about, that will lead directly to his fall, his loyalty to those he cares about over the safety of the rest of the galaxy is exactly what leads to the death of the Jedi and the rise of the Empire.

This is why I love TCW so much–in pretty much any other story I’ve seen, the high-risk-high-reward type of behavior from the hero ultimately always pays off, that minor set-backs are eventually overcome and we’re meant to think that it’s the right thing to do.  In and of itself, maybe we even should think that about Anakin’s style–I mean, who doesn’t want to get R2 back??  I love R2!  Of course we should risk everything for him!

But TCW doesn’t exist in a vaccuum, we’re aware that we’re watching Future Darth Vader here and knowing that changes a whole lot about the context of Anakin being willing to risk the safety of everyone else for the one he wants to save.  And Obi-Wan’s definitely not wrong to try to get him to see the danger that lies in that kind of thinking–usually, the one who tries to hold the hero back is wrong, ultimately risking everything for friendship saves the day!!  And it will this time.  But one day….

One day Darth Vader’s going to do the same and it’s going to fuck everything up.