Few lives hold as much triumph and sorrow as that of Anakin Skywalker. In fact, few names invoke such power and loss as does his. For he could have been the Republic's greatest hero, but he became one of its most powerful enemies.

Born to Shmi Skywalker on the planet of Tatooine, Anakin was raised a slave. He and his mother were traded often, but the last trade changed his life. He and his mother were lost by Gardulla the Hutt, when she bet them on the infamous pod races. They were traded to a junk dealer, named Watto, a Toydarian with a penchant for swindling. It was while working in Watto's shop that Anakin, a boy of nine or ten, met the man who would change his future and the woman who would be one of the causes of his fall.

The man was a Jedi, by the name of Qui-Gon Jinn, who entered the shop in search of parts for the Nubian ship which belonged to the Queen whose handmaiden accompanied him. She was little more than a girl at the time, at fourteen years old, whose name was Padmé Naberrie. Anakin was struck by her beauty, insisting that she was an Angel and that he would someday marry her, to which she merely laughed. Little did she know, that moment wrote their destiny.

When Qui-Gon was unable to pay for the parts he needed, Anakin befriended him, even going so far as to invite him to his home. There, Anakin convinced his mother to allow him to compete in the huge Podrace at Boonta Eve so as to help Qui-Gon purchase the parts he needed. In the short time before the day of the race, Anakin and his new companions worked on prepping his podracer for the big event. It was during this time that Qui-Gon discovered the Jedi potential of the boy. Upon analyzing a sample of Anakin's blood, Qui-Gon found that he had an unusually high number of midichlorians. While consulting with Shmi about this, he learned an even more intriguing face; Anakin had no father.

This fact led Qui-Gon to believe that the child was the prophesied Chosen One, so after Anakin won the Boonta race, he was set free due to an ill-made bet. After bidding a tearful goodbye to his mother, Anakin left Tatooine to be trained as a Jedi.

On the way to Coruscant, he presented a japor snippet to Padme who promised him that, though many things would change, she would always care for him. Once on the planet, Anakin was brought before the Jedi Council and tested as to his ability. After this test, the Council conceded that the child may be the Chosen One. However, he was too old to be trained. To this, Qui-Gon vehemently promised to train the boy as his Padawan, thus releasing his current apprentice, Obi-Wan, from that title. The Council promised to think on this.

Soon after this, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin were forced to head back to Naboo with the Queen who wanted to represent her people. There, they enlisted the help of the Gungan army, to overthrow the Trade Federation, who was holding the planet captive. Upon doing so, an important discovery was made; Padmé was no handmaiden, she was the Queen in disguise. She assumed command, and left with the two Jedi, and Anakin himself, for Theed. While she and the Jedi stormed the palace, Anakin was instructed to stay in the cockpit of the Nubian fighter in which he was hiding. He did just this. But, after accidentally engaging the autopilot, he rocketed off into space where the battle to destroy the droid control ship was taking place.

After disengaging the autopilot, Anakin joined the fight valiantly, but was damaged and managed to careen into an open hangar of the droid control ship. Inside, once his ship cooled down enough to gain power, Anakin let loose a barrage of shots to cripple the approaching droids. But, after releasing a proton torpedo, he took out the main power core of the control ship, destroying it from the inside. This shut down the droids on Naboo's surface, thus saving the remaining Gungans.

Upon returning to Theed, Anakin learned that Qui-Gon had been killed and that Obi-Wan would now train him. At the celebration of peace at Theed, Anakin dressed in the garb of a trainee, and smiled warmly at the Queen, Padme. It would be the last time he saw her for ten years.

During those ten years, Anakin trained both at the Jedi Temple and at Obi-Wan's side. He became an accomplished Padawan, strong in the Force, though he began his training late in life. After helping to settle a border dispute on Ansion, Anakin and Obi-Wan returned to Coruscant. By this time, Anakin was nineteen or twenty, but had never forgotten his angel. Little did he know that Fate would soon mix them together once more.

After suffering an assasination attempt, the now-Senator Amidala was in need of protection. Chance and the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine placed her protection in the hands of Obi-Wan and his apprentice.

The reuniting of Anakin and Padme was dissappointing at best. Although Anakin still obviously loved her, she barely even recognized the boy she once knew, only now not so much a little boy. But, when she was placed in this little boy's hands for protection, she soon began to appreciate the change in him.

After he had thwarted an assasination attempt against her, Anakin's mentor, Obi-Wan, was sent on a mission to track down the bounty hunter who had perpetrated the crime, leaving Anakin to take Padme to Naboo. Once there, they visited the current Queen, Jamilla, who sent them to the Lake Country where they stayed in the summer home of Varykino. Soon after arriving, Anakin betrayed his feelings for Padme and kissed her as they watched the play of the sun on the lake. But, she soon realized that there was no room in her life for romance, and pulled away.

Their time in the Lake Country was joyous, full of fun and play. But a dinner in Varykino changed all taht. In front of a roaring fireplace, Anakin admitted the intensity of his passion for Padme and though she admitted that she reciprocated these feelings, she blatantly told him that they each had responsibilities that could not take second place to love. To keep such feelings secret would destroy them both.

That night, Anakin was beset with nightmares of his mother. When Padme asked him about these, he told her that he had to betray his orders and leave Naboo for Tatooine. Not in the least deterred, Padme chose to accompany him.

On Tatooine, Anakin found his former master, Watto, who informed him that Shmi no longer belonged to him. A moisture farmer named Lards had bought, freed, and married her. In no time at all, Anakin and Padme arrived at the farm where they met Cliegg Lars. Sadly, though, Shmi was not present. She had been taken by Tusken Raiders and the best rescue efforts had not saved her. Feeling his mother's pain, though, Anakin took his stepbrother Owen's speeder and went into the desert in search of Shmi.

Upon arriving at the Tusken Raider's camp, he found his mother battered and bleeding. Though he told her that everything would be fine, she breathed her last breath in his arms. Unable to escape the sorrow and rage in his heart, Anakin savagely murdered the entire camp, including the women and children, in a brutal outburst of Dark Side energy.

He returned to the farm with Shmi, and confessed his sins to Padmé, promising her that he would become the most powerful Jedi ever. But his regret over his action defeated him and he cried bitterly in her arms.

During his mother's funeral, a message arrived from Obi-Wan that showed him under attack on Geonosis. Though he knew Obi-Wan needed him, Anakin was afraid to go against the Council's wishes. But, Padmé took control and brought them to Obi-Wan's planet of imprisonment. They were both captured, though, and found themselves chained to a cart headed into an execution arena. It was here that Padmé confessed her love for Anakin and as they were pulled into arena, they shared a last, tender kiss.

In the arena, they found Obi-Wan chained to a pillar, two identical pillars aside him to which they were soon chained. A trio of monstrous beasts were released upon them, and though they were able to subdue the animals, an army of battle droids was beyond their skill.

At least it was until the army of Jedi arrived. Led by Master Windu, a swarm of lightsaber-wielding force-users stormed the arena, almost balancing the odds. Anakin and Padme formed a powerful duo, her on the offensive, him defending her. But soon, the seemingly neverending army of droids backed the Jedi into a small circle, their numbers having dwindled to almost nothing.

At Master Windu's firm refusal of Count Dooku's, the leader of the Separatist movement, offer of an alliance, death seemed imminent. But, the Clone Army of the Republic arrived just before the final blaster bolts could be discharged.

Anakin, Padme, and Obi-Wan clambered aboard a Clonetrooper transport, to rejoin the fray at a different location. But, while pursuing the newly-spotted Count Dooku, their transport came under attack. As the ship rocked under turbolaser fire, Padme was thrown from the transport.

Blinded by his love for her, Anakin ordered the pilot to put the ship down. Only after severe reprimanding from Obi-Wan did Anakin realize their true duties. The ship survived the firefight just long enough to bring Obi-Wan and Anakin into a hangar to face Count Dooku,

Due to his rash actions, Anakin rushed Dooku and was immediately rendered unconcious by a blast of Sith lightning. He regained counciousness just in time to save his wounded Master. The ensuing fight between Dooku and Anakin ended in the loss of Anakin's right arm. But, the arrival of Master Yoda saved both Anakin and Obi-Wan's lives.

Soon after this first battle of the Clone Wars, Anakin escorted Padme back to Naboo, a new robotic arm replacing his old one. There, they were married, in direct violation of the Jedi Code. But, they had hopes of keeping their marriage a secret.

In the years that followed, Anakin became a full-fledged Jedi Knight. But, his allegiance to Chancellor Palpatine proved dangerous. Anakin was still ruled by his emotions and Palpatine knew how to play on these.

When Padme later became pregnant, their "secret" marriage proved harder and harder to conceal. And during this pregnancy, Anakin sank deeper and deeper into Darkness.

Palpatine's secret identity of Darth Sidious proved to be Anakin's undoing. Blinded by the Darkness that Palpatine easily weilded over his sense, Anakin soon renounced his allegiance to the Jedi and gave himself to the Dark Side.

In a stunning final battle, Anakin lost the lost shreds of himself in a duel with Obi-Wan. The duel left him mortally wounded, destroying Anakin Skywalker, as the only possibility for survival was to be placed in teh suit that struck fear in so many. After this death to light, Anakin received his new name, Darth Vader.

Only after many years did Anakin resurface. One of a pair of twins that he'd fathered, Luke Skywalker, released him from the Dark Side. He reemerged and destroyed Emperor Palpatine, thus fulfilling the prophecy of bringing balane to the Force.