Padmé Amidala

Padmé Amidala (née Naberrie) is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, appearing in the prequel trilogy and portrayed by Natalie Portman. First indirectly mentioned in Return of the Jedi, she is introduced in The Phantom Menace as the teenage Queen of Naboo, and after her reign, becomes a senator and an anti-war activist in the Galactic Senate. She secretly marries Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Knight, then later dies while giving birth to twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Anakin's fear of losing Padmé serves as the catalyst in driving him to the dark side of the Force and becoming Darth Vader.

Critical reception to Padmé was mixed; some praised the personal and political motives of the character, while others criticized the regression to a plot device for Anakin's fall to the dark side. Portman's performance received mixed reviews as well, though some have blamed the performance on Lucas' direction and script. Despite the mixed reaction to the character's portrayal, the role helped Portman gain international recognition. In addition to being one of three primary characters in the prequel trilogy, Padmé has also appeared in other Star Wars media such as The Clone Wars.