Padmé Amidala is a major figure in the history of the Star Wars universe. She served as the Queen of the planet Naboo, later represented her world as a Senator in the Republic Senate, was the secret bride of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and the mother of his children Luke and Leia. She is portrayed by Natalie Portman throughout the Star Wars prequel trilogy and is voiced by Catherine Taber in The Clone Wars TV series.
Film History[]
Episode I - The Phantom Menace[]
Padmé Amidala served as the Queen of Naboo during the Trade Federation's blockade of the planet. She and a handful of her aides were rescued by Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi who escorted her to the Republic capital of Coruscant in order to make a case to the Galactic Senate. During the flight from Naboo, the royal star cruiser was damaged and was forced to set down on Tatooine for repairs. It is here that Padmé would meet her future love Anakin, who at this point was a mere slave boy working for the junk dealer Watto.
After being delivered to Coruscant, Queen Amidala made her case to the Republic Senate, but it seemed that Chancellor Vallorum was hesitant to take action. At the urging of the manipulative Senator Palpatine, the Queen called for a Vote Of No Confidence in the Chancellor's leadership. This vote was passed and paved the way for Palpatine to step up to the position of Chancellor.
Following the session in the Senate, Queen Amidala was taken back to Naboo and with the help of Jar Jar Binks and her two Jedi protectors, she pleaded to Boss Rugor Nass - leader of the Gungans - for help in driving the Trade Federation's droid armies off the planet. Nass offered up his army to engage the main droid forces while Padmé and a handful of officers snuck into the Naboo capital of Theed to capture Nute Gunray, the Viceroy of the Trade Federation. With the help of Anakin Skywalker - who had accidentally launched a starfighter and joined the Naboo fighter squadrons in orbit to destroy the droid control ship - the battle was won and the Federation's armies on the planet were defeated, Gunray was captured and Naboo was saved.
Episode II - Attack Of The Clones[]
Ten years after the Battle of Naboo, Padmé was representing Naboo in the Galactic Senate when the vengeful Nute Gunray - who had fallen in with Count Dooku's Seperatist movement - orchestrated her attempted assassination. The assassination was thwarted by Padmé's old Jedi friends Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker. Following this event, Anakin was appointed as Padmé's bodyguard when she returned home to Naboo. During their time together in Padmé's family home, Padmé and Anakin revealed their true feelings for one another, but knew that they could not pursue a relationship due to their respective duties.
One night, Anakin experienced a vision of his mother Shmi suffering and felt compelled to return to his homeworld Tatooine. Padmé followed Anakin back to his birthplace and tried to comfort him as best she could after Shmi's tragic death.
After Shmi's burial, Anakin and Padmé were contacted by Obi-Wan Kenobi who had discovered a Seperatist droid foundry on Geonosis. The transmission was interrupted as Obi-Wan was attacked and captured by battle droids and Padmé, forcing Anakin to disobey his master's orders, took her ship to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan. When they arrived at the droid factory, the two were attacked by Geonosian warriors and were almost killed after falling onto the droid assembly line. They narrowly escaped being crushed by the factory machinery only to be cornered by destroyer droids and taken prisoner.
Padmé and Anakin were chained up inside a Geonosian colusseum along with Obi-Wan where they were forced to fight for their lives unarmed against three monsters: a nexu, an acklay and a reek. Padmé was wounded by the nexu's claws, but she managed to stun the tender beast with a sharp kick to the neck. She and her two Jedi friends were saved by the timely arrival of Mace Windu and an army of Jedi, though they immediately found themselves in dire straits again as Count Dooku's droid forces marched into the arena. The Jedi would be reinforced by the arrival of a fleet of Republic cruisers carrying the new clone soldiers of the Republic Grand Army.
Following the Battle of Geonosis, Padmé and Anakin admitted their love for one another and married in secret on Naboo. The two knew they would be forced to live a lie by doing so but they refused to deny their feelings any longer, and so throughout the Clone Wars the two maintained a secret partnership.
Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith[]
During the final year of the Clone Wars, Padmé became pregnant (something that Anakin did not discover until near the birth time due to to being away from Coruscant for so long). After learning of the pregnancy, Anakin began having nightmares much like the ones he had about his mother before she died. In the dream, Padmé would die in childbirth, and Anakin dreaded that this dream would become real.
The dream did indeed come true and it was Anakin himself that made it come to pass. When Palpatine appointed himself as Emperor, he commanded Anakin - now known as Darth Vader - to wipe out his new master's former pawns on the Seperatist Council. Nute Gunray and the other Confederacy leaders had gone into hiding on the planet Mustafar and when Anakin went there he was followed by Padmé and his former mentor Obi-Wan. Padmé had heard from Obi-Wan that Anakin had turned to the dark side of the Force and had destroyed the Jedi Temple, and after catching up to him on Mustafar she begged him to come away with her to raise their child together in isolation. Anakin had other ideas and believed that he could overthrow Palpatine and rule the galaxy himself with Padmé at his side. Padmé realised that Anakin had truly turned to the dark side and it tore her apart inside, and when she refused to indulge his ideas of conquest, he grew angry and used the Force to strangle her.
Obi-Wan had accompanied Padmé to Mustafar and demanded that Anakin let her go. Anakin did release her, but the emotional impact of his assault had completely crushed Padmé's will to live. After Obi-Wan defeated Anakin and left him to die, he took Padmé to a medical facility on the asteroid Polis Massa. Padmé gave birth to two healthy twins - Luke and Leia - and just before she died, she told Obi-Wan that there was still good in Anakin.
After her passing, Padmé's body was taken back to Naboo and a public funeral was held.