Star Wars: Padmé’s Ridiculous Death Has Real Basis In Science

Padmé’s ridiculous death in the Star Wars prequels has actual basis in real science. Introduced in The Phantom Menace, it became clear early in the prequel trilogy Padmé was young Anakin Skywalker’s love interest, and the two got married in Attack of the Clones. However, with Anakin destined to become Darth Vader, audiences knew the pair’s romance would be a tragic one. In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin turned to the dark side and a devastated Padmé died after giving birth to twins Luke and Leia.

While viewers expected Padmé to die by the end of the prequels, few could have anticipated her cause of death. Shortly before Luke and Leia were born, the medical droid said Padmé was physically healthy, but had lost the will to live. Onscreen, that is the only explanation given for her death, and it’s been a sticking point for viewers for years. Many are frustrated that’s all the thought that was put into the death of such an important character, but as it turns out, there is a real-world scientific explanation for what happened.

The medical condition Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy is also known as “broken heart syndrome.” It’s caused by a cytokine and catecholamine stress reaction, which can be the result of suffering intense grief. The stress reaction impacts the heart’s ability to pump blood, and that can lead to heart failure.

It’s easy to see how Padmé might have had “broken heart syndrome” in Revenge of the Sith. She was clearly distressed Anakin had become Darth Vader, extremely upset the good man she loved was now a power-hungry Sith Lord. Initially, she didn’t believe Anakin was capable of horrible actions like killing younglings, so it was very heartbreaking for her to be confronted by the truth. On top of that, Anakin claimed he had turned to the dark side to save Padmé, which likely exacerbated her stress levels. It definitely wasn’t easy for Padmé to see her husband become a twisted, evil person, so to learn she was the catalyst for that drastic change had to have been an even more difficult pill to swallow. In a way, Anakin was saying the deaths of all the slain Jedi were on Padmé’s hands. Even though she didn’t kill anyone herself, Padmé could have felt some responsibility for the Republic crumbling.

As compelling as this is, it’s unlikely George Lucas intended to make Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy part of Star Wars canon. The exact line the droid says to Obi-Wan, Bail Organa, and Yoda before the twins’ birth is, “Medically, she’s completely healthy.” That implies Padmé had no known ailments at the time of her death, and it’s likely a heart condition would have shown up in the examination. That said, viewers can take solace in knowing that it is possible for a broken heart to lead to death, and this wasn’t merely a lazy storytelling device to wrap up a character arc. Padmé’s passing in Revenge of the Sith may have come off as overly melodramatic, but what happened to her is within the realm of possibility.

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Chris Agar
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Chris Agar is a news editor for Screen Rant, also writing features and movie reviews for the site as one of Screen Rant’s Rotten Tomatoes approved critics. He is a graduate of Wesley College’s Bachelor of Media Arts and Master of Sport Leadership programs. In 2013, Chris was hired to write weekly box office prediction posts in conjunction with the Screen Rant Underground podcast’s Box Office Battle game and his role expanded over the next few years. In addition to covering the latest news and hottest movie topics daily, Chris has attended numerous media events for Screen Rant, including San Diego Comic-Con, delivering content his readers care about. He credits Star Wars and Toy Story with launching a lifelong fascination with movies that led to his career, and now he has a wide range of cinematic tastes, enjoying the latest Hollywood blockbusters, Oscar contenders, and everything in between. Chris’ favorite film genres include sci-fi/fantasy, crime, action, and drama.

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