With the new movie out, everyone is talking about Star Wars. I myself have seen the newest movie twice. Between this and watching the entirety of The Mandalorian in a single sitting, I have been on a bit of a Star Wars kick.

As is tradition in our household (and others), Mom and I watched our way through the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy. Because between the both of us, we needed a refresh. It proved to be quite the nostalgia trip. 

It got me thinking too.

No matter how many times I watched the prequel trilogy, I never understood how Padme fell in love with Anakin. In the firsts movie, she is portrayed as more of a mother figure to him, or at least an older sister. She is strong and very independent, remaining level headed as her life is in danger. There is no hint of any sort of romance there, but you can tell she does care about him. 

Fast forward to the second movie. Anakin has grown exponentially in power and he is absolutely obsessed with Padme. Unhealthily obsessed. The older I get the more it makes my skin crawl, the way he looks at her. It’s almost predatory. As a woman, it would absolutely make me run the other way. 

She even makes it clear she does not return his affections in the beginning. But then she spends more time with him, and the more time they spend alone together, the more she softens. The more she begins to return his affections. He drops some RIDICULOUSLY creepy lines that would send anyone running for the hills, but she doesn’t. It makes no sense.

It’s like the longer he has her to himself, the more she falls under his spell. Literally.

It got me thinking. We have already seen in the newer movies and the Clone Wars and Rebels tv shows, the Force is capable of more than moving things and mind tricks. It can forge bonds between living things. At that time, Anakin had more raw power when it comes to the Force than anyone else in the order. This means there is a good chance he was capable of doing things he didn’t even realize he could do. 

What if he was able to influence other people’s feelings without realizing it? What if his intense obsession with her played on her friendly care for him and, over time, turned it into something else? 

The first time they kiss, you see her kissing him back for a second, but as he starts to lose himself she pulls back. It’s like he lost focus for a second and he is disappointed as she leaves. A few days later, she professes her undying love for him. To hell with the long list of reasons she gave him earlier about why it wouldn’t work. 

This could be off base and I am not arguing that this is what the writers and producers planned. This is something I came up with based on what I know about the franchise to explain something that never seemed right to me. It’s more of a headcanon than anything. And I felt like sharing it. 

Next week we will be back to book blogging. Until then, go live your story.