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Revision as of 22:48, 17 October 2005 by 128.223.86.52 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Padmé Naberrie (46 - 19 BBY), also known as Queen and then finally, Senator Padmé Amidala of the planet Naboo, is a pivotal character in the fictional Star Wars universe; she is the wife of Anakin Skywalker and the mother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. She is portrayed by Natalie Portman in the Star Wars prequel movies The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith.
The Star Wars Visual Dictionaries describe Padmé as raised by "humble" parents in a small mountain village of Naboo, although in the films, Padmé's parents are depicted as aristocrats. Perhaps this is funded by Padmé's later social success.
Early life
Apparently very seriously trained as a child, Padmé is named Princess of Theed, Naboo's capital city, when barely a teenager, and is elected Queen of the entire planet at age fourteen. As queen, Padmé takes the reign name of Amidala. Just as "Padmé" is Sanskrit for lotus flower, "Amidala" is the spiritual manifestation of a lotus flower. As queen, Amidala takes five handmaidens as her bodyguards and companions. These five and others will provide her with her most loyal and true relationships throughout the films.
Handmaidens
The handmaidens of Queen (and later Senator) Amidala are:
- Sabé - her body double during dangerous situations
- Cordé - who serves as her decoy when she is a Senator
- Rabé - who serves as hairdresser to the queen
- Eirtaé - royal protocol expert
- Saché
- Yané
- Dormé - who serves as a bodyguard to Padmé when she is a Senator
- Versé
- Motté
- Ellé
The Phantom Menace
In Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Amidala fights hard through political and physical means to rid her planet from the blockade of the Trade Federation.
Padmé refuses to fight the Federation out of fear of bringing harm to her people. Instead, she tries to appeal to the Galactic Senate at the advice of Naboo's senator, Palpatine, and she persuades the Senate to cast a vote of no confidence against Chancellor Finis Valorum, who is swiftly removed from office. Palpatine is elected in his place.
Unbeknownst to Padmé, however, Palpatine is in fact the main instigator of the conflict; secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, he is providing the Trade Federation with monetary and political support in order to create the crisis necessary to elevate himself to a more powerful post.
While returning to Coruscant, Padmé is guarded by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Their ship is attacked by a Federation flagship, and they are forced to land on Tatooine, the nearest non-Federation planet. There, they encounter a nine-year-old slave, Anakin Skywalker, whom Qui-Gon is convinced is the Chosen One, foretold of in Jedi prophecy, destined to bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith. Qui-Gon wins Anakin's freedom, and takes him to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to be trained as a Jedi. Padmé and Anakin form a strong bond during the trip.
Padmé, with help from a Gungan army, the two Jedi, and Anakin, defends her homeworld against invasion from the Federation army in what would become known as the Battle of Naboo.
Attack of the Clones
In Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, set ten years later, she has become a Senator after her two terms as Queen expired. She is leading a faction opposed to the establishment of an army to quell the Confederacy of Independent Systems and their army of clone troopers. Padmé is the target of a failed assassination attempt on her life, which is later revealed to have been organized by her old enemy Nute Gunray, the former viceroy of the Trade Federation. Anakin, who is now Obi-Wan's apprentice, is assigned to protect her. Palpatine sends Padmé to vacation on Naboo, seemingly out of harm's way, but later plans to have her murdered.
It is on Naboo that Anakin, who has developed a strong infatuation with Padmé, expresses his love for her. She initially resists, but eventually finds, much to her own surprise, that she returns his feelings. She fights her attraction to him as hard as she can, however.
When Obi-Wan is kidnapped on Geonosis by Seperatist leader (and fallen Jedi) Count Dooku, Anakin and Padmé rush to his aid, only to be captured themselves and condemned to death in a gladiatorial arena. Moments away from execution, they profess their undying love for each other. Just in the nick of time, however, they are saved by Jedi Master Mace Windu and a cadre of Jedi, who burst into the arena to fight Dooku's army in the Battle of Geonosis, the opening overture of the Clone Wars. Anakin battles Dooku, but is quickly defeated, losing an arm to the rogue Jedi's lightsaber. Uopn returning to Coruscant, Anakin and Padmé are wed in a secret ceremony attended only by R2-D2 and C-3PO.
In some of the deleted scenes of Attack of the Clones, Padmé's family is also introduced. She has her parents, Jobal and Ruwee Naberrie, her sister Sola Naberrie, and Sola's two daughters, Ryoo and Pooja Naberrie. On an interesting note, Pooja later follows in her aunt's footsteps to become Senator of Naboo during the years of the Galactic Civil War.
Padmé becomes pregnant during one of Anakin's rare nights with her during the Clone Wars. When he returns, she tells him the news, which ignites in him an implacable fear that she will die in childbirth.
Revenge of the Sith
In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, she becomes alarmed by Palpatine's rise to power as he amasses unprecedented emergency powers, becoming a virtual dictator. She is also troubled by changes in Anakin, who is falling under Palpatine's spell after the Chancellor appoints him his representative on the Jedi Council.
While consulting with Anakin, Palpatine senses his fear for his wife, and tells him that the dark side of the Force has the power to prevent death. He then reveals himself to Anakin as a Sith Lord. While Anakin flees in revulsion to alert Windu, Palpatine's manipulation has had such an effect on him that he returns to defend the Chancellor. He arrives to find Windu about to execute Palpatine, who has been horribly scarred by his own Force lightning, reflected off of Windu's lightsaber. As Windu is about to strike, Anakin intervenes and ciuts off his lightsaber-wielding arm, giving Palpatine the chance to blast him out of a high-rise window to his death. Palpatine then repeats his promise to save Padmé, and makes Anakin his new apprentice, Darth Vader.
Padmé, meanwhile, stands by helpless in the Senate as Palpatine claims that the Jedi are planning a coup, declares martial law, and turns the Republic into the Galactic Empire, with himself as Emperor. She briefly consorts wih Mon Mothma to form a resistance movement (that will eventually become the Rebel Alliance), and plans to escape Palpatine's clutches with her husband.
Her plans are dashed, however, when she learns that Anakin has become a Sith Lord and has murdered scores of Jedi, including children, at Palpatine's order. She travels to the volcanic planet Mustafar (with Obi-Wan stowed away on board unbeknownst to her), and confronts Anakin in an attempt to turn him back to "the Light." It is no use, however, as Anakin has gne mad with power, justifying the atrocities he has committed by promising that they can make the Empire "whatever we want it to be." Heartbroken and horrified, Padmé recoils from him — just as Obi-Wan emerges from the ship. Believing that Padmé has abandoned him for his former mentor, he flies into a blind rage and uses the dark side to choke her into unconciousness. She goes into labor, and is rushed to Polis Massa to give birth. There, doctors try to save Padmé's life, but after the birth of the twins, whom she names Luke and Leia; while in perfect physical health, she has lost the will to live.
Anakin, meanwhile, incurs grave injuries during a duel with Obi-Wan, losing an arm and both legs and nearly burning to death in a lava flow. Palpatine finds him and revives him with extensive cybernetic enhancements, turning him into a fearsome cyborg. When Anakin regains consciousness, Palpatine tells him that the Force-choke killed his wife and unborn child, a lie that breaks what remains of his spirit and transforms him into the cruel, brutal tyrant that would plague the galaxy for decades to come.
Padmé's body is returned to Naboo and given an elaborate funeral ceremony. The public is told that she died pregnant, to hide her children from the Sith. The official explanation of Padmé's death is that she was killed by a Jedi during the alleged Jedi uprising.
Luke was brought to Tatooine by Obi-Wan Kenobi while Leia was adopted by Bail Organa and raised as a Princess of Alderaan. They are both instrumental in the destruction of the Empire, as wel as the redemption of Anakin Skywalker, 23 years later.
Possible influences
It has been suggested that Queen Amidala's story may have been partly inspired by the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii. Like Liliuokalani, she refused to fight out of fear of bringing harm to her people. The overthrowers in both cases were leaders of commercial interests. Liliuokalani also went before the U.S. Congress to plead her case, just as Padmé tried to appeal to the Galactic Senate.
Costumes
The costumes designed for this character in The Phantom Menace were widely admired, and were featured in a Vogue magazine spread. Some critics viewed them simply as a marketing ploy to bring more feminine viewers to an action movie, but whether intentional or not, for some viewers, Padmé's costumes were the most memorable part of the film. They also serve an important plot function as they allow her handmaidens to impersonate her behind voluminous robes and white makeup.
This listing of the royal gowns of Queen Amidala uses several words created by archaeologist Dr. David Reynolds to imbue the costumes with a sense of imaginative history:
- Throne Room Gown- The most reproduced images of Padmé (see above) are probably ones showing this domestic regalia. Her hair is dressed over a padded form and her face is encircled by gold "faceframes" dangling a Jewel of Zenda. The wide-shouldered gown is embroidered in gold and lined in potolli fur. Large illuminated sein jewels decorate the skirt. The handmaidens wear coordinating golden robes inspired by Art Nouveau.
- Traveling Gown- A dark purple gown with cerlin sleeves, drapa bindings, and a chersilk hair net.
- Arrival Gown- This black, spiderweb lace gown is actually worn by the handmaiden Sabé, but this is not known to other characters in the film nor to first-time viewers. Her face is framed by a black cowl, which is decorated with filigree ear coverings and a headdress of black feathers. It portrays to Chancellor Valorum and Senator Palpatine the majesty and seriousness of her mission upon arrival at the capital world of Coruscant. The handmaidens wear saffron colored robes reminiscent of Buddhist monks.
- Foreign Residence Gown- A black gown, reminiscent of Victorian mourning dress, expresses Amidala's anguish at being separated from her people. Black Cyrene silk is beaded with 240-year old emblems. Her hair is arranged in a fan shape with a prominent foreknot and small suspensas.
- Senate Gown- Clearly derived from the Mongolian bride costume, this embossed red gown is braided with gold, and is meant to portray the majesty of Naboo to the jaded Galactic Senate. To help make her more visible in the vast chamber, Padmé's hair is dressed in a wide arc centered by an escoffiate headpiece and the Royal Sovereign of Naboo medal. Gold hairbands hold the arc in shape, and orichalc finework finials dangle from the ends. Portman was photographed in this costume for Vanity Fair and Premiere magazines.
- Palpatine Gown- When meeting with Naboo's senator, Padmé wears a mauve robe highly reminiscent of a Japanese kimono, with several layers and a wide obi. A Shiraya fan headdress is hung with Veda pearl beading and glass filaments. (The actual costume headdress was cut from a 1910 dress.) The handmaidens wear burgundy purple robes embellished with fleurs-de-lys.
- Parade Gown- A brilliant white gown worn at the end of the film symbolizes Amidala's joy at achieving peace, and echoes the gown worn by her future daughter at the end of the film A New Hope. In both films, the titled leader presents heroes of battle with an honor at the end of a long avenue of people amidst magnificent architecture. Padmé's costume is embellished by a petaled cape that evokes huge flowers near her home village. The flowers only bloom once every 88 years, heralding a special celebration. She also wears an aurate fan which resembles the starched collars worn by England's Queen Elizabeth I as well as the framing fans worn by characters on the Dune miniseries.
Throughout The Phantom Menace, Padmé wears white thumbnail polish, a tradition from her native village, as well as a red Scar of Remembrance dividing her lower lip, and a red beauty mark on each cheekbone.
See also
- Anakin Skywalker
- Bail Organa
- Galactic Senate
- Jobal Naberrie
- Leia Skywalker-Organa-Solo
- Luke Skywalker
- Mon Mothma
- Naberrie family
- Naboo
- Palpatine
- Pooja Naberrie
- Rebel Alliance
- Ruwee Naberrie
- Ryoo Naberrie
- Skywalker family
- Sola Naberrie
External links
| Preceded byKing Veruna of Naboo | Queen of Naboo 32–24 BBY |
Succeeded byQueen Jamilla of Naboo |
| Preceded byUnknown (eventually Senator Palpatine) | Senator of Naboo 22–19 BBY |
Succeeded byUnknown (eventually Pooja Naberrie) |