The scar that marred Anakin Skywalker’s face is a silent testament to the Clone Wars’ brutality. While films leave its origin vague, Star Wars Legends continuity, particularly Republic comics, offers a compelling explanation, bridging the hopeful padawan and the conflicted Jedi Knight, hinting at the trials that shaped Anakin’s destiny.

The absence of a clear on-screen origin for Anakin’s scar has long intrigued Star Wars fans.Appearing abruptly between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, it suggests a significant off-screen event during the perilous Clone Wars. Neither the 2003 nor the 2008 Clone Wars series explicitly depict this moment, leaving the topic a mystery within the current canon.

However, the now non-canon Legends comics, which refers to any Star Wars content created before 2014, with the exclusion of the films and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, provide a detailed and dramatic explanation for Anakin’s enduring mark.

The Star Wars Republic comic series published by Dark Horse Comics uncovers the truth behind Anakin’s now iconic scar. Star Wars Republic #71, written by John Ostrander with art by Jan Duursema, Dan Parsons, Michael David Thomas, and Brad Anderson, provides a dramatic and consequential explanation for this enduring facial mark. While on Coruscant, Anakin attempts to visit his secret wife, Padmé Amidala, but she is no longer on the planet. One of her attendants passes a hologram message Padmé left behind for Anakin, wherein Padmé expresses her love for him.