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.
Contents
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?
Hatred filled Anakin’s thoughts and feelings toward Obi-Wan Kenobi after the Jedi Master defeated him. Shortly thereafter, Anakin’s tunic caught fire, and pain filled his thoughts along with the anger still coursing through him.
His thoughts also turned to extinguishing the flames, something we saw when he tried to roll. Only he couldn’t, and he continued to burn while Obi-Wan walked away.
The flames finally extinguished, and Anakin’s thoughts then turned to getting as far away from the lava river as he could. We saw this when he dug his mechanical arm into the rock and slowly propelled himself forward.
However, the intense pain he felt remained in his mind as he pulled his charred body through sharp volcanic rock. To keep himself on task, Anakin had to fully concentrate on making his way up the rocky embankment, despite the pain and anger still coursing through him.
If Anakin didn’t possess such incredible powers, he would have blacked out and died. But they kept him moving until he was far enough from the lava river.
Hatred also played a key role. His newfound hate for Obi-Wan further motivated him to keep going, to give himself the chance to someday exert revenge on his old master.
Not long after, Anakin heard Palpatine’s ship approaching, though he lost all sense thanks to the concentration required to keep himself alive. Once the clone troopers and Palpatine found him, Anakin finally succumbed to the pain and blacked out.
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.