A Heartbreaking ‘Star Wars’ Fan Theory Accuses Anakin of Tricking Padmé Into Loving HIm
Fans can directly trace nearly every plot twist in the Star Wars universe to Anakin Skywalker.
After all, he’s the person that nearly every film hinges on. We see the character grow from an innocent young servant to a powerful student Jedi and eventual dark overlord in the prequels.
However, some of his actions may have even greater meaning put under a microscope. In fact, a look at his arc throughout the prequel saga may show someone more complex than the character we see on screen.
‘Star Wars’: Anakin and Padme
Padme was an afterthought in the original films. While mentioned a handful of times in vague terms, she’s the mother of the original trilogy’s protagonist and female lead and the former love interest of its lead protagonist. According to her Fandom page confirms that it wasn’t until Episode 1 that she first appeared on the screen.
Played by future Oscar-winner Natalie Portman, Padme was a young queen looking to restore peace in the universe as the political powers that be tried to destroy it. However, as she and Anakin grew older, they fell into a forbidden romance. Each side had to weigh whether their relationship was worth the plunge, and ultimately they snuck away and formed a bond in private.
While the execution of their love story left much to be desired for the fans, it ultimately paid off for the story. When Anakin turns into the dark side, Padme is physically struck down and emotionally defeated by her husband and the father of her unborn children. However, if you believe another fan theory, the turn to the dark side may have started long before Anakin killed Master Windu and officially let his new vision be known.
Was Anakin ever truly good?
When Anakin first appears on screen in The Phantom Menace, he’s a seemingly innocent young ten-year-old. However, by the second movie, he’s more of a moody teenager.
From there, as ABC News noted, his morality is hard to pin down whether he’s Anakin, Vader, or something in between. Despite this muddy disposition, Padme falls in love with him. No matter what he does, be it killing a tribe of sand people in a fit of vengeance or fighting the Jedi Order, right or wrong, she remains by his side.
If Anakin was strong in the force early on, he could have been manipulating Padme from the time they met onward. While it may not have always been evil in intention, Anakin never fully embraced the light side. As he grew into adulthood, the morally gray area made him do things he regretted, even if he meant well.
Does the ‘Star Wars’ theory hold up?
If Conner Schwerdtfeger of CinemaBlend is correct, Padme’s affection toward Anakin at his worst makes sense. In a short theory that they posited in a piece by Conner Schwerdtfeger, the writer asks if Padme ever loved Anakin or if his Jedi mind tricks got her early on. This could explain why people who met when one was a teenager and the other was a child became so romantic as they got older.
Theories like this explain how her husband’s turn could blind the otherwise commendable Padme. While this theory is never confirmed, in a world where Star Wars theories run the gamut of well-researched hypotheses and wild, outlandish claims, this theory makes sense. It’s theories like this that also make the saga so beloved.
Most theories like this hold no bearing on the galaxy far away. Yes, they might make sense, and yes, they might inspire certain plot twists. However, what they show is the rich tapestry behind the Star Wars world. After all, few franchises allow such a breadth of well-thought-out, near-academic theories that Star Wars does. That might be its greatest achievement yet.
