Shmi Skywalker and Sidious

When I first saw AOTC, I hypothisized that Sidious had a hand in Shmi Skywalker's death, perhaps by paying off some Sand People (through, say, Jango or Dooku or some random crony) to do the deed. It makes sense from a certain POV, because it seemed like Sidious wanted Anakin to be separated from Obi Wan and the Council cause he knew that no one would be able to stop him from going to save his mother and then reacting the way he did at her death.

But upon further thinking and re-watching of the film, I came to realize that maybe it would be too contrived for Sidious to have arranged every little thing, especially doing something like paying off some Sand People to kill off Anakin's mother. That would take alot of planning and research, and he already had his hands WAY full planning his takeover of the Republic. Sidious is powerful and conniving, but he can't be THAT all-knowing. Besides, it is the Council who separates Anakin from Obi Wan, not Sidious. Palpatine is happy when Anakin tells him of his assignment, because it is beneficial to his plan for Anakin to be separated from the Jedi, but it's pretty obvious that Sidious seemingly had nothing to do with said separation. What IS pretty obvious is that Sidious wanted Anakin to be near Padme (hence that's why he suggested that Obi and Ani be appointed as her bodyguards)so that Anakin's attachmnent to her would be strengthened, but I don't think he predicted that the Council would send Anakin on his own assignment, and that he would be alone with Padme...thus, I don't think he arranged Shmi's death. I think that was yet again a sign of the Will of the Force, as was Anakin being found by Qui Gonn in the first place. Shmi's death was a test placed before Anakin, which he failed, and it had nothing to do with Sidious's Master plan. It just conveniently worked out alongside his plan.

At any rate, what do you guys think? Did Sidious arrange Shmi Skywalker's death, knowing that it would have an affect on Anakin? And if ya know that the answer will be revealed for sure in ROTS, keep it outta here! =)

 

well you answered your own question. I think it is pretty clear that while palpitine has his hands in a lot of things he did not arange her death.

 

I hypothisized that Sidious had a hand in Shmi Skywalker's death

No, Sidious did not have anything to do with that.


perhaps by paying off some Sand People

With what? What are Tusken Raiders going to do with credits? Go to the local store and shop with them?

Heck, even Watto wouldn't take them from Qui-Gon Jinn because they are Republic credits.

 

Come on, I'm sure the thought must've crossed someone else's mind out there...

 

It did - in fact, it was an idea Lucas mused with when he was writing the script for ROTS, though the dialogue for that scene was later cut and removed.

However, I think it's important for Shmi's death to be a course of "natural" suffering in the galaxy. People die all the time in one fashion or another. Shmi's death was quite awful, yes, but she her end is part of the circle of gain and loss that Anakin needs to accept...but never does. To me, it's imperative that we see these instabilities are inherent to Anakin's flawed character, which lead to his downfall, rather than have the obstacles of his life designed by the Sith. Otherwise, I would feel it "victimized" Anakin too much. We sympathize with him to a certain point, but we also need to accept he's responsible for his actions. In the same way that Luke had to forge his own path on the way to becoming a hero, Anakin's own flaws and weaknesses need to pave the way to his fall.

 

I think that would be the only way for Anakin to straight up defeat Sidious in lightsaber duel would be for him to learn that Sidious had a hand in Shmi's death.

But Sidious didn't. It was the Tuskin Raiders who did the deed. They were fully responsible. And Anakin made them pay for it. If anything, Sidious might have 'felt' or 'sensed' Anakin's power in the dark side during the entire slaughters.

 

it seems like people are always wanting to connect shmi and sidious, either by saying that he somehow had a hand (or, um...a...) in anakin's birth or in shmi's death.

i personally think that everything that happens to and for anakin, from birth to rise, to fall, to redemption, to death is part of an Even Bigger Plan - that it is all the will of the Force, and that each event is something that needs to happen to achieve the eventual goal of (wait for it...) BALANCE.

 

You realy never know, I actually kind of like the idea of it no matter how unlikley it is. However, I dont think he had a hand in his birth at all. Palpatine was responsible for a lot of things, probably pairing he and Padme together. However, the sand people are not to be trusted. you can't pay them off and you really cannot convinvce them to do anything. they are savages.