Season 2 of Star Wars: Visions has a new take on the Anakin Skywalker tragedy but this one has more hope and light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Star Wars: Visions Season 2 pays homage to quite a bit of Star Wars lore, from the High Republic era to the modern periods. As a series, the animation anthology does its own thing in terms of visuals and narrative. However, the deep cuts and comparisons that nod to the source material fans are familiar with resonate deeply.

 

In Episode 5, "Journey to the Dark Head," Visions ends up remixing the story of Anakin Skywalker. It leans hard into trauma, riffing on the heartbreaking descent to darkness the young Jedi undertook. But in this case, there's a more nuanced, happy ending that fans wish Anakin got before he became Darth Vader.

 

 

Star Wars: Visions Almost Corrupts Its New Anakin

 

 

"Journey to the Dark Head" focuses on Toul, a Padawan who saw his master get cut down by a Sith Lord named Bichan in an epic Visions lightsaber duel. He works with an archivist, Ara, on her homeworld of Dolbarak years later to destroy a statue she thinks helps fester the Dark Side. She only wants the statue that honors the Light to remain standing, but she needs the Jedi's help for this bit of demolition.

 

While there, Bichan finds and attacks Ara and Toul and plays on the latter's anger. He actually let Toul live, wanting hatred to grow within. He knew this would lead to grief and suffering, per that classic Yoda teaching. This would eventually pave the way for Bichan to corrupt Toul and bring him over to the way of the Sith. It's a spin on what Palpatine did to Anakin, weaponizing his mother's death and using Padmé's mortality as tools to break Anakin.

 

Thankfully, Ara helps Toul take out the villain, but not in a way that turns him evil. Instead, they both realize the Light and Dark need each other to co-exist. As such, after Toul beheads the tyrannical Bichan, he's able to heal and joke with Ara, admitting they have to find a way back to society. It's a warm, sentimental ending, avoiding the rage that consumed Anakin and made him a notorious villain throughout the galaxy.

 

Star Wars: Visions Provides More Proactive Healing Measures

 

In "Journey to the Dark Head," there are a couple of things that help Toul make the right decision, starting with Ara's presence. He finds hope and inspiration in her, especially from their previous conversations. They may have been antagonistic toward each other at first, but there's open, honest dialogue. This helps Toul see in the mirror by the statue that if he gives in, he'll become a monster. It's the very thing his mentor would never want for him.

 

By contrast, Anakin never got this treatment because the Jedi never had a heart-to-heart with him. Anakin needed the Jedi Council to tend to his emotional needs after losing his mother Shmi, and they especially needed to pay closer attention to when Qui-Gon Jinn died. Anakin only knew pain from a young age, which shaped a heartbreaking Star Wars family story for himself, his wife Padmé, and even their children Luke and Leia. Unfortunately, even Obi-Wan Kenobi seemed more concerned about Anakin living up to the prophecy as the most powerful Force character the Jedi Order ever had. In retrospect, Anakin's lack of a good support system facilitated his descent to the Dark Side.

 

At the very best, Toul's superiors on Coruscant warned him about his fury, which was a remarkably positive move. In fact, their trust in Toul goes a long way to averting a dark fate for him. Their lack of worry that he'll be corrupted also helps embolden Toul in a way Anakin never got from his superiors. Ultimately, this is why Anakin succumbed to his anger and festering darkness. He gave into his own doubts and demons, while Toul -- despite having similar issues -- got to hold onto his faith and rise above those same pitfalls.

 

 

 

https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-visions-journey-to-the-dark-head-anakin/

RENALDO MATADEEN May 10, 2023