It was probably one of the worst-kept secrets in the prequel trilogy. But, of course, Anakin and Padmé’s marriage wasn’t as secret as they thought. After all, Ahsoka, Rex and Obi-Wan were all aware of it to some degree. Oh, and let’s not forget that Palpatine also discovered it alone. So, this naturally raised a few eyebrows from the audience. Why was it kept private?
Well, Anakin never wanted his marriage to Padmé to be hidden, but he didn’t have a choice. Jedi were forbidden to form attachments with those around them, including romantic bonds. However, this didn’t stop Skywalker from falling in love and expressing it to the woman he had admired for a decade.
Padmé attempted to hide her feelings for a while but realised as they were going out to be executed that she did love him. So after the first Battle of Geonosis, they secretly married on Naboo. The marriage would last three years until her death after the births of the couple’s twins, Luke and Leia and Anakin’s fall to the dark side.
Anakin And The Sense Of Loss
His wife’s death would haunt Anakin, now Darth Vader, for the rest of his life. His pain would fuel his actions until he learned of Luke’s existence. He would not know of Leia until one of his final encounters with his son. Then, Vader would begin to question everything and chose his family over his twenty-five-year service to Palpatine.
Throughout the Clone Wars, Anakin often complained to Padmé that he was tired of their marriage not being public. However, she would always assure him that she loved him and that it didn’t matter if their love was on display.
While Anakin understood why the marriage had to be kept a secret, it frustrated him as he wanted to share his joy, but his career was just as important. Padmé’s career was everything to her, and to have the Queen of Naboo strip her of her position would have been devastating.
Skywalker had always wanted to be a Jedi, and before Padmé reentered his life, this was his top priority. This should have remained at the top of his priorities after they married. After all, they were in a war they had no control over.
Worries About Marriage Exposure
During Revenge of the Sith, Padmé mentions to Anakin that the Queen of Naboo, Apailana, would have her removed as senator if she found out. She also stresses that the Jedi Council would expel Anakin if they discovered he was the father of her child. They put themselves in a difficult position as their careers were on the line.
The Clone Wars gave a bit of insight into Anakin’s feelings about having to hide the relationship. As she goes to leave the Jedi Order behind, he tells Ahsoka that he knows what it’s like to want to leave the Order. To his surprise, her last words are, “I know”, heavily implying that she knew about the marriage. However, we don’t learn anything else, even after they reunite for their final mission together.
Forces of Destiny sees Ahsoka become a third wheel on an unspecified mission with Anakin and Padmé, and she sees things she’s not meant to. So she tells Amidala that she won’t say anything. At first, the senator is shocked, but knowing the teenager as well as she does, she knows Tano speaks the truth.
How Did Palpatine Find Out?
One of the biggest mysteries is how Palpatine found out about the Skywalker’s marriage. It was explained in Legends material, but we don’t know how it happened in canon.
Palpatine was a resourceful man. He had plans upon plans in case he ever needed them. The man even had plans in place in case he ever died. Anyway, it’s possible that those who served Padmé, like Panaka, could have told him.
After all, Panaka had a close relationship with Palpatine to the point he became a high-ranking Imperial who Saw Gerrera’s Partisans later assassinated. Panaka discovered Leia’s true parentage and came close to reporting his findings to the Emperor, but he was killed before he could do so.
