Let’s get it out of the way that I’m not trying to tell you how to write your stories. There is however something that I think gets overlooked by many who rewrite the prequels, and that is the characterization of Anakin Skywalker. This is worth taking into account, for those interested in making the character a multi-faceted human being.
A lot of fans look at the OT and see certain distinctive attributes to Darth Vader, that they believe should always apply to him throughout his life. They believe these attributes should apply to him in the PT, specifically. As Darth Vader, he’s a very rough-edged, no-nonsense type of person. He’s eloquent, strict on his subordinates, prideful, malicious to his core, and an extremely militant control freak. For some reason, a lot of prequel rewriters want him to carry a lot of those in his early days. My question is, where is the character development there?
If he always had Vader’s personality, then what we have on our hands is a relatively two-dimensional character, which I think undermines the villain in the OT. If a writer wants to really have Anakin as a person, then that writer must pay close attention to character development.
The way I see it, Anakin had to earn a lot of the personality characteristics he will have as Vader. Some will be inherent, and present from the very start, as with every individual unique being, but most will need to be earned.
Look at a person in your past or present that was/is a strict, hardass control freak. Were they always like that? Nine times out of ten the answer is a definate NO. Find out where the turning points were for them. If not from the person himself, then people who have known that person a great portion of his life.
However you decide to do that, good luck.