Star Wars: The most frustrating part of each film in the prequels

Anakin and Padme’s Relationship

Attack of the Clones is arguably the most flawed of all the Star Wars films. It’s kind of a mess that has plenty of fun moments but also a plethora of cringe-worthy ones. The heart of the movie’s issues is its relationships between the characters. Instead of Anakin and Obi-Wan being close friends, they have more of a contentious angry teen versus caring parent vibe going on and it’s hard to really buy into them liking each other.

While that was one area that is definitely frustrating, the relationship that is worse is Padme and Anakin’s. This was so poorly done and upon every rewatch of the film it only seems to get worse and more frustrating.

Anakin first starts out as a creeper towards Padme. He gives her very creepy looks and talks to her in a stalker sort of a way. As they go on their little journey to Naboo, the relationship goes from creepy to verbally abusive. Anakin talks down to her in front of her former council after Padme says he is just a Padawan learner. Shortly after that, he does his weird sand declaration speech and somehow is able to kiss the woman he just recently berated in front of her peers.

Later the relationship goes back to creepy, as Anakin professes his aching and undying love for her. They then go to Tattooine and Padme learns that Anakin murdered a bunch of Tusken Raiders including children and women after they had tortured his mother to death.

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Despite the stalker vibes, the verbal abuse, the creepy declaration of love, and mass genocide Padme decides she loves this guy. She returns the creepy declaration of soul dying love before they are brought out for their executions and the two kiss.

This is so frustrating to watch upon multiple viewings as it just doesn’t make sense. No woman in her right mind would fall for a man who acts the way Anakin does in that movie. They have no chemistry and the love story is extremely forced and unbelievable.

Perhaps if Anakin was older when they meet in The Phantom Menace, seeds could’ve been planted there that would’ve allowed this relationship to grow over time. Instead, we are left with a clunky and awkwardly rushed love story that feels like it was shot after the first draft was written.