in a galaxy far far away...

[gffa]

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING THIS COMIC, Darth Vader: Black, White & Red, it's an anthology of several stories set around creepy themes and has some absolutely stunning artwork, the color palettes used to incredible effect and setting up a really creep read that's great especially if it's near Halloween. But also I recommend it because it's Vader at some of his most brutal, the walking nightmare that's unstoppable, a lot like that feeling I had the first time I watched the Rogue One hallway scene, while still understanding that this is a sad, pathetic, miserable fuckup of a human being. Yeah, it's badass when he's floating severed arms in mid-air to keep them firing on the people who are shooting at him or when he's murdering everyone in the room while strapped down to a table, just the power of his mind and the Force, or when an insect queen has stabbed him with her stinger to control his mind/bring him "peace" and he just rips that stinger right out through his stomach and murders her while walking away with the most over the top dramatic, "If the Endless Mercy is truly the vessel of your deliverance... then let it serve now as your tomb. The only peace in the galaxy is death itself, Doctor. Wherever there is life, there is suffering--and the dark side shall always endure." line. But I also can't read that and not realize this is someone who is so miserable and in such a hell of his own making, who steeps himself in the dark side every single day and that keeps him trapped in the prison of his own mind, that he wants to die but can't. This man wants so badly to die, but there are only two people in the galaxy who could achieve it and they both refused to strike him down, one because it would burn his own heart to ash to kill what's left of Anakin Skywalker and the other because he has more uses for his pet enforcer. The only peace he can imagine at all in his life now is death and he can't grant it to himself and no one can grant it for him, so he's trapped in this life, in this suffering and pain. And no matter how badass he is, no matter how many people he murders in the most nightmarish ways, no matter how many one-versus-a-thousand men fights he walks away from with everyone but himself dead, he will always be that miserable wretch trapped inside a suit that forces him to keep living. Right up until he finds someone he's willing to let go for, someone he's willing to put above his own pain and suffering. But until then? He's just 800 pounds of misery in a 300 pound mechanical suit of torment.

[bruiiiiiiii]

father to son

[retro-scifi-and-fantasy-art]

Janet Elizabeth Aulisio

[azurentails]

Sometimes I wonder what Anakin felt before Palpatine saved him on Mustafar. On one hand he probably feels enough rage to tear down the entire galaxy and destroy everyone who's ever doubted him. On the other, he is alone. He is so, so very alone. The sizzle and burn will eventually have him pass out from pain. But while he is awake and still living, will the amber in his eyes flicker to blue just for a moment? Mom.

And a voice, so gentle and painfully so, reaches around him and envelops his body in a calm he hasn't felt in years.

Anakin, it says.

He can't move. The voice tells him it's okay. In the distance he can hear engines, but he doesn't want to go yet. Mom is here.

Fingers card through his hair and then he is lifted. Up, up and far away. Around and around. Anakin! She's smiling so brightly, holding him up towards the sky and twirling around with the sunset in her hair. He reaches toward her and his hands look so small. Mom! Now, be brave, she says and brings him close to her chest until his world is dark and safe. And don't look back. The visor comes alive with information. Red, and clawingly bright. He who died on Mustafar is there to stay for eternity; he who lives is constructed only by remains of the flesh.

Don't look back.

[walkerwing]

[gotham-at-nightfall]

Fear and Dead Men

By Dariusz Kieliszek

[skywalkr-nberrie]

Apart from the fact that Padmé had said she knew she’d no longer be allowed to serve in the senate, Anakin saying he wanted to leave the Jedi and be with Padmé, and Padmé outwardly saying that she wanted to raise her and Anakin’s kids on Naboo, and run away with him to the Lake Country (it’s even stated so by Trisha Bigger in Dressing a Galaxy, when asked about what Padmé’s funeral dress was supposed to symbolize):

We do see a bit more implications within the ROTS novel that tell us how Padmé and Anakin were keen on leaving behind duty, to live together peacefully, and raise their kids.

In this scene of the novel, we see that OW is encouraging Padmé to watch over Anakin (as he’s growing more concerned of his mental state) and somewhat asks her to “leave him” because her relationship to him strains his position as a Jedi, and it would be a mistake if he left. Padmé insists that it doesn’t matter, because Anakin is said to be the chosen one, therefore he would remain a Jedi as so the prophecy states. But on the contrary, OW tells her that he’s scanned the prophecy and it’s no where said that the chosen one had to be a Jedi. At this point, the parts I’ve highlighted shows to us how Padmé begins to hope, that she describes as desperate and leaving her breathless. She now knows that Anakin, her husband, doesn’t need to remain in the Order to complete his legacy as the chosen one. Leaving more room for her to hope for the future that she and Anakin so desperately crave together.

Up until now, Padmé didn’t want to take Anakin away from his duty and responsibilities as a Jedi, partly because of the Republic and it’s reliance on him, but mostly because she didn’t want to take away his dream of being a Jedi. Part of this feeling also stems from the prophecy stating that Anakin IS the chosen one. Knowing how Padmé is very prone to justice, and helping the galaxy especially for those in need of saving. It’s not hard to put two and two together that she’d feel guilt for making Anakin choose her over fulfilling his mission as the chosen one. (Even though to Anakin, there was never a choice. He would inevitably always choose Padmé.) This passage alone gives her the hope and confirmation she’s always desperately wanted that Anakin didn’t have to remain a Jedi to be the chosen one. So she feels a sense of relief knowing she can still have him, run away with him, and at the same time, not take him away from the grand destiny he was always meant for.

In this passage^^ Anakin also mentions that he and Padmé have talked about what would happen now that she was pregnant, and he says that they’ve decided that they would remain in their respective positions for as long as they could until the secret was no longer concealable. Another implication of how they HAVE talked about leaving their duties behind in favour of running away together. The result was made from the circumstances Anakin was in of course. He wanted to stay in the Order longer to find a way to save Padmé. Padmé only wanted to keep it a secret to protect Anakin, so that he could stay in the Order. (No mention of herself or her duty.)

Padmé had already gone through the consequences her pregnancy would lead too, and she didn’t care for them. She says she’d be “relieved” of her senatorial duties, and she made her peace with it. She was ready to move on and begin her life with Anakin. She was only worried for what everything would mean for Anakin. She was worried what it would do for him, and he, of course, decided that he didn’t care either. He also just wanted to run away with his wife and be together as one big family.

In Padmé’s words:

“Come away with me, leave everything else behind while we still can.”

[mathildepadme]

thinking about anakin’s reaction to obi wan constant criticism pre and after shmi’s death. before shmi’s death you can see he’s trying not to let it get to him and always cracking a joke about it to clear out the air. and he loves obi wan and he thinks obi wan cares about him and he wants him to validate something he did for once. But after his mother’s death you can see how every criticism affects him badly. He blames himself for his mother’s death so he is trying to make sure his last parental figure is at least alive but since all he gets is rejection and constant criticism from obi wan it hurts him a lot. His last parental figure is always disappointed in him and he feels ashamed about it. That’s where I think his opinion on obi wan changes to worst. Him saying he will be kicked out of order (only place he has only home he has left now) is the cherry on top to the situation.

[mathildepadme]

I understand why a lot of people would’ve preferred if obi wan and anakin were closer. But I really the love the “almost” aspect of their relationship. I really love how they both loved each other and thought of each other as a family but never were able to say it. Anakin waited 10 years for things to work out while obi wan started to have hope for things to work out after Anakin was knighted and when anakin lost all hope with his mother’s death. I really love how tragic it is. I really love how obi wan felt like they were finally in a good place when anakin betrayed everyone. I really love how when finally obi wan trusted him fully Anakin betrayed him. I really love how even though things weren’t exactly good between them anakin still really loved him enough to not show what was going on and was with him in the order before the war was over. I really love how all of it started badly when obi wan was being really cruel because of the hurt he was feeling and was forced to take care of anakin. I really love how at first the only thing that kept them together was qui-gon. I really love how even though it started like this they started to love each other and support each other. I don’t see them being close after Anakin leaving the order in a better universe au but they definitely love each other and even if it doesn’t amount to everything without communicating it is still very important and they added so much to each other’s life they learned they grew up together. Just because they won’t be able to work it out at some point won’t change that they will always remember each other fondly

[lesbiananidalas]

padmé was the only person who actually understood WHY anakin fell to the dark side in the first place and that’s why she was so convinced he was still good send tweet

[nesry-n]

on mustafar, when anakin tells padmé they can "make things the way we want them to be", he really means the way they have definitely discussed about throughout their marriage. they both share a vision of an ideal galaxy where injustice, suffering, and chaos doesn't exist.

but now, post-darkside corruption, anakin's way of enforcing this vision is through tyranny, where any dissent is danger to be destroyed, and order can only be achieved through control. because even on mustafar, anakin is under the delusion that he is saving the galaxy.

whereas for padmé, it would be through a functioning democracy without corruption.

two idealists—now on two extreme ends.

[0-racle-0-f-hylia]

what OT fans think Anidala is like:

what prequels fans think Andala is like:

What Anidala actually is like:

And my personal favorite:

bro is just a simp for his wife.

bonus panels:

You are an annoying, selfish bureaucrat and I hate you and everyone else at this stupid party.

(2 panels later)

Bonus #2: you know from just these 3 panels who's on top.

RARE IMAGES OF A GIRLBOSS AND HER MALEWIFE

Bonus #3: I'm putting these ones in here because they did things to me. How can a man go from submissive to hot in just one panel?

Shout out to Katie Cook and Cara McGee. THEY UNDERSTOOD THE ASSIGNMENT.

Star Wars Adventures (2020) #5 and #6

This IS canon. (Which makes it even BETTER) This is one of the only two anidala centric comics in the Disney era I’ve found.

[finpews]

[gentle-jerry]

Song:

Jessie Ware - Remember where you are

This comics is about Anakin loosing two of the most important people in his life in one day, that day on Mustafar. After the death of his mother and Ahsoka leaving, Padmé and Obi-Wan were the people who tethered Ani to the light, whom he cherished and held in high regard. It could be seen as platonic for either, as romantic - I don’t care. The important part is: he loved them and he lost them.

As soon as I heard the song for the first time, I thought of Anakin. But who was taking to him? Was it Padmé or Obi-Wan? I couldn’t choose. So I chose both.

When choosing who to display during the:

“Can we keep moving in the after-hours”

“Can we keep loving at the edge of doubt”

I was conflicted, but ultimately decided on Padmé for the first line as their whole romance with Anakin was hidden away = meeting at the after-hours. And I think after Rako Hardeen debacle, the trust in Obi-Wan and Anakin’s relationship took a big hit = there was doubt now there, but love remained.

[nesry-n]

Threepio had been with her all these months, had seen her everyday, had touched her, perhaps even today — he could feel echoes of her resonating outward from his electroplated shell, and they left him breathless.

- Revenge of the Sith novelization by Stover

Anakin was so Padmé-starved in the beginning of RotS that when she hadn't been present with others at his arrival after rescuing Palpatine, he practically reached for force echoes of Padmé emanating from Threepio.

Anakin Skywalker was a yearner down to his very atoms!

[macabre-muses]

the naberrie family is so cool and i love to think about them and their dynamics so much so i often find myself wishing there was an official book about pooja's time as senator and her meeting leia but then i remember there is an incredibly high chance it'd turn out to be a queen's trilogy repeat and god forbid. but also the idea of padmé having a family she always feels a little out of place with because she chose a dehumanizing political path as queen that set her apart from them when she was just fourteen years old and her dying JUST when she was thinking of leaving that life behind is sooo crazy to me. and then her familly is told she was secretly pregnant and the child died with her. like the idea of them realizing they maybe did not know their daughter at all and that she had a whole life hidden from them as senator more than she did as queen and thinking they'd never get a chance to even see her child just to find out she had very alive twins one of whom works with pooja. there is insane potential here guys.

[crusty4head]

Padmé is one of those characters who can be easy to overlook if you're not paying attention, but once you really see her, it's clear how strong and layered she is. Yeah, she's a queen and a senator, but more than that, she's someone who tries her absolute best to do the right thing, even when the odds are completely stacked against her.

From the start, she's put into impossible situations. She's just 14 when she becomes Queen of Naboo, and instead of panicking or being a puppet, she outmaneuvers the Trade Federation and leads her people through a full-on invasion. That says a lot about who she is: smart, calm under pressure, and deeply committed to helping others, even at great personal risk.

She holds softness and strength in equal measure. She can be diplomatic without being submissive, gentle without being weak, and romantic without losing her sense of self. While the galaxy around her becomes more fractured and violent, Padmé remains rooted in her values.

What makes Padmé stand out, though, isn't just what she does, it's how she does it. She doesn't seek power for its own sake. She's thoughtful, diplomatic, and always searching for peaceful solutions. In a galaxy full of people turning to violence, Padmé holds her ground. Even when war seems inevitable, she keeps pushing for negotiations. Some might see that as idealistic, but for her it's a choice, a conscious, courageous one.

She's also someone with a strong moral core. She sees the cracks in the Republic early on and isn't afraid to speak out, even when it's unpopular. Her instincts are sharp, she senses Palpatine's danger long before most do. But what's really heartbreaking is that she knows things are falling apart, and she still tries to hold things together with everything she has.

Padmé is compassionate, but not soft. She's romantic, but not naive. She chooses love, but not blindly, and even when it costs her everything, she holds on to hope.

In the end, Padmé doesn't get the credit she deserves. She's one of the few people in Star Wars who tries to change the system from within and never loses sight of what matters. She's not flashy. She doesn't have a lightsaber. But in her own quiet way, she's one of the bravest and most important voices in the entire saga.

(Padmé and Anakin deserved SOO much better 🥲💔)