Anakin Skywalker, later known as Darth Vader, was a central character in the Star Wars prequel and original trilogies. He was the father of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. However, for most of his life as Darth Vader he did not know that his children had survived childbirth. This article will examine what Anakin knew about his children being alive during different parts of the Star Wars saga.
Anakin’s Fall to the Dark Side
Anakin Skywalker was a powerful Jedi who was seduced to the dark side of the Force by Emperor Palpatine. During the Clone Wars, Anakin married Senator Padmé Amidala in secret, against the rules of the Jedi Order. When Padmé became pregnant, Anakin started having visions that Padmé would die in childbirth. This drove Anakin to find ways to try to prevent his visions from coming true.
Palpatine manipulated Anakin’s fears about Padmé’s death to turn Anakin against the Jedi. He promised Anakin that the dark side held the power to save Padmé from death. Desperate to save his wife, Anakin pledged himself to Palpatine and was reborn as the Sith Lord Darth Vader.
After his turn to the dark side, one of Anakin’s first acts was to lead the destruction of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant during Palpatine’s Order 66. After the Jedi Purge, Padmé confronted Anakin on the volcanic planet Mustafar. When Obi-Wan Kenobi emerged from Padmé’s ship, Anakin accused her of betraying him and used the Force to choke her into unconsciousness.
After fighting and being severely injured by Obi-Wan, Anakin was rescued by Palpatine and put into the black armored suit that would keep him alive as Darth Vader. Meanwhile, Padmé gave birth to twins, Luke and Leia, before passing away. This marked the transition of Anakin fully into his new identity as Darth Vader.
What Anakin Knew
At this point, Anakin believed that Padmé had died and that their child had died with her. Palpatine had told the newly reborn Darth Vader that he had killed Padmé in his anger. This was one of Vader’s most painful regrets, and the Emperor used this to keep Vader devoted to the dark side. Neither Palpatine nor Vader were aware that Padmé had in fact given birth to twins before her death.
So during his early time as Darth Vader, Anakin believed that Padmé and their unborn child were dead, unaware that Luke and Leia had been born and secretly sheltered.
Protecting the Children
After Padmé’s death, her former allies Senator Bail Organa and Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi knew that her newborn twins, Luke and Leia, would be in grave danger if Vader or the Emperor discovered them. Bail adopted Leia and took her to be raised on Alderaan. Obi-Wan took Luke to live with Anakin’s step-brother Owen Lars and his wife Beru on Tatooine.
The children were kept hidden from the Empire for their own safety. As they grew older, very few people in the galaxy knew of their true parentage as the son and daughter of Anakin Skywalker. Even Luke and Leia themselves were unaware that they were siblings or that their father had become Darth Vader.
Vader’s Ignorance
As a Sith Lord and enforcer for the Emperor, Darth Vader was one of the most feared beings in the galaxy for decades. However, he seemingly had no knowledge that Padmé had given birth before her death or that their children had survived. Vader’s single-minded devotion to the dark side and the Emperor blinded him to the truth. If Vader had known about Luke and Leia’s existence, he likely would have searched relentlessly for his offspring. But the secrecy maintained by Obi-Wan and Bail Organa kept the twins safely anonymous.
The Galactic Civil War
During the events of the original Star Wars trilogy, the Galactic Civil War erupted between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa were both leaders within the growing Rebellion. Darth Vader became obsessed with destroying the Rebel forces in his role as the Emperor’s apprentice.
Vader’s Discovery of Luke
When Luke destroyed the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin, Darth Vader became determined to find the pilot responsible. He was unaware that the young Rebel hero was actually his own son. After extensive searching, Vader hired bounty hunters to find the mysterious Rebel pilot. He eventually identified Luke and learned his last name was Skywalker. While this sparked Vader’s interest, he still did not realize Luke’s true origins.
| Event | What Vader Knew |
|---|---|
| Luke destroys Death Star | Unaware Luke is his son |
| Vader searches for “Skywalker” pilot | Unaware of Luke’s ancestry |
Their first in-person confrontation was during a lightsaber duel on Cloud City in which Vader cut off Luke’s hand. It was only then that Vader telepathically sensed Luke’s relationship to him, bluntly telling Luke “I am your father.” This was the first moment Vader realized one of Padmé’s children had in fact survived.
Discovering Leia’s Identity
In Return of the Jedi, Vader became aware of the existence of a twin sister to Luke. However, even when Leia was captured by Imperial forces, Vader remained unaware that Princess Leia Organa was actually his daughter.
Obi-Wan’s Force ghost finally confirmed to Luke that Leia was his sister. Luke told Leia the truth about their father and sibling relationship. So by the events of Return of the Jedi, Luke and Leia knew they were brother and sister, though Vader only knew about their existence, not their identities.
| Event | What Vader Knew |
|---|---|
| Duel on Cloud City | Discovers Luke is his son |
| Leia captured by Empire | Unaware Leia is his daughter |
| Luke tells Leia they are siblings | Only knows Luke has a twin sister |
Anakin’s Redemption
The final confirmation to Vader about his children came at the end of Return of the Jedi during the Battle of Endor. When the Emperor attempted to kill Luke with Force lightning, the sight of his son in mortal agony prompted Anakin Skywalker to re-emerge and turn against Palpatine.
Anakin saved Luke’s life by killing the Emperor, but was mortally wounded in the process. On his deathbed, he spoke with Luke, seeing him fully grown for the first and last time. In those final moments, Anakin realized Luke had a twin sister and that Leia was his daughter. He found redemption in knowing the children he had long thought dead had actually survived and thrived, overcoming the dark side to become heroes. Anakin’s love for Luke and Leia finally brought balance back to the Force.
What Anakin Died Knowing
At the moment of his death as the Empire fell, Anakin Skywalker finally knew the full truth about his children:
- Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa were his son and daughter
- They were twins born to his late wife Padmé Amidala
- They had been hidden from him and raised by allies
- Both had become leaders in the Rebellion against the Empire
This revelation let Anakin find peace and completeness during his final moments, despite decades lost to the dark side.
Conclusion
For almost his entire life as Darth Vader, Anakin did not know he had living children. He spent years believing he had accidentally killed Padmé and their unborn baby on Mustafar. It was only in his final duel with Luke that he discovered the son he thought dead had been hidden from him for decades. While he realized Luke had a sister, he did not know Leia’s true identity until the very end.
Anakin’s children being raised in secrecy and safety allowed them to lead the Rebellion that would defeat the Empire. Had Vader known about Luke and Leia’s existence, it could have had disastrous consequences if he attempted to turn them to the dark side. Their anonymity was essential to allowing them to defeat the Sith. In the end, the truth about his family reawakened the conscience of Anakin Skywalker, prompting him to sacrifice himself to save Luke and defeat the Emperor once and for all.