Would Vader's death make a big difference in the grand scheme of the Empire? Sure, he's powerful but most of the Jedi hunting is dealt by the Inquisitors. Palps seems to be looking for an excuse to trade in for a newer model. Yes, he rules the Inquisitors by fear but I'd argue his temper/emotions are too big a liability to the point Palps threatens/cuts off his power/influence. Leia even comments on Tarkin holding Vaders' leash. A more clear headed Sith could do more damage.
Honestly, this is an excellent question and one I've personally mulled over time and again.
I mean, what exactly was Anakin's role in the Empire? Enforcer, ghost story, Jedi hunter...
The thing is, I guess you could argue that Anakin's most influential act was his massacre at the Jedi Temple. After that point, the Empire was more or less a juggernaut (and let's be honest, the political chess game had been in a suspended checkmate long before Order 66 reared its ugly head) until it ended up eating itself, Ourborous-style and fell to the Rebellion.
So what exactly was the advantage to Palpatine keeping Anakin on a leash all those years?
Anakin gets to hunt Jedi and put down any hints of Jedi sympathizers/rebellion with an iron fist. Useful to put the fear of...well, whoever, into the local populace and ensure the Jedi can't rise again.
But as you rightly state, the Inquisitors fill much the same role, albeit without the urban legend, the specter of "Vader" haunting any malcontent's doorstep. And yes, a more clear-headed Sith probably could figure out a way to, if not take out Sheev, at least form a splinter group and be a massive pain in the ass.
And when you go at it from this direction, it actually makes Palpatine's manipulations of Anakin even more creepy and flat-out evil. I mean, Palpatine is a guy who just craves power for power's sake. (It's like if Mitch McConnell actually had any kind of Force abilities). You have to wonder if he just...enjoys keeping Anakin around on a leash, subservient, the supposed "Chosen One" (although I doubt Palpy really gives the prophecy all that much credit) at his beck-and-call. And yeah, he'd turn on Anakin for less than a cracker, which is exactly what happens in RotJ once Luke comes around.
It's...really kind of gross when you think of it that way.
But getting back to the original impetus for this ask (I'm assuming). What would Obi-wan killing Anakin have accomplished? Well, aside from putting Anakin out of his misery, which at this point, considering just how twisted the Anakin-Palpatine relationship is, would be kinder than leaving Anakin to eventually get his shit together in the Hail Mary-est of all Hail Mary passes by the end of the OT...
Anyway, aside from that. Vader's death would be a morale blow to the Empire, at least until Palpatine could conjure up another Big Bad(tm) to play boogeyman. And if nothing else, Anakin was good at wanton destruction. Would his death have saved more lives or would the Empire just kind of carpet-bombed their way through civilians? Not really sure how to answer that.
It's tempting to say that Obi-wan sees the long view during his second duel with Anakin, that he knows it's futile to kill Anakin because one thousand evils would just replace him (maybe he even fears he would be one of them, if he gave in to the idea of killing Anakin). But considering he asserts that, "One of us will die today," I don't think that's exactly where his head was at. Not on Mustafar, and certainly not the second time around during the Kenobi show.
And so while Obi-wan's inability to kill Anakin is not the sole reason the Empire rose (not by any means. Even if Anakin had never turned, it's likely some form of the Empire would have risen considering all the politics and how the war was manipulated), I don't think Vader being dead would have been a bad thing, per se, as he was insanely powerful and killed a lot of beings during his time as a Sith.
(Which kind of leads me down another rabbit hole of thinking if Luke had failed and turned, then what? Would the Empire have survived? The fight outside Death Star II was politics and it was the Rebellion that truly won the day. The fight inside Death Star II was for souls. The Empire may have been toast anyway, no matter what went down in that throne room).
All this is to say, anon, that it's a fascinating question and one that I don't have a clear answer to. I still contend that Obi-wan not killing Anakin was crueler than letting him live (whether you look at that from a wider political level or just Anakin's quality of life), but Obi-wan would never do it. And never did it, choosing to die by Anakin's hand before raising his own against him. Like I said, fascinating stuff.
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in case anyone was wondering-slash-this is me writing it down for future reference, these are my top three episodes per season, based off of me quickly sorting them for this
s1: faith, pilot, skin
s2: houses of the holy, night shifter, born under a bad sign
s3: bad day at black rock, jus in bello, mystery spot
s4: on the head of a pin, lazarus rising, lucifer rising
s5 (this was so hard): point of no return, swan song, 99 problems
s6: the man who would be king, weekend at bobby's, the man who knew too much
s7: repo man, the born-again identity, slash fiction
s8: goodbye stranger, the great escapist, sacrifice
s9: meta fiction, do you believe in miracles, first born
s10: the prisoner, soul survivor, the things we left behind
s11: baby, into the mystic, don't you forget about me
s12: stuck in the middle (with you), first blood, celebrating the life of asa fox
s13: funeralla, various and sundry villains, exodus
s14: nihilism, unhuman nature, peace of mind
s15: n/a bc i haven't seen all of it. LOVED the first three eps tho
and honorable mentions - hell house, croatoan, ghostfacers, the rapture, good god yall, clap your hands if you believe, defending your life, pac-man fever, dog dean afternoon, the executioner's song, red meat, lily sunders has some regrets, tombstone, ourborous
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A PLOTTING CALL IN TWO PARTS.
like for a msg !
CHARACTERS & INFO.
perseus hayden alexander xavier lehnsherr.
APPLICATION / INTRO / MUSING TAG
— adopted son of charles xavier & erik lehnsherr. nineteen. pansexual. accidentally married. regenerative healing & healing touch. fc: nick robinson. generation why by canon gray.
split knuckles, impulse tattoos, red solo cups, the copper taste of blood, post-ripped jeans, a story told in two parts, peals of laughter strong as vodka, shaking hands shoved in pockets, greasy fast food, low flying planes, cuffed shoes, the soft notes of a piano, a baseball bat in the back seat.
barbara “bobbi” morse.
APPLICATION / MUSING TAG
— former agent 19. thirties. bisexual. divorced. enhanced. fc: jessica alba. emotionless by drake.
gentle hands, biting remarks, unknown skill, non-disclosure agreements, hidden stashes of cash, studyblr accounts, handmade bullets, a tongue taught to deceive, coffee-mug rims, set shoulders, precise results, minimalism, lilting accent, a broken mirror, clean test tubes, red-painted nails around the hand of a gun.
andromeda rosalie isley-quinzel.
APPLICATION / INTRO / MUSING TAG
— adopted daughter of pamela isley & harleen quinzel. twenty-one. pansexual. single ( see below ). precognition. fc: lana condor. finest hour by cash cash.
whispers from a voice both soft and powerful, sloppily cut hair, pointe shoes, paint stains on every article of clothing, cassandra foretelling the trojan war, dirt under your fingernails, a love a week, the gold tinsel of a crown, unexplainable dreams, bundles of flowers, the soft rustling of worn cards.
roman darkhölme.
APPLICATION / INTRO / MUSING TAG
— son of raven darkhölme. twenty-four. pansexual. enchanted. persuasion & power absorption. fc: miles heizer. lost boy by ruth b.
the unexpected answer, washing your hands, casual disinterest, stacks of cash, little clear baggies, practiced ease, a silver tongue, whispers of the past, old cobblestone streets, bad decisions in the best way, sweaters and flannel, the burning of flowers, white lab coat, fear of the unknown.
loki.
APPLICATION / MUSING TAG
— the god of mischief. 1000s. fluid. open marriage. fc: daniel gillies & katie mcgrath. wild things by alessia cara.
dark skies, a long steel dagger, fog coming in, green & gold banners held high, the twisted around truth, stories told from a thousand tongues, crooked grin, a crown just out of reach, salt in wounds, ourborous, contrary to a point, blood superiority, loneliness as something else, eyes in the back of your head.
winona falcone.
APPLICATION / INTRO / MUSING TAG
— daughter of sofia falcone. twenty-six. bisexual. single. darkness manipulation. fc: shay mitchell. take me to church by hozier.
expensive fur, champagne glasses, hands covered in blood, instagram perfect, beautiful but deadly, the rich kids of gotham, sharp edges for a reason, dark hair in waves, a product of a situation, cherry stems tied with your tongue, heels on a hardwood floor, the many shades of red.
skylar helix mccoy.
APPLICATION / INTRO / MUSING TAG
— daughter of hank mccoy. twenty-two. lesbian. single ( see below ). genetic atavism & genius intelligence. fc: jennie kim. 400 lux by lorde.
a field of vibrant yellow flowers, the yipping of a small dog, fangs bared, constellations of words, no apologies, thousands of discarded ‘what ifs,’ the call of the wild, a small crescent moon necklace, pride without arrogance, false confidence, spitting blood, intelligence without direction.
CHARACTERS & WCS.
perseus hayden alexander.
a former foster care sibling.
it’s been a while, but he’s a pretty memorable kid / hasn’t changed much at all. until age 5 / 2004, percy was in foster care + went through a bunch of homes. this is someone who was in one of them! probs knows stuff abt him that even he doesn’t/doesn’t rem. the possibilities!
first relationship / current enemy. TAG
basically, it was percy’s first relationship back in his teens !! cute lil puppy love except he’s awful so not puppies more like … squirrels. like his first everything !! and then they broke up n it didn't go great !!! since then it has evolved and gotten much much worse - they’re now totally and completely against each other, hate each other, and will fuck w each other when given half a chance.
first relationship / current enemy.
basically, it was percy’s first relationship back in his teens !! cute lil puppy love except he’s awful so not puppies more like … squirrels. like his first everything !! and then they broke up n it didn't go great !!! since then it has evolved and gotten much much worse - they’re now totally and completely against each other, hate each other, and will fuck w each other when given half a chance.
barbara “bobbi” morse.
old mission target.
bobbi worked with shield for a very long time! she went on various missions, undercover and classified and the like. on this particular mission, this is someone she was targetting. what for is up to you, but the options are rather open to interpretation. just generally something that would have set them against shield’s desires.
rival.
bobbi being widely competitive when it comes to just about anything (science, training, lecturing) is bound to attract some friendly competition. they’re constantly versing each other, even in the simplest things, like giving out test results or getting ready.
ex that ended on bad terms.
it’s a common story. girl meets person, girl dates person, girl and person breaks up, girl literally hopes person dies in a fire. for whatever the reason, they didn't part ways peacefully. and you bet your sweet ass she plays the part of scorned ex great.
andromeda rosalie isley-quinzel.
poly ship. ( 0 / 2 ) TAG
andy has baggage, certainly. she’s a past weapon x detainee, unbeknownst to her, adopted from a broken family, and had her heart broken by the first person she dated. she’s serial dated for years. but these people, they made her stop & start to appreciate love for what it is again. this connect can be filled by someone of any gender.
ex. TAG
andy was younger and very awfully naive. she’s never really gotten over it. for whatever reason, they broke up— it could have to do with her slightly overbearing personality, or general attitude, or whatever, totally up to you, but it was the other muse’s decision to break up, leaving andromeda heartbroken and now seeking out love in places it’s not.
former prediction.
andy PREDICTED something about this muse, in the past. how long ago and what is up to you. it was something SERIOUS, though, and most likely bad. it could be as wild as death, or marriage, or a death in the family, or a regret, etc. it’s rly up to u !!
roman darkhölme.
childhood love.
this is honestly rly cute. they were lil lil kids when they were friends and were super cute n close. they got fake “married” once or something. they were just best friends who grew apart. now roman is hella dif. he’s manipulative and a total fiend and it’s like “where’s that cute lil kid who promised to fight off all the bad guys in my life??” like … cute n sad.
enemy.
they see him for what he is: a manipulator. they either have past experience with him or are just adept ( VERY adept; he’s good at hiding ) at noticing him. they don’t enjoy him. not his view of the world, his actions, or his drug dealing. roman doesn’t like them for a point. he doesn’t like being exposed.
clientelle.
the darkhölme-mccoy drug dealing business is going great, actually. paragon is full of just the type. and with roman’s skill of persuasion, they haven’t gotten caught yet. this is someone that roman knows from that particular side of his work. he sells them drugs.
loki.
someone he had a kid with.
the other side of the story. not someone he fathered/mothered, but rather someone he had a child w. can be any gender for obvs reasons. how old the child is is up to u!!!
someone he pretended to be someone else with, extendedly.
for them, he pretended to be a different person… for a very extended period of time. it’s a trick he played often, but for them it was honestly excessive. the nature of their relationship is up to you, but upon coming to paragon this person finds out that loki is LOKI ! god of mischief, stories, lies, what have u. they’re probs pissed lmao
asgardians.
while most midgardians known them as the god of mischief / alien asshole, this character knows a side of loki outside of the lore. they’ve met their kids & can even remember little loki, just around causing mischief, not trying to overthrow odin & what else. they have a better understanding.
winona falcone.
older sibling.
the oldest falcone ! mwahaha. so it’s this whole big thing that WINONA IS THE HEIR, but she wasn’t always. she has an older sibling who was disinherited from the family & cast out. a big ole family disgrace that none of them like to talk about. the reason behind this is up to you ! but it can range from being a MUTANT to a DEGENERATE to being SOFT to whatever. sofia is a pretty uptight gal.
best friend.
she’s not trying to replace raph. she didn’t think she would actually ever be given the chance, and for good reason. i mean, look at what happened to the last guy who took the spot. but they’re friends, for whatever reason ( and, damn, do the people commenting on her instagram posts speculate ).
ex.
she’s always been the exception that proves the rule. her sexuality is no different in that she’s not hte most comfortable with it. it’s just another thing she never told sofia about, lest her position as heir was to be threatened. that makes her exes an interesting story, especially considering she won’t acknowledge some of them.
skylar helix mccoy.
hateship to ship.
open to fem aligning nb & girls / both have reputations that proceed themselves ! sky obvs bc she had one inherently n bc of what happened & the other for w/e reason. pref an xkid. they knew each other when sky was younger but they didnt get along & when they reconnect , they dont get along right either. theyre a PLAYER really. like new girl on their arm every month. sky becomes one of the girls, rly. and sparks fly. and shes mad abt it. they have this antagonistic hatefuck relationship. and she finds herself starting to rly like them, falling in lov w them, unbeknownst to their own feelings (that shes the ONE). and like that
tutoree.
girl is, in fact, a genius, though people of many have expressed their disbelief at such a fact. she literally didn’t have education for eleven whole years of her development and is still ahead of her peers. she tutors in her free time. while totally organized, studyblr style, her teaching style leaves something to be desired in her paraphrasing of many a thing. ( vicki vc king george iii did what? sky vc fucked half of england )
someone who knew her before.
she was a prodigy child. famous beyond her years. even now, she’s on vogue lists, has millions of instagram followers, the whole thing — but for different reasons. this person knew her before she got taken, and are likely a child of the xmen or someone who was at xaviers. they remember the fearless child, ready to dive into anything, the kid who was always the top of her class. brash and happy, but kind, in a way she no longer is.
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