Was Darth Vader Really Redeemed?
Redemption is a huge theme in Star Wars. Return of the Jedi cemented it via the redemption of Anakin Skywalker, so it has been a staple of the franchise for decades at this point. However, as powerful as the moment when Luke sees his father face to face is, there has long been this lingering thing in people's minds about how Vader killed so many people, including children. The unmasking scene is powerful, but Vader's terrible actions would be so difficult to ignore. For some, it might be easy just because the world is so used to the redemption scene. But if it were anyone else in the real world, it would be difficult for the vast majority of oppressed people to forgive him, even if he turned a new leaf.
This kind of begs the question: was Darth Vader really redeemed? If Anakin had continued living after defeating the Emperor, he probably would have had to stand trial for all the atrocities that he committed in the name of the Empire. Even if Luke could see the good in him, I find it difficult to imagine a fate for Anakin other than time in a cell for the rest of his life. Perhaps with some sort of safeguards in place that would prevent him from using the Force, as we saw with Maul in the final episodes of The Clone Wars. Anakin probably would have accepted his fate, meditating in order to find inner peace. And Luke surely would have visited him. Leia would have been tougher to convince, but eventually she might have come to accept that her father has repented for his actions.
RELATED: What If Anakin's Mother Had Been Freed With Him?
Then again, there is also the possibility that some Rebels would have deemed Anakin too dangerous to be kept alive. Looking at Anakin's fate on the second Death Star, it really seems like he got the easy way out, and there was no chance for him to be judged by people at large for his actions. Luke forgave his father, but many would not have forgiven him for everything that he did, even if he did contribute to the fall of the Empire. So whether or not he truly got redemption would probably vary from person to person, depending on their perception of him. Should he be judged for what he did for a huge chunk of his life, or for a good deed that he did closer to the present that was very meaningful? It is difficult to give a concrete answer.
Of course, according to George Lucas, his six films were about the rise, fall, and redemption of Anakin Skywalker. In George's eyes, Anakin was redeemed. And of course, we see him as a Jedi spirit during the celebration at the end of the film. So clearly the Force deemed him redeemed. But was this too easy for him? I know there is the whole idea of Anakin and Darth Vader being like two separate people, but come on. These are two sides of the same person. Plus, the redemption = death trope can potentially send the wrong message, as if to say that one can never be completely forgiven in life and would have to sacrifice their own life in order to be redeemed.
In the short story collection Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, which tells tales set within and during A New Hope, there is a story called "Time of Death," which is set during Obi-Wan's death at the hands of Vader. After being struck down, Obi-Wan's spirit is trapped in a cycle of painful memories before he finally triumphs and is able to tell Luke to run.
In 2023, we will surely get another one of these collections celebrating the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi. And I would like for it to include a story of Anakin dying and having to face trials in the netherworld of the Force before earning the right to appear to his son again as a Jedi spirit. Time could seem longer for him, even if not much time passes in the "normal world" between his death and the celebration. I think this would be a creative story to tell, and help make his appearance at the end feel more earned. But whether that will feel like enough to redeem him in people's eyes would really vary from person to person.