We rank the 50 Biggest WTF Moments in Star Wars History
By Josh Hill
17. Anakin Chokes Out Padme
Film: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The Moment: After tracking him down on Mustafar, Padme attempts to bring Anakin back with her so that he can start to rehab his sanity. But unbeknownst to her, Obi-Wan snuck on her ship to confront Anakin himself — which Anakin thinks was the plan and is the worst betrayal. In a fit of rage he begins to choke Padme through the force, knocking her out.
Why It’s Memorable: Revenge of the Sith is without a doubt the darkest of the Star Wars films, as it’s the only one to get a PG-13 rating. That’s in large part to scenes like this one, where we see Anakin completely abandon every shred of the person he was prior to becoming Darth Vader.
Credit Lucas here with not messing this moment up. It’s truly Shakespearian, as Anakin as turned to the Dark Side, slaughtered children and done other unspeakable things all in the name of saving Padme. But here he is, choking her out in rage — becoming the so far gone as a character the his heel turn is final and complete. There’s no coming back from this, and it could be argued that Anakin choking Padme — not her losing the will to live — is the thing that kills her.
Next: 16. Luke Gets Knocked Out