Anakin Skywalker’s transformation into Darth Vader represents a complete severing from his past, especially the pain surrounding his mother, Shmi Skywalker.
After becoming Darth Vader, his sole mission is to help the Emperor rise to power and conquer the galaxy.
Many fans have noted that if Darth Vader had returned to Tatooine or visited his beloved mother’s grave, he might have recognized Luke before the Emperor sensed him, as seen in “The Empire Strikes Back.”
However, even though Darth Vader did return to Tatooine, he did not recognize or sense the presence of his son. Here’s why!
Many believe that if Vader had visited his mother’s grave, he might have discovered Luke, who was growing up nearby on the Lars homestead.
However, this scenario is unlikely because Vader had no knowledge of Luke’s existence.
To him, Padmé died with their unborn child, and the idea of a son surviving was beyond his imagination.
Additionally, Tatooine, despite its significance in Anakin’s life, remained a remote and seemingly unimportant planet to the Empire.
The moment Darth Vader began to believe that Luke was his son was when he received an order from the Emperor, as we hear in “The Empire Strikes Back”: “Search your feelings, Lord Vader.”
When Anakin realizes he killed Padmé with his Force choke, you can see that this moment marks the final piece of Anakin Skywalker inside Darth Vader.
From that point on, he fully becomes a Sith Lord, driven by hatred—especially toward the Jedi and his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
It’s when we understand that Anakin is truly gone and Vader has taken over completely.
As Darth Vader fully embraces his role as a Sith Lord, he deliberately avoids any mention of Anakin Skywalker.
You can clearly see this in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series when Obi-Wan, full of regret, says, “I’m sorry, Anakin.”
In a powerful response, Vader tells him, “I’m not your failure, Obi-Wan. You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker. I did.”
