- “So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause.”
- ―Padmé Amidala
Padmé Amidala Naberrie-Skywalker, simply known as Padmé Amidala, is a main character from the Star Wars prequel trilogy. She first appeared on screen in the 1999 feature film The Phantom Menace as the young Queen of the planet Naboo. Padmé is the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker, the mother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, and the grandmother of Ben Solo.
As Queen Amidala, Padmé met her future husband, Anakin. Ten years later, she became the Senator of Naboo, and was reacquainted with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin. She and Anakin attempted to maintain a platonic relationship, but they ultimately fell in love. Secretly marrying each other on Naboo, Padmé became secretly known as Padmé Skywalker, but the couple struggled as they had to keep it a secret and because of their duties to the Republic. At the war's end, Padmé became pregnant with Anakin's children. When her husband fell to the dark side and became Darth Sidious' new apprentice, Darth Vader, Padmé lost her will to live and died right after giving birth to her children, Luke and Leia while expressing the belief that there was still good left in Anakin. Eventually, Padmé was proven right when Vader sacrificed himself to save their son, Luke from Emperor Palpatine during the battle of Endor ultimately leading to the fall of the Galactic Empire.
Background[]
Biography[]
Padmé was born on the planet Naboo to Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie. She has an older sister, named Sola, and two nieces, named Ryoo and Pooja. Growing up, she met a young man named Palo, and the two became romantically involved. However, they eventually separated as Palo became an artist and Padmé dedicated herself to politics and public service. At the age of 14, Padmé became the Queen of Naboo, the youngest in the planet's history. After the Invasion of Naboo, Padmé's two terms as queen ended, she then served as the senator to both Naboo and Chommell.
Later in life, Padmé became the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker and the mother of their children, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. She died shortly after from the stress of childbirth combined with the knowledge that her husband had become evil, joining the Sith Order. Anakin's fear of losing Padmé to death was what drove him to become the ruthless Sith Lord Darth Vader.
Despite Anakin's actions, before Padmé died she believed there was still good left in Anakin, and that one day he could be saved with the help of their children. Although Padmé did not live to see it, her faith in her husband proved to be correct when he sacrificed himself to save their son, Luke.
Personality[]
Padmé is well-loved for her kind and self-sacrificing nature, which evident in her care and concern for all her people regardless of their status. She even bore a close relationship with her handmaidens and, unlike many Senators, also maintained contact with her Monarch, Queen Jamillia. From a young age, she exhibited great maturity and rarely indulged personal desires such as romance, denying the affection and attention of Ian Lago, with the reasoning that Naboo needed her more than he did. She is strong-willed and passionate, making her a persuasive and inspirational speaker. This skill later reveals itself in her speeches as a Senator and most especially when she actively opposes the violence related to the Clone Wars.
Padmé's compassion and empathy seems almost boundless. She wholeheartedly cares for everyone in the galaxy and constantly plumps for diplomacy over violence, believing that everyone deserves to be heard even if she doesn't agree with them. She remains good friends with Mina Bonteri even after she secedes to the Separatists, who tried to have Padmé assassinated numerous times, and is very caring towards her subordinates. She is especially a continual source of kindness and support to Anakin right from the moment they meet. Even when he becomes Darth Vader and strangles her almost to death, she still believes there's good in him.
Padmé's firm belief in democracy and genuine care for her people easily won her the election as queen of Naboo. Unable to deny her people's needs, she accepted Jamillia's invitation to become Senator after her two terms as queen ended. Her popularity allowed her to retain several privileges usually restricted to the monarch of Naboo during her time as a senator, such as allowing her ships to be chrome-plated.
Padmé's strong will and self-restraint are an initial stumbling block in her relationship with Anakin Skywalker, as she initially bluntly refuses to allow any romantic involvement, feeling that a relationship between the two of them would go nowhere and would endanger both of their futures. She sees how difficult it would be besides having the great potential to ruin both their lives. Thus, though it is not easy for her to accept, she attempts to force Anakin to see her perspective and respect her decision. However, upon she believing she was about to die, she finally sees no harm in admitting her true feelings and confesses her love for Anakin. After their unexpected survival, she and Anakin could no longer deny their love. However, once married, she is still well-aware of the risks attached, so both her and Anakin decide to keep their relationship a secret.
Due to the nature of their respective positions within the Senate and the Jedi Order, lengthy separation periods become unavoidable. Although pained by these long separations, Padmé endures this hardship with silence, patience and strength, knowing and understanding fully their respective responsibilities and the magnitude thereof. She has much faith in Anakin and his celebrated skills, yet still worries for his safety.
Padmé's belief in him becomes even more evident when she begins to believe him over the Jedi High Council. When Anakin tells of their manipulations to use him as a spy for their own purposes, she becomes reluctant to even believe Obi-Wan Kenobi, a close friend of theirs. Thus, when Obi-Wan tells her of Anakin's dark deeds under Palpatine, Padmé travels to Mustafar to ask Anakin and reassure herself that what he had said is not true. When her husband confirms her worst nightmares, she still refuses to believe that he could not come back to the light and urges him to do so. Even at her deathbed, Padmé continues to have faith in her husband, speaking of the "good" that still resides within him. Many years later, this belief would be shared with her son. Ultimately, Darth Vader turns on his Sith Master in order to save his son and in so doing, he redeems himself, proving that both Padmé and Luke were right in believing in Anakin's inner goodness.
During both Padmé's reign as queen and her time serving as a senator, she presents herself as an advocate for the Gungans, who are among the natives of Naboo. The relations between the humans and Gungans were precarious at best and it was during the duress presented by the invasion of the Trade Federation that Padmé manages to unite the two groups against a common enemy. She and Gungan Boss Rugor Nass achieve a level of mutual respect, which she carries even for his successor, Boss Lyonie. Padmé strove ceaselessly to ensure that minority groups, such as the Gungans, would carry a voice in the intergalactic Senate and her constant admirable efforts in favor of her people could not be denied.
Much like her husband, Anakin, Padmé is rebellious, headstrong, reckless, impulsive, yet kind, caring, and selfless. She also has a strong sense of justice, honor, and good morals. But of course, like her husband, she despises lying and deception from her friends, allies, and enemies alike. She is far more forgiving than Anakin, being quick forgive people in general, particularly Obi-Wan for constantly lying to her or deceiving her. Although she once lies to Obi-Wan by telling him that she was going to end her relationship with Anakin, it is only to prevent him from figuring out that she was actually going to marry Anakin. Despite this, she is normally a honest person.
Physical appearance[]
Padme is a beautiful, slender, and reasonably muscular young woman. She has dark brown hair, which has been done into dozens of different styles, and brown eyes. Padme has worn a huge variety of robes and dresses to suit various occasions, such as a red gown as queen and blue dress during Anakin's mission to rescue his mother on Tatooine, as well as an iconic white battlesuit whose upper section gets torn in half by a nexu.
Abilities[]
- Expert Markswoman: Padmé is extremely skilled in utilizing blaster pistols and blaster rifles.
- Expert Pilot: Padmé is extremely skilled in piloting every type of flying craft.
- Genius-Level Intellect/Master Tactician/Leader/Negotiation: Padmé is amazingly intelligent and wise. As the senator and formal queen of Naboo, Padmé is a highly skilled tactician and very a capable leader. She is also highly skilled in diplomacy and negotiation.
- Multilingual: Padmé is capable of fluently speaking Basic, Ithorese, Mon Calamarian, Gran, Gunganese, and Rodese.
Weapons and Equipment[]
Blasters[]
- ELG-3A blaster pistol: Padmé often uses a ELG-3A hold-out blaster, as her primary weapon of choice.
- S-5 blaster pistol: Padmé also used an S-5 heavy blaster pistol and also uses it as an ascension gun.
- Q2 hold-out blaster: A smaller cousin to the ELG-3A, Padmé kept several pistols hidden in a secret compartment in the armrest of her throne. She used to of these to arm herself and Captain Panaka.
History[]
Queen of Naboo[]
Invasion of Naboo[]
Padmé is introduced as the 14-year-old Queen of Naboo, dedicated to ending the planet's occupation by the Trade Federation. She attempts to deal directly with Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray, contacting him personally on his Lucrehulk-class Trade Federation Battleship to let him know that she had gotten word of the Supreme Chancellor's ambassadors having arrived to negotiate a settlement with him, but Gunray lies to her face saying he has no idea of what she is talking about, but she's not falling for his deceit.
Nevertheless, when she contacts Naboo's senator Sheev Palpatine to tell him of what Gunray said to her, Palpatine is puzzled as the Chancellor said his ambassadors did arrive as planned. He is unable to say anything further before the transmission is cut off, concerning Amidala, but convincing her governor Sio Bibble that Gunray is disrupting their communications as a prelude to launching an invasion. Amidala doubts that being the plan, but when it is clear their communications are disabled and the ambassadors are nowhere to be found, she still refuses to condone an action that would be seen as a declaration of war. When Gunray does launch his invasion and Federation droids advance on the Theed Royal Palace, Amidala is forced to employ a safety precaution with having her decoy Sabé pose as the Queen while she disguised herself as one of the Queen's handmaidens.
Before doing so, she watches with great sadness from one of the palace windows as the droids advance closer to the palace. After making the switch with her decoy, the group is captured by the droids. Gunray tries to have her assassinated at one of the camps he was taking prisoners to, but Padmé escapes with the help of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. Though they make it past the blockade of Lucrehulk-class Trade Federation Battleships, the hyperdrive on the royal ship is damaged, and they are forced to land on the desert planet of Tatooine. Padmé, disguised as a handmaiden, meets 9-year-old slave Anakin Skywalker and his mother Shmi Skywalker. Anakin gives her a hand-carved charm on a leather necklace. She witnesses Anakin win his first podrace at the Boonta Eve Classic, which helps secure his freedom.
Arriving on Coruscant, Padmé consults with Senator Palpatine, who encourages her to appeal to the Senate to resolve Naboo's dispute with the Trade Federation. Once it is clear that the Senate is corrupt with trying to draw out the argument through various alternative means, he persuades her to make a motion in the Senate to have Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum removed from office, which gets Palpatine elected in his place. She is unaware that Palpatine is actually Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord who is manipulating the Trade Federation in order to take control of the Republic. Padmé returns to Naboo to fight for her planet's freedom, enlisting the aid of Jar Jar Binks' Gungan warriors and having the bodyguard Sabé pose as her.
Liberating Naboo[]
As Sabé attempts a peace deal between Naboo and the Gungans by speaking with Gungan leader Boss Rugor Nass, Padmé intervenes and reveals her true identity. Boss Nass is impressed, and the Gungans agree to help and offer a diversion to lure the droid armies away from the palace in Theed. Once in the palace, Padmé's forces are confronted by Darth Maul, who engages Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan while Padmé, Captain Panaka, Sabé, and the Royal Naboo Security Force troops with them find an alternate route. When their path is blocked by Battle Droids, Padmé splits up her forces, with Panaka and half the troops coming with her to rappel up the outer wall of the palace to reach the throne room faster, while Sabé and the troops that stay with her attempt to fight their way up from there through the palace interior. Padmé and her troops are soon surrounded and captured.
Upon being brought before Viceroy Gunray, he smugly tells her it is time to sign the treaty and turn over Naboo to the Trade Federation, only to be interrupted when Sabé and her forces arrive and blast several of the droid guards before fleeing. Fooled into thinking Sabé is the real Queen and not Padmé, Gunray furiously orders the droids after Sabé, which allows Padmé to retrieve some spare blasters from her throne, allowing her, Panaka, and their troops to destroy the droids that remain with Gunray and apprehend him, ending the trade blockades of Naboo once and for all. She later attends Qui-Gon's funeral. He was killed by Maul at the hanger's chamber after Obi-Wan was separated from the duel due to one of the laser shields that leads to the chamber. A celebration is held to announce the unity between Naboo and the Gungans, where Padmé presents a gift to Boss Nass to symbolize their new friendship.[1]
Senator of Naboo[]
Assassinaton attempts[]
A decade after the invasion of Naboo, Padmé represents her homeworld in the Galactic Senate after leaving the throne once Palpatine became Supreme Chancellor, leaving the senatorial position open due to his ascension, with Jamilla having become the new Queen after she stepped down, and leads a faction opposed to the Military Creation Act, which would create an army for the Republic, which is threatened by a growing Separatist movement. Jar Jar joins her as a Senior Representative. As she arrives on Coruscant to cast her vote, assassins hired by the Separatists make an unsuccessful attempt on her life, destroying the Naboo Royal Starship that her decoy had arrived in while Padmé was disguised as one of the escort pilots with R2-D2. The destruction of the ship results in the killing of her decoy Cordé, another handmaiden named Versé, and five members of the Royal Naboo Security Force.
Anakin Skywalker, now Obi-Wan Kenobi's Padawan, is assigned to protect her under agreement between Palpatine and Master Yoda. After another attempt is thwarted by Anakin, but the assassin hired to kill Padmé is killed before she can tell the Jedi who hired her, Palpatine sends Padmé into hiding on Naboo, where she and Anakin struggle to maintain a platonic relationship despite their obvious mutual attraction while spending time in Naboo's lake country after consulting with current Naboo sovereign Queen Jamilla regarding what to do with war looming and Gunray still remaining the Trade Federation Viceroy despite numerous trials to convict him of criminal actions regarding his previous invasion of Naboo.
When Anakin has a vision of his mother in danger, Padmé accompanies him to Tatooine in a failed attempt to rescue her from a band of Tusken Raiders. Anakin returns with his mother's body, and tearfully confesses to Padmé that he slaughtered the entire tribe, including the women and the children, in anger over what they did to Shmi. Padmé is troubled by what he has done, but nevertheless comforts him, forgiving him for acting upon his emotions.
The Battle of Geonosis[]
They receive a message from Obi-Wan, who has been captured by Separatist leader Count Dooku on the planet Geonosis, and Nute Gunray is behind the assassination attempt on Padmé, seeking revenge for his failed invasion. Padmé and Anakin rush to his aid, only to be captured themselves and condemned to death in a Geonosian coliseum by Geonosian Archduke Poggle the Lesser, one of the major Separatist Council members. They declare their love to each other, and are then transported into the arena, where Padmé takes on the Nexu, but not without it managing to swipe at her and leave several deep slashes across her lower back. However, she and her Jedi friends were saved at the last minute by Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Yoda, who lead an army of Jedi and clone troopers. This battle marks the opening salvo of the Clone Wars with the Battle of Geonosis.
While chasing Dooku in a Republic Gunship, she fell out along with a lone clone trooper and are knocked unconscious with Obi-Wan convincing Anakin to not to go after her and focus on catching Dooku. When they finally regain consciousness, the clone trooper suggests Padmé return to the forward command center, but she convinces him that they immediately go after the Jedi pursuing Dooku. Padmé arrives at Dooku's hanger with several clone troopers, just in time to see Dooku take off in his solar sailor, firing futilely at him as he escapes, before meeting up with Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda, and discovering Anakin's severe injuries from Dooku with a severed arm below the elbow. Afterwards, Padmé and Anakin are married in a secret ceremony on Naboo witnessed by the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO.[2]
The Clone Wars[]
Pregnancy[]
After Anakin returns from rescuing the Chancellor from General Grievous during the Battle of Coruscant, she informs him that she is pregnant and asks him what they should do. Anakin simply tells her not to worry about it for the time being. Padmé watches with increasing suspicion as Darth Sidious becomes a dictator, using the Clone Wars to amass vast emergency powers and gain control over the Senate and judiciary. Sidious later declares martial law, transforming the Republic into the Galactic Empire and naming himself Emperor. As the Senate cheers for Sidious, Padmé says to fellow Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan, "So, this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause".
After informing Anakin of her pregnancy, Padmé and Anakin both go to Padmé's apartment. Later that night, Padmé begins to detect changes in Anakin after he has dreams about her dying in childbirth, like he did before Shmi passed away. Although she is dismissive of his visions, Anakin's fear for her leads to his conversion to the dark side of the Force; Sidious corrupts Anakin by promising him the power to prevent Padmé's death and takes him as his Sith apprentice, Darth Vader. After Sidious seizes absolute power, Obi-Wan informs her that Anakin has become a Sith Lord and killed everyone in the Jedi Temple, including the children. She refuses to believe him, but travels to the volcanic planet Mustafar with Obi-Wan stowed on board her ship to learn if Anakin has indeed turned to the dark side, refusing to accept any escort to come with her, including Captain Gregor Typho, her Chief of Security. She confronts him, and begs him to escape Sidious' grasp and flee with her.
Childbirth/Death[]
However, Vader refuses, instead saying he plans to overthrow Sidious so they can rule the galaxy together. Padmé recoils in horror, realizing that Obi-Wan had been telling the truth. Nevertheless, even with her heart breaking, she still tries to persuade him to come back. Just then, Obi-Wan emerges from the ship. Vader accuses her of betraying him, and uses the dark side to choke her into unconsciousness. He then accuses Obi-Wan of turning Padmé against him, and Obi-Wan insists Anakin has done this himself. After Obi-Wan defeats Vader in the ensuing lightsaber duel and leaves him to be immolated by one of Mustafar's volcanic rivers, he brings Padmé to Polis Massa, a secret asteroid base with a medical facility. Padmé dies after giving birth to twins Luke and Leia, despite the efforts of medical droids, who claimed she "lost the will to live". Her final words are, "Obi-Wan? There's good in him. I know. I know there's still".
Padmé's body, altered to appear still pregnant, is returned to Naboo and given an elaborate funeral ceremony, attended by her family and all the friends and allies she made during her time as Queen and Senator, including Governor Sio Bibble, Boss Nass and Jar Jar Binks, her handmaidens, Captain Typho, and current sovereign Queen Apailana; she is buried with the necklace Anakin made for her when they first met on Tatooine. The twins are separated and hidden from the Empire; Luke is brought to Tatooine to be raised by Anakin's step-brother Owen and his wife Beru, while Leia is adopted by Bail Organa of Alderaan and raised as a princess.
Meanwhile, after Vader is rebuilt and put into his iconic life-support armor, he asks about his wife, only for the Emperor to tell him that he killed her in his anger, leaving Vader devastated at losing the last bit of his humanity, completely turning him to the dark side and his loyal service to the Emperor.[3]
Legacy[]
Padmé is mentioned when Luke asks Leia if she remembers their mother, to which Leia replies "she was very beautiful, kind but sad", while Luke said he never knew her.
Anakin later avenges his wife, Padmé when he refuses to let the Emperor kill Luke and kills the Emperor, fulfilling the Chosen One prophecy and bringing about the destruction of the Galactic Empire and the rise of the New Republic.[4]
Video games[]
Disney Infinity[]
Padmé appears as a mission giver in the Twilight of the Republic Play Set for the third game. According to Mathew Solie on Toy Box TV Live, she has "awkward dialog" with Anakin. She can then be unlocked to place in the Toy Box.
Star Wars: Force Arena[]
Padmé Amidala is a playable character in Star Wars: Force Arena as a Legendary squad leader card.
Disney Dreamlight Valley[]
Although she is not in the game physically, as part of celebrating Star Wars on May 4th, Padme's iconic dress from when she arrived at the Naboo lake retreat with Anakin in Episode II - Attack of the Clones became available for purchase from the game's Premium Shop on April 30th. It includes the dress proper, the matching shoes, and her iconic hairstyle. Alongside it was Anakin's Jedi robes and his blue lightsaber.
Disney Parks[]
Padme signing an autograph for a Guest, showing excellent penmanship.
Despite her death in the movie, Padmé appears as a meetable character at Disney's Hollywood Studios during Star Wars Weekends, dressed in her Senate outfit. Surprisingly, she can even be met alongside her own children and husband as if her death and his conversion to the dark side never happened at all.
Relationships[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Like her daughter, Leia, Padmé is a female protagonist of an era in the Canon (the prequel trilogy) and while they are similar in several ways, they also differ in a number of others:
- Padmé and Leia are both passionate supporters of democracy and freedom, but Padmé is more of an Internal Reformist, only considering outright rebellion towards the end of the Clone Wars when things take a turn for the worst, while Leia's role as a senator is more of a front for her position as a commander in the Rebel Alliance;
- Their temperaments differ as well; Padmé is more dignified and tender-hearted, while Leia can be quite stubborn and fierce-tempered. In fact, Padmé's son, Luke Skywalker, is arguably closer to her in personality. Leia is also quite astute at picking up whether someone is trustworthy and is more of a realist, while Padmé is far more idealistic and tries to see the best in people, always overlooking their flaws;
- Padmé falls in love with Anakin Skywalker while he is still a flawed yet heroic Jedi Knight, only for their relationship to fall apart at the end of the prequel trilogy as he becomes increasingly ruthless and extreme, while Leia starts out disliking Han Solo, but becomes closer to him when he starts to become a better person and falls in love with him by the end of the original trilogy;
- When Padmé loses everything she cares about and worked for, she takes it extremely hard and ultimately loses her will to live. Leia, on the other hand, is more resilient, putting on a brave face and soldiering on despite her numerous heartbreaks and losses.
- Padmé's name means "lotus flower" in Sanskrit.
- The cause of her death is a topic of debate among fans: the medical droid claims "she lost the will to live" but also constantly admits he don't know why Padmé's condition worsens, and later Darth Sidious claimed, Vader killed her in his anger. This led to speculation on whether the medical facility had the necessary qualification to save her life, and she died of broken heart syndrome. Other theory suggest that she was killed by Darth Sidious, draining her life force in order to save Vader. The third explanation is that she was indeed killed by Anakin's anger: through love, she was able to feel and went through the torture of Anakin Skywalker's immolation by the dark side and the forge of Darth Vader, just like she sensed his agony moments before he turned to the dark side. The official Star Wars visual encyclopedias took a somewhat a middle-ground position, claiming that Padmé Amidala died from injuries and a broken heart.
- Padmé has several scenes cut from Attack of the Clones:
- A subplot involving her introducing Anakin to her home planet and her family, including Anakin telling Padme's father (Ruwee) that she is being targeted.
- After being captured, she and Anakin are brought before Count Dooku, and she demands him to free Obi-Wan, but Dooku tells her that he will only do it if Naboo joins the Separtists.
- Padmé and Anakin being put on trial and sentenced to the arena.
References[]
External links[]
Padmé Amidala on Wookieepedia: The Star Wars Wiki- Padmé Amidala on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
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