Anakin, the Gen Z Icon

Young white men feel as though the system has failed them. Whether they are on the far-left or the far-right, they are impatient with constitutions, sanctimony, and failing institutions. Not surprisingly, many have decided that Anakin Skywalker, the tragic villain of the Star Wars prequels, is actually a hero because he destroyed a corrupt political system and (almost) seized power for himself. When even pop culture must be used to reinforce by-the-numbers liberalism, it’s not surprising that a betrayed generation has decided that the “bad guys” are actually the real heroes.

Thumbnail credit: KPA/United Archives via ZUMA Press Wire