Anakin Skywalker, a Force-sensitive human male, was a Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic and the Chosen One of the Force. During the Clone Wars, his accomplishments as a battlefield commander earned him the Hero With No Fear moniker. After turning to the dark side of the Force, he became known as Darth Vader, a Dark Lord of the Sith and apprentice to Emperor Darth Sidious. As a Sith Lord, Vader turned against his former comrades and hunted the surviving Jedi into near extinction. He became an enforcer of the Galactic Empire, who worked to crush the Alliance to Restore the Republic for opposing his Sith Master's will. Yet despite his actions as Darth Vader, a glimmer of the light side of the Force remained within the former Anakin Skywalker.

Skywalker was born in the year 41 BBY before moving to the Outer Rim planet Tatooine during the Age of the Republic. Although he had a mother, the slave Shmi Skywalker, the truth about his parentage was that Anakin had no father—leading Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn to suspect that Skywalker's conception was the work of the midi-chlorians. Recognizing the boy's unprecedented connection to the Force, Jinn was determined to see Skywalker trained as a member of the Jedi Order, the task of which ultimately fell to his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi following Jinn's death in 32 BBY.

Over the next decade, Skywalker rose to become one of the strongest Jedi in galactic history. While he was both caring and compassionate, his fear of loss was ultimately the catalyst for his downfall. During the war, Skywalker trained a Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, who ultimately left the Jedi Order after she was framed for the terrorist attack on the Jedi Temple. The loss of Tano affected Skywalker on a personal level, causing him to feel more isolated and bitter towards the Jedi High Council. With the Clone Wars nearing conclusion.