The Psychology of Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker | Dissecting Minds 

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vader is also suicidal in the old eu comics, he once tried to collapse a building on top of himself to kill himself because he couldn't cope with the trauma of him killing padme.

I relate with Anakin a lot. In anger issues, cooping mechanisms, even his tendency to lash out at things he hates violently when he becomes Darth Daddy

As someone with bpd, I can heavily relate to this character. Must be why anakin was always one of my favorites.

Hey man you killed it. Anakin is my favorite character in fiction but I feel like people didn’t fully didn’t fully grasp how he could go from an optimistic, generous, and passionate slave boy to killing children and bringing about the death and suffering of so many others. This video perfectly lays out from start to finish why Anakin let himself fall so far into the abyss. You’ve given me alot to think about. Thank you, this channel needs so many more subs 👏👏👏

As a dude who's lost people i never gave up but I learned to value but never let go those who passed but I avoid their funeral music. I blame myself for the passing

21:51: Funny enough in The Revenge of The Sith novelization by Matthew Stover, Palpatine’s alias is known as The Shadow. A pure Embodiment of Darkness, Evil, Manipulation, and Lust for Power.

It would make sense that Anakin's toxic fear would lead to the lust for power (Vader) through the desire to control his external environment to the detriment of his internal environment.

The books state Anakin was deeply conflicted when joining the dark side, right before his fight with Obiwan he states “if you will not join me, then you are my enemy” implying he didn’t want to fight his master, he wanted Obiwan at his side 😢

I really liked the clear cut Jungian principles. The film does a good job showing how fast and far someone can go bad. Like the Joker says "one bad day".

A standing ovation for you good sir! That was one of the best videos on Vader I've seen.

I have quiet bpd and always related so much to Anakin. He absolutely would have it

this vid deserves way more than 288 views, outstanding work!!

I love how you explained s His actions. Being that he wanted to be able to control everything so that he wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. And that he lost his sense of morality when his mother died. He wanted everyone to suffer as he had

Just like emotions, thoughts cannot be repressed they also eventually come to the surface (conscious state) in some form. Just like emotions our thoughts can be controlled.

Already at the start, I can tell this is gonna be an amazing video. The editing here is spot-on, I can't complain about anything. 💖 Beautiful analysis.

This video could be a documentary

"Hate is a place where a man who can't stand sadness goes"

Very good video always sad but timeless as ever is Star Wars

Anakin was more of a slave to Vader than Sidious! Vader was constantly looking for ways to get rid of Sidious even if this meant using Luke or Leia.

That video was so well done, I never wanted it to end.

That intro was a masterpiece

Great Video Keep up the amazing quality 👍

This is an impressive break down of the hero with no fear

Anakin: a professional when it comes to fixing machines... becomes a machine

Great video, helped me reflect on a lot of things in my own life. Also, i love your voice lol

Awesome video dude,subscribed!!

Needed this video, thanks

Excellent video! You were really able to figure out Anakin/Vader.

Amazing video. Well earned sub!

This video is so much better and more understanding than Cinema Therapy's video. Actually looks at his character and deeply understands him. Instead of mocking the PT, you actually make amazing points and show evidence for his psychological downfall. I have BPD, and there is no other character I relate to as much as Anakin. He's my favorite character, and his downfall is so hard to watch. But the PT is my favorite Trilogy because of that. And because of his character. Amazing video! That intro was also absolutely perfect! Plus, that quote you said, "He knows Jedi only think of others. But why won't they think of him?" THAT is a perfect quote.

This is an amazing psychological dissection, that a lot of people can probably relate to.

@8:23 Emotions ("feelings") cannot be suppressed! They are going to come to the surface in some form. Anakin allows his anger to surface while it is tinged with his Shadow self (Vader) this is when anger becomes destructive and negative. furthermore, rather than controlling his anger, Anakin projects his shadow-side perception onto the Tuskin-Raders. They are the "animals" not him even though he himself is behaving in a sub-human manner. Qui-Gon calls out to Anakin but Anakin is so far gone in his rage that he becomes deaf.

Awesome intro!

I’ve always connected deeply with Anakin. Long read ahead and sorry for being so personal but… I was born to two heroin addicts. My mother prostituted herself to support her habit. I was born 9 weeks (yes 9 weeks) premature with heroin in my system and was in intensive care for my first few weeks. I was adopted by my birth father’s sister, my aunt and taken into their family as now the youngest of 5. There is a large age gap that kept me separate from my adopted siblings and i’ve always been treated differently. Growing up I found out my family history around 9 years old and it effected me immensely. My birth father stuck around as my uncle and would visit often but died of a massive heart attack when i was 5. My mother died when i was 10. I was able to see her before she died, she told me she loved me and i chose to remain silent. I don’t feel this is true, as she never once attempted to be in my life until hers was over. I’ve always been told it was a miracle i was born fully functioning and developed but i’m extremely small 5’00” and about 90 lbs as a 26 year old male. I’ve always felt a deep attachment to my adopted mother and have always been terrified of losing her, she instilled in me a deep belief in the law and justice and a strict moral code bolstered by constant criticism. I have always struggled with my grief for my loss and the very few memories i have with my birth father. I have been to therapy once for about 2 weeks and in that time was diagnosed with severe depressive disorder and ADHD aswell as Hypothyroidism. I feel my loss with a deep pain, i’m unable to put it into words but it feels like a black pit. I feel it from the moment i wake up to when i drift to sleep. Always there. With it comes a resentment toward the world. An unyielding anger toward everything. It bubbles up often and often explosively for the most trivial of things and at those closest to me. Recently i’ve been able to move into my own place and i’ve begun to withdraw from my family, especially my adoptive parents. I feel so much shame over this decision but they do nothing but criticize me. I love them deeply but they make me very very angry and I know that they are going to pass soon but there’s a part of me that can’t accept that. I know it to be true but it doesn’t click in my head that one day they too will be gone. I fear of what will happen to me once they do go. I feel my grief and my shame and my anger boiling under the surface and i try to be a good person. I really do. I understand that a simple smile from a stranger can make the difference sometimes, so i do my best to be positive and a beacon to those around me, but underneath i feel it. Like lava burning in my chest. I want the world to feel my pain, i feel i’ve been ignored by everyone. I want people to know what it feels like to have nothing. I know i shouldn’t. I know it’s wrong, but everyday i feel it there just beneath the surface. I know i need help. Seeing the downfall of Anakin really helps me organize my thoughts. I feel his loss, I feel his grief and his burning anger. I understand his rage and the deep pain underneath.

Good video, but I disagree with the idea that Anakin doesn't exist anymore. Luke would have been killed if that was true, Darth Vader found redemption at the very end by saving his son, the person most like Padme.

That was really good. I really identify with the character of Anakin Skywalker.

I believe what you’re saying. There was a time in my life when I was going through something that was comparable to what Anikan felt after his mother died. I always felt bad for Anikan because these kind of things really do happen to people. I believe this is what Yoda was seeing in him but couldn’t get Anikan to see that he was trying to help.

This is a great video. But I have one nitpick. The deaths of Dooku and Jango are not comparable. Dooku had no hands and no way of fighting and was on his knees. Jango still had a hand and more importantly he had the gadgets on his armor such as his flamethrower and wire, so he was not defenseless like Dooku was. That’s not to mention there were hundreds of droids shooting at the Jedi on Geonosis, so Jango had to be dealt with quickly.

Great 👍

I always thought his flaw in his thinking was "he wasn't strong enough to save his mother". Sometimes bad shit happens and it doesn't matter how strong you are. He thought he could control death itself, it's so sad

I really enjoyed this very much because I used to wonder even though this is science fiction. How could somebody go from being a selfless individual to being a cruel murderer and then the very end of him becoming Darth Vader he killed all those young children now if that’s possible, then, how does he become, an image of light with Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi all those years of evil and killing people, and he is redeemed what of their souls and being snuffed out by the megalomaniac try to answer that one

I have attachment anxiety, CPTSD and BDP, and I can confirm that Ani and I are one and the same lol. He’s like me if I hadn’t taken the steps to start recovering😅

This video deserves a 10/10!! The quality of the visual and sound, editing, etc. However, you NAIL it with the Psychology / Philosophy. I say it in that sense, coming from a man whose wife has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and specializes in trauma (I was her sounding board in school). I have, throughout my life, been a devout student of philosophy as well, loving the teachings of the Buddha, E Kant, Plato/Aristotle, etc. I've also experienced this "Shadow" concept throughout my life (experiencing / witnessing extreme trauma as a child), but couldn't put my finger on it until I seen Dr. J Peterson speak on this concept by C Jung. You masterfully pieced this together in your video, balancing phenomenally between Psychology and Philosophy (Philosophy being the rich soil, from which the tender plant of Psychology has eventually and finally grown over the last century+). You even used what seemed like DSM5 / ICD10 to score Anakin! Lol. Great job, and thank you so much for your perspective and insight in devolving and sharing this video! 🙏🙏

In Anakin's eyes the only thing he could do to save padme's life was turn to the dark side. Then later on the only thing he could do to save Luke was turn back to the light side. Anakin was never drawn to either side of the force, only driven by his want to protect those he loved.

Anakin wants a family but he had that family; due to his toxic perception of reality (Vader) he lost that family. He regains his family (Luke) when he finally realises his reality perception was tinged by his Shadow self.

Vader (Anakin) always wanted power, but also, love. So he really wanted to bring balance in the Force. It is necessary a martyr for that, so he became one.

The shadow side only "manifests" itself in the external environment if we fail to acknowledge it integrate it and subdue it and; this is Anakin's biggest failing.

Pls to meet you mr meaning of nerd.

You Were Right About Me

To me Vader is almost like a Coping Mechanism for Anakin. Anakin did this twice. The first with OBI WAN in the Tv Series, then AHSOKA in rebels. He at first thought about going back to them but soon VADER took over again and declared he would destroy them BOTH. It wasn't until Luke came where Vader became mentally Terrified and Petrified of Luke Skywalker. And in the end he came back

It all came down to a boy who’s a slave that became a man who was beyond powerful and extraordinary and all he wanted was to not loose anyone anymore. And the people he trusted most that “freed him” told him it wasn’t good that he feel that or any way for that matter. So what happens? He looses the two people he loved the most anyway. All while trying to stuff down and snuff out whatever minuscule amount of good left inside and lying to himself and anyone around him at the same time denying who was/is and training his mind into believing he killed that person as a separate entity he for whatever reason still has this microscopic glimmer of hope in him that again he has to hide. Hide from the only person for all intents and purposes that he has left while at the same time wanting to kill this man and blaming him. This would rip the heart of anyone of us and we are average and ordinary compared to this character. Imagine what this pain and suffering and anger would turn us into if it turned him into Vader? Unimaginable. I love this character. So much not only do I buy anything I can that pertains to him but I have a sleeve tattoo on my arm. Thanks for making this.

Since you did a profile on Darth Vader. I think you should do a profile. On the creator of the Daleks Davros!!!!

How does someone "fall deep into the sorrow of all living things" unless their reality perception is tinged with such?

So, here's a few things/misinterpretations I think you missed/had in this analysis is that in the Naboo picnic scene Anakin also wants to fix the political situations going on in the Republic and he suggests that some kind of half democracy and half dictatorship kind of government would help fix things and be more efficient. (When he sees Padme doesn't approve of the idea, he turns it into a joke of course) At first, he suggests that a wise and powerful leader (It's implied he's thinking of Palpatine here) should lead this government and have the final say, but as time goes on, he begins to believe that he is the one that should be in charge of everything in order to keep everything from death of his loved ones and chaos. One thing I think you misinterpreted about Anakin's turn is that I don't think he confuses right and wrong as extreme as you say he does. Yes, he questions the Jedi Code and the Jedi way because of certain things the Jedi did (An example of this is Mace saying Palpatine was too dangerous to be left alive and Palpatine did the same with Dooku) because of his experience and Palpatine, but I don't think he questioned things about morality and life. The reason why he killed children in Revenge of the Sith was because he saw it as a sacrifice (His posessiveness of his attachment to Padme blinds him to Palpatine's lies and the value of life) for Padme, "Do what must be done Lord Vader do not hesitate, show no mercy, only then will you be strong enough with the darkside to save...Padme" While Palpatine is discussing his plan we can see a part of Anakin see that this was wrong (This is said in the Revenge of the Sith Blu-Ray commentary and The Star Wars Archives 1999-2005 book), but then later on in the nighttime departure to Mustafar scene, we see him trying to rationalize what he's doing so much. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VRDK2ubOD38.html One of the ways that we know that a part of him feels bad for what he's done was the scene on Mustafar with him shedding a tear in pain. Besides from that though I believe what you have said for the most part was correct. However, I don't see 'Anakin loses his sense of mortality and right and wrong and what's right' to be what turned him enough to kill children and support a Galactic Empire personally. That's just my opinion though.

Do NOT underestimate his Power !!!!

The shadow side although can be CONTROLLED can not be "repressed and isolated" it will come to the surface (conscious state) in some form. This is what happened to Anakin he just failed to Control Vader (his shadow self) so Vader ended up controlling and eventually killing Anakin; it is Vader, not Anakin who chooses to side with Palpatine. It is Vader, not Anakin who chooses to desecrate the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, not Anakin; it is Vader, not Anakin who chooses to slaughter the whole Tuskin Rader tribe not Anakin.

Emptyness, maybe. Well whenever vader is in his meditation chamber he definitely feels empty since the chamber is the closest he ever gets to rest and sleep or eat

Jengo fet wasn't disarmed by mace windu. He still had about a dozen gadgets to use still

19:50 suicidal tendencies have been seen in darth vader. Just like the time he stabbed through himself to kill a clone of darth maul

An individual cannot "tap into the rage and fear of all living things" unless their reality perception is such. Just like an individual cannot tap into the love and joy of all living things unless their reality perception is such.

Anakin's fear was toxic and irrational because it was tinged with the shadow self.

You know its hard not to fall when the jedi literally drove him to extreme solutions. Their pathologizing of emotions and indifference to his needs created the borderline personality for all the Jedis talk of mindfulness theo jedi taught shame and suppression of both his emotions and attachments tofe the people he loves when its literal fear of abandonment which personifies what borderline personality disorder is the Jedi were not skilled in DBT for all their alleged superior wisdom regarding mindfulness and detachment. All Yoda said eas was accept death as if that's all DBT would say to someone who is suffering from loss anxiety or depression

i also grew up without a father

Padme.. the mother of his future children.... that and Natalie portman...

"you didnt kill anakin skywalker"

Anakin has been through hell 🤦🏾‍♂️from the beginning just being born a slave and not ever knowing a father

If it leads to suffering it's not empathy.

13:35 You can’t have post traumatic stress disorder if you are the traumatic event

Anakin Vader turned out to be the biggest hero in the history of The Galaxy. (possibly.. but absolutely not deniable) One thing that I have never found a clear answer on is this... It's a hero that's just as big OR BIGGER than the whole series. Always stayed loyal from day one. Always was in the right place at right time. Stayed close to The Force every episode. And to be a Droid and not have *midiclorians *(spell check) I BELIEVE THE FORCE WAS STRONGER IN THIS CHARACTER MORE SO THAN 80% OF THE JEDI OR SITH. That would be R2-D2. Yes R2. watch every episode and take notes on every heroic deed that R2 either did or had a play in. He flew with The Top JEDI in battles. He never was lacking any instrument or tool to make something ACTIVATE. R2-D2 HAD to be in certain spots during this story of NO STORY. Even before Darth Skywalker found out about Luke and seemed concerned.

I really empathize with the character of Anakin. While Jedi like Yoda, and Obi-Wan are justified in their view of the Force, it is a nearly overwhelming burden of becoming an enlightened being with imense power, wisdom, and knowledge. That's why Jedi are trained at such a young age, because they are a blank slate with no emotional baggage. They are untainted by the world around them. Anakin failed to see the Dark Side of the Force for what it was, and how easily it could lure him in. Palpatine knew that he only needed to get Anakin's foot in the door. Palpatine is a puppet master. By the time Anakin realized what he had done, and what he had lost, and the cost of his fall to darkness, it was too late, and by that point he had gone too far. It only caused him more anger and suffering realizing what he had done, and still losing everything he valued in life. He became consumed by anger, hate, and suffering. That's true in the real world with good people who do terrible things out of some desire for a perceived greater good. It's rarely ever worth the price, and the so-called greater good is usually lost at some point because it requires the individual to abandon their former self to be able to commit the terrible acts necessary for them to achieve their goals. It's like Yoda say's in Empire Strikes Back about Anakin. Anakin was always looking forward to the future, looking for excitement, looking for greater meaning in his life instead of paying attention to where he was, and what he was actually doing in the moment. A true Jedi does not crave those things. Jedi crave inner peace even though it's a hard frame of mind to stay in, but that responsibility is what comes with such great power, knowledge, and wisdom. Qui-Gon even states a similar importance of not looking to deeply into the future, or the past in the Phantom Menace at the beginning when he is speaking to Obi-Wan (still a padawan). Obi-Wan tells Qui-Gon that he feels a uneasy, and states that Yoda told him to be mindful of the future, but Qui-Gon tells him to not look to the future at the expense of the moment, and to be mindful of the living Force. Anakin was always lost in his emotions, his need for action, his need for importance, and his lust for the power to save everyone he loved from everything, including death. On the surface, that sounds like a comendable goal, but it is actually a selfish impulse because he never stopped to think of how Padme would look at his actions to attempt to obtain that power for himself. Anakin didn't stop to think about what his mother wanted for him, or what she would think about his actions. He also never thought about the cost. Anakin wasn't even knowledgable enough to know what that kind of power would intale if he had actually gained it. It sounds great to be able to save the people you love from dying on the surface, but exactly what does that mean? At what cost is that power granted its user, and would it intale suffering from the person you're trying to save? There are fates much worse than death. Usually when something perverts nature, it's not as good as it sounds in theory when it is actually put into practice. That power could have been a false bill of goods that made Padme suffer, not that it matters since it was just a lie from Palpatine to lure Anakin to the darkness. Anakin's gullability towards Palpatine shows just how desperate, fragile, and emotionally charged Anakin's tought process was when he turned to the Dark Side. He wasn't at peace, and he couldn't accept loss. We all hate losing the people we love, or seeing them suffer, but we all have to move beyond our emotions at some point, and face reality so we don't lose ourselves in the process of grief, and sorrow. Not everyone can let go, and some of us end up destroying ourselves because of the loss of someone we love. That's why I love Star Wars. Beneath the surface of Star Wars, there is a ton of life lessons, and great dramatic character building. George Lucas knew exactly what he wanted to do with both trilogies, and the more time goes along, the more I can't watch Star Wars without watching all 6 movies in a row because each film enriches the next.

@ 24:58 This is so not true; Anakin is encouraged to be aware of and deal with his Shadow self. "be mindful of your thoughts..."

I can never get past the murdering of innocent children.

I dislike the prequels, and I wish that they were executed better, simply because Anakin's character arc as intended by Lucas is profound. The story is all there; I just wish that it had found itself in a better directed and produced series of films

0:00 🕛-5:00-34:00! Yikes 😱!

I've met my share of Borderliners throughout life, two of which became my closest associates. Albeit not one myself, I am not exactly what you would call neurotypical either. I don't like the idea of separating a concept from a person, as it's only done when one talks about diseases. It just feels overly reductive, to the point of denying the humanity of another. The only thing worse than said dehumanization is to hide it behind false kindness. Unless you count the many sins of psychiatry in the past decades and/or centuries. The whole person is more important than some reductive label. It's a matter of dignity.

I don’t think machiavellianism was a part of it. If anything Palpatine was the one who manipulated and used him.

A superior being such as Lord Vader has no reason to explain his actions to inferiors. ( Not that inferiors would have the mental capacity to understand anyway. ) Now bow down to your Dark Lord and beg for his mercy. ( or lack of ).

We don't want our children to be aggressive power hungry control freaks! But we do want them to have autonomy over the self.

Gotta say, after AOC I didn't root for the Jedi that much. 😢

I am sorry about your not having a father, mr nerd 😔

If your aggressive child is talking back or "what ever" you better squash it !!! Honor Thy Mother and Father. If you don't punish it Society will. That was spoken like a person with no kids

I will die screaming on this hill: Vader is not redeemed in VI. He does exactly what he's always done: chose which person/thing/Code mattered more, and always chose the one he *loved*. He burned the Jedi Order, because he loved Padme more. He killed Sidious, because he loved Luke more. It isn't a redemption. He made the right call for the wrong reasons, exactly how he made the wrong call for the right reasons in III. I love Anakin, I love Vader, but what he does isn't "redemption" ; it's Anakin doing what he always has done: prioritizing *his* people, ND yes to the point of the video, his *family* over everyone and anything else

I like how you stole this material and the just change it to your words 😂