Revenge Of The Sith Could Have Fixed Padmé's Death By Cutting A Single Line

Padmé Amidala‘s death has always been one of the most controversial parts of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, but all that was needed to fix the problem was omitting one line of dialogue. Played by Natalie Portman in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Padmé proved herself a daring Queen, a cunning Senator, and a loving wife. Her unyielding desire to help others and her love for Anakin Skywalker made her death heartbreaking.

Sadly, a poor decision made by George Lucas caused Padmé’s death scene to be criticized by many Star Wars fans. Despite being regarded by many as one of the best Star Wars movies, it’s hard to deny that the writing undermined an otherwise powerful ending. Removing one line from the script reveals how much more impactful Padme’s final scene would have been.

Why Padmé Amidala’s Death Is So Controversial

Continuity errors and unanswered questions

One reason longtime fans didn’t like Padmé’s death had nothing to do with how it was written but how it contradicted the established Star Wars timeline. In Return of the Jedi, Princess Leia Organa tells Luke Skywalker that she can remember her mother’s beauty and kindness, but this doesn’t make sense after Revenge of the Sith. If Padmé died immediately after giving birth, how could Leia remember anything?

However, the biggest reason many fans disliked Padmé’s death is because of the bizarre explanation for why she died. Even though the medical droid tells the Jedi that Padmé is completely healthy, it also notes that “She has lost the will to live.” Viewers interpreted this as Padmé dying of a broken heart and not wanting to live after Anakin’s betrayal.

It’s easy to see why fans who liked Padmé would be upset at this bizarre sendoff for her character. The previous films portrayed Padmé as a fierce and unyielding woman who survived countless brushes with death, only to lose the will to live despite having two children who needed her. This doesn’t seem like enough to explain how a healthy woman could suddenly die in a galaxy with advanced medical technology.

Cutting One Line Would Have Solved This Problem

Keeping Padmé’s death vague wasn’t the real issue

To fix this problem with Padmé’s death, Lucas just needed to stop the medical droid from saying “She has lost the will to live.” This line never made sense anyway, as Padmé died loving her newborn children and believed there was still good left in Anakin. While cutting this line would admittedly make her death more vague, the medical droid would at least acknowledge it and not provide a bad explanation.

With viewers not having to process this line, the film actually provides enough evidence to draw a different conclusion. When he was waiting in the Jedi Council chamber, Anakin and Padmé seemed able to sense each other across the city, implying that they had formed a strong bond in the Force. Because a droid can’t connect to the Force, it makes sense why one wouldn’t be able to explain Padmé.

Anakin betraying Padmé, attempting to kill her, and possibly feeling his pain through the Force could have caused Padmé’s death. It would be poetic that she dies as Anakin Skywalker is encased in Darth Vader’s armor, and it would explain how she knew there was good left in him. It’s a plausible explanation for Star Wars and provides a more compelling reason besides losing the will to live.

Padmé’s Death Is Crucial To Revenge Of The Sith’s Tragedy

The death of a character who embodied the light

Padmé’s death should be as believable as possible because of its role in Revenge of the Sith‘s story. While she made mistakes, there’s no denying that Padmé dedicated her life to helping her home planet and the rest of the galaxy. She embodied selflessness and compassion, so having her die alongside Anakin’s transformation represents the light fading while the darkness takes its place.

Lucas admitted that it doesn’t perfectly align with Return of the Jedi, but he believed it was worth it in service of the story. Padmé realizing that she was manipulated by a Sith, losing the man she loved, and only briefly meeting her kids solidifies the tragedy of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. If only that one about Padmé Amidala’s death had been cut to make Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith‘s ending even better.

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  Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is the sixth film in the Star Wars franchise and chronologically the third in the Skywalker Saga. Set three years after the events of Attack of the Clones, Anakin Skywalker is tasked with keeping an eye on Chancellor Palpatine while other Jedi battle across the galaxy. In the background, however, a mysterious Sith lord begins to make their move to destroy the Jedi once and for all.

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  Padmé Amidala

  The elected Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala won galactic acclaim for her heroism when she led her people against the Trade Federation. She became an influential member of the Republic Senate, but her life changed forever when she fell in love with Anakin Skywalker. Padmé Amidala found herself torn between her love for Anakin and her belief in the principles of the Republic, especially when Anakin became Darth Vader. She was brutally attacked by Anakin on Mustafar, and died in childbirth.