- "To those who act as agents of chaos, I say this: I stand resolute and unyielding. And if you strike my voice down, know that a chorus of thousands shall rise up in its place, for you have no dominion over the righteous. We are the defenders of truth."
- ―Padmé Amidala
Padmé Amidala Naberrie was a human female senator who represented the people of Naboo during the final years of the Galactic Republic. Prior to her career in the Galactic Senate, Amidala was the elected ruler of the Royal House of Naboo. A political idealist, she advocated for the preservation of democracy as well as a peaceful resolution to the Clone Wars. However, her secret marriage to the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker would have a lasting effect on the future of the galaxy for decades to come.
Born in 46 BBY during the Age of the Republic, Padmé Naberrie was raised by her parents, Ruwee Naberrie and his wife Jobal, on the peaceful Mid Rim world of Naboo. Despite the humble background of the Naberrie family, Padmé was identified early for her potential in public service. Devoting her life to civic duty, she was elected queen and, therefore, adopted the regnal name "Amidala" in 32 BBY. Due to the machinations of her advisor, Senator Sheev Palpatine, Amidala's reign was put to the test by the Trade Federation's blockade and subsequent invasion of Naboo. Unable to fight the Federation's army of battle droids without assistance, the queen beseeched the Galactic Senate on Coruscant for help, only to see her efforts hampered by bureaucracy and procedure. Although she ultimately liberated her homeworld with the help of the Jedi Order and the Gungan Grand Army, her decision to cast a Vote of No Confidence against Finis Valorum enabled Palpatine to become the Supreme Chancellor.
Following her reign, Amidala joined the Senate and struggled to resolve the Separatist Crisis through diplomacy, becoming a leading voice in the Loyalist Committee by 22 BBY. After surviving an assassination attempt planned by the Trade Federation, she was removed from the capital and sent back to Naboo under the protection of Padawan Anakin Skywalker. Though the Jedi Code forbade personal relationships, deeming attachment, and possession unbecoming of a Jedi, the two gradually became closer as their feelings for each other grew. In the aftermath of the First Battle of Geonosis, Amidala secretly married her Jedi protector, despite her own reservations about their relationship and the consequences they would face if the truth ever came to light. Their subsequent interactions were limited throughout the Clone Wars, with Amidala continuing to advocate peaceful solutions in the Senate while Skywalker served on the front lines as a Jedi General in the Grand Army of the Republic.
In the waning months of the pan-galactic conflict, Amidala revealed to her husband that she was pregnant. As a result of Skywalker's fear of loss, he was seduced by the dark side of the Force, believing that by becoming a Sith Lord he would gain the power to prevent his wife from dying in childbirth. Amidala witnessed Emperor Palpatine's declaration that her fears had come true; the Republic had become the Galactic Empire. After she learned of her husband's transformation into a Sith, she confronted him on Mustafar in the hopes that he had not truly changed, but he instead attempted to kill her. She ultimately died of a broken heart after giving birth to the twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Amidala Skywalker. With her dying breath, she insisted that there was still good in the former Anakin Skywalker, who embraced the persona of Darth Vader throughout the reign of the Empire.
Amidala's children played a major role in the fragmentation of the Empire and the redemption of her husband. Like her mother, Leia entered public service and became a flag-bearer for the democratic ideals of liberty and justice as a leader in the Alliance to Restore the Republic and its successor, the New Republic, before becoming the founding general of the Resistance against the First Order—a successor state to the Galactic Empire. Luke, on the other hand, was trained in the ways of the Jedi like his father before him and was a celebrated war hero of the Rebel Alliance. Through Luke's efforts to redeem his father back to the light, Amidala's last words proved true when Anakin killed the Emperor during the Battle of Endor.
Biography[]
Early life[]
A human[6] female of the Naberrie family, the young woman best remembered as Padmé Amidala was born Padmé Naberrie[8] on the bountiful planet of Naboo[6] in 46 BBY.[2] She was the younger daughter of Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie[8] and the sister of Sola Naberrie.[10] Her father was a friend of Senator Onaconda Farr, who represented the solar system of Rodia in the Senate of the Galactic Republic. Naberrie was very fond of the Rodian, whom she referred to as "Uncle Ono."[18]
As a child, she baked every day[19] and traveled with her father on relief missions to offer aid to suffering planets.[20] When Naberrie was seven, she traveled with her father to Shadda-Bi-Boran to help relocate the population in the wake of an ecological disaster. Unfortunately, the effort resulted in failure, as the Shadda-Bi-Boran could not adapt to their new homeworld. It led her to declare later in life that she would try 10,000 times in order to save one person.[10]
Rise to queenship[]
- "I wasn't the youngest queen ever elected. But now that I think back on it, I'm not sure I was old enough. I'm not sure I was ready."
- ―Padmé Amidala
Although her parents were of modest origins, Naberrie was identified as a gifted and brilliant young girl at an early age. She devoted herself to public service,[21] joining the Apprentice Legislature at the tender age of eight, and she eventually became a junior senatorial adviser.[6] She attended the Theed Royal Academy to learn how to become a political leader.[22]
At age twelve, Naberrie participated in the Legislative Youth Program, in which she met a slightly older boy named Palo Jemabie. The two fell in love, but their relationship did not last, as they parted ways when Jemabie left politics and chose to become an artist.[7] At the same age, she started a two-year mandate as supervisor of Theed, the capital city of Naboo.[6]
Two years later, Padmé Naberrie began her campaign to become the next Queen of Naboo. She campaigned herself as "Candidate Amidala," with anonymity being customary for candidates and monarchs. She portrayed herself as the calm and composed candidate. Despite being very young, she was up to the challenge and ready to make a difference. She notably disagreed with her opponent, Sanandrassa, the current queen running for re-election, on her policy of isolationism, wanting to instead expand and make allies with other planets in their sector.[20]
After voting for herself at the polls, she sat alone, waiting for the election results. Captain and Head of Security Quarsh Panaka walked in and tell her that she had won the election and her work had begun. Meanwhile, Governor Sio Bibble announced to the planet's population that Candidate Amidala had won.[20] She adopted Amidala as her regnal name.[21] Jemabie created a poster entitled Naboo Coronation to publicize her coronation as Monarch of Naboo.[23] Although she was not the youngest sovereign ever elected,[7] it had been a long time since a Naboo queen had been as young as her,[20] and she would later question her own maturity at the time of her election.[7]
Amidala met with and inspected Panaka and his newly appointed Royal Guard, as was traditional after an election, before meeting with Governor Bibble. Later, Amidala ate and discussed Panaka's recruits for a revived form of the position of royal handmaiden, who would serve on staff as assistants, bodyguards, and decoys. Amidala suggested having more than one in her retinue, and Panaka readily agreed. As she only used her new last name of "Amidala" as Queen,[20] she would be free to act as a handmaiden named Padmé whenever one of the handmaidens acted as "Amidala."[5] That night, Amidala used her new personal comm to contact her parents, who gave her their congratulations. Although Amidala had remained composed and calm throughout the day, in private, she grinned with excitement.[20]
The next day, Amidala met Panaka's first recruit, Tsabin. She looked very similar to Amidala and Panaka noted that she could also be a body double. Amidala granted Tsabin's request to stay in a room in the conservatory instead of in the barracks and the other guards and allowed Tsabin to teach her about keeping her face expressionless and still, something she was accustomed to due to her earlier career as a hallikset player. Amidala later told her new handmaiden that she was working on her persona as the queen, which Tsabin vowed to work on mimicking.[20]
Life as queen[]
Coronation[]
At the end of the week, the official coronation had arrived. Amidala dressed for the part and wore the traditional royal makeup for the first time. After Governor Bibble passed her the royal scepter that was indicative of her rule, the now-ex Queen Sanandrassa gave her a tour of the Theed Royal Palace. After attending her first meeting with various government officials, she accepted congratulations from Senator Sheev Palpatine, who contacted her from Coruscant. After he disconnected, Sanandrassa advised Amidala that Palpatine was her best resource. After settling in that night, Amidala requested that there be no guards in her room, much to Panaka's dismay. Tsabin stayed in the room with her as her only security.[20]
Meeting her handmaidens[]
The next day, Panaka introduced the rest of her new handmaidens: Rabene Tonsort, Eirtama Ballory, Suyan Higin, and Sashah Adova. The handmaidens pledged themselves to Amidala and decided to change their names for anonymity and to confuse others. Tonsort became Rabé, the wardrobe mistress. Ballory became Eirtaé and was in charge of communications. Higin and Adova became Yané and Saché respectively, serving as liaison and page, and Tsabin became Sabé, the queen's closest bodyguard and body double.[20] When in danger, Amidala would disguise herself as one of her staff of five loyal handmaidens and would introduce herself using her birth name of Padmé Naberrie, while her decoy Sabé assumed the persona of Queen Amidala.[6]
After their first week together, the handmaidens practiced with Sabé as the queen. With Sabé in the queen's place and Amidala posing as "Padmé," who was officially listed as another page, the group traveled to the Queen's library to test their disguise. As Sabé interacted with Captain Panaka, several of the handmaidens thought that Panaka saw through their disguise. At one point, Amidala oversaw a decision to allowing many of the crop fields on Naboo to rot in order to avoid overfarming and to aid the nitrogen cycle.[20]
As the handmaidens began to grow closer, Amidala decided that it would be more beneficial for them to learn skills from each other instead of simply growing to act and speak like each other. Amidala requested Panaka to provide them with several complicated lockplates to practice on. Amidala would tour the agricultural province, accompanied by Governor Bibble, her agricultural advisor Graf Zapalo, and her economic advisor Horace Vancil. On the tour, Amidala had to take painkillers when her period caused her considerable pain, which also forced Sabé into a position to double her. Their tour saw Amidala visit many of the fields that she had decided to allow to rot. The tour lasted over five days, which saw Amidala convene with the minister of finance as well as discuss buying grain to make up for the lost harvest. Zapalo told her of their plans to negotiate the best deal with multiple worlds that had contacted them, but Amidala told him to also approach the nearby worlds of Karlinus and Jafan, which would begin Amidala's goal of opening their planet to neighboring worlds.[20]
Chommell sector summit[]
Amidala continued her plans to reach out to their counterparts in the sector and would later call a meeting with the governor and several advisors to announce her plans to host a summit at the Royal Palace. In two weeks, she wanted politicians from nearby planets to meet with her to discuss trade, relations, and the like. The minister of internal affairs as well as Zapalo were confused by the proposition, but Amidala held firm her desire the host the event.[20]
After extensive preparations, the guests began to arrive. Despite most of the governments representing the thirty-some planets in the sector declining to attend, around a dozen guests arrived, including Governor Kelma of Karlinus, Harli Jafan, the daughter of Jafan's planetary director, Tobruna, whose mother was in charge of the refineries on the mining world of Kreeling, Nitsa Tulin who was representing the planet Chommell Minor, and Olan Carrus, a representative from Behpour. Amidala would wear one of her fanciest outfits, which had been designed by Eirtae, for the state dinner.[20]
Later, the guests convened in the throne room to discuss relations, with Harli proposing ideas regarding increased collaboration between Jafan and Naboo. Tobruna proposed changing an outdated treaty that forced Kreeling to sell ore to Naboo at a fixed price that was not fair, to which Amidala compassionately responded that she would attempt to change the trend of using the ore unnecessarily to decorate the instruments such as the hallikset. Kelma commented on Karlinus' labor shortage, offering to hire Naboo workers to take seasonal jobs on the planet in addition to young students taking apprenticeships on her planet. Amidala, remembering that her sister Sola had completed an apprenticeship, agrees that resurrecting the program would be beneficial, to which Kelma promised to help with the grain shortage in return.[20]
Back in her suite, Sabé revealed that Harli had invited her and her fellow handmaidens to attend a Neurotransmitter Affection concert at the Theed Odeon that night, offering tickets she had due to her cousin being a backup singer with the famous band. When all of the girls, save for Saché, expressed their interest in going, they formed a plan. Sabé, Yané, and Eirtaé would go with Harli, while Rabé would take Queen Amidala to the library and then escape out the window using a grappling hook, where Rabé and Padmé would meet the group. After successfully sneaking out, Amidala and her friends made it to the concert, where Amidala noted her own jealousy at seeing Sabé and Harli dance together. Sabé then left Harli's side to dance with Amidala instead, much to Amidala's relief, only for Harli to interrupt the two girls to offer them glitter-lits. Harli accidentally spilled a glitter-lit on Amidala, staining her clothes and hands with the glittering chemicals inside. Amidala refused Yané's offer to return home, then wistfully noted that every time she caught sight of Sabé for the rest of the night, Sabé was laughing.[20]
Panaka figured out that they had disappeared after talking to Saché. Amidala felt her comm vibrate and Saché appeared, telling them that their cover had been blown. Amidala and Rabé returned to the palace, where a furious Panaka confronted them. However, Amidala was not going to let him, unleashing the full brunt of her emotions, telling the captain to trust that her handmaidens could protect her and saying that she would do some things that he wouldn't like, but he would have to accept it.[20]
The next day, Amidala learned that the glitter would not come off of her hands. Despite trying to use makeup to conceal it, they were forced to allow Sabé to double for her again so Harli would not recognize her from the concert. Amidala listened to the meeting as a page, but when she had to run a message to the kitchen, Harli spotted her. Thinking she was Sabé, Harli admitted that she was interested in her and asked to kiss her, which caused Amidala to make a quick excuse and flee.[20]
That evening, Sabé confronted Amidala, telling her that she'd received an angry message from Harli. Amidala tried to explain that she had had to protect her identity, but Sabé was mad and told her that she needed to consider someone's feelings besides her own, a comment that hurt Amidala deeply. Later that night, Amidala asked if Sabé had really wanted to kiss Harli, but Sabé said that she didn't want to talk about it yet.[20]
Crisis on Naboo[]
The blockade[]
After a farewell tea, the guest began to depart. As the last ships left, a buoy in the planet's atmosphere was triggered. Panaka realized it was a large group of ships approaching. Realizing it was an emergency, Amidala assembled Panaka, Governor Bibble, and her handmaidens in the palace, she received a transmission from Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray. Gunray stated that he required her to sign a treaty before threatening her and ending the transmission. Amidala swiftly ordered Panaka to ready the Security Force to figure out what Gunray's angle was. After analyzing the proposed treaty, Amidala realized that the treaty was not even a serious attempt and was simply a document that signed away Naboo to Trade Federation control for nothing in return,[20] simply legitimizing the invasion in the eyes of the Republic.[5] Contacting Senator Palpatine, he explained that the Trade Federation was involved in a conspiracy in the Senate to shift a tax on trade routes they used, with Naboo being the main planet in their proposed operation. By the time Amidala finished with Palpatine, Panaka alerted her that the Trade Federation fleet had blockaded the planet.[20]
Being blockaded made Amidala tense and fretful. Determined to not succumb to Trade Federation pressure, she vowed to not sign the treaty and instead worked to organize defenses. Gunray continued to demand that Amidala come to meet him on his ship instead of sending living representatives to Naboo, so Amidala continued to reject each droid that approached them. When the blockade prevented an agricultural transport from Karlinus from bringing grain, Amidala was counseled by Zapalo, who told her that due to their situation with the farmlands, the planet was running low on food, saying that the public food available would probably only sate the population for a week. Amidala was comforted by Bibble, who said ambassadors from Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum would be arriving the next day.[20]
Invasion[]
As the ambassadors arrived, the Trade Federation sent a large invasion force of battle droids. Amidala watched helplessly as pilots from the Naboo Royal Space Fighter Corps were killed in their futile attempt to prevent the landing craft from deploying their droid army.[20] Queen Amidala was captured along with the rest of the population of Theed and placed Camp Four. It was while en route to the camp that she was rescued by two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The two had been Valorum's ambassadors charged with negotiating a truce with the Trade Federation, but Gunray had tried to kill them as soon as they had arrived. The Jedi freed the queen and her entourage from the clutches of the Federation's battle droids, and the group fled the blockaded Naboo aboard Queen Amidala's royal starship. While trying to break the blockade of Federation battleships deployed around the planet, the ship was damaged. Its hyperdrive generator needed to be repaired, thanks to the astromech droid, R2-D2, the only surviving member of the group, which prompted the crew to make an emergency landing on Tatooine.[5]
While travelling to Tatooine, Padmé, still undercover, took to cleaning the droid and, as Jar Jar Binks walked in, asked the small droid whether "the Queen" should add making peace with the Gungans to her list of priorities. When R2-D2's response sounded like an agreement, she promised it would become one of their future policies.[20] The queen, who was curious about the desert world, remained in her disguise as Padmé so she could accompany the Jedi on the planet's surface. Queen Amidala recognized that she had not fooled Master Qui-Gon for a moment, but he went along with her story, which allowed her to continue fooling everyone else.[10] The queen ventured with her companions into the spaceport of Mos Espa, which Qui-Gon Jinn described as a haven for "those who do not wish to be found." While trying to negotiate for spare parts with the junk dealer Watto, the party met Anakin Skywalker, a nine-year-old slave, along with his mother, Shmi Skywalker, and his incompletely built protocol droid, C-3PO. The human boy was immediately fascinated by Amidala's beauty, asking her whether she was an angel from the moons of Iego. In turn, the queen thought the boy was a bit odd, yet charming.[5]
Since the Jedi and the queen could not raise the money needed to purchase the repair parts for the royal ship, Skywalker offered to compete in the incoming Boonta Eve Classic podrace so he could earn the required funds for them. Master Jinn promptly accepted the offer, but Amidala criticized his actions; although she did like Skywalker, she thought it was unwise to place the fate of Naboo in the hands of a nine-year-old boy. However, Skywalker managed to win the race, beating the reigning champion Sebulba against all odds, and Amidala joined the scenes of jubilation that followed the boy's victory in the Grand Arena of Mos Espa. Thanks to a bargain Qui-Gon Jinn had made with Watto, Skywalker was freed from slavery and allowed to accompany the Jedi in their travel. On the way to the galactic capital of Coruscant, Amidala, still in the guise of the handmaiden Padmé, helped Skywalker cope with the loss of his mother, Shmi, whom Watto had refused to let go.[5]
Call for new leadership[]
- "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
Once the group arrived on Coruscant, Amidala resumed her role as queen. In preparation for her public appearance before the Republic Senate, she met with Senator Palpatine, who represented the Naboo system in that governing body. While she wished to plead for the Senate to rescue her homeworld, Palpatine informed her that the assembly was too corrupt to care about their situation. The senator then encouraged Amidala to move for a Vote of No Confidence in the leadership of Chancellor Valorum. Valorum was a well-meaning politician, and the queen initially refused to move against him. However, upon witnessing the problems of politics during the Senate session in which she pleaded, Amidala ended up following Palpatine's advice, asking for Valorum's ousting from office. An election was decided, and Palpatine himself emerged as a likely candidate to succeed the disgraced Valorum. Although the senator asked to stay on Coruscant until the end of the elective process, Amidala decided to return to Naboo, intent on retaking her world without the Senate's help.[5]
Fight for Theed[]
- "Now, Viceroy, we will discuss a new treaty!"
- ―Queen Amidala after capturing Nute Gunray
En route, the queen revealed to a concerned Master Jinn that she planned to unite with the Gungans, the sentient amphibians native to Naboo. However, Jinn and his apprentice Kenobi had met the Gungans at the beginning of the invasion, and the natives had expressed their lack of interest for the fate of the Naboo humans. Having once again assumed the identity of a handmaiden, the queen journeyed through the swamps of Naboo with her party. They managed to locate the sacred place where the Gungans had taken refuge after evacuating their city of Otoh Gunga. Initially, the decoy queen Sabé tried to negotiate with Boss Nass, leader of the Gungans, but to little avail. As a sign of trust, the real Amidala decided to reveal her identity, which surprised not only the Gungans, but also all of her companions. The queen then knelt in front of Boss Nass, asking for help in battling the Federation troops. Impressed by the queen's respectful attitude, Nass heartily agreed.[5]
Amidala and her guards infiltrated the palace, using grappling hooks to avoid a force of droids before storming the throne room and capturing the deceptive Gunray. Though the queen's plan ended up working perfectly, it did not come about without loss. On the grassy plains of Naboo, there were Gungan casualties until Anakin Skywalker destroyed the Federation's Droid Control Ship. Additionally, Master Qui-Gon Jinn was killed during his duel with the Sith Lord Darth Maul. Now that Naboo was freed, Amidala greeted Palpatine, who came to announce to her that he had been elected Supreme Chancellor, since many had voted for him in an outpouring of sympathy. In the immediate aftermath of the invasion, Amidala paid her respects to Jinn at his ritual cremation in Theed's Funeral Temple.[5] Before the Jedi funeral began, she knelt beside Kenobi when he was alone with his master's body and asked him if he was ready, then gave him more time as he requested.[24]
Finally, a huge parade was held in the Naboo capital to celebrate the official unification of the humans and Gungans. During the ceremony, which was attended by Chancellor Palpatine, the members of the Jedi Council, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker, Amidala handed over a symbolic orb to an overjoyed Boss Nass as a symbol of peace between the long-warring peoples. As the square erupted with applause, Amidala shared an unseen smile with Anakin.[5]
Continued service as Queen[]
Naboo's recovery[]
After the invasion of Naboo, Queen Amidala led the planet's rebuilding and recovery efforts. The process was slow as they did not seek external aid to recover from the damage of the conflict. Food surpluses recovered by the end of Amidala's term. Additionally, the Naboo had to decide whether or not to install defensive weaponry on the planet. This decision divided the Naboo. Queen Amidala decided to add an ion pulse cannon to the surface. Captain Panaka publicly opposed the addition of an ion pulse and advocated for firmer measures and increased defense. This divide caused a rift between Amidala and Panaka, a rift that would never heal. Amidala's parents were furious that Naboo installed any weaponry at all.[10]
Every year following the invasion, the citizens of Naboo held a memorial for those who had fallen in defense of the planet. Amidala lit a stick of incense for Master Qui-Gon yearly.[10]
Search for a Gungan relic[]
Sometime later, Jar Jar Binks called to Queen Amidala, presenting to her a map to what he described as a powerful Gungan artifact. Binks asked Amidala to help him find it, to which she hesitated, not wanting to intrude on Boss Nass' territory. Binks reassured her that it was Nass' idea to involve her, so she agreed, bringing weapons on Panaka's suggestion. Amidala asked where the map lead first, but Binks could not understand the map, as it was written in Old Gungan, so he assumed the map lead to a vine patch. When they entered the vine patch, Amidala realized that the vines were not vine, but were, in fact, slitherfish. They were trapped, as kaadu they were riding wouldn't turn around. Amidala didn't want to shoot the slitherfish, as this was their home, so she shot her blaster into the tree canopy to let in light and scare the slitherfish away without hurting them. As they continued outside, they reached their next stop on the map, a rope bridge. Binks ran across the bridge, breaking all the wooden pieces until the bridge was just rope. Luckily, Amidala brought an ascension gun that allowed to her to grapple herself to the other side of the bridge and walk across. Finally, they both entered a dark cave, where they had to crawl through small corridors to get to the artifact. Thinking that it was too easy, Amidala grabbed the unguarded soshinyday blobball, before a gundark jumped out. Amidala tried to calm Binks down, but he screamed very loudly, inadvertently incapacitating the gundark, the loud noise damaging its sensitive ears. Returning to Otoh Gunga, Amidala thanked Binks for the adventure, but commented that the Soshinyday blobball didn't seem very powerful. Upon giving the artifact to Boss Nass, he took a bite out of it, revealing it to be a Gungan delicacy rather than an artifact. When Nass asked Binks to get another, Amidala watched as he screamed like he had in the cave.[25]
Helping a sando aqua monster[]
After a sando aqua monster started attacking the royal boathouse on Naboo, Queen Amidala arrived to investigate. Two Naboo Palace Guards reported to her, saying they didn't know how to handle the creature, as they didn't normally come near land. Reasoning that there must be a reason for the creature's attack, Amidala and the three guards entered the boathouse. There, they found poachers raising a baby sando aqua monster locked in a cage. Amidala shoots the rope suspending the baby, freeing it. As it ran to the door, Amidala ordered the guards to let the baby return to its mother and to arrest the poachers. As they all watched as the baby returned to its mother, the guards apologized for not figuring out the situation sooner, to which Amidala replied that the best solution isn't always the most obvious one.[26]
Service as senator[]
Queen, no more[]
- "Longtime political followers will recall young Queen Amidala of Naboo. Four years ago she came to Coruscant and deposed the Chancellor to questionably hasten along aid for her home planet. Though no hard evidence of the Trade Federation's misdeeds was ever produced, Amidala swayed the opinion of the Senate. Her speech, which was most likely written for her, given her age at the time, was stirring…and we can't help wondering what she'll stir up this time. Now a senator for the Galactic Republic, Amidala has returned. A puppet queen no longer, surely, but the question remains: who is pulling her strings now?"
- ―TriNebulon News following Amidala's appointment as senator
Amidala served two terms as queen, and by the conclusion of her second term[10] in 28 BBY,[2] the Naboo had grown so fond of Amidala that a faction tried to amend the constitution to allow her another term. However, Amidala declined this and stepped aside for her elected successor, Réillata, though Amidala privately supported Jamillia in the election. Not long after her coronation, Réillata asked Amidala to serve as the representative for Naboo and the other worlds in the Chommell sector in the Galactic Senate, a request that Amidala ultimately accepted.[10]
Captain Mariek Panaka and Sergeant Gregar Typho accepted Amidala's request to accompany her to Coruscant. She hired three new handmaidens to act as Senate aides, Versaat, Cordyn, and Dorra, who later took the names Versé, Cordé, and Dormé. She also requested that Sabé and Tonra go to Tatooine and look into ending slavery there, as well as find and free Shmi Skywalker.[10]
Gunray's assassination attempt[]
When Amidala first arrived on Coruscant as a senator, holonews stations, such as TriNebulon News, questioned her loyalties and potential.[10] Amidala entered the Senate in the same year as Senator Rush Clovis of Scipio,[19] and as a result they went through the Senate's six-week orientation program together. Padme was led in this orientation by a Republic protocol droid, NON-3. Towards the end of these six weeks, NON-3 was reprogrammed, likely by the Trade Federation, to lead Padmé into a lower level of the Senate Building scheduled for demolition. Luckily, Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan saw her and saved her from being killed just in time, though she initially mistrusted him coincidentally being in the same area. The next day, during her first Senate session, she was laughed at and seen as incompetent, since the Trade Federation had paid TriNebulon News and other holojournalist outlets to report on her being unable to read directions and getting lost.[10]
After the session, she and Clovis attended a get-together hosted by Chancellor Palpatine, where she was introduced to Senator Mina Bonteri of Onderon. Bonteri's guidance and advice was the first helpful presence Padmé felt since arriving on Coruscant, and quickly considered Bonteri a friend and mentor. Realizing that her persona created as Queen Amidala would only hinder her efforts as a senator, she and her handmaidens started creating a new persona to suit her new position. During this time, she realized that Chancellor Palpatine wasn't as welcoming as he had originally seemed, especially when he refused to allow her onto his antislavery committee, knowing that she cared deeply about the issue. She soon summoned Sabé and Tonra back to Coruscant, asking them to look into the Trade Federation's attempt against her life and reputation, and in the meantime joined the faction spearheaded by Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, two of the most pacifistic members of the Senate known for opposing Palpatine, something that would help Padmé step out of the Chancellor's shadow. Soon after Bail allowed her onto his transportation committee, she found out from Sabé that her suspicions of the Trade Federation manipulating TriNebulon News were accurate.[10]
Making new allies[]
Despite her new professional relationship with Organa and Mothma, it took a while for them to fully trust her. It wasn't until a party hosted by Mothma towards the end of Padmé's second month as senator that Padmé finally proved herself worthy of their trust. Organa, Mothma, and Onaconda Farr intended to secretly discuss Mina Bonteri's suspicious activity, and planned to use Padmé's presence at the party as a distraction to do so. Having found out about the planned meeting from Sabé and her sources, Padmé decided to switch places with Sabé in order to hear their conversation. When they decided to bring Padmé in on their suspicions, she attempted to switch back, but Organa saw them doing so and realized the truth. Afterwards, he and Mothma thanked her for the intentional distraction, though Padmé refused to spy on her friend Mina for them unless she heard something truly shocking.[10]
Over the course of the next six months, for the remainder of her first Senate term, Padme achieved much success, continuing to join committees and work with Organa and Mothma, who in turn used their own contacts to force TriNebulon News into going easier on Padmé in the tabloids. She found herself having heated but friendly debates with Mothma over the ongoing piracy in the Mid Rim, Padmé being less pacifistic than her. At the end of those six months, Organa invited Padmé and her retinue to Alderaan on behalf of Queen Breha Organa to spend a week of their furlough before returning home to Naboo. Padmé readily accepted, and found that week one of the most relaxing and illuminating of her life so far, having many candid conversations with Breha about being a queen and deciding whether or not to have children. When she returned to Naboo, she spent the remainder of her furlough with her family, including her sister Sola's newborn child Ryoo.[10]
Mission to Bromlarch[]
The day that Padmé and her retinue returned to Coruscant for her second Senate term, a planetwide catastrophe occurred on Bromlarch, the planetary aqueduct system being destroyed by seismic activity and threatening the entire farming planet's harvest. Count Dooku secretly planned to have the Trade Federation offer corporate aid to the planet, similar to the invasion of Theed four years prior, and Mina followed his instructions in order to achieve that goal. She, Clovis, and Padmé volunteered to go to Bromlarch and assess the damage, Jedi Master Depa Billaba accompanying them, and afterward Bromlarch's senator Caelor Gaans felt no other choice but to accept due to Palpatine's seeming apathy over the situation.
Padmé refused to accept this, and started working on an alternative, and Clovis volunteered to help due to his financial wisdom. After three days of sleepless work, Padmé presented her own motion to the Senate for the first time, the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion. The Motion was beneficial to dozens of Mid Rim systems beside just Bromlarch, engineered to sway the votes of important voting blocs such as Malastare's senator Aks Moe. The Motion passed with almost no opposition, and within a week Padmé, her retinue, and Master Billaba were able undertake a relief mission there and transport the permacrete needed to repair the aqueducts on Bromlarch, though they first had to fend off a group of pirates tipped off to their flight path by either Mina or Palpatine. The success of the Motion gained Padmé the trust of Mothma, but cost her her friendship with Mina, since she was directly responsible for Mina failing to follow Dooku's orders. In the aftermath of the Motion being passed, Clovis attempt to begin a romantic relationship with Padme, but she declined, instead wanting to focus on politics and the work at hand.[10]
Separatist Crisis[]
- "For certain, Senator, in grave danger, you are."
- ―Master Yoda on an assassination attempt on Amidala
Ten years after the Invasion of Naboo, former Jedi Count Dooku became the public face of a Confederacy of Independent Systems that had withdrawn from the Republic in opposition to the corruption they believed had enveloped the Senate. In response to the threat posed by this Separatist Alliance, the Republic Senate debated the proposed Military Creation Act that would allow Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to formally commission a Grand Army of the Republic. During this time, Amidala became a member of the Chancellor's Loyalist Committee and was regarded as the leader of the opposition to the Military Creation Act.[7]
On the eve of the vote in the Senate over the Military Creation Act, Amidala arrived on Coruscant. Upon landing, her cruiser was hit in an assassination attempt by bounty hunter Zam Wesell, who had been hired to kill Amidala by Jango Fett, himself under the employee of Count Dooku. The explosion killed several of her guards as well as Amidala's double, Cordé. At the request of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the Jedi Council assigned Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padawan Anakin Skywalker to protect Amidala and investigate the incident, though Amidala objected to the added security. That evening, Amidala met with Kenobi and Skywalker in her penthouse apartment. With several years having passed, Skywalker was nervous to meet Amidala and while she hid her feelings, Kenobi noted that the senator was pleased to see Skywalker as well. That night, Zam Wesell tried again to kill Amidala by releasing two deadly kouhuns into her apartment using a droid. Kenobi and Skywalker sensed the attack and rushed into the bedroom. Skywalker managed to kill the kouhuns, and Kenobi jumped through the bedroom window and grabbed on to the droid as security officers rushed into the apartment. Kenobi and Skywalker, after a chase through the Coruscant skylanes, were able to capture Zam Wesell. Before she could reveal the plot behind the assassination attempts on Amidala, Wesell was killed by Jango Fett using a Kamino dart.[7]
In the aftermath of continued attacks, Amidala was convinced to leave Coruscant and to return to Naboo. While Skywalker went with her to continue protecting her, Kenobi continued the investigation into the assassination attempts. She, Skywalker, and R2-D2 departed aboard the AA-9 Freighter-Liner Jendirian Valley, a refugee ship[7] leaving from the western spaceport of Port District.[27] Upon arriving on Naboo, Amidala and Skywalker visited her family[28] and grew closer in their relationship, leading to Skywalker telling her of his love for her. However, since Skywalker was committed to the Jedi Order and Amidala to the Senate, they both agreed to forgo pursuing a more romantic relationship. While on Naboo, Skywalker started experiencing Force visions of his mother in danger. Convinced he had to save her, he determined to travel to Tatooine. Amidala traveled with him, and upon their arrival at the Lars moisture farm, Skywalker discovered that his mother had been taken by Tusken Raiders. He was able to track them down, but was too late, and his mother died in his arms. Angered, he slaughtered the entire village including the women and children. He returned to the homestead to bury his mother. Later, Skywalker confessed to Amidala his despair and anger and what he had done, and she attempted to comfort him.[7]
War and marriage[]
- "You call this a diplomatic solution?"
"No, I call it aggressive negotiations." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala
Meanwhile, Kenobi had traced Jango Fett to the planet Geonosis and discovered that Count Dooku was behind the assassination attempts. He also learned that the Separatists had built a droid army to attack the Republic and that the Republic had at its disposal an army of clone troopers supposedly commissioned by the long-deceased Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. Requesting that Skywalker relay his message to Coruscant, Kenobi informed the Jedi and the Senate what he had discovered, just before he was captured. The Jedi decided to send an assault team, while Skywalker was ordered to stay with Amidala. Skywalker was torn over the desire to rescue his master yet also protect the senator, but Amidala decided to help Skywalker by traveling to Geonosis, forcing Skywalker to accompany her. However, their rescue was a failure and they were captured. Before they were led to the arena to be executed, Amidala confessed her love for Skywalker, reasoning that there was no point in denying it before they died.[7]
The execution of Amidala, Skywalker, and Kenobi was to be carried out by several creatures brought into the arena: a reek, an acklay, and a nexu. The nexu attacked Amidala, roaring and climbing the pillar she was on. She tried fending the beast off with her chains, but the nexu shrugged off her blows and slashed its claw across Amidala's back, injuring her. This tore the waistband and up of her clothing, and Amidala screamed and sobbed in pain as tears trickled down her cheek. The nexu came back, and Amidala nearly fell, but used her chains to swing at the nexu and kick it off. She climbed back up her pillar but thanks to Anakin and the reek, she was saved, as Anakin rammed the reek into the nexu. Padmé jumped onto the reek, behind Anakin and kissed his cheek. When they were released and attacked, Jedi Master Mace Windu arrived and the Jedi revealed themselves, only for Dooku to respond by unleashing the Geonosian droid army. A full-out battle erupted; although she had been wounded by the Nexu, Amidala quickly grabbed a blaster[7] from a downed B1 battle droid[29] and fought side by side with the Jedi.[7]
Of the two hundred Jedi who had arrived, only a few were left and the situation seemed lost. At that point, Master Yoda arrived with the newly christened Grand Army of the Republic, and the Battle of Geonosis began in earnest. Skywalker, Kenobi, and Amidala pursued Count Dooku in a Republic gunship, but Amidala and a clone trooper were knocked from the troop bay by a cannon blast. They were able to call backup, but arrived too late to stop Dooku, who fought Skywalker and Kenobi before being defeated by Yoda. After the battle, Skywalker and Amidala returned to Naboo, where they were secretly married.[7] With Skywalker able to remain on Naboo[30] for a few short days[31] to recover from his injuries sustained on Geonosis, the couple were able to enjoy a honeymoon and a time after it together before needing to return to the jobs[30] that would take them across a wartorn galaxy.[31]
The Clone Wars[]
Mission to rescue POWs[]
Early in the war, Amidala assisted Master Kenobi, Commander Cody and their troops in finding clone troopers that had been taken as prisoners of war to Krystar. Amidala heard about the POWs from Representative Vishar Koss who provided her with the intel. Upon her arrival on Krystar, Amidala and Kenobi met with Regent Queb under the guise of a diplomatic aid mission. Koss assured Queb that Amidala was there to look into Krystar's agricultural problems. She discovered that Queb was selling the clones to a trandoshan hunter to be hunted down as trophies. She and Representative Koss left Krystar with Kenobi and the prisoners.[32]
Negotiations with the Hutts[]
- "Greetings, honorable Jabba. I am Senator Amidala of the Galactic Congress. I have discovered a plot against you by one of your own. Your uncle will admit he conspired with Count Dooku to kidnap your son and frame the Jedi for the crime."
- ―Padmé Amidala, to Jabba the Hutt
Shortly after the Battle of Teth, Amidala spoke with the Chancellor about Naboo's new security measures due to several new battles in the Outer Rim. Amidala was then informed that Jabba the Hutt believed Skywalker had kidnapped his son, Rotta, and that he was refusing to negotiate with the Republic. Amidala then offered to negotiate with Jabba through his uncle, Ziro, who lived on Coruscant at his palace. Amidala went there to speak to him, but he refused to listen to her. Amidala sneaked back into his palace, where she overheard Ziro speaking with Count Dooku, promising that Rotta, Skywalker, and his apprentice would be eliminated, that the Jedi would bring Jabba to justice and Ziro would become head of the Hutt Clan. Amidala was discovered and captured by Ziro's droids and was promised to Dooku as his prisoner. Amidala was taken to the palace dungeon, where she was able to trick the droids into activating her communicator, alerting her assistant C-3PO to her predicament before the droids destroyed it. Ziro, seeing that Amidala was too dangerous to be kept alive, decided to execute her knowing his powerful friends in the Senate would protect him. Amidala was then rescued by C-3PO, who brought in Coruscant Guard Commander Fox and his troopers. Amidala then subdued one of her guards, took its weapon, and held Ziro at gunpoint. She contacted Jabba, informed him of his uncle's treachery, and ensured a treaty between the Republic and the Hutts.[33]
Trap on the Malevolence[]
- "Oh, the things you do to get me alone."
"Stop talking." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala
Amidala was then sent on a mission by Palpatine to negotiate with a representative of the Banking Clan about withdrawing from the war. She, along with C-3PO, traveled to the rendezvous. However, Amidala learned that it was all a trap when she came out in the middle of a battle between the Republic fleet and the Confederacy's heavy cruiser, the Malevolence. She tried to move away from the heavy cruiser, but was pulled in by the Malevolence's tractor beam. Though she urged the Republic fleet to continue their attack, refusing to allow herself to become a bargaining chip, her husband ordered them to stop. As her ship set down in the hangar bay, Amidala rigged it to blow in the hopes that it might take Grievous with it. The ship did indeed explode with the general aboard, taking several battle droids with it, but he survived. She and C-3PO then escaped from General Grievous into the bowels of the Malevolence. She was able to contact Skywalker and Kenobi, who had boarded the ship to rescue her.[34]
The two groups met at a point halfway between them, though Skywalker and Amidala soon became separated from Kenobi, Threepio, and Artoo. While Kenobi was forced to delegate the rescue of 3PO to R2, to ensure that the hyperdrive stayed offline, Skywalker and Amidala made their way to the bridge to make adjustments to the navicomputer that would cause the Malevolence to fly into a moon. Both missions proved a success, and the group managed to escape the Malevolence.[34]
While Grievous personally took his starfighter, the Soulless One, and several other fighters that attacked the group as they attempted to dock with the Republic fleet, the Malevolence began to move towards a near moon, before colliding with it, destroying the heavy cruiser instantly. With the loss of the Malevolence, Grievous fled the battle, and Amidala and her companions reached safety.[34]
Crisis on Rodia[]
- "Can you ever forgive me, Padmé?"
"It is the Republic that should be asking you for forgiveness, my old friend. Far too often, we forget that our most important allies are not always the most powerful." - ―Onaconda Farr and Padmé Amidala
Amidala traveled to Rodia with C-3PO and Representative Jar Jar Binks in an effort to persuade her old friend Onaconda Farr to remain loyal to the Republic. Unfortunately, when she arrived, Amidala learned that Farr had already pledged his system to the Separatists, as Viceroy Nute Gunray could provide them with supplies and protection, unlike the Republic. Amidala was imprisoned to await Gunray's arrival, while Threepio was scheduled to be scrapped and Binks evaded arrest.[18]
Wearing a discarded Jedi robe he found within Amidala's cruiser, Binks mistakenly caused his pursuers to believe he was a Jedi. After hearing word of a Jedi being nearby, Amidala managed to outsmart the battle droids and escape her cell. Amidala then proceeded to rescue Threepio, and was dismayed to learn that the Jedi she had heard about was merely Jar Jar in disguise. Amidala found herself in trouble once again, after Gunray arrived on the planet and captured her. However, Binks and a Kwazel Maw called "Bogey" happened to cause chaos among the Viceroy's guard, forcing him to attempt to escape, only to find himself at gunpoint. Gunray was confident Farr would rescue him from Amidala; however, he soon learned that the two senators had planned to capture him the entire time.[18]
A Republic cruiser subsequently arrived, and Gunray was taken into custody. While Farr requested that Amidala accept his apology for his brief betrayal, she remained adamant that it was the Republic that owed him an apology for forgetting that just because Rodia was not a particularly powerful ally did not make it any less important than any other system.[18]
Following Gunray's capture and escape, Amidala was with Palpatine when he received word from Hondo Ohnaka's pirate gang that they had captured the leader of the Separatists, Count Dooku. Being that Dooku was a powerful Sith Lord, the Jedi Council, the Chancellor and Amidala found it difficult to believe that mere pirates could capture him. Amidala counseled Palpatine, advising him to have the Council send two Jedi to confirm the validity of Hondo Ohnaka's claims before sending diplomats to deliver the ransom that he demanded.[35]
The Blue Shadow Virus crisis[]
- "By the way, your Padawan was brilliant. I trust I'll see you again, General Skywalker?"
"Of course, my lady." - ―Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker
Amidala and Binks were then recalled to Naboo by Queen Neeyutnee. The queen revealed that a squad of battle droids had been found and destroyed onworld, and requested that Amidala petition the Senate or the Jedi Council to help protect Naboo. Unfortunately, Amidala knew that more evidence would be needed to warrant action by the Senate or the Jedi. She took it upon herself to search the swamplands for signs of a greater Separatist presence on her homeworld, as had been indicated by a captured tactical droid and a bug on it.[37]
After following a tainted water stream, Amidala and Binks came across a hatch which they proved unable to open. Amidala contacted Captain Typho to give him the location of the lab. During their attempts to open the hatch, they became surrounded by battle droids and were swiftly captured. The pair was taken before Separatist scientist Doctor Nuvo Vindi, who revealed that he had perfected the long-thought-eradicated disease the Blue Shadow Virus, which he planned to release into the galaxy. Fortunately, her Jedi allies Skywalker, Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano arrived on Naboo to aid her. Tano, with the help of Gungan native Peppi Bow, located the secret lab of Doctor Vindi.[37]
When Skywalker and his troops came to rescue her, Vindi threatened to kill Amidala and Binks. Following a struggle, Skywalker rescued them. When Skywalker pursued Vindi, Amidala and Binks went with him and his troops. When they joined Tano and Rex, Kenobi told them that Vindi had activated the bombs and that one of the bombs was missing. Amidala then remembered that Vindi had given a little droid the bomb. When everyone split up, the Naboo senator and Binks found the droid. At first, Amidala tried to get the bomb nicely back from the droid, but the droid growled at them and tried to run away with it. However, Jar Jar grabbed the droid and secured the bomb. Tano then brought the bomb squad, and the bomb was deactivated. The Jedi and a squad of clones were then able to captured Vindi for trial.[37]
As the Jedi prepared to take the mad scientist to trial on Coruscant, Amidala and the clones discovered that one of his virus bombs was missing the vial that contained the virus, meaning that it may have found its way into the wrong hands and could still be released. As they had suspected, the virus had fallen into Separatist hands, those of Vindi's assistant droid, who released it within the laboratory, causing the facility to lock down with Tano, Amidala, Binks, and several clones trapped inside. The few remaining battle droids then started slicing the exits, hoping to release the virus into Naboo's atmosphere. The remaining Republic forces in the lab began to pick off the droids before they could break out. While being attacked by droidekas, Amidala's biohazard suit was breached and she became infected with the virus.[36]
However, she persevered, and eventually the remaining droids were destroyed. Amidala and Tano contacted Skywalker and Kenobi on the surface, telling them not to open the lab, so as to prevent the virus escaping. The transmission was cut off before Amidala could say her last goodbye to her husband, but Skywalker refused to abandon his wife to her fate. After the skirmish, two clone troopers died from the virus. Subsequently Amidala said she that she hoped that their sacrifice would help bring peace to the galaxy, a sentiment agreed to by Tano. Soon after, Tano lost consciousness, due to the virus. However, before the virus could kill Amidala and Tano, Skywalker and Kenobi arrived with the cure, freeing the survivors from the contaminated compound and ensuring that Naboo, and the galaxy, was safe from the virus.[36]
The Zillo Beast incident[]
- "You are supposed to be helping. Whose side are you on, anyway?"
"Yours, but…you must admit the Chancellor makes some good points." - ―Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker discuss how to handle the Zillo Beast
Following the Battle of Malastare, Amidala spoke with Kenobi about the Zillo Beast that had been brought to Coruscant. Amidala hoped that she would be able to use her relationship with Skywalker and Palpatine to bring about the release of the creature. Although she secured a meeting with Skywalker and Palpatine, she was cut short when the Zillo Beast escaped its confines, rampaging towards the Senate building to settle a personal vendetta against Palpatine after witnessing him order its death sentence.[38]
Amidala, Skywalker, and Palpatine, along with droids C-3PO and R2-D2, evacuated to Palpatine's personal escape shuttle, although they were grabbed by the beast's claws. Skywalker cut the shuttle in half, releasing himself, Amidala and the droids onto the sloped roof of the Senate building. Although Amidala had no means to stop her descent while sliding down the roof, she was soon caught by Skywalker. With the help of Yoda and Aayla Secura, Skywalker then withstood the fatal toxin attack against the Zillo Beast. Amidala and her companions survived the incident largely unscathed.[38]
Spying on Senator Clovis[]
- "Actually, I just changed my mind. You've convinced me that it's vital to learn what Clovis is doing."
"Even though I'm telling you not to?"
"Don't take it personally, Anakin. Duty comes first. Especially in wartime." - ―Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker discuss spying on Rush Clovis
Later, Amidala welcomed her secret husband home for a rare moment away from their duties, but was embittered when Anakin had to leave her for an urgent meeting with the Jedi Council. The Council had previously asked her to spy on her old friend Rush Clovis, who was suspected of working with the Separatists, but she had refused since she found the idea of spying on a colleague and an old friend unsettling. The Council neglected to tell her about the Separatist involvement, however, and she was left shocked when Anakin revealed these details whilst trying to steer her away from reconsidering. Still a bit angry over the previous night, and annoyed that Anakin was acting jealously, Amidala retracted her previous decision and accepted the mission to spy on Clovis. As part of her mission, Amidala befriended Clovis and agreed to accompany him on a trip to Cato Neimoidia to negotiate with the Trade Federation. She was accompanied by R2-D2 and Skywalker, who was aggressive towards Clovis during the trip for flirting with his wife. On one occasion, he damaged the seat beside Amidala's seat to prevent Clovis from sitting next to her. On takeoff, Skywalker even jerked the ship to prevent Clovis from kissing Amidala again.[19]
Upon arriving on Cato Neimoidia, Amidala and Clovis were greeted by the Trade Federation Senator Lott Dod, who arranged for his servants to show Amidala to her quarters. While Skywalker and R2-D2 stayed on the ship to await further instructions, Amidala spied on Clovis, Dod, and the Geonosian Archduke Poggle the Lesser, who were meeting in the garden. Clovis refused to lend any more credits for the Separatists to build a new droid foundry on Geonosis. Amidala was unable to view their holographic blueprints since the Separatists had taken precautions to shut it down. Realizing that Clovis was infatuated with Amidala, Dod and Poggle connived to poison her in order to extract leverage from Clovis.[19]
During a formal dinner that night, Lott Dod tricked Amidala into sharing his drink, which had been contaminated with poison. Once dinner had finished, Clovis took Amidala on a tour of the palace. During the tour, Amidala began to succumb to the effects of the poison including thirst and head-throbbing. While Clovis went away to fetch her a drink, Amidala took the opportunity to access the palace's files and download the blueprints for the Separatist factory on Geonosis. She then contacted Skywalker and arranged for him to meet her in her quarters. Amidala also managed to steal a hologram disc.[19]
After making her way back to her quarters, Amidala passed the disc to Skywalker. Shortly thereafter, she passed out in her chamber. Meanwhile, Clovis realized that Amidala was a spy after discovering that his holodisc was missing. Clovis strode into Amidala's quarters to confront her, only to discover that she was unconscious and to encounter a furious Anakin Skywalker. Clovis then agreed to get the antidote in exchange for the holodisc. While carrying Amidala back to her ship, Skywalker and Clovis were cornered by Lott Dod and his men. After Clovis forced Dod at gunpoint to hand over the antidote, the three fled. However, Skywalker purposely left Clovis behind to face the wrath of Dod. Having escaped Dod, Skywalker injected the antidote into Amidala.[19]
The Mandalorian crisis[]
- "The Senate held an emergency session and Republic forces have been ordered to stand down."
- ―Padmé Amidala, to Satine Kryze
Following her near-death encounter on Cato Neimoidia, Amidala took an interest in the growing instability on the planet Mandalore. While the New Mandalorians–led government wished to remain neutral, a hardline faction known as the Death Watch wanted to side with the Separatists. Following an assassination attempt on the Mandalorian Duchess Satine Kryze, Amidala informed her friend the Duchess that the Galactic Senate had recently voted to occupy Mandalore and that warships were preparing to depart at sunrise. The Senate's decision had been influenced by a tampered holo-recording from the deceased Deputy Minister Jerec, claiming that the planet was in crisis. In reality, Jerec had rejected Republic military intervention and stressed that it was an internal matter for the Mandalorians to handle alone.[39]
Despite the Death's Watch efforts to stop Duchess Kryze from delivering the datacard containing Jerec's real recording to the Senate, the Duchess managed to delivered the card to Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, who then passed it to Amidala. When Chancellor Palpatine asked if any senators objected to the Republic intervention on Mandalore, Amidala took the opportunity to present Jerec's real recording before the Galactic Senate. As a result, the Galactic Senate voted to recall the occupation force from hyperspace before it could land on Mandalore. Due to her efforts, Amidala won the praise and goodwill of Duchess Kryze.[39]
Trip to the Halcyon[]
- "I was so…scared! Wish I could be brave…like you."
"Oh, but it's okay to feel scared…as long as you don't let it overcome you. And there may be a time or there may be a cause that inspires you to be braver than you ever thought possible." - ―Shorr Komrrin and Padmé Amidala
Sometime later, Amidala and Skywalker were sent to meet a Lannik senator named Zast Tri'vak on the Halcyon Star Cruiser and ensure that he would not sway Lannik to join the Separatists and cut off Republic supply routes. After helping a Logistics droid named D3-O9, Amidala and Skywalker observed Tri'vak as he hurriedly returned to his cabin. Knowing Kenobi had the ship's destination staked out with a unit of clones due to reports of Separatist agents, the couple decided to enjoy their time together on the Star Cruiser. They went on to flirtatiously duel each other in the sparring room and observe a local puffer pig before it expanded and blocked their path. As they relaxed in the Climate Simulator, Skywalker suddenly sensed Ventress on the ship and realized that she was there to extract Tri'vak. He and Amidala then broke into the senator's cabin and discovered a hole cut into the floor. Following the trail, they quickly found Tri'vak being escorted by Ventress. As Skywalker dueled Ventress, Amidala encountered a young Tholothian boy named Shorr Komrrin, who showed admiration for the Jedi's strength. Amidala told Shorr that it was Skywalker's desire to help others that made him the Jedi he was and that the boy might have the potential to be as much of a force for good. Amidala and Shorr were then met by a few security guards, who Amidala managed to stun with the boy's help. Suddenly, the fighting was stopped by a Hutt who had the combatants surrounded by more guards. When the Hutt threatened to end the Hutt Clan's treaty with the Republic, Amidala explained to him that they were there to root out a traitor and reminded him of the Mid Rim trade routes they each benefited from. While Tri'vak begged the Hutt for mercy, Ventress stabbed the senator in the back and used her lightsabers to shatter a nearby window, leaping out into space and escaping in her Ginivex-class fanblade starfighter. Amidala held onto Shorr's hand as Skywalker sealed the opening with the Force. Amidala then commended the boy for his bravery while Skywalker watched as Ventress flew away.[40]
Mission to Mandalore[]
- "The contamination of greed reaches deep and far within the Republic. Corporations, trade guilds, too many senators serving their own interests."
"There are still those of us who work to overcome the corruption and believe it to be possible." - ―Satine Kryze and Padmé Amidala discuss the Galactic Republic
Later, Amidala traveled to Mandalore, which was facing an economic crisis due to the disruption to trade caused by the Clone Wars. Due to the shortage of goods, smuggling had become a problem on that planet. During her visit to the Mandalorian capital of Sundari, she did her best to assure Duchess Satine Kryze of aid from helpful factions in the Galactic Senate. Amidala's mission was complicated by the inability of the Mandalorian Government Council to adopt a common position on seeking aid from the Galactic Republic. Her visit also coincided with the arrival of a group of Moogan smugglers importing a shipment of tea with a toxic chemical called slabin.[41]
While visiting a hospital, Amidala and Kryze were horrified to discover that a large number of children had been poisoned by an unknown substance. Since all of these students had attended the same school, the two senators quickly deduced that the poisoning had been caused by some contaminated foodstuffs. Amidala and Kryze visited the school to investigate the poisoning. There, they discovered that the school's tea drinks had been contaminated with slabin. After interrogating the school's superintendent, they learned that the school had sourced the tea from a middleman named Siddiq, who was employed by a shipping company.[41]
From Siddiq, Amidala and Kryze learned that the tea shipment had come from Mooga and that another shipment was due to arrive that night. That night, Amidala, Satine, and one of the Ducal guards infiltrated the pier in question and witnessed the shipment's arrival and the complicity of a customs officer. While the police captain initially denied that any criminal activity occurred in his jurisdiction, he changed his mind when he visited the dock warehouse where the tea was stored and saw the operation himself. Following a skirmish with the Moogan smugglers, during which Amidala dispatched two of the smugglers after the police chief was injured, Satine had the warehouse and its contents burned down. Following the raid, Amidala and Kryze reported to Prime Minister Almec, who was reluctant to acknowledge the corruption within the Mandalorian government but promised to investigate the matter. Before Amidala left, Satine suggested sending an undercover Jedi agent to investigate the Royal Academy of Government, and Amidala promised to bring the matter before Master Yoda.[41]
Brush with death on Alderaan[]
- "Why are you doing this? Killing me won't stop the relief effort."
"Honey, this isn't about your cause. This is about revenge. My employer wants to get even with you, simple as that." - ―Padmé Amidala and Aurra Sing
Amidala later attended a conference on the planet Alderaan that had been convened by Senator Bail Organa to address the plight of wartime refugees. Amidala was accompanied by Skywalker's Padawan Ahsoka Tano, who had been experiencing visions that the supposedly dead bounty hunter Aurra Sing was planning to kill the Naboo senator. Prior to the conference, Amidala tried to assure Tano that she had felt the same sense of insecurity when she was queen of Naboo. During the conference, Tano's fears proved founded when Aurra Sing shot Amidala while she was about to open her speech. Ahsoka's timely intervention prevented Sing from killing the senator, who only sustained a shoulder wound. However, Sing escaped capture.[17]
Following the failed assassination attempt, Tano devised a plan to capture Aurra Sing by having a luxury droid, wreathed in a robe, take Amidala's place at the conference. Meanwhile, the real Amidala cast her speech through the droid via telecommunications from the safety of her private quarters. However, Sing saw through the plan and attempted to ambush Amidala. However, Tano sensed Sing's intentions through her precognitive abilities and intercepted her before the bounty hunter could carry out her second attempt. During a brief struggle, Sing wounded the Padawan, but was stunned by Amidala with a concealed blaster. Due to Tano's efforts to rescue her, Amidala developed a warm friendship with her. Later, Tano used her precognitive abilities to expose the imprisoned Hutt crime lord Ziro as the individual who had hired Sing to assassinate Amidala.[17]
The blockade of Pantora[]
- "Should you really proceed without the Council's approval?"
"We do it all the time. Don't we, Snips?"
"Yup." - ―Amidala, Skywalker and Tano discuss rescuing Papanoida's daughters
Amidala was later present when Ahsoka Tano informed her master, Anakin Skywalker, that the newly elected Chairman of Pantora Baron Papanoida's daughters Chi Eekway and Che Amanwe had been kidnapped. The kidnapping had coincided with a Trade Federation blockade of Pantora under the pretext that the planet had outstanding debts to pay. However, the blockade was merely a shadow play by Count Dooku to force the Pantorans to join the Separatist Alliance. With the consent of Skywalker, Tano traveled to Pantora with Senator Riyo Chuchi and succeeded in rescuing the girls and exposing the Trade Federation's links to the Separatists. Amidala herself had been supportive of Chuchi's efforts to get the Senate to intervene on Pantora's behalf, as the struggle reminded her of her own homeworld's similar plight.[42]
The Senate hostage crisis[]
- "Another daring rescue, Master Jedi."
"I do my best, Senator." - ―Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker
While Amidala and Skywalker were arranging a party for her colleague Senator Aang, they discovered that they were short on jogan fruit, an essential ingredient in jogan fruitcake. Skywalker sent R2-D2 and C-3PO to buy jogan fruit from the marketplace in Coruscant. However, the two droids were captured by the bounty hunter Cad Bane, who was working for the Separatists. Bane had been hired by the Grand Hutt Council to rescue Ziro from prison and had devised a plan which involved taking the Galactic Senate hostage. After extracting a layout of the Galactic Senate building from Artoo's databanks, Bane had the two droids mind-wiped and returned to their original places. Ignorant of Bane's plans, the two droids returned to their masters with the jogan fruit.[44]
Shortly, Bane and his associates, including the newly freed Aurra Sing, put their plans into action. They infiltrated the Senate and overpowered the Senate Commandos guarding the entrance. Meanwhile, Amidala was talking with Skywalker in her office. Her husband proposed taking her somewhere in the galaxy for a few weeks where no one would recognize them. Amidala declined since she was too focused on her work as a senator. During their conversation, Skywalker even gave his lightsaber to Amidala to show her that he trusted her with his life. However, Skywalker was forced to hide when Organa and C-3PO entered Amidala's office. Organa had invited Amidala to attend a meeting of senators who were concerned about the new Enhanced Privacy Invasion Bill. Before she departed, Amidala hid Skywalker's lightsaber under her sleeve.[43]
While Amidala and her colleagues were making their way to their meeting room, they were ambushed by Bane and his associates in the lobby. After securing the senators, Bane issued an ultimatum to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and demanded the release of Ziro the Hutt. When Palpatine refused, Bane retaliated by locking down the entire building and severing all communications with the outside world. He took everyone's comlinks. Before he could search Amidala, Bane spotted Skywalker in the upper levels and sent his henchmen to pursue the Jedi. Following a protracted pursuit throughout the Senate Building's corridors, Bane's associates managed to capture the Jedi Knight. Amidala was present when Sing and Shahan Alama delivered an unconscious Skywalker to the lobby.[43]
Meanwhile, Chancellor Palpatine backed down and agreed to release Ziro. Prior to leaving, Bane and his bounty hunters planted several explosives in the lobby of the Senate building. Amidala tended to the wounded Skywalker and managed to rouse him. Skywalker then used his lightsaber to carve a hole around the senators and dropping everyone one floor down. This enabled Amidala and her colleagues to narrowly escape Bane's explosives, which exploded shortly after. Having achieved their objectives, Bane and Ziro departed offworld.[43]
Meeting Madam Synata[]
Following the hostage crisis, Amidala and Skywalker decided to take some time off. Thus, Amidala accepted an invitation from the legendary actress, Madam Risha Synata.[45]
Peace mission to Raxus[]
- "The Separatists used to be a part of the Republic. I was close with many of the senators who left. I may not agree with them, but they're more than pawns."
"If you think negotiating is the right thing to do, let's talk to her." - ―Padmé Amidala and Ahsoka Tano discuss meeting with Mina Bonteri
When the Galactic Senate began debating a bill that would eliminate government oversight of the InterGalactic Banking Clan in order to fund the Republic's military efforts, Amidala suggested opening negotiations with the Separatists to find a peaceful solution to the Clone Wars. Amidala's efforts were opposed by the war profiteering Senate representatives of the Trade Federation, the Techno Union, and the InterGalactic Banking Clan: Lott Dod, Gume Saam, and Nix Card. These senators conspired to sabotage Amidala's efforts by arranging for a Separatist attack on Coruscant.[16]
Accompanied by Ahsoka, Amidala traveled behind enemy lines to the planet Raxus Secundus to meet her old friend and mentor Senator Mina Bonteri, who had joined the Separatist cause. After a tense but cordial reunion, Amidala and Bonteri agreed to initiate a motion to petition the Galactic Senate and the Separatist Senate to discuss a diplomatic solution to the Clone Wars. The Separatist Parliament approved of the motion by a majority vote with the exception of a few dissenting votes including the Corporate Alliance.[16]
While Count Dooku publicly supported the motion, he gave secret orders for General Grievous to deposit a group of droids disguised as sanitary units on Coruscant to commit acts of sabotage. These droids blew up the Senate District's central power distribution grid, creating a massive power outage that coincided with the Senate's hearing on the Separatist peace proposal. This terror attack hardened the Senate's stance towards the Separatists, and it passed a bill deregulating the banks. As a result, Amidala's diplomatic efforts to end the Clone Wars came to naught.[16]
Murders in the Senate[]
- "After all that, we lost."
"I know this decision was most unexpected. I myself don't support it. But democracy must stand."
"Of course. You are right, Chancellor."
"Mm, actually, given recent events, perhaps it is for the best. How can we justify fortifying our security here in the Senate if we don't also provide reinforcements on the front lines? You see, the victory of the clone army, for now, is the only thing that can lead us to peace." - ―Padmé Amidala and Sheev Palpatine discuss the Republic military enhancement bill
Subsequently, Kaminoan senator Halle Burtoni proposed a bill for the creation of five million more clone troopers. Amidala and Organa argued against the proposal in the Senate. Dooku then sent them a message informing them Bonteri had been killed during an attack he attributed to the Republic. Opponents to the bill were dissuaded to vote by threats, while she, Farr and Organa were attacked by the bounty hunters Robonino and Chata Hyoki. Organa was injured, so Amidala made an impassioned speech against taking away any more credits from social services in his stead, which was broadcast on the HoloNet.[46]
At a subsequent toast, Farr suddenly died. After his funeral, Palpatine summoned her and Farr's aide Lolo Purs to his office, where Inspector Tan Divo revealed Farr had been poisoned. Amidala suspected Umbaran senator Mee Deechi, but after he was murdered too, suspicion fell on Burtoni. Amidala deduced Purs murdered Farr when Divo stated the poison, which only affected Rodians, had been in all their drinks and realized she did not drink at the toast. After she got Purs to confess, she apprehended her with a punch to the face. Afterwards, Burtoni's bill was approved.[15]
Later wartime activities[]
On the frontlines and Coruscant[]
Amidala and her husband participated in the underwater Battle of Mon Cala,[47][48] during which Separatist officer Riff Tamson created a crack in her helmet. Thanks to a Force Orb and Jar Jar Binks, her helmet remained strong over the course of the battle.[49] She then was involved in a skirmish on Naboo.[50] Meanwhile, she sent C-3PO and R2-D2 on a humanitarian mission to Aleen.[51][52]
She then attended a Confederate–Republic peace conference on Mandalore. Present was Mina's son Lux Bonteri, who had followed her into the Separatist Senate, who accused Dooku of being behind his mother's death. Amidala feared a reprisal, and asked Ahsoka Tano to protect him.[53]
Amidala attended Obi-Wan Kenobi's funeral after he was believed killed by Rako Hardeen, which was actually a scheme to infiltrate a planned kidnapping of Palpatine by having Kenobi impersonate Hardeen.[54] Amidala welcomed Palpatine when he came to Naboo for the Festival of Light. As the attack got underway, Ahsoka escorted Amidala and the other delegates to safety. The next morning, Amidala thanked the Jedi on the Naboo's behalf for protecting the Chancellor. When Dooku made another attempt to kidnap the Chancellor, she arrived with the Naboo Palace Guard to protect him.[55]
Defending Ahsoka Tano[]
- "Look at the facts. Letta Turmond called Ahsoka to her cell to reveal the name of the true mastermind behind the bombing of the Jedi Temple. Letta told Ahsoka she was afraid. She told her that the mastermind was a Jedi, and before she could reveal the Jedi's name, Letta Turmond was strangled to death by way of the Force. Why would Ahsoka kill Letta with a method that would so obviously tie the murder to her? A Jedi may be responsible for the murder, but that Jedi is not Ahsoka Tano. Members of the court, you are prosecuting the wrong Jedi!"
- ―Padmé Amidala, before the Republic court
After Ahsoka Tano was expelled from the Jedi Order for her alleged role in a bombing and the subsequent murder of Letta Turmond, Padmé Amidala agreed to defend the former Padawan during her trial before the Senate. During the court proceedings, she argued that if Tano had really been the culprit, she would not have left a lot of incriminating material behind nor have committed the murder of Turmond in a way that would so easily implicate her. Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin, the prosecutor, was unconvinced and pointed out that Tano was seen collaborating with a known Separatist—Asajj Ventress. As the court's judge Chancellor Palpatine was about to read the verdict, Anakin Skywalker burst in with some Jedi Temple Guards and revealed that the real culprit was in fact Barriss Offee. Offee finally confessed her crimes, and all charges against Tano were dropped.[56] However, Tano refused an offer to rejoin the Jedi Order and sought to discover a new path for herself.[57]
Mission to Scipio[]
- "Such plans I had. You know, I've spent so much of my life misunderstood. What will they say about me now? What will I have left behind?"
"Clovis…you have to turn yourself in." - ―Rush Clovis and Padmé Amidala
Later, Amidala went on a diplomatic mission to Scipio, along with her handmaiden, Teckla Minnau, where she reunited with Rush Clovis and uncovered corruption at the InterGalactic Banking Clan. They were targeted by Embo, but Anakin Skywalker saved them and they were able to escape off planet. They then made their way to Coruscant, where Palpatine convinced her to work with Clovis. They soon found that the Separatists were allowed to not pay off their loans and yet the Republic's increased. After a fight between Clovis and Anakin, Captain Typho entered the room and informed them that a medical droid was on its way. Clovis became head of the Banking Clan,[59] but she discovered he had done it on Dooku's behalf, raising interest rates for the Republic before Separatist forces came to occupy Scipio. She protested, but Clovis and the Muuns ignored her. Soon after, the Separatists launched an invasion of Scipio. Amidala warned Palpatine and Anakin, but was soon after taken hostage by Count Dooku. Soon after, the Republic fleet commanded by Anakin Skywalker arrived and started attacking Dooku's forces. The Republic seized control of the banks to the Office of the Chancellor, while Clovis committed suicide.[58]
Queen Julia's request[]
Sometime later, Amidala was present in the Galactic Senate when Queen Julia of Bardotta contacted Chancellor Palpatine and requested assistance from the Senate regarding the disappearance of several Dagoyan Masters. Palpatine offered to send Senators Bail Organa and Padmé Amidala but Julia instead insisted the help of Representative Binks.[60]
Mission to Batuu[]
Later, Amidala received a message from one of her former handmaiden, Duja, from Batuu, a world at the edge of the Outer Rim near the Unknown Regions. She took her ship and landed at Black Spire Outpost. There she asked for Kuseph Jovi. Amidala took a BARC speeder to a cantina. Upon her arrival at the cantina, Amidala found Duja in a open casket. She could tell from the wounds to Duja's body that she had been murdered despite the bartender telling her that she was killed in a speeder bike accident. Amidala sang a song in memory of Duja. She then used Duja's brooch to summon her ship, the Possibility. Amidala discovered that Duja had discovered a droid factory on Mokivj.[61]
Meeting Solha again[]
She took the Possibility to Mokivj, but was shot down by vulture droids. Amidala survived the crash by entering a escape pod. There, she discovered a mine near a town. Amidala met with three men: LebJau, Huga, and Cimy. She learned from them that the Separatists had taken over the factory.[61]
In the meantime, Amidala's husband, Anakin Skywalker had been captured by Duke Solha, a fellow politician that Amidala had met while the former was in the Republic. Skywalker had formed an uneasy alliance with Chiss[61] Senior Captain[62] Mitth'raw'nuruodo, or Thrawn. Both of them had began a test in the meantime which consisted in waiting for Amidala to see in which state she was in, if she was captured, free or not able to act.[61]
Following the completion of Thrawn's and Skywalker's test, the Chiss crafted a cord from the clothing he got from the Larkrer and unlocked their cells from the inside. Meanwhile, the senator had entered the building and was accompanied by a group of locals, consisting of maintenance workers of the factory, Cimy, Huga and LebJau. They had entered the factory through the service level which was usually unprotected and only them and the Separatists knew of. Amidala had promised the group a fortune, which would be given to them by her Uncle Anakin if they helped her access the factory. The group later arrived at the detention block, defeated the droid guards and found the Chiss and Jedi Knight inside.[61]
After the Chiss was presented to the newcomers by Skywalker, the group created a plan to retrieve Skywalker's lightsaber, which involved Thrawn and the senator going alone to the roof to retrieve the lightsaber. The Jedi was scared of her going alone with the Chiss, but accepted it. After the Chiss and the senator left, the Jedi began to wander across the factory, and found a section of the factory that produced cortosis B2 super battle droids, which was guarded by the duke and his relatives and some droid sentries. The Serennians were protecting themselves with clone trooper armor covered with cortosis, Skywalker tried to confuse Solha's droids but he only achieved making the Serennians aware of his presence. Skywalker then left the room and began his search for the senator once again.[61]
On the roof of the building, Amidala and Thrawn retrieved Skywalker's lightsaber, they also witnessed some spheres which descended onto the factory, which were part of a Chiss mission to retrieve a deflector shield generator from the factory. The senator asked the Chiss commander to continue helping them but he insisted that his mission came first. Meanwhile, the Jedi, disarmed, used the Force to see where Solha and his droids sentries were, so he didn't have to fight them, while he traveled across the maze of rooms, and corridors that the factory contained. Until he met with his wife who gave him his lightsaber, and told him that Thrawn had abandoned them. Their meeting also coincided with the Chiss Ascendancy's raid on the factory, retrieving the shield generator. Skywalker fought several B2s and discovered that their armor disabled lightsabers and deflected blaster bolts. However, he used the Force and disabled them.[61]
In the meantime, Amidala evacuated the workers with LebJau before the factory was destroyed, Thrawn joined the senator and the Jedi Knight who revealed that the ore was cortosis and that it deflected blaster bolts and disabled lightsabers, thanks to its large energy absorption rate. They learned that the ore was mined in the river next to the factory and strengthened the battle droids' armor making them invulnerable, something that could change the Clone Wars forever. Thrawn then agreed to destroy the factory after the Chiss retrieved the shield generator.[61]
Amidala encountered the duke, who wore clone trooper armor covered with cortosis, who protected him from his husband's lightsaber, he then told her that by using the factory he was going to build his name in the Confederacy. As he knew Skywalker and the senator, he rejected Amidala's ultimatum to surrender and told her that he had no doubts that he'd live and that he'd never surrender.[61]
In another section of the factory, the Jedi and Chiss learned the Separatists were are also producing clone trooper armor covered with cortosis. The Jedi thought they were planning to infiltrate the Republic by sending Serennian troopers wearing clone trooper armor to Coruscant,[61] the capital planet of the Republic. After the battle droids protecting the room were defeated by Skywalker and Thrawn, and the Serennian duke by the senator, knocking him out with her grappling hook, they left the factory and then destroyed the factory. Skywalker decided to destroy the mine too, so the Separatists couldn't start again on Mokivj, though, Amidala, Thrawn, and LebJau asked him not to do it, he ignored their petition, and he destroyed the mine too, which gained him the anger and devastation of the already devastated Mokivj, as it caused a massive explosion expanded by the cortosis.[61]
The mission ended with a catastrophe for Mokivj and an end to Solha's career. In an effort to collapse the Separatist's efforts to produce cortosis battle droids, Skywalker accidentally sent lava, ash, and smoke into the planet's best cropland and water. Skywalker did not know the cortosis in the mine would redirect the heat of the explosions, the heat was sent down the planet's crust, activating volcanic activity and leading to widespread devastation, deforestation, and desertification on Mokivj. Resulting in the explosive force doing more than merely collapsing the mine's tunnels.[61]
The catastrophe forced LebJau to move to another planet as the population knew he had collaborated with the ones who devastated Mokivj.[61]
Vos and Ventress[]
- "Ventress isn't capable of anything as selfless as love. And Vos couldn't possibly have cared about a murderess like her. Besides, she's the one who took him to the dark side in the first place."
"Stranger things have happened. And maybe, if she loves him, she's his way back from it." - ―Skywalker and Amidala discuss Vos and Ventress' relationship
After Dooku's former Sith apprentice Asajj Ventress was formally pardoned of her crimes after helping to rescue Master Quinlan Vos from Dooku, Anakin Skywalker discussed details about their involvement in the Jedi Council's mission to assassinate Count Dooku. Knowing that Amidala would not approve of such an action, he claimed that it was merely a mission to capture Dooku. Anakin also voiced his concerns that the Jedi had not informed the Supreme Chancellor about the operation. When Amidala asked Skywalker about his thoughts on the mission, he expressed his discomfort with Ventress.[63]
When Amidala asked about Ventress' claims that Vos had turned to the dark side, Skywalker theorized that she had seduced the Jedi Master. Skywalker went on to criticize Vos and Ventress for pursuing a romantic relationship, something that was forbidden under the Jedi Code. When Skywalker realized that he too was embroiled in a romantic relationship with Amidala, she reassured him that they were genuinely in love. After Skywalker remarked that Ventress was incapable of love due to her dark-side background, Padmé responded that Ventress's love for Vos could lead him back to the light side.[63]
Mission to Clabron[]
- "May the Force be with us."
- ―Padmé Amidala, to Dormé
At some point during the Clone Wars, Amidala went on a mission to Clabron, to attempt to get the Clabronians to join the Republic, saying goodbye to Skywalker on Coruscant before departing.[64]
When she arrived, she found no one outside waiting to greet her, or no transmissions, something quite odd. As the trio stepped off the ship, Padmé warned her handmaidens to be ready for anything. As they cautiously made their way to the door, Padmé spotted a shadow. She waved to it, with the hopes that it was someone who'd let her in. She introduced herself, saying that she was asked for by Grand Minister Stin. The shadow said no Republic and that they should leave immediately. Amidala said she preferred to speak to Stin about the matter. As she was speaking, an assassin shot at her from the rooftop and hit Motee in the shoulder.[64]
Dormé engaged the assassin in a firefight and told Amidala to head back to the ship with Motee, as they were too vulnerable out in the open. But Amidala didn't do so. Instead, she headed to the door and asked the shadow (who was a native Clabronian) to let them in. The Clabronian said that he couldn't. Padmé thanked him for warning her, but she said that Motee needed aid urgently. Dormé warned Padmé that the assassin was inside the building. Padmé knew that. Being in the building would take them out of the assassin's line of sight. Dormé spotted the shadow who had introduced himself as Second Minister Tarmin and aimed her blaster at him, asking him if he was involved with the assassin.[64]
Padmé rebuked Dormé and told Tarmin that they weren't there to hurt anyone; they were on a diplomatic mission, one they hoped would benefit the Clabronians. At hearing this, Tarmin let them in but told them that it wasn't safe for them there. Once inside, Padmé asked Tarmin what happened. Tarmin informed her that Grand Minister Stin was waiting for her when the assassin shot him. Right then, they entered the room where Stin was on his deathbed. Padmé rushed over to him, lamenting that she hadn't shown up earlier. But Stin told her that she'd be dead too. Stin then ordered the medical droid caring for him to go and take care of Motee, who had non-life-threatening injuries, knowing that he would die soon. Amidala asked Stin if there was anything the Republic could do for his people. Stin explained that there had been much discussion. Many wished to stay out of the conflict, though they hoped the Republic would win, as it would be much more forgiving to neutral worlds. Because of that, he knew what side to choose. But the Separatists found out about his meeting with her and sent an assassin to kill him and Amidala. Before he died, he asked her to prove that he wasn't wrong about the Republic.[64]
With Stin's passing, Second Minister Tarmin was now in charge. Saddened and angered by Stin's death, he said that Stin had made a foolish mistake by inviting the Republic. Stin's price was one too many would pay. The Clabronians weren't soldiers. Padmé explained that even though she was a politician, she was not there for her own personal gain. Tarmin asked her what was it that she wanted. Padmé replied that she wished to see an end to the Clone Wars and a galaxy where systems weren't being forced to choose sides out of fear. She then told Tarmin how her whole life as a queen, then a senator, fought for peace and she had to believe that the Republic would come out of the war more united than ever before.[64]
After that, they had Tarmin, who was disguised as Padmé, walk outside with Padmé's handmaidens seemingly unprotected to trick the assassin, but Padmé would ambush the assassin and shoot her. The plan was successful. They found out her name was Lis Mohles, and she was wanted by the Republic for numerous charges. As they prepared to leave, Tarmin said that though his people would not fight, they could offer other aid, which they could discuss. Amidala agreed. With that, they shook hands, and Amidala departed.[64]
Pregnancy and petition[]
- "Something wonderful has happened. Ani, I'm pregnant."
- ―Padmé Amidala to Anakin Skywalker
As the Outer Rim Sieges raged on, Amidala had fewer opportunities to see her husband. While she did become pregnant, she was unable to share this news with Skywalker.[11] The two attempted to make time for each other by talking via hologram, although Skywalker was often late. Both assumed their conversations were private—save for Rex, who acted as their lookout—but Obi-Wan Kenobi was also aware of their continued contact. During the Battle of Anaxes and before leaving on a mission to Skako Minor, which Rex was eager to begin to hopefully rescue his long-presumed dead clone brother CT-1409 "Echo," Amidala and a late Skywalker spoke over hologram, with Skywalker finding the privacy to begin the call within Rex's empty barracks as the captain kept watch outside. Early into their discussion, however, Skywalker realized Kenobi was approaching when Rex knocked on the door as a signal to hurry up. Amidala, however, saw that there was more troubling her husband.[65]
As Rex tried to stall Kenobi, Skywalker admitted he was worried about Rex's personal investment in the hunt for Echo, but Amidala quickly pointed out that Rex had learned to rely on his emotions from him. While she understood her husband was simply looking out for his friend, Amidala asked him to stand by Rex as the captain always did for him. The two bid farewell before Skywalker departed. To the surprise of both Skywalker and Rex, Kenobi revealed he knew his former apprentice had been speaking to Amidala, but Skywalker and his captain then departed.[65] Meanwhile, Amidala had become increasingly concerned with the events of the war and power held by Palpatine.[11] After many senators were angered by the Sector Governance Decree,[66] Amidala joined[14] and helped lead a group of senators known as the Delegation of 2,000,[66] who were were wary of Palpatine's policies and discussed ways of stopping him.[14]
The group focused their efforts on the Petition of 2,000, which they intended to show Palpatine once it was signed by two thousand[66] fellow legislators. The main focuses of the petition were making Palpatine give up his powers, abolishing the governance decree, and ending the Clone Wars with a cease-fire. A month before the end of the war, Amidala attended one of the Cantham House meetings and rebutted Senator Terr Taneel, who was uncertain about calling for the end of the war due to its popularity in[67] her[68] constituency. As Amidala had realized, ending the war was key to preserving democracy because it was Palpatine's excuse for changing the Galactic Constitution.[67]
After the Battle of Coruscant, which saw Skywalker recalled to Coruscant in the name of rescuing Palpatine from Grievous, Amidala was finally able to reunite with her husband and reveal her pregnancy. The news, while exciting for both parents, placed them in a bind as it threatened to reveal their marriage. Afterward, both returned to Amidala's apartment to spend the night together, taking one moment to flirt on the balcony.[11]
Meanwhile, Skywalker began suffering from nightmares foreshadowing the death of Amidala. Not wanting to risk this and suffer the same pain when his mother died, Skywalker turned to Jedi Master Yoda for advice without revealing too much of his fears. Yoda advised that to overcome his nightmares and fears, Skywalker had to learn to let go to those close to him, something that did not sit well with Skywalker. His fears for Amidala increasing, Skywalker turned to his close friend Chancellor Palpatine, who revealed to him that the Sith Lord Plagueis the Wise had come close to learning the power of immortality. Amidala's resistance to Palpatine created a rift between her and Skywalker,[11] who became convinced his wife could have a secret motive in opposing the Chancellor because of the man's manipulations.[69]
Liberty dies[]
- "So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause."
- ―Padmé Amidala to Bail Organa on the formation of the Galactic Empire
When the Jedi discovered Palpatine's identity as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, they attempted to arrest him. Palpatine killed three of them before being defeated by Mace Windu. However, Skywalker interfered, slicing off Windu's hand, giving Sidious the opportunity to kill the Jedi. Skywalker, seeing Sidious as the only way to save his wife, pledged himself to the dark side. Sidious then initiated Order 66, declaring the Jedi to be traitors to the Republic. Across the galaxy, Jedi were murdered by their own soldiers, while on Coruscant, Vader led the 501st to the Jedi Temple, where they slaughtered everyone within, setting the ancient structure ablaze in the process. Knowing that her husband was in the Temple, but unaware of the true circumstances of why he was there, Amidala watched fearfully and horror-stricken from her apartment as the Jedi Temple burned.[11]
When Skywalker arrived at her apartment unharmed, he informed her that the Jedi had become traitors but that his loyalties stayed with the chancellor. He then left for the planet Mustafar to put an end to the leaders of the Separatist Alliance. Amidala meanwhile attended a meeting of the Senate where the chancellor declared the formation of the Galactic Empire and himself Emperor. While thousands of her colleagues applauded, Amidala was despondent; she remarked, with tears in her eyes, that "this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause."[11]
Meeting on Mustafar[]
- "Stop! Stop now, come back…I love you!"
"Liar!"
"No!"
"You're with him! You brought him here to kill me!" - ―Padmé Amidala's and Darth Vader's last words to each other
After the birth of the Empire, Amidala was visited by Obi-Wan Kenobi who revealed to her that Skywalker had turned to the dark side and that he needed her help in stopping him. Amidala refused though, and Kenobi correctly identified Skywalker as the father of the baby she was carrying. He then left, but later followed Amidala into her J-type Naboo star skiff as she left Coruscant for Mustafar to meet Skywalker. Upon her arrival, she was horrified to find that Obi-Wan had been correct: Skywalker had succumbed fully to the dark side and was now the Sith Lord Darth Vader. She tried to convince him to simply leave and help raise their child, but he instead went on a speech of how he could overthrow the Emperor and they could rule the galaxy together. Horrified at what her husband had become, Amidala implored Vader to turn back, stating that he was breaking her heart. As she begged for him to stop going down this dark path, Vader screamed out that she was lying. Unbeknownst to Amidala, Obi-Wan had stowed away on her ship knowing she would go to verify the truth of his claims, but this proved to be fatal for her. Under the impression that his wife had turned against him and brought the Jedi to kill him, Vader seized her with the Force and began to choke her. After one more desperate plea, Vader released her and she fell unconscious.[11]
Death[]
- "Obi-Wan… there is good in him… I know. I know there is… still…"
- ―Padmé Amidala's final words
After Kenobi defeated Vader in a lightsaber fight, he retrieved the unconscious Amidala and brought her to a medical facility on Polis Massa, where she gave birth two days later.[3] Despite the fact that she was completely healthy, she was dying. The medical droid didn't know why, claiming Amidala had lost the will to live, for her body began to shut down for reasons they couldn't explain. However, she held on long enough to give birth to twins, whom she named Luke and Leia. Despite all that had happened on Mustafar, Amidala still believed that Skywalker held good in him, a belief she shared with Kenobi before she died. Obi-Wan then had her body returned to Naboo so she could be laid to rest.[11] Publicly, Amidala's death was blamed on the supposed Jedi Rebellion that had sparked Order 66.[70]
Her funeral was attended by hundreds of people who mourned the loss of their beloved senator and former queen.[11] Among those gathered was her fellow senator and close friend Mon Mothma, who knew the death of Amidala was not because of the Jedi. Mothma knew who was really to blame and wanted to restore democracy to the galaxy.[70] The fact that Amidala had given birth to twins was a secret known only to a few after her death: the mortician Commodex Tahn used a hologram to make her still appear pregnant during her funeral.[71] Darth Vader, upon being rescued by Darth Sidious and placed in a life-support suit, asked about his wife. Sidious informed him that in his anger, he had killed Amidala. This fueled Vader's anger to a destructive level.[11]
Legacy[]
The agony of Vader[]
- "She was almost within reach, now she is lost to me again because of you!"
- ―Darth Vader, to a smuggler after they stopped Amidala's possible return
Amidala's death haunted Vader for the rest of his life. Despite the supremely brutal and ruthless being the Sith Lord became, he could never let go of the emotional agony caused by his wife's passing.[73]
Immediately after the Battle of Fortress Vader, Vader used a portal to the dark side created by Darth Momin in an attempt to revive Amidala. After experiencing visions of his past and battling his way through apparitions of his many former mentors and companions, he finally found an apparition of Amidala standing on the balcony where they had married. The Amidala apparition repeated Skywalker's first lines to Amidala, and Vader, reverting back to Skywalker, begged it to return with him. The Amidala apparition refused and threw itself off the balcony, strangling itself to death and then being incinerated in a flash of lightning. As Vader looked on, he saw a blue light in the distance, out of which emerged the apparition of a mysterious Jedi who blasted him back into the present. Vader then destroyed the portal. Upon being contacted by his master, he was asked whether he had found what he was looking for. Vader replied in the affirmative, looking upon the field of corpses that had been caused by his experiment.[74]
At a later point, Vader began to plot a way of bringing back Amidala via accessing the powers of the Bright Star, a powerful artifact that had long ago caused the planet Mustafar to turn into a molten hellish landscape. The artifact had at some point been hidden below the location where Fortress Vader now resided. Despite various attempts, Vader was unable to access the artifact beneath his feet until the arrival of a smuggler who was captured in orbit above Mustafar. The smuggler was later found to be the descendant of Lady Corvax, the ancient ruler of Mustafar whose actions in attempting to bring her dead husband to life instead caused the Bright Star to be unleashed upon the planet.[75] Providing minor training to the smuggler, Vader was able to coax out the potential of his force sensitivity, which Vader was able to use to finally get access to the Bright Star.[76]
Repeating the ritual that Lady Corvax had once performed, Vader once more stood on the precipice of making the same decision he and Lady Corvax had both made in their respective lives: Attempting to save the life of a loved one at the cost of everyone else. Once the artifact was hooked upon the Aeon Engine, Padme's face began to emerge with her voice repeating her same words from long ago, indicating that there was the possibility that the ritual could work. Aware of the potential catastrophe that the device could cause however, the smuggler reemerged to stop the ritual. Realizing that the smuggler had survived, Vader noted how he would succeed where Lady Corvax had failed. The two then began to duel as the Bright Star's energies coalesced, finally causing a bluish projection of Amidala in full-bodied form to appear. She began to utter some of the last words that Vader had heard her tell him long ago. Vader then paused the duel in its tracks, holding the smuggler in a choke hold. For some reason, her projection faded and Vader realized that the ritual had failed. Blaming his failure on the smuggler, he attempted to slice him but the Black Bishop intervened, stopping Vader temporarily and encouraging the smuggler to destroy the Aeon Engine. Utilizing the Force, the Engine was destroyed and the energies of the Bright Star began the slow process of restoring the planet to its former state.[72]
Sabé's quest[]
- "I was Padmé's greatest shadow. I know what she knew. You can't fool me. Anakin vanished. And you appeared. Padmé said Anakin spoke of order. You're obsessed with it. Anakin loved Padmé. You nearly ripped open her grave to find out how she died. And despite all the chances you've had…you haven't killed me. I've been to Polis Massa. I heard her last words."
- ―Sabé, to Darth Vader
After her death, her most loyal handmaiden and friend, Sabé, vowed to find out what happened to Amidala. Tonra decided to join her on this quest. Together, the two set off to discover the truth behind Amidala's sudden death. During her investigation, she found files of unfinished motions that Amidala was working on, including bills advocating clone personhood, a motion to protect hyperspace lanes from unjust taxation by bringing them under the purview of the Republic, a motion to reinstate term limits for the chancellorship, and years worth of antislavery drafts. Immediately before their departure to investigate on Coruscant, Senator Organa contacted them.[10]
Effect on Organa[]
- "If either of my birth parents survived, I'd want to know them. But they were lost before I was even one day old. My adoptive parents are the only family I've ever had and the ones I'd ever want. Not every adoptee feels that way about it, but for me—my family is complete."
- ―Leia Organa to Quash Panaka
In 18 BBY,[79] around a year into the Empire's reign, Ahsoka Tano found herself in hiding on the planet Thabeska, unable to reach out to her former mentors for advice; upon meditating, she was surpirsed when she thought of Amidala's voice and what suggestion the senator would have given, convincing Tano to use the resources in the Fardi compound she was staying in.[80] Decades after Amidala's death, Leia Organa remembered an impression she had of her mother as being very beautiful, kind, but sad.[81] However, Organa was unsure if she really did ever see her mother or just invented these memories to fill the hole in her life[73] and growing up Organa had no interest in her birth parents, seeing her adoptive family as the only family she had and ever needed, to her, her family was complete.[78]
A statue of Amidala was kept in gardens of the Royal Palace of Alderaan. On one occasion, after escaping her nanny droid WA-2V, Leia Organa sat in front of the statue with her adoptive mother Breha Organa who told her Amidala's story and that Leia had the same spark inside her that Amidala had.[82]
In 3 BBY, Amidala's old friend and ally Quash Panaka, who had since become a Moff and the regional governor of Naboo, met with the current queen of Naboo Dalné and Amidala's daughter Leia Organa to discuss the conditions of the miners on Naboo's moon Onoam. When meeting with Panaka Leia wore the jubilation dress that Amidala once wore and upon seeing the princess Panaka became shocked, likely seeing the similarities between Leia and Amidala, and some of the tea in the mug he was holding splashed onto the floor. During his meeting with Leia and Queen Dalné Panaka asked Leia questions about her adoption and her birth parents. Leia told Panaka that she had been told that her biological father died in one of the last battles of the Clone Wars and her birth mother was badly injured and lived only long enough to deliver her. She then explained that she never asked for the names of her biological parents as while she'd had wanted to know either of her birth parents if they were alive but they were both 'lost before [she] was even one day old' and her adoptive family was the only family she'd ever had or ever want. Before Leia and Queen Dalné left Panaka's chalet, Panaka told Leia he would speak to Emperor Palpatine about her saying that he should know that the Organas 'adopted a daughter of such distinction'.[78]
However Panaka was unable to tell Palpatine about Leia as shortly after Leia and Dalné left Panaka was assassinated by Saw Gerrera's Partisans. After returning to Alderaan Princess Leia discussed her and Panaka's meeting with her adoptive mother Queen Breha causing Breha to tremble and look as though she'd aged years in a minute. Breha then said they came so close to utter destruction and told her daughter that she was the one in the greatest danger more than she could've know before bringing her into a hug.[78]
Further remembrance[]
- "Terex, you know those gowns belonged to one of the great heroes of galactic history, no? Padmé Amidala."
- ―Lor San Tekka, to Terex
Nineteen years after her death, her children met for the first time during the Galactic Civil War aboard the Death Star where Leia was held captive by the Empire and had been tortured by Vader. Luke, who had been traveling with Kenobi to bring R2-D2 and C3-PO to Alderaan, helped rescue her with the help of Han Solo and Chewbacca.[84]
A mural depicting Amidala wearing the throne room gown was displayed in Theed near the royal palace.[85] In 0 ABY,[2] Leia visited Naboo, under the alias of First Minister Solo, with Evaan Verlaine to find surviving Alderaanians. While there, Leia saw the mural of her birth mother and believed that she saw it move, however, as it appeared no one else saw it she merely dismissed it as an illusion.[85]
Vader later learned that Luke was his son and that Amidala had indeed given birth,[71] and he attempted to seduce Luke to the dark side of the Force. However, Luke remained true and ultimately learned from Obi-Wan Kenobi that Leia was his twin sister. During the Battle of Endor, Luke set out to redeem his father from the dark side. During their duel, Vader searched Luke's thoughts and discovered Amidala had also given birth to a daughter. Luke's efforts were eventually successful; Sidious attempted to kill Luke with a barrage of Force lightning, but Vader stepped in to rescue his son and kill the Emperor. Vader, once again Anakin Skywalker, died as a result of the injuries he sustained in killing the Emperor, but not before proving Amidala's final words correct; there was still good within Darth Vader.[81] Before he died, as he shared moment with his son and was slowly losing his remaining strength, Anakin's final thought had been of his late wife Amidala; he affirmed her right, almost as if she was able to hear him, trying to tell her that their son had come to save him, and he apologized to her for all he had done, dying as the thought was finished.[86]
After the battle Luke attempted to tell Leia of their father's last words which were to tell his sister that he was right but Leia was uninterested. Leia speculated that maybe she had a connection to their birth mother while Luke had a connection to their birth father which was why Leia was able to remember her birth mother and why Luke was able to forgive Vader. Leia then bitterly thought that perhaps it wasn't that and perhaps it was simply that Luke wasn't tortured by their birth father as she had been.[87]
Following the fall of the Galactic Empire, Leia Organa did some research until she learned that her mother was Padmé Amidala Naberrie. After Organa was forced to withdraw her candidacy for First Senator of the New Republic when Lady Carise Sindian exposed her as the daughter of Darth Vader and Padmé Amidala, Leia admitted her true parentage in front of the Galactic Senate.[88]
The gowns owned by Amidala were kept on Naboo for many years after her death. Eventually, the gowns found their way to Organa. Because Organa only knew Amidala from the things she owned and the stories told to her by people who had known her, the gowns meant a lot to her, and she stored them in a safe location.[89] However, the gowns were thrown into hyperspace by Terex of the First Order after he stole Organa's ship on Cato Neimoidia.[83]
In 35 ABY,[2] Amidala was remembered for the final time by her daughter as she gave up her life to save her own son, Amidala's grandson, Ben Solo, whom had fallen to the dark side like his grandfather, Amidala's husband Anakin Skywalker. She also reconciled with and saw the good within Skywalker as his spirit appeared to her in her final moments, the good her brother Luke Skywalker had told her of,[90] and the good Amidala believed was still within him on her deathbed.[11]
Personality and traits[]
Always a leader[]
- "As fate tried to dictate her response, as love almost diverted her from her quest, she remained the only master of her destiny. She was a beacon of hope. She gave her life for the galaxy, and though it seems to become darker and darker, in the shadows her spark remains and guides us all."
- ―Breha Organa tells Leia about Padmé
Amidala was compassionate to other people and stood her ground firmly for what she believed in.[7] Amidala was a very persuasive and empathetic speaker during her time as a senator,[11] especially when she opposed the escalation of the Clone Wars.[16] She even started to doubt the Republic when the Senate gave Palpatine more executive powers near the end of the Clone Wars.[11] Amidala could no longer ignore the needs of her people and accepted Queen Réillata's offer to become senator after two terms as queen. Due to her reputation as a beloved former monarch, Amidala kept several privileges such as her wardrobe and chrome-plated ships when she became a senator.[7] For her wisdom, bravery, and compassion, she was admired by her supporters.[91] While she preferred to solve situations through diplomacy,[7] she was not afraid to lead her allies into battle if needed.[91]
Amidala was both responsible and strong-willed and did what she believed to be the right course of action despite objections from those closest to her. She spoke her mind to the Senate and was able to convince the Gungans to unite against the Trade Federation.[5] Obi-Wan Kenobi described her as fearless and stubborn, and a leader.[92] He also noted that Amidala was wise, discerning and kindhearted, and that her daughter Leia had inherited these qualities from her.[93] Amidala could be seen as fearless when she refused additional security to protect herself from assassins. She also did not like the idea of leaving during the vote on the Military Creation Act. When Skywalker came back into her life, Amidala knew that their future together would endanger their lives. However, she gave in and married Skywalker in secret.[7]
Amidala's experiences during the Invasion of Naboo left her with a hate of Neimoidians, but she also admitted it was wrong of her to harbor a grudge against the entire species for the actions of the Trade Federation. As such, she admitted to Sabé that she hated her prejudice as well.[10] During the Clone Wars, she worked to better herself and overcome her prejudice.[28] Always at the center of the galaxy, Amidala was a determined and brave survivor.[94] As recognized by Ahsoka Tano, Amidala was always thinking like a politician, focusing on gathering information and using her strengths to her advantage.[80] Watching with her own eyes as people died to the Clone Wars, Amidala was horrified at the great losses the Republic sustained in both lives[95] and to its very democracy. Amidala saw the Clone Wars as a conflict fought for the Republic's democracy,[11] to re-establish peace,[36] and to protect the Republic's people from suffering,[46] only for her to come to question if the Republic that was emerging from the conflict would have such traits.[11]
Despite her distrust of Dooku, Amidala did believe in peaceful co-existence with the Separatist state. She worked against increased military spending and prolonging the conflict.[16] Indeed, she believed that an increase in clone troopers would only escalate the destruction instead of ending it.[15] However, she held nothing against the clones themselves, whose brave service[46] and sacrifices she honored.[36] She supported the bravery of non-clone soldiers who fought for the Republic as well.[46] Hoping that at the very least their sacrifice would bring the galaxy closer to peace, she believed that clones who died were people who had sadly been forced to waste their lives[36] for a government that did not even guarantee their personhood. By the end of the war, she had drafted several bills in favor of clone personhood for both during and after the war, only for those works to be left abandoned after her death.[10]
Romance with Anakin Skywalker[]
- "Don't be afraid."
"I'm not afraid to die. I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life."
"What are you talking about?"
"I love you." - ―Anakin and Padmé, prior to the First Battle of Geonosis
When Amidala and Anakin first met, she thought that the nine-year-old boy from Tatooine was an amusing but knowledgeable child. However, by the end of the Invasion of Naboo, Amidala reciprocated Anakin's friendship; she helped him to cope with leaving his mother Shmi behind on Tatooine while Skywalker gave her a japor snippet so she could have good fortune.[5] After a lifetime of shielding her heart from romance,[10] she reunited with Skywalker ten years later and fell for him.[7] The two both made mistakes that revealed the truth of themselves to the other.[31] Amidala and Anakin confessed their love to each other during their stay at Naboo and before the Battle of Geonosis. After the battle, they were later secretly married.[7] The couple didn't have time to figure their relationship out and were always stealing moments together in between missions.[28] Amidala had once told Sabé about how she feared that any romantic relationship she entered would be catastrophic,[10] which was a description Sabé believed was accurate upon learning how the marriage developed in the wake of events like the massacre of a Tusken tribe and the secrets it required of them both. Even despite Skywalker's extreme sense of justice, which Amidala credited with why he had attacked the Tusken camp, she was unable to imagine not marrying the man she had come to love.[28]
Anakin also showed extreme jealousy when Amidala went undercover to investigate Rush Clovis, who had also harbored romantic feelings for Amidala.[19] This did not fade the next time Anakin saw him.[96] When Anakin saw the two in Amidala's apartment, he mistakenly believed that Amidala was going to kiss Clovis and brutally attacked him. He later attempted to apologize to Amidala, but Amidala was greatly upset by Anakin's actions and the fact he didn't appear to trust her. Amidala claimed that their marriage was built on lies and that she no longer felt safe. She suggested that they shouldn't see each other for a while before leaving.[59] Later after realizing Clovis was inleage with Dooku and almost dying on Scipio, Amidala apologized for her words and took Anakin back.[58]
In the final days of the Clone Wars, Amidala revealed that she was pregnant with Anakin's child, with her making plans to return home to Naboo to fix up a room for the baby so that it could be born there. However, upon having nightmares about his wife's death, Anakin turned to the dark side of the Force in an attempt to save Amidala and his child.[11]
Upon discovering what her husband had done—aiding Palpatine in overthrowing the Jedi Order and reorganizing the Republic into the First Galactic Empire—Amidala confronted him on Mustafar where he tried to convince her to overthrow Palpatine so that they could rule the galaxy together, Amidala was horrified, claiming that she didn't know who Anakin was anymore. Anakin then saw Obi-Wan, who had snuck aboard Amidala's ship, and believing that his wife had betrayed him, and ignoring her protests on the matter, strangled Amidala with the Force until he was ordered to release her by Obi-Wan.[11]
After seeing what her husband had become, Amidala lost the will to live and died after giving birth to their children, with her finals words to Obi-Wan being her belief that there was still good in Anakin.[11] Her death haunted Skywalker for the rest of his life.[73]
Friendship with Sabé[]
- "My hands are yours. Please don't ask me for them again."
- ―Sabé to Amidala
Sabé was one of Amidala's handmaidens during her time as queen. She served as Amidala's decoy during the Invasion of Naboo. Sabé also became one of Amidala's closest friends and most trusted advisors, viewing herself as the "right hand of Padmé Amidala Naberrie." The two could communicate through looks and gestures. Sabé valued her friendship with Amidala above anything else in her life. While Sabé once advised Amidala to find a romantic partner in someone who understood her, a description that she herself matched,[10] Sabé believed her friend would never return her feelings.[28] Amidala herself experienced envy while witnessing Sabé's flirtations with Harli Jafan on several occasions. As she watched Sabé and Jafan dance, she felt her feelings were not entirely jealousy, but nevertheless felt unsettled and nervous at the prospect of asking her handmaiden for clarification about the two girls' budding relationship. The queen also worried about her handmaiden liking the other girl more than her, which would require Sabé to keep secrets from both.[20]
Trying to find a balance they could never reach, Amidala and Sabé developed their close bond over the course of years, with Amidala well aware of Sabé's devotion to her: Amidala knew that Sabé would follow nearly any command she gave, even if it was ordering Sabé to her own demise.[10] Sabé was greatly upset when she learned of Amidala's secret marriage to Anakin Skywalker, who secretly scared Sabé, and was angered that her friend had not told her. She was also horrified to learn about Anakin's massacre of the Tusken Raiders and the fact that Amidala still married him despite knowing about it. This contributed to her decision to stop being Amidala's handmaiden, as she couldn't handle her new isolated life style and she no longer wished to be anyone's shadow.[28]
After Amidala's death, Sabé dedicated her life to solving the mystery of her death[10] and formed the resistance group the Amidalans in her honor.[97] She later confessed to Vader that she did not know why she acted like Amidala really knew what was best or if she really knew Vader at all, but decided to put her trust in her one final time and tried to see if her final words about their being good in Vader were true.[98]
Relationship with Rush Clovis[]
During Amidala's first year in the Galactic Senate, she grew close with Rush Clovis, a senator from Scipio. They attended several senatorial committees together. When their relationship started to become romantically charged, however, Amidala chose to focus on her duties as senator and ended it, a decision to which Clovis reacted poorly, ceasing talking with her.[19]
During the Clone Wars, when Clovis was suspected by the Jedi Council of aiding the Separatist cause, Amidala was sent to gather information on his dealings. Clovis, in turn, believed that Amidala wanted to resurrect their relationship and brought her to a Separatist meeting. However, Lott Dod poisoned Amidala to force Clovis in helping them financially. With the help of Anakin Skywalker, Amidala's husband, Clovis did all to ensure Amidala's survival, yet Skywalker left him behind.[19] In 19 BBY, Clovis manipulated Amidala to expose the corruption of the InterGalactic Banking Clan so he could be selected as head, but all went wrong. Realizing that Skywalker loved Amidala, Clovis let himself die in order to save Amidala.[58]
Behind the scenes[]
Milestones[]
Padmé Amidala was first mentioned in the 1983 original trilogy film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.[81] Amidala appeared onscreen for the first time in the 1999 prequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, played by actor Natalie Portman.[5] The voice actor Catherine Taber voiced Amidala in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film[33] and subsequent TV series,[34] as well as in animated micro-series Star Wars Forces of Destiny.[26]
Before the release of The Phantom Menace, her likeness was seen in the fifth issue of the The Last Command comic series, which was released by Dark Horse Comics[99] on April 29, 1998.[100] The series served as an adaptation of Timothy Zahn's 1993 novel The Last Command, now part of the Legends continuity.[99]
In her interview on the "Inside the Actors Studio" program, Portman admitted that, when her agent first mentioned the new Star Wars trilogy to her, she didn't know the difference between Star Trek and Star Wars. Portman also missed the first screening of The Phantom Menace due to exams.[101]
Characterization[]
According to concept artist Iain McCaig, Padmé was meant to make an attempt on Darth Vader's life on Mustafar: the scene as originally storyboarded had her embracing him with a knife, but finding herself unable to actually kill him (her role in the Revenge of the Sith script also reflected that she realized Anakin was becoming a monster).[102] McCaig mentioned in The Art of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith that Padmé had more midi-chlorians than Anakin during her pregnancy with Luke and Leia, having the Force flowing through her as she doubled up in pain seeking Yoda's help as seen in a sketch. The concept wasn't used in the final cut despite George Lucas' enthusiasm over the idea.[103] Early concept artwork for The Phantom Menace referred to Padmé as "Padma."[104] Trisha Biggar, the costume designer for the prequel trilogy, said she felt either Amidala's throne room costume or her black traveling gown were the most difficult to create.[105]
Queen's Series[]
Overall development[]
- "It's no secret that I really, really like these characters. When I put together my shot-in-the-dark proposal for a Star Wars Project, it was a trilogy called The Queen's Hands."
- ―E. K. Johnston
Author E. K. Johnston wrote a trilogy of novels exploring different periods of time in Amidala's life.[107] [108] Taber provided the audiobook voicing for the trilogy's three installments, Queen's Shadow (2019), Queen's Peril (2020), and Queen's Hope.[109][110][111] Queen's Peril was the first Star Wars book Johnston had pitched for the franchise and was grateful for the opportunity to write about Amidala and her first group of handmaidens.[112] The author first developed the project as a trilogy called The Queen's Hands in December 2014. She felt Queen's Peril and Queen's Shadow were both some of her dream projects and stated that she fit most details of her original plot concerning Amidala and her handmaidens into the two novels. Johnston also felt that Queen's Peril in particular covered a pivotal moment in time for the group of teenage girls and enjoyed writing about their struggles with awkward social situations, including their trip to see a "Backstreet Boys"-like band in which they had to balance their responsibilities, interpersonal relationships, and attractions,[106] such as the envy Amidala felt when Sabé spent time with Harli Jafan, which she felt had the potential to affect her friend's duties as handmaiden.[28]
Johnston made a Tumblr post describing several of the outfits Amidala wears in Queen's Shadow, first expounding that the dress she had worn to visit Alderaan was similar to the dress in the live-action movie Cinderella, only in purple instead of blue. The author also stated that her dress to address the Senate for the first time was inspired by one made by Tanya Apuya for the 2018 Her Universe Fashion Show at San Diego Comic Con. Lastly, Johnston discussed the dress Amidala wore to Mon Mothma's party, explaining that the piece showcased Naboo skill in sewing and design. She felt Amidala picked it because she knew Sabé would wear it too, feeling that both would be able to gain attention and keep it in such a dress. Her inspiration for it was Cynthia Kirkland's "Couture of Water" dress from the same fashion show.[113] Though she felt she wished for Amidala to be in a new outfit in every scene in the novel, Johnston was also relieved she would already know what most of the queen's outfits were in each scene for Queen's Peril, as the latter overlapped The Phantom Menace's events.[105]
Amidala and Sabé's relationship characterization[]
- "Well it was definitely something we—I talked a lot about with Jen Heddle, my editor. Because I'm not unaware of how fandom breaks down over this, in terms of like—all you have to do is click on the AO3 tags to see the numbers. [sic] And I felt at that point if we put them in a relationship: one, it would've been I've written two unrequited, or like, two breakup stories in a row for Star Wars, and I was like I can't just do that to queer girls again. And it also means that like, if Padmé and Sabé were in a romantic relationship, [sic] it automatically ties back to Anakin in a way that it doesn't if it's just a platonic soulmate situation."
- ―E. K. Johnston, on Queen's Shadow's development of Amidala and Sabé's relationship
Johnston indicated that she intended to write Amidala and Sabé's relationship in the trilogy as a friendship.[115][106] Queen's Hope and Mike Chen's novel Brotherhood were written to lock into each other plot-wise and both authors consulted together to ensure the stories matched.[116] Chen felt that his novel and Queen's Hope worked well as a duology. He further indicated that Queen's Hope's focus on the changing sisterhood of Amidala and Sabé was a mirror to[117] the brotherly relationship shared between Kenobi and Skywalker, while both relationships were anchored by the romantic relationship of Amidala and Skywalker's marriage.[118]
When writing the relationship between Amidala and Sabé for Queen's Shadow, Johnston consulted heavily with her editor, Lucasfilm Story Group's Jennifer Heddle. She considered putting the pair in a romantic relationship, but did not want to write two Star Wars unrequited breakup-type stories in a row and did not want to do that to another pair of female characters. The author then mentioned that if Amidala and Sabé had been in a romantic relationship, it would have automatically tied back to Skywalker in a way that it would not have if their relationship was "platonic soulmate situation," which she felt was the way it ultimately ended up being in the novel. However, she then acknowledged that she was aware of how the Star Wars fandom would read the relationship—mentioning the number of fanfictions of the tagged with the characters posted on the Archive of Our Own (AO3) website—but indicated agreement with an interviewer's assumption that their friendship was no less important than any of their romantic connections.[114]
Johnston considered Sabé one of the only things in her life that was completely unconnected to Skywalker, because she could maintain both connections at the same time, and felt Sabé's lines in Queen's Shadow articulated that well. The author indicated that some fans have said to her in the past that Amidala and Sabé were "just friends," she said she wrote in their deep connection to be obstinate. She also considered both the "center of each other's universe," though the friends' dynamic was tempered by the fact that Sabé would always "take the bullet" for Amidala if need be.[114]
Appearances[]
Non-canon appearances[]
- Minecraft
- Angry Birds Star Wars II
- William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First
- ° LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales (In flashback(s))
- William Shakespeare's The Clone Army Attacketh: Star Wars Part the Second
- Disney Infinity 3.0
- William Shakespeare's Tragedy of the Sith's Revenge: Star Wars Part the Third
- LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales Episodes I-III (In flashback(s))
- LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Kyber Saber Crystal Chase" (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Return of the Kyber Saber" (Mentioned only)
- Fortnite
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Escape from Coruscant" (Appears in hologram)
- The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Star Wars: Visions — "Journey to the Dark Head" (Vision)