The latest Star Wars twists suggest Anakin Skywalker was more true to the ways of the Jedi in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace than he was after he'd trained as a Padawan. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn was something of a maverick among the Jedi, one who had cultivated an unusual sensitivity to the will of the Force. Familiar with the ancient Jedi prophecies, he'd already recognized the sweeping patterns of history that told him to be on the look-out for the Chosen One. And yet, for all that's the case, he didn't ask enough questions when he discovered the young Anakin Skywalker on the desert planet of Tatooine.
It was surely no coincidence the Force ensured the Chosen One was born outside Republic space, where he would not be found by the Jedi as an infant. What's more, the Force deliberately chose to send this maverick Jedi to Anakin, one so committed to the will of the Force that - had he not died in battle with Darth Maul - Qui-Gon would surely have left the Jedi Order to train the boy. In an ideal world, one where the dark side never set itself up against the Force's will, the Chosen One would probably have never been a Jedi. He'd almost certainly have been a much more balanced person had he never trained at Coruscant, a view arguably supported by subtle details in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Anakin Skywalker Was A Champion Podracer... Because Of His Jedi Mindset
Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2, episode 4 has subtly explained why Anakin Skywalker was a champion podracer. The episode introduces an even more dangerous form of podracing, "riot racing," and Tech demonstrates proficiency for it - not because of his skills, but because of hid mindset. Tech recognizes the temptation to indulge in aggression, to attack competitors and try to neutralize them, is a distraction. He commits to a more defensive approach, with his focus upon the goal of winning the race. It's the exact same mindset Anakin Skywalker displayed in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
It is also, of course, a Jedi mindset. Jedi train to use the Force to defend, never to attack; indeed, they view aggression as a distraction in life, an obstacle to recognizing the will of the light side of the Force. Other racers choose to operate aggressively, trying to knock one another out of the race, but Anakin has no interest in that approach. He flies a clean race; he doesn't just win because he possesses the Force-assisted reflexes of a Jedi, but also because he has their focus.
Anakin's Lightsaber Style Proves He Lost This Defensive Mindset
Anakin Skywalker changed during his time with the Jedi. As the years passed, he became aware of an aggressive instinct that lay within him - and he actually found avenues to indulge it. Although he trained under Obi-Wan Kenobi, a master of Soresu, Anakin chose a very different lightsaber form; he became skilled in Form V, Shien and Djem So. This is actually one of the most combative lightsaber forms used by the Jedi - so aggressive it had a bad reputation in the Order, with many feeling it was not faithful to the Jedi way. Anakin's lightsaber form demonstrates the change in his heart; the transition from a champion podracer who eschews aggression to an aggressive lightsaber duelist indicates he is already walking the path towards the dark side.
How Did The Jedi Order Fail Anakin So Badly?
The change in Anakin's character naturally raises a disturbing question; just how did the Jedi Order fail Anakin Skywalker so badly? Years later, having reflected on Anakin's fall, Obi-Wan Kenobi blamed himself. "I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi," Obi-Wan's Force Ghost told Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi. "I thought that I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong. My pride has had terrible consequences for the galaxy." Obi-Wan believed his mistakes with Anakin made his fall inevitable.
The truth is probably a little darker. The Jedi failed Anakin Skywalker because they were never meant to succeed. The Chosen One had been born outside Republic space for a reason; he had been found by a Jedi who was familiar with older teachings, who understood balance in a unique way, and who would have left the Order to train him. Qui-Gon Jinn would have been the father-figure Anakin so desperately needed, teaching him the principles of balance that had been forgotten by the Jedi of the prequel era. In doing so, he would have built on the Jedi attributes Anakin already possessed, rather than simply adapting around his weaknesses. The Star Wars saga would have been very different had Anakin not gone with the Jedi at all - and he'd have been a better Jedi for it.