For example, being part of, and supporting, a genocidal regime is not necessarily the same as committing genocide oneself. (Just as aiding and abetting a violent crime can be distinguished from the violent crime itself.) Sure it’s bad, but not as bad. When it comes to the destruction of Alderaan, Tarkin was the far worse actor.
In the Original Trilogy, Obi-Wan tells us that Vader helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. In other words, he didn’t just support the Jedi purge, he actively participated in it and killed an unspecified number of Jedi. So the fact that he participated in a genocide is something that was already established by the Original Trilogy, from the very first movie no less.
I conceded this point, after a fashion, in an exchange with Dagenspear above:
Dagenspear said:
It was specifically said he’d helped the empire to hunt down and destroy the Jedi. Did you think he had no hand in the genocide at all?My mention of genocide was in reference to the destruction of Alderaan, which you mentioned in your post. I didn’t have the extermination of the Jedi in mind, but I can see how one could think of it in that way.
But even so: hunting down and killing extremely dangerous combatants who are well trained, armed, and capable of fighting back is much less despicable than destroying an entire civilian population (as in the case of the destruction of Alderaan) or murdering defenseless young children.
At least to my moral sensibilities (as someone who’s read Anscombe). YMMV!
Sorry, I missed that part.
In any case, I don’t agree with your take. Personally, I think the Anakin we got in the Prequels works pretty well. I would only tone down some of his reactions in Attack of the Clones, so they don’t come across as quite so over the top. But aside from that, I’m fine with the Anakin we have now.
That being said, I respect your opinion, and I’m glad you managed to write a rewrite of the Prequels you’re happy with. That way, if you don’t like the Prequels as they are, you can always treat your rewrite as your own headcanon.