The Rise of the Skywalkers

In understanding somatic and mental phenomena, people often benefit from experiencing them using examples that they can identify and empathize with. Therefore, the medium of film could easily be used in order to inform and educate patients as well as students. Hereby, we would like to explain the diathesis-stress model with the help of the famous film characters Anakin and Luke Skywalker.

Like many fans we were dissatisfied with the character Anakin Skywalker and his changes in Episodes I-III in the early 2000s. It was already pointed out by Guerrero & Jamora¹ that the extent of the development from 9-year-old Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader is a rather difficult change to comprehend and would be unlikely to be encountered by a psychotherapist in reality. Many discussions ensued over the early 2000s between the authors of this text as we attempted to trace Anakin’s changes. As our training as psychotherapists progressed, we became more and more successful in doing so. In the meantime, these discussions have developed into a lecture (“The Rise of the Skywalkers”), with which we inform students, patients, but also interested listeners about the development of psychological phenomena on the basis of Luke and Anakin Skywalker.

On the one hand, the following text tries to show realistic and comprehensible explanations for Anakin Skywalker’s behavior. We experience such developments in the real world as well since children can develop behavioral abnormalities, become “bad teenagers” or even criminal adults. On the other hand, we would like to give an impulse on how to deal with people who have turned to “the dark side of the Force”, i. e. crime, violence and addiction.

Anakin and his son Luke Skywalker share 50% of their genes and yet both develop inversely. What leads to these different life paths? Why is Luke Skywalker able to cope with crises while his father Anakin despairs?

The diathesis-stress model

Psychotherapists use the diathesis-stress model (Fig. 1) in order to trace the development of physical as well as mental illnesses. Diathesis refers to hereditary factors or traumas that occurred very early in life. It describes an inherited tendency to develop certain physical or psychological symptoms. At the beginning of Episode IV, we see Luke Skywalker meeting with his Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen for a meal. Luke seems restless and impatient and hesitantly expresses the wish if the droids worked out well, he would send the application to the academy as soon as possible. Uncle Owen puts Luke off until next season, causing Luke to leave the communal meal in frustration and annoyance. Aunt Beru then smiles graciously and expresses to her husband, “Luke’s just not a farmer, Owen. He has too much of his father in him.” Owen dejectedly replies, “That’s why I’m afraid!” In this scene, it is clear that Luke and his father Anakin share a similar temperament by nature. Both show a characteristic inner restlessness and seek adventure. Now that we have established a joint baseline, we turn to the psychosocial predispositions. Among other things, this refers to chronic stress in early childhood. Especially during this time, children need their basic needs (e.g., safety, autonomy, boundaries, etc.) to be well met by the world around them. Anakin, on the one hand, experiences a childhood of slavery. He grows up without a father and then, in Episode I, also loses confidant Qui-Gon Jinn and his mother. The most important of all basic needs, security, was never fully served in the case of Anakin Skywalker. Luke, on the other hand, grows up sheltered by his aunt and uncle (“Well, if there’s a bright center to the universe, you’re on the planet that it’s farthest from!”). Diathetic and psychosocial predispositions influence how vulnerable or fragile a person grows up to be. We can see the extent of Anakin Skywalker’s vulnerability in Episode I. Anakin is presented to the Jedi Council and questioned. Although he passes several tests of his talent in the Force brilliantly, Yoda seems thoughtful and asks how Anakin is feeling and if he is afraid for his mother. Anakin says he is cold and affirms the fear of losing his mother. He doesn’t understand the meaning of the question, but Yoda points out that the question is essential. “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to unspeak- able suffering. I sense great fear in you!” Yoda senses Anakin’s mental vulnerability based on past life experiences. Luke, in contrast, is never described as having a vulnerable psychological condition. Both Anakin and Luke are now confronted with various stressors in Episodes I-III and IV-VI, respectively.

Anakin experiences the death of his mother, Shmi Skywalker, joins the Clone Wars, is badly injured and has an ongoing fear of losing the love of his life, Padme Amidala. Luke experiences the death of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, is also in battle, is also badly injured and has worries for Leia and Han. The biggest stressor, however, is learning that Darth Vader is his father, Anakin Skywalker. However, the extent of one’s psychological vulnerability does not automatically lead to the development of symptoms. The contribution of protective and risk factors in a person’s life can influence the likelihood of developing a disease. So what about the two Skywalkers in this regard? Here, Luke exhibits many more protective elements: he has lived in a stable social network since early childhood, he has led a quiet and tranquil life on Tatooine, and he has been able to develop a stable personality. This leads to Luke being able to build new strong and trusting relationships as a healthy adult, which protect him when he is under stress. Anakin, on the other hand, has never really trusted the other Jedi masters and betrays the Jedi due to his fear for Padme and the dangerous father figure Emperor Palpatine.

The interaction of all these factors mentioned so far can influence whether people develop diseases or disabilities or whether remission occurs. While remission means the subsiding of symptoms, disease describes the disturbance of the function of an organ, the psyche or the whole organism. Disability means a permanent serious impairment of a person’s social and economic participation.

What is the matter with Anakin?

What leads to his transformation into Darth Vader? In our understanding, Anakin exhibits symptoms of a personality disorder. Personality disorder means that certain features of the personality structure are particularly pronounced, inflexible, and poorly adapted. Behavior deviates from social expectations. While Bui et al.² focus on borderline personality disorder we assume that Anakin exhibits traits of a narcissistic personality, which is particularly evident in Episode II. After the death of his mother, Anakin is very distraught and in an argument with Padme he expresses in an emotionally charged way that he should be omnipotent and will be one day: “Someday I will be the most powerful Jedi ever! (...) I will even learn to stop people from dying! (...) This is all Obi Wan’s fault, he is jealous! He’s holding me back!” Even though this scene represents an exacerbated crisis situation, Anakin repeatedly exhibits behavioral traits that could be described as arrogant. A narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by people exhibiting ideas of grandeur as well as striving for power. Often, these people are consumed with fantasies of extraordinary success and believe themselves to be outstanding or unique. They strive for excessive recognition and have high expectations of their environment, and often they are envious or expect the envy of others.

But we now return to Luke Skywalker, who fights tirelessly for his father’s salvation in Episode VI. Luke even allows himself to be captured on Endor in order to have direct contact with his father. Despite Darth Vader’s threats, Luke is not swayed or seduced into turning to the dark side of the Force. Instead, he repeatedly insists that he can still feel the good in Darth Vader’s heart (“I feel the conflict within you!”). This phenomenon is called “ambivalence” in psychology, this means that people feel torn between two decisions –Should it stay the way it is? Do I want to change? In psychotherapy, this inner turmoil is addressed in order to support and encourage motivation to change. The good in Anakin Skywalker may have been buried, but it prevails in the end. He saves Luke from certain death at the hands of the Emperor and sacrifices himself. The “cure” – or remission – was possible because of the existing affection for his son and the tirelessly signaled support from Luke, who repeatedly emphasized that he would not give up on his father (“I got to save you!”, “Father, I won’t leave you!”). Luke’s vehement appearance fulfilled Anakin’s basic need for safe, reliable relationships.

But what can we learn from this for everyday life and interactions with others?

Guerrero & Jamora¹ suggest – when working with children, adolescents, or even adults who have given in to the «dark side» – it is important to continue to believe in «salvation» and remain positively attached to these people. This does not mean removing the work to change or get better from their shoulders, or even engaging in what is known as co-dependency. This term describes the fact that caregivers of people with mental illnesses stabilize or even aggravate the illness through their active actions (e.g., buying alcohol for an alcoholic) or even omissions (e.g., always putting up with their spouse drinking too much- alcohol), even if they only mean well.

We are however talking about supporting affected persons in their basic needs and their motivation to change, so that in the end they can take the right, i.e. healthy decision themselves and have a chance to be cured. But treatment providers can also learn something from Luke’s attitude. Often, practitioners focus only on problems and illnesses, but lose sight of protective factors. Promoting those very resources can contribute significantly to healing, but also protect against future relapses. Then the Force may not only be with you, it can stay with you!

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