Padmé Amidala

"I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee!"

- Padmé Amidala

Padmé Amidala (born Padmé Naberrie) is a fictional character and the secondary tritagonist of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. She is the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker, mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa and maternal grandmother of Ben Solo.

She is the tritagonist of The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, and one of the two tritagonists of Revenge of the Sith. She also appeared in the Clone Wars movie and series.

She was portrayed by who later portrayed Evey Hammond, and Jane Foster.

Early life
Born in a mountain village on Naboo 46 years before the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Padmé Naberrie became known successively by her Name of State as Princess Amidala of Theed, later becoming Queen Amidala of Naboo and Senator Amidala of the Galactic Republic, who adheres to the principles of democracy and rule of law.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
She makes her first film appearance in The Phantom Menace. She is introduced as the recently elected 14-year-old queen of Naboo, dedicated to ending the planet's occupation by the Trade Federation. She attempts to deal directly with Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray, who attempts to force her to sign a treaty which would legitimize the Trade Federation's occupation of Naboo. Padmé escapes from Naboo with the help of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, but they are forced to land on the desert planet of Tatooine. Disguised as a handmaiden, Padmé meets nine-year-old slave Anakin Skywalker and his mother Shmi Skywalker. Anakin gives her a hand-carved charm on a leather necklace. She witnesses Anakin win the Podrace at the Boonta Eve Classic that both aids her mission to Coruscant and secures his freedom.

Arriving on Coruscant, Padmé consults with Senator Palpatine, who encourages her to appeal to the Senate to resolve Naboo's dispute with the Trade Federation. Palpatine persuades her to make a motion in the Senate to have Supreme Chancellor Valorum removed from office, which later enables Palpatine to be elected in his place. (She is unaware that he is in fact the Sith lord Darth Sidious, and is responsible for the crisis.) Padmé returns to Naboo to fight for her planet's freedom, enlisting the aid of Jar Jar Binks's Gungan warriors and having the handmaiden Sabé pose as her. As Sabé attempts a peace deal between Naboo and the Gungans, Padmé intervenes and reveals her true identity. The Gungans agree to help and offer a diversion to lure the droid armies away from the palace. Once in the palace, Padmé's forces storm the throne room and capture the Viceroy, ending the trade blockade of Naboo once and for all. She attends Qui-Gon's funeral, he was killed by Darth Maul at the Hanger's complex chamber after Obi-Wan was seperated from the duel due to one of the laser shield gates leading to the chamber and has them presumably deactivate or remove them. A celebration is held to announce the unity between Naboo and the Gungans.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of The Clones
Padmé Amidala is the dueteragonist of the second film and makes her second film appearance in Attack of the Clones, which is set a decade later. Now holding office as Senator following her term as queen, she 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 Republic, which has been threatened by a growing Separatist movement. As she arrives on Coruscant to cast her vote, assassins hired by the Trade Federation make an unsuccessful attempt on her life. Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padawan Anakin Skywalker are assigned to protect Padmé. Chancellor Palpatine sends Padmé into hiding on Naboo, where she and Anakin struggle to maintain a platonic relationship despite their obvious mutual attraction. In a deleted scene, she introduces Anakin to her parents (Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie) and informs him of her charitable work with the Refugee Relief Movement, a galaxy-wide disaster relief and resettlement organization.

When Anakin has a vision of his mother in danger, Padmé accompanies him to Tatooine in a failed attempt to rescue Shmi from a band of Tusken Raiders. Anakin returns with Shmi's body and tearfully confesses to Padmé that he slaughtered the entire tribe in retribution of what they did. Padmé is troubled by what Anakin has done, but nevertheless comforts him. After they receive a message from Obi-Wan on the planet Geonosis, Padmé and Anakin rush to the Jedi Knight's aid, only to be captured themselves and condemned to death in a Geonosian coliseum by Separatist leader and Sith Lord Count Dooku. They declare their love to each other, and are saved at the last minute by Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Yoda leading an army of Jedi and clone troopers, thus marking the opening salvo of the Clone Wars. Afterwards, Padmé and Anakin are married in a secret ceremony on Naboo witnessed by the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of The Sith
Padmé Amidala is the tetartagonist and makes her third film appearance in Revenge of the Sith, which is set three years later. After Anakin returns from a battle, she informs him that she is pregnant. Padmé watches with increasing suspicion as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine turns into a dictator, using the Clone Wars to amass vast emergency powers and gain control over the Senate and judiciary. In another deleted scene, Padmé is seen as a dissenter in Palpatine's government and an early constituting member of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, joined by senators Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and Bana Breemu. Meanwhile, Padmé detects changes in Anakin after he begins having dreams about her dying in childbirth. Eventually, these fears lead to Anakin turning to the dark side of the Force and becoming Palpatine's Sith apprentice, Darth Vader.

As Palpatine declares martial law by transforming the Republic into the Galactic Empire, Padmé remarks to Organa: "So this is how liberty dies - with thunderous applause." After Palpatine names himself Emperor for life, Obi-Wan informs Padmé that her husband has turned to the dark side and killed everyone in the Jedi Temple. Refusing to believe this, Padmé travels to the volcanic planet Mustafar (with Obi-Wan stowing on board her ship). Padmé begs Vader to escape Palpatine's grasp and flee with her, but Vader insists that, together, they can overthrow Palpatine and rule the galaxy. Padmé recoils in horror, but still tries to persuade Vader to come back. When Obi-Wan emerges from her ship, Vader accuses Padmé of betrayal and uses the Force to choke her into unconsciousness but however she survives as Anakin could not crush her neck due to her immense resilience.

After Obi-Wan defeats Vader in a lightsaber duel, he brings Padmé to the secret asteroid base Polis Massa. Despite efforts of medical droids, Padmé dies after delivering twins, Luke and Leia, having lost the will to live due to a broken heart by how far Anakin has turned to the dark side.

Just prior to her death, Padme tells Obi-Wan she knows "there is still good" in Vader (something which his son Luke exploited later on to redeemed him).

After Padmé's body is altered to appear still pregnant she is given an elaborate funeral ceremony on Naboo. Thousands of mourners watched as her body passed through the streets of Theed. The japor snippet given to her by her husband rested in her folded hands as she was laid to rest. Her twins were later separated to be hidden from Vader and the Emperor's grasp: Leia is adopted by Senator Organa and his wife Queen Organa on Alderaan to be raised as a princess, while Luke is brought to Tatooine to be raised by Vader's step-family, Owen and Beru Lars.

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