Over a year ago I came across a discussion here on MMO-champion where people were discussing the Light Side/Dark Side and who was to blame for Anakins' conversion. Despite being quite a long time ago, I recently started thinking about this subject and felt like bringing it up again.
I remember that some people claimed that the Light Side and the Jedi Order were responsible for what happened to Anakin, blaming their strict Jedi Code and saying that if Anakin didn't have to hide his love for Padmé (since Jedis' are not allowed to have relationships), he wouldn't have turned to the Dark Side. I see several fundamental flaws with this way of thinking.
First of all, the Jedi Order has these kind of rules in order to ensure discipline. Affection, wonderful as it might be, clouds your judgement and makes it difficult to see things objectively. This is obviously not an easy way to live your life, but if a person is unwilling to adhere to this, he or she should not have become a Jedi in the first place.
Second, Anakin had deep emotional issues, and even as a teenager it was obvious that he had a dangerous personality. A few examples from Episode II, which was before the Chancellor "befriended" him:
- When he brings Padmé to Naboo they're lying in the grass and talking about politics. Anakin thinks a dictatorship would be the best way to rule the Republic.
- When they capture the Bounty Hunter that tried to assassinate Padmé. Obi-Wan remains calm but Anakin is obviously upset when he shouts at her to tell them who hired her; a sign of his emotional personality that meditation failed to suppress.
- The Sand People incidence. No explanation needed.
I'm honestly not entirely sure why I made this thread, but I just think it's wrong to blame the Jedi Order for his mistakes. I'm curious of what you guys think though. Do you feel that the Jedi Code is too strict and that they're at fault for Anakins' betrayal?