By now, listening to people’s complains and laughs over Anakin’s speech on sand and theStar Warsprequel trilogy have basically become as big a part of the experience as the lightsabre fights. Sure, there is plenty wrong with the movies, but there’s also plenty right, like a darker story allowed for a tragic tale of hubris and corruption that challenged our views of the Jedi we considered to be heroes. The movies also have us Padmé Amidala, a character who began as a badass queen inThe Phantom Menace, but was sadly side-lined for the rest of the trilogy until she stupidly died of a literal heartbreak.
But just a couple of years afterRevenge of the Sith,Dave FiloniandGeorge Lucasgave us the gift ofThe Clone Wars. The show filled in the gaps betweenAttack of the ClonesandRevenge of the Sith, finally giving us a close look at the war that divided the galaxy and led the way to the rise of the Galactic Empire and the destruction of the Jedi.The Clone Warsmanaged to make the reality of war feel real like no other live-actionStar Warsmovie did, as well as making us care for the clone that made up the Grand Army of the Republic. Not only that, but the show also improved upon and fleshed out characters we already knew from the movies, including turning Padmé from the damsel in distress that died from a broken heart into a badass politician that took matters into her own hands and served as an inspiration to a generation of rebels.
A Queen From Naboo
When we first meet Queen Amidala, she’s a smart and self-confident leader who is often underestimated by her enemies due to her young age. DuringThe Phantom Menace, Padmé manages to unite the human and gungan peoples of Naboo to fight together against the Trade Federation’s invading army. Sure, she’s also manipulated by Palpatine into helping make him the Supreme Chancellor, but in theStar Warsuniverse, who can resist old Sheev Palpatine’s charm?
But while the rest of the movies have her sit out most of the conflict in favor to being courted by a creepy Anakin Skywalker and then ignoring his fall to the dark side,The Clone Warsdoubles down on her political skills. The series shows us why the public asked Padmé to stay as Queen for two terms before immediately jumping to the Senate floor, by having her go toe to toe to warmongering senators who wanted to put the Republic through financial ruin in order to extend the war effort. Indeed, at a time where more and more clones were produced, and people were willing to exchange liberties for a false sense of security, Padmé advocated for a peaceful end to the war, becoming a beacon of morality amid a corrupt Senate.
Likewise, when the esteemed Senator Bail Organa is unable to deliver a speech to the Senate to stop the deregulation of banks to purchase more clones, Padmé disregards her personal safety to deliver a passionate speech in front of the full Senate. Like she does throughoutThe Clone Wars, Padmé argues on behalf of the common people, putting the focus of the debate on how the war affects average citizens that other Senators usually ignore.
The Clone Wars,by nature of doubling down on the minutiae of the titular war, spends a lot of time on planets and systems that are either about to fall to the Separatists, or debating which side to take in the war. Therefore, a lot more time is spent on the politics and the diplomacy of waging a war than the movies ever showed. Through this, we see Padmé become a key figure in convincing star systems to remain with the Republic, serving as the diplomatic representative of the Republic in many conflicts, including the Mon Calamari/Quarren civil war on Dac and helping end the conflict.
A Rebel Leader
Whether it’s rejecting bills that would give Palpatine more power, or defending Ahsoka during an unfair trial, Padmé Amidala is a constant thorn on the side of one Sheev Palpatine. You’d assume that the Jedi would be the biggest threat to Palpatine and the Sith’s Grand Plan, due to millennia of war between the two factions. But while the movies and the animated series show us that the Jedi were completely blind to the conspiracy at hand. Padmé has quick to speak out against misuses of power and what she saw as betrayals of the ideals of democracy.
Rememberthat deleted scenefromRevenge of the Sithwhere we see Padmé and a group of Senators begin a faction within the Senate that would oppose Palpatine, basically igniting the flame that would light the Rebellion?The Clone Warstakes that a step further by showing Padmé repeatedly question the motives of Chancellor Palpatine and the Senate, to the point where she starts to believe that the corruption in the Senate has tainted the Republic, turning it away from the paragon of democracy it was meant to be.
One of the best episodes of the entire show happens in the third season. “Heroes on Both Sides” has Senator Amidala infiltrate a Separatist planet to reach a political opponent to try and pursuit peace. When Anakin tries to explain the war to Ahsoka by saying the Separatists are simply evil and the Republic needs to restore order by any means necessary, Padmé interrupts and says that war is more complicated, later telling Ahsoka that she was close with many of the senators who left the Republic and still thinks of them fondly. Through Padmé’s respectful treatment of what should be her enemy,The Clone Warsdoes a better job conveying just how pointless the whole war was, as both sides were just manipulated into sacrificing countless lives to allow Palpatine to rise to power.
Padmé even finds herself agreeing with neutral or even opposing politicians when it comes to the meaning of the war, which puts her in conflict with more conservative Senators. During “Heroes on Both Sides,” she talks about the complicated nature of the war, and how it is not as black and white as the Jedi believe.
She is at times seen in the company of a young Mon Mothma, who expresses admiration for Senator Amidala’s passionate speeches, which eventually leads to get playing a pivotal role in the Rebellion.
An Intrepid Warrior
Of course, likeAttack of the Clonesshowed us, Padmé isn’t only good with words, but with a blaster. Whether it’s by freeing herself in the arena of Geonosis before either Anakin or Obi-Wan, or by leading a battle on her home planet, Senator Amidala has proven herself in battle.The Clone Warssees Padmé on missions as dangerous as any Jedi, and she goes at them without hesitation.
Because of her political ideologies, Padmé is often on the crosshairs of assassins and bounty hunters, like when Aurra Sing tries to assassinate Padmé during a conference on Alderaan. While Ahsoka tries to set a trap to protect the Senator, Padmé ends up being the one to subdue her would-be assassin all by herself. Likewise, after several Senators are attacked and threatened not to talk against the purchase of additional clones, Padmé decides to go ahead with her plan to address the Senate. One evening, bounty hunters Robonino and Chata Hyoki attack Padmé, but she ends up fighting them both off. Even outside of self-defense, Padmé Amidala is more than willing to take up arms and lead a fight. While on a diplomatic visit to Mandalore, Padmé and Duchess Satine investigate the black market of Mandalore and the poisoning of school kids. Once they discover the warehouse where the smuggled goods are being hidden, Satine’s personal guards and a captain start fighting the smugglers. But when the captain gets injured, Padmé instantly takes over command leads the remaining guards by heading straight to the warehouse and taking down the smugglers.
Indeed, if there’s one thingThe Clone Warsdoes, is remind you that Leia Organa is definitely Padmé’s daughter. Like Leia, Padmé was a leader capable of changing minds and rallying people. Both were also akilled enough with a blaster and completely fearless when it came to doing the right thing, no matter the consequences. While Luke and Han stood and discussed the best way to escape the Death Star, Leia was already up and shooting Stormtroopers. Where the vast majority of Senators were reaping the rewards of their corruption and greet, Padmé was out there, leading investigations, preventing civil wars, fighting off assassins, and involving herself in battles for the sake of democracy. IfThe Clone Warshelped give its titular conflict much needed context, and managed to turn Anakin into the tragic figure George Lucas envisioned all those years ago, it also turned what on screen was just the mother of Luke and Leia into a fully-fledged hero that indirectly inspired rebels, and kickstarted a resistance.
