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Template:SW Character

Padmé Naberrie (46 - 19 BBY), also known as Queen and then finally, Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo, is a pivotal character in the fictional Star Wars universe. The young heroine is portrayed by actress Natalie Portman in the Star Wars films: The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

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Appearances

Early life

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 living a fairly aristocratic lifestyle (perhaps this is funded by her later social success.) Apparently very seriously trained in politics as a child, Padmé is named Princess of Theed, Naboo's capital city, at the tender age of 12, 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.

The handmaidens of Queen (and later Senator) Amidala were:

• Sabé - Amidala's body double during dangerous situations
• Cordé - who serves as decoy for Amidala when she is a Senator
• Rabé - who serves as hairdresser to the queen
• Eirtaé - royal protocol expert
• Saché- oldest handmaiden; stayed on Naboo during blockade
• Yané- youngest handmaiden; also stayed on Naboo during blockade
• 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, Padmé fights hard to rid her planet of the blockade of the Trade Federation. Refusing to declare war on the Federation out of fear of bringing harm to her people, she tries to appeal to the Galactic Senate at the advice of Naboo's senator, Palpatine, persuading legislators 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, who is 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, 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. Padmé and Anakin form a strong bond throughout the ordeal.

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 (also known as the Seperatists) and its army of droids. After a failed 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 is actually planning to have her murdered.

Anakin, who has been nurturing a powerful infatuation with Padmé over the last decade, breaks down and confesses his love for her. She initially rejects him, disturbed by his intense anger and belief in the need for one strong leader, even if it means forsaking the democratic principles that she stands for. Over time, however, she grows to return his feelings, much to her own surprise. She fights her attraction to him as much as she can, however, as they are both duty-bound to keep their relationship platonic; Jedi are forbidden to form emotional attachments, and a romance with one could endanger her position in the Senate.

When Kenobi is kidnapped by Separatist leader (and fallen Jedi) Count Dooku on Geonosis, Padmé and Anakin rush to his aid — only to captured themselves and condemned to death in a Roman Colosseum-style execution. Moments from certain death, Anakin and Padmé declare their love for each other. However, they are saved by Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Yoda, along with a cadre of Jedi warriors, who burst into the Colosseum to fight Dooku's army in the Battle of Geonosis, the opening salvo of the Clone Wars. There, Padmé shows herself to be rather more handy in combat than might be expected of a politician. Anakin fights Dooku, but is easily defeated, losing an arm to the older, more experienced warrior's lightsaber. Upon returning to Coruscant, he is fitted with a cybernetic arm, and he 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: 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. She tells him the news when he returns, igniting 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 virtual dictator in the Senate, amassing unprecented emergency powers by playing on fear of Seperatist attack. She is also frightened of the changes in Anakin, who begins falling under Palpatine's spell after the Chancellor appoints him to the Jedi Council.

Sensing Anakin's fear for Padmé's life, Palpatine tells him that the dark side of the Force holds the power to prevent death, and reveals himself as a Sith Lord. Anakin reports Palpatine's treachery to Windu, but later returns to defend the Chancellor. Palpatine manipulates Anakin into helping him kill Windu, repeats his promise to save Padmé, and makes him his new apprentice, Darth Vader.

Padmé, meanwhile, sits by helplessly in the Senate as Palpatine, claiming that the Jedi are planning a coup, declares martial law and transforms the Republic into the Galactic Empire, naming himself Emperor. Joining with fellow senators Mon Mothma and Bail Organa, she forms a resitance movement that will eventually become the Rebel Alliance, and plans to escape Palpatine's grasp with her husband.

Her plans are ruined, 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 pull him back from the brink. It is no use, however, as Anakin has truly gone mad with power, justifying the atrocities he has committed by promising her that the Empire can be made "the way we want it to be." Heartbroken and horrified, she recoils from him—just as Obi-Wan emerges from the ship. Believing that Padmé has betrayed him to his old mentor, Anakin flies into a blind rage and uses the dark side to choke her into unconsciousness. After the ensuing duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin, she is brought to Polis Massa. Despite the doctors' efforts to save her, she dies after the birth of the twins, whom she names Luke and Leia; while in perfect physical health, she had apparently lost the will to live.

Anakin, meanwhile, is nearly killed in the duel with Obi-Wan, losing an arm and both legs and burning almost to death in a lava flow. Palpatine revives him with extensive cybernetic prosthetics and tells him that Padmé was killed by the Force-choke, breaking his spirit and transforming him into the cruel, brutal tyrant that would plague the galaxy for more than two decades.

Padmé's body is returned to Naboo and given an elaborate funeral ceremony. The public is told that she was killed by a Jedi during the alleged Jedi uprising, that she had only been carrying one child, and that it died in utero; Obi-Wan and Yoda decided that Luke and Leia would never be safe if the Sith knew where they were.

Luke is brought to Tatooine, while Leia is adopted by Bail Organa and raised as the Princess of Alderaan. They are both instrumental in the destruction of the Empire, and the redemption of Anakin Skywalker, 23 years later.

The issue in Return of the Jedi

In Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Leia tells Luke that she remembers her mother dying when they were young, and described her as very kind, beautiful, and sad. It is possible that the mother that Leia remembers is the adoptive mother that she grew up with on Alderaan, rather than her birth mother. However, since Luke asks her, "Do you remember your real mother?" it is assumed that Leia did, in fact, know she was adopted by the Organas.

No explanation in the film is given for how Leia could have remembered her mother if she died in childbirth, but many have speculated that Leia was able to feel her mother's presence through Force-sensitivity. After all, Leia always "felt" that Luke was her brother, yet he did not suspect that she was his sister. It should also be noted that some people in the real world claim to have memories of their own births, which may also mean that some have memories of their first few minutes after their births. Leia's birth in Revenge of the Sith was originally written to have her make brief eye contact with her mother, but this was edited out. One could argue that it accounts for her memory in Return of the Jedi.

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. Also, the usurpers in both cases were leaders of government and 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 Padmé's 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 Padmé'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 Padmé'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 Organa
• Luke Skywalker
• Mon Mothma
• Naberrie family
• Naboo
• Palpatine
• Pooja Naberrie
• Rebel Alliance
• Ruwee Naberrie
• Ryoo Naberrie
• Sola Naberrie
• Skywalker family

External links

• Databank entry for Padmè at StarWars.com

• Star Wars Old Republic characters
• Fictional queens
• Fictional politicians
• Star Wars Skywalker family
• Star Wars Naberrie family