PadMay Day 19. Favorite Revenge of the Sith Moment
I have a google alert for ‘Padme Amidala’ (obviously) and it’s popular lately/again to wish for the ‘original ending’ to this scene wherein Padmé stabs her husband. To quote the internet at large, “how badass”. As an interesting AU (and I love AUs), I like it. But for the “true” story, of the “real” Padmé, no, absolutely not. Padmé comes to Mustafar to save her husband, from himself if necessary, but save, not kill. This is important for multiple reasons, and it is not a display of weakness. It’s really incredibly brave.
I agree. A lot of fan reaction to the “original ending” (which was more just a simple concept art idea than anything that was ever in any script and tbh I feel like it got a little overblown) bothers me because it emphasizes this idea that Luke is strong for his nonviolence, but Padme is weak for hers. And I understand things like Luke subverting gender expectations, etc, play into that, but I still don’t think that justifies thinking of Padme as weak in a similar scenario. I wish people would overlook the label “badass” to understand that it would be inconsistent with the character she’s been in the films up to that point. Padme has already proved that she’s badass, but she’s also proven that she believes in the people and principles she believes in with intense, unwavering conviction. It’s one of her defining character traits.