Since the beginning of literature and entertainment, many authors have written about men obsessing over the idea of eternal life and an abundance of power. Two famous characters, Gilgamesh from the “Epic of Gilgamesh” and Anakin Skywalker, eventually Darth Vader, from Star Wars were both powerful warriors of their realm and embarked on a journey to gain immortality after their beloved ones are murdered. While Gilgamesh and Darth Vader share the same mission to achieve eternal life, the two characters differ in their process and length of learning to accept their mortality.
Both Gilgamesh and Darth Vader were supernatural from birth. Gilgamesh was the powerful king of Uruk, who was two-thirds god and one-third human and with strength, courage,…show more content… In contrast to Gilgamesh, Anakin intitally wanted the secret to eternal life in order to save his wife. Gilgamesh sought the immortal Utnapishtim, the survivor of the Great Flood caused by the god Enlil. In order to gain immortality, Gilgamesh attempted to stay awake for six days and seven nights and tried to find a plant that granted eternal youth in order to gain immortality, but he failed. He sought out and begged Sidious, the leader of the Dark Side, to teach him how to cheat death. He betrayed his close family and fellow Jedis to embrace the dark side and named himself as Darth Vader. Even though both men eventually came to the realization they death was inevtiable, it took Darth Vader a longer time. As said from Anakin’s mother, it is impossible to “stop the change, no more than you can stop the suns from setting,” to remind others that change and the continuation of life is inevitable (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace). Anakin did fulfull the Jedi prophecy by sacrificing himself in order to save his son, Luke. After nearly thirty years, he finally understood that it was more important to not worry about his mortality rather than live an artifical life in life-sustaining mechanical suit. After he fulfilled his destiny, Anakin became one with the Force and his spirit was reunited with Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the light side of the force. Gilgamesh eventually came
