credit: Star Wars
The first Phantom Menace draft focused on a love triangle, which is a little surprising but true. It’s unlikely that a lot of people were thinking that much about the possibility that this would develop. It would appear that the first draft of The Phantom Menace featured Padme falling for Obi-Wan Kenobi. Some fans would likely deny that this would ever happen, and it’s best that it didn’t.
Anything happening between Obi-Wan and Padme was meant to show the likelihood of affecting the relationship between Padme and Anakin, which makes sense. Building a foundation for this possibility was the goal, but it never panned out. It’s easy to see how people focused intently on the characters without catching any sly looks between Padme and Obi-Wan.
That Padme and Obi-Wan became close friends who cared deeply about Anakin created a big enough schism. Anakin’s mental state was already set to deteriorate. The idea that Padme and Obi-Wan only aggravated it because of his delusions was enough, as he was lost the moment he left Tatooine.
There are several reasons why this development wouldn’t have worked, but it’s easy to state that the franchise would have developed differently if it had. Anakin would have slid into madness much quicker had this realization come to light.
credit: Star Wars
Obi-Wan had a lot of other things on his mind
Whether the books are considered canon or not, Obi-Wan’s backstory tells a lot about the young padawan. He was almost kicked out of the Jedi Order at one point, and his own master hadn’t selected him. Obi-Wan was a bit of a problem child that had to prove himself. In The Phantom Menace, he still had plenty to worry about.
Not only did the beginning of the movie start with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon fending off an attack, but things didn’t get much easier from that point. Thinking about a young queen that he knew little about wasn’t a part of his usual itinerary. Plus, he was initially against bringing Anakin along.
This version made a lot more sense than the first draft apparently. It’s very easy to start thinking that even George Lucas lost sight of what direction his creation could take. The mere idea that Obi-Wan and Padme might look at each other with anything but friendship is tough to imagine.
Padme was more duty-bound and didn’t let her mind wander
There’s no doubt that Padme was all business throughout the first movie and even the second. As a queen and then as a senator, she didn’t really spend much time courting anyone, let alone Anakin. By the second movie, it had been established that while she had feelings for him, she tamped them down quite often. As for her and Obi-Wan, there was nothing there but professionalism as was needed.
The relationships that are highlighted in this franchise are often a bit complicated. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both had their own relationships that didn’t pan out. Padme had another young man that tried to court her in a Legends story, but whether it’s canon or not is unknown. The point is that there’s rarely a love story in Star Wars that goes smoothly and quietly.
credit: Star Wars
Anakin was like a lost puppy
That might sound a little simplistic and not entirely indicative of who Anakin was at that time. But the truth is that Anakin was out of his element when he stepped off Tatooine. Claiming that he was anything but a lovesick young boy who missed his mother is inaccurate.
The fact that Anakin was bound by fate is enough for many fans to believe that this was the only way the story could go. Trying to involve Obi-Wan in this love story as more than a friend would have been one of the worst mistakes possible. It’s also fair to state that Anakin’s mental state was already fragile; had this taken place, he might have murdered everyone at one point.
Star Wars has enough difficulty without adding in a love affair that could have changed a galaxy. But all in all, it is interesting to know that something different was planned.
Anakin and Padme’s relationship was complicated enough
The mental acrobatics needed to figure out how these two kept their relationship a secret is a bit confusing. At first, Padme wanted nothing to do with it since it would complicate their lives too much. Then came the announcement that she was pregnant, which made things even tougher. Plus, it stretches disbelief in a big way to think that no one ever saw them together. Had Obi-Wan and Padme ever had an affair, it stands to reason that the situation would have only escalated to a dangerous level rather quickly.
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