Did Rex Know About Anakin and Padme?

The forbidden love between Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala is among the most well-known Star Wars subplots ever. The Jedi had a strict code about not having personal relationships, so very few people knew about Anakin and Padme. Seeing that Captain Rex was Anakin’s close friend and ally in the Clone Wars, fans wonder, did Rex know about Anakin and Padme?

Rex not only knew about the relationship between Anakin and Padme, but he also helped Skywalker hide it. We saw it in The Clone Wars Season 7 Episode 2 when he keeps guard in front of the barracks while Anakin secretly speaks to Padme inside.

The scene clearly showed that Captain Rex knew about Skywalker’s relationship with Padme Amidala and even tried lying about it to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Many fans suspected he knew, but after this episode aired, it was the final confirmation of those fan theories. Here’s exactly how it happened.

Did Rex Know About Anakin And Padme’s Relationship?

As I’ve mentioned in the introduction, many fans wondered if Captain (now Commander) Rex ever found out about the relationship and marriage between Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. As it turned out, he knew about it all along, and we got the confirmation we needed in the Clone Wars Season 7 Episode 2 called “A Distant Echo.”

In the episode, Anakin, Rex, and their general prepare for a crucial mission to Skako Minor. They’re in a rush, but Anakin insists to Rex that there is something he needs to do before they leave. Rex points out that they simply don’t have the time, but Anakin doesn’t give up, so Rex follows him to the barracks to allow him to do what he needs to do.

Rex lets Skywalker inside the barracks alone while he waits outside and keeps guard. Moments later, we see Anakin turning on his hologram machine and calling Padme to speak to her before they leave. He apologizes for taking so long to complete the missions, but Padme is not angry at all, but loving and understanding instead.

Anakin also shares his worries about Captain Rex being led with emotions in battle too much, but Amidala encourages Skywalker to trust Rex, as he trusted Anakin so many times.

As they speak, Obi-Wan Kenobi approaches the barracks and asks Rex if Anakin was inside – that’s when we get a clear-cut confirmation that Captain Rex knows exactly what’s going on. He tries to cover for Anakin, making stuff up about what Skywalker is doing inside, like “spot-checking my gear.”

Of course, Obi-Wan doesn’t buy it, but just as he’s about to call Rex out, Anakin steps outside, and he and Rex make their way towards a starship to go on their mission. Obi-Wan remarks: “I hope you at least told Padme I said hello,” to which Anakin frowns but then turns to his master and nods, subtly acknowledging that Kenobi was right.

So, we actually learned two things from this entire scene. First, not only did Captain Rex know about Padme and Anakin – he actively tried to help Skywalker hide the relationship from Obi-Wan Kenobi and the rest of the Jedi Council. 

Second, we sort of knew that during the Revenge of the Sith movie, Kenobi already knew about Anakin and Padme. However, this scene confirmed that he knew long before that and let it be because he cared about both of them. You can watch the entire scene edit below.

Did Rex Know Darth Vader Was Anakin?

Fans questioned if Rex knew about Anakin and Padme’s relationship and got their answer in the Clone Wars. However, there’s another question that we had about Rex and Anakin – did Rex ever find out that Darth Vader was, in fact, Anakin Skywalker? As it turns out, Star Wars Clone Wars Season 7 Episode 11, called Shattered, confirmed not only that he knew but how he found out.

In the episode, Ahsoka Tano speaks to the Jedi Council as Rex stands in the background. She tries to bring forth the information she received after catching Darth Maul, but Mace Windu cuts her off and says she shouldn’t ask about anything related to Chancellor Palpatine and that entire situation, as it’s no business for a citizen to know of it.

Clearly, he had done it because Ahsoka left the Jedi Order and adamantly claimed she wasn’t one of them. However, if he had just let her speak, perhaps the entire Star Wars history afterward would play out differently.

At that moment, the conversation with the Council ends, and we learn what Rex had already heard from Ahsoka. She told Rex what Maul had told her – that Chancellor Palpatine is actually Darth Sidious and that he is grooming a certain Jedi Master to betray the Jedi and switch to the Dark Side.

To make it clear, Ahsoka and Rex didn’t believe Darth Maul’s words at all, and even if they did, they didn’t know for certain about which Jedi Master Maul was talking about. 

However, it was later revealed that Tano had her doubts about Anakin all along. Therefore, seeing that Rex knew the same information that Ahsoka knew, it’s not crazy to assume that he had his doubts about Skywalker being Darth Vader, too.

Star Wars Comics YouTube channel made an awesome video about it back in 2022 when Season 7 of the show premiered on Disney+. You can watch the video below.