This Disturbing Star Wars Theory Will Totally Change How You View Padme's Death
The death of Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) is a pivotal moment in Darth Vader's story. Blinded by rage and the belief that she's turned against him, the former Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) chokes his beloved with the Force on Mustafar while ignoring her desperate please. Injured and heartbroken, she later dies on Polis Massa shortly after giving birth to her children, and her body is returned to Naboo. Vader goes on to fully embrace the dark side and continues to do the Emperor's (Ian McDiarmid) bidding.
As if Padmé's tragic fate isn't sad enough, a fan theory gives it an even darker edge. According to Redditors such as u/Practical_Oktober and u/Roderick111, the Emperor could've played a major role in her death. "Random thought: Palpatine needed Anakin to feel unimaginable pain in order for him to full transition to the dark side. Did he kill Padme while she was in childbirth?" the former wrote. Both fans theorize that the Emperor facilitated Padmé's death himself under the belief that the tragedy would be strong enough to make Anakin entirely devoted to the dark side. Alternatively, maybe the Sith lord used the dark side to transfer her life energy to Anakin, whom Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) elected not to kill during their Mustafar duel.
This is a disturbing yet fascinating theory that, evidently, can be taken in multiple directions. At the same time, it's not without weak points that make it rather unbelievable.
Why Palpatine likely didn't have a hand in Padmé's death
While it may seem like something the Emperor would do to further his own agenda, it stands to reason he didn't factor into Padmé Amidala's demise. One Redditor, u/cactusmaac, broke down why this longstanding fan theory doesn't hold much weight in a thread on the topic. "The Emperor did not have the knowledge, ability or motivation to suck Padmé's life force into Anakin," they wrote, explaining that the former Chancellor Palpatine couldn't have done it because he lacked the Force ability to do so, killing Padmé would've put him on Vader's bad side if he ever learned the truth, and the best "Star Wars" prequel, "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith," supplies no substantial evidence of his involvement.
Additionally, they also touched on the reality of Padmé's death. Since "Revenge of the Sith" hit theaters in 2005, her dying of "sadness" has baffled "Star Wars" fans and led to countless jokes and memes ragging on director George Lucas' vague narrative choice. In truth, theoretically, it's not impossible for someone's health to severely decline due to extreme sadness. As u/cactusmaac pointed out, this condition is called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy — colloquially known as broken-heart syndrome — and occurs when an intense emotional or physical experience leads the heart's main chamber to change its shape and struggle to pump blood effectively. It's often temporary, but it's not out of the realm of possibility that Padmé developed a similar fatal condition.
The Emperor is undeniably a vile, twisted individual who spreads pain and misery across the galaxy. At the same time, attributing the death of Padmé Amidala to him might not be the most factually sound claim to make.