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star wars - Why was Vader's identity as Anakin kept a secret?


If Palpatine believed being known in public by his birth name rather than his Sith title is more beneficial, then why don't the same misgivings apply to Anakin being publicly known as Darth Vader? Also, would it not have been better for friend and foe alike to know who he truly is? To let the citizens know that the poster boy of the Republic and the Clone Wars is the only one to have seen through the lies of the Jedi Order, and led the purge of the traitors as the champion of the New Order? To let the surviving Jedi know that the Chosen One of prophecy has fallen to darkness, and that all hope is well and truly lost? Perhaps it can even draw Obi-Wan and Yoda out of hiding to finish what they thought they succeeded in doing.


There seems to be plenty of benefits and strategic value in continuing with the Anakin Skywalker identity. As to the problem of him being in a suit, Palpatine can easily give the excuse that he almost died defending Palpatine in the same attack that disfigured him.


I had read that Palpatine was dissatisfied with how Vader turned out as a result of the permanent damage incurred at Mustafar - this shows that Palpatine did not quite anticipate this transformation. If that's so, Palpatine was probably expecting Vader to serve him in his original form - there would be no way of hiding his identity as Anakin Skywalker forever in that preferred scenario. So is there any key reason for hiding Vader's identity?





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