#interactions: padmé naberrie amidala.

[virtuousouls]

@galaxydrcaming | any!

padme spun the tiny tornado around in her hand as she sat on the park bench. this and being able to create small gusts of wind were about as much as she could do with this new found power. it was surprising she could do anything at all. the former queen wondered if this was something to do with the force. it was inside of everyone, but not everyone had the talent to use it. she hadn't thought she had been one of those people. but padme supposed she had never thought to try. noticing the other close to her, the tornado stopped and padme looked up at them. "i'm not sure any of us will understand this place," she jested, referencing the many strange things that happened to residents of the city.

[chiliconsharls]

“Triangles are the strongest shape there is. Any weight placed on them is evenly distributed on all 3 sides. They represent geometric sturdiness; no matter how much weight you put on any side, it will not break.” With this science fact in mind,

let’s talk about ObiAniDala

(a ship manifesto brought to you by the joined forces of my silly brain and my much smarter besties at the discord server)

Also known as “Prequel Trio”, this is the triad ship for Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala (Naberrie), our main protagonist characters of the Star Wars prequel films (Episode I, II and III) as well as the subsequent shows, comics, and novels.

Most of the basis for this ship is centered around their interactions and established dynamics within the films canon more than any other piece of media but fans do not neglect the rest, as it also expands on their relationship. It also presents, as most polyam-oriented ships, a solution to fandom phenomenon known as shipping wars, in this instance mostly between the Obikin (Obi-Wan/Anakin) and Anidala (Anakin/Padmé) fans.

Obianidala is, as of January 2023, the second most written trio relationship in the Star Wars fandom on Archive of Our Own, with 536 works on their tag. They’re only topped by the sequels trio, Poe/Finn/Rey, who have over one thousand works.

Their nature of being the protagonist characters in two of the three films of the prequel trilogy is enough to warrant some people would’ve shipped them, but the special interest fans have in them has to do with the fact that they are intrinsically connected, even if only by proximity (in Obi-Wan and Padmé’s case). Anakin is the protagonist -turned antagonist-; Padmé is his love interest; Obi-Wan is his mentor/brother/best friend figure. Each of them have a loud presence in each other’s lives and thus, the importance of the others in each of their stories is pivotal.

What’s established in canon?

While I’m not a firm believer that we, as a society, should be bound by the shackles of canon, I also understand sometimes knowing you’re not picturing things in your head feels very vindicating. It’s good to know creators are onto something you’re digging with your little fan goggles. And Obianidala is no exception to that.  

As I mentioned above, they’re all connected. Narratively speaking, Obi-Wan and Padmé pose two opposing forces for Anakin, even though some fans even see them as foils of each other (as they do with Obi-Wan and Anakin as well); yet it is evidently clear that he loves them both deeply and strongly, equally. They are the most important people in Anakin’s life.

In fact, Anakin’s personal view of Padmé and Obi-Wan as opposing roads for him to take and the amount of love he feels for them is something that contributes to his falling to the dark side, aided by Sidious latching on his weakness and exploiting this internal turmoil he has.

From Matthew Stover’s Revenge of the Sith novelization:

Now, this quote infuriates me for several reasons but mostly because people see it as an ‘end it all’ to arguments of how much more Anakin loved one or the other. Personally, I see it as Palpatine pushing Anakin to his already preconceived idea that he had to give one up (and a perfect showcase of his reluctance to do so, too). Anakin ultimately had to make a choice, yes, but saying he loved one more than the other based on that is very debatable.

Throughout the films it is established that Anakin gravitates around them both, but the novels take a very special dive into this, often highlighting how Anakin’s mind seems to have Padmé and Obi-Wan as a single unit:

(From the RoTS novelization)

(Both from Wild Space by Karen Miller)

(I’m personally insane about that last one because sure, that’s a TOTALLY normal thing to think about. ‘I wish me and MY WIFE would make my BEST FRIEND be less alone��. Anakin Skywalker, I know what you are)

As for Obi-Wan and Padmé, the same thing goes, albeit in a more reserved and collected way – as it is their nature. While Anakin is constantly struggling with how much he loves the both of them and how he suffers because he eventually will have to make a choice, Obi-Wan and Padmé are at peace with their affection/love for Anakin AND the presence of the other in his/their lives.

In fact, they also care and deeply trust each other as well.

Padmé is the one who decides to go to Obi-Wan’s rescue in Attack of the Clones, and she also suggests they could trust him to help them with the whole pregnancy ordeal.

Then, there’s also this from the RoTS novelization:

Which even goes on to suggest Padmé might’ve even trust Obi-Wan more than she did Anakin. 

She accepts, willfully and unreservedly that they both love Anakin and therefore will always be present in each other’s life. And she spares some affection, warmth, and yes, perhaps even some love for him, too: 

Obi-Wan, the super-ego character of the trio, also cares for them very deeply, even past his otherwise private and reserved nature. It’s established in an episode of Clone Wars (7x02) - as well as a deleted scene from RoTS- that Obi-Wan is aware that Anakin has a relationship with Padmé and has been for quite some time yet he never tells the Council about it and he only ever tries once to talk to Anakin about it, trying to remind him that attachments are forbidden for the Jedi. Yet, Obi-Wan doesn’t press on this because he himself is attached and Anakin’s happiness is more important to him than Jedi rules. (Ok, maybe I’m interpreting it but, it’s true, I’ll show you). 

Snippet from the RoTS novelization because the screenshot was gonna be too big:

"Senator-Padme. Please." He gazed into her eyes with nothing on his face but compassion and fatigued anxiety. "I am not blind, Padme. Though I have tried to be, for Anakin's sake. And for yours." "What do you mean?" "Neither of you is very good at hiding feelings, either." "Obi-Wan-" "Anakin has loved you since the day you met, in that horrible junk shop on Tatooine. He's never even tried to hide it, though we do not speak of it. We... pretend that I don't know. And I was happy to, because it made him happy. You made him happy when nothing else ever truly could." He sighed, his brows drawing together. "And you, Padme, skilled as you are on the Senate floor, cannot hide the light that comes to your eyes when anyone so much as mentions his name."

From Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View: 

What I find interesting in this quote is the fact that Padmé is paired with Obi-Wan’s canonical love interest and the other two characters Obi-Wan has a more canonically familial bond with. So, yes, I do have the receips when I say Obi-Wan loved Padmé as well as he did Anakin.

This is from the RoTS screenplay, and it’s also RoTS canon, it just didn’t make it into the final cut but it’s very important to point it out because while here it’s explicitly said, in the film it’s implied, so it still counts: 

“I know you both too well” // “We’re all friends, I care about both of you”... Obi-Wan Kenobi, I SEE you. And so does Padmé: 

(I’m adding this one simply because it’s very inch-resting to me that both Anakin and Padmé seem to be very concerned with Obi-Wan’s loneliness... THAT’s suspicious) 

Even going to present content, the Obi-Wan Kenobi show very clearly establishes that Obi-Wan is mourning both Anakin and Padmé as they were the closest people to him in their last days. 

He sees Padmé in Leia (”Nothing, you just reminded me of someone” -1x02- “When I look at Luma, all I see is her mother’s face” -1x03-) and he finds a new life purpose in looking after Luke simply because he’s Anakin’s son (”To keep watch over Anakin's son-" Obi-Wan sighed, finally allowing his face to register a suggestion of his old gentle smile. "I can't imagine a better way to spend the rest of my life." -RoTS novelization-). 

It’s also very evident how much he loved and how high he regarded Padmé and Anakin when he’s listing the qualities of them that he finds in Leia: 

“Both were exceptional people who bore an exceptional daughter.” (From Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV series) – 1×06)

What about them from a meta point of view?

Now that we talked briefly (and I do say briefly because I could’ve gone even deeper with the canon stuff), let’s dive into this ship from a meta lens. What’s the REAL juice in this one true threesome? 

Well, we talked about this in the Obianidala discord server a few days ago, prompted by me asking why they shipped the trio, mostly because I couldn’t believe no one had written a ship manifesto yet, and as acting CEO of this OT3 I felt it needed to be done.

Here’s the masterpost of all their valid and incredible answers:

Pluto: Poly. I’m biased bc im poly, but like, I love poly ships

Saathi (@saathi1013): The balance among the three of them! How each pairing has its own dynamic but the whole is so much more than the sum of its parts! It's because it feels like any of the other pairings are incomplete and/or unstable comparatively? They're def enjoyable and I throw no shade to ardent supporters of the sub-pairings, but in MY head:

-Padme/Anakin are the impetuousness of youth, passionate but not grounded;

-Anakin/Obi-Wan carries the tension Anakin feels about the Order (and the War), lacking the outside perspective Padme brings;

and any way I slice it, Padme/Obi-Wan are either clinging together out of grief post ROTS or I have to mentally rewrite AOTC so she & Obi-Wan get together instead of Padme/Anakin, which might either precipitate Anakin's fall OR they end up like Obi/Satine so however I slice it, it's kind of heartbreaking.

Bere (@bereweillschmidt): Because they complement each other and are a perfect balance in their relationships. Both O and P are perfect pillars for Anakin. Also they’re all beautiful af

Ash (@cypanache): Okay so I’m coming at this from the perspective of an obidala shipper first but here’s my view on them.

Both Obi-Wan and Padme’s relationship with Anakin is flawed and doomed to fail on its own. Not just for the fact that the act of trying to love both of them separately tears Anakin apart because he simply doesn’t know how to love in moderation and the resulting sense of being forced to choose us what contributes to his descent. But also for the fact each only speaks to one half of Anakin and it’s weakness is the other relationships strength

For Obi-Wan his ability to set boundaries to hold Anakin to a standard of expected behavior Padme has never been able to maintain.

For Padme her ability to make Anakin feel unconditionally loved in a way Obi-Wan has never been able to get him to believe

At the same time I truly believe Obi-Wan and Padme’s relationship that love is the missing piece of what they all need. And the lack of it is why they all fall apart

Obi-Wan’s respect for Padme and his willingness to challenge her is what would give her the strength to hold her own in a relationship with Anakin without losing her sense of self

Padme’s caring.  Her compassion and heart and her passion is what would pull Obi-Wan out of his rigid ‘perfect Jedi’ persona and allow him to feel free to love and be loved he couldn’t do with just Anakin alone because of their history and the tempestuous nature of their relationship.

You need all three pieces for them to work.

Loki (@chaoticdumbassrogue): Polyamory for the win

Jeka (@darlingamidala): There are countless reasons why I ship these three characters together. I don’t feel like I need to go into the reasons anidala, obikin, and obidala are all fantastic pairings on their own, and it goes without saying that they all have chemistry with each other. So instead, I’ll focus on why I love them so much more as a polyamorous triad.

A large part of it is the way they balance and complement each other. Any two of them have the potential to bring out the worst in a each other, but when you put the three of them together, they bring out the best in each other. They balance each other in ways that allow their relationship as a triad to be greater than the sum of its parts.

Anakin and Padme are rather hopeless romantics, and they can get swept up in their relationship to the point where it almost becomes an escapist fantasy. Obi-wan is more practical and pragmatic, he keeps them grounded in reality, which is important for maintaining a healthy relationship in the long term.

Anakin and Obi-wan have such a complicated relationship, where they know each other on an incredibly intimate level and yet also struggle to see eye to eye. And Padme I think understands them both where they fail to understand each other. She helps them fill that gap and communicate their feelings when they don’t know how.

Padme and Obi-wan are deeply dedicated to their duties and responsibilities, often to the detriment of their personal lives. Both of them would feel like pursuing a romantic relationship would be a neglect of their duties. But Anakin is passionate and stubborn and devoted, and he pushes them not to neglect their own happiness.

There’s so much history between the three of them, their fates are woven together from beginning to end. They’ve been through a lot together, and they care about each other so much. They trust each other so much, and they love each other so much. Even when everything falls apart in Revenge of the Sith, and they’ve all broken each other’s hearts and can no longer trust one another, there is still a deep love between the three of them that can never be broken.

Jui (@nicolos): Like yes balance, and their delicious delicious dynamics, but also I got into OAD first bc I kept getting annoyed at one or other character being fridged or vilified in fics. Which is a fandom answer not a canon one, but it did get me thinking about it

Leo (@anakinkshamer):  I ship OAD bc it’s hot, I love polyamory, and the ✨chemistry✨

Vic @//vesper29: 1. Anakin is the chosen one. Very powderful. Fight of the immediate people he loves (padme and obi). 2. Because Obiwan and Padme if you look into their personalities and life purpose, they are cut out of the same paper. And to balance the raw force nature of Anakin, we will need both Obiwan and Padme. One show him way of life (career, life goal); the other love, family.

Joey (@alabama-metal-man​): it's all about how they dull each other's harsh edges, and temper their more more bullish traits, while also honing their strengths and hearts, thus creating this incredible balance. 

In summary, they balance each other, just like the triangle is meant to spread all stress equally to make up for the strongest of supports. In a perfect world, them together would’ve saved the entire galaxy from a lot of troubles.

So, if you’ve made it this far, I hope we got you at least quirking an eyebrow at the way Anakin stares intensenly into both Padmé and Obi-Wan, or Obi-Wan’s ridiculous use of plurals all the time, or how obvious Padmé is that even Yoda can tell:

[regaldiplomat]

# regaldiplomat : an independent , mutually exclusive rp blog for padmé amidala naberrie of the star wars franchise . headcanon based & highly canon divergent . est . 2 january 2023 . penned by reed . rules beneath the cut . exclusive with @h1ghground & @jedibetrayed.

001. PORTRAYAL / ACTIVITY; Portrayals on this blog will vary! Any muse that has a book series will likely be book based rather than movie based. Muses are all completely up to my own interpretation and headcanons! This blog is also likely to be low activity as it is not my main blog, but I’m excited either way!

002. REPLIES; I’m usually good at replying, but sometimes ( most of the time ) I’m very slow and I’m very sorry about that. If I don’t reply for a while, you can totally feel free to let me know if you want me to reply and I’ll see what I can do!

003. SHIPS; I ship based on chemistry and am open to most things. Please don’t try to force any ships.

004. NSFW; Mun is of age, though I’m typically not comfortable with NSFW threads unless I’m writing with someone I feel comfortable with/have talked with out of character. Any NSFW threads or content will be tagged appropriately. Same goes for any triggering or mature content I may post. If there’s ANYTHING you need tagged that I am not currently tagging, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

005. EXCLUSIVITY / MAINS; I’m not really a fan of being exclusive to certain portrayals of characters. I really don’t like to limit my interactions in that way. That being said, do participate in mains. I really do love having a close connection with the people I write and create with.

006. ICONS; Any icons you see me using were made by me, so please don’t use or claim them as your own. PSD currently being used is an edited version of THIS ONE by venuscommissions! Icon border is the third border from THIS PACK by somresources!

007. FOLLOWING; Right off the bat, I’m just going to say, I might not be following back everyone who follows me. It’s nothing personal, I promise. I have previously had some not so great experiences in a few fandoms across the board, so I may be a bit hesitant to follow back any blogs within those fandoms. Again, it’s absolutely nothing personal and is for my own comfort, and I implore you to do the same! Also! I am duplicate friendly!

008. DRAMA; I do not and will not participate in drama of any kind. I’m old and tired and I’ve been around this neck of the woods far too long. I love some open communication and talking through our issues. Let’s all just be nice pls.

009. CONTACT; This isn’t a rule, but I have Discord and will give my user out to mutuals upon request! I’m also easily available through tumblr’s IM feature, and through my ask box. Please do understand that I can be a bit slow at replying to people at times. However, this isn’t because I don’t like you, or don’t want to talk to you! I’m just easily burnt out at times, and I don’t like to half ass plotting or conversation.

INTRODUCTION

Hi! My name is Reed, I am currently 25 years old and I reside in the CST timezone! I use she / her pronouns.Just a heads up, I am a particularly slow writer and likely won’t be posting many starter calls, so the best ways to interact with me will be plotting via IMs or discord, as well as sending memes! This blog is also 18+ and I will not be interacting with minors under any circumstances. Thank you for understanding! I am so looking forward to interacting with you all!

[hopeshreds-arc]

@univaersum​   //   senator skywalker.

many  years  had  passed  since  the  last  time  padmé  had  set  foot  on  her  home  planet  of  naboo,  but  she  knew  that  any  gratitude  that  she  felt  for  it  was  inappropriate  given  that  it  was  under  the  threat  of  anakin’s  life.   but  her  master  was  investigating  the  threat  &  it  was  unlikely  to  last  for  long. there  were  many,  many  worse  places  to  be  hidden  than  in  the  lake  country  of  naboo.   no  one  in  their  right  mind  would  think  to  look  for  the  tatooinian  senator  out  here.   it  was  peaceful  &  quiet.   beautiful.   she  missed  home  &  knew  that  she  shouldn’t,  knew  that  it  was  for  the  good  of  the  republic  that  want  took  the  back  seat.

“i  hope  this  place  is  up  to  your  standards,  senator,”  her  voice  was  light  &  teasing  as  she  spoke,  a  smile  nearly  threatening  to  give  away  her  expression.   the  sun  was  warm  but  not  too  hot,  sky  a  crystal  clear  blue  above  rolling  green  hills  as  far  as  one  could  see.   “no  one  should  find  us  out  here.”

[spell-cleaver]

Day 11: The Wrong Tomb

(Also Day 16: Love & Hate)

@angstober​

Luke wondered at what he felt. It was a peculiar lack of feeling. Absolutely… nothing.

He had not known this woman. He would never know this woman.

Senator Mothma, who’d told him gently about who she suspected his mother to be when he’d come back from Bespin so shaken, had said that Padmé Amidala Naberrie still had living relatives on Naboo. There were people to tell him about her, what she’d been like. To add some flesh to the bones of the stories Leia had told him, so his perception of his mother was more than just Aunt Beru’s shadow or a skeleton dancing on a string. If he wanted, he could approach them.

He didn’t want to. He’d be going back to the Alliance immediately after this visit. It was already impossible to stay too long—anyone he interacted with could have recognised him and reported him to the garrison. He might already have brought Vader down on his mother’s home planet. His mother’s family—in his head he couldn’t be rights call them his family—deserved better than to find a grandson only to lose him to war again.

But he had wanted to sit in front of his mother’s tomb for a little while, if he was in the Chommell sector already.

He sat on the bench in the public memorial gardens and closed his eyes. Reaching out helped nothing; there was no lingering presence of her, here. At least, not one he could recognise. Leia had mentioned before that she had been adopted, with only trace memories of her birth mother, but Luke didn’t even have that. Thousands of sensations, impressions, emotions pressed upon his consciousness when he sat there and felt the life of the garden thrum through him. But if any of them were the ghost of his mother, dead for twenty years, he would not have known.

After a trembling moment, he stood. Stepped forwards, under the canopy and the shine of the stained-glass windows. The Naboo sun wasn’t nearly as intense as Tatooine’s suns, but the red, blue, yellow light seemed to burn through his fatigues, through his skin, his bones, through to his blood and heart and DNA as he stood in the light of Queen Amidala’s image. The slash of lipstick on her lip, the red headdress, made it look like she was swimming in her own blood.

But when he looked back at the image of her carved on her tomb, exactly as she’d looked at her funeral, he was told, she was at peace in the water, gentle and drifting. The weather of twenty years had worn the grooves soft, but when he knocked his head against the flowers sticking out of her hair too hard, they still drew blood across his knuckles. He tilted his hand and let it drip out, let it latch onto her forehead, like that blood connection could somehow make the one they already shared any stronger.

He had wasted his time. His mother wasn’t here—only cold stone, cold glass, and cold bouquets of flowers, wilting untouched at her feet. If she was here, it was only the bones of her, walled away from him.

She was even more distant than his father, in his own cruel tomb. Trying to reach the legendary Senator Amidala was worse than trying to grasp the legends of Anakin Skywalker. Water, sand—both trickled through his fingers all the same.

But he still had so many questions.

How had they met? Had she known what he was? Had she known how far a hero like Anakin Skywalker had fallen, how it happened? Or had she died too soon, Luke stolen from her cooling body, and that had been the moment Anakin Skywalker had been lost?

Had his father even loved her at all?

There was only one person he could ask. But sitting here was easier: sitting and staring, answerless, at the stone cell that held his mother was easier than having to face the durasteel one that held his father.

“What happened?” he whispered. “How did he become a monster?”

Slowly, as if from a great distance, he noticed it began to rain. The patter of droplets on the stones behind him made his mind itch; even though he was under the canopy beside the tomb, water slipped down his cheeks.

“How could you have loved him?” he said, even more hoarsely. There was Death Star-sized lump in his throat. “Did you love me?”

No answers came. Only a serene, unchanging face—one that he despised for a few, intense seconds, even as he loved and adored this unknown, untainted parent for several more—and the chilly fall of rain. And Luke knew, in a deep-hearted way he couldn’t deny, that he was standing at the wrong tomb.

Trapped in darkness or not… he would have to get his answers from someone else.

[padme-amitabha]

Anidala Week 2021

 Day 1: Missing Scene or Favorite Scene(s)

Anakin Skywalker could not take his eyes off the girl. He noticed her the moment he entered Watto’s shop, even before Watto said anything, and he hadn’t been able to stop looking at her since. He barely heard what Watto said to him about watching the shop. He barely noticed the strange-looking creature that had come in with her and was poking around in the shelves and bins. Even after she noticed he was staring at her, he could not help himself. He moved now to an open space on the counter, hoisted himself up, and sat watching her while pretending to clean a transmitter cell. She was looking back at him now, embarrassment turning to curiosity. She was small and slender with long, braided brown hair, brown eyes, and a face he found so beautiful that he had nothing to which he could compare it. She was dressed in rough peasant’s clothing, but she seemed very self-possessed. She gave him an amused smile, and he felt himself melting in confusion and wonder. He took a deep breath. 

“Are you an angel?” he asked quietly. The girl stared. “What?” 

“An angel.” Anakin straightened a bit. “They live on the moons of Iego, I think. They are the most beautiful creatures in the universe. They are good and kind, and so pretty they make even the most hardened space pirates cry like small children.” 

She gave him a confused look. “I’ve never heard of angels,” she said. “You must be one of them,” Anakin insisted. “Maybe you just don’t know it.” “You’re a funny little boy.” The amused smile returned.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, looking upset and embarrassed. “I don’t fully understand, I guess. This is a strange world to me.” He studied her intently for a moment, thinking of other things, wanting to tell her of them. “You are a strange girl to me,” he said instead. He swung his legs out from the counter. “My name is Anakin Skywalker.” She brushed at her hair. “Padmé Naberrie.”

Both Anakin and Padmé were laughing now, and their laughter increased as they saw the look on the unfortunate creature’s long billed face. Anakin looked at Padmé and the girl at him. Their laughter died away. The girl reached up to touch her hair self-consciously, but she did not divert her gaze. “I’m going to marry you,” the boy said suddenly. There was a moment of silence, and she began laughing again, a sweet musical sound he didn’t mind at all. “I mean it,” he insisted. “You are an odd one,” she said, her laughter dying away. “Why do you say that?” He hesitated. ” I guess because it’s what I believe…” Her smile was dazzling. “Well, I’m afraid I can’t marry you..” She paused, searching her memory for his name. “Anakin,” he said. “Anakin.” She cocked her head. “You’re just a little boy.” His gaze was intense as he faced her. “I won’t always be…” he said quietly.”

— Terry Brooks, Star Wars : Episode I - The Phantom Menace

This is one of my favorite Anidala scenes ever because their story starts so sweetly. This scene is so unique to them and after watching the OT, it’s fascinating to see a young Darth Vader as a sweet and innocent child. His interactions as a slave boy with a young queen in disguise is also fits with the fairytale-ish tone and themes in Star Wars. Anakin and Padmé’s first meeting is just precious. 

This is probably the only time, Anakin and Padmé can be themselves without older figures telling them what to do. This is one of the few times Padmé is Padmé Naberrie - not Queen Amidala or Padmé Amidala. It’s interesting to see two young people from different social classes and vastly different cultures and worlds sharing a genuine moment of connection. 

I can add very little to this scene but Anakin proves he has enough clairvoyance (as Admiral Motti mocks him in ANH) to be certain he has met the girl he would marry someday. Even in TPM, little Anakin Skywalker is just as much a slave to Watto as he is to the Emperor in ANH. 

Even Padmé is somewhat surprised by his intensity at such an young age. Anakin also emphasizes on his identity as a person so this scene has dark undertones and references to Darth Vader.  

Another scene I love is the chilling visual parallels with Vader and Padmé in ROTS. The stark contrast between their “deaths” but also the similarities show that they are still connected even while their lives hang in balance. 

Padmé gives birth to life and Anakin loses his humanity. She is in a well-lit medical facility and he is in a cold, dark one. Even their heartbeats are in sync as if they are connected via the Force (which could very well be true, since she was slightly force-sensitive from carrying the twins). 

As the mask lowers on Vader, he whispers (since his vocal cords are badly burnt), “Padmé, help me” and Padmé, always on Anakin’s side, hears his plea and tries to tell that to Obi-Wan with her dying breath. It’s very likely that she heard him through the connection they shared like their connection during the ruminations scene and how Leia felt Luke in ESB and but she was unable to respond as she had given birth and probably lost the temporary force sensitivity. 

 As Anakin takes his first breath as Vader, Padmé takes her last. 

Vader rises like Frankenstein’s monster and Sidious marvels at his new “creation”. Padmé dies all in white, like the angel Anakin believed her to be. The parallels are also reminiscent of the “Death and the Maiden” motif.

Anakin has always felt connected to Padmé since he met her and this is the last time he feels their connection. And that’s how he knows Padmé is truly dead and he has lost her forever.  

Even the chorus “I am a Sith Lord but I could not save her” (even though the lyrics are actually Sanskrit) is haunting. This is where the colors of the republic fade and the black and white symbolism of the empire begins. 

Anakin is now Vader - more machine than man - and stands beside Sidious to assist him in building a tyrannical empire while Padmé dies and takes with her all the colors, love, laughter, cultural beauty, and freedom of the Republic era. Padmé was the personification of the Republic - a flawed but well-intended system and her death represents the democracy whereas Vader represents the Empire. 

Her funeral arrangement makes it seem like she’s drowning like Ophelia - implying that she’s returning to where she belongs. (Her planet Naboo is mostly associated with water and Padmé has often expressed her love for water and lakes in AOTC).

Padmé dying of a broken heart is also fits in with the fairytale whereas Anakin finds himself in a very different world after he wakes up - a world where most of the Jedi had been slaughtered and the survivors were declared traitors, a world where democracy doesn’t exist anymore. And he finds himself kept alive my machinery and he cannot die like his beloved, even if he wishes to. He is now very much a part of the new empire - with his humanity and limbs lost - and he gradually accepts his role as the imperial enforcer. 

Anakin and Padme’s story comes to a conclusion here as their reverse arcs are completed. They have both come a long way since TPM and Padme’s experiences mold her into becoming more emotional and in touch with her feelings from the stoic, reserved Queen Amidala whereas Anakin’s dreams, compassion and search for his identity are lost as he becomes his master’s servant and becomes colder and more stoic. Padmé’s journey was to become more human and learning to put love and family over duty and transition from Amidala to Padmé as Anakin’s unfortunately was to become more inhuman and machine-like, from Anakin to Vader. 

These scenes are where the prequel trilogy ends and the originals begin. 

[affcgato-archived]

fandomless // private security

modern alternate universe. Sabé is a highly skilled, highly trained private security consultant. Following the deah of a close friend, she's returned home from overseas to take private contracts while she works her connections to find out the truth of what happened regarding her friend's disappearance & death.

verse: → sabé of naboo // who am I without my armor (v.) verse status: open for interaction note: alternate plotting available for Padmé writers

Her parents wanted her to study music, to take to the road as musicians like themselves, but Tsabin had no love for music, strongly disliking everything that came with it.

When she was fourteen, she met someone who would change her life - Padmé Amidala Naberrie. The two girls became inseparable, with Tsabin even going as far as to take the name Sabé after her friend.

While Padmé dove into her passion for service, eventually going to college for political science & international relations, Sabé took all the same classes, & then some while balancing her academics with a strict regimen of martial arts & language training. They were inseparable right up until the other slipped off the radar under mysterious circumstances.

Working as private security, Sabé's job is to not only defend her clients to the best of her abilities, but to also act as additional counsel - using her keen understanding of the delicacies of negotiation & politics, as well as drawing on her significant language training, to defend a client's best interests.

All of this is a front - while working her high profile contracts, Sabé is gathering intel of her own & hopes to expose the truth about what really happened to her best friend.

[cherienaberrie]

Ahoj ! Welcome to my Indep. Selec. & Mutuals-Only RP/Ask blog for Queen Padmé Amidala Naberrie of the Star Wars franchise. Name's Vanya ( 23 , They/He , est ). I ask that you kindly read my rules before interacting, and I thank you in advance for doing so !

Minors DNI

About | Rules | Verses | Mobile Nav

[virtuousouls]

closed for @totouchthcstars​ | any in rivendell

padme had found a room with lots of scrolls and books. however, she could only understand the language in a select few of them. so far they had only been stories and poems. she had been hoping for maybe a history of this place, this world they were now in. padme’s head turned when she heard someone else enter the room and she gave a polite smile to them. “i wonder if you can understand this language?” she asked the other, gesturing to one of the scrolls. “it’s not one i’ve seen before.”

[hcndmaid-old]

incoming from anonymous :  I have been wondering, and I know you would know the best: does Sabé have romantic feelings for Padmé?

thank you so much for the anon, and i’m flattered you think so !??!! of course it’s always up to everyone’s individual interpretation, but i think canon material from QUEEN’S SHADOW and new VADER comics backs up my own portrayal that YES. padmé is sabé’s first and true love. i have written a small novel below but i can’t begin to do the reasons justice. a summery of below is : read queen’s shadow. women are multidimensional and romance is complicated. they are both happy. they are both vulnerable. this is allowed. so below - if you dare - are some very messy essie takes on why this is & why it’s never pursued :

PERSONALS. DO NOT. INTERACT. DO NOT. REBLOG. 

links to the quotes from the book are HERE , and HERE, if you don’t mind spoilers. i think it’s so deliberate that the language is so deeply romantic in an almost fairy tale sense of a noble character’s dedication to their one true love - it’s as if padmé is her soulmate, but sabé is not hers in return ( it’s very clearly anakin and there’s no problem in that being so ! ) i’m not bitter because there are so many reasons why these two could have but didn’t approach romance, and they are all very mature and complex reasons worthy of these two women’s fates. i could write a 5000 word essay on how deeply entwined the handmaiden and the queen are, but i conclude that sabé never acts on early romantic feelings because of the kind of person padmé is; she pours herself out to a world that doesn’t deserve it. the guilt padmé already feels at sending tsabin to her potential death even after their time as handmaidens is over, is immense. to approach padmé romantically would be demanding more of that heart that’s been just as traumatised by war as hers has (the movies & show downplay what the book doth not.) she won’t do it. there is a tragic sense that tsabin doesn’t feel?? worthy?? her identity is all over the place. 

 tsabin would feel so intensely guilty about taking any more love than padmé’s already given -  because they both know padmé could be the death of her and padmé tries to avoid it all the time, and sabé can’t put the guilt of killing her best friend AND her potential lover on a woman that’s trying to pull the galaxy out of the gutter. there’s also a lot to be said about their identities being so linked, their childhood together, the life in constant danger, the different lives they lead, etc,etc... sabé is content to stay close by her side, and as multidimensional female characters - they find their own lives!!  wow !! who knew women could do that !! they’ll never be apart... and when they finally, tragically are, tsabin dedicates every waking moment from the end of queen’s shadow through to meeting vader himself to find out what the hell killed padmé, because she’s calling bullshit on her just magically passing away in her youth. if that is not the behaviour of a woman who was in love with naberrie than idk what is.

i believe it was very deliberate on e.k johnson’s part not to shy away from romantic feelings from tsabin BECAUSE WE’RE TIRED OF STORIES WHERE A WOMAN LOVING A WOMAN SO DEEPLY IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. it’s a story of star crossed lovers, but it’s women. and it’s allowed. it’s valid. it’s deeply sad, but it’s beautiful and complicated. also note how i haven’t mentioned padmé’s romantic feelings? because tbh, i’m not sure if they’re there! this love should not take away from her romance with anakin or impact her friendship with sabé. neither should be villanized for favour of the other.that’s nasty behaviour and the last thing tsabin wants. i think she believes their affair to be reckless - but the world takes everything else from padmé. she wants her friend to be happy, to love and be free. that requires someone who doesn’t see the ‘queen amidala’ sabé knows so well. sabé is still guilty of seeing padme as an untouchable leader, the identity of amidala that haunts padmé her whole life. anakin sees a woman who he loves first and foremost. that’s beautiful, and i believe tsabin would see that and be so grateful to him for that. she has no idea he will be the death of her. she never learns it either.

when tsabin professes this love, it’s with captain tonra, who is her romantic partner in the novel and from then on. she has to be honest: there will always be someone whose life she will protect with her own, but that doesn’t mean the two women can’t exist in their delicate state of almost in love AND lead full and exciting lives of their own. that doesn’t mean she can’t develop as deep a love for captain tonra. IT’S LAYERED. IT’S COMPLICATED. LIKE REAL HEARTS ARE. tsabin in my portrayal must have this conversation with any serious lover ; they must understand her choice. if they don’t, they can scoot. they aren’t emotionally mature enough to handle it. if they are? they will see underneath that hard-as-nails calculating, cool and badass exterior, to find a gentle, vulnerable woman who’s job as a 14 year old was to put aside self importance and become a sacrifice. she is capable of love, and worthy of love.

one last thing - i would love to see a romance between two women written just as well and seen through to the end. i would love two women having a happy ending. it’s not this story, but it could be. me and one padmé ( the beloved @genitrice ) are working one out and nothing warms my heart more. in canon? it’s just not the time tbh. so yes, i think it’s very deliberately intended that sabé is/was/always will be in love with padmé - but it goes beyond romance. it’s the deepest love, untouchable, unconditional, and such a treasure to explore.

there’s so much more i could say but uuuuuh.... that’s all folks ! also im crying.

[politicalpadme]

PadMay is an annual event in celebration of our beloved former queen and senator of Naboo, Padmé Naberrie Amidala. There will be thirty one prompts, one for each day in the month of May.

Days 1-9: Symbolism

Days 10-16: Roles and Relationships

Days 17-27: The Phantom Menace (20th Anniversary!)

Days 28-31: Favorites and Formats

The full list of prompts is beneath the cut and crossposted to dreamwidth. You may answer as many, or as few, as you like and there is no specific format. Questions and prompts may be considered in universe or meta and answers may take the form of discussion, fiction, artwork, gifsets, vids, vlogs, whatever! It is also fine to post on a different day than that which corresponds with the number (if you miss one, or it is simply easier for you).

Please tag your posts #PadMay2019 and feel free to message me links. I cannot wait to see all your discussion, fiction, art, and creativity! If you have any questions, my ask box is open. 

PART ONE: SYMBOLISM 1. The Amidala Symbol or Naboo Royal Crest 2. The Scar of Remembrance 3. The traditional colored twin cheek-spots of “Balance” and “Symmetry” 4. The Living Force 5. Flower imagery and symbolism in relation to Padmé Amidala 6. Water imagery and symbolism in relation to Padmé Amidala 7. Moon imagery and symbolism in relation to Padmé Amidala 8. Numbers significant to the Naboo, for example 13 handmaidens for a monarch of Naboo required to be on duty at all times; 5 handmaidens to accompany the Queen whenever she travels 9. Padmé’s Wardrobe

PART TWO: ROLES AND RELATIONSHIPS

Bulleted lists are merely suggestions, you may answer the prompt however it suits you!

10. Family

Padmé as the baby of the family

Her parents move to Theed to give her more options, why didn’t they move when Sola was born?

Her mother wished for her to pursue music, why does Padmé choose politics?

What protections do Padmé’s parents, sister, and nieces have given that so many factions wish to harm her?

How is Padmé remembered by her family?

11. Monarchs

King Ars Vernua, monarch voted out in favor of Amidala

Queen Réillata, her immediate successor (and former opera singer), who asks Amidala to be Senator

Queen Jamillia, monarch when the war begins, thought to sympathize with Separatist ideologues

Queen Neyutnee, monarch during the Blue Shadow Virus crisis

Queen Apailana, monarch when the Republic and Amidala die

12. Handmaidens

handmaidens killed in the line of duty (Cordé, Versé, Duja, Teckla)

Saché, former handmaiden and later a mentee as a member of the Naboo planetary legislative assembly

Sabé, her decoy

13. Mentors

Sheev Palpatine

Onaconda Farr aka “Uncle Ono”

Silya Shessaun

Mina Bonteri

14. Mentees

Riyo Chuchi

Ahsoka Tano

15. Love Interests

Palo Jemabie

Ian Lago

Baron Rush Clovis, Senator of Scipio

Anakin Skywalker

16. Allies

Bail Organa

Satine Kryze

Obi-Wan Kenobi

PART THREE: THE PHANTOM MENACE

Bulleted lists are merely suggestions, you may answer the prompt however it suits you!

17. “I will not condone a course of action that will lead us to war.”

How does Padmé’s commitment to peace evolve?

Amidala is introduced with this line but the title and story as previously told require her conviction to waver and fail - how does this influence how we see her character?

In this moment Amidala considers war the worst possible outcome. Is it?

The actions taken in this film and those that follow do lead to war. What actions could she take that might alter that fate? Or was it always inevitable?

18. “We are brave, your highness.”

How is Padmé brave? What are examples of her bravery?

Why does Padmé choose to go with the Jedi to Coruscant?

Describe Padmé and Sabé and the other handmaidens learning to communicate without words.

How would remaining on Naboo change the story?

19. “Her Highness commands you to take her handmaiden with you.”

What are Padmé’s interests in/on Tatooine?

Describe Padmé requesting or commanding Panaka to present her to Qui-Gon.

Describe Padmé dressing as a peasant. Where does she get the outfit? Why arethese particular clothes chosen? Her hairstyle?

Discuss the power differentials between Padmé, Amidala, the Jedi, and her retinue of guards, pilots, and handmaidens.

20. “I can’t believe there is still slavery in the galaxy.”

Discuss the privilege inherent in this comment. How does it color Padmé’s interactions with the Skywalkers?

How/why does Padmé accept Qui-Gon’s decision to leave Shmi behind?

Discuss Padmé’s desires to do good and help individuals like Anakin, Shmi, and Jar Jar with her commitments to Naboo.

How would the story change if Padmé freed Shmi sometime between TPM and AotC as she wanted and planned to?

21. “Well, I don’t approve.”

Discuss Padmé’s impression of Qui Gon, whom she argues with on Tatooine and describes as arrogant and frustrating in various (EU) novels.

Padmé is initially against the pod-racing scheme. What is her thinking and how does it change?

What are her thoughts on Qui Gon using gambling to free Anakin? But not Shmi?

Presenting as a handmaiden, Padmé has far less power during the trip to Tatooine. How does this make her feel?

22. “If this body is not capable of action, I suggest new leadership is needed.”

Padmé is initially against the vote of No Confidence. What is her thinking and how does it change?

Discuss Palpatine’s manipulation of Amidala.

Would she make the same decision if she knew Palpatine would be nominated?

What are Padmé’s thoughts as she speaks before the senate? Immediately before and after?

23. “My fate will be no different from that of our people.”

When, how, and why does Padmé make the decision to return to Naboo?

Queen Amidala leaves fed up with politics, but as Senator she sticks up for democracy. How does her thinking evolve?

Padmé has a tendency to fling herself into danger. Where does it come from? Discuss this as a strength and a weakness.

The prequels are all about ‘fate’. How does it affect Padmé?

24. “I need your help.”

What does Padmé know of the Gungans before she meets one?

What motivates Amidala’s choice to ask Jar Jar and the gungans for help?

The Jedi, Anakin, and Jar Jar all help Padmé achieve her goals, for various reasons, how do these interactions influence her as Queen and later Senator versus as an individual person?

25. “I am Queen Amidala.”

Why does Padmé choose to reveal herself to Boss Nass?

How does Padmé realize she must swallow her pride to convince the gungans to help her?

26. “Well, that is why we must not fail to get to the Viceroy. Everything depends on it.”

Discuss Padmé learning strategy as preparation for being Queen.

Why is it important to Padmé the Viceroy is captured, not killed?

Amidala risks and loses many lives in this battle. How do they weigh on her?

27. “Now, Viceroy, we will discuss a new treaty.”

What would be Padmé’s ideal outcome from this point?

Discuss the antagonistic relationship between Padmé Amidala and Nute Gunray.

Padmé practices aggressive negotiations in this scene; how integral are they to her style?

PART FOUR: FAVORITES AND FORMATS

You are of course free to fill (or combine!) both prompts.

28. Your Favorite Quote said by or about Padmé Amidala or Create a game for the community to solve (puzzle, crossword, a ‘Where’s Waldo’ map, rebus, a game of logic, scavenger hunt, bingo card etc.)

29. Your Favorite costume worn by Padmé Amidala or Create a chart relating to Padmé Amidala (flowchart of her progress in politics, org chart of Naboo, family tree, Naboo censor data, Senate seating chart etc.)

30. Your Favorite Trope or AU involving Padmé Amidala or Create a collage inspired by Padmé Amidala

31. Your Favorite Song on the Official Star Wars Padmé Amidala Playlist or Create a playlist inspired by Padmé Amidala

Thank you and Enjoy!

[amidalas-rey]

QUEEN’S SHADOW

Just finished the book, and boy do I have Emotions! Reactions and random thoughts below. I no longer have any idea how to add a Read More cut on mobile so just scroll along really fast because Spoilers!

- The opening paragraph paralleling Padme’s death. I caught it without knowing anything about the Epilogue, that’s how vividly descriptive it was. Amazingly depressing.

- The lesbian handmaidens. Yes, they were fairly minor, but they were still so lovely and domestic.

- SAND

- Sabe and Padme’s subtle way of expressing affection at the beginning of the book. And then of course how eventually it’s explained. Their relationship is beautifully complex, and I don’t know that I would have it any other way.

- Padme thinking about Qui Gon made me Emo.

- Looking at the Jedi Temple and touching her necklace (probably anakin’s japor snippet) also made me Emo.

- PAPA FUERTE lol Always down for more Bail Organa. Padme disliking him at first was pretty funny.

- Johnston’s love for these characters is obvious in the small ways they interact, the obvious affection they all have for each other. How a little bit in love with Padme everyone is.

- Love how the Tatooine plot addresses a major flaw in Padme’s politics that fandom has harped on about for a long time now. It’s hard to try to add it in there as, canonically, Shmi does die and we don’t see Padme working towards this in the clone wars or the movies. So all in all, I thought having it in there was the best way to go about it.

- Subtle nods to the beginnings of the CIS in Padme’s interactions with Bonteri. Nice Dooku references, as I’m sure that’s the mystery guy Bonteri was associating with.

- Sabé flirting with Kooib-s openly. Nice.

- Very self indulgent in its descriptions of procedure, planning, and dress. Though not all of those things are bad.

- I like little nods to some lines in the prequels. “I would be more worried about her doing something than him” from Typho in AotC has new meaning now that we know how exhasperated he gets with Padme’s schemes. And Sabé thinking Clovis would have more a problem with Padme than the other way around.

- Whenever anyone would talk about Panaka so nicely made me even angrier at him for being a traitorous snake.

- I like the way Sabé and Tonra are handled. It’s not that I ship them, per se, but I like that it was an open acknowledgement of them both saying yes Sabé loves this other woman, but that doesn’t mean she didnt want to be with Tonra.

- Interesting that Padme and Mon didn’t see eye to eye on everything. But nice to see them work together, as Leia and Mon will too someday. Mon’s extreme pacifism was a nice nod to the fate of the new republic in the sequel era as well.

- The scene where Padme talks of being a senator for life, and being able to see that as a possibility, thinking about going home to her family to consider her future, and knowing that she will only work for 9 more years.... fuck me up.

- “From everything I heard of you, your heart was not the mountain’s to take.” Padme meeting Breha is everything. And the sweet and subtle romance between her and Bail is just 👌🏼

- R2 playing with a baby, how precious. All of the R2 in the book was great, actually.

- “We’ll come back here, you and I. We’ll do what we need to do out there, and then we’ll come home.” This scene killed me. Really drove home that Padmé would never truly go home again. Not really.

- Con: Sabé just seems so randomly off on her own sometimes. She has a task, but they seem so trivial in comparison to everything else that’s going on. And when we get a glimpse of them from her POV, it’s very short. Not sure if this was done on purpose to show Sabé’s disconnect from Padmé new guard?

- Naboo encouraging public service to youth to “ensure they were awake.” As a teacher, I feel this.

- Yikes at the Padme/Clovis kiss.

- All of the bills Padme had been working on before her death. That she was still working towards the freedoms of slaves even through the war. THE CARE SHE HAD FOR THE CLONES. God.

- THAT CLIFFHANGER!!!! I need to know if Bail tells Sabé about Leia. I need it like I need air.

- Overall: Johnston really understood Padme’s character. While I found myself wanting more emotion from the writing style itself, towards the end I found it fit. Padme is cool and levelheaded, and so was the writing. While I still think some of the plot was a little listless and disconnected, it almost reminded me of a Clone Wars arc, and that made it okay for me. Ultimately, it’s everything I’ve ever wanted from a Padmé novel, and I really couldn’t ask for more. Beautifully done.

Quotes that made me Feel Things:

- “Sabé thought she might supernova with anger, giving Tatooine another sun” what a beautiful way of putting that, I’ll never describe my own anger in any other way lol

- “She missed Sabé like she missed the sun” I died.

- “You thwart the plans of one galaxy wide trade conspiracy and they hold a grudge forever” lmao

- “You can like something even when you know it’s not going to last.”

- “I don’t know why anyone ever thinks they can’t trust you. You’re so honest it hurts.”

- “I’m afraid that if someone breaks through, I’ll let them, and it would be catastrophic.” UGH ANAKIN.

- “My hands are yours.” Sabé/Padmé one way pining, it’s great.

- “I would try a thousand times, even if I only ever saved one being. I would try ten thousand times.” This is Padmé in a nutshell.

- “Evil? I’ve fought evil and it was easy: I shot it. It’s apathy I can’t stand.” Again, as a teacher, I feel this.

- “Cordé was dead. Versé was dead. Obi-Wan was dead. Master Billaba was dead. Anakin Skywalker was dead. Padmé Amidala Naberrie was dead, her dreams with her.” And I’m dead too, thanks E. K. Johnston.

[hopeshreds-arc]

@sithdestined​   //   anakin skywalker.

it  was  easier  to  sleep  when  anakin  was  here.   more  difficult  to  sleep  with  the  size  of  her  stomach,  tossing  &  squirming  relentlessly  to  find  a  position  to  get  herself  truly  comfortable,  but  knowing  that  he  was  here  on  coruscant,  safe  from  the  war  for  even  a  night  ––  it  mollified  some  of  her  insomniac  tendencies.   she  hadn’t  wanted  to  disturb  him  with  the  nightmares  that  she’d  been  having,  opting  not  to  tell  him  before  they  laid  down  for  the  night.

now,  it  seemed  like  she  wouldn’t  have  that  choice.

“no!”   she  shouted  in  her  sleep.   a  sweat  had  broken  out  across  her  forehead,  blistering  hot  despite  the  cool  temperature  of  her  bedroom.   “no...”   padmé  shifted  suddenly,  elbow  hitting  anakin’s  ribs  as  she  let  out  a  pained  moan.   everything  was  red  heat,  mouth  open  yet  she  seemed  to  choke  on  air.

[eleutheriana-archive]

listen. i need you to talk about why she goes so hard with her wardrobe. she doesn't need to drag the whole galaxy every time she gets dressed so ! why does she do it ! explain !

LOOK AT HER ! SHE’S FLAWLESS ! I DIE ! 

but alright, you asked for it, and i’m here to provide. 

now, we all make a lot of jokes about how padmé is continually being extra af in her wardrobe and frankly, she is, but also there’s a lot of logic and reasoning behind this. so let’s start with our introduction to padmé –––– or, in this case, queen amidala. 

her red dress as amidala is pretty fucking iconic at this point so i’m not going to waste a lot of time talking about it, but what i want to do with this is bring up all of her clothing as amidala vs her clothing as padmé in tpm. so let’s go through these, starting with queen amidala’s wardrobe:

queen amidala’s wardrobe, here shown only on padmé rather than on her and sabé both, is SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED to do a number of things. they INCREASE HER STATURE. everything she wears includes some sort of elaborate headdress and/or voluminous robes/skirts. they make her bigger. they make her taller. they make her larger. she takes up more space, she is easier to spot, and she is impossible to ignore, especially when she wears red, which is a traditional color of naboo royalty, and something amidala wears a lot of. she’s only five feet and three inches in bare feet, which makes her very small, especially in comparison to most of the men on her guard detail, or that she interacts with as queen. she has to look larger, and more imposing, to be taken seriously. and because most of what she wears covers her hair or twists her hair into elaborate headdresses, and she wears the traditional face paint of her station, it makes it significantly easier for sabé to slip into her role without anyone else catching on. ( side note, it’s almost impossible to see in these caps even though i switched icon styles for this meta to show off some more of her clothing, but any time padmé is in her queen regalia and acting as the part of amidala, you can almost always see sabé in the frame or in the room, listening in on everything so that she’s able to seamlessly transition into her role as decoy when she takes over for the queen. ) now, let’s look at padmé:

there is NOTHING INDIVIDUAL ABOUT HER OUTFITS AS A HANDMAIDEN. this is incredibly important, as it allows her to blend seamlessly in on tattooine, and with the other handmaidens. even in the last cap, where she’s giving orders to the captain of her guard and eirtaé, one of her handmaidens, she blends in. she’s wearing the same thing that every handmaiden wears so that her position remains in the shadows, and it keeps her hidden, even when sabé turns to get confirmation from her before making a decision; it just looks like she’s confirming loyalty from a handmaiden, not getting permission from her queen. 

this, more than anything, is where padmé’s wardrobe and her inability to dress in anything remotely simple comes from. she knows when to blend in, and she’ll do it ( though let’s be real, the refugee gown is literally modeled after a russian princess’s ballgown like babe please you’re not fooling anyone ) , but she also knows when and how to use her wardrobe to her advantage. dressing the right way can get you noticed, or it can hide you. it can make people take you seriously, or view you as an object ––– which isn’t always a bad thing, if it’s going to help you accomplish something in the long run. so now let’s take a look at senator amidala’s clothing: 

now, i’m not really including any of her ‘senatorial clothing’ mainly because we’re all really familiar with it and because it would just be me repeating myself re: making her appear larger and more formidable and forcing people to look at her and take her seriously, so i want to, instead, talk about the other functions of her wardrobe. 

the packing dress, the slate blue and black dress she wears after the second assassination attempt is thwarted and she’s being sent back to naboo with anakin, is something she wears for only a few minutes on screen, but it’s a very important dress for padmé’s character and a clear indicator of her mindset during the assassination attempts on her. we see her here, outwardly irritated that she’s being sent away from coruscant when she’s in the middle of important work. she doesn’t think she needs a bodyguard, she just wants to know who’s trying to kill her and why, and while she’s glad to be getting some time to spend at home, she doesn’t like that she’s being forced into it, and doesn’t like that it’s coming at the expense of her work, or her personal safety. she acts like this is a minor inconvenience, simply a blip on her radar, and that she’s frustrated and irritated by it all. 

but she’s wearing a dress containing armored panels in her own home.

the metal panel down the front of her dress, the thick and structured bodice, the metal plating on her sleeves, even the headdress that contains metal along her forehead, this is all very cleverly disguised armor that betrays the fact that, irritated through she might be on the outside, padmé is scared, but she’s not going to vocalize it and run the risk of losing her credibility. so she does what she knows how to do best –––– she dresses for the occasion. if someone is going to come after her, she’s going to wear armor, and she’s never going to let anyone else know. 

then we look at the refugee/senatorial dress. again, she’s wearing a headdress that protects her head, should someone try and take a shot at her. she’s wearing a dress that is unassuming, but still professional enough to be worn during an audience with a queen. she’s also wearing neutral colors ––– nothing that draws the eye. she’s being careful. she’s flying under the radar. i also want to take this moment to point out how her outfit plays off of queen jamillia’s; where the queen is wearing black and white, padmé is wearing brown and gold, and their headdresses are very similar. it doesn’t serve much of a purpose, but i just think it’s an interesting visual callback and reminder that padmé used to sit in the chair that jamillia is now occupying. it’s also a good time to point out –––– we never see padmé wearing red during her time as a senator, which i think is just so interesting ? there’s probably another meta in there somewhere because red is explicitly shown, time and again, to be an official color of naboo, and specifically, the color of royalty. padmé wears the naboo official insignia on almost everything she owns, and it’s incredibly present in her personal space in her apartment, but she doesn’t wear red. personally, if you ask me, i wholeheartedly believe she doesn’t wear red because she feels it’s disrespectful to the current queen of naboo, especially when you remember that her people tried to amend the constitution to get her to remain in office for longer. ( another interesting side note ––– padmé sticks to cool tones, for the most part, in her wardrobe as senator, and her official residence is also done in cool water tones. palpatine’s, on the other hand, who is also from naboo but who never served in office as king, is done almost entirely in reds. )

getting back on topic, next we have the genosis battle outfit, which, fun fact, the first time i watched this movie i was pretty young, and i knew immediately that something was up and going to happen because i was like nah man padmé’s wearing pants, she didn’t even wear pants when her planet was under attack and she was shooting the crap out of droids, something’s up, something’s about to go down. and, lo and behold, shit did in fact go down. but i digress –––– this outfit is important because it contains a metric fuckton of pockets and pouches and holds all kinds of shit in it, most notably, a lockpick. padmé is fucking crazy prepared for any situation, something her time as queen taught her, and it is very evident in her outfits. i’d be willing to bet any and all of her clothing as senator contains the same little kit of stuff that the genosis outfit contains, just better disguised. she’s only twenty four years old. she’s been senator for three years. she was queen for eight. she’s had more attempts on her life than any twenty four year old has a right to have had, and she’s now come to accept that this is her normal. therefore, she’s ready for it at any given moment, and she looks damn good doing it. 

now, onto the clothing that we’re all here for, aka the beautiful shit she wears on naboo while consistently insisting that she doesn’t return anakin’s affection. a lot of people have talked about padmé using clothing as seduction in this instance ( think: the black dress she wears at dinner with anakin because honestly she did not have to go that hard ) , but i don’t necessarily see it that way ? legends canon tells us that padmé’s paternal grandmother, winama naberrie, was a seamstress, one of the best weavers in theed, and that she is where padmé got her love of fashion from. i don’t see padmé wearing these beautiful gowns, both simple and complex, as a way of seducing anakin while verbally telling him she’s not interested. 

she wears them because she’s starting to feel safe again. 

think about it: we watch her go from armor plated dresses to, suddenly, an entirely backless dress when she arrives at varykino from theed. why ? if someone’s trying to have her killed to the point where she has to retreat to a property her parents own in the countryside of her home planet, if she’s been so concerned and afraid for her own life that she was disguising herself on routine flights to coruscant and wearing armored dresses in her own home, why does she suddenly shift to a silk and slinky dress that doesn’t even have a back ?

because she feels safe. 

she does this because she feels safe at home. she feels safe with anakin next to her. she knows that if something or someone comes after her, he’s going to stop it, and that the chances of something coming for her this far out in the lake country are slim to none. she feels safe. she feels at home. she’s reverting back to the padmé that existed in the ten years between tpm and aotc, the padmé we never got to see. the padmé that has a mother and a father and a sister and two nieces she dotes on. the padmé who was close to her grandmother and learned how to sew and mend clothing from her. the padmé who is a queen and a senator but is also a person behind both of these faces. 

padmé repeatedly uses her clothing as a lot of things, most notably a line of defense, a way of distraction, and even a weapon, if you look at them abstractly. she also uses her outfits as a way of expressing herself. they all have a functional and narrative purpose, no matter how unassuming the garment itself may seem.

[vilibertatis-blog]

// Little things that could be possible in various different 'Happy AU'-esque settings that I love thinking about:

Padmé unexpectedly coming home to her family with twin babies - and a husband. Although the 'husband' bit is hardly surprising to any of them.

Padmé being able to raise her babies in the lake country like she always planned.

Baby Luke and Leia discovering how to use the Force and Padmé trying to figure out how exactly to handle this new development. Because they aren't tossing things anymore, now they're floating things.

Ahsoka coming over and finding a very overwhelmed Padmé and trying to help her out.

Auntie 'Soka.

Jar Jar having the ability to make the twins laugh in 0.03 seconds, and having a ball entertaining them. (While Padmé hovers cautiously nearby because, while Jar Jar means well, an accident prone Gungan and two Force wielding toddlers left unsupervised is a recipe for disaster)

Padmé remaining in the senate because someone has to hold it all together after Palpatine's betrayal. But she can't keep an eye on her babies from the Senate Building and has a dilemma. This is solved when a squad of her handmaidens volunteers to look after them when she and Anakin can't.

Anakin gets a similar offer from a few of the Clones if there aren't any battles they need to fight in.

Artoo secretly loving it when the twins climb on him/play with him.

Anakin and Padmé being the happiest parents in the galaxy whenever the twins accomplish something.

Luke building his first droid unaided and proudly showing his father.

Leia talking her father into getting more cookies in the most diplomatic fashion possible to the amusement of both parents, who share a knowing look. 'she takes after you', 'now you can't win an argument with either of us'

Padmé and Sola sitting on the porch sipping tea and visiting while their kids all play together.

Since Anakin was the one who exposed Palpatine and saved the Republic, the Jedi decide not to be jerks and let him stay. This leads to half the council at one time or another interacting with the Skywalker twins.

Luke and Leia's initial confusion over Master Yoda's height.

Padmé responding to every. single. attempt. to take the twins to the Temple with an increasingly adamant 'No'. Because she won't let the Jedi do to them what they did to Anakin (e.i. taking him from his mother, emotional detachment nonsense), and there is about as much chance of her letting them take them as there is of it snowing on Mustafar.

They still get unofficial Jedi training anyway through Anakin and Obi-Wan. And Yoda, who takes a liking to young Luke and teaches him some things when no one else is looking.

Leia learns how to use the Force as well, but decides to enter politics like her mother rather than train like a Jedi. Padmé helps her get into Naboo's legislative youth programs, like her father did for her all those years ago.

The group of people who tried to change Naboo's constitution into a hereditary monarchy decide to try electing Leia to the throne. After all, there's no rule against electing the girl who would have been Queen Amidala's heir.

Padmé being troubled by the concept, but allowing her daughter to make her own decisions on the matter.

Leia having the potential to become Queen of Naboo.

Padmé watching her kids grow up

Luke, having been trained by at least three Jedi masters, (and being the son of the Chosen One) is eventually allowed by the Council to achieve an official Jedi Knighthood. His parents are immeasurably proud of him, for his success, but also because they know how much of a change his presence alone might make for the Jedi. A change for the better.

Anakin and Luke doing Jedi Stuff together and saving planets.

Padmé and Leia discussing Senate matters and, through diplomacy, helping people across the galaxy.

The twins's prospective boyfriends/girlfriends being rather intimidated upon meeting Anakin. (Padmé sometimes coaching her husband before the meeting; 'I know he's a smuggler, but he has a good heart. Please try not to scare him away, okay?')

Leia or Luke planning their eventual wedding and asking their mother for help. After a near planning disaster, Padmé admits that she's never really planned a fancy wedding before, and so the story of her own marriage is shared.

((this possibly at some later point turning into the classic family sitcom episode where the kids put together an elaborate vow renewal for their parents))

Han/Mara/Any-Other-Fiancé trying to gain Padmé's approval without realizing that they already have it. 'My son/daughter loves you. That's more than enough for me.'

Imagine for a moment: Artoo and Threepio as co-ring-bearers.

Skywalker/Amidala/Naberrie/Solo family reunions.

Padmé and Anakin becoming grandparents

Padmé absolutely spoiling her grandchildren whenever she gets the slightest chance.

Padmé just straight up adopting Rey if she isn't actually Luke's daughter to begin with

Padmé and Anakin being just as affectionate and in love as they always were.

[skywvlked]

me, waking up in the middle of the night: pooja naberrie, daughter of sola naberrie, sister of padmé amidala, followed in her aunt's footsteps and represented naboo as senator until the dissolution of the imperial senate. she would have undoubtedly met and interacted with bail organa. did she ever meet leia? bail knew they were cousins, did he encourage them to be friends? did leia ever learn of her relation to the naberrie family? does sola ever find out her sister had children? wake up, chad