Hear me out: Anakin Skywalker is just as much of a character in his own right as the Sith Lord he would become. Both Anakin and Vader have their own distinctive character arcs, and Vader is but a shell of Skywalker — until he eventually finds redemption. But while Vader's path is one that comes full-circle, Anakin's is the one of tragedy. It's easy to forget that, considering how reviled the prequel trilogy and Hayden Christensen's performance are, but Anakin's slow spiral toward the Dark Side is a tale of loss and (perceived) betrayal. Vader may redeem himself in the end, but Anakin is a lost cause, completely consumed by Palpatine's seduction to the point where he kills children who would become the next generation of Jedi.