DARTH VADER, perhaps the greatest villain in movie history, was born to Shmi Skywalker, a human female who was born on an unknown planet in 72 BBY. At about the age of six, Shimi and her family travelled (for reasons unknown) to the Outer Rim Territories where they were captured by pirates and sold into slavery. In 41 BBY, she gave birth, without a human husband or lover--to her son Anakin Skywalker. Anakin's birth was a virgin birth. It is not known who provided the male seed to unite with Shimi's female seed but Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn believed that it was the will of the Force that caused Skywalker's birth. Shmi would only say that her son was conceived without a human male but she did not know how this came to be. Why Shmi Skywalker was chosen by the Force to be the female vessel to bring forth Anakin Skywalker is not known.
During Anakin's early childhood years he exhibited a natural talent for building and maintaining mechanical devices. He worked as a mechanic in a junk shop owned by his master Watto, a junk dealer. He rebuilt a protocol droid (C-3 P0) using parts he found on the streets of Mos Espa on the planet Tatooine . C-3 P0 served Anakin and his mother for many years as a household servant. Years later, C-3P0 would help Anakin acquire his freedom by helping him win a pod race.
In 32 BBY, Anakin met Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Jinn had gone to his master Watto's junk shop looking for a T-14 hyper drive generator replacement for the Queen's Royal Starship. Jinn would become a pivotal figure in the development of young Skywalker. A severe sandstorm formed while Jinn and his companions were in the shop. Skywalker invited Jinn, the Queen of Naboo Padme Amidala, the Gungan Jar Jar Binks, and the droid R2-D2 to the slave quarters he shared with his mother Shmi to provide them shelter from the sandstorm.
Later, Jinn would sponsor Skywalker in a pod race (the Boonta Eve Classic--the largest annual podrace in the galaxy, held on the planet Tatooine). Young Skywalker won the race against the overwhelming favorite Sebulba, a Dug from the planet Malastare. For his victory, Skywalker was given his freedom by the Jedi Master Jinn.
After observing Skywalker's remarkable Force abilities, Jinn came to believe that Skywalker might be the "Chosen One" of the ancient Jedi Legend. This legend foretold the coming of a being who would restore "balance" to the Force by destroying the Sith who had caused the Force to become "unbalanced" through their adherence and devotion to the "Dark Side" of the Force. Jinn wanted to train Skywalker in the ways of the Jedi but was denied by the Jedi High Council who did not share Jinn's beliefs about the young Skywalker.
Skywalker attached himself to the Jedi Master Jinn and followed Jinn into the Battle of Naboo. Young Anakin abandoned his mother Shimi, who loved him dearly, in order to seek honor and glory on the battlefield. Young Skywalker left his mother, the only person in the Galaxy who loved him, to follow someone he barely knew (Jinn). This act revealed a fatal flaw in Skywalker's character, a flaw that would manifest itself again when Skywalker would become a traitor to the Jedi Order, leaving the Jedi to follow Emperor Palpatine in his quest to dominate, subjugate and rule the Galaxy.
In the battle of Naboo, he destroyed the Droid Control Center and acquitted himself so well that he was allowed to join the Jedi Order where he became a Padawan (a young apprentice to a Jedi Master). After Jinn's death on Naboo, his former Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi decided to train Skywalker as a Jedi. He received one on one instruction in the ways of the Jedi (apart from the Jedi Academy) by the Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
As a young Jedi, Anakin came to be considered by many as the "CHOSEN ONE"--a being who would bring "balance" to the Force by destroying the Sith--the main adherents to the "Dark Side" of the Force by the Jedi Council
- "Fully defeated by just anyone, the dark side cannot be, but only by the Chosen One. And who might be this Jedi? Know I do not, but not yet born is he or she. This much, sense I can. A vessel of pure Force the Chosen One will be, more powerful than any Jedi in history." Jedi Grand Master Yoda, from the Great Holocron
As time passed, Anakin's Force powers gradually increased.
Later, young Anakin fell under the influence of the "Dark Side" of the mystical Force and became a servant of the Emperor Palpatine, for whom he used his knowledge and training as a Jedi Knight and the powers of the Force to subdue the Rebel Alliance. Vader betrayed his Jedi master, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Jedi order to serve the Galactic Empire. Vader became Emperor Palpatine's "enforcer". Anakin became severely wounded in a light saber duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi. These wounds necessitated placing Vader's body in a mechanical suit augmented with mechanical lungs and other bio-medical machinery to keep Vader alive.
The original Star Wars trilogy tells of Vader's battle against his son Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill ) and the Rebel Alliance led by Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher).
Darth Vader's signature helmet and costume, his echo box breathing and the musical scores of the movies have all become pop culture history.
