It is a weird thing to realize that the most famous apprenticeship in cinema history was basically a mutual murder pact. We often think of the Master-Apprentice dynamic in Star Wars as a mentorship, but for the Sith, it's more like a ticking time bomb. If you've ever wondered why did anakin want to kill sidius, the answer isn't just about "being evil." It’s actually a messy mix of betrayal, the Rule of Two, and a desperate, failing attempt to reclaim a soul he’d already sold.
Anakin Skywalker didn't just wake up one day and decide he hated his boss. It was a slow burn. Honestly, it started the second he realized the "saving Padmé" promise was a total lie.
The Rule of Two is Basically a Death Sentence
You can't talk about the Sith without talking about Darth Bane’s Rule of Two. It’s the foundational law: one to embody the power, one to crave it. This isn't just a suggestion; it is the literal DNA of their order. From the moment Palpatine (Darth Sidious) christened Anakin as Darth Vader, they both knew how this would end.
Either Vader would kill Sidious and become the Master, or Sidious would find a younger, shinier model to replace his broken, suit-bound apprentice.
By the time we get to The Empire Strikes Back, Vader is already scouting. He’s not looking for Luke to have a catch in the backyard; he’s looking for a partner to help him overthrow the Emperor. "We can rule the galaxy as father and son," isn't just a Hallmark moment. It’s a tactical maneuver. Vader knew he couldn't take Sidious alone, especially after Mustafar left him more machine than man, limiting his Force potential.
The Padmé Lie and the Weight of the Suit
The biggest reason why did anakin want to kill sidius boils down to resentment. Pure, unadulterated salt.
In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine lures Anakin with the promise of preventing death. He uses the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise as bait. But once Padmé dies and Anakin is encased in that clunky, painful life-support armor, the realization hits: he lost everything for a power he didn't even get.
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According to the 2017 Darth Vader comic series by Charles Soule—which is canon, by the way—Vader’s early years were defined by this silent rage. He realized Palpatine had manipulated the entire Clone War, the Jedi, and Anakin's own heart just to get a high-tier enforcer. Vader hated himself, sure, but he hated the man who pulled the strings even more. He was a prisoner in a suit that Palpatine specifically designed to be vulnerable to Force Lightning. Think about that. The Emperor built his apprentice's "life support" with a built-in "off" switch.
If someone built your clothes to explode if you ever disagreed with them, you’d probably want to kill them too.
The Arrival of Luke Skywalker Changed the Math
Before Luke, Vader was just going through the motions. He was a nihilist. He did the Emperor's bidding because there was nothing else left. But then, the name "Skywalker" pops up after the Death Star blows up.
Suddenly, Vader has a future.
This is the turning point for why did anakin want to kill sidius. It shifted from a vague Sith tradition to a personal mission of lineage. In the Vader comics by Greg Pak, we see Vader traveling to Naboo and Tatooine, piecing together the truth of Padmé’s death. He discovers that Palpatine lied about how she died. He realizes he has a son.
At this point, the Emperor stops being a mentor and starts being an obstacle. If Luke lives, Vader has a chance to be a father—or at least a Sith Lord with a loyal successor. If Sidious stays in power, Luke is either a corpse or a replacement for Vader. There is no middle ground in the Sith hierarchy.
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Why He Couldn't Just Do It
If he wanted him dead so badly, why did he wait until Return of the Jedi?
It's complicated. For one, Sidious was incredibly powerful. Like, "moving-planets-with-his-mind" powerful. But more than that, Anakin was broken psychologically. George Lucas has mentioned in multiple interviews that after the losses on Mustafar, Vader’s "ceiling" for Force power was lowered. He was at maybe 80% of the Emperor's strength.
He needed a catalyst. He needed someone to fight for, not just something to fight against.
The Sith thrive on hate, but hate is an exhausting fuel source. For twenty years, Vader’s hate was directed inward. It wasn't until he saw his son being tortured by the Emperor's lightning that his hate finally turned outward with enough force to overcome his conditioning.
The Difference Between Vader's Hate and Anakin's Justice
We have to distinguish between Darth Vader wanting to kill Sidious for power and Anakin Skywalker wanting to kill him for justice.
- The Sith Ambition: This was the motivation during The Empire Strikes Back. Vader wanted to kill the Emperor to take his place. It was about ego and the dark side.
- The Jedi Return: This was the motivation on the second Death Star. This wasn't about "ruling the galaxy." It was about stopping a monster from hurting his child.
The irony is that Vader tried to kill Sidious for years and failed because he was doing it for the "right" Sith reasons. He only succeeded when he did it for the "wrong" Sith reason: love.
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The Manipulation of the Chosen One Prophecy
Palpatine knew the prophecy. He knew Anakin was supposed to "bring balance to the Force." For decades, Sidious took a weird, twisted pleasure in corrupting that prophecy. By keeping Anakin under his thumb, he wasn't just winning a political war; he was winning a theological one.
Every time Vader thought about striking his master down, he had to contend with the fact that Palpatine had spent years isolating him. Obi-Wan was "dead" (to him). Ahsoka was gone. Padmé was dead. The Jedi were extinct. Palpatine was the only thing Anakin had left. It’s a classic domestic abuse dynamic scaled up to a galactic level.
You don't just kill the person who is your entire world, even if you hate them. You wait until you find a doorway out. Luke was that doorway.
Real-World Takeaways for Fans
Understanding why did anakin want to kill sidius actually helps you appreciate the original trilogy more. It wasn't a sudden flip of a switch in the throne room. It was a decades-long pressure cooker.
- Watch for the "Sidebar" Conversations: In The Empire Strikes Back, pay attention to how Vader talks to the Emperor's hologram. There is a subtle tension there that isn't present in the first movie.
- Read the 2017 Comic Run: If you want to see the literal moment Vader considers killing Sidious for the first time, read Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith. It happens almost immediately after he gets the suit.
- Contextualize the Lightning: Remember that Vader’s suit is a conductor. When he picks up the Emperor in Return of the Jedi, he knows he is committing suicide. The suit is short-circuiting instantly. That’s why his death is so immediate.
Ultimately, Anakin wanted to kill Sidious because Sidious was the architect of his misery. He was the man who turned a hero into a monster and then forced that monster to live in a cage of black plastic and constant pain. The "redemption" wasn't just about saving Luke; it was about finally, after twenty years, getting the revenge he’d been dreaming of since he first heard that metallic "Rise, Lord Vader."
If you're looking to dive deeper into the lore, start by looking at the specific modifications Palpatine made to Vader’s armor. It reveals a lot about the lack of trust between them. Also, look into the "Sith Eternal" cult on Exegol, which shows just how much Sidious was planning to replace Vader from the very start. The betrayal was always a two-way street.