Forget The Force, The Jedi Council’s Greatest Failure Was Not Listening To Padme

The Jedi Council had a series of failures in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, leading to the Jedi Order’s downfall in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, but their gravest misstep was not listening to Padmé’s wisdom. The prequel trilogy’s Jedi Order made many mistakes, as Luke Skywalker pointed out in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Because they believed they had defeated the Sith long ago, and because they relied too heavily on their power, the Jedi had massive oversights that left them vulnerable once Palpatine had begun enacting his plan.

While the Jedi were arguably at their peak at the beginning of the prequel trilogy, this extended era of success and prosperity for the Jedi led them to be too secure. They were no longer actively looking for potential threats, particularly the Sith, and they believed they knew better than most. This was unfortunately the case for their perception of Padmé, likely in part because she was a politician. These mounting flaws contributed to the Jedi Order’s demise and to very few Jedi surviving Order 66, yet, had they listened, Padmé may very well have saved them from their fate.

Padmé Suspected Dooku Before Anyone Else Did

Along with Chancellor Palpatine flying under the Jedi’s (and the Republic’s) radar as a Sith Lord, Count Dooku had long been regarded as a lost—though not evil—Jedi. Even in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, the Council maintained significant respect for Dooku and was unaware that the Count, who had once been among their ranks, had fallen so far. As proof of their failure to acknowledge their own flaws and weaknesses, they did not think a fall of this kind was possible because he had once been a Jedi.

In fact, the Jedi refused to consider that Dooku may have been part of something more sinister, even when Padmé told them that she believed that was the case. At the beginning of Attack of the Clones, Padmé’s ship is blown up, killing her decoy and making it clear that someone had set out to assassinate her. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi are assigned to protect her, and Anakin vows to find who is targeting her, but it’s Padmé who argues that it may be Dooku.

In response to this suspicion, Mace Windu tells Padmé that, because Dooku was once a Jedi, “It’s not in his nature” to be so violent. This is a glaring example of the Jedi overlooking their flaws; despite Dooku having left the Order, and all that such a choice may signal, they wouldn’t even entertain the thought that Dooku may be behind this plot – even when Padmé, who has consistently proven to be wise and level-headed, is asking them to consider it. Had they given Padmé’s suspicion any thought, they may have uncovered at least a small piece of Palpatine’s elaborate puzzle.

Padmé Saw That The Republic Had Become Corrupt

One of the worst mistakes the Jedi make throughout the prequels is aligning themselves so completely with the Republic and with Palpatine, embracing a role in politics and war rather than remaining the peacekeepers they were meant to be. This became a massive factor in their downfall; instead of prioritizing peace and trust in the Force, the Jedi put their faith in a political system. This changed the very nature of their Order to push Padawan learners onto battlefields and have Jedi Knights take up the mantle as generals in the Clone Wars.

Unlike the Jedi, Padmé was able to remain subjective. Her morals, above all else, guided her, and she never wavered in what those values were. This made her much more able to identify the increasingly alarming turns in the war and in the decisions the Republic was making. This becomes most clear when she brings her concerns to Anakin. Likely having no idea just how accurate her question really was, Padmé asked Anakin, “What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has become the very evil we have been fighting to destroy?”

With one question, Padmé not only perfectly summarizes what transpires in the prequel trilogy but also proves that her allegiance is not to the Republic but to what she knows to be right, which is what makes her such a truly honorable character. Unlike Padmé, the Jedi were unfortunately unable to separate themselves from the Republic and ask whether their continued involvement in politics and the war was the right thing. This made them oblivious to the ways the Republic had been infiltrated and transformed. Had Padmé’s words been sincerely heard, she could have helped the Jedi see the truth.

If Obi-Wan Had Confronted Padmé, They Might Have Stopped Anakin

The Jedi had oversights on a more micro level too, though. After Anakin attacks the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan reveals that he knew about Padmé and Anakin’s romantic relationship. When he visits Padmé to find Anakin, Obi-Wan says, “Anakin is the father, isn’t he” about Padmé’s unborn child, as a statement rather than a question. That knowledge, alongside his mounting concern about Anakin, should have led Obi-Wan to speak to Padmé.

Padmé trusted Obi-Wan but felt beholden to the secret she and Anakin agreed to keep. Had Obi-Wan come to Padmé and revealed his awareness of the relationship, she may have spoken more freely about her concerns. Particularly because Obi-Wan was aware that Anakin was in a precarious position, telling him to be wary of Palpatine, and because Padmé was skeptical about the Republic, they could have shifted the outcome of events, perhaps even catching Anakin before his fall. Unfortunately, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and the Jedi failed to truly listen to Padmé, underscoring their biggest Star Wars mistake.

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