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The idea that Anakin Skywalker was being gaslighted is not a controversial statement. Anyone who has seen the prequels or the Clone Wars series knows that Palpatine was gaslighting the shit out of Anakin, but here’s the thing. He wasn’t the only one. Half of why Palpatine’s gaslighting was so damn effective was because Anakin was already being gaslit by the Jedi long before Palpatine ever got his mitts on the kid.
Before we get into examples, lets talk about what gaslighting is. Gaslighting is a type of manipulation wherein the gaslighter tries to undermine the gaslightee’s subjective reality in order to replace it with their own. This can happen both at the interpersonal level (you’re crazy if you think I hit you) and at the societal level (police shoot unarmed Black men because of bad apples, not systemic racism). Common gaslighting tactics include straight up lying; making false promises; vigorous denials coupled with righteous indignation; playing the victim; and insisting that the actual victim is crazy, confused or over reacting. Some symptoms of gaslighting include lack of confidence, general state of confusion, lapses in memory, accepting the gaslighter’s version of reality before one’s own, pervasive feeling that something is wrong both with oneself and the situation, trouble making decisions, and constantly questioning one’s own emotional state.
Now that we know what gaslighting is, let’s get to the receipts. I’ll be sticking with the current canon of the films and cartoons, but I’m sure there are plenty of examples to be had from the old EU and current tie-in material.
The Jedi attempt to gaslight Anakin literally from his first meeting with the Council. Yoda asks Anakin how he’s feeling and then immediately calls him a liar (see through you, we can). He asserts that Anakin is scared and that his natural fear for his enslaved mother is, in fact, wrong and dangerous. Right way, he is establishing the idea that the Jedi know what Anakin is feeling better than Anakin himself, and that those feelings are a problem.
In Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan takes over from Yoda as Anakin’s gaslighter in chief. In the elevator on the way up to Padme’s apartment, Obi-Wan inaccurately recalls an adventure which paints Anakin in an unflattering light and then laughs off Anakin’s attempt to correct him. Later, while they wait for a second assassination attempt, Obi-Wan questions whether Anakin can effectively use his Jedi senses (spoiler alert: he can) and then insists that Anakin’s recurring prophetic visions about his mom are, in fact, merely dreams which will pass in time.
In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin wisely decides to skip going to Obi-Wan for advice on his latest round of prophetic dreams and instead goes to Yoda. Once again, Yoda re-frames Anakin’s perfectly normal emotional state as being dangerous. Apparently, worrying for the safety of a loved one is a sign of jealousy and the path to the Dark Side.
Throughout the Clone Wars series, Anakin is told that his emotions are wrong, selfish, dangerous, or all of the above. In the Clone Wars film, Anakin is told that his reluctance to help the people who enslaved him is selfish, even though Mace was similarly reticent (although for different reasons). When Ahsoka is buried in an explosion in “Weapon’s Factory” 2.6, Luminara Undulli frames his his insistence that she is still alive and that they should take a moment to maybe try to rescue her as selfish and immature. Plo Koon does something similar when Ahsoka gets kidnapped in “Padawan Lost” 3.21, claiming that Anakin’s insistence on looking for her betrays a lack of faith in her ability to take care of herself. During the “Slaves of the Republic” arc 4.11-13, Obi-Wan repeatedly says, both to Anakin and to others, that Anakin’s hatred of slavers is childish and unwarranted and shows a distinct lack of maturity and control. When Obi-Wan deliberately fakes his death in front of Anakin in the hopes that his emotional reaction will help to sell the ruse during the “Deception” arc, 4.15-18, Yoda admits that it was probably not the best move considering Anakin nearly blew the mission, but still chastises Anakin for being upset and claims his emotions are a danger to himself and those around him. Obi-Wan implies that Anakin is selfish for feeling hurt.
On top of all this, is the sort of background gaslighting which posits the Jedi Council as wise, compassionate, and right. Literally every time Anakin questions whether they should be doing something, whether it is bringing a 14-year-old into a war zone or hiding from the Senate the knowledge that the Clones were commissioned by a Sith, he is reminded that the Council (and/or Yoda) is wise and it is not his place to question their decision.
So, where does that leave Anakin? Well, he clearly shows symptoms associated with gaslighting. In two separate scenes in Attack of the Clones, he says that he knows Obi-Wan is a great mentor whom he should be grateful to have, only to turn immediately around and admit that he doesn’t actually feel that way and in fact resents his controlling nature. In Revenge of the Sith, he talks about how he knows that something is wrong, but he can’t articulate it. He repeats the party line that wanting more, that wanting happiness, is a sign that there is something wrong with him. Throughout the films and cartoon, he expresses his desire to leave, but can’t manage it without a push from someone in a position of authority. While he’s good at tactical planning, he struggles with making any sort of meaningful decisions in his life and generally just does what Obi-Wan or Padme or the Council or Palpatine tells him.
The Jedi trained him from the word go to fear his own emotions. He’s told, over and over again, to be mindful of them, and not in a healthy way. Instead he is made to question them, and feel ashamed or afraid of them. He’s also made to believe that healthy interpersonal relationships are dangerous and selfish. And lastly, he is told over and over and over again that, while he has power, only his Master, the Council, and the Senate, could possibly be wise and moral enough to wield it.