Star Wars Reveals Why Anakin Skywalker Doesn't Like Sand (Prepare To Cry)
There are three key things that nearly every "Star Wars" fan knows about Anakin Skywalker: he becomes Darth Vader, he's Luke and Leia's father, and he really, truly does not like sand. Indeed, Anakin's (Hayden Christensen) scene from "Star Wars: Episode 2 — Attack of the Clones," in which he angrily rebukes sand as "coarse, and rough, and irritating" has become one of the most-quoted and oft-memed lines from the "Star Wars" prequel films. Many fans have characterized this piece of dialogue as silly and awkwardly-worded, but there's actually a far less humorous reason in-universe for why Anakin hates sand so much.
In the canonical 2022 comic "Star Wars: Darth Vader #26," it's revealed that Anakin actually once suffered a traumatic incident involving sand when he was a young boy growing up on Tatooine. In a flashback to the event, a young Anakin is separated from his mother Shmi Skywalker by a vicious sandstorm. As the wind whips, it seems for an instant that all hope is lost, but the future Jedi eventually manages a tearful reunion with Shmi and promises that the two will never be separated again. Of course, fans already know that things don't end well for Shmi, with her death at the hands of the Tusken Raiders in "Attack of the Clones" inevitably separating her from her son.
There's a defense to be made for Anakin's sand hatred
Even prior to the reveal of Anakin's sandstorm incident in "Star Wars: Darth Vader #26," some fans of the franchise have argued that his infamous sand-focused dialogue doesn't deserve its dubious legacy. A popular interpretation of the line is that sand is meant to be taken as a symbol of Anakin's troubled childhood on Tatooine — a past filled with suffering and hardship, which continues to influence his abrasive identity as an adult. When he says that the sand "gets everywhere," he's talking about how he's unable to shake off his trauma despite how radically his life has changed after becoming a Jedi Padawan.
Even some of those involved with "Star Wars" have come out in defense of Anakin's dislike for sand — including the person who spoke it into existence. In an interview with Kino Plus during the promotional tour for the miniseries "Obi-Wan Kenobi," Anakin's actor Hayden Christensen indicated that he thought the character's sand hatred was narratively justified. "You know, I understand Anakin's contempt for sand," he said. "He grew up on a desert planet. It wasn't the best experience for him. Yeah, I don't mind it."