Padmé Amidala/Legends

"She was... very beautiful. Kind, but sad."

- Leia Organa

Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo (born Padmé Naberrie, known as Her Royal Highness, Queen Amidala of Naboo from 32 BBY to 24 BBY, and as Senator from 24 BBY until death) was the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker and the mother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo. She was the democratically-elected Queen of Naboo before representing the planet as a Senator in the Galactic Senate. Throughout her relatively short life, she played a vital role in the politics and events surrounding the waning years of the Old Republic.

Early life (46 BBY–32 BBY)
Although prodigiously talented, Padmé was still not the youngest Queen of Naboo to ever be elected. Her birth name was Padmé Naberrie; Amidala was actually a regnal name. In her guise as Queen Amidala, she appeared regal and austere but as Padmé, she was headstrong and compassionate.

Padmé was the youngest daughter of Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie and born in an isolated mountain village where her parents instilled in their children high virtues like self-sacrifice and care for the socially weak. In her youth she volunteered for the Refugee Relief Movement, like her father had before her. Following this, she entered the Legislative Youth Program, where she met a young man named Palo. A brief, innocent relationship followed, but the pair parted ways when Palo became an artist, and Padmé continued in politics. She never did forget her past or her heritage, however; even after she reached the top, Amidala still maintained her village's tradition of painting her fingernails stark white, a small but notable sign of her dedication to her family.

Her rise was meteoroic &mdash; she had joined the Apprentice Legislature at age eight and became a full Apprentice Legislator by age eleven. By 33 BBY, at the age of thirteen, Padmé Naberrie had become Princess of Theed, where she was a magnet for personalities opposed to the rule of King Veruna. She became involved in a relationship with Ian Lago, the young son of Veruna's chief counsellor. Both families were opposed to the match, but it ended of its own accord when Veruna abdicated and Padmé was persuaded to enter the race to succeed the King. Her personal popularity and opposition to Veruna's policies ensured her victory and she never saw Ian again.

Queen (32 BBY–24 BBY)
"I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee!"

- Queen Amidala to the Galactic Senate



Shortly after being elected Queen in 32 BBY, Padmé Amidala &mdash; as she was now called &mdash; tried to use diplomatic and political means to rid her planet from the blockade of the Trade Federation. These efforts failed when the Trade Federation invaded and occupied the planet. Amidala was captured at the Palace in Theed, but was soon freed by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jar Jar Binks. She then fled Naboo in her Naboo Royal Starship with a small group in the hope of obtaining help from the Galactic Senate.

Due to damage inflicted in the escape, Amidala's ship was forced to land on the remote planet Tatooine. Disguised as the Handmaiden Padmé, Amidala accompanied Jinn, Binks, and R2-D2 into the small town of Mos Espa. It was there that she met a nine-year-old slave, Anakin Skywalker, and formed a close bond with him that would last her entire life.

Eventually, Amidala and her people were able to finish their journey to Coruscant to meet with the Senate. Upon finding that she would receive no assistance in removing the Trade Federation from Naboo, Amidala called for a vote of no-confidence in Chancellor Finis Valorum's leadership of the Senate. This action led to Naboo's Senator, Palpatine, being elected Chancellor in Valorum's place.

Amidala chose to return to Naboo, despite protests from many different sources. She managed to enlist the native Gungans in a bid to oust the Trade Federation in what would become known as the Battle of Naboo. She personally led a force to retake the Palace in Theed and was directly involved in the capture of Viceroy Nute Gunray. Her actions throughout the crisis earned her immense popularity with the people.

In 24 BBY, Amidala ended her second term as Queen. Though some on Naboo suggested amending the constitution to allow her to serve a third term, she gave up the throne to her elected successor, Queen Jamillia. At Jamillia's urging, she became Naboo's representative in the Galactic Senate, to which Padmé accepted immediately, becoming the Galactic Senator from the 36th regional state space system. Surprisingly, given her career change, she retained an elaborate fashion sense and a constantly-changing wardrobe. Soon, she was one of the leaders of a faction opposed to the establishment of an army to quell the growing Separatist movement, and was well-known through the galaxy like one of the less corrupt Senators of history.

Senator (24 BBY–19 BBY)


Two years later (22 BBY), after an attempt on her life by the clawdite bounty hunter Zam Wessel, Padmé was reunited with Anakin Skywalker, now a Padawan to Obi-Wan Kenobi & his Master. Jedi Council determined that Anakin had to escort Padmé from return to the pacific Naboo with the intention of which it did not return to undergo another attack against his life while Obi-Wan would go to Kamino in search of the bounty hunter (Jango Fett) that assigned to Zam Wessel to kill Padmé. Padmé had to be convinced by Chancellor Palpatine to return to Naboo and, once convinced, Padmé and Anakin traveled in a ship not official (starfreighter) for not be detected by the enemy, in company of R2-D2. Once on Naboo, Padmé & Anakin took refuge in Naboo lake retreat, where the two fell in love, though both of them were duty-bound to deny it. In the process of rescuing Obi-Wan on Geonosis, Amidala had a close encounter with a nexu but escaped major injuries. They became directly involved in first massed battle of the Clone Wars, where she again showed herself to be rather more handy in combat than might be expected of a politician, more than holding her own alongside the great Jedi warriors.

Soon afterwards, Anakin and Padmé were married at Varykino on Naboo, in a secret ceremony performed by a Naboo holyman, witnessed only by the two droids R2-D2 and C-3PO.

With the beginning of hostilities, her message of diplomacy and restraint began to be drowned out by the guns of war. She found herself the target of assassins (due to Nute Gunray's personal grudge against her) over and over again, forcing her to remain in the capitol world. She rarely saw her secret husband, Anakin Skywalker, who was constantly at the front line, leading clonetroopers with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Padmé maintained a secret correspondence with her husband, and, though she thrilled to his exploits, she also feared for his safety.



Four months into the war, Amidala was travelling with Jedi Master Yoda aboard her Naboo yacht when the ancient Jedi sensed a disturbance in the Force, coming from the planet Ilum. Despite Captain Typho's protests, she accompanied Yoda to the world and assisted in the rescue of the Jedi Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee.

Throughout the Clone Wars, Senator Amidala was a source of diplomacy in a decaying Republic. One such example was during the Outer Rim Sieges in which she and Captain Typho traveled to the planet of Bri'ahl in order to persuade the natives to join the Republic. Coincidentally, Amidala's diplomatic solution would have failed miserably had C-3PO, in his clumsiness, not accidentally literally crushed a resistance and a contingent of fake clone troopers attempting to murder both the Senator and the planet's President, Vuul, so Bri'ahl would not be carried into the Clone Wars.



In 20 BBY, Padmé went with Anakin, Obi-Wan, and another Jedi Siri Tachi to the planet Genian where the Separatist were after an important codebreaking mechanism invented by Talesan Fry, whom Siri and Obi-Wan had met decades earlier. Talesan was now the founder of a very wealthy business on Genian, a world that remained neutral during the war. After convincing Talesan to give the device to the Republic, they were attacked by the Bounty Hunter Magus.

Talesan accompanied the Jedi and Padmé to Azure, where the Republic was fighting off more Separatists. Siri and Padmé took a starfighter to go after Magus while Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Talesan fought off the attack led by Magus (who was working for the Corporate Alliance). Upon reaching Magus, Padmé was left to fly the ship herself when Siri made a desperate leap and landed on Magus’ starfighter. In the end, Padmé and the Jedi were successful but Siri Tachi was fatally injured and died.

By the end of the war in 19 BBY, the now pregnant Padmé became increasingly alarmed by the changes in her husband's character as he was seduced to the dark side. On Coruscant, she pleaded with Anakin to tell Palpatine to end the war and give up all the emergency powers the Senate had awarded him, but he would do nothing. Following the declaration of the Galactic Empire and the beginning of the Great Jedi Purge led by Anakin, Amidala joined with Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and many others to sign the Delegation of 2,000, a document that would later pave the way for the founding of a resistance movement that would eventually become the Rebel Alliance.

Upon the revelation of her husband's dark deeds, Padmé traveled with Obi-Wan Kenobi stowed away onboard her skiff to the planet Mustafar, where she confronted Anakin to try and get him to turn back to Light Side of the Force. When Anakin discovered his old master Obi-Wan Kenobi aboard Padmé's ship, Anakin believed that he was betrayed by his wife. In his anger, Anakin used a Force choke against her, believing Padmé had brought Kenobi to kill him. After Kenobi defeated Anakin in a lightsaber duel, the Jedi Master took Padmé to a medical facility on the asteroid Polis Massa. There, a medical team tried to preserve Padmé, but she was dying because she had apparantly lost the will to live. Before her death, Padmé gave birth to Luke Skywalker and then Leia Amidala Skywalker. In her final breaths, she told Obi-Wan she knew there was still good in Anakin. At the age of 27 years old, Padme left behind Luke and Leia, which would be her legacy and her hope for the future.

Post Mortem


Amidala's family and Queen Apailana were informed that she was killed along with other Senators by rogue Jedi on Coruscant. An investigation into who had impregnated her would have gone against Naboo tradition.

Ironically, one of the first resolutions passed by Palpatine after the formation of the Empire was a national day of mourning for the "murdered" Amidala.

In 18 BBY Amidala's maternal grandmother Ryoo Thule was killed by Inquisitor Malorum who had gone to Naboo to investigate on Padme's pregnancy when he figured out that her baby had not died. Ironically, in the years before the Battle of Yavin, Amidala's youngest niece, Pooja Naberrie, served with Amidala's daughter as Senators in the Imperial Senate. Neither woman, however, was informed of their biological relationship.

Shortly before the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Luke asked Leia if she remembered her mother at all. From very faint recollections, Leia was able to describe her as "very beautiful, kind, but sad." Luke remarked that he had no memory of Amidala whatsoever. Unbeknownst to either of them, a large painting of their mother still hung in the Imperial Palace even up to the Thrawn Crisis, twenty-eight years after her death.

Padmé was briefly seen in a hologram projected by R2-D2 while Luke was fixing him in 35 ABY. R2 showed Anakin telling her about his dream of her dying in childbirth. Until this revelation, Luke and Leia had been unaware of the identity of their mother, though they were aware of a "Senator Amidala" who served in the final days of the Old Republic. However, they had no inkling of their relation to her.

Later during the Swarm War, Luke finally learned what caused his mother's death when he, along with his wife, Mara, and nephew, Jacen, viewed a hologram of Anakin Force-choking Amidala.

Handmaidens
During her tenures as Queen and Senator, Amidala cultivated a coterie of handmaidens, young women of a similar age and with a striking similarity to her. These handmaidens acted as bodyguards, decoys and confidantes to their mistress, roles devised by Amidala's head of security, Captain Panaka.

As Queen, these handmaidens included Sabé, Eirtaé, Rabé, Yané and Saché. During her term as Senator, Padmé's handmaidens included Dormé, Cordé, Versé, Moteé and Ellé.

Behind the scenes

 * The role of Padmé Amidala was played by Natalie Portman in the Prequel Trilogy.
 * In her interview in "Inside the Actor's Studio" series, Portman stated that when her agent first told her about the new Star Wars Trilogy she couldn't tell the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek.
 * Padmé's first actual appearance in the Star Wars universe was in the comic The Last Command 5, which came out around a year before Episode I. At the time the comic was being made, the decision to cast Natalie Portman as the future mother of the twins had just been made, so the authors of the comic decided to place her likeness in the background. Although this clashes to some extent with the eventual revelation that Leia never knew her mother, The Last Command 5 nonetheless was her first appearance in the Star Wars Universe.
 * "Padmé" is Sanskrit for "lotus flower," while "Amidala" is the spiritual manifestation.
 * In Return of the Jedi, Leia tells Luke she remembered her mother dying when Leia was very young, and described her as very kind, beautiful and sad. Since Padmé dies in Revenge of the Sith while Leia is a newborn, it is not clear how Leia has these memories (it is speculated that Leia felt her mother's sadness through the Force, however this is not confirmed; Leland Chee admitted that this inconsistency is not yet addressed in the Holocron continuity database). Another speculation is that Padmé herself, was force sensitive while pregnant with the twins. In the novelization of Revenge of the Sith, many references are made in regard to this, most notably, when Anakin and Padmé communicate with each other across the city (he from the Jedi Temple, she from her apartment). Many viewers, however, incorrectly assume that Leia was talking about Leia's adoptive mother, Breha Organa.
 * In Return of the Jedi (novel), it was said that Obi-Wan took both Leia AND her mother (Padmé) to Alderaan after the birth of the twins, while in Revenge of the Sith, Padmé dies shortly after child birth.
 * Unedited script versions of Attack of the Clones have Yoda greeting Padmé with, "Senator Amidala, strong in the Force you are."
 * In the Phantom Menace novelization, Anakin has a vision of Padmé leading an army against a dark man (Vader), foreshadowing his betrayal.

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:

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.
 * 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. Her face is all-white, save for the "Scar of Remembrance". On her fingers is white nail polish, one of the few traditions she retained from her home village, while the wide-shouldered gown itself is embroidered in gold and lined in potolli fur. Large illuminated sein jewels decorate the skirt. The handmaidens wear coordinated golden trevella cloth 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 pink 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 in the Dune miniseries. However, it is important to note that the Dune miniseries came out a year after The Phantom Menace.

Padmé's costumes inspired two paper doll books, the Star Wars: Episode I - Queen Amidala Paper Doll Book and the Star Wars: Attack of the Clones - Padmé Amidala Paper Doll Book.

Appearances

 * A Summer's Dream
 * Cloak of Deception
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * The Queen's Amulet
 * Star Wars Episode I Journal: Queen Amidala
 * Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles
 * The Artist of Naboo
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars
 * Boba Fett: The Fight to Survive
 * Star Wars: Clone Wars
 * Chapter 1
 * Chapter 15
 * Chapter 16
 * Chapter 21
 * Chapter 22
 * Chapter 23
 * Chapter 24 (only heard)
 * Star Wars Republic 50: The Battle of Kamino (flashbacks)
 * ''Star Wars Republic: The New Face of War
 * Secrets of the Jedi
 * Star Wars Republic: The Dreadnaughts of Rendili
 * Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
 * Obsession
 * Another Fine Mess
 * Sithisis
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Reversal of Fortune
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Republic HoloNet News Special Inaugural Edition 16:5:241
 * The Last of the Jedi: Death on Naboo 
 * Star Wars Empire: Betrayal (flashbacks)
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Tatooine Ghost
 * The Last Command comic adaptation  (painting)
 * The Unifying Force
 * Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
 * Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen
 * Dark Nest III: The Swarm War
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game