In celebration of Father’s Day, I present, a letter from Luke Skywalker to his Father, Anakin. This was set a number of years after the events of Return of the Jedi. He had “saved” his father before he died, but that didn’t resolve his feelings of loss for the Father he never really had. This letter attempts to do that.
To My Father, Anakin
It’s taken me a long time to get around to writing this letter. In fact, I’m not really sure why I am. It’s not like you will ever read it. Perhaps it’s just a way to exorcise my own demons. There’s value in that, I suppose. I know you are gone. I saw you die, and burned your body. Still wearing that shell that had maintained your life, but didn’t really define you. And while I know you still exist in the living force, it doesn’t change the fact that you are gone and that I never really knew you.
But even after all this time, I have questions. Questions I’ve been putting off for the years since you died. Such as how you could so easily seem to ignore Leia’s and my existence? I know that Ben said that they hid us away from you. Hell, they even hid the fact that I HAD a sister. But you had great powers. Could you not sense our presence? MY Presence?!! Even from far away? You certainly seemed to later on, easily enough.
A Relationship We Never Had
It’s true we never had a relationship, Father. In truth, I had always thought you were dead. Later, Ben had told me that “Darth Vader had betrayed and murdered my father.” After I learned the truth, Ben had said what he told me was true, “from a certain point of view.” I had a hard time accepting that. It sounded like psychological bullshit. In addition, it seemed like a self-inflicted wound. You allowed that to happen. You allowed the Emperor to bury the man you were, to be replaced by what you became. I sometimes resented your weakness. Your inability to resist. But none of this was known to me from the beginning. I just knew you were gone. In time, I had learned to accept your absence. At least I thought I had. You can’t miss what you didn’t have, Right?
WRONG! I missed having a father. Someone to talk to. Someone to show me things. You were a JEDI KNIGHT. A Powerful Jedi, according to both Ben and Master Yoda. You could have shown me so much. Taught me the ways of the force. Even helped me to make my own lightsaber. So many things I missed…and I wanted those. I wanted my Dad. And you were not there.
The Galaxy is a Funny Thing
Of course, the galaxy is a funny thing. So when I found out you were alive, I STILL did not have a father. Biologically I did, but your path had been chosen before I was born. And there was no part in it for me or Leia. It saddens me still to think that you never concerned yourself with your children. Even after realizing that we were still alive. Your only thoughts were the ways you could use us for your Emperor’s Ends. Which begs the question, what kind of man does that? A LOST Man.
Father, I don’t pretend to understand the forces working against you. Palpatine mislead you, that was certain. He turned that innate anger that seemed to lay barely dormant against you. Anger that had been building since you lost your own Mother. (This was how Ben described it).
It Might Have Been Me
Thinking back, it could have easily happened to me. I was angry. Angry about what life had denied me. I was angry that I seemed to be frittering my life away on the dust bowl that was Tatooine. Angry that my friends were leaving, living the life I wanted. Then the Empire took Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru from me. More anger still. But most of all, I was angry that you were not there. I could have followed your path. But I didn’t. Why?
Because your old friend and Master, Obi-Wan showed me another way. Just as he tried to show you. Ben filled the void that you left when you turned your back on him…and me. The difference is, when we learned of each other, where you chose to follow orders and bring me to your Master, I chose to see the good in you. In fact, I needed to see the good in you. Even when Ben tried to warn me of the man you had become. I only saw the good. Even when you did not see it in yourself. It finally took you to threaten Leia for me to act. Once again, What kind of Father DOES THAT?
We Could Have Been a Family
Eventually, in the end, you did see yourself…as I did. But you died because of it. We came to a peace of sorts. But the questions remain. What might have happened had Padmé not died? Would you have not went down that dark path?? Could we all have been… a family?
Unfortunately, we will never know. That die has been cast. I will continue on. Taking solace in the thought that perhaps, in some small way, the fact that I AM your son was what saved you. In soul if not in the flesh. I would like to think I have learned from these experiences. That it made me a better man. Leia and Han have a son now. His name is Ben. Leia wants me to train Ben, like Obi-Wan trained you. I haven’t decided…I sense something in Ben. What it is I am not sure. I wish we could talk about it. If only…But as I said, time marches on and so must we all.
Honoring My Father
So with that in mind, I honor the father that I had, not the man I wished he could be. There was good in him, I only wish it had been revealed sooner. But at least I have that and I should be thankful. . Especially when so many people have had even less. So, thank you, Father. My Father, Anakin Skywalker.
If you wonder why I wrote this, besides being Father’s Day, this was my thought process. I wrote it to acknowledge that Fathers come in many forms. Some good, some bad. We have them for many years, and sometimes not long enough. Regardless, we are here because of them.
Only a Select Few Can be a Dad
It has been said that any man can be a Father but only a select few can be a Dad. I have wondered about this over the years. The more I do, I realize the wisdom in that statement. In Luke’s case, while Anakin was his FATHER, his DAD was a cantankerous moisture farmer on Tatooine. Later, and for a short time, he was a crazy old hermit who lived out by the Dune sea. But they all played a part in making Luke the man he became. As did Master Yoda. When the smoke cleared however, Luke made his OWN path, taking the lessons he had learned from all of these different “father figures.”
So let’s honor them. Especially the good ones and most especially, the Dads. In whichever form they take. Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
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