Filling Plotholes: Why Didn’t Anakin Save His Mom?

There are many, many, many plotholes littering the Star Wars prequel movies, but one perhaps needs more attention than most of the others. Why didn’t Anakin save his mom? With a tearful goodbye in Ep 1, he says he’ll come back for her, but ten years later, he never does. Why?

The video above creates a deleted scene from Attack of the Clones to explain why. Turns out Jedis don’t get weekends off or holidays. Ever. They also like coffee.

I think this was just one of those “oh shit” moments someone probably realized after the fact, but couldn’t be bothered to think up a plausible explanation to actually insert in the film.

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7 Comments

  1. Even though Qui Gon said they weren’t there to free slaves, you would think a rich person like Amidala could have done something about it. I’m sure Wattoo would have taken the money, and its the least she could have done after he rescued them.

  2. I think it highlights the fact that Anakin was a selfish little git from the start – he was too excited about his own prospects and desires to give a second thought to his mom’s suffering. He could never have been a true Jedi because of his self-absorbed nature, he subsequently destroys everything he covets – his mother, his wife, even himself.
    After the fact he didn’t truly “mourn” the loss – instead he used sympathy and the resulting fear/anger to play on others and advance further. Sand people killed my mom, now I’m justified in wiping out an entire village. My wife died (my fault) so now I’m going to take my frustration out on my mentor who schools me by chopping off my legs so now I deserve even more pity.
    It makes Vader’s sacrifice for Luke against the Emperor even more magnanimous in the end, but underneath he’s that selfish, immature kid who just wants the best toys and throws a tantrum when he doesn’t get his way.

  3. What plot hole? Why is it a plot hole? Jedi aren’t allowed to have any emotional attachments to anyone – they say that several times in the movies – and his story is an example of why. Anakin’s emotional attachment to others (his mother, his wife, Obi-wan) are what lead to his corruption. So, he never went back because he was supposed to leave that life and everyone in it behind him. That’s not something a 9 year old would understand, so of course he said he’d come back for his mother.

  4. Bill is right. This is going to sound like I’m being a dick but if people are not understanding the most basic plot points and its one of the reasons they are hating on the prequels, they probably owe them a second viewing.

  5. Anakin’s mom didn’t need saving. She was leading a normal life as the wife of a moisture farmer. Had he come to “save her” she would have stayed there most likely and be happy for the visit. And then in the end the same thing would have happened anyway.

  6. Bill is only right if you ignore the obvious. The entire plot of TPM lasts maybe a week or two at the most. You’re telling me that at the end of the film Naboo can throw a highly expensive victory parade, but Amidala just says “screw it, forget about Anakin’s Mom, I’m sure she’s happy being a slave” without sending out an envoy to go “buy” her? No one knew about her fate until the 2nd film, let alone that she was leading a “normal life” as the wife of a man that bought her who obviously couldn’t protect her. It was crap writing, like the rest of the prequels.

    Anakin wasn’t the issue, it was the rich members of the Republic that screwed up.

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