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human
[Star Wars] Was Anakin ever truly a hero or just a selfish asshole that happened to be on Team Good because they found him first?

On the one hand, people, specifically Leia and Padme talk about the good they sense in him, on the other hand he's shown to be arrogant as hell, resentful of his peers, and incredibly self-centered. To the point that even in The Clone Wars where he's portrayed more softly he still has the audacity to caution Ahsoka against revenge, rebelliousness, and attachment while having slaughtered an entire village in revenge, constantly undermining authority, and being involved in a secret fucking marriage. 

Was he ever truly good or just benign?
gpt
I don't think it's that simple.

Anakin was the son of a single mother who never knew a father (or had a father figure) and was chattel - he was a slave without rights and whose future was bereft of dignity or hope. One day a magical supermonk tells him he's special, and he's thrown into this galactic conflict he knows basically nothing about - he's still just as a kid.
The supermonk's sidekick decides that after gaining his freedom, Anakin should join a special boarding school to learn magic. So far in the story, he's been given very little choice in any life decisions

He grows up indoctrinated into this religion of supermonks, and often finds himself in life-threatening situations, all while being told (in hushed tones) that he's the Chosen One. The years go by, he grows up, and the psychological trauma of his routine near-death experiences combined with the transition from slave to Chosen One are beginning to take their toll - he wants to do what *he* wants, for a change. 

Suddenly, he falls in love - head over heels - with an older woman with a burgeoning political career, and he realizes it's forbidden by his teachers, friends, and colleagues. This is a critical moment -- as a slave he could not make decisions for himself,  then as a Padawan he could not make decisions for himself, and now as a Jedi Knight he's told he cannot make *certain* decisions for himself. 

Then, his mother dies in a cruel and horrible manner. The murder of the Tusken Raiders is more than just an emotional response of a grieving soldier, it's also the culmination of years of frustration, anger, and confusion, combined with poor mental health and a lack of proper discipline. He's not *evil*, but he's certainly not good, either. He's flawed, like everyone else. Only in his line of work, he's not allowed to be flawed. That kind of pressure takes its toll, and the death of his mother broke him, mentally and emotionally.

Anakin tells himself it's not fair, and comes to realize *life* in the galaxy isn't fair. Despite his abilities, his fame, his prowess, and his skill, he is denied fundamental access to life's joys - a wife, a mother, a family. Everyone in his life has basically told him that, no, he can't do as he pleases. He is not free. He cannot do or have certain things. And, like a petulant child, he instantly rebels by marrying the woman he loves in secret. He forms an intimate, emotional bond to help him cope.

Then, a galactic war breaks out, putting his life in constant danger. His new wife is being put in danger as well. He desperately wants to control the situation. Wants to protect her, and himself, in the vain hope that one day, when it's all over, they can be free together. She falls pregnant, and he is elated. But in his mind, the risk has now grown, too. He has so much to lose, having gained so much since his early life as a child slave on a backwater planet.

A powerful man and potential father figure steps into the scene. He offers advice, friendship, opportunity, and choice. Anakin never stood a chance.