Hi guys. I know we’ve talked about having Obi-Wan, instead of Anakin, to not spoil the OT’s secrets, but there’s this idea I’ve had after watching TFA, where it might be possible to have Anakin as the main character without spoilers. It is a really, REALLY far stretch, and it can only be done in one installment (movie, book, comic, etc.), but I think it’s possible.
The idea is that Darth Vader is a leading figure in the Empire/decaying Republic, fighting against small pockets of resistance against the government (which happen to include the Jedi). The twist is that there’s no suit, so we know what he looks like, but he’s only called “Darth Vader” throughout the entire thing.
Anakin’s real name is hinted at as he comes across the vagabond Jedi and Vader’s mentor, Obi-Wan (who’s trying to hide as many Jedi from Vader), Queen Padme of Naboo (who’s either starting to show signs of pregnancy or already given birth and the kids aren’t revealed until the OT), and several other familiar faces (maybe include Owen and Beru) . As Vader encounters these figures, it’s hinted at his past as Obi-Wan’s pupil and Padme’s lover/husband (who unknowingly has sired children, but that’s only known if you watched the OT first), and he becomes conflicted between his loyalty to Palpatine and to his loved ones who want him back.
More hints are dropped, such as Obi-Wan shows Vader Anakin’s lightsaber (Vader’s using his red one at this point) and Vader interrupts Obi-Wan from fully saying “This is the blade you wanted your children to have.” We see Vader has great hatred for Anakin, who he claims was weak and that was why he killed him (even though it’s not overtly stated that Anakin suppressed the good in him to become Darth Vader). We can explore Vader’s past by showing the wounds (physically and possibly mental) he suffered from the Clone Wars, and why he fell to the Dark Side (only tiny bits as we don’t want to spoil the surprise).
At the end, by whatever circumstance, Vader has fully accepted the Dark Side. Padme (pregnant or already given birth) is scarred by Vader, who then tries to eliminate the rest of the Jedi. This leads to a right with Obi-Wan on a lava pit/planet, and Vader gets his suit (but it can be more hinted at than anything else, since you don’t have to show it). Padme is shown to have lived, but it traumatized by the event and eventually dies after giving Leia to Organa, while Obi-Wan has gone to Tatooine to watch over Luke (Luke and Leia are hinted at than shown, since them showing up in the OT is good enough).
Again, this is a really far stretch, but I think it can work. Certainly not as a trilogy, but a single film would suffice. What do you guys think? Would it work? Is there a way to stretch it into a trilogy? Please let me know. Thanks.