Star Wars ComLINKS: Favorite Couple

An InLinkz Link-up

I want to let it be known that Han and Leia will always have a special place in my heart but when it comes down to choosing a favorite couple from the Star Wars Galaxy, I absolutely have to go with Anakin and Padme. When I saw The Phantom Menace in 1999 I was so smitten by their unique meeting and deep admiration for each other. They had a special kind of relationship that I couldn't wait to see flourish. I loved them so much I named this blog after them (you can read that story here if you'd like). Of course, I was only fourteen at the time and teenage girls are all about that kind of stuff, but even now at thirty years old I can say with the utmost certainty that I am still a huge fan.

I love their relationship because they understand each other and completely accept all that they are as individuals. I think this simple fact makes them stronger as one and obviously the perfect team. Anakin and Padme lived the lie Padme said they would in Attack of the Clones, but they had a rare love that kept them strong and happy throughout their unique and challenging way of life. In Revenge of the Sith, before a very dark cloud hovers over their relationship, we are given small glimpses of their astounding love for each other. Their first scene together in ROTS is absolutely pure and as precious as can be. For those of us invested in their relationship, it can be a difficult scene to watch because you can't help but think of everything that will come to pass. But one thing that we can hold onto is the fact that their love lived on through their offspring and brought back the man Padme fell in love with.

Anakin can't help but be taken away by Padme's beauty and strong-willed personality. In the book, Dark Disciple (a story set after The Clone Wars but before ROTS), we are treated to a few moments with Anakin and Padme and there was one thought of Anakin's that particularly made me smile, "His name, when spoken by her lips, was the sweetest music in the galaxy." Some say that Anakin was infatuated with Padme, but I disagree. His passion for her was beyond short-lived. She was his entire world and it's clearly evident in the way we seem him react and attempt to cope with the nightmares he is having about her. If you think it's obsessive, I would again, disagree. Anakin had the same nightmares of his mother dying before he lost her and she was, without a doubt, the most important person to him. When he had similar nightmares of his wife, the only woman he ever loved and the one person who understood him, he panicked. He had already experienced the same scenario before which led him to believe his soulmate was in danger of dying. This made him an emotional wreck and he ended up doing crazy things to try and keep her safe. I think a lot of people would try to do whatever they could to keep their significant other from harm. That's love, not obsession.

As for Padme, she has always been in awe of Anakin's determination and exceptional abilities to use the force. From the moment she met him on Tatooine she recognized that there was something special about him but it never occurred to her that he would one day change her life completely. When their paths cross again it's amusing to see how she begins to slowly let her guard down, much like Leia did with Han. I especially love the moment when they're eating dinner on Naboo and Anakin cuts a piece of fruit and gently uses the force to send it across the table to Padme. Her reactions in this scene clearly express that she is not only mesmerized by him but that she is falling for him. Padme was very unbending when it came to her work as a Senator and Anakin's journey in becoming a Jedi but she soon realized she couldn't let him go no matter the risk of being discovered. Being loved by him ruled out everything else. Padme was undoubtedly a very loving wife and was such an encourager to Anakin. She always believed in him even after he broke her heart. What a woman!

"There's nothing more important than the way I feel about you."

If you were never convinced of the true love between Anakin and Padme, I would highly suggest watching The Clone Wars. It's a wonderful series that fills in the gap between AOTC and ROTS while introducing brilliant characters and deepening relationships, one of which features Anakin and Padme from time to time. It allows us to see even more of the adoration and commitment between them.

So, who's your favorite couple?