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Poppie dingle fart
Star Wars character
Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala
First appearance	The Phantom Menace
Created by	George Lucas
Portrayed by	Natalie Portman
Voiced by	Catherine Taber Grey DeLisle Montana Norberg
In-universe information
Full name	Poopie dingle farts
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Occupation	Queen of Naboo Senator of Naboo
Affiliation	Royal House of Naboo Galactic Senate
Spouse	Anakin Skywalker
Children	Luke Skywalker (son) Leia Organa (daughter)
Relatives	Ben Solo (grandson) Others in Legends
Homeworld	Naboo

Padmé Amidala (née Naberrie) is a character in the Star Wars franchise. She first appears in The Phantom Menace (1999) as the teenage queen of the fictional planet Naboo. After her reign, she becomes a member of the Galactic Senate. She secretly marries Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Knight, and later dies while giving birth to the twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Anakin's fear of losing Padmé drives him toward the dark side of the Force, which eventually results in his transformation into Darth Vader. Natalie Portman portrays Padmé in all three films of the prequel trilogy. Catherine Taber, Grey DeLisle and Montana Norberg provide the character's voice in animated productions and video games.

Fictional biography

Padmé Naberrie was elected queen of the planet Naboo at the age of fourteen. She adopted the surname Amidala as her formal name of state. The young monarch faced a challenge when, in the midst of a taxation dispute, the Trade Federation halted the shipment of goods to her planet. Two Jedi Knights—Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi—attempted to resolve the situation with diplomacy. When members of the Federation tried to kill them, the Jedi fled and informed Padmé of the betrayal. As the Federation deployed troops to Naboo, the trio escaped the planet and journeyed to Coruscant, the location of the Galactic Senate. To protect herself, Padmé exchanged identities with one of her royal handmaidens. Before reaching Coruscant, the group stopped on Tatooine. While searching for parts to repair their starship, they encountered Anakin Skywalker, a nine-year-old slave boy. After helping him secure his freedom, they took Anakin with them.

When they reached the Senate, Padmé requested aid for her embattled planet, but her efforts were stymied by politics and the Trade Federation. Naboo's representative in the chamber, Senator Palpatine, urged Padmé to push for a vote of no confidence in Supreme Chancellor Valorum. After Valorum was ousted, Palpatine was chosen as the new Supreme Chancellor. Padmé returned home to confront the army of battle droids occupying Naboo. She formed an alliance with the Gungans and successfully drove out the invaders.

When Padmé's term as queen ended, she became a member of the Galactic Senate. With stirrings of a Separatist movement across the galaxy, Palpatine sought to increase his power to put down the insurgents. A Senate vote was scheduled on the Military Creation Act, which would form a Grand Army of the Republic. Before Padmé could vote on the legislation, Separatists attempted to assassinate her. She was placed under Jedi protection, which reunited her with Anakin, now a grown man and a Jedi apprentice. Despite a Jedi Order prohibition against romantic relationships, feelings soon grew between Anakin and Padmé. When Anakin had a vision of his mother in danger, Padmé accompanied him to Tatooine in a failed attempt to rescue her from a band of Tusken Raiders. Anakin returned with his mother's body and confessed to Padmé that he slaughtered the entire Tusken tribe. Padmé was troubled by what Anakin had done, but nevertheless comforted him.

Padmé and Anakin left for Geonosis, where Separatist activity had been discovered. They were captured and condemned to death by the Separatist leader and Sith Lord Count Dooku. Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Yoda arrived with an army of clone troopers and rescued them, which marked the beginning of the Clone Wars. Later, Padmé and Anakin were married in a secret ceremony on Naboo. When Padmé became pregnant with Anakin’s child, he started having visions of her death. Palpatine suggested to Anakin that the dark side of the Force could save Padmé, which led to Anakin becoming Palpatine's Sith apprentice, Darth Vader. Anakin began murdering Jedi, and Palpatine proclaimed himself Emperor.

Padmé confronted Anakin about his violent acts and his desire to rule the galaxy. Enraged, he strangled her into unconsciousness. After defeating Anakin in a duel, Obi-Wan rescued Padmé and supported her as she gave birth to twins. The infants—Luke and Leia—were spirited away by Obi-Wan, so Anakin could not find them. Padmé died in childbirth.

Prequel trilogy

Concept and casting

Padmé was introduced in The Phantom Menace, the first film of the prequel trilogy. During the film's development, concept artists were given character outlines by Lucasfilm. The fourteen-year-old Padmé was described as similar to Princess Ozma from the Land of Oz series of novels. George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars franchise and the director of The Phantom Menace, wanted to cast a performer who displayed strength comparable to that of Princess Leia, a central character in the original trilogy and the daughter of Padmé. The filmmakers auditioned over two hundred actresses for the role before selecting Natalie Portman, who was sixteen at the time. One of the concept artists, Iain McCaig, said Portman exhibited vulnerability and strength akin to Ozma. Portman was enthusiastic about the role, and thought it would be empowering for young female viewers to witness the intelligence and leadership abilities of the teenage monarch.

Costumes

Lucas has explained that galactic society in the prequel trilogy is more sophisticated than in the original trilogy. To illustrate this difference, the costumes in the prequels are more elaborate than those in the earlier films. Trisha Biggar, the costume designer for the prequel films, said there were only three costumes initially planned for Padmé. However, Lucas felt that a noble of her stature would be constantly changing her wardrobe depending on the occasion. He decided that every time the queen appeared in The Phantom Menace, she would be wearing a different costume. The resulting wardrobe was influenced by fashions from Japan, Mongolia, Tibet and other countries. For Attack of the Clones, Lucas wanted Padmé's garb to reflect the romantic storyline. He requested that her costumes be "skimpy" and "sultry". Padmé's garments were displayed at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles in 2005, and at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 2018.

Reception

Portman's performances in the prequel films received mixed reviews from critics. James Berardinelli called her acting in The Phantom Menace "lackluster," while Annlee Ellingson of Box Office Magazine said her delivery was "stiff and flat, perhaps hindered by the gorgeous but cumbersome costumes." In his review of Attack of the Clones, Mike Clark of USA Today complained about the performances of both Portman and Hayden Christensen, who portrays Anakin. He wrote, "Both speak in monotone for doubly deadly effect, though when not burdened by his co-star, Christensen often finds the emotion in his limited intonations." Reviewing Revenge of the Sith, Ed Halter of The Village Voice said that "computer-generated characters like wheezing cyborg baddie General Grievous and blippeting fireplug R2-D2 ... emot more convincingly" than either Portman or Christensen. Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle described Portman's performance in the same film as "decorative and sympathetic".

Other appearances

In addition to the prequel trilogy, Padmé appears in the animated film The Clone Wars and the animated television series of the same name. Catherine Taber provides the character's voice for both productions. Taber also voices Padmé in the web series Forces of Destiny and in various video games. Grey DeLisle voices the character in video games and in the micro-series Clone Wars, and Montana Norberg provides Padmé's voice in the miniseries Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales.

Padmé is the protagonist of three novels by E. K. Johnston, collectively referred to as the "Queen's Series." The first novel to be released, Queen's Shadow (2018), is set four years after the events of The Phantom Menace. As Padmé ends her reign as queen and becomes a senator, she helps liberate a number of slaves on Tatooine, but is unable to free Anakin's mother, Shmi Skywalker. The novel also explores relationships Padmé has with Rush Clovis, Captain Typho, Captain Panaka, Bail Organa and Sheev Palpatine. A prequel to Queen's Shadow, titled Queen's Peril (2020) takes place before and during The Phantom Menace. Queen's Hope (2022) chronicles events after Padmé's secret marriage to Anakin.

Padmé also appears in novels and comics in the Star Wars Legends narrative universe, which is separate from the official Star Wars story canon. The Legends novels featuring her include Star Wars Episode I Journal: Amidala (1999), The Queen's Amulet (1999), Cloak of Deception (2001), and Labyrinth of Evil (2005). She appears in the Legends comic "A Summer's Dream" printed in Star Wars Tales 5 (2000).

See also

• Skywalker family

Notes

1. Revenge of the Sith (2005)
2. Padmé's family members in the Star Wars Legends narrative universe include her daughter-in-law Mara Jade, her granddaughter Jaina Solo, and her grandsons Ben Skywalker, Anakin Solo and Jacen Solo.
3. Clone Wars is part of the Star Wars Legends narrative universe, which is separate from the official Star Wars story canon. Lego Star Wars productions are not part of either Legends or the official canon.

References

Citations

1. ^ "Padmé Amidala". StarWars.com. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
2. ^ Hidalgo & Sansweet 2008, p. 27.
3. ^ Lucas, George (1999). Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace (Film).
4. Lucas, George (2002). Star Wars: Episode II—The Clone Wars (Film).
5. ^ Lucas, George (2005). Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith (Film).
6. "Natalie Portman: Forbidden Love: Wise Beyond Her Years". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2005. Retrieved August 5, 2006.
7. ^ Wainerdi, Brandon (May 2022). "The Soul Sketchbook of Iain McCaig". Star Wars Insider. No. 210. p. 25.
8. "Return of the galaxy's new beauty: New look, love interest for Portman's role in 'Star Wars'". CNN. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
9. Breznican, Anthony (April 13, 2017). "'Star Wars' Highlights Female Heroes with New 'Forces of Destiny' Stories — First Look". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
10. Coggan, Devan (May 27, 2022). "The 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' premiere reintroduces some huge familiar faces". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
11. Bowen, Jonathan L. (2005). Anticipation: The Real Life Story of Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse. p. 3. ISBN 0-595-34732-0.
12. Bouzereau & Duncan 1999, p. 46.
13. "Star Wars Episode I Production Notes: The Actors and Characters – Part I". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2004. Retrieved August 5, 2006.
14. ^ Hall, Corey (May 18, 2018). "A first look at the DIA's 'Star Wars and the Power of Costume'". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
15. Costume Featurette (1999). Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Special Features DVD. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
16. George Lucas (2002). Love Featurette, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Special Features (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
17. Trisha Biggar (2002). Love Featurette, Attack of the Clones (DVD). Los Angeles, California: 20th Century Fox.
18. "Star Wars: Dressing a Galaxy Opens Monday". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2006. Retrieved August 5, 2006.
19. Berardinelli, James (September 15, 2015). "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace". www.reelviews.net. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
20. Ellingson, Annlee. "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace". Box Office Magazine. Archived from the original on June 13, 2006. Retrieved August 5, 2006.
21. Clark, Mike (May 15, 2002). "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2006.
22. Halter, Ed (May 11, 2005). "May the Force Be Over; The end of the beginning: Lucas's adolescent space opera concludes in a CGI Sith Storm". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on June 28, 2006. Retrieved August 5, 2006.
23. LaSalle, Mick (May 18, 2005). "'Revenge of the Sith' review: Does Lucas know how good a movie he almost made?". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
24. "Catherine Taber (visual voices guide)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
25. "Grey DeLisle (visual voices guide)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
26. "Montana Norberg (visual voices guide)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
27. "Star Wars: Queen's Series: Padmé Paperback Box set". Disney Books | Disney Publishing Worldwide. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
28. Liptak, Andrew (July 20, 2018). "The next Star Wars novels will flesh out the prequel era". The Verge. New York City: Vox Media. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
29. Brooks, Dan (November 27, 2019). "Padmé Strikes Back in E.K. Johnston's Queen's Peril – Exclusive". StarWars.com. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
30. "Teen Padmé transforms into the Monarch of Naboo in E.K. Johnston's new Star Wars novel, Queen's Peril". May 28, 2020.
31. "Disney and Random House announce relaunch of Star Wars Adult Fiction line". StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
32. McMilian, Graeme (April 25, 2014). "Lucasfilm Unveils New Plans for Star Wars Expanded Universe". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California: Eldridge Industries. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
33. "The Legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe Turns a New Page". StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
34. Watson, Jude (1999). Star Wars Episode I Journal: Amidala. New York: Scholastic Books. ISBN 0-590-52101-2.
35. Balmain, Julianne (1999). The Queen's Amulet. New York: Chronicle Books. ISBN 0-8118-2462-4.
36. Luceno, James (2001). Cloak of Deception. Century. ISBN 9780712679572.
37. Luceno, James (2005). Labyrinth of Evil. New York: Del Rey Books. ISBN 0-345-47573-9.
38. Terry Moore (w). "A Summer's Dream" Star Wars Tales, no. 5 (September 2000). Milwaukie, Oregon: Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 1-59307-286-4.

Works cited

• Bouzereau, Laurent; Duncan, Jody (1999). Star Wars: The Making of Episode I—The Phantom Menace. New York: Del Rey. ISBN 0345431111.
• Hidalgo, Pablo; Sansweet, Stephen (2008). The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. Vol. I (First ed.). New York: Del Rey. ISBN 9780345477637.

Further reading

• Biggar, Trisha. Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2005. ISBN 0-8109-6567-4.

v t e Natalie Portman
Filmography Awards and nominations
Film	Director Eve (2008; also writer) New York, I Love You (2008; also co-writer) A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015; also writer) Producer Hesher (2010) Jane Got a Gun (2015) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)
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• Characters created by George Lucas
• Star Wars comics characters
• Star Wars literary characters
• Star Wars Skywalker Saga characters
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars characters
• Film characters introduced in 1999
• Fictional queens
• Fictional senators