Summary
Star Warswould have been considerably different ifLuke SkywalkerandLeia Organahad been sent to live with their only biological aunt. At the end ofStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Luke was sent to live with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, and Leia was adopted by Bail Organa and his wife Breha, the Queen of Alderaan. Separating them and sending them to their respective adoptive families was meant to protect them, as they were both in danger if Darth Vader or Emperor Palpatine discovered they had survived.
However,the Skywalker family treehad another branch that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda overlooked when they were dividing up the twins.Specifically, Padmé Amidala had a mother, father, and sister, all of whom also could have taken in one or both of the twins, which would have completely changedStar Warsmovies and TV shows. One ofthe cut scenes fromStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clonesspecifically shows what that future could have looked like.
Padmé’s Death Saved Luke & Leia From Darth Vader: Beautiful Star Wars Theory Explained
Although Padmé’s death in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is devastating, it may have been the one thing that saved Luke and Leia.
Padmé Amidala
In a cut scene fromAttack of the Clones, Padmé introduced Anakin to her father, mother, and sister Sola on Naboo. Sola Naberrie even had children, Ryoo and Pooja, meaning Luke and Leia also had cousins they (likely) never knew about. Although this scene sadly wasn’t in the final cut ofAttack of the Clones, its existence opens up fascinating possibilities for the twins.
For one, Master Yoda and Obi-Wan were clearly interested in still keeping the twins with family, even if they wanted to do so in the safest way possible. After all, Yoda specifically said,“To his family, send him"regarding Luke and their decision to bring him to Anakin’s step-brother.If family was a priority to Yoda, as it seemed to be, then Sola would arguably have been a much better option.
While Owen and Beru unquestionably grew to love Luke as their own, which they confirmed in theObi-Wan Kenobishow both verbally and by selflessly fighting Reva to keep Luke safe, at the time, that family connection was flimsy at best. Anakin had only met Owen once, and they certainly hadn’t grown up together. It’s likely that neither thought of the other as a brother. Sola, in contrast, was truly Padmé’s sister, and they had a genuine love for one another.
Sola, in contrast, was truly Padmé’s sister, and they had a genuine love for one another.
Leia Organa
One of the most significant impacts this could have had on the twins was thatthey would have grown up knowing about their mother.Devastatingly,Star Warsnever shows Luke and Leia being told about Padmé in any of the movies and shows, and it isn’t clear to what degree they are aware of who their mother was and all she accomplished. Growing up with their Aunt Sola would have radically shifted this; they would have learned about Padmé serving as Queen of Naboo and her time as a senator fighting for peace and justice in the galaxy.
This also would have had interesting implications regarding what they would have known about their father. Clearly, based on the cut scene fromAttack of the Clones, it’s clear they met and knew of Anakin. However, they almost certainly didn’t know the full extent of what had transpired between Padmé and Anakin, and they wouldn’t have known that Anakin was Darth Vader. Even so,Sola and Padmé’s parents could have given Luke and Leia a much greater understanding of their parents and the legacy they came from.
Luke Skywalker
In addition to knowing more about their mother and possibly their father,growing up on Naboo would have been very different culturally. This would have been less true for Leia, as Alderaan and Naboo shared a lot in common, including their lush environment and the kindness of their rulers. Moreover, Leia grew up with a senator and a queen as her adoptive parents, so an upbringing knowing about her mother’s history would also have been similar.
However, for Luke, Naboo would have been entirely different from Tatooine. Whereas Naboo was a beautiful planet with a culture that focused on the arts, Tatooine was a harsh environment with equally harsh and even dangerous beings. Rather than growing up with the fear of the Tusken Raiders and the crime boss Hutts, Luke could have grown up on a planet that felt safe and fostered creativity. Really, the two planets could not be more distinct.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Of course,this decision would have been a much bigger gamble. Because Anakin had very little connection to Owen, it’s unlikely Palpatine or Vader would have checked the Lars Farm even if they had learned that Padmé gave birth before she died. In fact, because Anakin had suffered extensive trauma on Tatooine, it’s unlikely he would ever have wanted to go back. Bail and Breha were a slightly bigger risk because they remained active in galactic politics during the Dark Times, but it would have been similarly unlikely for either Palpatine or Vader to suspect they had adopted Padmé’s child.
In contrast, Padmé’s family would have been on Vader and Palpatine’s radar to a certain extent, especially as Vader would have remained obsessed with Padmé. Had it been discovered that Sola suddenly had an infant (or two) following her sister’s death, questions may have arisen. Even if this didn’t mean Vader visiting Sola himself, Imperials or Inquisitors could have discovered the babies, which would have been incredibly dangerous for the entire family. Sadly,this likely means Sola never could have taken the twins in as her own; it would simply have been too dangerous.
Palpatine may also have been more interested in Naboo, as he came from the planet.
This is particularly crushing because it would have been the closest the twins could have come to being raised by their mother. It remains painful that Padmé, who wanted so badly to be a mother, never got to be one. It’s perhaps even sadder that Vader’s turn also meant even Padmé’s family never got to know the twins. Even so, this cut scene fromAttack of the Clonesreveals thatStar Warstheoretically could have given Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa an entirely different family (perhaps even together), forever changing their fate.
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