Anakin & Padme

I was scrolling through videos on my timeline, on a variety of social media platforms. On this particular day, I was bombarded with edits of Anakin Skywalker and Padme. There was a variety of perspectives of their love story. Some stating that they would’ve “folded” and been evil with Anakin. Some stating that Anakin never loved Padme and was obsessed with power. Others declared Padme a true Pacifist Leader at her heart. I could weigh in on all the perspectives and romantics behind their story. However, after meditating upon it, I found it to be the purest of tragedies. A lesson missed. A depth within the character development and arc that is Anakin and Darth Vader. If I were to call anyone a villain? It would not be Anakin, nor would it be Darth Vader. Anakin was a man who lost it all, broken by the hardships and tragedies of his soul. If you were to ask me, the truest villain of them all is Padme. I could equally identify the Jedi Council as evil. But this analysis will emphasis the romantic relationship and dynamic between that of Anakin and Padme. I view her reaction to Anakin’s deeds to be the worst forms of betrayal within a partnership such as theirs. Especially after all they have witnessed and overcome together. Watching the film and those final scenes of Episode III, looking into the depth of heartache within Anakin’s eyes, I believe I finally saw the depth of truth.

It is foolish to believe that a character as powerful and insightful as Anakin, would falter at the hands of the Chancellor. While I can understand the perspective that Anakin was a broken man, breaking underneath the inferiority he felt from the Jedi Council and other traumas within his life; such as the death of his mother. He is far too superior of a soul and had far too superior of a destined purpose to the force to be easily weakened. There had to be more to the character than the directed narration of the film. Many believe the Chancellor groomed him. Manipulated him into fighting for his side. Planted seeds of fear and fed off of Anakin’s pure heart and love for Padme. I can see the techniques and attempts. I can agree that it was present from the intention and narration of the Chancellor, but for him to be a complete victim to it? I couldn’t disagree more. It is easy to get lost in the wounded child that is within Anakin. Which I will admit there were probably breadcrumbs of that nature lurking. The boyish and immature nature. However, he has always been painted to be a character far ahead of his time. That is the fear that was felt in the force by the Jedi Council. It was not that they didn’t believe he was ready. It was their own fear of his power. Their potential emotional conflicts, envies, inferiorities or perhaps their controlling nature and desperate attempts to hold on to the established tradition. Their vision for society. Not the vision or divine plan of the force. I would say their fear of change was the grandest reasoning deep within the subconscious of such a structure. Fear that tainted their duty to nourish Anakin into the “Chosen One,” he was destined to be. Yet, the betrayals of the Jedi Council is not anything that would motivate Anakin to turn against his own philosophies. I would be certain of his political rebellion to continue to be dramatic schemes to endlessly prove himself to the Council. It was a brick in the foundation. It most certainly effected him. The betrayal, the fear and lack of faith in him from the council, only pushed him into innovation. To take the reigns himself. To ask for forgiveness and not permission and prove himself to them. Instead of being collaborative and trustingly following his lead, he had take the initiative to show them for himself. To prove he was the leader they prophesied.

At the cinematic turning point, I could only imagine the difficult and calculated problem solving that met an explosive head at this time. Anakin had a choice to make and one he had to make quite abruptly and intuitively. Trusting the force to guide him. He could go back to being disrespected, unappreciated, limited and underestimated. Or he could make a seemingly horrific sacrifice. Which would be the life of Mace Windu, an adversary in his own right. One could say that was the soul purpose of Mace Windu. To enact as a petty tyrant and push Anakin into achieving such a lesson. This sacrifice would put Anakin in a position of trust and power. This sacrifice would give him the upper hand in this diffusion of delusion within the world and council as he knew it. An unfortunate sacrifice and circumstance of war. It is naive to believe that Anakin couldn’t see the bigger picture in this moment. If the Republic had been corrupted all the way to the Chancellor, who was to know how deep the swamp truly was. This was chess, not checkers. Again, unfortunate, but in such a battle, it can be necessary to sacrifice a pawn for a grander play and win. With Mace Windu’s sacrifice, Anakin would gain access to the information necessary to bring peace and balance to the force. Whereas if he followed the orders of Mace Windu, with the superficial, morally correct decision, it would’ve lead to another cycle of war. A repetitive cycle or a potential of failure. I see this scene as a moment Anakin decided to honor his true destiny and lead the galaxy into the new age of leadership.

Anakin was forced to conduct horrific acts. It was the price to pay for being a double agent. A necessary evil. Another necessary sacrifice. Many argue that Anakin didn’t have to kill the younglings. However, I will argue that the Chancellor is equally not naive nor foolish to believe that Anakin wouldn’t be attempting such undercover work. The Chancellor could have ordered anyone to murder the younglings. But he chose Anakin. Others will argue Anakin had to implement it because he was a trusted Jedi. I will continue to stand on the point that it was necessary for both parties and strategic to the highest of intelligences. The Chancellor needed Anakin to prove his loyalty by committing another, far worse and unspeakable act, while equally being a pawn that could achieve the highest level of success within the mission Anakin set to achieve. Anakin had to sacrifice that part of his soul for the greater good, to overthrow the corruption once and for all. It is heartbreaking to believe that children could be considered pawns of sacrifice. However, we experience such sacrifice each and every day, of each and every war. It is a vulnerability within everyone. Which is why it is weaponized as such. I could only imagine what it meant for Anakin to have to follow through on such an order. A true detachment of a warrior. A weight every soldier carries through the horrors of warfare.

I would be willing to die upon the hill that everything Anakin did was for Padme. Which is not too far of a stretch and ultimately his main reasoning behind everything he has done since meeting her. He wanted to be with her, love her and protect her. His duty was to her. His belief of purpose within the Jedi was soul tied into his love for her. That is common knowledge within the Star Wars Saga. Or so it seemed to be in my perspective. But, I will take it a step further than I believe most have done. It is more apparent in their final moments together, before they are interrupted by Obi Wan. You can see that Anakin is blissful to see Padme when she arrives to Mustafar. You can tell he completely entrusts his entire being in her. He may have kept a decent amount of his plans hidden, but he still trusted her to allow her to know his whereabouts. He has not only given himself to her, but he has entirely merged souls with her very being. His vision for their lives and their love transcends any superficial standard of love, marriage and partnership. He believes she knows him. She understands him. She knows what it means to love him, just as he loves her. There is nothing she could do that would deter him away from loving her. He has calculatedly memorized every fiber of her being. He could answer any question and identify her every move or course of action. The truest and purest of romances. The epitome of unconditional love. He was under the impression her feelings were mutual. He believed that she would know his heart, his soul and understand every sin he had to commit. Anakin may have been playing the role of Darth Vader as a necessary means to an end, but he did not become Darth Vader until the very moment in which Padme misunderstood him, in which she misjudged him and damned him demon in her eyes. He was not truly Darth Vader, not until the moment she died. With her death came the death of Ankin. His admittance of that death is nothing more than a coping mechanism for his guilt and failure at achieving what he set forth to do. When she discovered what he had done, she mirrored back to him every vile impression of wounding everyone else had projected onto him. He was a powerful monster and in the moment she believed it, was the moment he began to unravel. If she could not understand, then perhaps the world had been right. She too was drenched in fear of his power. She too underestimated his heart. However, I will note Padme equally felt betrayed in this moment. I could imagine her questioning everything she thought to know and believe about her beloved. I could see how she needed time to process and understand his reasonings.

In the monologue, prior to her strangling, Anakin stated that he was now powerful enough to overthrow the Chancellor. That he and Padme could now rule the galaxy how they dreamed it should be. He sacrificed everything for her. He destroyed himself to give her the gift of her purest desires. He knew she was more of a pacifist. He knew she couldn’t conduct the horrors necessary to accomplish her goals for the galaxy. He knew her way, while admirable, was not the best strategy in this chess match of circumstances. She would not achieve her goals in her lifetime. Her legacy would never bloom. A tragic, but inevitable truth. He didn’t wish her to dirty her hands and lose her innocence. He did what was necessary, all for her. All for his family. To ensure that they could live in a world of peace. That his family would never suffer and be protected from the corruption and evil of this world. He was brave enough to put it all on the line, all for her. His destiny was all for her. He put the blood on his hands so they wouldn’t stain hers. He committed unspeakable acts, all for her. All within the understanding that he trusted she knew his heart. That as long as she loved him, all would be forgiven and right in his world. That she would know why he had to do all these wretched acts. She would understand the power he fought to achieve to bring a world of peace for their children. With Padme by his side, he would’ve turned everything all around to be the peace, the beauty and the love she desired in the world. You can see in his eyes the betrayal of her reaction. Which, is fair to some degree. It can be intense to process all that he has done, all for her. Again, I am sure Padme is questioning herself in these moments. Wondering if she knew Anakin as well as she thought. She is allowed to be an imperfect character herself. But her questioning was a final straw. It was the moment he villainized her. It was the start of the catalyst that set for such horror. Anakin never thought she would question him. She knew him.. However, I do believe if Obi Wan hadn’t interrupted them, Anakin could have and would have explained himself and Padme would’ve come around to the understanding he believed she would know. Some may call it manipulation, yet that doesn’t align, for his love for her wouldn’t allow it. He would want her to logically and empathetically understand. She was a Queen. She had to have some understanding of the necessarily evils or war. The destructional death of change.

Equally, I find she was more committed to her duty in politics than she was to her love for him. She had an image and a moral ground to uphold. She was lost in her own delusions that her methods could achieve what she desired. She never once thought she could’ve been wrong and despite it all, Anakin was right. It would be easy to compare and state that Anakin is Daenerys and Padme is Jon Snow. Another dark romance twisted by the false virtue vs the necessary integrity. The inevitable truths of the Phoenix. Now, this does not condone Anakin strangling Padme. But in that moment of heartache and betrayal, it would be easy for anyone to lose control. It is not simply the fact that Padme did not follow him. It is the realization and the weight of all he has done crashing down upon him. Everything he had to sacrifice, only for her to ultimately reject him, to not trust him and to lack faith in him. The one being in the universe designed to love and understand him. This all manifested into him becoming the monster, the demon and the villain they all painted him to be. I pledge that Padme is the truest villain in the Star Wars Saga. She was a soul that lacked vision and was blinded by her own moral superiority complex. Locked in her tunnel vision and naivety. Imbalanced by her lack of shadow integration. The harmful nature of love and light. For it was her lack of faith, her fear of the unknown and fear of divine, balanced power that killed Anakin Skywalker. I believe her death is what allowed Vader to continue to follow Palpatine and immense the galaxy within the dark side. It was the manifestation of his grief. A world painted black by the death of love.

However, the love he had for her and his family would not be totally lost. I believe that once he knew his children were still alive, he devised another plan deep within himself. It is stated that Vader continued to desire to overthrow Palpatine and rule the galaxy with Luke by his side. Understanding that he could then explain himself to his son. That he could have another chance at bringing Padme’s vision to life through her children. A glimmer of light in the dreams that once were, that lingered and continued to remain in haunting. A love so true, nothing could snuff it completely. I believe Darth Vader, or Anakin, was continuing to play a role. Almost literally masking to the worlds. A role he may not have always understood, but intuitively followed. Which is why at the end of Episode VI there was a redemption arc between Vader and Luke. For Vader was the one who put an end to Palpatine in the end. The reason Luke peacefully put his father to rest and Anakin was ascended into his Force Spirit. (Which I equally theorize, can only be done, not just with a specific form of mastery, but with a completion of purpose/destiny regardless of Sith vs Jedi).