It’s Official: Anakin’s Post-Order 66 Plan Makes No Sense
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Obi-Wan Kenobi
Revenge of the Sith provided a relatively reasonable, if slightly light-weight explanation for Anakin's original post-Order 66 plan with Padmé, but one line from Obi-Wan Kenobi has completely undermined a key aspect of his strategy. After swearing his allegiance to Palpatine in a bid to save his wife, Anakin carried out a series of gruesome missions on his new Emperor's behalf. It was only after an intervention from Obi-Wan on Mustafar that Anakin's original vision for a future with Padmé truly unraveled. But, while he couldn't have predicted his need for a life-support suit after the duel, one part of his rebirth as Darth Vader doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
A key question raised throughout Obi-Wan Kenobi is who exactly knew Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker. The revelation that Anakin is alive had a huge impact on the titular protagonist at the end of episode 2, highlighting that Vader's true identity is not widely known in the galaxy. This fact is reinforced once again in Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 5, when Obi-Wan asks Reva "you knew who Vader was – back on Daiyu – how did you know that?", highlighting how even among the ranks of the Inquisitors, the truth is a closely guarded secret. Yet, aside from raising serious narrative consistency concerns, this desire for secrecy also shows a major flaw in Anakin's plan.
Related: Why Vader Doesn't Want To Kill Obi-Wan Kenobi
In his exchange with Reva, Obi-Wan continues, "Vader would have kept that hidden" in reference to his true identity. This suggests a desire to distance himself from being Anakin Skywalker in the aftermath of Order 66 in order to start a-fresh as Palpatine's right-hand man. Yet this plan makes no sense, as, without
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