ThisStar Warstheory suggests that Palpatine may have kept Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader alive inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithin the most sinister way.Revenge of the Sithis largely considered one ofStar Wars’best movies, and for good reason. Not only is this movie the perfect bridge between the prequels and the originalStar Warstrilogy, but it also represents an absolutely pivotal point intheStar Warstimeline.
Specifically,Revenge of the Sithsees Anakin fall to the dark side of the Force and become Darth Vader, the end of the Jedi Order with the tragedy of Order 66, and the fall of the Republic and rise of the Empire. These major events provided answers to many questions inStar Warsmovies and TV shows, but they also created brand-new ones. Specifically,the questions of how Anakin lived and why Padmé died remained afterRevenge of the Sith, and thisStar Warstheory may reveal just how disturbing the answer is.
We’ve Totally Missed Palpatine’s Biggest Revenge Of The Sith Gamble
Palpatine’s meticulous Star Wars plot may have been brilliant, but he took one massive risk in Revenge of the Sith that threatened to ruin it all.
There Was No Medical Reason For Padmé’s Death
Padmé’s death remains a major disappointment inStar Wars. Clearly, Luke and Leia’s mother had died long beforeA New Hope, but the manner of her death remained undefined in the franchise. Moreover, it seemed that Padmé had lived for at least a few years after giving birth to the twins, as Leia said she remembered her vaguely inReturn of the Jedi. However,Revenge of the Sithrevealed that either Leia was able to sense her mother through the Force as a newborn, or she was creating false memories, as Padmé died in childbirth.
Padmé’s death remains a major disappointment inStar Wars.
While having Padmé die in childbirth would have been enough of a letdown, though, the way thatRevenge of the Sithdid it made this choice even worse. Specifically, Padmé was said to have died because she simply lost the will to live. In fact, the droid helping Padmé through her labor specifically said that, for reasons they could not explain, she was dying. Many have interpreted this to mean that Padmé died of a broken heart, which, thankfully,Star Warshas never canonized.
19 Years After Revenge Of The Sith, I’m Still Convinced Padme’s Death Was A Big Mistake
While Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is an excellent movie, the manner of Padme’s death was nevertheless a major mistake in Star Wars.
However, even if it wasn’t a broken heart that killed her,Padmésimply losing the will to live makes no sense and is a major insult to her character. Throughout the prequels, Padmé was incredibly fierce, even facing an attack on her people at just 14 years old without backing down. She then proved her resilience throughout the Clone Wars era, especially in theStar Wars: The Clone WarsTV show, always fighting for what was right. That Anakin turning to the dark side would destroy her enough that she would just give up is a betrayal of this characterization.
Moreover, one would think that the birth of her children would be enough to give Padmé hope. She may have been heartbroken, but clearly, she had plenty to live for. What makes this even stranger is thatStar Warshad plenty of room to make a different choice. George Lucas even toyed with having Padmé go to Alderaan with Leia for a brief time, which would also have avoided the massiveReturn of the Jediplot hole. Instead,Revenge of the Sithpushed the idea that she simply gave up, as there was certainly no medical reason for her death.
Anakin Was Left Dying On Mustafar… And Yet Padmé Was The One Who Died
Simultaneously, asRevenge of the Sithmakes clear by splicing the events together in a montage, Anakin/Vader was on the brink of death, having been left on Mustafar after Obi-Wan Kenobi cut off his remaining flesh limbs and watched as he burned in lava. Even with the power of the dark side of the Force, it’s a bit bewildering that Anakin survived such a brutal experience. In fact, Obi-Wan firmly believed this event killed Anakin, which was more than reasonable to assume. Of course, part of this was out of necessity.
Clearly, Anakin had to adopt the iconic Darth Vader suit somehow, andReturn of the Jedihad also revealed a man who looked very different from Hayden Christensen. Particularly considering a mere 23 years pass betweenRevenge of the SithandReturn of the Jedi, something major had to happen to explain Anakin/Vader’s physical transformation between the two movies. Having Anakin burned nearly to death was certainly a good way to achieve that, but it also raised another question.How did Anakin survive this extreme near-death experience?
Did Palpatine Use The Bond Between Anakin & Padmé?
One convincingStar Warstheory suggests these two majorRevenge of the Sithevents may be intrinsically linked. Specifically,thisStar Warstheory posits that Palpatine drained Padmé’s life force in order to save Anakin/Vader. This would make sense for a number of reasons. For one, it would explain how Palpatine knew so quickly that Padmé had died. For another, and more importantly, it would explain both how Anakin survived such a harrowing experience and why Padmé died seemingly for no reason.
Moreover,Star Warshas already proven that this type of exchange of life is possible, as Ben Solo saved Rey’s life inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerin a similar way. This would be a much better explanation for Padmé’s death and would mean that, rather than giving up, Padmé had been killed by Palpatine. This would also make Palpatine’s assertion that Anakin killed Padmé in his anger even more sinister, in keeping with his character. Hopefully, thisStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Siththeory is true, as it fixes one ofStar Wars’worst mistakes.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Cast
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith details the fall of the Jedi Order and Anakin Skywalker’s transformation under the influence of Darth Sidious. Released in 2005, the film explores Anakin’s internal conflict and the shifting political landscape, leading to the rise of the Galactic Empire.
