I was reading this fanfiction on AO3 of a crossover between Naruto and SW, when I started thinking about the character traits of TPM Anakin from an Eastern Perspective.
And it hit me, Little Ani was a perfectly goodkid in TPM. Hell, if the kid had been presented in front of a cache of martial artists in Asia, they’d be fighting each other to get him under their wing, instead of uttering words of foreboding, telling everyone who would listen that this kid is dangerous.
Anakin’s fear and worry for his mother would not have been perceived as signs of darkness but as the wonderful trait of filial piety. In fact, had he been calm and detached the whole time, had he been able to just shrug off the immense feeling of loss at leaving his mother like that, the martial artists would’ve been far more worried and probably would think Anakin to heartless and cold. There’s a common belief that if you could forget your own birth mother so easily, you wouldn’t have much loyalty to your adopted family of warriors either. They would’ve helped the kid in freeing his mother and encouraged him to visit whenever there’s off-time or vacation because most martial artists would recognize the difference between unhealthy, baseless fear and understandable worry for an actual problem that needed to be resolved.
And then there are the other traits, behold the 7 virtues of Bushido, which is a general list of traits and standards that one should uphold to be considered a good human being. Little Ani practically displayed all of these character traits during the events of TPM. Sure, he had anger issues, but the kid’s only nine, there’s still time to help him work through it and teach him how to handle these powers. Another common belief amongst the Chinese: If the student’s already perfect in everything but skillset, what use do you have for a master?
Any martial arts faction would’ve been proud to induct Anakin as an initiate and the master that gets him would be counting his lucky stars for being able to have an apprentice like this. If you see a kid like this in any Wuxia genre story, people would be falling over themselves to praise and befriend him. And yet, the space cult monks only see his darkness. Seriously??!
Bottom Line: Anakin Skywalker was a great kid, perfect af martial artist material but the space cults ruined him. The poor kid would have done so much better as a wandering swordsman or samurai.
FIGHT ME ON THIS, I DARE YOU.
Wow. This is awesome. Now I need an AU where Baze and Chirrut show up to recruit “rejected” order candidates. “Oh, too old for the Order then? All is as the Force wills it. Baze will go invite your mother to join too and we can all go home together.”
“Excuse me, this is our council chamber and we are in the middle of evaluating this candidate,” Mace says. “Did Qui-Gon let you in?”
“Sounds like you’ve already made a decision about him before your meeting began,” Baze remarks. “And just what is so wrong about missing and fearing for his mother that you just left in slavery?” He asks coming to stand by Anakin.
“Slavery is an affront to the Force. To do nothing in the face if its evil is to invite darkness,” Chirrut proclaims leaning on his staff.
“Are you Jedi too?” Anakin asks with growing hope, a warmth filling him where before he was cold down to his bones. “Will you–will you really free my mother?”
That sounds like an excellent idea for an AU, Chirrut and Baze taking Anakin back to the temple in Jedha would have saved everyone a lot of pain. I would love to read more of this.
So Chirrut and Baze adopt Anakin (none of this master stuff). Anakin insists they help Padme’s Queen so they decide to tag along with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
(”Master, why are they here?” Obi-Wan asks in a hissing voice.
“The Force wills it,” Chirrut answers from the other side of the room.
“Anakin wants to help his friends and help people suffering. That’s a good thing,” Baze adds pointedly.)
Baze has a whole lot to say about sending the Gungans in as cannon fodder. Chirrut lets the tooka out of the bag that Padme is the Queen while en route (it’s not like he can see her “cunning disguise” after all). Padme is happy to learn about the Guardians and wants to develop deeper ties with them after she liberates her planet. Anakin still ends up flying in the battle and destroying the ship. Chirrut helps out with Darth Maul in his usual way, waiting and following behind the fight until the Force prompts him to act, saving Qui-Gon’s life and knocking Darth Maul out (he and Baze decide to take the Sith back with them to Jeddah. Baze does not like the idea of leaving Maul to be interrogated under this new Supreme Chancellor, especially when Chirrut positively recoils from the man). Qui-Gon keeps trying to get Anakin to consider joining the Order.
(”But … the council doesn’t want me,” Anakin reminds him carefully. “I’m too old.”
“I can still train you without their approval,” Qui-Gon insists.
“But you have Obi-Wan, who is AMAZING. I saw the footage from the saber fight with the Sith. He’s your student. Plus, if I go with Baze and Chirrut I get to free my mom just like in my dream.”)
Palpatine is NOT happy that he will be losing access to the Chosen One but is he really that necessary to his plans? No, he just wanted to corrupt him to really stick it to the Jedi Order when he orchestrates their downfall. He can always go to that backwater planet later and pick the boy up if he needs him. Really, like a bunch of crystal worshipers with no Force talent will be any threat to him. Anakin says goodbye to the Jedi Order and to Padme (they’ve exchanged comm info. Anakin plans to write her soon) and they rescue his mom (who’s own Force abilities are more than welcomed by the Guardians) and go to Jeddah.
Other than still dealing with copious amounts of sand, Anakin is quiet happy in his new life.
Agent Director Peggy Carter in the 21st century AU where she’s living in Avengers tower and ‘Oh look, Thor’s left his hammer on top of those files I need. Silly bugger.’
Thor and Steve walk into the room as she picks it up, retrieves her stack from the coffee table, nonchalantly places mjolnir back down. “What are you two gaping at!?” Thor shakes Steve’s hand and proceeds to parade her around the tower on his shoulders, loudly declaring her worthiness.
why is this not on my feed????
When they ask why she’s unruffled, she responds with “I know my value.”
So everyone talks about Steve being able to wield Mjolnir and that’s cool and all, but a lot of people forget that Clint, in the comics, is one of the few people who can properly use Steve’s shield.
So…yes. Steve holds his hand out and accidentally catches Mjolnir and meanwhile Clint’s out of arrows and the shield lands near him so he just kind of says “fuck it” and picks up the shield and starts throwing it. And Thor kind of shrugs and just grabs the nearest thing to use as a weapon. Maybe tosses one of the bad guys at the other bad guys. Maybe tosses Tony at the bad guys. Something.
