I think that one of the problems with the prequels is that Lucas tried to make Vader/Anakin too sympathetic, he kept good intentions even as he joined the Sith. And that's such a whopping contradiction in terms that Lucas had to make Anakin such a dumbass that he thought he could be The Good Sith.
I think it might have been a better story if it had had more of a love triangle at its core, with Padme and Palpatine fighting over him, and Anakin deliberately choosing between Padme and good (and Obi-Wan) on one side, or Palpatine and Sithutude on the other. But then, where would the suspense be? We all know he comes to evil in the long run.
Seventy-seven courses and a regicide, never a wedding like it!