Anakin

Anakin Skywalker, better known later in his life (including in the context of his earliest appearances) as Darth Vader, is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He is the overarching central character of the original film series, appearing in the original trilogy as a main and pivotal antagonist serving the Galactic Empire, and in the prequel trilogy as a main protagonist whose fall to darkness forms the central story arc of those films. Originally a Jedi prophesied to bring balance to the Force, Anakin Skywalker is lured to the dark side of the Force by Palpatine, at the time the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic and secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. After barely surviving a battle with his former Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi which necessitates his transformation into a masked cyborg, he then serves the Galactic Empire as Darth Vader beside Emperor Palpatine until his redemption and resultant death after encountering his son, Luke Skywalker. He is also the father of Princess Leia Organa, the secret husband of Padmé Amidala before his fall, and grandfather of Kylo Ren, whose persona as a follower of the dark side is modeled after his. The character was created by George Lucas and has been portrayed by numerous actors. His cinematic appearances span the first six Star Wars films, as well as Rogue One, and his character is referenced in both Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. He also appears in numerous iterations of the Star Wars expanded universe including television series (most notably and substantially Star Wars: The Clone Wars), video games, novels, literature and comic books. Darth Vader has become one of the most iconic villains in popular culture, and has been listed among the greatest villains and fictional characters ever. The American Film Institute listed him as the third greatest movie villain in cinema history on 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains, behind Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates. His role as a tragic hero in the prequel trilogy has also received some major praise while also being variously criticized, mainly in terms of acting and dialogue. =Championships=