A fan recently shared a particularly gruesome Star Wars cosplay known as “Crispy Anakin.” This, of course, refers to the devastating injuries Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) received at the hands of his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) on Mustafar at the end of Star Wars — Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. "Crispy Anakin" is the latest work from cosplayer "redheadedghoster," who has done other impressive costumes, including Lord Farquaad from Shrek, Agatha Harkness from Marvel Studios' WandaVision, and bald Star Wars bounty hunter Aurra Sing.
In the third and final film of George Lucas’ Star Wars prequel trilogy, Anakin Skywalker finally succumbs to the dark side, turning his back on the Jedi Order at the behest of his new master, the evil Emperor Palpatine, a.k.a. Darth Sidious. Near the end of the film, the newly anointed Darth Vader is ordered by his master to travel to the remote outer rim planet Mustafar and wipe out the remaining separatist leadership. However, after Anakin/Darth Vader successfully slaughters the separatists, he’s reunited with the love of his life, Padme Amidala. After trying to persuade her to join him, he’s blindsided by the appearance of his old master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who stowed away on Padme’s ship so that he could find Anakin and kill him before more damage is done.
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An epic battle ensues, one that sees Anakin and Obi-Wan fight through the Mustafarian mining complex and into the open, where boiling hot lava bubbles around them. Obi-Wan then seemingly gets the drop on Anakin, claiming to have the “high ground," thus apparently winning the duel. Anakin decides to challenge this claim and attempts to leap over Obi-Wan, only to have all of his remaining not-robotic limbs sliced off as he tumbles down a hill, dangerously close to the boiling lava. As Obi-Wan delivers a passionate monologue regarding Anakin’s heartbreaking turn to the dark side (A highlight of McGregor’s beloved performance), the sheer heat from the molten lava causes Anakin to burst into flames, scarring his entire body. It’s a devastating scene, one which is likely responsible for the film's PG13 rating. It’s also an impressive bit of special effects makeup from the team who worked on the film, and a challenge for any cosplayer looking to create an imitation.
This event is a pivotal moment for Anakin’s full transition into Darth Vader. While he had already received the title from the Emperor, the injuries he sustained in his duel with Obi-Wan were the final nail in the coffin for Anakin Skywalker. These injuries resulted in Vader being placed in his signature suit and armor, one that he cannot take off without dying. He is also fitted with cybernetic limbs, causing him to be “more machine than man,” as Obi-Wan would later tell Anakin’s son, Luke Skywalker. So, from a certain point of view, Obi-Wan did kill Anakin on Mustafar, as he was instructed to. However, he also ironically helped create Darth Vader, so it's a bittersweet victory at the end of the day.
It’s going to be very interesting Darth Vader and his former master reunite in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Previously, they didn’t face each other down again until A New Hope, and when that film was first released in 1977, the prequel canon didn’t exist yet, so audiences didn’t know the full story of how Vader become the villain he is. With this added context, it‘s not surprising that Anakin holds a bit of a grudge after all these years.
Star Wars — Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is now on Disney Plus.
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Source: r/Cosplay