star wars thought, possibly spicy take
@LexYeen 1) there's potential material to be mined here - how Anakin initially talked about how he wanted to free the slaves, how his anger against the system (or unthinking compliance with slavery for clone troopers and droids) could have put him on course for the Dark Side as he became increasingly caught up in his own little world.
2) like anything else Anakin related, these potential plot points vanish under the weight of poor writing.
star wars thoughts, fanfic recommendation
@LexYeen Thanks! Have I ever told you my version of how Ep III could have played out instead?
star wars nerdery
@LexYeen By the end of Ep II, Anakin has plenty of reasons to join the Dark Side. But the big one is that the end plays out differently; Ani and Obi-Wan come face to face with Count Dooku who beats them easily, and the only thing that saves them is *Padme* showing up, not Yoda. Possibly already preggers, just to up the ante.
star wars nerdery
@LexYeen I figure by this point, we've seen a lot of Anakin bashing through opposition through the force of his anger, with his relationship to the Jedi fraying as they try to get Obi-Wan to dial him back (and Obi-Wan interceding on his behalf again and again, so when Padme then Obi-Wan try to kill him it reads as a more personal betrayal). Maybe the slavery point would go well here; just a lot *more* on screen history of Anakin being justifiably frustrated with the order.
star wars nerdery
@LexYeen So now Dooku knows *exactly* who Padme is and her relationship to Ani. He is a far more direct threat to her than the worst nightmare. Dooku's the big villain in III instead of Grievous (which gets this masterful actor and fencer more screen time!) and when Anakin overcomes him through sheer rage (as a callout to Eps I and VI, and possibly with Padme watching in horror) it's the final step of Ani becoming Palpatine's apprentice, not a first step.