What is Anakin Skywalker's Motivation to Remain Darth Vader?

I wondered that but then you have to ask - what would he have been returning to? He had already killed Padme, his children had been split up and sent away from him, Obi-Wan was no longer an ally, he'd eliminated the Jedi Order...he had nothing to go back to, he was public enemy #1. What's more, he was filled with rage and pain, he had no emotional reason to turn from a path of self-destruction. And even if he had, who would have been there for him? I imagine the isolation he felt only further fueled his rage. It wasn't as though he had support as a padawan or Knight either, he was constantly treated like a threat which only became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Walking away from being Vader would have meant being no one's ally at all, no power, no kind of anchoring point. It's not like he could have just said hey, this was a mistake, I'm going to go raise my kids now.

Anakin always had lust for power. Also, there's a scene in Episode II where he tells Padmé that the best way to achieve peace was if the galaxy had a ruler.

Since he lost Padmé, he was left with his only other desire.

I once told a man to go screw himself! Can you even imagine?! - Kilgrave

Also Palpatine is all he has left after he betrayed his allies and killed his wife.

Three reasons!
a) Yoda: "Once you start down the dark path,forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will."
Once he drew on the powers of the Dark Side to kill all the Sand People, he was basically caught in an up-hill struggle to remain good. He was tipped over the edge when he carried out Palpatine's bidding, and couldn't turn back until he saw his son was dying.

b) What did he have to go back to? His wife was dead, he lost any affinity he had with his best friend, his mother had died, the Jedi Order was destoyed...

c) He blamed the Jedi for the death of Padme, as he was led to believe they were keeping things from him, and limiting his powers. He also had developed a loyalty to (Palpatine) The Republic, and from his point of view the Jedi were evil.



I think from what we see throughout the Saga, he was largely resigned in his role as Vader, and was basically just stomping around and carrying out the awful acts, while lurking in the back of bis mind, possibly full of regret...

Because once you go black...

Sidious was stronger than Vader and to disobey him would have meant death.

what more was there for him to do now? He pretty much wiped out the jedi, padme and his "unborn" child were dead,.... he had nothing else to really live his old life for.. he messed up,.. he knew it..but it was too late for him... well to him it was.

If you go back and watch the PT now, knowing everything that happened, and pay more attention to Anakin's behavior, it becomes pretty obvious that it's not the dark side that motivates him, it's mental illness. He's a paranoid narcissist, maybe schizoaffective; I dunno the proper terms for the illness(es) he has, but the behavior and dialogue are pretty obvious in Episodes 2 and 3:

1) His obsession with Padme is obvious throughout Ep2("just being around her again is intoxicating"); he disobeys orders and openly defies his superior in order to impress or please her ("we'll find out who did this, Padme, I promise you"); and his pursuit eventually leads him into a romantic and/or sexual relationship with a person whom he is tasked to protect, severely compromising his professional judgement ("I don't care! Put the ship down!").

2) His attitude toward Obi-Wan seems to swing from love to hate on a dime ("you're the closest thing I have to a father", "he's overly critical, he never listens").

3) He has little self-control over his angry and violent nature ("I'm taking him NOW!", "I HATE THEM!", "Do it!" )

4) He has delusions of grandeur ("Someday I will be. I will be the most powerful Jedi EVER! I promise you, I will even learn to stop people from dying!")

5) Instead of telling his Force visions of hit mother's death, to his superiors in the Jedi order and asking for a leave of absence or a Jedi mission to protect them, he abandon's his very first solo mission to go after his mother, putting Padme, whom he is tasked to bodyguard, in grave danger. Later, his keeps his visions of Padme's death to himself, leading him to fall for Palpatine's BS manipulation into betraying the Jedi. He's convinced that nobody can help him, and/or that nody will help him, to save either one - and this delusion actually leads to both of their deaths.

6) I happen to subscribe to the fan theory that Anakin actually Jedi Mind Tricked Padme into falling for him.