Anakin and Padme’s love story takes a menacing turn in one brilliant Star Wars cosplay piece. The story of Star Wars revolves around Anakin Skywalker’s tragic transformation into the fearsome Darth Vader, and his love for his wife plays a huge part in his decision to turn to the dark side. In an attempt to save Padmé from dying in childbirth, Anakin joins forces with Darth Sidious. Unfortunately, he can’t stop the events leading to her death, solidifying his turn to evil.

Posted to Instagram by Darth Vader cosplayer Darth Burkhard, this cosplay features fellow cosplayer Devina (@devina_cosplay) as Padmé Amidala, imagining what the pair might look like had Padmé survived the prequel trilogy.

Though Padmé is outfitted in her white ensemble from the Battle of Geonosis, Anakin is already in his full Vader suit, with the caption saying “…if Padme would have followed his husband to the Dark Side…” Armed with a blaster and Vader’s iconic lightsaber, the pair look ready to take on any opponent.

Padmé Lives On In Star Wars Through Luke Skywalker

Though Padmé didn’t survive Anakin’s fall to the dark side, her children did. Luke was raised on Anakin’s home planet Tatooine and followed in his footsteps as a Jedi, but Luke’s spirit is an echo of his mother. Right before she slips away, Padmé insists Anakin could still be redeemed. Even after Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Leia all express their belief that Vader is too far gone to ever return to the light, Luke maintains that same sentiment about his father and does everything he can to redeem him.

Vader asks his son to join him and rule the galaxy, the same offer he made his wife two decades earlier, and is met with the same forceful sense of justice that Padmé had. Unlike Padmé, Luke had the benefit of interacting with Vader without the emotional strain of knowing him as Anakin and was able to prepare himself to appeal to his father’s lost Jedi side. That, paired with his combat skills as a Jedi, allowed Luke to get closer to Vader than Padmé could, which led to Vader’s redemption. Luke finishes what his mother attempted to do when she confronted Anakin on Mustafar.

Source: Darth Burkhard