One of the saddest and most consequential moments in the saga:
Being separated from his mother for ten years, all the while not knowing whether he’ll ever see her again, is painful enough. Even adults usually get to go back and visit once in a while, or at least stay in contact. Anakin has instead been expected to behave as if he never knew his mother, like all the other Jedi. That’s hard enough. But now they are reunited under the most brutal of circumstances, only to have her die in his arms mere moments later.
For Anakin, the pain is unthinkable, unbearable. It drives him to murderous vengeance. It leads him, ultimately, to the extremes of the Dark Side in a futile attempt to prevent such pain from ever happening again.
But for Shmi, the moment is miraculously peaceful. It seems like that she has been clinging to life for some time in spite of her mortal injuries, waiting perhaps for her son to return. Through her agony and exhaustion she recognizes him, smiles and expresses how proud she is.
