The Fascinating Reason We Know Padme's Sister Is Asexual
Apart from vibrant storytelling, Star Wars has long been a universe which embraces diverse social and cultural norms. When one spoke of the prequels, one of the household names that would instantly come to mind is none other than Padmé Amidala. She was the queen of aggressive negotiations and mother to Luke and Leia. A less well-known background, however, is her Naberrie family and older sister Sola, who has received considerable attention more recently as the topic of her asexualism and aromanticism was highlighted in the Queen's Shadow novel.
Who Is Sola Naberrie?
Despite being publicly known as Amidala, Padmé's last name is actually Naberrie. The Naberrie family is made up of her parents Ruwee and Jobal, and older sister Sola. While Padmé has a fairly conventional marriage and nuclear family structure with husband Anakin Skywalker, and their children Luke and Leia, Sola's "family unit" was different. She had a child, but no spouse in canon.
Sola Naberrie (portrayed by Claudia Karvan) is first seen in deleted scenes of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (thereby technically non-canon). She makes an official canonical appearance in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith when we see her at Padmé's funeral. Drawing reference from relevant scenes, the only information we have on her is that that she gave birth to her daughter Ryoo in 28 BBY. Just 2 years ago, we discover that Sola has never been interested in having a romantic partner and relationship all along,. However, she is comfortable with and wants children. More interestingly, such a position is a societal norm on Naboo. This is confirmed by author E.K. Johnson in Queen's Shadow, a canon novel published on March 5 2019, which focused on Padmé's early life, and her transition from queen to senator.
Note: According to Legends, Darred Janren Naberrie is Ryoo's father. Pooja Naberrie is also introduced very briefly in the prequels, which one could speculate from Legends that she may be another daughter of Sola.
The Significance Therein
This revelation is significant in showing that the contemporary norms of asexualism and aromanticism have long been embedded in the Star Wars universe. This allows the corresponding social groups in the real world to see their personal experiences being represented in the galaxy far, far away. For others, Star Wars helps to open our eyes and embrace such normative diversity.
It is imperative not to confuse the two concepts. Aromantics (also known as "aces") experience little to no romantic attraction, while asexuals experience little to no sexual attraction. One could identify as both, as in Sola's case, but still enter into romantic relationships or engage in sexual activity for pure reproductive and childbearing goals.
One of the most valuable lesson from the depiction is the broadly accepting attitude in Naboo. According to Queen's Shadow, both the Naboo government's healthcare system and society respect and facilitate single mothers without a partner in having biological or adopted children. This is in contrast to our real world where many women in the same situation would struggle within the healthcare system. Furthermore, in our world, people worry about social standing when it comes to anything outside societal norms. Despite the Naberries' status in society (especially Padmé's royal reputation as queen and later senator), the family members are very supportive of each other's pursuits and goals. This shows to the love and acceptance in Naboo society.
Reflecting on the generally ugly reality of the real world where any minority groups and anyone outside societal or cultural norms are frowned upon, Sola Naberrie's symbolic significance is most salient. As a champion of diversity, Star Wars continues to connect all walks of life and identity groups within a saga that everyone is passionate about, regardless their own personal ideological belief. Having made significant progress in boosting representation for gender equality and LGBT+, one could only imagine the immense potential in canonical content development.
Source: Wookieepedia