What Is Padmé's REAL Last Name?
Padme, the Queen of Naboo’s last name was not actually Amidala. Recently, on Star Wars Inside Intel at StarWars.com, Emily Shkoukani reminds us about what her last name has been as she sheds some light on this subject. Shkoukani, whose job it is to know as much about the Star Wars universe as possible, explores many obscure facts in the StarWars.com feature, Inside Intel. Shkoukani looks at Star Wars lore and continuity, and in March, in honor of International Women’s Month, brought to light some details about Padme Amidala.
Padme Amidala is, of course, most notably known as the Queen of Naboo, even though she was only queen for a short time in the Star Wars stories. In fact, she was a Senator of Naboo for a longer period of time. Throughout the prequels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, we learn a lot about this fierce, young leader, who is much more than Anakin Skywalker’s love.
When we first meet Padme in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, she is the Queen of Naboo and is faced with handling a terrible crisis. The Trade Federation has formed a blockade around Naboo. The Trade Federation say that they are there to collect taxes, but really, Senator Palpatine, whose home planet is Naboo, has set the whole thing up so that he can call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum and be named Chancellor, thus paving the way for him to become leader of the Galactic Empire.
Padme risks everything to get her people the aid they need, including going with two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, to the Senate for help. It is this determination that characterizes Padme throughout her life; she will never give up, no matter what. And fans see this all throughout the prequels and the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars. However, even though fans know a lot about Padme, there’s always more to learn.
Starting with her name, for those who may not be familiar with the whole picture. Amidala is not actually Padme’s true last name, even though she is referred to that all the time onscreen. It is a name she uses during her time as queen of Naboo. This name is used to protect her identity and the identity of her family. She is elected queen of Naboo at the very young age of 14, after excelling in her studies and government. It is prudent of her to keep her true last name a secret for safety, but it is also a Naboo tradition. The queens of Naboo always use a different last name in place of their real one. Amidala is a name that would live on with Padme as she closes out her final year as queen and moves on to become a senator of Naboo. This journey is described in E.K. Johnston’s novels Queen's Peril and Queen's Shadow.
The name Amidala inspires tenacity even with Padme’s former handmaidens, security detail, and those loyal to her. Even after her death, the name lives on with those loyal to her forming a resistance group in her name called the Amidalans. This is featured in Greg Pak’s Star Wars: Darth Vader: Dark Heart of the Sith. The Amidalans believe Padme to have been murdered and pledge to find the one responsible.
If Amidala was a regal last name, what was Padme’s real last name?
It is Naberrie. Padme Naberrie is born to Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie on Naboo. She has one sister, older, named Sola. The Naberrie family are not rich or famous, but at humble beginnings. It does not take Padme long, however, to establish herself as a rising philanthropist and shrewd leader, which sets her on the path to become Naboo’s queen.
The only time that we get to see Padme’s family featured in one of the films is at the end of Revenge of the Sith, at Padme’s funeral. They were originally supposed to be featured in Attack of the Clones when Anakin and Padme go to visit them while on Naboo to keep Padme safe, but their scenes were cut. They are still available to watch on the DVDs under the deleted scenes section. Padme’s family definitely call out the obvious attraction that Anakin and Padme have for one another. If you want to know more about Padme and her background and family and relationships, these deleted scenes are great source material and wonderful for character development.
Source(s): StarWars.com