PT Did Vader ever think of Padme?

Both the Dark Horse mini-series Darth Vader and the Lost Command and Marvels Darth Vader #25 seem to imply that when he does think of her it's more on par with a haunting that causes him to focus on fueling his hatred. Sith are fueled by something they hate, and these stories imply that the one thing he hates the most is himself.

 

Can't find or remember the name of the artist, but this is an illustration from one of the more recent SW art books IIRC.

Darth Downunder Yes, I agree with you...But I also believe there are times where he remembered her with pure love and punished himself through that....depending on his day, otherwise there wouldn't BE a man in need of redemption story wise.

 

That was in the first instant after he was placed in the suit. In that moment there was still some residue of Anakin left. What I said was, over the following years he embraced his rage & hatred about all things. For 20 years I don't think there was any room for sentimentality or fond memories within him. He became completely twisted & yes I think he would've grown to resent & hate Padme, just like everything & everyone else. Bcs of those reasons I mentioned. Not sticking by him which ultimately lead to him suffering all of his injuries, reducing his potential power & robbing him of his child & heir. I see him blaming her for all of that. And the more he hated the more power he could tap into. Even when he found Luke, his first thoughts were to use him as a tool for his own grab for power. Eventually the inner conflict grew & brought Anakin back.

You could be right. It's all just theorizing. I can't see Vader have any loving or warm & fuzzy thoughts at all until RotJ.

 

"Only is his weaker moments".

 

This is one of my favorite illustrations of Vader.

 

I don't think he hates Padme, more like the painful memories of her and of his former life as a Jedi which angers him because he doesn't to acknowledge it because that means he would have to accept the truth and he doesn't want that.

 

Vader pretended that Tarkin was Padme, hence why he never raised his hand to Tarkin.


Excuse me while I throw up and cry.

 

I tend to go with the idea that he tries not to until he sees Leia in the carbonite chamber and then when Luke confronts him, all the way up until he's laying there dying.

 

I'm sure he did. Nobody saw his face under the mask, and your thoughts and feelings are known only to you unless disclosed. A new continuity comic shows Vader reflecting on Padme, if I recall correctly too.

And this. I agree. He buried his pain with the darkness.

 

It appears to be case... or when he's in danger from what I gather off the cannon comics, though few memories come unbidden like when he visits Geonosis or finds out Luke his son. Oddly enough he seems to own her ship, but that could just be Vader's love for ships...(sometimes I wonder if cannon is catching to fanfiction) anyway, Legends could be a little too "fluffy" at limes in that regard. Then again both are exploring too completely different periods in Vader's life.

Darth Downunder Fair enough. Likewise I can't imagine not thinking of his wife kindly at some point.

 

In the old EU there was much conflict in Vader. In one comic in particular (Though the name of it escapes me it involves Vaders search for Tarkins son) It illustrates Vader daydreaming of what life may have been like had he made different choices. It starts out mild but delves deeply into his psyche showing his POV on politics and all others. He would have called his son Jinn for instance (After Quigon obviously), he could see Padme becoming chancellor and eventually disbanding the Senate leading to Jedi rule. Obviously this goes rather far into the realm of fantasy, and particularly the latter dreams may seem silly and idealistic, but it does a great job of revealing Vaders inner torment, and alternative views. It is also kind of sweet when one looks at it as a part of Anakin peeking through... and then he goes on a murderous rampage.

In the new EU I believe there are elements showing Vaders continued love for Padme but they aren't as common. Particularly in the Vader comic series I think there were a few elements here and there. Though not nearly as blunt as in the old EU I think.

 

I love this thread. I love to look at the ultimate figure of "Darth Vader" as a human being. He is obviously known to be the end-all be-all villain. But Vader as a character, is obviously very much a human being, shown brilliantly through his final words. To think of what must have been going through his head during the dark times... mind boggling.

It makes you wonder what people like Hitler and Stalin thought about, if they had regrets, or remorse. But also, Anakin Skywalker was redeemed in the end, Hitler and Stalin were not. So who really knows.

 

Unfortunately it's no longer canon, but by the end of Dark Lord : The Rise of Darth Vader, he's not exactly purged all memories of Padme, but he thinks of Anakin's life, and everyone and everything within it, as almost a dream, something that happened to someone else.And at one point Sidious makes mention that Vader is now "married" to the Order of the Sith, which briefly stirs something within him, but he can't seem to remember what. So he was definitely all consumed by the Dark side and power, with love and family being something he no longer cared about, or even remembered, much less thought about. Until it got retconned, that is.

 

That Eric Maell painting of Vader at Amidala's tomb is heartbreaking.

Without giving away any spoilers, A part of the plot of Marvel's Vader comic in the Disney canon touches on Vader thinking about Padme, his past etc.

 

Many times Vader is compared with Hitler or Stalin but I don‘t understand why. They were leaders (I don‘t discuss their morality here, but yes, they were leaders) and Vader was always a follower and I even could say, Vader in OT especially was a slave (a metaphorical one, of course). I think what happens in TPM is underestimated: Anakin in Ep.1 is freed to be enslaved in Ep.3: to his suit, to the emperor, to the hate and suffering.
I‘m not trying to derail the thread, all the opposite I think his feelings to Padme are the key to his freedom. As he looses her, he looses his freedom, his self. So, if Vader thought about Padme, I mean, not some glimpses of vague memories but if he rememebered his feelings for her, he would break free no matter that she is gone already. But he couldn‘t, his guilt and self hate were too strong. Only when Luke appeared he could do it.

 

Tonyg that is a really interesting way to look at it. I never realized the full circle he travels as far as slavery goes.

Also, he mentions in Clones how thought about her every day for ten years, and then you add the three over the clone wars. I bet he thought about her a lot considering he thought about her every day for thirteen years.

 

Yes, but this was Anakin. I agree with Obi Wan that Vader is not Anakin and especially about Padme. Only Anakin loved her, Vader wanted her to be part of his Empire and his new world, i.e. to posses her. Anakin wanted just to be with her, but he fell in coma for almost 20 years after Ep.3. That's why I think that Vader of course remembered Padme but he didn't or couldn't think of her in the sense described above because of the guilt and the hate. Somewhere between Ep.4 and 5 and especially between 5 and 6 when Vader learned that he didn't kill her, maybe and obviously then he began to think about her and especially his love to Padme ( I mean Anakin begins to wake up).

seventhbeacon I didn't know that Padme means lotus. In what language?

 

Sanskrit (Hindu sacred language).

It can't be a coincidence they used Knights of Ren (Japanese for Lotus flower) in TFA. Now, whether it means there's a specific connection to Padme, or if it's just the writers' nod to the PT in naming choices, I guess we'll have to wait and see...

 

I love the Idea of Vaders feeling's for Padme come rushing back when he finds out about Luke.

Also I Suspect once he found out about lea, he saw Padme in her, which also bring's back his feelings for her.

 

Yes, although I think Lea has much more Anakin in herself (as character) than Padme. Luke is vice versa.

 

I agree especially after the brutal murder of Jabba the Hutt, It did seem like something Anikan would do. Even if Jabba did deserve it, it was still very brutal.

 

I think this is a mirroring of Padme using her chains against another beast in Ep.2. But my point is that Lea is "always on the move", she prefers to act, not to wait, she is ardent about her missions, she is spontaneous and frank. As Anakin was. Luke is softer (not weaker). But in the beginning Vader doesn’t know that. Luke is the living proof that he didn't kill Padme, the boy is the only thing left of her in this world, so that's enough for Vader (in the beginning almost unconsciously) to protect him ('he is just a boy', he couldn't be a threat) and after this to search for him literally in the whole Galaxy.

 

I like the fact they Vader felt the need to protect his son, as soon as he found out from Palp's who he is. It was as if all these emotion's of wanting to save Padme was coming back but for Luke, but on the other side he did hurt Luke by cutting his hand off. However we do know he would not have killed him.

 

In the early days of his suit, I believe he did think of Padmé. The Lords of the Sith novel discusses this. Vader thought of his previous life as Anakin Skywalker whilst the Emperor put him through a rigorous trial to share his ideals and rid Vader of his light. I believe after the events of this novel, Vader was fully consumed by the dark side.

The Marvel Darth Vader comic also expanded upon this. Vader was ruthless as he was trapped in his own thoughts, it was shown he chocked Padmé in his thoughts before saying "Anakin is dead" and that he killed him. Then embracing in the power of the dark side.