Akwat Kbrana said:
Personally, I always thought Anakin's character arc should've been exactly opposite. He should've started as a mature, noble, selfless, likeable character, and transform into an evil villain. Instead, we got an annoying, unrealistic little boy who transforms into a leary, creepy, whiny, overbearing, unbelievable jerk, and finally turns into the cool-as-ice villain from there.
Is it a bad thing when he's far more likeable as an evil villain than he is as a "good guy"?
Yes, you hit the nail on the head with that one. Darth Vader was a very strong villain and inspired tragic thoughts. My perfect idea of Anakin was exactly like yours. If I try to think of the Anakin we got while watching the originals it turns Darth Vader into a real whiny weakling in my perception.