French psychiatrist Eric Bui at Toulouse University Hospital has diagnosed Anakin Skywalker and his evil alter-ego, Darth Vader, with borderline personality disorder. In an upcoming issue of Psychiatry Research, Bui and his colleagues argue that Star Wars' ominous heavy breather meets six of the condition's nine clinical criteria, including patterns of instability and impulsivity. Bui meant this as a teaching exercise, but some experts are taking it seriously. Who's the crazy one? (Watch some Star Wars fans act out Darth Vader's therapy session)
This explains a lot: Abandonment issues, violent dissociative episodes, and wild fluctuations between "idealizing and devaluing" Jedi mentors? Yup, says Tom Goldman in The Escapist, sounds like Bui has Anakin/Vader's number. But "even the researchers admit that the Emperor's influence" may have "inflamed" the patient's symptoms. If only Bui could have offer a "little psychotherapy" at that juncture.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
'From his election as pope in 2013, Francis sought to reform'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Israel blames 'failures' for killing of medicsspeed read 14 Gaza medics and 1 U.N. employee were killed by IDF special forces
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group textSpeed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
