Everybody loves a rousing heel-face turn: just ask pro wrestling fans—the heel-face turn is what happens when a bad guy (a heel) transforms himself into a good guy (a face).
In Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader does exactly that. He starts out deeply enmeshed in the Dark Side; he's The Emperor's right hand man, and he's hell-bent on his own son's destruction. Here's the thing, though: Anakin Skywalker wasn't always such a bad dude. In fact, he used to be a Jedi, who trained with Obi-Wan just like Luke.
Fittingly, it's Luke's unwavering faith in his old man that ultimately saves Anakin. Luke just won't stop believing that there's a good man behind the mask, and that serves up the strength Anakin needs to redeem himself.
Questions about Redemption
- How come Luke refuses to give up on Anakin? Everything works out in the end, but the guy was trying to kill him. Is Luke being naïve?
- Why do you think it's so tough for Anakin to accept his true self?
- What does Obi-Wan mean when he tells Luke that, as Darth Vader, Anakin is "more machine now than man?"
- Why is Anakin's dying wish that Luke tells Leia he was right about him?
Chew on This
Luke is more instrumental in Anakin's redemption than Anakin is because Luke's the one who shows forgiveness.
Obi-Wan was wrong: He may have changed his name, but Darth Vader never really stopped being Anakin Skywalker.