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Padmé Amidala (, ) is a fictional character in the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' franchise. She first appeared in the 1999 film ''
The Phantom Menace ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' as the teenage queen of the fictional planet
Naboo The fictional universe of the ''Star Wars'' franchise features multiple planets and moons. While only the feature films and selected other works are considered canon to the franchise since the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Di ...
. In the following two films of the prequel trilogy, Padmé becomes a member of the Galactic Senate and secretly marries
Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was first introduced in the Star Wars original trilogy, original film trilogy as the primary Antagonist, antagonist and one of the leaders of the Galactic Empire (Star W ...
, a Jedi Knight. Anakin's fear of losing Padmé drives him toward the dark side of
the Force The Force is a Metaphysics, metaphysical, mysterious, and Energy (esotericism), ubiquitous power in the ''Star Wars'' Universe of Star Wars, fictional universe. Characters refer to the Force as an energy that interconnects all things in the univer ...
, which results in his transformation into Darth Vader. Padmé eventually dies after giving birth to the twins
Luke Skywalker Luke Skywalker is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the original film trilogy as the main protagonist and also appears in the sequel trilogy. Raised as a poor moisture farmer on the desert planet Tat ...
and Leia Organa.
Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag{{efn, Some Hebrew sources claim that her birth name was "Neta-Lee Hershleg" ({{langx, he, נטע-לי הרשלג) and later, her first name was Americanized to "Natalie". {{Cite news , last=Shamir , first=Oron , date=August ...
portrays Padmé in all three prequel films. In addition to films, Padmé appears in animated series, novels, comics and video games.


Creation

Padmé is introduced in ''The Phantom Menace'' (1999), the first film of the prequel trilogy. She is mentioned briefly, however, in the 1983 film ''
Return of the Jedi ''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas. The sequel to '' The Empire ...
'', the final film of the original trilogy. In the film, Leia tells Luke that she has faint memories of her mother. Lucas has explained that although he created a backstory for the mother while writing the original trilogy, it did not make it into the films. He wanted her to be mentioned in ''Return of the Jedi'', however, because he was planning on introducing her as a main character in later films. When Lucas began writing ''The Phantom Menace'', he envisioned similarities between Padmé and Leia, who he described as "the daughter who follows so closely in her other'sfootsteps."


Portrayal


Casting

During development for ''The Phantom Menace'', concept artists were given character outlines by
Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company founded by filmmaker George Lucas in December 10, 1971 in San Rafael, California, and later moved to San Francisco in 2005. It is best known for creating and producing th ...
. The fourteen-year-old Padmé was described as similar to Princess Ozma from the ''
Land of Oz The Land of Oz is a fantasy world introduced in the 1900 children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by William Wallace Denslow, W. W. Denslow. Oz consists of four vast quadrants, the Gillikin Countr ...
'' series of novels. Lucas, who both wrote and directed the film, wanted to cast a performer who displayed strength comparable to that of Leia, who is a central character in the original trilogy. The filmmakers auditioned over two hundred actresses for the role before selecting Natalie Portman, who was eighteen at the time. One of the concept artists, Iain McCaig, said Portman exhibited vulnerability and strength akin to Ozma. Portman was enthusiastic about the role, and thought it would be empowering for young female viewers to witness the intelligence and leadership abilities of the teenage monarch. She worked closely with Lucas on her character's accent and mannerisms, and watched the films of
Lauren Bacall Betty Joan Perske (September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014), professionally known as Lauren Bacall ( ), was an American actress. She was named the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the America ...
,
Audrey Hepburn Audrey Kathleen Hepburn ( Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress. Recognised as a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from the Classical Holly ...
, and
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...
to draw inspiration from their voice and stature. She was relatively unfamiliar with the ''Star Wars'' franchise when she was cast, and watched the original trilogy before filming began.


Costumes

Lucas has explained that galactic society in the prequel trilogy is more sophisticated than in the original trilogy. To illustrate this difference, the costumes in the prequels are more elaborate than those in the earlier films. Trisha Biggar, the costume designer for the prequel films, said there were only three costumes initially planned for Padmé. However, Lucas felt that a noble of her stature would be constantly changing her wardrobe depending on the occasion. He decided that every time the queen appeared in ''The Phantom Menace'', she would be wearing a different costume. The resulting wardrobe was influenced by fashions from Japan, Mongolia, Tibet and other countries.Costume Featurette (1999). ''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace'' Special Features DVD. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. For ''
Attack of the Clones Attack may refer to: Warfare and combat * Attack (fencing) * Charge (warfare) * Offensive (military) * Strike (attack) Books and publishing * ''The Attack'' (novel), a book * '' Attack No. 1'', comic and animation * Attack! Books, a publis ...
'' (2002), Lucas wanted Padmé's garb to reflect the romantic storyline. He requested that her costumes be "skimpy" and "sultry". Padmé's garments were displayed at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles in 2005, and at the
Detroit Institute of Arts The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is a museum institution located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. It has list of largest art museums, one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it cove ...
in 2018.


Reception

Portman's performance in the prequel films was criticized in a number of reviews. James Berardinelli called her acting in ''The Phantom Menace'' "lackluster," while Annlee Ellingson of '' Box Office Magazine'' said her delivery was "stiff and flat, perhaps hindered by the gorgeous but cumbersome costumes." In his review of ''Attack of the Clones'', Mike Clark of ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' complained about the performances of both Portman and Hayden Christensen, who portrays Anakin Skywalker. He wrote, "Both speak in monotone for doubly deadly effect, though when not burdened by his co-star, Christensen often finds the emotion in his limited intonations." Reviewing ''
Revenge of the Sith Revenge is defined as committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Vengeful forms of justice, such as primitive justice or retributive justice, are often differentiated from more fo ...
'',
Ed Halter Ed Halter is a film programmer, writer, and founder of Light Industry, a microcinema in Brooklyn, New York. He currently teaches at Bard College, where he is Critic in Residence. Criticism His writing has been featured in '' Artforum'', '' Th ...
of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' said that "computer-generated characters like wheezing
cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.General Grievous and blippeting fireplug
R2-D2 R2-D2 () or Artoo-Detoo is a fictional robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. He has appeared in ten of the eleven theatrical ''Star Wars'' films to date, including every film in the " Skywalker Saga", which inclu ...
... emot dmore convincingly" than either Portman or Christensen. Mick LaSalle of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...
'' offered a less critical appraisal, describing Portman's portrayal in ''Revenge of the Sith'' as "decorative and sympathetic". Despite the criticism, Portman's performances in both ''Attack of the Clones'' and ''Revenge of the Sith'' earned her nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Actress.


Appearances


Prequel trilogy


''The Phantom Menace''

Padmé makes her first appearance in ''
The Phantom Menace ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' (1999) as the recently elected queen of Naboo. She is dedicated to ending her planet's occupation by the Trade Federation. She negotiates with Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray, who attempts to force her to sign a treaty which would legitimize the Federation's occupation. Padmé escapes from Naboo with the help of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi () is a character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. In the original film trilogy, he is a Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. In the prequel trilogy, he mentors Luke's father, Anakin Skywalke ...
. On the way to Coruscant, they are forced to land on
Tatooine Tatooine ( ) is a fictional desert planet that appears in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is a beige-colored, desolate world orbiting a pair of binary stars, and inhabited by human settlers and a variety of other life forms. The planet was fi ...
to repair their ship. Disguised as a handmaiden, Padmé meets the nine-year-old slave boy Anakin Skywalker. She witnesses him win a
podrace The following is a list of fictional ''Star Wars'' terrestrial planets, terrestrial vehicles, including armored fighting vehicles, military aircraft, and naval ships. The Universe of Star Wars, ''Star Wars'' universe showcases a diversity of ...
that both aids her mission to Coruscant and secures his freedom. She and Anakin bond during their journey from Tatooine to Coruscant. Padmé consults with Senator Palpatine, who encourages her to appeal to the Senate to resolve Naboo's conflict with the Federation. Palpatine, who is secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, persuades her to make a motion to have Supreme Chancellor Valorum removed from office, which enables Palpatine to be elected in his place. Padmé returns to Naboo to fight for her planet's freedom, enlisting the aid of Jar Jar Binks and his Gungan tribe. The Gungans create a diversion to lure the Federation's droid armies away from the palace, which has been seized by Gunray. A small force led by Padmé enters the palace and captures Gunray, which ends the occupation of Naboo.


''Attack of the Clones''

Padmé returns in ''
Attack of the Clones Attack may refer to: Warfare and combat * Attack (fencing) * Charge (warfare) * Offensive (military) * Strike (attack) Books and publishing * ''The Attack'' (novel), a book * '' Attack No. 1'', comic and animation * Attack! Books, a publis ...
'' (2002), which is set ten years after ''The Phantom Menace''. She now represents Naboo in the Galactic Senate and leads a faction opposed to the Military Creation Act that would create an army of clones for the Galactic Republic, which has been threatened by a growing Separatist movement. As she arrives on Coruscant to cast her vote, assassins hired by the Separatists attempt to kill her. Obi-Wan and his apprentice Anakin are assigned to protect Padmé. Palpatine sends Padmé into hiding on Naboo, where she and Anakin struggle to maintain a platonic relationship despite their obvious mutual attraction. When Anakin has a vision of his mother in danger, Padmé accompanies him to Tatooine in a failed attempt to rescue
Shmi The Skywalker family is a Fiction, fictional legendary human family in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the series' fictional universe, the Skywalkers are presented as a bloodline with strong inherent capabilities related to the Force and some ...
from a band of Tusken Raiders. Anakin returns to Padmé with his mother's body and confesses that he slaughtered the entire Tusken tribe. Padmé is troubled by what Anakin has done, but nevertheless comforts him. After they receive a message from Obi-Wan, Padmé and Anakin go to
Geonosis Geonosis is a desert planet in the Star Wars fictional universe. Located in the Outer Rim, it orbits the star Ea. The Clone Wars, a major feature of the Star Wars universe, began when the Galactic Republic invaded Geonosis, then in the hands ...
to aid him, only to be captured and condemned to death by the Separatist leader and Sith Lord Count Dooku. Facing execution, Padmé and Anakin profess their love for each other. They are saved from death by an army of Jedi and clone troopers, led by the Jedi Masters
Mace Windu Mace Windu is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, prequel trilogy as a Jedi Master who sits on the Jedi Council, Jedi High Council during the final years of the Galactic Repub ...
and
Yoda Yoda () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force. He first appeared in the 1980 film '' The Empire Strikes Back'', in which he is voiced and puppeteered by F ...
. The ensuing battle marks the beginning of the Clone Wars. Afterwards, Padmé and Anakin are married in a secret ceremony on Naboo. It was a secret ceremony because it was against the Jedi Code for any jedi to get married. The only two 'people' that attended the wedding were
C-3PO C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a protocol droid (Star Wars), droid designed to assist in etiquette and translation, and is fluent in over six million forms of communication. The chara ...
and
R2-D2 R2-D2 () or Artoo-Detoo is a fictional robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. He has appeared in ten of the eleven theatrical ''Star Wars'' films to date, including every film in the " Skywalker Saga", which inclu ...
. After they are married, they returned to Coruscant for a senate meeting that would change the newly weds' lives forever.


''Revenge of the Sith''

Padmé makes her third film appearance in ''
Revenge of the Sith Revenge is defined as committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Vengeful forms of justice, such as primitive justice or retributive justice, are often differentiated from more fo ...
'' (2005), which takes place three years after the previous film. As the Clone Wars continue, Padmé informs Anakin that she is pregnant. She detects changes in him after he begins having visions of her dying in childbirth. Palpatine plays on Anakin's fears by saying that the dark side of the Force holds the power to save Padmé, which ultimately leads Anakin to become Palpatine's Sith apprentice, Darth Vader. Meanwhile, Padmé watches with increasing suspicion as Palpatine uses the Clone Wars as an excuse to take near-total control of the Senate. As Palpatine transforms the Republic into the Galactic Empire and declares himself Emperor, Padmé remarks: "So this is how liberty dies—with thunderous applause."
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi () is a character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. In the original film trilogy, he is a Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. In the prequel trilogy, he mentors Luke's father, Anakin Skywalke ...
informs Padmé that Anakin has been seduced to the dark side by Palpatine—who is actually the mastermind of the war—and has killed everyone in the Jedi Temple, including children. Unable to believe this, Padmé travels to the volcanic planet Mustafar, where Vader has gone to assassinate the Separatist leaders, unaware that Obi-Wan has stowed away on her ship. Padmé begs Vader to escape Palpatine's grasp, but he insists that together they can overthrow Palpatine and rule the galaxy. Padmé recoils in horror, and tries to persuade him to abandon the dark side. When Obi-Wan emerges from her ship, Vader accuses Padmé of betrayal and uses
the Force The Force is a Metaphysics, metaphysical, mysterious, and Energy (esotericism), ubiquitous power in the ''Star Wars'' Universe of Star Wars, fictional universe. Characters refer to the Force as an energy that interconnects all things in the univer ...
to strangle her into unconsciousness. After Obi-Wan defeats Vader in a lightsaber duel, he brings Padmé to the secret asteroid base
Polis Massa The Universe of Star Wars, fictional universe of the ''Star Wars'' franchise features multiple planets and Natural satellite, moons. While only the feature films and selected other works are considered Star Wars canon, canon to the franchis ...
. She dies soon after giving birth to twins, Luke and Leia. Just prior to her death, Padmé insists to Obi-Wan that there is still "good" in Vader. After Padmé is given an elaborate funeral on Naboo, her twins are separated and hidden from the Empire. Leia is sent to Alderaan to be raised by Senator Bail Organa and his wife Breha. Obi-Wan brings Luke to Tatooine, where he will be raised by Vader's stepbrother Owen Lars and his wife Beru.


Animated productions

Padmé appears in the 2008 animated film '' The Clone Wars'', which serves as a pilot episode for the television series of the same name. While Anakin and his apprentice
Ahsoka Tano Ahsoka Tano (pronounced ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. She was introduced as the 14-year-old List of Star Wars species (P–T)#Togruta, Togruta Jedi Padawan of Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker in the animated film ''Star ...
search for Jabba the Hutt's son Rotta, Padmé meets Ziro the Hutt to convince him to side with the Jedi. After Ziro forcibly removes Padmé, she escapes and eavesdrops on his communication with Count Dooku and the Separatists about an elaborate scheme to kill Rotta, frame the Jedi for his murder and force Jabba to attempt revenge, leaving Ziro as the ruler of the Hutts. After Padmé is discovered, Dooku suggests that Ziro collect the bounty placed on her head. The droid
C-3PO C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a protocol droid (Star Wars), droid designed to assist in etiquette and translation, and is fluent in over six million forms of communication. The chara ...
leads a squad of Coruscant Guard troopers to rescue her. Padmé then contacts Jabba just as the Hutt is about to execute Anakin and Ahsoka, and forces Ziro to confess his betrayal. Padmé negotiates an alliance between the Republic and the Hutts which would allow Republic warships to use Hutt hyperspace lanes. Padmé is voiced by Catherine Taber. In the series '' The Clone Wars'', Padmé is again voiced by Taber. Padmé is mostly working in the Senate towards a peaceful resolution to the Clone Wars, although a few episodes show her fighting the Separatists alongside Anakin, Ahsoka and Jar Jar Binks. In several episodes she associates with her old colleague Rush Clovis, which causes Anakin to become jealous. Taber also voices Padmé in the web series '' Forces of Destiny'' (2017–2018), while Montana Norberg provides her voice in the television miniseries '' Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales'' (2015).


Novels

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


''Star Wars Legends''

Following the acquisition of Lucasfilm by
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
in 2012, most of the licensed ''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe material produced between 1977 and 2014 was rebranded as ''Star Wars Legends'' and declared non-canon to the franchise. The ''Legends'' works comprise a separate narrative universe.


Novels and comics

Padmé's background prior to her appearance in the prequel films is revealed in ''Legends'' novels and comics. In the 2000 comic "A Summer's Dream" from '' Star Wars Tales 5'', Padmé is the Princess of Theed, Naboo's capital city. A young man named Ian Lago falls in love with her, but she places her civic duty over her personal happiness and rejects him. In the novel '' Cloak of Deception'' (2001), Naboo's King Veruna is forced to abdicate the throne following accusations of corruption. Padmé is elected queen, and contacts Palpatine to inform him that Veruna has been mysteriously killed. She and Palpatine discuss the events that lead to the Trade Federation blockade of Naboo. Literature also focuses on Padmé's career as the monarch of Naboo. The young-adult novel ''Star Wars Episode I Journal: Amidala'' (1999) depicts Padmé narrowly escaping the Trade Federation. ''The Queen's Amulet'' (1999) explores the friendship between Padmé and her handmaiden Sabé immediately before the events of ''The Phantom Menace''. In the short comic " The Artist of Naboo", a young painter features Padmé in his work and later risks his life to save her. Padmé's role in the Delegation of 2000—the senatorial resistance movement to Palpatine's growing absolutism—is discussed in '' Labyrinth of Evil'' (2005). The Delegation is concerned with Palpatine's calls for public surveillance and restrictions on freedom of movement and action. Padmé is confident that Palpatine will relinquish his power when the crisis is over. Padmé appears in stories set after the events of the original trilogy as holograms and flashbacks. '' The Joiner King'' (2005), the first book in the ''Dark Nest'' trilogy, is set 35 years after ''Star Wars.'' Luke discovers a hologram recorded by R2-D2 of Anakin informing Padmé of his vision of her death in childbirth. This is the first time Luke sees an image of his mother. Another hologram depicts a conversation between Padmé and Obi-Wan, and allows Luke and Leia to hear their mother's name for the first time. In the final novel of the trilogy, '' The Swarm War'', Luke and Leia see Padmé's death and their own births.


''Clone Wars''

The animated television series '' Clone Wars'' is part of the ''Legends'' universe. Padmé appears in eight chapters of the series, which aired on
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
from 2003 to 2005. She is secluded on Coruscant and maintains correspondence with Anakin while he is fighting in the Clone Wars. In one chapter, Padmé is traveling with Yoda when he senses a disturbance in the Force coming from the planet Ilum. Despite Captain Typho's protest, she helps Yoda rescue Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and the Padawan Barriss Offee. In another chapter of the series, she is thrilled by Anakin's graduation to Jedi Knight, and stores his Padawan braid with the necklace he gave her when they first met.
Grey DeLisle Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On September 27, ...
voices Padmé in the series.


See also

* Skywalker family


Notes


References


Citations


Works cited

*


Further reading

* Biggar, Trisha. ''Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars''. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2005. . * *


External links


Padmé Amidala
in the ''StarWars.com'' Databank {{DEFAULTSORT:Amidala, Padme Characters created by George Lucas Star Wars comics characters Star Wars literary characters Star Wars Skywalker Saga characters Star Wars: The Clone Wars characters Film characters introduced in 1999 Fictional queens Fictional senators Teenage characters in film Teenage characters in television