We have all lamented the ideas Lucas could have, and did not, make use of in the Prequels. I have recently thought of another one.

In ROTS, Padme and Anakin have a long discussion before Anakin starts choking Padme. Obi-Wan tells him to let her go…and he does?? This newly-minted Sith Lord just submits to a hated Jedi?

Here’s what I’m getting at: Palpatine had already told Anakin about how Darth Plageuis’ apprentice (apparently Palpatine) had killed him - so, instead of Anakin standing down when Obi-Wan yells at him, he continues to choke her because in this improved version of the scene, Anakin reasons that his unborn child will overthrow him as was had done to Plageius. Now he can choke the life out of Padme for betraying him and take out this unborn threat at the same time. And instead of a long stupid speech kicking off the Obi/Ani duel, it starts quicker because Obi is acting in defense of Padme. In the ensuing confusion, Padme suffers head trauma which ends up killing her in the end, not some mysterious “loss of will” to live.

This theme of infanticide by the powerful, paranoid father has been used before in classical mythology. See, this way Lucas would have added more gravitas to his Joseph Campbell formula, and the story at the end of ROTS would have been stronger. It’s win-win!