When Chancellor Palpatine was captured by General Grievous near the war's end, Anakin and Obi-Wan led the mission to rescue him. They infiltrated a Separatist flagship high over Coruscant, and once again tangled with Count Dooku. This time, Skywalker bested his enemy, and at Palpatine's urging, killed Dooku in cold blood.

With many victories to Anakin's name, the Chancellor appointed him to the Jedi Council, but the wary Jedi Masters refused to grant him the title of Master. Anakin was incensed at their lack of trust. Furthermore, they sought to use his connection to Palpatine to spy on the Chancellor. Anakin continued to lose faith in the Republic, and the Jedi Order.

The Republic's shaky foundations were not all that was troubling Anakin. Once again he was consumed by terrible images of a loved one in danger, though this time it was nightmares of his wife dying. Padmé was pregnant, and the thought of losing his wife and his child terrified Skywalker.

Chancellor Palpatine was in truth, Darth Sidious, a Dark Lord of the Sith. Sidious promised to show Anakin paths to Force powers that could cheat death. With this ability, Anakin sought to save Padmé's life.

When the other Jedi learned of Palpatine's true nature, they tried to stop the Dark Lord. Darth Sidious would not surrender to the Jedi, and locked lightsaber blades with Jedi Master Mace Windu. Realizing that Sidious was too dangerous to take captive, Mace tried to kill the Chancellor. Anakin intervened. He needed Sidious alive if he were to save Padmé.

Responsible for aiding Sidious in killing Mace Windu, Anakin turned his back on the Jedi. He knelt before Darth Sidious, adopting the mantle of Darth Vader. Tapping into the dark side, Anakin found his powers increasing. At Sidious' order, Anakin led an attack on the Jedi Temple and the slaughter of all within.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé discovered Anakin's terrible betrayal, and confronted him on the hellish world of Mustafar. Consumed by hate, Anakin lashed out against Padmé with the Force, gravely wounding her. Obi-Wan and Anakin dueled with lightsabers across the molten landscape. Kenobi bested Anakin, severing his limbs, and leaving him to die, burning on the shores of a lava river.

Darth Sidious recovered Anakin's broken body and returned with him to Coruscant. Medical droids rebuilt Anakin with cybernetic parts, encasing him in dark armor to complete his transformation into Darth Vader. Sidious further broke Anakin's spirit by revealing that Padmé had died as a result of Skywalker's attack.

For a generation, Darth Vader embodied the dark spirit of the Galactic Empire. Unbeknownst to him, his children survived: twins, Leia and Luke, were prominent leaders in the Rebel Alliance. Luke Skywalker became the last of the Jedi. When Palpatine attacked Luke with the power of the dark side, Vader saved his son's life by killing his master. Thus Vader renounced his loyalty to the Sith, and returned to his Jedi ideals.

Anakin Skywalker succumbed to injuries inflicted by the Emperor. Anakin's dying wish was for Luke to remove the dark helmet that hid his face as Darth Vader, so he could look upon his son with his own eyes. When Anakin died, his selfless sacrifice allowed his spirit to be preserved in the Force by his former mentors, Obi-Wan and Yoda.