In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker became the notorious Darth Vader. Initially, he didn’t need an intimidating suit to survive in, but following his defeat on Mustafar against Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin suffered severe burns to his body.
While Anakin’s mind was without a doubt on the pain his body was going through, he also had several other thoughts to contend with. So what was Anakin thinking while his body burned on Mustafar? Keep reading to find out.
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What Was Anakin Thinking Before Being Burned on Mustafar?
Haunted by dreams of his wife, Padme, dying in childbirth, Anakin grew so fearful of losing her that he turned to the dark side, becoming Palaptine’s (Darth Sidious’) apprentice.
Previously, Palpatine appointed Anakin to serve as his representative on the Jedi Council, and despite the appointment, they refused to promote him to Jedi Master. This caused Anakin’s faith to shift from the Jedi to Palpatine.
When Anakin discovered Palpatine was the Sith Lord controlling the Clone Wars, he initially alerted Mace Windu. Windu led a group of Jedi to arrest Palpatine, who refused to surrender without a fight.
During the ensuing duel, Palpatine killed three of the four Jedi, but he could not beat Windu. As Windu overpowered Palpatine, Anakin showed up and tried to talk the Jedi Master out of killing the Sith Lord.
When Windu refused, Anakin pleaded that he needed Palpatine, who earlier revealed that a Sith Lord named Darth Plagueis knew how to stop death. Palpatine used the story as one of many tactics to sway Anakin, knowing it could lead him to the dark side.
Windu motioned to kill Palpatine, but Anakin intervened by slicing off the Jedi Master’s arm. This let the Sith Lord strike Windu with Force lightning, leaving Anakin to join the dark side and become Darth Vader.
Unlike many Sith Lords before him, the only power Vader thought of was the power to save Padme.
What Were Anakin’s Thoughts as He Was Being Burned?
In Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker’s transformation into Darth Vader was more than a physical change — it was a mental collapse fueled by fear, hatred, and anguish. While the film shows his suffering, the novel The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader offers a harrowing look into his internal thoughts as his body burned on Mustafar and during his reconstruction.
After Obi-Wan Kenobi severed his legs and left arm, Anakin collapsed at the edge of a lava river on Mustafar, writhing in sand and agony. But even then, his defiant rage didn’t die.
“I won’t die like this! I’m still stronger than you!”
His mind refused to accept defeat. Anakin’s eyes blazed with fury as he glared at Obi-Wan. He wasn’t thinking about fear or sorrow—just raw hate and power.
When Obi-Wan picked up his lightsaber and turned to walk away, Anakin exploded:
“I hate you!”
Obi-Wan’s response was devastating:
“You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you.”
Then came the fire.
“Anakin’s clothes caught fire, and he was suddenly engulfed in flames. His screams were filled with anger as well as pain, not unlike that of any entirely helpless creature.”
Though his instinct was to roll and extinguish the fire, his mutilated body couldn’t move.
“Because of his wounds and the red-hot stones beneath his ravaged head and torso, all he could do was burn and burn.”
Even as Obi-Wan left him to die, Anakin sensed one final flicker of his former master’s presence.
“Only his hatred for Obi-Wan made him want to live another day.”
When the flames finally died, Anakin still refused to give in. His mechanical arm clawed at the black sand, dragging himself inch by inch, up the slope.
“Again! With each movement, hot volcanic shards scraped and tore at his roasted flesh. It took all of his concentration to shift his scorched remains up the slope and away from the lava river.”
He moaned in agony.
“Only his powers kept him from blacking out.”
Then he heard a ship arrive. Clone troopers. Palpatine.
“There he is. He’s still alive.”
At that, his body finally gave up.
“Anakin’s blackened torso went completely limp as he finally allowed darkness to sweep over him.”
What were Anakin’s Thoughts in Darth Vader’s Suit?
When he woke up, droids were already well into the process of designing the iconic black life support suit that he would wear for most of his life.
Pain again conquered Anakin’s thoughts while droids attached prosthetics and life support mechanisms to him. The operating droids were unable to use any type of anesthetics given the risk they could harm the midi-chlorians coursing through his body.
His body language also showed us he was in intense pain thanks to his constant cringing and squirming as the droids grafted and stabilized his artificial limbs.
Besides the body language, Anakin’s screams indicated that, as was the case on Mustafar, pain and anger were the only two things he thought of during this entire surgical process.
When the process finished and Anakin was fully immersed in the suit, he was raised, and Palpatine approached, referring to him as Lord Vader.
From first joining the Sith to being burned on Mustafar, he still thought of himself as Anakin. Following Palpatine’s inquiry, however, Anakin’s thoughts shifted to thinking of himself as Lord Vader.
However, he still felt love for Padme, as he asked Palpatine if she was okay. When Palpatine informed Vader that his anger killed her, rage consumed the new Sith Lord so much, he managed to tear himself from the raised operating table.
Now that he knew the truth about Padme’s death, revenge again took over Vader’s mind as his thoughts turned to the Jedi who escaped Order 66–Jedi that needed to be killed.
At this point, Vader fully embraced the dark side, and he became one of the most ruthless Force wielders in the galaxy.
Conclusion
Before Anakin lost to Obi-Wan Kenobi and was burned on Mustafar, he thought only of saving Padme. This made Anakin vulnerable as he fell to the dark side.
Rage and hate toward Obi-Wan filled his thoughts while the lava burned his body. More angry thoughts followed along with the pain he felt while the droids operated on him.
And finally, he thought of little except for killing Jedi who survived the Purge. He thought of himself as Darth Vader for the first time, and Anakin Skywalker was no more for the next two decades.
Sion Fawkes has been covering Star Wars since January 2022, expanding his expertise in Star Wars Canon, Legends, and MCU. When not writing, you can find Sion in the gym or running trails. He also likes watching sports and listening to audiobooks.