Star Wars fans discover what really killed Padmé, and it'll break your heart

Padmé’s death in Star Wars: Episode III is one of the dumbest character demises in film history, but this theory kind of makes it a little better.

While the sequel trilogy basically threw the concept of death out the window, calling out that “somehow Palpatine returned” line directly, the prequel trilogy wasn’t afraid to show the darker side of the Star Wars universe.

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However one character death that’s becoming a recurring meme in the community is the death of Padmé who, as the films would have you believe, died of a broken heart.

Towards the end of Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Anakin, who’s now turned to the dark side, force-chokes his dearly beloved who’s then rushed to the nearest space A&E to deliver her children, Luke and Leia.

After the birth a medical droid informs the surviving Jedi that medically Padmé is fine, but she’s “lost the will to live.”

It’s very silly, which is why fans have made it their mission to explain her demise so George Lucas doesn’t have to, and one popular theory involves some Sith sorcery.

During the film Padmé and Anakin are both being tended to at the same time following their injuries, though Anakin is in a far worse state as he’s just been barbecued and is now being ripped apart and stitched back together inside his new Darth Vader suit.

It’s speculated that somehow Palpatine linked the couple using the force, and Padmé can feel all of the pain her husband is going through, weakening her resolve and slowly killing her.

Now whether the theory is true or the whole ordeal was another classic example of George Lucas trying to be clever with his dialogue is unknown, but it at least makes the scene make a bit more sense than Padmé just expiring because she felt like it.