Padmé Amidala Naberrie is a character in the Star Wars universe. She first appeared on-screen in the 1999 feature film, The Phantom Menace as the young Queen of the planet Naboo. In the subsequent prequel trilogy films, Padmé represents Naboo in the Galactic Senate. Padmé was the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker, the mother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, and the grandmother of Ben Solo. She is the tritagonist of the Prequel Trilogy.
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; thus Luke and Leia had and an aunt and two cousins. Growing up, she met a young man named Palo and the two became romantically involved, but they separated as Palo became an artist, Padmé dedicated herself to politics and public service. At the age of fourteen, Padmé became the Queen of Naboo; the youngest in the history of Naboo. After the Invasion of Naboo, Padmé's two terms as queen ended, she then served as senator to both Naboo and Chommell.
Later in life, she would become the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker, and the mother of their children, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, during which she died due to the stress of child birth 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 his actions and before she died after giving birth to her children, Padmé still believed there was good left in Anakin and that one day he could be saved with the help of their children. Although she did not live to see it, Padmé's faith in her husband proved correct, when Anakin sacrificed himself to save their son Luke.
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.
Personality
Padmé was well-loved for her kind and self-sacrificing nature - 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 was strong-willed and passionate, making her a persuasive and inspirational speaker - a skill which would later reveal itself in her speeches as a Senator - and most especially when she actively opposed 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 were an initial stumbling block in her relationship with Anakin Skywalker, initially, she blatantly refused to allow any romantic involvement as she felt that a relationship between the two of them would go nowhere and would endanger both of their futures, she saw how difficult it would be, and how greatly it had the potential to ruin both their lives, thus, though it was not easy for her to accept, she attempted to force Anakin to see her perspective and respect her decision, however, under near-fatal circumstances - when she believed she was about to die - she saw no harm in admitting her true feelings and so expressed her love for Anakin. Upon their unexpected survival - she and Anakin could no longer deny their love. However, once married, and still well-aware of the risks attached, she kept her relationship with Anakin a secret.
Due to the nature of their respective positions within the Senate and the Jedi Order - lengthy separation periods were unavoidable, and although pained by these long separations, Padmé endured this hardship with silence, patience and strength, knowing and understanding fully their respective responsibilities and the magnitude thereof, She had much faith in Anakin and his celebrated skills, yet still worried for his safety.
Her belief in him became even more evident when she began to believe him over the Jedi High Council when he told of their manipulations of him to use him as a spy for their own purposes, she was reluctant to even believe Obi-Wan Kenobi, a close friend of theirs, when he told her of Anakin's dark deeds under Palpatine, to reassure herself that what he had said was not true, she traveled to Mustafar to ask Anakin herself, when her husband confirmed her worst nightmares, she still refused to believe that he could not come back to the light and urged him to do so, even at her death, Padmé continued to have faith in her husband, speaking of the "good" that still resided within him. Many years later, her son would come to manifest this belief, when Darth Vader would turn on his Sith Master in order to save his son and in so doing, would redeem himself.
During her reign as Queen and her time serving as a Senator, Padmé presented herself as an advocate for the Gungans, who were among the natives of Naboo, 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 managed to unite the two groups against a common enemy. She and Gungan Boss Rugor Nass achieved a level of mutual respect, which she carried 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 was rebellious, headstrong, reckless, impulsive, kind, caring, and selfless, she also had a strong sense of justice, honor, and good morals; of course, like her husband, she despised lying and deception, from her friends, allies, and enemies alike, she was far more forgiving than Anakin, as she quickly forgave people in general, particularly Obi-Wan, for constantly lying to her or deceiving her, although she once lied to Obi-Wan that she was going to end her relationship with Anakin, she would do this on Naboo; this was to prevent him from figuring out that Padmé was going to marry Anakin. Despite this, she was a generally honest person.
Abilities
- Expert Markswoman: Padmé was extremely skilled in utilizing blaster pistols and blaster rifles.
- Expert Pilot: Padmé was extremely skilled in piloting every type of flying craft.
- Multilingual: Padmé was capable of fluently speaking Basic, Ithorese, Mon Calamarian, Gran, Gunganese, and Rodese.
Film Appearances
The Phantom Menace
Padmé makes her first appearance in the prequel The Phantom Menace. 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, but he launches an invasion, forcing her 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. 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 nine-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. 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.
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 Darth 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.
Attack of the Clones
In the second film, set a decade after the Phantom Menace, she represents Naboo in the Galactic Senate after leaving the throne 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 Trade Federation 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, killing 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. 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.
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.
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. 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 sailer, 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.
Revenge of the Sith
Padmé Amidala makes her third appearance on film in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, set three years after the events of Attack of the Clones. After Anakin returns from a battle, 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 Palpatine becomes a dictator, using the Clone Wars to amass vast emergency powers and gain control over the Senate and judiciary. Palpatine later declares martial law, transforming the Republic into the Galactic Empire and naming himself Emperor. As the Senate cheers for Palpatine, 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; Palpatine corrupts Anakin by promising him the power to prevent Padmé's death and takes him as his Sith apprentice, Darth Vader. After Palpatine 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 Palpatine's grasp and flee with her.
However, Vader refuses, instead saying he plans to overthrow Palpatine 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. Despite the efforts of medical droids, Padmé dies after giving birth to twins Luke and Leia, having 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.
Return of the Jedi
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 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.
Television Appearances
Star Wars: Forces of Destiny
Padmé with Ahsoka in Star Wars: Forces of Desitny.
Padmé appears in the animated miniseries, Star Wars: Forces of Destiny, with Catherine Taber reprising her role from The Clone Wars.
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 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. 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 main 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 crosses the Despair Event Horizon. Leia, on the other hand, is more resilient, putting on a brave face and soldiering on despite her numerous heartbreaks and losses.
External links
- Padmé Amidala on Wookieepedia
Padmé Amidala on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
v - e - d  | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|