Killing Ahsoka (sorry for this.)

Among my perhaps controversial takes is that it would've served the story better if Ahsoka had been killed during Clone Wars.

I don't like it either (in general or specifically killing another female character for Anakin's sake), but make a couple changes to the arc with Cad Bane and you get this nice little set up where Anakin opens the holocron for him, Bane kills Ahsoka anyway--because he sucks and as a distraction to escape. Then Anakin proceeds to fail at prioritizing the lives of the safety of living children over his anger and grief for Ahsoka, even long enough to help with the investigation. He goes to kill Bane, nearly jeopardizing the mission to rescue the children Bane kidnaps, until Obi-Wan has to step in to get him to back down so they can interrogate Bane properly.

It's a climactic moment, and one of the several times that Obi-Wan very deliberately opens up about his own feelings & struggles specifically to help Anakin (see him talking about his feelings for Satine). He says something along the lines of never having experienced losing a padawan, but that getting to take care of Anakin after losing Qui-Gon helped him process the loss of his master. They have to help these children who mean so much to their families, much like what Ahsoka meant to Anakin. What would Ahsoka want him to do? (same method as how he reasoned with Anakin about Padme on Geonosis in AOTC)

Anakin does back down, but only just.

He's touched the dark again, but he's not lost.

Not yet.

The Jedi understand his awful loss. Too many of them have lost padawans. There is sympathy from Kit Fisto, who only just lost his own recently-knighted padawan. There is patience from Mace Windu, who thinks of Depa (already beyond his reach in a coma, if you include Shatterpoint events). There is Yoda, letting go for the thousandth time of all his padwans who have passed before him. There is attention from Obi-Wan and Rex, there is the 501st gathering to tell stories and remember her well. Anakin goes to Padmé, who also comforts him (she is secretly relieved that he made a different choice than with his mother--it means she doesn't have to worry anymore about her choice to keep his secret). Then he goes to Palpatine, who expresses his sympathy, and his wish that things like this didn't happen (if only he had more power to end the war and crack down on crime. this is the fault of the senate holding him back. Anakin should hold onto his pain forever--it is they only thing that shows he truly cared about Ahsoka).

Anakin shoves it down, along with all of his other pain. He stews in it, unable to process anything, becoming more and more reckless with his and the 501st's lives (why weren't they there to save her? why wasn't he powerful enough to save her?).

When he begins to dream of Padmé's death, he is not just doubly, but triply afraid.