Does Anakin ever tell Padme he loves her?

Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe there's a line I've forgotten.

But does Anakin give any evidence that he loves Padme, that he cares about her and wants what's best for her?

The closest he comes is the "Or be with the people I love" speech. Even then he's not being direct, coming out, saying he loves her. At least in these early scenes, he tries. By the time we reach Naboo, her home turf, he just does anything he can to try and seduce her, impress her, make her pity him enough to love him.

He says he's obsessed with her, that he wants her, that he prefers her to sand. We get a clear sense of what he wants from her. But he doesn't say he loves her--even when she says it to him.

The cut scenes at Padme's house show us what is missing from Padme's life, how Anakin could make it better by giving her this family, etc. These were cut, and I believe for this very reason; so we don't see a way for Anakin to 'love' unselfishly.

It's all about what he wants and needs. And he gets it. The looks on their faces at the wedding say it all. Which one of them is solemn, concerned for the future, scared... and which one is grinning like he just won the lottery?

I wouldn't expect anything else from the future Darth Vader.



Rick McCallum loves you! (Boy, ain't THAT one hell of a manual sig for this post.)

 

Lucas was very subtle with the writing of Anakin. He never actually comes out and says he loves Padmé. It's very interesting, considering I believe he does love her.

It's the same with the funeral scene. He talks about how he feels, without mentioning anything about Shmi herself; he doesn't tell her that he loved her, either. Compare this with the way Cliegg gives his eulogy.

I will say this: I believe Anakin loves both Padmé and Shmi. He communicates it only through how they make him feel and react. It's actually pretty common for people get stuck in that type of thinking. It can be considered selfish, although it doesn't negate the real feelings inside.

Lucas is obviously trying to make a point about it.

 

It's the same with the funeral scene. He talks about how he feels, without mentioning anything about Shmi herself; he doesn't tell her that he loved her, either. Compare this with the way Cliegg gives his eulogy.

Good point. I didn't want to bring that up too much as he clearly is more willing to go out of his way to help Shmi and protect her and all that -- and I think we know full well that Shmi misses and loves Anakin and would be happier if she could be with him.

But the way he expresses his feelings for Padme and for his mother... a pattern does emerge.


Rick McCallum loves you!

 

Look, he confessed his true feelings for sand and Tusken Raiders. Isn't that enough?

 

Don't forget sand! He expresses his true feelings for it, too

But, no, I don't believe there's ever actually a line like that. Interesting observation.

 

I noticed that when I was thinking about Padme's line- "I truly... deeply... love you."

I figured that it was so overblown that it must have been overblown for a reason, so I thought it might be supposed to be compared to when Anakin tells her he loves her.

Then I realised that he doesn't ever actually say it, which I think is Lucas' way of telling the audience that he doesn't truly love her- it's more of an infatuation or an obsession.

Padme clearly falls in love throughout the course of the film. Anakin's feelings don't seem to change, and I don't believe it's possible for a 19 year old to truly be in love with someone they met fairly briefly when they were 9, any more than it's possible for someone to be truly in love with someone they only read about in the newspapers.

 

Well, lots of guys hate to say "I love you."

 

Adam, that is a great point, and I don't really have anything else to add to the conversation except that, yes, I believe you're right.


?Eaglet

 

I didn't mean to sound flippant with my earlier post. It's a good pick up and I think it was deliberate on GL's part. There may be several reasons why he never says those 3 words. I don't want to speculate on Eppy 3, but we may get a subtle answer there.

 

I believe Anakin does love Padme. He expresses it through his choice of words and through his actions. I think the phrase, "Actions speak louder than words" apply to their relationship.

For example, He is willing to give up everything just to be with her, all she had to do was ask and he would do it. She represents all that he ever wanted, all that he wants. He is willing to give up the dream he once had,to be a Jedi.

 

He never tells her in AOTC. He wasn't man enough to admit that verbally.

 

Does Anakin ever tell Padme he loves her?

No and he needn't do. Its clear throughout the film what his feelings are towards Padme, its only Padme who has to say "I love you" because unlike us, Anakin has been at a loss of how Padme feels.
Just because he doesn't say "I love you" doesn't mean he is afraid of that feeling (its blatantly obvious he shows his love throughout) or that he isn't in love with her.
Some people express/declare their love verbally, while others do it in their actions.

 

I think you're on to something with Anakin at that point in his life only being able to love selfishly. It also serves as an excellent contrast, both to the unselfishly idealistic child Anakin from TPM and to Anakin's redemption in RotJ, in which he proves his unselfish love for his son by sacrificing his own life for him.

 

In the fireplace scene Anakin told her totally how he felt.

You can say I love you in many ways........

 

In the fireplace scene Anakin told her totally how he felt.

I agree.

He told her that he wanted her, that his life would be better with her, that HE is suffering because he can't have her.

He does not show caring for her, nor affection. When she tries to explain to him that this is not a good thing for her, he presses on. No does not mean no to Anakin!

You can say "I love you" in many ways. "Love me" is not one of them.



Rick McCallum loves you! (He has many ways to say that, too.)

 

I thought Anakin eventually backed off when Padme asked whether he could live a lie?

 

Anakin expresses his feelings towards her with actions. When she fell out of the ship, he wanted to go after her, he couldn't bare losing her. In the Arena scene, he was protecting her. He showed his love for her through actions, more than words.

 

"I love democracy. I love the Republic."
-- Palpatine

I am sure Episode III will show that display of love, true love.

Mr. Bertocci, while I agree that the love, like the man, is flawed, I do not doubt that Anakin does love her. He is willing to risk his life and career to protect her, he shares confidences with her, he argues with her, shares a kiss with her and he trusts her judgment.

Some other possible reasons why the Once and Future Vader never says "I love you"

-By not saying "I love you," he can deny the reality that he is breaking the Code (A Jedi shall not know anger, nor hatred, nor love.)

-Even with well-adjusted characters, ongoing exchanges of "I love you" and "I love you too" are boring and cliche dialogue.

-It would be out of place with death of Shmi and Anakin's vengance on the Tuskens.

-Expressing his emotions as his reactions is something Anakin continues as Vader:
He never tells Luke that he loves him. Instead, he tells Luke that Luke saved him and instructs Luke to tell Leia that Luke was right about him.
He expresses his anger in self-centered terms as well. For example, while strangling the arrogant Jedi-bashing officer, he camly says, "I find your lack of faith disturbing." Again, when he confronts Kenobi in ANH he says, "I have been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. When last we met, I was but the learner, but now I am the master." Is there any doubt that Vader hates Kenobi?

-The guys of the GFFA, like many a guy on our planet, just have difficulty expressing their emotions verbally. Remember Han Solo never tells Leia that he loves her in ESB, even when he is about to be carbon-frozen. Instead, he just says, "I know." (I know that Harrison Ford originated this version, but it was kept in the final cut because it did fit Solo better than the original flowery dialogue.) Nevertheless, Solo has demonstrated his caring for Leia by risking his life to protect her, giving up his lucrative career for her sake, shares confidences with her, he argues with her, steals a kiss from her and he trusts her judgment.

 

I think that is pretty obvious that he really loves Padmé, on the way he expresses his feelings to her. I think he doesn't say Ï Love You" because of the years of living with the Jedi Order, who tel him that loving someone is forbidden.

 

this is the part i liked about Lucas the most. he writes something, but hides the meaning for the audience to figure out. it's more of a show and not tell thing. we know that when Anakin and Padme were sitting by the fire, Anakin was telling Padme his feelings and it impliked that he loved her. but Lucas did not say it. there's always unlterior meanings beyond the dialogues.

 

What Jedilisa and Falls said.

There is also a cut line in which Anakin says, "Long or short, I plan to spend the rest of my life with you."

He says, "The thought of not being with you...I can't breathe," and "I wish I could just wish away my feelings...but I can't."

It's obvious--sometimes the actual words don't need to be said. It was obvious that Han loved Leia although he never said so outright.

 

Yes, Anakin tells Padme many times that he loves her. But when they are at Padme's palace on Naboo they both decide that love would destroy them both, and decided not to love. But we all know that changes at the end of the movie

 

I think AdamBertocci pretty much summed it up.