#padme's death

[artist-issues]

someone needs to provide me with an analysis that explains Padme's cause of death being "she lost the will to live." because I love that movie, and I accept it, but it doesn't make any sense. Her last words are that she knows there's good in Anakin. But clearly she didn't believe that, or take hope from it, if she lost the will to live after. Padme's the kind of character who's always been shown to fight if there's even a sliver of hope left.

So why in heaven's name would she lose the will to live when, if she recovered instead, there's so much work to be done? For Anakin and her twin's sake? Make it make sense

[tossawary]

Thinking about missed opportunities in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy again: it's weird with hindsight that Count Dooku doesn't appear in "The Phantom Menace".

Dooku was a Jedi, so it's perfectly reasonable for him to be at either the Jedi Temple or the Republic Senate when we visit Coruscant in TPM. It would have been easy to move a few things around and include him even as a member of the Jedi Council when initially constructing the films, if you were planning ahead when writing.

As Qui-Gon's former master, Dooku is in the perfect position to ask questions onscreen about Qui-Gon's conviction that he's found the Chosen One and Qui-Gon's decision to put Obi-Wan up for knighthood, both publicly with the Council and privately from a more personal standpoint. Dooku could be used as a tool of interrogation to better lay clear for the audience some of Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin's characters, their motivations and fears and their potential flaws. An intimate conversation with his master's master could definitely be used to give Obi-Wan some much-needed character focus and inferiority before his climatic fight with Darth Maul.

As the future leader of the Separatists, this is also the ideal point in time to have Dooku act as a voice of criticism, someone who laments both the greed of the Trade Federation and the inaction of the Republic. Dooku could have easily been the representative of the Jedi in the Senate, watching everything, offering grandfatherly sympathy to Padmé Amidala, remarking on the effectiveness of unrestrained power, perhaps even making a warning observation of the dangers of that as Palpatine becomes the new Chancellor. We don't have to see Palpatine and Dooku interact directly, the film could even suggest that Dooku finds this ambitious politician slightly distasteful, but it sets up an explanation for how these two might know each other.

And if we have reason to know and like Master Dooku, then it would actually hurt more when he becomes Count Dooku and betrays both the Jedi Order and the Republic. Even briefly, we could have seen him show frustrated affection and concern for Qui-Gon, give warm advice and praise to Obi-Wan, stand up firmly against the unfairness of the Jedi Council saying Anakin is too old at nine years old. We could have seen Dooku support Padmé in her struggles to make the corrupt Republic take action. We could have seen him as dignified and wise, perhaps one of the only members of the Jedi Council to immediately take the return of the Sith 100% seriously after Maul appears on Tatooine. We could have been made to feel like this experienced, slightly embittered, but righteous older man was the only one "speaking the truth" here.

It really wouldn't have taken all that much shuffling and reassignment plotwise to add him in as a supporting character.

We would feel intrigued at the beginning of "Attack of Clones" when we learn that Count Dooku has left the Jedi Order after Qui-Gon's death. We could see Anakin and Obi-Wan briefly exchange lines about how they miss Master Dooku as well as Qui-Gon (there is already an exchange in the films where they state they miss Qui-Gon), and how they haven't seen or heard from him in some time now. Anakin could suggest that Dooku is hunting down the Sith Master; Obi-Wan could counter with how Master Dooku has simply returned to his life on Serenno, which he couldn't have as a Jedi Master, which Anakin casually calls unfair and he suggests that Dooku can do far greater good as a powerful count (a parallel to Anakin's marriage to Padmé and own Fall). Dooku being established earlier in the trilogy would better highlight how he and Obi-Wan went completely separate directions after Qui-Gon's death.

And again, the reveal that Dooku has Fallen would hurt so much more, if we had actually seen him be affectionate and righteous and wise. If we had any point of comparison for how Dooku's embittered desire for peace and justice has been warped into the pursuit of control and tyranny. It would hurt to see that formerly good man sentence Padmé to death as "just politics, my dear".

"This will start a war!" Padmé tells the man who helped her help her people once.

"I know," Dooku replies, with ominous satisfaction.

It would hurt to see Obi-Wan beg Dooku to stop this (a prelude to him begging Anakin in the next movie: "Anakin, please, I cannot lose you too!"), only for Dooku to attack and nearly kill him when Obi-Wan refuses to join him. It would hurt to see this grandfatherly figure cut off Anakin's hand, someone he knew and was kind to as a child. Seeing where Dooku fell from would also make everything about his fight with Yoda hurt more as well. We wouldn't have seen Dooku's struggles directly, offscreen in the time skip between TPM and AOTC, but this Fall would help prepare us for witnessing Anakin's Fall onscreen in "Revenge of the Sith", illustrate for us how power and grief corrupts, how the desire to take complete control and "start over" corrupts.

And all of this would also make Dooku's death in ROTS hurt more: to see Anakin execute an unarmed, injured man who had once been kind to him, who had once had good intentions a long, long time ago. We could have even had Dooku perhaps try to warn Anakin about Sidious, as the fear cuts through him as he realizes Sidious has betrayed him, only for Anakin to kill Dooku out of anger (Dooku is responsible for so much death, Palpatine reminds Anakin) just before the ruined man can finish speaking. Dooku's former goodness underlines Anakin's arrogance in thinking that his own fate will be any different.

The novelizations of the prequel films and other extended universe materials build up an image of Dooku's life as a Jedi and his Fall for us. We can assume and imagine a lot. We can retroactively apply knowledge gleaned from "The Clone Wars" with Dooku as a major villain. But ultimately, Dooku as a more sympathetic and emotionally relevant character is just not in the films.

When "Attack of the Clones" reveals to us: "Oh, no! Dooku has betrayed the Jedi Order and the Republic!" I think that most of the audience is like: "Gonna be real with you, chief, I have no idea who that is."

He's only been mentioned before once maybe? In Palpatine's office? Master Mundi assures Palpatine that Dooku is a good man (or something like that), but we have seen no evidence of this ourselves. This line mostly just becomes really funny on a rewatch, rather than poignant, because the prequel films audience only ever gets to see Count Dooku as a Sith Lord and rather underdeveloped villain. We don't ever get to see him be a "good guy" first. We're told but not shown.

The audience has no solid reason to care that Dooku specifically has betrayed the Order, as opposed to any random Jedi, because we haven't seen him before at all, much less interacting with any of our protagonists or establishing himself as an opinionated player within the story. Which is a shame! Because he has strong opinions that stand in interesting ideological conflict with so many other characters, generating fun and dramatic exchanges! He has direct connections to and parallels with other characters! He's potentially a really useful storytelling tool within these films, and his character just doesn't get used to that full tragic potential.

In conclusion...? I wish I'd actually been sad when Dooku betrayed everyone and died at Anakin's hand, instead of mostly just confused and then vaguely pitying. I want to see some of the love between characters beforehand, so that it hurts more effectively when that love turns to hate.

[padmestrilogy]

it was deeply inconvenient for the galaxy et large and often difficult to understand, but padme really did love that guy. and if your analysis of her is based in a denial of that, you’re going nowhere

[the-far-bright-center]

That's a unique interpretation I hadn’t seen before. I agree that Obi-Wan and Padme aren't as close as fandom seems to believe, and there are times that Obi-Wan even demonstrates a callous disregard for Padme's safety and well-being. So I appreciate this take because it emphasises Obi-Wan's betrayal of Padme on Mustafar, which is all too often glossed over. The focus is always on what Anakin does to her in his rage about Obi-Wan (which is indeed most TERRIBLE), but it's important to point out Obi-Wan's actual role in all of that as well.

My own thoughts about what exactly caused Padme's death go back and forth between different theories. I've never fully settled on just one explanation, in large part because Padme's death has always been SO upsetting to me that most of the time I prefer not to think too long and hard on it. Honestly, sometimes I really do believe that she literally did just die of a broken heart. This is a tragic love story, after all. And since she specifically says to Anakin that 'you're breaking my heart', it's understandable that some interpret this as Anakin 'killing' her even if he didn't actually physically do so. But, your idea could also contribute to this, in the sense that Padme was already broken-hearted because she thought Anakin believed she didn't love him anymore and that she'd brought Obi-Wan there to kill him, and then to find out that Obi-Wan had 'killed' him and that she had uknowingly lead him there to do so could indeed have been what caused her to 'lose the will to live'.

That being said, I also vacillate between the 'broken heart' idea and the extremely horrifying theory that Sidious drained Padme of her life-force in order to bring Anakin back to life in the Vader suit. (Though this theory and the one discussed above aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, and there are interpretations that could allow them both to be true simultaneously.) One of the reasons I consider this is the fact that Sidious always wanted Padme dead. He'd already tried to have her assassinated back in AotC, even. I believe he viewed Padme as both his political arch-nemesis as well as his main 'competition' for Anakin. So, I think Sidious always planned for Padme to die. He was NEVER going to actually 'save her life'—that was merely the false promise he used to lure Anakin to the Dark Side. And the other reason I can't help but consider this theory is the fact that Anakin and Padme's hearts both stop together. Then, Anakin is revived in the Vader suit. Again, that parallel could just be symbolic of their status as star-crossed lovers, but the whole thing also has a Frankenstein's creature meets Faustian pact with the Devil vibe to it.

Hot take, but if Padme lived she would have never forgiven Obi-Wan for what he did to Anakin. Padme already disliked the Jedi for being so unfeeling and after she saw Obi-Wan was able to (from Padme's point of view) just flip a switch and go kill Anakin, she would dislike him instantly.

Also this post isn't meant to hate on Obi-Wan, but I've seen a lot of takes about how things would have turned out if Padme lived and I don't think I've ever seen anyone discuss how her relationship with Obi-Wan would have been after Mustafar. So yeah, here it is. It would have been bad. Not in the way that Padme would actively try to harm Obi-Wan, but she would keep herself and her children as far away from him as possible. So you know, Obi-Wan would lose not only Anakin, but Padme and the twins too.

[phoenixyfriend]

Yes I'm skewing the data by refusing to let people pick the twins sucking the life out of her.

(I actually did consider adding "twins drained her from the womb somehow" to it, but there are so many force-sensitive kids born to non-sensitive parents that I decided I didn't want it on the list because it makes no fucking sense.)

[remy45]

Anakin and Padme by Takeshi Obata.

[adragonsfriend]

Padme was not a Witness

I will never join the “Padmé was stupid to go to Mustafar” parade—she had valid reason to believe in the possibility of Anakin’s redemption—but there’s something awful in the fact that she didn’t have to witness either of his massacres.

Obi-Wan and Yoda walk past the bodies of their people—of their people’s children. Bail Organa goes to the temple and sees a kid get shot down trying to escape (more clones than Anakin, but still).

Padme hears about the second massacre after sitting in her apartment while the Temple was on fire. She’s told about them in vague terms. “I killed them like animals,” “he killed younglings,” She has a touch of denial when she goes to Mustafar partly because of her belief in Anakin, but partly because—I think—the Tuskan Massacre was never fully real to her. She understands it intellectually of course, but violence on that scale is difficult to conceptualise without seeing it, especially if it’s easier to just let it go. If she’d seen the bodies? Or seen Anakin kill them? She watched that one refugee kid die slowly, not at all violently, when she was working with the refugee organisation, and it affected her for the rest of her life. It is not a lack of caring on Padmé’s part that’s the problem.

Imagine being Obi-Wan listening to Padme saying “there’s still good in him,” after walking through the Temple, seeing the lightsaber marks on knights and children alike—not even to mention seeing her get strangled. It sounds not only wild, but honestly deeply offensive on more levels than one (besides the obvious issues it’s another, “train the boy,” prioritise Anakin over everything moment, except this time Obi-wan’s entire world has been torn apart, rather than just losing his Master)

If Padmé had actually been a witness to Anakin’s violence? If it was made present and visceral to her?

I think her opinions and her actions would’ve been different.

Thematically, it is crucial that when Luke goes to the second Death Star, he is under no illusions about who Anakin is or what he’s done, and in his most desperate moment he chooses to ask Anakin for help anyway. Padmé goes to him still a bit in denial, still a bit convinced things can return to how they once were. When she starts to push at the illusion, Anakin accuses her of betraying him and strangles her to shut her up, attempting to preserve the illusion (the difference between Anakin’s state at the time of his confrontations with Padmé and Luke is a whole other, very important topic). In part, her illusion allows Anakin to believe he can preserve the past (to be clear—he is the only one responsible for the choice to strangle her; Padme being imperfect is not an excuse for domestic abuse).

Side note, but if anyone is not sufficiently freaked out by Anakin strangling Padmé, it's important to know that strangulation is one of the flashing red warnings that physical abuse is doing to turn deadly, very, very quickly.

Luke’s complete and honest knowledge of Anakin’s worst self means there is nothing for Anakin to lose except his son, exactly as he is. No illusions, no wonderful past, not even any good memories together. Just his son.

To me, that’s one of several reasons (both thematic and logistical) why Padmé’s plea fails where Luke’s succeeds. None of those reasons has anything to do with her being stupid to go in the first place.

(There are some wonderful fanfics out there that show Padmé actually making her disapproval about the Tuskan massacre—both despite and because of her love—actively known during their marriage, and I think that interpretation of her is a stronger character than ROTS gives us, and more in line with what we’re shown in the first movie)

[groove-on-boogie-down]

Just watched Attack of the Clones and noticed more parallels between Anakin Skywalker and Osha Aniseya.

(Long post ahead, with visuals!)

In AotC, Anakin's mother dies before she can tell him, "I love you," and Anakin descends down a path of destruction out of grief.

Osha force-chokes her father figure before he can say, "I love you," because she grieves his betrayal and the loss of her family.

Now these are very different forms of paternal love by Shmi and Sol, but I LOVE comparing and contrasting Anakin and Osha because these situations lead to different outcomes and reactions. Yet at the core, they have these strong emotions they hold inside. In the simplest form, they have both lost parents and both lost their mothers.

Both Osha and Anakin are born with the help of the Force, we know this. Anakin is born completely of the Force. Osha and Mae are born through their mother's magic augmented by the Force. Anakin didn't care for his home planet. He was born into slavery and trauma. But his mother loved him dearly. He left because he dreamt of better. To be a Jedi and return to free her too.

Osha came from a family that loved and protected her, but she longed for individuality and to explore the galaxy outside of their coven walls. Anakin finds his mother in her last moments, and the dark side takes over him. He seeks revenge and kills the Tusken camp out of rage.

Osha learns the man who raised her killed her mother. Her silent anger is simmering. She doesn't lash out the exact same way, she's in shock.

Their reactions work for both of them. Anakin had his emotions building inside of him. In his feelings of inadequacy, he tells Padme that he is used to fixing everything, but this is the one time he failed. Anakin thinks he lost his mother due to his own weakness and believes more power will prevent it in the future. However, he is also ashamed of how his anger manifests and the act he committed in the camp. Padme tells him, "To be angry is to be human." (And as I am typing this RotS is on and Palpatine tells him the same, that seeking revenge on Dooku is natural despite his unease). But because of his training, Anakin says, "I'm a Jedi. I know, I'm better than this."

Osha has power, but she doesn't realize it. Striking out at Qimir catches her off guard. Killing her master startles her to shock. She's not seeking power. Osha seeks an understanding of herself and to be understood. Just like Anakin, Osha believes she failed as a Jedi for showing her anger. For not being able to accept loss. Qimir pushes her to confront his realization, and similar to Padme, he tells her, "This anger, this pain. This is who you are."

Anakin and Osha descend to darkness in similar ways. They feel and emote in similar ways. The Jedi are not successful in teaching them how to healthily deal with their feelings. So these experiences mirror, but they are still distinct examples of Jedi that are seduced to the dark side.

To me, Anakin Skywalker and Osha Aniseya are incredibly compelling characters that are only strengthened when analyzed together. End.

[ominouspuff]

Last Line Challenge

Rules: in a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or as many as you feel like)

Tagged by @rooksunday

WIP Symbolic (ish?) Anakin/Padme

Technically my last line was on an emoji of Rex Blushing, but this was the last line for artworks so we’re going with that. Last line was a color-layer blend of red and orange for the background.

No-pressure tagging @gaeasun @alwayskote @frostbitebakery @razzbberry @chiliger @ddeck @denimscotch

[helbrides]

political thriller where padme and dooku are besties/toxic mentor-mentee/weird grandpa-adopted kid in a leo mcgarry + josh lyman style. padme accepts dooku’s offer in a sudden move because she’s sick of the chancellor and finds anakin fascinating but unnerving. dooku is all like “oh my evil plan is working” but they both slowly realize that they’re fucked once dooku and padme realize the scale of palpatine’s ambitions. dooku as a way for padme to express rebellion against the chancellor and the failing republic by sneaking secrets and helping the CIS. padme as a way for dooku to have a second chance and the hopefulness of the youth. leftist infighting. kotor influences and the understanding of the failures of the jedi in being tied so intimately w the senate. “we will watch your career with great interest.” is this anything???

[pepperoniparadise]

“Your focus determines your reality.”

[tossawary]

Oh, hm, I properly realized that Obi-Wan never finds out about the Tusken massacre in the prequel trilogy. Now I'm imagining an immediately post-Ep3 scene on Tatooine, in which Owen or Beru is forced to reference it as it relates to other occupational hazards on Tatooine, and Obi-Wan has to be like, "I beg your fucking pardon???"

And they're reluctantly like, "You know, that time that Anakin, your student, came back to Tatooine after his poor mother had been taken by the Sand People? He singlehandedly killed that big group of them down to the last child, dozens of them, and then took off right afterwards. Big mess. It was about four years ago now. Just before the Clone Wars started. Is that, uh, is that normal for you Jedi people, by the way?" And Obi-Wan has to say, "No. No, it is fucking not."

So the Larses are, at least, incredibly relieved. They didn't want that kind of thing to happen around here again and were a little worried about this Kenobi guy starting that up again. Big mess, don't you know? Everyone in their corner of Tatooine heard about it. People a few towns over heard about it. Anakin and that Padmé woman really never said anything?

Obi-Wan, already reeling from Anakin's recent betrayal and suddenly having to re-evaluate the late Padmé's entire character as well, in the flattest tone of voice that anyone has ever used: "No, I can't say that she ever mentioned it. How odd."

[queen-of-wisdom]

When the "I survived heinous trauma" character and the "And I didn't" character love each other

[galactic-rhea]

Help is been MONTHS since I wrote anything I feel so rusty and out of shape aaahbhhh

Anyways I'm writing and of course is Anakin and of course he isn't normal

[renlyslittlerose]

I commissioned @a-aristippus to draw some Padmé/Sabé action ✨💕

[plj14]

Takeshi Obata