I was about ten at the time TPM came out. Let me assure you that I did not identify with Anakin at all. I always identified with Luke more than Anakin.
The thing about making a role-model for a ten year old boy is that the ten year old boy is just that. You don't identify with a kid like Anakin who is also a ten year old boy, because that's what you are already! You want to fashion yourself after someone who is big and strong and powerful, or someone who becomes that way. Luke had that, in that he was young and naive and then he grew up and became powerful, as a kid, that's what you want to do.
Anakin stayed a little kid the whole movie and got by on dumb luck. When I got action figures from around the time of TPM, I never, ever wanted an Anakin figure, because he was a dumb little kid. I didn't want to dress up at Halloween as Anakin, because he didn't do anything cool. I bought me an Obi-Wan action figure and went as Obi-Want for Halloween. At the time, he was the star of the movie to me.
Even though I came up with Star Wars during the time of TPM, I still have more OT action figures than any other. I think that goes to show you that even a ten year old boy knows what's good.
Bingowings said: Finding out that Threepio is Luke's brother was migraine inducing.
Never thought of it that way before. Now my head hurts. Thanks, Bingo.