I think Darth Vader was cooler not being a central character to the story. He just happens to take center stage in ESB & Jedi. I don’t think that the prequels should have been abut him. His story should have played in the backdrop of a bigger story about Obi Wan Kenobi, The Emperor & the rise of the Empire. I agreed with RedLetterMedia that the prophecy idea & Anakin being Space Jesus was absurd.
Yeah, I could have done without the virgin birth thing. Although there are other explanations. I think the prophesy on the surface is dumb. I think Lucas failed to make a couple of things abundantly clear in the PT. You have to catch that Palpatine and Sidious are one and the same and you have to guess at his goals. He should have made it more obvious to the viewer without making it more obvious to the characters. And typically the prophesy is correctly interpreted by the good guys in the Campbell style mythological story telling. I like how Lucas turned it on its ear, but he didn’t do it very well. The Jedi assume that the Choses One is there to destroy the Sith. Yet there is evidence that the Jedi have become corrupt as well. Not evil, just wrapped up in protocol and tradition to the exclusion of their mission. Bringing balance to the force could very well have meant from the start, the destruction of both Jedi and Sith. That is how I take it and it does add to my enjoyment of the PT. I also find that taken in that light, it makes the character arc through all 6 films very powerful. Vader ceases to be Tarkin and Palpatine’s lackey and becomes a pivotal figure. I’m kind of hoping that the ST will create a similar arc for Luke. Father destroys the old, son builds the new.
But even with the PT, I find Vader’s bad ass ness to be undiminished. I really love how he is being used in Rebels. Totally the awesome warrior I always pictured. I love how they have gone with the ANH costume as their inspiration.