This viralStar Warsvideo is the perfect representation ofAnakin Skywalker/Darth Vader’sfall to the dark side inStar Wars, especially because it shows just how complex that story really is. Anakin’s fall to the dark side is one of the most important events intheStar Warstimeline, and it continues to shapeStar Warsmovies and TV shows. It also remains a topic of conversation because audiences are largely divided, particularly regarding how much sympathy Anakin really deserves or has earned, both before his redemption and after it.

In this stunningStar Warsvideo, posted bykayn.shieda87on TikTok, Anakin’s fall to the dark side is perfectly captured. In fact,this video confirms just how much Anakin’s story embodies the ‘fallen angel’ trope.

Anakin crying in Attack of the Clones in a red hue to the left and Vader at the end of Revenge of the Sith to the right

The clips in the video that show Anakin’s eyes are specificallydrawing comparisons between Anakin’s fall to the dark side and the painting “The Fallen Angel,” painted by Alexandre Cabanel in 1847.

Anakin’s Fall To The Dark Side Is Much More Complicated Than It Seems

Anakin Isn’t Innocent, But He Isn’t Entirely To Blame Either

I would never go so far as to say that Anakin was innocent in his fall to the dark side, as that simply isn’t true, butit would be reductive to see Anakin’s fall as solely the product of his own shortcomings, as can at times be the perception. The truth is,Anakin Skywalker’sStar Warstimelinereveals just how complex his downfall really was. This began inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, with Anakin being taken off Tatooine, away from his mother, and then being (initially) rejected from the Jedi Order.

Anakin’s time in the Order was then anything but easy, with him constantly feeling ostracized and held at arm’s length by the Jedi, especially the Jedi Council. The death of his mother, which he felt responsible for and which was particularly gruesome, was just gasoline on the fire that was Anakin’s issues with anger, ego, impulsivity, and attachment. As the video shows, in fact,the death of Shmi Skywalker was in some ways the catalyst of all that transpired with Anakin’s fall.

Anakin Skywalker staring at the camera with a hood on and an angry look on his face right after he agreed to become Palpatine’s apprentice in Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith

All 15 Defining Moments In Anakin Skywalker’s Fall To The Dark Side

Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side of the Force is a pivotal event in Star Wars, and 15 key moments defined how that turn happened over time.

Our Take On Anakin As The Fallen Angel

This Is The Perfect Parallel For Anakin

In addition to the brilliant combination of scenes from theStar Warsprequel trilogy and the song choice,the real genius behind this TikTok video is the connection between Anakin’s story and the notion of the fallen angel. Anakin, more so than anyone else inStar Wars, perfectly fits the bill as the fallen angel, especially because he began asthe Chosen One. That is, Anakin was positioned as the savior of the Jedi (he even had a Messianic birth), yet he turned to evil, betraying all he was meant to be.

It’s notable that even as Anakin was carrying out these heinous acts inStar Wars: Episode III -Revenge of the Sith, he was visibly crying. This wasn’t the Darth Vader audiences were expecting—ruthless and cruel, as he was in the original trilogy until his redemption—but rather a much more humanized, sympathetic Vader.Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vaderis certainly still at fault for the evil things he did, but this video perfectly captures how complicated and emotional hisStar Warsstory really is.