Darth Vader The Antihero and Postmodernism

Darth Vader: The Antihero and Postmodernism in the STAR
WARS Film Series.
Natália Ferreira Vommaro VU University Amsterdam

Uilenstede 102 D 727 Faculty of Arts
1183 AM Amstelveen Master’s programme in
Tel.: 0645338125 Comparative Arts and
Student number: 2556508 Media Studies
Email address: n.ferreiravommaro@student.vu.nl
Supervisor: Dr. J.I.L. Veugen

Second reader: Dr. R.V.J. van den Oever
June 2015
I hereby declare that this thesis is an original piece of work, written by myself alone. Any information
and ideas from other sources are acknowledged fully in the text and notes.
(place, date) (signature)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 4
 Archetypes and Myth 4
 Characteristics of the Hero Myth 6
 The Hero’s Journey 8
- 1. Vladimir Propp 8
- 2. Joseph Campbell 10
- 3. Christopher Vogler 13
 Villain Theory and the Shadow Archetype 15
 The Antihero 17
 Postmodernism in Film 20
CHAPTER 2: CASE ANALYSIS 24
 Step 1 - Ordinary World 24
 Step 2 - Call to Adventure 25
 Step 3 - Refusal of the Call and Step 4 - Departure 27
 Step 5 - Supernatural Aid / Meeting with the Mentor / Hero’s Reaction 27
 Step 6 - Crossing the First Threshold 29
 Step 7 - First Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies 31
 Step 8 - First Ordeal / Branding and Step 9 –Reward / Ultimate Boon 34
 Step 10 - Second Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies 37
 Step 11 - Second Ordeal / Branding 37
 Step 12 - Reward / Ultimate Boon 38
 Step 13 - Last Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies 39

 Step 14 - Final Ordeal / Branding – Parts 1 and 2, and Step 15 – Reward / Ultimate 42
Boon
 Step 16 - Call to adventure of Luke’s journey 48
 Step 17 - Final Ordeal of Obi-Wan’s hero journey 49
 Step 18 - First Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies of Luke’s journey 50
 Step 19 - Second Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies of Luke’s journey 51
 Step 20 - First Ordeal of Luke’s journey 53
 Step 21 - Second Ordeal of Luke’s journey, Step 22 - Final Ordeal / Branding – Part 3, 55
and Step 23 –Reward / Ultimate Boon
 Step 24 - The Road Back , Step 25 - Resurrection / Master of the Two Worlds 57
CHAPTER 3: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 60
 The Character’s Journey 60
 Hero, Villain or Antihero? 61
 Postmodernism in STAR WARS 64
 Conclusion 66
APPENDIX 69
 1. Comparative Tables – Hero Journey 69
 2. Comparative Tables – Anakin/Vader’s 25 Steps and the Hero Journey 71
BIBLIOGRAPHY 76
INTRODUCTION
As most adventure stories, the STAR WARS film series applies very well-known character roles,
archetypes, or myths, such as the hero and the villain. Luke Skywalker is easily identified as a hero,
just as his trajectory fits the stages of the hero’s journey, defined by authors such as Joseph
Campbell. The Emperor is clearly a villain, Jung’s shadow archetype or the antagonist of the plot, one
that will only give up on sabotaging the success of the hero’s journey upon his death. Most of the
characters and narrative facts of the STAR WARS saga fit within the classic roles and journeys of the
hero, the villain, the princess, the wise man and other myths that have populated traditional stories.
The creation of modern myths that mirror some of the ancient myths of the past is one of the
reasons for the success of the STAR WARS project and its relatability with a broad audience, according
to authors such as Campbell and Andrew Gordon.
However, a big part of the enormous success of the STAR WARS saga relies on a character that
disrupts the heroic models, and remains in a gray zone area between heroism and villainy, flirting
with the concept of the antihero, but resisting a definitive categorization. For most of the first
released trilogy, Darth Vader, i.e. Anakin Skywalker, acts as a villain, although he shows benevolence
in the end. The second released trilogy shows him in his early years, as an honourable Jedi Knight,
before depicting his decay into the dark side. Furthermore, George Lucas affirmed in a documentary
interview with Bill Moyers that the central issue of the saga was always how to get Darth Vader back
from the dark side1. Being the “chosen one” who would bring balance to the Force2, one could
consider him as the main protagonist of the saga, but one that was constructed fragmentally.
Obviously, Darth Vader is Anakin Skywalker, and his partitioned identity could be an easy
explanation for the ambiguity of his character. Such a simple explanation, however, is not enough to
explain the gray zones, when Vader and Anakin act in unexpected ways, and it is also an unrealistic
1
THE MYTHOLOGY OF ‘STAR WARS’: WITH GEORGE LUCAS AND BILL MOYERS (1999).
2
STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE (2001).
1
approach. If the audience needs to relate to the characters and identify them with real people in
order to understand their role and appreciate the story act, then it becomes impossible to detach
Anakin and Vader from each other. After all, it is the same person with different names and outfits,
and, although the machine support system that keeps Vader alive could be blamed for his loss of
humanity, it was still as a machine that Vader redeemed himself by making the decision to defend his
son and kill the Emperor3. Perhaps a more interesting approach would be to investigate the
character’s journey, but also take into consideration the role of postmodernism in Hollywood during
the years in which the trilogies were released. Therefore, this thesis is an attempt to analyse and
understand the role of the character in the film series in order to answer the main question: can
Darth Vader be considered one of the first postmodern antiheroes of Hollywood?
As the story is constructed in a non-chronological and discontinuous way, his role in the saga
changes from one content unit to another. Although usually regarded by popular media as a villain,
ranking high in “best villain” lists of several websites and magazine articles, a close look at the
character’s journey might lead to the conclusion that Vader is an example of a character that remains
in a gray zone area between the hero and the villain. Hence, it becomes necessary to reconsider his
role and the importance of his ambiguity and fragmentation for the success of the STAR WARS
franchise. Furthermore, the split quality of his psyche (and of the storytelling format of the film series
itself) might have some affinities with the concept of postmodernism in film, which would make
Vader one of the first postmodern antiheroes of Hollywood, a final possibility that will be discussed
as the main purpose of this thesis.
To analyse the character’s construction and his predominant role in the series, first we need
to define the theories that are involved in the matter. The first chapter, with the theoretical
framework, will start with Carl Jung’s concepts of archetypes and collective unconscious as an
introduction to the concepts of the hero and shadow archetypes, which have been associated with
the roles of heroes and villains in popular storytelling. The hero myth will then be analysed through
3
STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI (2004).
2
the theory of Jung, Vladimir Propp, Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler, followed by a close
reading of the hero journey models proposed by the three last mentioned theorists. Next, the villain
theory and its association with the Jungian shadow archetype will enter the stage, with the help of
Propp and Vogler’s ideas. Following the more clear-cut concepts of the hero and villain, the chapter
will then conceptualize the ambiguous territory of the antihero in Hollywood cinema, tracing its roots
and identifying its characteristics. Finally, the role of postmodernism in film will be taken into
consideration, so that the context of fragmentation of the postmodern condition can be analysed for
its impact on the construction of the character.
The second chapter will be an analysis of the most important steps of Vader’s journey and
the transformations of his appearance. The use of ‘leitmotivs’, or sound themes associated with
specific characters or ideas, will also be taken into consideration and the films will be analysed
following the chronology of the story, and not the order of release. Anakin / Vader’s steps will be
explained and applied to the three hero journey models, understood as a morphological way of
comparing the character’s steps in the film series to the traditional hero path structures. This will
provide an overview of the character’s journey, and a comparison with the theoretical models, but
his most important actions during the film series will also be classified as more or less on the hero or
the villain side, and then counted, also taking into consideration their magnitude. This methodology
might be helpful to determine if the character acted mostly as a villain or a hero, even though his
path might fit the traditional hero models.
The third chapter will be a discussion and conclusion on the application of Vader’s journey to
the hero journey models and an analysis of the impact of his actions in the story in comparison with
the hero, the villain and the antihero theories. The discussion will also consider the role of
postmodernism in the construction of the character and the order in which the films were released.
The conclusion of the thesis will finalise the discussion answering the main question of Vader being
or not being a postmodern antihero and identifying this as one of the reasons for the great
popularity that surrounds the character.
3
CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Archetypes and Myth
One of the most fascinating ideas about storytelling is the repetition of motifs and patterns
throughout traditional and ancient tales. In analysing the motifs of these stories, which can come
from the imagination, but also from the challenges of the reality of human experience, theorists from
different areas of the Human Sciences tried to find patterns, i.e. essential structures that guide the
stories that provoke so much interest in the storytelling audience. Carl Jung, for instance, tried to
explain the unconscious patterns of the human behaviour and human psych from a psychological
perspective, in his seminal work The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. He considers this
part of the unconscious as “not individual but universal; in contrast to the personal psyche, it has
contents and modes of behaviour that are more or less the same everywhere and in all individuals”4.
Jung calls this reservoir of collective contents the collective unconscious.
Jung continues explaining that “psychic experience can be recognized only by the presence of
contents that are capable of consciousness”5, meaning that we can only understand and talk about
an unconsciousness if we manage to consciously analyse and identify its contents. The contents that
belong to the collective unconscious, according to Jung, are known as archetypes6. The archetypes
are filled with archaic, or “primordial types, that is, with universal images that have existed since the
remotest times”7, or types that present a “tendency to form such representations of a motif –
representations that can vary a great deal in detail without losing their basic pattern”8. This means
that archetypes might manifest themselves through different representations of a basic structure,
which brings forward the idea of the patterns in traditional storytelling that started this discussion.
4
Jung (1980), p. 3.
5
Ibid, p. 4.
6
Ibid.
7
Ibid, p. 5.
8
Jung, (1964), p. 67.
4
In fact, the archetypes of the collective unconscious stand in close relationship with the
motifs represented in the traditional storytelling act. As Jung states, “the psyche contains all the
images that have ever given rise to myths”9. The first definition of the word myth in the Oxford
Dictionary is “a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining
a natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events”. However,
Jung relates archetypes to mythology only in an indirect way, because myths belong to the category
of the “représentations collectives”, a term coined by Lévy-Bruhl in the study of primitive tribal lore
which represents contents whose “forces being represented were imperceptible, hence mystical”10.
However, Jung affirms that these contents no longer belong to the unconscious, “but have already
been changed into conscious formulae taught according to tradition”11. Jung explains that in myth
and fairy-tale, we are also “dealing with forms that have received a specific stamp and have been
handed down through long periods of time”12, meaning that myths come from more or less
conscious representations of archetypes and are not the archetypes themselves. Even so, there is a
strong connection between a representation and the target represented. According to Joseph
Campbell, “these bits of information from ancient times, which have to do with the themes that have
supported human life, built civilizations, and informed religions over the millennia, have to do with
deep inner problems, inner mysteries, inner thresholds of passage”13. Hence, for these theorists, it is
clear that much of what we know about mythology comes from the psychological conflicts of all
human kind, reflected on the mythological characters, and perhaps that explains why these patterns
have survived throughout time.
9
Jung (1980), p. 7.
10
Lévy-Bruhl (1985), p. 38.
11
Jung (1980), p. 5.
12
Ibid.
13
Campbell, Moyers & Flowers (1991), p. 2.
5
Characteristics of the Hero Myth
One of the most important myths or represented archetypes present in traditional stories is the hero
myth. One definition of the word hero, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is
“the chief male character in a book, play, or film, who is typically identified with good qualities, and
with whom the reader is expected to sympathize”. Another definition is “(in mythology and folklore)
a person of superhuman qualities and often semi-divine origin, in particular one whose exploits were
the subject of ancient Greek myths”. The journey of the hero has been analysed by theorists such as
Vladimir Propp, Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler, providing models to identify the hero
pattern in traditional folktale, mythology and film. These models will be analysed further in the
discussion, but these theorists have also summarized the characteristics that define a hero, following
Jung’s ideas on the hero archetype. According to Jung, “the universal hero myth […] always refers to
a powerful man or god-man who vanquishes evil in the form of dragons, serpents, monsters,
demons, and so on, and who liberates his people from destruction and death”14. Propp, on the other
hand, focuses on the many stages of the tale that are crucial for the characterization of the hero. He
defines the hero as the character who performs, or is directly involved, in the sphere of action of at
least three specific functions of the tale, called departure, reaction to a donation, and wedding15,
which will be explained further in this discussion.
Although Jung and Propp consider the description of the hero in their studies, Joseph
Campbell is the theorist whose passionate ideas about the hero myth became more famous.
Campbell affirms that the hero is “the man or woman who has been able to battle past his personal
and local historical limitations to the generally valid, normally human forms”16, showing that the hero
journey departs from a conflict and has a supernatural quality. In fact, as Campbell continues to
explain, “the passage of the mythological hero may be over-ground, incidentally; fundamentally it is
inward - into depths where obscure resistances are overcome, and long lost, forgotten powers are
14
Jung, (1964), p. 79.
15
Propp (1973), p. 80.
16
Campbell (2004), p. 18.
6
revivified, to be made available for the transfiguration of the world”17. The hero, for Campbell,
departs from the common world into a place of supernatural qualities where mysterious forces are
encountered and a decisive challenge is accomplished, taking the hero back to the mundane world
with a distinctive power to share and illuminate the rest of his group18.
Campbell devotes particular attention to the child hero, explaining that in him or her lies a
“special manifestation of the immanent divine principle”19, and as the hero’s first task is to break
through the “antecedent stages of the cosmogonic cycle”20, the child hero has to face a long initial
period of obscurity. According to Campbell, “he is thrown inward to his own depths or outward to
the unknown; either way, what he touches is a darkness unexplored. And this is a zone of
unsuspected presences, benign as well as malignant”21. The second task of the hero is to return from
that unknown to the common world, and to use the special powers acquired in the journey to
transform human kind22, which is an even bigger challenge for a child. Campbell relates the depth of
descent of the hero in the first part of his personal cycle to the level of the deeds practiced by him in
the second23. Not even death is definitive for the hero, as, according to Campbell, “the hero would be
no hero if death held for him any terror; the first condition is reconciliation with the grave”24. This
means that the hero is still alive even after his human death.
Christopher Vogler evolved Campbell’s ideas on the characterization of the hero to more
popular stories in cinema integrating them to the idea of the hero journey as any human’s journey
into the unconscious. His hero archetype “represents the ego's search for identity and wholeness”25,
and in reality, as humans struggle to overcome anxieties and fears, “we are all Heroes facing internal
guardians, monsters, and helpers”26. To Vogler, this ability to overcome obstacles and gain new
17
Campbell (2004), p. 27.
18
Ibid, p. 28.
19
Ibid, p. 296.
20
Ibid.
21
Ibid, p. 301.
22
Ibid, p. 296.
23
Ibid.
24
Ibid, p. 329.
25
Vogler (2007), p. 30.
26
Ibid.
7
knowledge and wisdom is key to finding out who is the main character in a script. As he explains,
“often the best answer is: the one who learns or grows the most in the course of the story”27, shifting
the focus to the relationships between the characters (the hero, the mentor, the villain) and pointing
out that we are all each other’s teachers28. In addition, sometimes the hero archetype is not just
manifested in one character, but in many others when they act heroically29. Vogler also mentions
sacrifice as a characteristic of the hero, who is willing “to give up something of value, perhaps even
her own life, on behalf of an ideal or a group”30, explaining that this sacrifice might even be death, as
Campbell also explained in his theory. Vogler provides an excellent summary on how heroes might
deal with the idea of death:
Heroes show us how to deal with death. They may survive it, proving that death is not so
tough. They may die (perhaps only symbolically) and be reborn, proving that death can be
transcended. They may die a Hero's death, transcending death by offering up their lives
willingly for a cause, an ideal, or a group31.
Having the basic characteristics of the hero myth defined provides an introductory
background to the analysis of the hero path. The models analyse the steps of a character in the story
classifying them according to basic psychological and physical processes that are recurrent in
traditional tales.
The Hero’s Journey
1. Vladimir Propp
Vladimir Propp dedicated his Morphology of the Folktale to the study of fairy tales, identifying that it
usually begins with some sort of “initial situation”32 followed by 31 functions that constitute the
hero’s journey. These functions are divided in three sections: the preparatory phase, the plot set in
motion and two different options of paths for the conclusion of the tale. The preparatory section
27
Vogler (2007), p. 31.
28
Ibid.
29
Ibid, p. 32.
30
Ibid.
31
Ibid.
32
Propp (1973), p. 25.
8
details the efforts of the villain33 in creating the situation that will set the plot in motion, or call the
hero to action. The functions involved in this phase are better detailed in the comparative tables
located in Appendix 1.
The ‘plot-set-in-motion-phase’ of Propp’s hero journey starts with the villainy function, when
“the villain causes harm or injury to a member of a family”34. However, Propp notices that not all
tales start from a situation of misfortune or villainy. According to him, some tales can begin from a
starting point of lack or insufficiency, serving the alternative function of lack (when the main
character or his family suffers some sort of privation). Following villainy or lack, there comes a
moment in the plot when the hero “is approached with a request or command; he is allowed to go or
he is dispatched”35. This is the moment of mediation, which causes the hero’s departure from home.
The hero then performs the functions of deciding to leave (beginning counteraction) and, finally,
departure. Now a new character enters the tale, someone whom Propp calls the donor, or the
provider of some special agent, usually magical, “which permits the eventual liquidation of
misfortune”36. However, in order to receive this magic, the hero has to go through multiple tests and
prove he is worthy of this donation. That is the first function of the donor, a function which provokes
the hero’s reaction (he can succeed/fail on a test, or answer/ignore a greeting37). Now the hero is
ready for the provision or receipt of a magical agent, a much-needed resource for his next step, the
spatial transference between two kingdoms or guidance, when “the hero is transferred, delivered, or
led to the whereabouts of an object of search”38. Here is where the hero faces the villain in direct
combat (struggle function), gets branded (branding, marking) and defeats his enemy (victory),
liquidating the initial misfortune or lack (liquidation) and leading the narrative to its peak, according
to Propp39.
33
Propp (1973), p. 27.
34
Ibid, p. 30.
35
Ibid, p. 36.
36
Ibid, p. 39.
37
Ibid, p. 42.
38
Ibid, p. 50.
39
Ibid, p. 53.
9
The conclusive section of Propp’s hero journey structure presents two different paths for the
hero. In the first one, the hero returns (return), is pursued on his way back (pursuit), but manages to
be rescued (rescue)40. In the second scenario, the hero returns unrecognized (unrecognized arrival), a
false hero presents unfounded claims, and a difficult task is proposed to the hero41. Upon resolving
the task (solution), the hero is recognized (recognition) and the false hero or villain is exposed
(exposure)42. Both alternatives of paths end with the transfiguration of the hero, where he is given a
new appearance, the punishment of the villain, and the wedding of the hero, “who ascends the
throne”43.
2. Joseph Campbell
Propp’s ideas were further developed and clarified in Joseph Campbell’s seminal work The Hero with
a Thousand Faces. As Campbell summarizes, “the standard path of the mythological adventure of the
hero is a magnification of the formula represented in the rites of passage: separation—initiation—
return”44. This is the nuclear unit of what Campbell calls the monomyth, or the basic pattern of the
hero journey. The hero might have a thousand faces, but, according to Campbell, his journey follows
this basic structure.
The first section or act in Campbell’s adventure of the hero, named separation or departure,
starts with the call to adventure, which “signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and
transferred his spiritual centre of gravity from within the pale of his society to a zone unknown”45.
The hero now is aware of a danger or some sort of lack that summons him to leave the world of
common day. His first reaction is the refusal of the call, or fear of the inevitable changes that will
come with the adventure. According to Campbell, “the myths and folk tales of the whole world make
40
Propp (1973), p. 57.
41
Ibid, p. 60.
42
Ibid, p. 62.
43
Ibid, p. 63.
44
Campbell (2004), p. 28.
45
Ibid, p. 53.
10
clear that the refusal is essentially a refusal to give up what one takes to be one's own interest”46. If
the hero did not give in to the refusal, he receives a supernatural aid in his first encounter. Campbell
draws attention to “a protective figure (often a little old crone or old man) who provides the
adventurer with amulets against the dragon forces he is about to pass”47. The crossing of the first
threshold is the next step in the hero’s journey, where he needs to pass some sort of obstacle at the
entrance of another world. As Campbell explains, “beyond them is darkness, the unknown, and
danger”48. Having transited into this other dimension, the hero is now in the belly of the whale, and
may appear to have died. “Indeed, the physical body of the hero may be actually slain, dismembered,
and scattered over the land or sea”49, points out Campbell.
The second section of the journey, the initiation, begins with the road of trials. The hero has
traversed the threshold, and now “moves in a dream landscape of curiously fluid, ambiguous forms,
where he must survive a succession of trials”50. During this phase, the hero is assisted by the advice
or secret powers of the supernatural encounter he had before. Still, the ultimate adventure of the
hero for Campbell might be the “mystical marriage […] of the triumphant hero-soul with the Queen
Goddess of the World”51, or the meeting with the goddess. Campbell highlights, however, that these
stages are symbolic. The basic monomyth serves as a general pattern to men and women, and that
“the individual has only to discover his own position with reference to this general human formula,
and let it then assist him past his restricting walls”52. Therefore, when Campbell uses the word
“woman” in the next stage of the journey (woman as the temptress), he is using a metaphor for the
physical, material, temptations of life, which can distract the hero from his path. Campbell also uses
the figure of the father as metaphor for the next step of the journey, atonement with the father. This
46
Campbell (2004), p. 55.
47
Ibid, p. 63.
48
Ibid, p. 71.
49
Ibid, p. 85.
50
Ibid, p. 89.
51
Ibid, p. 100.
52
Ibid, p. 111.
11
is the moment of abandonment of the attachment to ego itself53, the abandonment of childhood and
embracing of adulthood. Having succeeded this atonement, the hero arrives at a point of apotheosis,
which is a divine state, the release of the potential within us all54. The last step of the initiation of the
hero is the ultimate boon, the breaking of personal limitations, when “finally, the mind breaks the
bounding sphere of the cosmos to a realization transcending all experiences of form—all
symbolizations, all divinities: a realization of the ineluctable void”55.
The third and final act of Campbell’s hero journey, the life-enhancing return, starts with
reluctance on the part of the hero. The refusal of the return is a common appearance in the hero
monomyth, because of the challenge of returning to the old world in possession of a life-transmuting
trophy56. Many heroes have doubted whether the message of their adventure could be
communicated to the rest of humanity, and many others have died before being able to return.
Those who decided to attempt a return, have to face the magic flight, which can be “supported by all
the powers of his supernatural patron”57, or a “lively, often comical, pursuit”58. In the process of
return, “the hero may have to be brought back from his supernatural adventure by assistance from
without”59, or rescue from without, when the world has to force or help him to readapt. According to
Campbell, “this brings us to the final crisis of the round, […] that, namely, of the paradoxical,
supremely difficult threshold-crossing of the hero's return from the mystic realm into the land of
common day”60. The crossing of the return threshold forces the hero to “confront society with his
ego-shattering, life-redeeming elixir”61, to teach humanity about the lessons brought from the dark
place of his adventure. However, Campbell explains that it is important to understand that the two
worlds are actually one. According to him, “the realm of the gods is a forgotten dimension of the
53
Campbell (2004), p. 120.
54
Ibid, p. 139.
55
Ibid, p. 176.
56
Ibid, p. 179.
57
Ibid, p. 182.
58
Ibid.
59
Ibid, p. 192.
60
Ibid, p. 201.
61
Ibid.
12
world we know. And the exploration of that dimension, either willingly or unwillingly, is the whole
sense of the deed of the hero”62. The hero who succeeds in this task becomes a master of the two
worlds who has “freedom to pass back and forth across the world division”63. He has overcome his
attachment to his own personal limitations, hopes and fears, and is reborn in the realization of
truth64. In the final stage of his journey, the hero has the freedom to live, “by effecting a
reconciliation of the individual consciousness with the universal will”65. This is the ultimate goal of
the quest or the basic motif of the hero journey for Campbell, “leaving one condition and finding the
source of life to bring you forth into a richer or mature condition”66.
3. Christopher Vogler
The model created by Christopher Vogler is an adaptation of Campbell’s monomyth to film
screenplays, and is also divided in three acts (separation, initiation or descent, and return). The first
act is composed by the ordinary world, call to adventure, refusal of the call, meeting with the mentor,
and crossing the first threshold. The first difference between Vogler’s first act and Campbell’s first
stage is that Campbell’s supernatural aid is updated to the idea of a meeting with the mentor.
However, the basic idea of the symbolic relationship between a hero and his mentor, which “stands
for the bond between parent and child, teacher and student, doctor and patient, god and man”67 is
still maintained. The second difference is that Vogler does not regard the belly of the whale in this
first act. He considers this moment of transit into another dimension where the hero might appear to
have died as part of the ordeal, the ultimate confrontation of the hero with his most feared enemy,
as will be shown shortly.
The second act of Vogler’s guide into the hero’s journey starts with tests, allies and enemies,
which correspond to Campbell’s road of trials. As Vogler describes, “once across the First Threshold,
62
Campbell (2004), p. 201.
63
Ibid, p. 212.
64
Ibid, p. 220.
65
Ibid, p. 221.
66
67
Vogler (2007), p. 12.
13
the hero naturally encounters new challenges and Tests, makes Allies and Enemies, and begins to
learn the rules of the Special World”68. During this path of battles, the hero eventually makes an
approach to the inmost cave, or arrives at “the edge of a dangerous place, sometimes deep
underground, where the object of the quest is hidden”69, the entrance to the place where he will
have to face his second major threshold. Now the hero is in direct confrontation with his worst fears,
in the ordeal stage, facing death or the shadow70. According to Vogler, “the hero, like Jonah, is ‘in the
belly of the beast’"71, or the belly of the whale as Campbell called it. It is important to note that
Campbell also considers this second threshold as a major challenge for the hero, represented by the
meeting with the goddess or the atonement with the father, a seminal moment of detachment of the
ego, necessary for the accomplishment of the divine state. Having succeeded in the ordeal, it is time
for the hero’s reward, represented by a special weapon, a magic sword, a treasure or even
knowledge and experience72. This is Vogler’s interpretation of Campbell’s ultimate boon, the
transcendence of the hero.
Vogler’s final act begins with the hero having to “deal with the consequences of confronting
the dark forces of the Ordeal”73, marking the hero’s decision to return to his original world. Vogler’s
road back condenses the first four stages of Campbell’s return stage (the refusal of the return, the
magic flight, rescue from without and crossing the return threshold). Following his return, “the hero
who has been to the realm of the dead must be reborn and cleansed in one last Ordeal of death and
Resurrection before returning to the Ordinary World of the living”74. In the resurrection stage, a
second moment of death or shadow presents itself, almost like “a replay of the death and rebirth of
the Ordeal”75. In other words, this is the moment when the hero is challenged to become the master
of the two worlds. Finally, Vogler’s hero finds the freedom to live that Campbell mentioned, in the
68
Vogler (2007), p. 13.
69
Ibid, p. 14.
70
Ibid, p. 163.
71
Ibid, p. 14.
72
Ibid, p. 16.
73
Ibid, p. 17.
74
Ibid.
75
Ibid.
14
return with the elixir stage, where the hero “brings back some Elixir, treasure, or lesson from the
Special World”76.
The above shows how Vogler adapted Campbell’s ideas on the hero’s adventure into an
updated model for screenplay writers. Summarizing, we see that initially there were 31 distinct
stages, with Propp’s model, then 17 stages, with Campbell’s monomyth, and only 12, with Vogler’s
journey. The model has been condensed, which opens space for more generalization, but there are
still “a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and
movies”77, according to Vogler. He also divides the hero’s journey in three acts – separation, descent
or initiation, and return – following Campbell very closely. Propp, in spite of also dividing his
functions in three stages, did so in a different manner. Propp’s first phase, the preparatory one, is
missing from Campbell and Vogler’s models, which already approach the tale from the perspective of
an ‘interruption’ of the peace of the common world. Propp’s second phase then, the plot set in
motion, is distributed across Campbell and Vogler’s first and second stages, but the final return act is
similar in all three models. Because Propp’s model is the less similar one, the comparative tables in
Appendix 1 present further commentaries on the correspondence between his journey and the other
two, divided in the three cycles of the adventure presented by Campbell and Vogler.
Villain Theory and the Shadow Archetype
The first definition of the word villain in the Oxford Dictionary is “(in a film, novel, or play) a character
whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot”. Indeed villains have been characterized for
their evil qualities, but other definitions also apply. Propp considered the villain in relation to his
participation in the hero’s journey. According to Propp, the sphere of action of the villain is
constituted by the functions of villainy and pursuit. Campbell did not explore the villain as much as
he did the hero. For him, the villain’s function is to work as the fuse that combusts the hero’s
adventure, or the obstacle that the hero has to transverse.
76
Vogler (2007), p. 18.
77
Ibid, p. xxvii.
15
Christopher Vogler, however, dedicates singular attention to the role of the villain in the plot.
He relates this type of character to the Jungian archetype of the shadow, which, according to him
“represents the energy of the dark side, the unexpressed, unrealized, or rejected aspects of
something”78. The negative face of the shadow can project itself in villains, antagonists, or enemies,
but Vogler differentiates these characters. As he states, “villains and enemies are usually dedicated
to the death, destruction, or defeat of the hero. Antagonists may not be quite so hostile — they may
be Allies who are after the same goal but who disagree with the hero's tactics”79. The wide function
of the shadow, therefore, is to challenge the hero, create conflict and bring out the best in him. For
that reason, Vogler confers a special attraction to the villain character, affirming that it has “often
been said that a story is only as good as its villain, because a strong enemy forces a hero to rise to the
challenge”80. Therefore, the villain has a special role in bringing out the process of transformation in
the hero, provoking a certain reaction from the main character of the journey.
Vogler considers the concept of the Jungian shadow archetype as an essential tool to grasp
the essence of villains and antagonists in stories, as it is also essential to use the shadow archetype to
discover hidden aspects of our heroes81. According to Jung, “the shadow is a living part of the
personality and therefore [the hero] wants to live with it in some form. It cannot be argued out of
existence or rationalized into harmlessness”82. This means that in order to fully reconcile the self, it is
necessary to face one’s own shadow. However, the shadow represents the dark aspects of the
personality that have “an emotional nature, a kind of autonomy, and accordingly an obsessive or,
better, possessive quality”.83 Emotion, therefore, is considered as something that happens to the
individual, and not an activity controlled by him. It is a primitive stage of the mind, where the subject
“is not only the passive victim of his affects but also singularly incapable of moral judgment”84. Jung
78
Vogler (2007), p. 65.
79
Ibid.
80
Ibid, p. 66.
81
Ibid, p. 68.
82
Jung (1980), p. 20.
83
Jung (1968), p. 8.
84
Ibid, p. 9.
16
states that the shadow is the most accessible of the archetypes, because its nature can be inferred
from the personal unconscious. Jung remarks, though, that there are exceptions to this rule, in the
“rather rare cases where the positive qualities of the personality are repressed, and the ego in
consequence plays an essentially negative or unfavourable role”85. These exceptional cases happen
when the shadow overtakes the conscious and the individual supresses the positive aspects of his
personality, and this might be an explanation for the definition of a character as a villain.
In summary, the villain is the character who displays evil qualities, igniting the hero’s
adventure by causing obstacles and interferences, not always with the function of destroying the
hero, but, sometimes, bringing out the best in him. The villain is related to the dominance of the
Jungian shadow archetype over the character’s conscience, an archetype that represents the dark
aspects of the personality, which have an emotional and obsessive nature. The hero, on the other
hand, is characterized by his journey, which follows most of the steps presented by the theory
models, but also by his personality traits, which include power, a supernatural quality, and a
willingness to sacrifice. The hero vanquishes evil, overcomes limitations, and liberates the rest of the
world upon his return. His task, nonetheless, might be essentially inwards, representing the ego’s
search for wholeness. Now that the two extreme points of the spectrum of characters, the hero and
the villain, have been defined, it is necessary to consider the less well-defined territory of the
antihero.
The Antihero
In the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of the word antihero is “a central character in a story, film,
or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes”. Such a definition shows the ambiguity of this
type of character, which still lacks a vast and deep theorization. Gina Misiroglu defines the anti-hero
in her encyclopaedia of super-heroes as a character who “may exhibit personality flaws such as self-
absorption or pity, emotional extremes like rage or introversion, a distrust of accepted values, or a
85
Jung (1968), p. 8.
17
lack of social decorum”86. The traditional hero, on the other hand, is “altruistic and dedicated to
righting wrongs while following the letter of the law”87, therefore showing resistance to the shadowy
aspects of existence.
Jung, Propp and Campbell did not deeply explore the concept of the antihero in the works
selected in this thesis. However, the history of the representation of the antihero dates back to
classical Greek drama, reappearing in Roman satire, Renaissance literature, and literary
Romanticism88, before reaching popularity in the Hollywood film industry. It was from the 1950s on
that the figure of the anti-hero was introduced in American cinema, and as Misiroglu points out, “by
the mid–twentieth century, heroes had evolved from the All-American boy fantasy to
multidimensional characters that clearly reflected the dreams and fears of modern society”89. The
political and social context of the times, marked by the end of two world wars, had left traces on
screens, allowing the hero to show some of his flaws without changing his main characterization. The
modern antihero was, therefore, multidimensional, troubled, and perhaps more realistic, but he still
acted mostly on the good side and followed the ancient hero model.
After the 1980s, Hollywood saw the rise of a new kind of hero, a necessity that came from
the darker place that the world had become, according to Misiroglu90. The popularization of this new,
darker, type of character might be one of the reasons for the special consideration that Christopher
Vogler dedicated to the concept. He explained that this type of character “is not the opposite of a
Hero, but a specialized kind of Hero, one who may be an outlaw or a villain from the point of view of
society, but with whom the audience is basically in sympathy”91. According to Vogler, there is an
identification process in the audience because “we have all felt like outsiders at one time or
another”92, which enhances the quality of the antihero as a character with many variations and
86
Misiroglu (2012), p. 26.
87
Ibid.
88
Steiner (2013), p. 197.
89
Misiroglu (2012), p. xii.
90
Ibid.
91
Vogler (2007), p. 34.
92
Ibid.
18
possibilities. Vogler, however, divides antiheroes in two categories. The first one relates to
“characters who behave much like conventional Heroes, but are given a strong touch of cynicism or
have a wounded quality”93, or characters who display flaws but still follow a traditional pattern. The
other category refers to “tragic Heroes, central figures of a story who may not be likeable or
admirable, whose actions we may even deplore”94, darker coloured antiheroes that became
prominent after the 1980’s and that disrupt the hero pattern in a more radical way.
The antihero has also found popularity in serialized television95, and the theory about the
characterization of the type in that medium might serve as an information pool for a wider antihero
concept. As Jason Mittel points out, “the key feature of an antihero is a character who is our primary
point of ongoing narrative alignment, but whose behavior and beliefs provoke ambiguous, conflicted,
or negative moral allegiance96”. Mittel also highlights the variations of the concept, that can appear
as ”misanthropic and selfish but ultimately noble heroes”, “arrogantly superior, destructively flawed,
but moral figures”, or “outright amoral villains”97. It becomes clear that relative morality and ethical
questions are at stake in the antihero world, in contrast to more explicit and clear villains, characters
who lack sympathization from the audience98. In fact, charisma is another key factor of the antihero,
which, according to Mittel, “helps us overlook their hideousness, creating a sense of charm and verve
that makes the time spent with them enjoyable, despite their moral shortcomings and unpleasant
behaviours”99. It seems that there is a pleasure associated with the figure of the antihero that is
different from the pleasure obtained by the assimilation of a clear-cut supernatural hero or a
merciless all-black villain.
The antiheroes, therefore, come in a wide spectrum of immorality and corruption, and their
hero journey has been disrupted in the same manner as their ethics. There are antiheroes who fall
93
Vogler (2007), p. 35.
94
Ibid.
95
Mittel (2012), §3.
96
Ibid, §45.
97
Ibid.
98
Ibid, §46.
99
Ibid, §47.
19
farther from the traditional hero path, and, therefore, are more similar to villains, like Patrick
Bateman, from AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000), for instance. Still, there are some who resemble the
traditional hero although displaying their moral flaws and emotional outbursts, like Han Solo, first
introduced in Hollywood by STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE (1977). The evolution of the modern
character into a more disruptive model is related to the context of postmodernism in the Hollywood
industry, a trend that brought a fragmented quality to characters and films, as the next section will
show.
Postmodernism in Film
What Jean-François Lyotard calls the postmodern condition is an act of suspicion upon everything
that modernity has brought100. Lyotard’s postmodern is what “puts forward the unpresentable in
presentation itself”, “denies itself the solace of good forms”, and “searches for new presentations,
not in order to enjoy them but in order to impart a stronger sense of the unpresentable”101. For that
reason, postmodernism denies conformity to the modern solutions and patterns, “because the
modern always appeals to […] the natural primacy of human consciousness, the fair distribution of
wealth in society, and the steady march of moral progress”102, according to Kevin Hart’s beginner’s
guide to postmodernism. To be postmodern is to antagonize these modern meta-narratives that
serve to guide all human activities103. Reason is not the key anymore to obtain peace and
enlightenment. Hart also affirms that “postmodernism takes what it likes from high culture and puts
it to work in popular culture”104, referring to the mixture of elements and the defying of conventions
that is characteristic of postmodernism.
100
Lyotard (1984), p. 79.
101
Ibid, p. 81.
102
Hart (2004), p. 2.
103
Ibid.
104
Ibid, p. 8.
20
In the Hollywood industry, postmodernism can be associated to a trend that started from the
mid-1980s on105, during the so-called New Hollywood, a system that followed the Studio Era of
Hollywood, according to Steve Neale. He highlights that some theories consider that the “New
Hollywood can be distinguished from the old by the hybridity of its genres and films, […] by the
mixing and recycling of new and old and low art and high art media products in the modern (or post-
modern) world”106, therefore stressing this postmodern mixed quality. In fact, postmodernism in film
has expressed itself in its “eclecticism – its drawing upon and mixing of different styles, genres, and
artistic conventions, including those of modernism”107, as John Hill remarks. It is a movement beyond
modernism, but that nonetheless uses the modernist techniques and conventions as a set of tools. In
the specific case of the Hollywood industry, the so-called classical conventions, “like the centrality of
major characters, strong plots, a clear forward direction in the storyline, and a trajectory through
time which resulted in an intelligible and definitive conclusion”108, were disrupted, according to
Taylor and Winquist’s Encyclopedia of Postmodernism. Now, the new and playful approach was
oriented towards fragmentation and intertextuality.
For that reason, postmodernism in film relies on the exploration of conventions of both
popular and elite cultures, but is always concerned with the storytelling act itself, referencing old
structures109. According to Cristina Degli-Esposti, this practice “uses strategies of disruption like self-
reflexivity, intertextuality, bricolage, multiplicity, and simulation through parody and pastiche”110. In
addition, in terms of characterization, postmodernism in film “lays stress on the heterogeneity and
fragmented character of social and cultural ‘realities’ and identities as well as the impossibility of any
unified, or comprehensive, account of them”111, as Hill states, widening the spectrum of the concept
to include the topic of fragmentation of identities.
105
Neale (2000), p. 234.
106
Ibid.
107
Hill (1998), p. 99.
108
Taylor & Winquist (2003), p. 124.
109
Degli-Esposti (1998), p. 4.
110
Ibid.
111
Hill (1998), p. 97
21
In fact, the fragmented quality of postmodernity and the fast-paced changing environment
that individuals are obligated to face may reflect on the instability of personal identity, as Keith
Booker notices, because “individual identity attains its stability through a perception of continuity of
selfhood over time”112. However, in an age that relies on disruptions and radical changes over short
periods of time, it has become increasingly difficult to observe such stability113, and this has been
reflected on film screens. Consequently, the postmodern tendency in films does not restrict itself to
the mixture of genres and strategies of disruption, but also embraces the fragmentation of
characters and character types, including the hero myth.
Tom Pollard notices in his article about the death of the hero that many postmodern films
portray unconventional heroes, or antiheroes. According to Pollard, “postmodern cinema refers
to neo-film noirs and angst filled comedies as well as the ever-present blockbusters, where a new
kind of hero is showcased – one who never quite achieves victory but ends up mired somewhere
along Campbell’s ‘road of trials’”114. These new heroes function as counter examples, shocking
warnings, whom Pollard calls postmodern heroes, despite agreeing that they are in fact antiheroes or
villains who act as the protagonists of the films. Because they do not follow the hero’s journey
completely, and might function as villains, the term postmodern antihero might be more suitable to
them.
Postmodern film, then, disrupts many structures, including the ones from myths, especially
concerning the dualities between heroes and villains. The postmodern antihero shares little
resemblance with the traditional way the audience sees a hero, not complying with the ideal of a
tenacious and victorious character who defeats opponent forces and restores peace and order to the
common world. In fact, as Pollard points out, “the postmodern milieu contains no such stability or
order but rather only corruption, brutality, lust, greed, and destruction”115. However, these
characters still provoke a strong attraction on the audience. The complexity of their individualities,
112
Booker (2007), p. xiv.
113
Ibid.
114
Pollard (2000), §2.
115
Ibid, §23.
22
combining features commonly associated with “good” and “evil”, might be a reason for that
attraction. As Pollard notices, “postmodern films depict human beings with more depth and realism
than has been true of the general trajectory of mainstream Hollywood cinema”116, and that sense of
relatability perhaps captures the attention of the audience. This would explain the proliferation in
Hollywood of postmodern antiheroes who challenge the predictable hero journey and the
rationalized view of life.
116
Pollard (2000), §23.
23
CHAPTER 2: CASE ANALYSIS
The STAR WARS films series is composed, so far, of two trilogies that form a space saga depicting the
adventures of heroes, villains and other more ambiguous types in the Galaxy. Although the film
project includes a not yet released third and final film trilogy, this analysis will focus on the first
released film trilogy, which introduced the villain Darth Vader to the world, and the prequel and
second released trilogy, that tells the story of his early years as the heroic Jedi Knight Anakin
Skywalker and his process of submission to the dark side. In order to analyse Anakin Skywalker’s /
Darth Vader’s path in the STAR WARS film series, his steps will be placed in comparison with Propp’s,
Campbell’s and Vogler’s models of the hero journey, telling his story and, at the same time, trying to
identify the events that fit the theoretical stages of the hero and the villain. However, an
intermediary stage will also be considered, in the case of events that are still on the hero path but
are covered by a gray zone quality, a shadow. Other elements of the films will also be taken into
consideration for the analysis and discussion, such as the changes in Anakin’s outfit and facial
expression, and the use of soundtrack themes in different moments of the story.
To represent the three spectrums of characterization, there is a text colour code for Anakin /
Vader’s steps in Appendix 2. No highlighting means that the step is following a heroic stage, and gray
highlighting means that the step could be a heroic one, but is already filled with the presence of the
shadow. Black highlighting means that the step is already on the other side of the spectrum and the
shadow has overcome the character, who is acting as a villain, antagonizing heroic figures in their
own hero journeys.
Step 1 - Ordinary World
The story of Anakin Skywalker’s childhood features in the first episode of the prequel trilogy, STAR
WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE, released in cinema theatres in 1999. He appears as a sweet
young boy who is a slave just like his mother in the desert world of Tatooine, where the Jedi master
24
Qui-Gon Jinn, his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, the queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo and Jar Jar Binks
make an emergency stop to fix their ship. They are escaping from Naboo, as the planet is being
invaded by the greedy Trade Federation, in consequence of a dispute over the taxation of trade
routes in the Galaxy. Qui-Gon and the queen enter the city and stop at a shop for mechanical parts,
where they get acquainted with the boy Anakin, who is known for fixing or building almost anything
and having excellent pilot skills. This is the presentation of the child hero’s home, Propp’s initial
situation, or the world of common day as Campbell calls it, where Anakin is just an ordinary slave
trying to do his best to get by.
Image 1: Anakin Skywalker as a child in Tatooine.
Step 2 - Call to Adventure
Anakin offers to help the group by participating in a podrace; the victory prize being enough for the
mechanical parts needed to fix the visitors’ ship. Master Qui-Gon senses a strong Force within the
boy. “He has special powers”117, says Qui-Gon to Anakin’s mother, and she agrees with him. Qui-Gon
points out that Anakin has the strong Jedi trait of seeing things before they happen. He finds out that
Anakin was conceived without a father, and analysing his blood, discovers an extremely high amount
117
STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE (2001), 00:46:53.
25
of midi-chlorians, microorganisms that allow individuals to “touch” the Force118, a special energy that
the Jedi Knights have learned to control and utilize consciously. It later turns out that Anakin’s midi-
chlorian count was even higher than Master Yoda’s, something that intrigued Qui-Gon. This scene is
also marked by the soundtrack, which presents the Force theme, the leitmotiv for the Jedi Knights
and the Force, while Qui-Gon and Anakin’s mother talk about the boy.
Image 2: Qui-Gon and Anakin's mother discussing the boy's powers.
The fact that Qui-Gon needs Anakin’s help and discovers that the boy holds this special,
magical, characteristic is Anakin’s call to the adventure. Anakin’s mother knows he is different, but
the arrival of Qui-Gon is what starts out his adventure. Anakin helps the Jedi and the queen by
winning the podrace, where he shows off his pilot abilities as well as his lack of fear. He is set free
from slavery, and receives a proposal to join Qui-Gon in the capital. “Our meeting was not a
coincidence. Nothing happens by accident”119, Qui-Gon tells Anakin’s mother. Clearly, Anakin has an
unfulfilled potential, a higher path, because he is different from the other children, but, literally,
lacked the freedom to develop his abilities and follow his destiny. As mentioned before, Propp,
118
Master Yoda, one of the most powerful of the Jedi Knights, will define the Force as a powerful ally when he
instructs Luke Skywalker in the fourth episode of the films series, and first movie released, STAR WARS: EPISODE IV -
A NEW HOPE (1977): “Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are
we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock,
everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship”.
119
26
Campbell and Vogler noticed that the call to adventure could indeed come from a situation of lack
instead of villainy.
Step 3 - Refusal of the Call and Step 4 - Departure
However, Anakin is reluctant to leave his mother behind in Tatooine. “I don’t want things to
change”120, says Anakin to his mother. The hero is clearly in the state of refusal of the call, still
attached to the common world and his own interests, as remarked before by Campbell. Anakin’s
mother tells him that he cannot stop the change, and he finally decides to go, promising to come
back to rescue her from slavery. The scene in which he leaves his mother and Tatooine behind is
marked by a very strong outburst of the Force theme on the soundtrack121.
Image 3: Anakin in the state of refusal of the call.
Step 5 - Supernatural Aid / Meeting with the Mentor / Hero’s Reaction
Anakin and Obi-Wan, his future mentor, have their first meeting when Anakin agrees to leave
Tatooine with Qui-Gon. Although the information that they will be master and apprentice is not yet
available to the viewer, this is their first encounter. However, Qui-Gon also serves as a mentor for
Anakin, since he is the one who believes in Anakin’s potential. He also explains to the boy what midi-
120
121
Ibid, 01:16:04.
27
chlorians are and their importance, so this is the first moment when Anakin is familiarized with the
supernatural concept of the Force and the Jedi training.
Image 4: Anakin and his future mentor shake hands.
After arriving in Coruscant, the Republic’s capital, Qui-Gon goes to the Jedi Council to tell the
news about Anakin’s discovery. He believes that Anakin is the “chosen one”, a Jedi who will bring
balance to the Force according to an ancient prophecy. According to Qui-Gon, “finding him was the
will of the Force”122, so the members of the council agree to meet the boy to determine if he can be
trained. Anakin needs to prove that he is worthy of receiving the Jedi donation of knowledge about
the Force. He is tested by the Jedi Council, and although the Force is strong in the boy, the Jedi are
reluctant to accept him. Master Yoda senses much fear in Anakin. “Fear is the path to the dark side.
Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering”123, says Yoda to the boy. Therefore,
Anakin’s reaction to the donation is ambiguous (he is powerful, but is full of fear). Qui-Gon insists,
but the decision about Anakin’s future has to be postponed with the emergency of an urgent danger
in the Galaxy.
122
123
Ibid, 01:30:42.
28
Image 5: Anakin being tested by the Jedi Council.
Step 6 - Crossing the First Threshold
Following the meeting with the Jedi at the Republic capital of Coruscant, Anakin participates in his
first challenge after leaving behind his home. Although just a child, he takes part in the Battle of
Naboo, helping to free queen Amidala’s land from the Trade Federation. Everything happens as if it
was predestined, with Anakin being driven by the automatic pilot of a Naboo Starfighter. He manages
to take control of the Starfighter and shows initiative by shooting some of the enemy ships, but
eventually is hit by the droid army and has to fly into the hangar of the droid control ship. Anakin
accidentally shoots the main reactor, creating a chain reaction that destroys the control ship from
the inside and causes all the droids on Naboo’s surface to power down124. He manages to escape the
exploding ship, in a scene that again presents a subtle Force theme as soundtrack. However, the
truth is that Anakin was not yet accepted in the Jedi order. He was just a child, so the first step into
the supernatural world, the receipt of a magical agent that Propp mentions, or the transition to the
dark and unknown world that Campbell talks about, was not complete. Therefore, everything had to
happen as if by magic, highlighting Anakin’s quality of uniqueness, that “special manifestation of the
immanent divine principle” that Campbell mentions when discussing the child hero.
124
29
Image 6: Anakin escaping the enemy ship after accidentally starting the chain reaction that destroyed it from the inside.
With the death of Qui-Gon in battle, Obi-Wan takes on the responsibility of training the boy,
and the council has no other choice than to accept it, but Yoda warns him: “the chosen one the boy
may be. Nevertheless, grave danger I fear in his training”125, in a scene that brings a subtle Imperial
March, the famous leitmotiv that represents Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire, on the
soundtrack. A very subtle Imperial March also appears at the end of the film126, during the credits,
following Anakin’s theme. Now Anakin has passed the first threshold and will have the chance to be
trained in the Jedi arts, take control of the magical agent (the Force), and prove himself as a hero. His
first contact with the supernatural aid, and first threshold, however, already shown signs of his
ambiguity, with Anakin’s fear being detected by Yoda. In the end of this episode, the boy Anakin has
a different haircut, already wearing the Padawan, or Jedi apprentice, braid.
STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE presents Anakin as a sweet and skilled little boy,
who shows supernatural abilities, but is a slave. The Force theme, which represents heroism and the
touching of the light side of the supernatural forces, appears associated with the child hero Anakin
during key moments of this episode, marking his call to adventure, departure and crossing of the first
threshold. At the end of the film, however, when Yoda senses danger in Anakin’s training, the
125
126
Ibid, 02:15:15.
30
Imperial March, the theme related to the villain Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire, is subtly
played, creating an association with the boy’s future self. Still, Anakin is accepted as a Jedi
apprentice, and changes his appearance at the end of the film, wearing light Jedi robes and a
Padawan braid in his hair.
Image 7: Anakin as a Jedi apprentice.
Step 7 - First Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies
Now that the first threshold has been crossed, the first cycle of initiation of Anakin’s hero journey
begins. In STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002), the audience learns that Anakin has
indeed been training to become a Jedi Master for the past ten years. He appears still as a Padawan,
in clothes slightly darker than the ones his Master wears, but still has a rather innocent facial
expression. “I haven’t seen her in ten years, Master”127, says a nervous Anakin to Obi-Wan,
resembling a teenager in love. When Padmé’s life is put at risk, Anakin is designated to protect her in
the capital, by suggestion of Senator Palpatine, who starts to become closer with Anakin, as a friend
or ally. During Anakin’s watch, poisonous caterpillars attack Padmé, and he saves her. Palpatine
suggests, then, that they go back to the planet of Naboo, for Padmé’s safety. Their departure to
Naboo is marked by the Force theme on the soundtrack. This part of Anakin’s road of trials shows
127
STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002), 00:07:34.
31
him as a young hero with incredible control over the Force, defeating the tests, but also making new
allies, such as Padmé and Palpatine.
Image 8: Obi-Wan and Anakin arriving at the capital.
While on Naboo, Anakin and Padmé’s relationship becomes more intimate, but she rejects
him because of the Jedi rules of emotional detachment. Anakin starts to have nightmares about his
mother in pain, and decides to go back to Tatooine to rescue her. Padmé goes with him to the planet,
but Anakin finds out that a savage tribe has kidnapped his mother. Before going to the tribe to try
and rescue her, Anakin says goodbye to Padmé in an ambiguous scene, where the soundtrack
presents the Force theme, but his shadow already resembles Vader’s silhouette128.
128
32
Image 9: Padmé's and Anakin's shadows as he leaves to find his mother.
Anakin arrives too late to save his mother, and she dies in his arms. Consumed by hate and
revenge, Anakin kills the entire tribal village, including women and children129. “Something terrible
has happened. Young Skywalker is in pain, terrible pain”130, says Yoda sensing the disturbance of
Anakin’s actions, a scene marked by the subtle sound of the Imperial March131.
Image 10: Anakin consumed by anger and revenge upon his mother's death.
129
130
Ibid, 01:21:30.
131
Ibid, 01:21:22.
33
Anakin regrets killing the people, and confesses the crime to Padmé, in a scene where the
Imperial March132 is again subtly present. “To be angry is to be human”133, she responds to him,
showing forgiveness for his action. Anakin, however, is much harder on himself. “I’m a Jedi. I know
I’m better than this”134, he tells her, while she supports him through his guilt and regret.
Image 11: Padmé supporting a regretful Anakin.
This part of the film can be considered as the first road of trials of Anakin after acquiring
control over the Force. He makes important allies, but is also being tested - his revenge upon the
death of his mother showing that he fails this test as a hero, and lets the shadow take control of him,
although regretting it later.
Step 8 - First Ordeal / Branding and Step 9 - Reward / Ultimate Boon
Anakin and Obi-Wan duel with Count Dooku, the leader of the separatist movement that is
threatening the Republic, but the Jedi are not able to defeat him and, during the fight, Count Dooku
cuts off Anakin’s right hand. This is Anakin’s first Ordeal, as Vogler names it, or struggle and direct
combat with a villain, as Propp pointed out. This is also the moment where he gets branded and
132
133
Ibid, 01:26:08.
134
Ibid, 01:26:12.
34
marked by this Ordeal, losing his hand. Yoda arrives and engages in combat with Dooku, but is forced
to let him escape to save Obi-Wan and Anakin’s life.
Image 12: Anakin losing his hand during his first Ordeal.
As Yoda points out, it was not a victory: “the shroud of the darkside has fallen; begun the
Clone War has”135, the old Master declares. The next scene, showing the Republic clone army being
observed by Palpatine, is marked by a more dramatic sound of the Imperial March136. After being
branded, Anakin receives a cyber-prosthetic arm and secretly marries Padmé, violating the Jedi Code.
Anakin’s first Ordeal did not end in victory, as his first road of trials already showed a small influence
of the shadow. However, he received a reward, as Vogler calls it, or ultimate boon, according to
Campbell, at the end of this cycle, by marrying the love of his life.
As STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES begins, Anakin is still a Padawan, but already
wears slightly darker clothes than Obi-Wan’s. He holds an innocent expression, though, resembling a
teenager in love. When he is summoned to protect Padmé and depart to Naboo, the Force theme
appears, indicating his alignment with the Jedi and the light side of the Force. The theme is also
played when he is already on Tatooine, and is about to leave to rescue his mother. This scene,
however, has a hint on what is about to come, since his shadow resembles Vader’s image. When
135
136
Ibid, 02:14:10.
35
Yoda senses Anakin’s revenge for his mother’s death and when Anakin himself confesses the crime to
Padmé, the Imperial March invades the soundtrack. The theme becomes more dramatic, however,
when the Republic clone army is shown, being observed by Palpatine. This could be a sign of the
association between Anakin, Palpatine and the Empire.
Image 13: Anakin and Padmé getting married.
As Campbell observes, some stories present variations in their structures, stretching a
specific cycle or repeating one cycle many times, making it difficult to understand characters and
episodes137. In the case of Anakin’s journey, along with the storytelling format of the series, which
first presented him already in his evil form, Darth Vader, the phase of initiation of the hero occurs
three times, with the final ordeal being itself divided in three cycles. On each initiation, the character
fails the moral tests and ordeals more violently and becomes more influenced by the shadow. His
story starts to grow darker as the prequel trilogy progresses. In the second episode of this trilogy, his
overly confident teenager spirit leads him to seek orientation from new figures, such as Palpatine,
and disobey the Jedi rules by marrying Padmé. He finds true love, as a hero would find in his journey,
but also fails a moral test when he decides to revenge his mother’s death. Still, his characterization
stands mostly on the hero side until the last episode of the prequel trilogy. In the next two cycles of
initiation, the shadow starts to overcome Anakin, who soon will become Darth Vader.
137
Campbell (2004), p. 228.
36
Step 10 - Second Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies
As the third episode of the saga, STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005), begins, the
separatists have kidnapped the now Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, and the Jedi are summoned to
the rescue. Obi-Wan and Anakin heroically chase the droid ship, with the Force theme as soundtrack,
and Anakin demonstrates his supreme abilities with the Force. He no longer has the Padawan braid,
showing that he now is a Jedi Knight. His hair is longer, he has a serious expression and scars on his
face and his clothes have gotten even darker. The two brave Jedi battle small enemy droids and
defeat them, arriving at the ship where the separatist General Grievous holds Palpatine hostage.
Anakin is again facing trials and tests, and showing his control of the Force trying to defeat the
separatists and save Palpatine.
Image 14: Obi-Wan and Anakin arrive at the ship to rescue Palpatine.
Step 11 - Second Ordeal / Branding
When Anakin and Obi-Wan arrive at the ship, Count Dooku appears and engages in combat with the
Jedi. He strikes Obi-Wan, who faints, and Anakin is left to face the dark Sith by himself. This man
seriously wounded Anakin’s arm, and he is the biggest enemy of the Republic at the moment. Dooku
says to Anakin: “I sense great fear in you, Skywalker. You have hate. You have anger. But you do not
37
use them”.138 Anakin defeats him, and has a chance to revenge his own branding by wounding both
Dooku’s hands and taking his lightsaber. Palpatine insists on Anakin killing Dooku, but the young Jedi
is in conflict, because killing an unarmed man is not the Jedi way. Anakin finally gives in to his anger
and kills Count Dooku, being assured later by Palpatine that it was the natural thing to do. “He cut
your arm. You wanted revenge. And it was not the first time”139, Palpatine tells Anakin, referring to
the episode with the tribe massacre in Tatooine. Anakin shows doubt and regret, however, and
insists on taking Obi-Wan with them in the end, when the Chancellor suggests they should leave him
behind. Although it was the liquidation of a villain, the victory belongs to the shadow, because
Anakin had Dooku in a disadvantage. The Republic and Obi-Wan, however, do not know the details of
the duel, and Anakin is regarded as a hero for this action.
Image 15: Anakin in conflict after killing an defenseless Count Dooku.
Step 12 - Reward / Ultimate Boon
After Obi-Wan regains consciousness, General Grievous captures the Jedi and Palpatine. They
manage to escape Grievous and land in the capital of Coruscant. Anakin meets Padmé, who brings
him the good news of her pregnancy. “This is a happy moment, the happiest moment of my life”140,
138
STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005), 00:13:38.
139
140
Ibid, 00:27:22.
38
Anakin says to Padmé. Once again, Anakin receives a reward after an ordeal where the shadow is
already casting itself over the hero’s journey.
Image 16: Anakin receives the news of Padmé's pregnancy.
Step 13 - Last Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies
After this point of the plot, the presence of the shadow starts to overcome Anakin’s personality as
well as his characterization as a tormented antihero. This is where the hero really gets lost and allows
for something dark to take control of him. It becomes more obvious that Palpatine is in truth a Sith
Lord, and that his plan is to have Anakin as his new apprentice. Anakin begins to have nightmares
about Padmé dying in childbirth, and that makes him extremely disturbed and obsessed about the
idea of saving her. He goes to Master Yoda for guidance about these dreams and visions. Yoda tells
Anakin that attachment leads to jealousy. “The shadow of greed that is. The fear of loss leads to the
Dark Side”141, says Yoda to Anakin. In fact, Anakin needs to train to let go of everything he fears to
lose.
141
39
Image 17: A worried Anakin seeks advice from Yoda.
However, Anakin has already established a relationship with Palpatine, and Obi-Wan starts to
worry about the Chancellor’s influence. “Be careful of your friend Palpatine”142, he says to Anakin, as
the Chancellor is about to get even more absolute powers in the Senate. Palpatine, then, requests
Anakin’s presence and tells him that he wants Anakin as his representative in the Jedi Council, “to be
the eyes, ears and voice of the Republic”143, seducing Skywalker with the possibility of becoming a
Jedi Master (since traditionally only Jedi Masters were accepted in the Council). The Jedi accept
Anakin as a member of the Council, but do not grant him the status of Master, since the young Jedi is
not yet ready for the task. This infuriates Anakin: “How can you do this? This is outrageous. It’s
unfair144”, he says to the Council, to the sound of a subtle Imperial March on the background.
Anakin’s revolt only gets worse after the Jedi instruct him to spy on Palpatine. “Use your feelings,
Anakin, something is out of place”145, Obi-Wan tells Anakin, but Skywalker is blinded by his anger
against the unstable rules of the Jedi. All he can feel is rebellion against the incoherent orders of the
Jedi Council. Nonetheless, he fails another test, and does not sense the dark side in the Chancellor,
perhaps because the dark side has already started to overtake himself.
142
143
Ibid, 00:36:14.
144
Ibid, 00:37:20.
145
Ibid, 00:39:57.
40
Anakin is in conflict with his feelings and the decisions of the Jedi and tells Padmé he does
not understand what is happening. “I think this war is destroying the principles of the Republic”146,
Anakin tells Padmé, and she asks him about the possibility of them being on the wrong side of the
situation. “What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has
become the very evil we have been fighting to destroy?”147, Padmé asks Anakin, telling him to talk to
the Chancellor and ask for peace and diplomacy, but he is not convinced.
The Chancellor, then, summons Anakin with information on the location of Grievous, the
separatist general, and starts to influence Anakin’s mind with ideas about the Jedi Council wanting
power. “Good is a point of view, Anakin”148, says the Sith Lord to Anakin, but Skywalker defends the
Jedi, although having doubts about the recent decisions of the Council. “Did you ever hear the
tragedy of Darth Plagueis, the Wise?”149, asks Palpatine, telling Anakin about the Sith legend of a dark
lord so powerful and wise that he could keep the ones he cared about from dying by influencing the
midi-chlorians through the Force. Anakin shows desire to learn this power and Palpatine tells him
that he could not learn it from a Jedi. By showing interest in defeating natural death, Anakin is again
experiencing the shadow of greed, the fear of losing someone, and not listening to Yoda’s advice.
Image 18: Anakin's reaction to the sith legend of Darth Plagueis.
146
147
Ibid, 00:41:41.
148
Ibid, 00:45:31.
149
Ibid, 00:46:09.
41
Palpatine keeps trying to convince Anakin of the Jedi’s flaws, and eventually he reveals his
knowledge of the dark side of the Force, which leads to Anakin’s realization that the Chancellor is a
Sith Lord. Palpatine says that “if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its
aspects, not just the dogmatic narrow view of the Jedi”150, and invites Anakin to join the dark side of
the Force and save his wife from death. Anakin, however, is divided, and decides to tell Master
Windu about the dark identity of Palpatine, but he is still tormented by the idea of the Chancellor
being the last Sith Lord alive, and that without him Anakin cannot save Padmé’s life. Anakin is
approaching the limit of his last road of trials as a hero, where his shadow already affects his
consciousness and is taking him closer to the first part of his third and most important Ordeal – the
duel between the light and the dark sides of the Force within him.
Image 19: Anakin Skywalker in conflict between the light and the dark sides of the Force.
Step 14 - Final Ordeal / Branding – Parts 1 and 2 and Step 15 - Reward / Ultimate Boon
The final Ordeal of Anakin Skywalker is divided in three parts. The first part is his confrontation with
Windu and Palpatine, where he has to choose between the Jedi and the Sith, tormented by the fear
of losing his love. This is the moment when the dark side overcomes Anakin. The second part of his
final Ordeal is his first duel with Obi-Wan, when Anakin is facing his master and completing his
transition to the dark side, reconfigured as a machine-supported man. The third and final part will
150
42
only come with the last episode of the series, STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983), when
Anakin will restore his consciousness in a final duel between the dark and the light sides of the Force.
As the Jedi Knights confront Palpatine, the last one standing is Master Windu. Anakin finally
moves on to the first part of his last Ordeal, and, as he arrives, Windu has Palpatine in a corner. “I’m
going to end this once and for all”151, says Windu, but Skywalker pleads for the Chancellor’s life and
that he should face trial, even though Windu thinks that Palpatine is too dangerous to be kept alive.
“It’s not the Jedi way. He must live. I need him”152, says Anakin. When Windu finally moves to strike
Palpatine, Anakin intervenes and cuts off Windu’s hand, allowing Palpatine to kill him. Anakin
immediately regrets his decision but the Sith Lord tells him he is fulfilling his destiny of becoming his
apprentice. With this final test, Anakin pledges himself to his Sith Master, Lord Sidious, and is named
Darth Vader, in a scene where the Imperial March appears one more time as soundtrack153. This first
part of Anakin’s final Ordeal is marked by the manifestation of the shadow over the hero, his decision
to turn to the dark side and his new branding as the Dark Sith Lord Vader. The actor displays an even
darker and more serious expression from this moment on in the film.
Image 20: Anakin becoming Darth Vader to the sound of the Imperial March.
151
152
Ibid, 01:14:34.
153
Ibid, 01:16:57.
43
Lord Sidious declares war on the Jedi and takes over the clone army. He orders Vader to lead
a massacre in the Jedi Temple and eliminate the remaining Jedi Masters. Vader himself kills
younglings in the temple, but Yoda and Obi-Wan manage to survive. The victory of Palpatine and
Vader over Windu is followed by a Reward for an Ordeal that has been marked by the rising of a new
Sith. This Reward is the massacre of the Jedi, the ultimate boon of the Sith. It is important to
highlight that the Sith did not consider themselves as the villains, as Palpatine pointed out earlier to
Anakin. From their point of view, killing the Jedi was the Reward for the Victory in this Ordeal.
Image 21: Vader's arrival at the Jedi Temple.
After the massacre, Obi-Wan goes to Padmé to tell her about Anakin’s turn to the dark side.
She decides to follow Vader to Mustafar, where he was sent by Palpatine to eliminate the rest of the
separatists154, in a confrontation scene that brings the Imperial March to the soundtrack one more
time. Padmé finds Vader, and tries to bring him back to light, assuring him of her love. “Love won’t
save you”155, he tells her. She insists that he is a good person and that he should not do that, but he
says he is doing it for her, to save her, and that they should rule the Galaxy together. Obi-Wan has
managed to secretly infiltrate in Padmé’s ship, and, at the sight of his old Master coming from the
ship, Vader is convinced that Padmé has sided with Obi-Wan and the rest of the Jedi and begins to
154
155
Ibid, 01:44:33.
44
use the Force to choke her. Obi-Wan tells him to let her go, and he does, suffering, blaming his old
master for his actions. He refuses to see the cast of his own shadow, and projects it onto others,
approaching the end of his process of transformation into the dark side and the second part of his
final Ordeal.
Image 22: Vader rebelling against Padmé and Obi-Wan.
In Mustafar, Vader and Obi-Wan engage in a duel, marked by the rise of the Imperial
March156 in the soundtrack when Vader reaffirms his new alignment to the dark side. In the fight,
Obi-Wan cuts off Vader’s legs. “You were the chosen one. It was said that you would destroy the Sith,
not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in the darkness!”157, says Obi-Wan to Vader.
However, it is too late for Anakin to come back, and Vader has already taken over, confused with
ideas about the Jedi and the Republic and giving in to the dark side. Obi-Wan leaves Vader to die,
dismembered and burning in lava in Mustafar.
156
157
Ibid, 01:59:58.
45
Image 23: Vader after battling Obi-Wan in Mustafar.
Palpatine rescues Vader, and Obi-Wan returns to find Padmé losing her life. “She has lost the
will to live”158, says the doctor, but Padmé manages to give birth to twins and tell Obi-Wan that she
believes there is still good in Vader before dying. In parallel, Vader is being treated and is put into a
life-sustaining black armour, changing his appearance forever and becoming more machine than
man, in a scene where the Imperial March invades the soundtrack one more time159. When he wakes
up from the procedure, he asks about Padmé, and Palpatine tells him that, in his anger, he, Vader,
killed her. This is the last time the Force theme is played on the soundtrack in reference to Anakin/
Vader160 before his redemption, in the sixth episode of the film saga. Here, the cycle of pain reaches
its maximum point for Anakin, who embraces his role as Palpatine’s right hand, Darth Vader.
Together they start to build a massive and deadly weapon, the Death Star, now to the sound of the
Imperial March in the background. Anakin and Padmé’s children are sent to separate adoption
families for their protection against their father. The sinister reward for the second part of Vader’s
final Ordeal, the one that made him reinforce his turn to the dark side by facing his Master, is his full
transformation into the machine-villain Darth Vader.
158
159
Ibid, 02:06:46.
160
Ibid, 02:08:35.
46
Image 24: The fully transformed Darth Vader.
Anakin appears with longer hair and no Padawan braid in the beginning of STAR WARS: EPISODE
III - REVENGE OF THE SITH, indicating that he is now a Jedi Knight. His expression is significantly more
serious, he has scars on his face and his clothes have gotten even darker. The initial scene, however,
brings the Force theme in the background as Anakin and Obi-Wan chase the droid ship to save
Palpatine. Anakin, therefore, is still associated with the light side of the Force even though some of
his flaws have already appeared. After Anakin is denied the title of Jedi Master by the Council,
however, the dark side starts to overcome him and the soundtrack follows the plot events. The
Imperial March appears when Anakin rebels against the Council’s decision and comes to a dramatic
peak when he pledges himself to the dark side and is named Darth Vader, a moment that also marks
a transformation in the actor’s expression, which becomes even darker. The Imperial March is also
present when Vader confronts and kills the separatists in Mustafar, and when he receives his armour
suit. It is interesting to notice that the Force theme is played one last time during this episode when
Vader awakes and suffers for Padmé’s death. This leitmotiv will only reappear connected to the
character when he is redeemed, at the end of STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI.
Naturally, all the events that have taken place so far in the story only came to the knowledge
of the audience years after they were first acquainted with the villain Darth Vader. Because of the
storytelling format of the STAR WARS film series, George Lucas introduced Vader already in his darkest
47
form. The first released film trilogy clearly shows the steps of the journey of another hero, Luke
Skywalker, who will be revealed to be the son of Vader. With Anakin fully transformed into Darth
Vader, he now participates in the road of trials and ordeals of other characters (such as Obi-Wan and
Luke Skywalker) as a villain, the antagonist that the hero tries to defeat. The third and last part of his
own Ordeal only occurs in the final scenes of STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI, when he
restores his consciousness from Darth Vader to Anakin Skywalker, turns back to the light side and
defeats the Emperor. In addition, as Vogler notices, not all stories begin with the depiction of the
hero’s common world161, so the prologue of the next episode of the story, and first released film,
STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE (1977), already shows Vader acting as a villain and kidnapping
Princess Leia before turning to Luke Skywalker’s ordinary world.
Step 16 - Call to adventure of Luke’s journey
Nineteen years after the birth of Vader and his children, the galaxy is in civil war between the evil
Galactic Empire, under the command of Palpatine, and the rebels who want to restore the Republic.
This first scenario depicts Vader’s evil actions, which create the call to adventure (however
unadvisedly) to the hero. He is clearly acting as antagonist, firstly by pursuing the rebels, and
secondly by kidnapping Princess Leia, creating the disturbance, or villainy, that will reach the hero’s
common world and make him leave to embark on his adventure. Vader is, however, following the
Emperor’s orders, instead of making his own decisions.
161
Vogler (2007), p. 86.
48
Image 25: The villain Darth Vader invading Leia's ship.
Step 17 - Final Ordeal of Obi-Wan’s hero journey
Obi-Wan, Luke, Solo and the others are inside the Death Star. They discover that Leia is there and
Luke immediately wants to save her. Vader walks in the hallways of the station at the same time as
Obi-Wan, who is trying to infiltrate the station to turn down the tractor beam. Vader senses his old
master’s presence, and tells the commander: “Escape is not his plan. I must face him alone” 162.
However, Obi-Wan manages to shut down the beam before meeting with Vader in their last duel. In
the fight, Vader kills Obi-Wan, whose body miraculously vanishes, as Luke watches everything. Vader
clearly acts as the villain, the evil opponent who has no second thoughts about the intentions to kill
the one who is acting heroically. Obi-Wan reaches his final Ordeal, with the villain who took away the
identity and the humanity of his loved apprentice.
162
STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE (2004), 01:17:04.
49
Image 26: Vader and Obi Wan engaging in battle.
Step 18 - First Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies of Luke’s journey
Vader now acts as a villain in the first road of trials of Luke’s journey. Leia takes the information
about the Death Star to the rebels, but Vader successfully tracks them. As the Death Star is prepared
to destroy the base, rebel wings start an attack on the station, having found a vulnerability in the
reactor systems. They need to hit exactly on a thermal exhaust port in order to create a chain
reaction to destroy the station, so the small ships are the best strategy for that.
Sensing the danger, Vader orders all fighters to launch and destroy the rebel ships, and
eventually joins the group himself, defeating the last rebels with the exception of the leader of the
group, Luke. Vader quickly realizes that the Force is strong with the young pilot and, as he tries a final
attack on Luke, Solo appears with the Millennium Falcon and hits Vader’s ship. Vader then flies away
into space and Luke manages to shoot the port, destroying the Death Star. Vader is the only survivor
amongst the imperials that were on the Death Star, and he becomes obsessed with trying to discover
the identity of the young pilot who destroyed the station.
50
Image 27: The villain Darth Vader chasing the hero Luke Skywalker.
Step 19 - Second Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies of Luke’s journey
A few years later in the story, when STAR WARS: EPISODE V - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) begins, Vader
is already aware of the identity of the young pilot and, while his assignment is to locate and
terminate the new rebel base, his secret plan is to find Luke and turn him into his apprentice. This
episode marks the first appearance of the Imperial March to the audience, since it is not featured in
Episode IV. The leitmotiv’s major opening comes when Darth Vader is first depicted in the film163,
although it is used throughout the film to represent him and the evil Galactic Empire.
Image 28: Vader and the debut of the Imperial March.
163
STAR WARS: EPISODE V - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (2004), 00:19:45.
51
With the information that the Rebels are located in Hoth, Vader invades the base searching
for the Millennium Falcon and Luke, but they manage to escape. Here, Luke and the others separate,
as he takes on Obi-Wan’s advice164 and goes to the Dagobah system to train in the Jedi arts with
Master Yoda. On the ground, the rebels are forced to retreat, and Vader and his troops achieve a
great victory for the Empire. This is clearly another road of trials for Luke and the Rebels, as they try
to pass the tests imposed by the villain Darth Vader and his comrades.
Vader continues to chase the Millenium Falcon, and Solo is forced to enter an asteroid field
due to the mal-functioning of the ship. Vader orders all teams to clear the asteroids until they find
the Falcon, when the Emperor summons him for a talk. Palpatine tells Vader that he senses a new
threat in the Force: the young pilot, who is in fact the son of Anakin Skywalker. Vader fakes surprise
at this revelation, and tells Palpatine that Luke is just a boy, not a threat without Obi-Wan alive, and,
if turned to the dark side, he can actually be a powerful ally165. Vader assures the Emperor that he
can make Skywalker join them, otherwise he will see him dead.
In order to find Luke before the Emperor, Vader offers a great reward to the bounty hunters
of the Galaxy for finding the Millennium Falcon and the group, but alive. He eventually discovers the
location of Solo and the crew, but realizes that Luke is not among them, deciding, then, to use Luke’s
friends to attract him. He captures the group and tortures Solo, in order to cause a disturbance in the
Force and alert Luke.
Image 29: Vader capturing Luke's friends.
164
165
Ibid, 00:54:00.
52
Step 20 - First Ordeal of Luke’s journey
Vader’s idea is to kidnap and freeze Luke in carbonite, but he tests the procedure on Solo first. All
this time, Luke has been in the Dagobah system, training to use the Force and learning about the
dangers and temptations of the dark side with Master Yoda, who senses the same impatience of
Anakin in Luke166. Like many heroes, Luke needs to face the fact that he also possesses the shadow
inside of him, and there are many dangers in facing this shadow, although it is a necessary act to
achieve a higher state. However, he is indeed lured by the threat to his friends and interrupts his Jedi
training to go face Vader. Vader and Luke fight, and the Imperial March invades the soundtrack
dramatically when Vader becomes more aggressive and starts moving objects in Luke’s direction 167.
Vader manages to have Luke cornered and cuts off his hand, an echo of what happened to Anakin on
his first Ordeal. Vader tells Luke that he does not realize his own importance. “Join me and I will
complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring
order to the Galaxy”168, Vader says to his son, but Luke refuses to join him. The Imperial March
returns emphatically to the soundtrack with Vader’s revelation to Luke. “I am your father”169, he
says, offering Luke to rule the Galaxy together as father and son. A tormented Luke prefers to throw
himself in the abyss, where luckily he is sucked in by an air tube landing on a piece of structure. He
uses the Force to communicate with Leia, and is rescued by the Millennium Falcon. Already in the
ship, recovering with a new prosthetic arm, Luke listens to Vader talking to him through the Force.
The Imperial March is played in a less dramatic way170, while Vader is still trying to attract his son to
the dark side, saying it is his destiny, as the boy is confused and does not understand why Obi-Wan
did not tell him about the truth about his father. Luke does not defeat Vader and is branded by him
during this first Ordeal, but he achieves a small victory over his own shadow, not giving in to the dark
side even after the revelation of his father. Vader, on the other hand, continually acts as a villain,
166
167
Ibid, 01:46:05.
168
Ibid, 01:50:46.
169
Ibid, 01:51:16.
170
Ibid, 01:57:55.
53
with delusions of grandeur and absolute power, although showing that his feelings for his son could
overcome the dark side of the Force in him.
Image 30: Vader and Luke in combat.
The Imperial March is used throughout STAR WARS: EPISODE V - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK to
represent Vader and the Empire, but has its dramatic debut to the audience when Vader first
appears in the film. This means that the audience already created an association between the
leitmotiv and the dark machine-villain before the story of his Jedi years was told on the screen. The
theme is also heard when Vader reveals his identity to Luke and when he uses the Force to
communicate with him. Episode VI, however, has a more intriguing use of leitmotivs, especially
during the final scenes of the film, as will be shown further in the analysis.
The next phase of Luke’s journey, at the beginning of STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI
(1983) does not have Vader involved in it, but is a preparation for Luke’s final Ordeal with his father.
The hero Luke Skywalker returns transformed to his home, Tatooine, in an attempt to rescue Han
Solo and Princess Leia from the gangster Jabba the Hutt171. Using the Force, he manages to save his
friends and they escape with the rest of the group after facing Jabba and his allies. Luke then goes to
the Dagobah system to complete his Jedi training with Master Yoda, finishing his last road of trials
before entering his second and final Ordeal.
171
STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI (2004), 00:23:25.
54
Meanwhile, the Galactic Empire has secretly started to construct the Death Star II, an even
more powerful armoured space station, to eliminate the rebels who are trying to restore freedom to
the Galaxy172. However, now that the Emperor knows about Luke, he sets his own plan in motion to
lure Skywalker to the dark side, and replace Vader as his apprentice. All the preparations for the third
and final part of Anakin/Vader’s great Ordeal, the one that will bring him back to the light side of the
Force, have come to this moment, and so have all the preparations for Luke’s final Ordeal with his
father.
Step 21 - Second Ordeal of Luke’s journey, Step 22 - Final Ordeal / Branding – Part 3, and
Step 23 - Reward / Ultimate Boon
Luke returns to Dagobah to find Master Yoda in his last moments of life. “Vader. You must confront
Vader. Then, only then, a Jedi will you be”173, says Yoda to Skywalker. Luke finds out about Leia being
his sister in a talk with Obi-Wan, who has mastered an after-death existence, and appears to give
Luke a last advice before he faces his father in the final duel. Obi-Wan explains that Vader is more
machine than man174, but Luke believes there is still good inside of him, and he wants to bring him
back from the dark side, and not kill him. This will be Luke’s second and final Ordeal with Vader, one
that will end with the rise of Anakin Skywalker and the fulfilment of the last part of his final Ordeal,
against the Emperor.
172
173
Ibid, 00:41:36.
174
Ibid, 00:47:03.
55
Image 31: Vader and his son arrive at the Death Star II to the sound of the Imperial March.
The Emperor sets a trap for the Rebels on the moon of Endor, and Vader goes to the location
to wait for Luke, following the Emperor’s instructions. When Luke arrives, Vader is conflicted by his
son’s words, but still decides to take him to the Emperor in the Death Star, a scene marked by the
sound of the Imperial March. Resisting to join the dark side, Luke tries to convince Vader to stop all
his evilness and recover his humanity, but Vader refuses and tries to duel with his son, acting as the
antagonizing villain for the last time.
“Give yourself to the dark side. It is the only way you can save your friends”175 says Vader to
Luke, but Skywalker still tries to resist. However, when Vader threatens to bring Leia to the dark side,
Luke engages in battle with him, eventually cutting off his mechanical hand, just like his father did
with his human one. “Good! Your hate has made you powerful. Now, fulfil your destiny and take your
father’s place at my side”176, tells the Emperor to Luke, but the young Jedi refuses to give in to the
dark side as his father did years before, and retreats his lightsaber. Infuriated, the Emperor starts to
attack Luke with Force lightning, hurting and torturing him.
Although the Imperial March is used throughout this episode to represent Vader and the evil
Galactic Empire, the last part of Anakin/Vader’s Ordeal is marked by an interesting use of leitmotiv.
175
176
Ibid, 01:53:35.
56
When Vader, moved by the love for his son, abandons the dark side and lets Anakin back into
consciousness, rising up and throwing the Emperor in the abyss, the Force theme is played in the
soundtrack. It marks the return of Anakin to the light side of the Force and the proof that there was
still good in him. This is his last reward, his ultimate boon as a Jedi.
Image 32: Vader turning against the Emperor and returning to Anakin's conscience.
Step 24 - The Road Back, and Step 25 - Resurrection / Master of the Two Worlds
The previous step gives rise to the last cycle of Anakin’s journey, the Return. Anakin has already
suffered fatal injuries and, as his son carries him, in a short version of the hero’s road back from the
dark unknown, they have one last moment together. Anakin asks Luke to take off his mask177,
rejecting the machine in him, so he can see his son with his own eyes. This scene is marked by the
sound of the Imperial March178, this time played in a soft way, using a harp. Vader changes his
appearance, as Propp notices in the phase of transfiguration of the hero, right before he achieves the
supreme state (which for Propp is the hero’s wedding, but in this case, as will be shown, is Anakin’s
afterlife with the other Jedi Masters). “No, you are coming with me. I’ll not leave you here. I’ve got to
save you”179, Luke tells his father, to which Anakin replies, “You already have, Luke. You were right.
177
178
Ibid, 02:00:22
179
Ibid, 02:01:01.
57
You were right about me. Tell your sister you were right”180, before fading into death. This is the last
time the Imperial March is played181, again with very soft harp tones. Luke’s resistance to the dark
side and his belief in the good inside his father is the rescue from without that Campbell refers to in
his theory, a rescue that allows the hero Anakin to cross the threshold of return.
Image 33: Anakin Skywalker redeemed and retransfigurated.
At the end of Luke’s journey, the rebel teams are successful in their attack, and the Death
Star II is destroyed. Luke burns the body of his father, following the Jedi tradition, and, as Anakin
becomes one with the Force, the Force theme appears in the soundtrack182. Later, in the celebration
of the peace in the Galaxy, Anakin resurrects and appears in fluid form to Luke, next to Master Yoda
and Master Obi-Wan183. Anakin, now wearing lighter Jedi robes, and the other Jedi have learned to
overcome their fears and fuse into the Force, becoming immortal. Although with a new and
supernatural form of life, Anakin is now Master of the Two Worlds, being able to transit between
them, because he can still influence people through the Force.
As already stated, the final scenes of Episode VI have an interesting use of leitmotiv and
characterization. When Vader is taking Luke to the Emperor, the Imperial March marks the
180
181
Ibid, 02:01:42.
182
Ibid, 02:04:50.
183
Ibid, 02:07:34.
58
soundtrack, indicating villainy on Vader’s part. However, when Vader abandons the dark side and
kills the Emperor, the Force theme reappears, marking the return of Anakin to consciousness. The
Imperial March still appears twice, when Luke takes his father’s mask off and when Anakin dies.
These last appearances of the theme, nonetheless, are very soft, with harp tones, showing that the
leitmotiv is fading along with Vader and the Empire. When Luke burns his father’s body, it is the
Force theme that appears, representing Anakin’s merging into the Force. As Anakin resurrects into a
new form of life, appearing next to the other Jedi who have mastered immortality, he wears light Jedi
robes, an outfit that he had not been seen wearing since his childhood, at the end of Episode I.
Image 34: The immortal Jedi Knights Anakin, Yoda and Obi-Wan.
59
CHAPTER 3: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The Character’s Journey
One way to look at Anakin / Vader’s character role might be to calculate the amount of steps on his
journey that fit the hero models theorized. The previous chapter was an analysis of the plot events in
an attempt to relate them to the hero and the villain paths. However, some of the character’s
actions, although on the hero side, were marked by the presence of the shadow, so they have been
considered as belonging to the territory of the antihero, the less well defined character that allows
for moral ambiguity.
Analysing the model application in the prequel trilogy, and second one released, the results
appear as shown in the table below. This means that in the prequel trilogy, the hero Anakin is the
one who dominates, although the character is progressively influenced by the dark side of the Force
and already displays antihero features and even villain ones (at the end of this trilogy).
STAR WARS I (exclusively hero)
6 hero steps
STAR WARS II (predominantly hero)
1 antihero step
2 hero steps
STAR WARS III (no predominance)
2 hero steps
2 antihero steps
2 villain steps
Prequel trilogy = 10 hero / 3 antihero / 2 villain steps
On the first released trilogy, the character, instead, acts predominantly as a villain, although
redeeming himself in the final episode of this trilogy, as shown in the table below. The rupture
between villainy and heroism does not present an intermediary antihero phase, as in the first trilogy,
and Vader goes from villain to redeemed hero, Master of the Two Worlds, in a more abrupt way.
60
STAR WARS IV (exclusively villain)
3 villain steps
STAR WARS V (exclusively villain)
2 villain steps
STAR WARS VI (predominantly hero)
1 villain step
4 hero steps
First trilogy = 6 villain / 4 hero steps
In addition, when analysing the total amount of steps in his journey, the results show 14
steps on the hero side, 3 on the antihero, and 8 on the villain, showing the balanced characteristic of
his role in the series. However, if we look at the character construction in a film-by-film manner, the
results display one episode where he acts exclusively as a hero (I), 2 episodes where he acts
predominantly as a hero (II and VI), 1 episode where the pendulum does not swing to either side, and
therefore he acts as an antihero (III), and 2 episodes where he acts exclusively as a villain (IV and VI).
It still shows a balanced and ambiguous trajectory, and this might be enough to characterize him as
an antihero, but a further analysis on the concepts might help to finalize the discussion. It is
interesting to notice that when acting out in clear-cut ways (exclusively hero or villain), the character
has appeared in 2 films as a complete villain, in opposition to 1 film as a complete hero. In addition to
the abrupt transformation from villain to hero in the end of the film series, this might be another
reason to explain why Vader became marked by the dark side in such a definitive way, being
considered by many viewers as one of the most popular villains of all times.
Hero, Villain or Antihero?
Obviously, the application of the character’s journey to the heroic one is a helpful argument to define
his role in the film series, but it is not the only mechanism of construction of the image of a
character. As Mieke Bal notices, other principles such as “repetition, accumulation, relations to other
61
characters, and transformations”184 also work together in influencing the character’s role. This
means, as Bal continues to point out, that “the description which has been obtained of a character
can be contrasted with an analysis of the functions it performs in a series of events”185, showing that
both the functions (or steps) of a character’s journey and his characterization, relationships and
personal motivations should be considered together in a character analysis.
In the theory chapter, it was shown that the hero myth is associated with characteristics such
as identification with the good side, superhuman or god-like qualities, power, vanquisher of evil,
saviour of people, transcendence of death and sacrifice in the name of others or ideals. Vader relates
to most of those characteristics when he is acting as a hero, showing his good side and altruism in
the beginning of the prequel trilogy, the strength of the Force within him throughout the film series,
and his transcendence of death, achieving immortality, at the end of the original trilogy. He is also a
vanquisher of evil and a saviour of people when he kills the Emperor and sacrifices himself to save his
son.
Anakin also participates in the three functions that Propp relates with the hero (departure,
reaction to a donation, and wedding), represented by steps 4, 5 and 9 of his journey. In relation to
Campbell’s theory, Anakin also fits most of the characteristics of the child hero myth, which
emphasizes the immanent divine principle (“chosen one” prophecy). As a hero, he breaks through
antecedent stages (he breaks many Jedi rules but also turns himself against the Sith in the end) and
follows an inwards journey to his own depth or long period of obscurity (represented by his dark side
years). Anakin, however, does not return to transform human kind, because the original trilogy
interrupts his journey before he can share his lessons with the world. The character also relates to
Vogler’s theory on the hero myth, with his whole journey being precisely the ego’s search for identity
and wholeness that Vogler mentions, and him learning and growing more than the other characters
(through clear processes of transformation).
184
Bal (2009), p. 127.
185
Ibid, p. 130.
62
Concerning the villain theory, which is mostly composed in relation to the hero theory, after
turning to the dark side, Vader partly fits Propp’s model that considers the villain as the character
involved in the functions of villainy (step 2 of Luke’s journey), and pursuit. Since Luke Skywalker’s
journey, the other main heroic path of the film series, is not over yet (there is another trilogy of films
coming out), his third cycle, the return, is not yet complete. Vader probably would not be involved in
such a cycle anyway, since he has already been redeemed and transcended into eternal life in the
story, but he clearly played that function in the mini-cycles of pursuit that followed each one of
Luke’s ordeals.
Vader also fits Campbell’s model, that defines the villain as the fuse for the combustion of
the hero’s adventure (the call to adventure of Luke), or the obstacle that the hero has to transverse
(Luke’s ordeals). In addition, Vader is also identified with Vogler’s ideas on the villain, represented by
the energy of the dark side or the shadow archetype (manifested by obsessive emotions). Since the
function of the shadow is to challenge the hero, and create conflict to bring out the best in him, his
own shadow might also be his own villainy and redemption process. As Jung pointed out, it is
necessary to face the shadow in order to fully reconcile the self, but in some rare cases the shadow
might repress the positive qualities and the ego might turn negative. This is the process of
transformation of a character into a villain.
It is clear that Anakin starts out as a hero, fitting the hero journey steps and hero myth
characteristics, and transforms himself into a villain, fitting the theory that defines such a character
before achieving redemption back to the light side. However, there are moments when he acts as an
ambiguous character (steps 7, 11 and 13). The Oxford dictionary definition for antihero does not
apply to Vader’s case, since he does not lack conventional heroic attributes. However, Misiroglu’s
definition of a character who may exhibit personality flaws, emotional extremes or a distrust of
accepted moral values is applicable to Vader, especially concerning the three steps mentioned
before, where he lets feelings of vengeance and pride influence his decisions.
63
Nonetheless, Vader does not act as an antihero throughout the whole film series. His
characterization is not static, but fragmented. As Misiroglu pointed out, after the 1980’s, a darker
type of character became popular, one that disrupts the hero journey in more violent ways. This
character might be a villain, whose actions we may even deplore, but the key to identifying him as an
antihero is the audience’s sympathy for him, his charisma and the process of identification that he
produces on the viewers. Misiroglu also notices that sometimes the roles of the antihero and the
villain become blurred, and she differentiates both concepts “by the understanding that the anti-
hero is driven to attain a higher ideal”186. There is room for contesting this argument, however, since
it relates more to the modern antihero (the one who still has a noble journey to complete) than to
the postmodern one.
Postmodernism in STAR WARS
Although the first film released fits a clear pattern and presents an updated view of the hero myth
through Luke’s journey, the series seen as a whole has a much more disruptive proposal, relating to
postmodernism in Hollywood. The STAR WARS saga has already been associated to the practices of
nostalgic pastiche and postmodern parody, by authors such as Fredric Jameson and Linda Hutcheon.
Jameson affirms that STAR WARS are a pastiche of the Saturday afternoon serials that became famous
between the 1930s and 1950s not as a metaphor of the past, but as a metonymy, focusing on an
aspect, a fragment of that past. Jameson explains that “it does not reinvent a picture of the past in its
lived totality; rather, by reinventing the feel and shape of characteristic art objects of an older period
(the serials), it seeks to reawaken a sense of the past associated with those objects”187. Hutcheon, in
addition, explains that STAR WARS is a postmodern parody, which evokes “the horizon of expectation
of the spectator, a horizon formed by recognizable conventions of genre, style or form of
representation”188, only to dismantle it step by step. In fact, the film saga has a nostalgic feel and
186
Misiroglu (2012), p. 26
187
Jameson (1997), p. 24.
188
Hutcheon (1997), p. 40.
64
creates certain expectations, but this is only done so it can be disrupted, much like postmodernism
does using the modernist techniques in order to deny them.
Many authors, such as Andrew Gordon, have analysed the STAR WARS film series noting that it
has created its own myths and its own heroes, regenerated from the past. Gordon considered the
series as “a modern fairy tale, a pastiche which reworks a multitude of old stories and yet creates a
complete and self-sufficient world of its own, one populated with intentionally flat, archetypal
characters”189, noting the presence of the traditional archetypes in the project, but also noticing its
own idiosyncrasies. Gordon, however, calls attention to the period of release of the first film of the
original trilogy, a period marked by the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal and the blurring of good
and evil190, suggesting that STAR WARS brought back a nostalgic feeling of order. The author, obviously,
was not yet acquainted with the entirety of the STAR WARS project and was analysing only the first
released film of the saga. If the whole series is put into consideration, one might notice that this
traditional structure was only introduced in order to be disrupted, like postmodernism did with
modernity.
Furthermore, the whole fragmented identity narrative that surrounds postmodernism in film,
can also be noticed on the motif of Vader’s journey, which refuses to accept any stability, much like
the storytelling format of the series. However, it is clear that STAR WARS has a universal metanarrative
(good versus evil), something that postmodernism denies. The triumph of the good, nonetheless, is
not the only metanarrative that it brings. The matter of man versus machine is another theme that
permeates the series, as machines without humanity are seen as dangerous, and humans need to
find a balance in this new mechanical world. However, this secondary narrative can be considered
postmodern in itself, because it puts into question the rationality and mechanisms of the modern
days, emphasizing the intuitive and mythical aspects of the human experience.
189
Gordon (1978), p. 314.
190
Ibid.
65
Conclusion
The huge master plan of the STAR WARS film saga is a model that allows for a renewed mythology
while, at the same time, fully exploring the dark and the light possibilities of the hero journey model.
The character of Anakin Skywalker, i. e. Darth Vader, is the epitome of this disruptive overall plan,
the metonymic symbol of the fragmentation quality of the series itself. As Nathaniel van Yperen
noticed in his analysis of the character, “though clearly on the side of evil, at least for the majority of
the original trilogy, he also practices key virtues: fortitude, prudence, and even the theological virtue
of faith. He is not deposed, but rather (in a sense) is realized through his participation in the ‘Dark
Side’ of the Force”191. This is the true meaning of the “chosen one” prophecy, about the one who
would bring balance to the Force. The mission of the chosen one is very similar to a hero´s journey:
leave the common world, face the shadow (the unknown), and return with a knowledge capable of
transforming human-kind, or, in this case, capable of balancing the Force.
However, the unexpected turn of the series is that the hero Anakin loses himself in this
unknown, letting the shadow overcome him. Vogler calls attention to protagonists who lose
themselves when manifesting their shadow side. According to him, “when the protagonist is crippled
by doubts or guilt, acts in self-destructive ways, expresses a death wish, gets carried away with his
success, abuses his power, or becomes selfish rather than self-sacrificing, the Shadow has overtaken
him”192. Vader’s character indeed explored the shadow in depth, which was a necessity for the
fulfilment of the chosen one prophecy. However, this journey into the unknown turned him into a
villain at some point of the saga, and his villainy entered the picture to balance out his days as a
noble hero. Vogler continues to explain that “some Shadows may even be redeemed and turned into
positive forces”193, using Vader as an example. In the end, as shown in the previous chapter, any
method of analysis or calculation of his steps classify Anakin / Vader as an antihero, and one that
does not appear as so at all times, because he also acts as a hero and a villain. Therefore, this
191
Van Yperen (2001), p. 178.
192
Vogler (2007), p. 66.
193
Ibid, p. 68.
66
fragmented quality of the film series, allied to the partitioning of Anakin / Vader’s identity itself, and
to the analysis of his disruptive and rebel actions, allows us to answer the main question of this
thesis, confirming the character as a postmodern antihero.
It seems that the experience of watching his journey into decay, provided by the prequel
trilogy, could be seen as an example of the fascination provided by contemporary postmodern
antihero stories, especially in serialized content, such as American television series. Who is to say
that there are no similarities between Anakin’s journey into the dark side and Walter White’s process
of decay into the shadow, the repressed “bad” side of a submissive high school teacher in the
BREAKING BAD series? Mittel points out that part of the fascination with postmodern antiheroes comes
from the protection that the fictional bubble allows to the viewers, who can finally witness actions
and traumas that, hopefully, will never manifest themselves in real life194. It is, therefore, a different
kind of identification, which opposes to the traditional sense of relating to or cheering for the all-
good heroes. Bal also tackles this matter, calling it the “character-effect”, which occurs when human
beings find fictional characters so relatable that they start to cheer for them, cry and laugh with
them195. Bal defends, however, that viewers take most pleasure when characters resist expectations
and surprise them, disrupting conventions196, probably because they are fascinated by the
complexity of these types.
Campbell and Vogler have also approached the matter of imperfections and flaws of the
characters on screen. Vogler affirmed that “weaknesses, imperfections, quirks, and vices
immediately make a Hero or any character more real and appealing”197. Apparently, the more flawed
the characters, the more the audience praises them and enjoys watching their journey. In fact,
Campbell agrees that “the only way you can describe a human being truly is by describing his
imperfections”198, because these are the traces that make us human. The hero has a supernatural
194
Mittel (2012), §48.
195
Bal (2009), p. 113.
196
Ibid, p. 122.
197
Vogler (2007), p. 33.
198
67
path into a god-like state, where he will transcend and save the world by sharing his knowledge. The
antihero, however, is more like a human being, showing flaws that are not commonly associated with
the divine nature of heroes. Finally, postmodernism appears to disrupt these rules by bringing to the
screen the fragmentary quality of contemporary life. It seems that Darth Vader is an example that
embraces all these subjects, something that might explain his continuous appeal.
This thesis is a good first step into grasping the complexity of a character such as Anakin
Skywalker / Darth Vader by segmenting his steps in the story. The films have numerous elements and
details that could be taken into consideration when analysing the character, but the official STAR WARS
saga also includes other media, such as novels, an animation film and TV series, not to mention the
still not released film episodes. Further research on different media could add to the discussion, as
well as an analysis of the storytelling format of the film series. The order in which the episodes are
viewed might influence the overall impact of the character, as well as an investigation on when
George Lucas first created the backstory of Anakin. For now, however, this morphological analysis
confers him the status of “father of the Hollywood postmodern antihero”, a type of character that
became extremely popular in cinema and television in the last 30 years.
APPENDIX
68
1. Comparative Tables - Hero Journey
Propp’s 31 folktale functions Campbell on the Hero’s Journey Vogler’s Writer’s Journey
Initial Situation + Functions 1-15 Departure, Separation Act One
Initial Situation World of Common Day 1. Ordinary World
1. Absentation;
2. Interdiction;
3. Violation of Interdiction;
4. Reconnaissance;
5. Delivery;
6. Trickery;
7. Complicity
8. Villainy or Lack; 1. Call to Adventure 2. Call to Adventure
9. Mediation
10. Beginning Counter-Action 2. Refusal of the Call 3. Refusal of the Call
11. Departure
12. First Function of the Donor 3. Supernatural Aid 4. Meeting with the
13. Hero’s Reaction Mentor
14. Receipt of a Magical Agent
15. Spatial Transference 4. Crossing the First Threshold 5. Crossing the First
Threshold
5. Belly of the Whale
- Propp's first seven functions are the preparatory section, and detail the villain's efforts to
create a situation for which a hero might come to the rescue, or the lack of something.
- Propp’s functions 8 and 9 represent the plot set in motion, the hero’s awareness of the
misfortune or lack, or the call to adventure, in other words.
- Finally, the hero makes a decision (function 10) and departs to remedy the situation
(function 11).
- The hero has to go through multiple tests (function 12) and prove he is worthy of this
donation. Upon his reaction (function 13), he will receive the magical agent (function 14). This
is similar to the supernatural aid that the mentor provides in the more recent models.
- In possession of the magical agent, the hero is transferred to another land (function 15), or
crosses the first threshold into the darkness.
Image 35: Comparative Table – Hero Journey: First Act
69
Propp’s 31 folktale functions Campbell on the Hero’s Journey Vogler’s Writer’s Journey
Functions 16-19 Descent, Initiation, Penetration Act Two
16. Struggle 6. Road of Trials 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies
17. Branding 7. Approach to the Inmost
Cave
7. Meeting with the Goddess; 8. Ordeal
8. Woman as Temptress;
9. Atonement with the Father
18. Victory 10. Apotheosis
19. Liquidation 11. The Ultimate Boon 9. Reward
- After crossing into the darkness world, Propp’s hero joins in direct combat with the villain
(function 16) and is branded (function 17). This is a summarized version that combines
Campbell’s road of trials (Vogler’s tests) and the Ordeal (the ultimate atonement that
Campbell discusses).
- Propp’s victory (function 18) is the apotheosis of the hero, and the liquidation (function 19)
is the ultimate reward, the acquisition of the reward or transcendence of the hero.
Functions 20 - 31 Return Act Three
20. Return 23. Unrecognized 12. Refusal of the Return 10. The Road Back
Arrival
21. 24. Unfounded 13. The Magic Flight

Pursuit Claims;
25. Difficult Task
22. 26. Solution 14. Rescue from Without

Rescue 27. Recognition 15. Crossing the Return
28. Exposure Threshold
29. Transfiguration 16. Master of the Two Worlds 11. Resurrection
30. Punishment 17. Freedom to Live 12. Return with the Elixir
31. Wedding
- In Propp’s first alternative for the conclusion of the tale, the hero returns (function 20), is
pursued (function 21) and gets rescued (function 22). This is Vogler’s road back, or Campbell’s
magic flight and consequent crossing of the return threshold, where the hero faces a last
probation and has to be rescued before effectively returning to his old world.
- Propp’s second alternative path has the hero returning to his home unrecognized, which is,
in a way, a refused return. He has to face unfounded claims (function 24) and a difficult task
(function 25) before achieving recognition, in the same way as the hero seeker has to face the
magic flight or the challenges of the road back. Upon solution of the task (function 26), the
hero is rescued, and can now be recognised (function 27) and the villain exposed (function
28). He has finally crossed the final threshold back into the human world.
- Now the hero is given a new appearance (function 29), which can be interpreted as a new
identity, as the master of the two worlds. The hero is reborn, resurrected.
- Finally, the punishment of the villain (function 30) and the wedding of the hero (function 31)
represent the return with the elixir and the freedom to live in an enhanced world.
Image 36: Comparative table – Hero Journey: Second and Third Acts
70
2. Comparative Tables – Anakin/Vader’s 25 Steps and the Hero Journey
Propp Campbell Vogler Anakin

Initial Situation + Functions 1-15 Departure, Separation Act One STAR WARS I
Initial Situation World of Common Day 1. Ordinary World Childhood in Tatooine

(1)
1. Absentation;
2. Interdiction;
4. Reconnaissance;
5. Delivery;
6. Trickery;
7. Complicity
8. Villainy or Lack; 1. Call to Adventure 2. Call to Adventure Qui-Gon’s Need for
9. Mediation Help and the Discovery
of Anakin’s Strength
and Supernatural
Powers (2)
10. Beginning Counter-Action 2. Refusal of the Call 3. Refusal of the Call Reluctance to Leave
Tatooine and His
Mother (3)
11. Departure Departure from
Tatootine (4)
12. First Function of the Donor 3. Supernatural Aid 4. Meeting with the Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and
13. Hero’s Reaction Mentor the Force
14. Receipt of a Magical Agent (5)
15. Spatial Transference 4. Crossing the First 5. Crossing the First Battle of Naboo
Threshold Threshold (6)
Functions 16-19 Descent, Initiation, Act Two STAR WARS II
Penetration
16. Struggle 6. Road of Trials 6. Tests, Allies, - Protection of Padmé
17. Branding Enemies - Return to Tatooine
(7)
7. Approach to the
Inmost Cave
7. Meeting with the 8. Ordeal Escaping Arena and
Goddess; Duel with Count
8. Woman as Temptress; Dooku. (No victory).
9. Atonement with the (8)
Father
19. Liquidation 11. The Ultimate Boon 9. Reward Wedding to Padmé
(9)
Image 37: Anakin's Journey – STAR WARS I and STAR WARS II
71
Functions 16-19 Descent, Initiation, Act Two STAR WARS III–
Penetration Part 1
16. Struggle 6. Road of Trials 6. Tests, Allies, Facing Droids to
17. Branding Enemies Rescue Palpatine
(10)
7. Approach to the
Inmost Cave
7. Meeting with the 8. Ordeal Second Duel with
Goddess; Count Dooku and
8. Woman as Temptress; Killing an Unarmed
9. Atonement with the Man
Father (11)

19. Liquidation 11. The Ultimate Boon 9. Reward Padmé’s Pregnancy
(12)
Image 38: Anakin's Journey – STAR WARS III - Part 1
Propp Campbell Vogler Anakin / Vader

Functions 16-19 Descent, Initiation, Act Two STAR WARS III–
Penetration Part 2
16. Struggle 6. Road of Trials 6. Tests, Allies, - Visions of Padmé’s
17. Branding Enemies Death
- Uncertainties about
the Jedi
- Alliance with
Palpatine (13)
7. Approach to the
Inmost Cave
7. Meeting with the 8. Ordeal - Facing Windu and

Goddess; Palpatine
8. Woman as Temptress; - Turning to the Dark
9. Atonement with the Side
Father - Duel with Obi-Wan
(14)

19. Liquidation 11. The Ultimate Boon 9. Reward - Massacre of the Jedi
- Fully Becoming Darth
Vader(15)
Image 39: Anakin / Vader's Journey – STAR WARS III - Part 2
72
Propp Campbell Vogler Luke
Initial Situation + Functions Departure, Separation Act One STAR WARS IV–
1-15 Part 1
Initial Situation World of Common Day 1. Ordinary World
1. Absentation;
2. Interdiction;
4. Reconnaissance;
5. Delivery;
6. Trickery;
7. Complicity
8. Villainy or Lack; 1. Call to Adventure 2. Call to Adventure - Vader Pursuits the
9. Mediation Rebels and Kidnaps
Princess Leia
- Leia’s Message to
Luke(16)
2. Refusal of the Call 3. Refusal of the Call
10. Beginning Counter-Action;

11. Departure
12. First Function of the Donor 3. Supernatural Aid 4. Meeting with the
13. Hero’s Reaction Mentor
14. Receipt of a Magical Agent
15. Spatial Transference 4. Crossing the First 5. Crossing the First
Threshold Threshold
Image 40: Luke's Journey – STAR WARS IV - Part 1
Propp Campbell Vogler Obi-Wan

Functions 16-19 Descent, Initiation, Act Two STAR WARS IV–
Penetration Part 2
16. Struggle 6. Road of Trials 6. Tests, Allies,
17. Branding Enemies
7. Approach to the
Inmost Cave
7. Meeting with the 8. Ordeal Duel with Vader

Goddess; (17)
9. Atonement with the
Father

Image 41: Obi-Wan's Journey – STAR WARS IV - Part 2
73
Functions 16-19 Descent, Initiation, Act Two STAR WARS IV–
Penetration Part 3
16. Struggle 6. Road of Trials 6. Tests, Allies, Mission to Shoot
17. Branding Enemies the Port
7. Approach to the (18)
Inmost Cave
7. Meeting with the 8. Ordeal

Goddess;
Father

Image 42: Luke's Journey – STAR WARS IV - Part 3

Functions 16-19 Descent, Initiation, Act Two STAR WARS V
Penetration
16. Struggle 6. Road of Trials 6. Tests, Allies, Vader Chases the
17. Branding Enemies Rebels and
7. Approach to the Skywalker
Inmost Cave (19)
7. Meeting with the 8. Ordeal - Duel Between

Goddess; Vader and Luke
8. Woman as - Vader Cuts Luke’s
Temptress; Arm Out
Father
Image 44: Luke's Journey – STAR WARS V
74
Functions 16-19 Descent, Initiation, Act Two STAR WARS VI–
Penetration Part 1
7. Approach to the
Inmost Cave
7. Meeting with the 8. Ordeal Second Duel
Goddess; Between Luke and
8. Woman as Temptress; Vader
Father
Functions 16-19 Descent, Initiation, Act Two STAR WARS VI–
Penetration Part 2
7. Approach to the
Inmost Cave
7. Meeting with the 8. Ordeal Killing the Emperor
Goddess; (22)
Father
19. Liquidation 11. The Ultimate Boon 9. Reward Anakin Is Redeemed
(23)
Functions 20 - 31 Return Act Three STAR WARS VI–
Part 3
20. Return 23. Unrecognized 12. Refusal of the Return 10. The Road Back Being Carried by
Arrival Luke
(24)
21. Pursuit 24. Unfounded 13. The Magic Flight
Claims;
25. Difficult Task
22. Rescue 26. Solution 14. Rescue from Without
27. Recognition 15. Crossing the Return
28. Exposure Threshold
29. Transfiguration 16. Master of the Two 11. Resurrection - Taking Off His Mask
Worlds - Resurrecting Next
to Yoda and Obi-
Wan (25)
30. Punishment 17. Freedom to Live 12. Return with the
31. Wedding Elixir
Image 45: Luke and Anakin's Journey – STAR WARS VI
75
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Sources
STAR WARS: EPISODE I -THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas (story and direction), 2001, Twentieth
Century Fox Home Entertainment (DVD).
STAR WARS: EPISODE II

- ATTACK OF THE CLONES, George Lucas (story and direction), 2002, Twentieth
Century Fox Home Entertainment (DVD).
STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH, George Lucas (story and direction), 2005, Twentieth Century
Fox Home Entertainment (DVD).
STAR WARS: EPISODE IV

- A NEW HOPE, Irvin Kershner (story and direction), 2004, Twentieth Century Fox
Home Entertainment (DVD).
STAR WARS: EPISODE V - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, George Lucas (story), 2004, Twentieth Century Fox Home
Entertainment (DVD).
STAR WARS: EPISODE VI

- RETURN OF THE JEDI, George Lucas (story), 2004, Twentieth Century Fox Home
Entertainment (DVD).
Secondary Sources:
Bal, M. (2009). Narratology: Introduction to the Theory of Narrative. Toronto: University of Toronto
Press.
Booker, M. K. (2007). Postmodern Hollywood: What's New in Film and Why It Makes Us Feel So
Strange. Westport, Conn: Praeger.
Campbell, J., Moyers, B., & Flowers, B. S. (1991). The Power of Myth. New York: Anchor Books
Campbell, J. (2004). The Hero with a Thousand Faces (first published in 1949). Princeton, N.J.:
Princeton University Press.
Degli-Esposti, C. (1998). Postmodernism in the Cinema. New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books.
Gordon, A. (1978). Star Wars: A Myth for Our Time. In Literature/Film Quarterly 6.4, pp. 314-326.
Hart, K. (2004). Postmodernism: A Beginner’s Guide. Oxford: Oneworld.
Hill, J. (1998). Film and Postmodernism. In J. Hill; P. Church Gibson (eds.).The Oxford Guide to Film
Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 96-105.
Hutcheon, L. (1997). Postmodern Film? In Peter Brooker & Will Brooker (eds). Postmodern After-
images: A Reader in Film, Television and Video. London: Arnold, pp. 36-42.
Jameson, F. (1997). The Nostalgia Mode and Nostalgia for the Present. In Peter Brooker & Will
Brooker (eds). Postmodern After-images: A Reader in Film, Television and Video. London: Arnold, pp.
23-35.
76
Jung, C. G. (1964). Man and His Symbols. London: Jupiter Books.
Jung, C. G. (1968). The Collected Works Volume 9, Part 2: Aion Researches into the Phenomenology of
the Self. London: Routledge.
Jung, C.G. (1980). The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, (first published in 1959). London:
Routledge.
Lévy-Bruhl, L. (1985). How Natives Think, (first published in French in 1910). Princeton: Princeton
University Press.
Lyotard, J. (1984). The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. Minneapolis: University of

Minnesota Press.
Misiroglu, G. R. (2012). The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-book Icons and
Hollywood Heroes. Canton, Mich: Visible Ink Press.
Mittell, J. (2012). Character. In Complex TV: The Poetics of Contemporary Television Storytelling, pre-
publication edition (MediaCommons Press, 2012-13). Web. [25 April 2015]. http://mcpress.media-
commons.org/complextelevision/.
Neale, S. (2000). Genre and Hollywood. London: Routledge.
Pollard, T. (2000). Postmodern Cinema and the Death of the Hero. In CineAction (n. 53). Retrieved
from Questia. Web. [25 April 2015].
Propp, V. (1973). Morphology of the Folktale, (first published in Russian in 1928). Austin: University of
Texas Press.
Steiner, G. (2013). Tolstoy or Dostoevsky: An Essay in the Old Criticism. New York: Open Road.
Taylor, V. E., & Winquist, C. E. (2003). Encyclopedia of Postmodernism. London: Routledge.
THE MYTHOLOGY OF ‘STAR WARS’: WITH GEORGE LUCAS AND BILL MOYERS, Pamela Mason Wagner (direction),
1999, Princeton, N. J.: Films for the Humanities & Sciences (https://vimeo.com/38026023).
Van Yperen, N. (2001). I Am Your Father: The Villain and the Future Self. In Heit, J., (ed). Vader,
Voldemort and Other Villains: Essays on Evil in Popular Media. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland.
Vogler, C. (2007). The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, (first published in 1992). Studio
City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions.
77

Darth Vader The Antihero and Postmodernism

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Darth Vader The Antihero and Postmodernism

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Darth Vader: The Antihero and Postmodernism in the STAR

WARS Film Series.

Natália Ferreira Vommaro VU University Amsterdam

Supervisor: Dr. J.I.L. Veugen

(place, date) (signature)

CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 4

 Archetypes and Myth 4

 Characteristics of the Hero Myth 6

 The Hero’s Journey 8

 Villain Theory and the Shadow Archetype 15

CHAPTER 2: CASE ANALYSIS 24

 Step 1 - Ordinary World 24

 Step 2 - Call to Adventure 25

 Step 3 - Refusal of the Call and Step 4 - Departure 27

 Step 5 - Supernatural Aid / Meeting with the Mentor / Hero’s Reaction 27

 Step 6 - Crossing the First Threshold 29

 Step 7 - First Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies 31

 Step 8 - First Ordeal / Branding and Step 9 –Reward / Ultimate Boon 34

 Step 10 - Second Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies 37

 Step 11 - Second Ordeal / Branding 37

 Step 12 - Reward / Ultimate Boon 38

 Step 13 - Last Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies 39

 Step 16 - Call to adventure of Luke’s journey 48

 Step 17 - Final Ordeal of Obi-Wan’s hero journey 49

 Step 18 - First Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies of Luke’s journey 50

 Step 19 - Second Road of Trials / Tests, Allies, Enemies of Luke’s journey 51

 Step 20 - First Ordeal of Luke’s journey 53

and Step 23 –Reward / Ultimate Boon

CHAPTER 3: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 60

 The Character’s Journey 60

 Hero, Villain or Antihero? 61

 Postmodernism in STAR WARS 64

 1. Comparative Tables – Hero Journey 69

 2. Comparative Tables – Anakin/Vader’s 25 Steps and the Hero Journey 71

to authors such as Campbell and Andrew Gordon.

Darth Vader be considered one of the first postmodern antiheroes of Hollywood?

as the main purpose of this thesis.

its impact on the construction of the character.

path might fit the traditional hero models.

popularity that surrounds the character.

Archetypes and Myth

Jung calls this reservoir of collective contents the collective unconscious.

have survived throughout time.

which will be explained further in this discussion.

deal with the idea of death:

The Hero’s Journey

hero is a magnification of the formula represented in the rites of passage: separation—initiation—

this basic structure.

and scattered over the land or sea”49, points out Campbell.

bounding sphere of the cosmos to a realization transcending all experiences of form—all

symbolizations, all divinities: a realization of the ineluctable void”55.

source of life to bring you forth into a richer or mature condition”66.

The model created by Christopher Vogler is an adaptation of Campbell’s monomyth to film

as will be shown shortly.

transcendence of the hero.

Villain Theory and the Shadow Archetype

adventure, or the obstacle that the hero has to transverse.

merciless all-black villain.

guide to postmodernism. To be postmodern is to antagonize these modern meta-narratives that

that is characteristic of postmodernism.

oriented towards fragmentation and intertextuality.

to include the topic of fragmentation of identities.