Why Anakin NEVER Became a Jedi Master

Anakin Skywalker was easily one of the most powerful Jedi of his time. He was a war hero, a prodigy, and Palpatine’s favorite. But despite all that, when he was finally given a seat on the Jedi Council in Revenge of the Sith, they refused to grant him the rank of Jedi Master.

And he lost it.

We all know what happened next—he turned against the Jedi, helped wipe them out, and became Darth Vader. But the question still stands: Why didn’t they just make him a Master?

1. The Council Never Trusted Him, and Palpatine Made It Worse

The Jedi Council had doubts about Anakin from the start. He was older than most younglings when he started training, and Yoda immediately sensed fear in him. They weren’t wrong—his attachments, his emotions, his anger? All red flags.

By Revenge of the Sith, those red flags were flashing even brighter. Anakin was already struggling with his emotions, but Palpatine’s influence made things worse.

Here’s the thing: the Jedi never planned to put Anakin on the Council. It was Palpatine who forced their hand by appointing him as his “representative.” That’s not how it worked. The Jedi handled their own affairs, and having the Supreme Chancellor dictate who sat on the Council? That was a huge power move.

The Jedi played along because they wanted to keep an eye on Anakin and Palpatine’s relationship. But they weren’t about to hand Anakin the rank of Master just because Palpatine wanted them to. That would’ve set a dangerous precedent.

Anakin didn’t see it that way, though. All he heard was “You’re not good enough.” And that was exactly what Palpatine needed to push him further away from the Jedi.

2. Anakin Was a Loose Cannon, and the Council Knew It

Anakin was a beast on the battlefield. His skills with a lightsaber, his piloting, his ability to outfight almost anyone? Unmatched. But being a Jedi Master wasn’t just about fighting, it was also about wisdom, patience, and emotional control.

And let’s be real—Anakin didn’t have those.

His emotional outbursts were a huge issue. He let anger get the best of him all the time. We’re talking about the guy who:

• Slaughtered an entire village of Tusken Raiders after his mother died.
• Nearly lost it fighting Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones.
• Raged at Obi-Wan multiple times for “holding him back.”
• Literally freaked out when the Council denied him Mastery.

And the Council noticed all of it. When he was denied the rank, his immediate reaction was anger—not understanding, not patience. That kind of response? Exactly why they didn’t trust him with more power.

3. Mace Windu Saw What the Others Didn’t

Mace Windu was one of the few Jedi who truly understood the dark side. His fighting style, Vaapad, allowed him to channel aggression without falling to it. Because of that, he recognized Anakin’s instability before anyone else.

It’s not that Windu just didn’t like Anakin (though, yeah, he definitely wasn’t a fan). He saw what was happening—Anakin was right on the edge of the dark side.

He knew that if they gave him more power, it could go very, very wrong. So when Anakin came to tell him about Palpatine being the Sith Lord? His response was “If what you told me is true, you will have gained my trust.”

In other words: Anakin hadn’t earned it yet.

4. Ahsoka Leaving Didn’t Help His Case

Some people think Anakin’s failure to train Ahsoka to knighthood hurt his chances of becoming a Master. It’s true that successfully training a Padawan was one of the best ways to prove yourself. And Ahsoka? She left before that could happen.

But honestly? That probably wasn’t the deciding factor. Plenty of Jedi became Masters without training a Padawan. The bigger issue was how Anakin reacted to Ahsoka leaving.

He was angry, bitter, and resentful toward the Council for how they handled it. And the Jedi saw that. It was another example of Anakin’s emotions controlling him instead of the other way around.

If anything, Ahsoka leaving just confirmed what the Council already believed: Anakin wasn’t ready.

5. The Jedi Were Scared of What “Balance to the Force” Meant

Anakin was the Chosen One. He was supposed to bring balance to the Force.

But here’s the thing—no one actually knew what that meant.

At the time, the Jedi dominated the galaxy. The Sith were thought to be extinct. So if balance meant equalizing the Light and Dark, that could mean the Jedi had to fall.

And Anakin? He had way too many dark side tendencies for them to ignore. His attachments, his fear of loss, his anger—they were all classic Sith traits.

So what if he was the one who would “bring balance” by tipping the scales toward the dark side?

The Council couldn’t take that risk. Giving him access to forbidden knowledge in the Jedi Archives could have been disastrous. If Anakin wasn’t ready for that responsibility, the consequences could be unimaginable.

And, well…we all know how that turned out.