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Padmé Amidala is a fictional character in George Lucas' science fiction saga Star Wars. She first appeared on film in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) as the young queen of the planet Naboo. In subsequent prequel trilogy films, Padmé represents Naboo in the Galactic Senate. She is featured in the animated miniseries Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003–2005) and in Star Wars literature. Padmé is the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker and mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa.Born in a mountain village on Naboo 46 years before the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Padmé Naberrie is known successively by her Name of State as Queen Amidala and Senator Amidala. She is a key politician in the Galactic Republic who holds to the principles of democracy and rule of law.Initial drafts of Star Wars written by Lucas in the 1970s do not explain the role which the mother of Luke and Leia plays in the saga. Vague references are made to her in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), but the character was not fully realized until the prequel trilogy of films that debuted between 1999 and 2005. Padmé Amidala was portrayed by actress Natalie Portman in the trilogy, and an elaborate wardrobe was tailored for the character by costume designer Trisha Biggar.The mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa is first alluded to in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi, but she is not named. While in the Ewok village on the forest moon of Endor, Luke (Mark Hamill) informs Leia (Carrie Fisher) that she is his sister and that the Sith Lord Darth Vader is their father. When asked if she remembers her "real mother," Leia says that she recalls "images" and "feelings" of her. Leia explains, "She died when I was very young. ... Kind ... but sad." Luke confesses that he has no memories of her and the discussion ends as he leaves the village to confront Vader.Padmé Amidala makes her first appearance in 1999 prequel The Phantom Menace, set 32 years before A New Hope. Padmé is introduced as the 14-year-old democratically elected Queen of Naboo, dedicated to ending the planet's occupation by the Trade Federation. She attempts to deal directly with Federation viceroy Nute Gunray (Silas Carson), but he tries to have her assassinated. Padmé escapes with the help of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), but they are forced to land on the desert planet of Tatooine. Padmé — disguised as a handmaiden — meets nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) and his mother Shmi (Pernilla August). She witnesses Anakin win his first pod race at the Boonta Eve Classic and secure his freedom. Padmé Amidala's first film appearance in the 1999 prequel The Phantom MenaceArriving on Coruscant, Padmé consults with Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who encourages her to appeal to the Senate to resolve Naboo's dispute with the Trade Federation. He persuades her to make a motion in the Senate to have Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum (Terence Stamp) removed from office; Palpatine is elected in his place. She is unaware that Palpatine is a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious who is manipulating the Trade Federation in order to take control of the Republic. Padmé returns to Naboo and defeats the Trade Federation's droid army in battle with the help of the Gungan army and Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan.Padmé Amidala makes her second film appearance in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), set a decade after The Phantom Menace. She represents Naboo in the Galactic Senate and leads a faction opposed to the Military Creation Act, which would create an army of clones for the Republic. While the galaxy is threatened by a growing Separatist movement, Padmé is a target for assassins hired by the Trade Federation. Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) — now Obi-Wan Kenobi's padawan — is assigned to protect her. 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 horrific vision of his mother in danger, Padmé accompanies him to Tatooine in a failed attempt to rescue her from a band of Tusken Raiders. Anakin returns with his mother's body, and tearfully confesses to Padmé that he slaughtered the entire tribe. Padmé is troubled by what he has done, but forgives him.They receive a message from Obi-Wan, who has been kidnapped by Separatist leader Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) on the planet Geonosis. Padmé and Anakin rush to his aid only to be captured themselves and condemned to death in a Geonosian coliseum. They declare their love to each other and are saved at the last minute by Jedi Masters Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Yoda (Frank Oz), who lead an army of Jedi and clone troopers. This battle marks the opening salvo of the Clone Wars. Afterward, Padmé and Anakin are married in a secret ceremony on Naboo witnessed by the droids R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels).Padmé Amidala makes her final appearance on film in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), set three years after the events of Attack of the Clones. After Anakin returns from a battle, she informs him that she is pregnant. Padmé watches with increasing suspicion as Palpatine becomes a dictator, using the Clone Wars to amass vast emergency powers and gain control over the Senate and judiciary. Padmé later witnesses Palpatine declare martial law, transforming the Republic into the Galactic Empire and naming himself Emperor. As the Senate cheers for Palpatine, she tells herself, "So this is how liberty dies: With thunderous applause."Meanwhile, Padmé detects changes in Anakin after he has dreams about her dying in childbirth. Although she is dismissive of his visions, Anakin's fear for her leads to his conversion to the dark side of the Force and transformation into Darth Vader; Palpatine corrupts Anakin by promising him the power to prevent Padmé's death. After Palpatine seizes absolute power, Obi-Wan informs her that Anakin has become a Sith and killed everyone in the Jedi Temple, including the children. She refuses to believe him, but travels to the volcanic planet Mustafar with Obi-Wan stowed on board her ship to learn if Anakin has indeed turned to the dark side. She confronts him, and begs him to flee Palpatine's grasp with her. However, Anakin is mad with power and refuses, instead saying that he plans to overthrow and kill his master so they can rule the galaxy together. A horrified Padmé draws back, realizing that Anakin has indeed changed and helped Palpatine destroy the Republic. Just then, Obi-Wan emerges from the ship. Anakin accuses her of betraying him, and uses the dark side to choke her into unconsciousness.After Obi-Wan defeats Anakin in the ensuing lightsaber duel, he brings Padmé to Polis Massa, a secret asteroid base. Despite the efforts of medical droids, Padmé dies after giving birth to twins Luke and Leia, having lost the will to live. Her final words are, "There's good in him. I know ... I know there's still ...."Padmé's body is returned to Naboo and given an elaborate funeral ceremony. The twins are hidden from the Emperor and their father; Luke is brought to Tatooine to be raised by Anakin's stepfamily, Owen and Beru Lars (Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Maree Piesse), and Leia is adopted by Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) of Alderaan and raised as a princess.Some scenes featuring Padmé Amidala were deleted from the prequel films. In Attack of the Clones, 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. In Revenge of the Sith, Padmé is seen as a dissenter in Palpatine's government during the Clone Wars and a constituting member of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, later known as the Rebel Alliance, along with senators Bail Organa, Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), and others.Padmé's background prior to her appearance in the prequel films is revealed in Star Wars novels and comics. In Terry Moore's comic "A Summer's Dream" printed in Star Wars Tales 5 (2000) and set a year before the events of The Phantom Menace, Padmé is the Princess of Theed, Naboo's capital city. A young man named Ian Lago falls in love with Padmé, but she places her duty to the people over her personal happiness and rejects him. Lago is the son of an advisor to King Veruna, the reigning monarch of Naboo.In the novel Cloak of Deception (2001) by James Luceno, King Veruna is forced to abdicate the throne following accusations of corruption. Padmé is elected Queen of Naboo and contacts Palpatine to inform him that Veruna had been mysteriously killed. She and Palpatine discuss the events that lead to the Trade Federation blockade of Naboo. She admits to him, "Naboo can scarcely afford to become embroiled in a dispute that pits the Republic against the Trade Federation."Star Wars literature focuses on Padmé's career as ruling monarch of Naboo. The young adult novel Star Wars Episode I Journal: Queen Amidala (1999) by Jude Watson focuses on Padmé Amidala's early career as queen and narrow escape from the Trade Federation.Another book, The Queen's Amulet (1999) by Julianne Balmain narrates the close friendship between Amidala and her handmaiden Sabé immediately before the events of The Phantom Menace.Erik Tiemens's comic "The Artist of Naboo" details the story of a young, unnamed artist on Naboo who becomes captivated by Padmé's beauty. The artist features her in a series of paintings and later risks his life to save her. The comic was printed in Star Wars: Visionaries (2005) by Dark Horse Comics.Padmé's role in the Delegation of 2000 — the senatorial resistance movement to Palpatine's growing absolutism — is discussed in James Luceno's Labyrinth of Evil (2005). The Delegation of 2000 is primarily concerned with Palpatine's calls for public surveillance and restrictions on freedom of movement and action. Still, Padmé is confident that Palpatine will relinquish his power when the crises is over: "He's not stubborn," she tells Bail Organa. "You just don't know him as I do. He'll take our concerns to heart."The novelizations of the Star Wars prequel films introduced material about Padmé Amidala that was not included in the films. Terry Brooks' Phantom Menace (1999) includes a discussion between Qui-Gonn Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Qui-Gonn describes the Queen of Naboo as "something of an unknown" before the Trade Federation blockade.In the Attack of the Clones (2002) adaptation by R. A. Salvatore, there is a detailed conversation between Padmé and her sister Sola Naberrie shortly after Queen Jamillia appoints her senator. Sola chides her for ignoring her personal life: "What about Padmé Amidala? Have you even thought about what might make your life better?" Matthew Stover's Revenge of the Sith (2005) elaborates upon Padmé's role in the formation of the Rebel Alliance. Stover narrates Darth Vader's reaction to the death of his wife: Vader thinks to himself, "You killed her because, finally, when you could have saved her, when you could have gone away with her, when you could have been thinking about her, you were thinking about yourself ..."Padmé appears in novels and comics set after the events of the original trilogy as holograms and flashbacks. In Troy Denning's The Joiner King (2005), book one of the Dark Nest Trilogy and set 35 years after the events of A New Hope, Luke Skywalker discovers a 54-year-old hologram recorded by R2-D2. The image is of Anakin Skywalker informing Padmé of his vision of her death in childbirth. This is the first time Luke sees his mother.Another hologram discovered in R2-D2 chronicles a conversation between Padmé and Obi-Wan. Luke and Leia hear their mother's name for the first time and it "shot an electric bolt of excitement through" them.In the final novel of the trilogy, The Swarm War, Luke and Leia see their mother's death and their own births.