"Handmaiden" Padme-no one noticed???

Something has been bugging me about TPM, and that is the fact that while posing as a handmaiden with a decoy in the garb of the Queen, Padme still goes by her first name.

I believe her full name is Padme Amidala, right?

If that is indeed her real name, then how likely is it that she was elected Queen and no one knew her first name? And if she ran for Queen under an assumed first name, wouldn't she be running the risk of someone finding out and exposing her as a bit shady?

This situation is like George Bush posing as a Secret Service agent, but being known as Agent George, while a decoy fills the President role.

TPM left me with the impression that "Padme" was either the decoy handmaiden's name or an alias. But apparently, as shown in AOTC, her real name is Padme.

Can anyone figure this out?

 

Her "name" in TPM was Padme Naberrie... Her Parrents are still the Naberries...

I think "Amidalla" is a title-name... something she got when she was coronated.

 

But surely when she ran for Queen she went by Padme Naberrie, right? What kind of elected official assumes an alias? And then uses her old name as her "fake" name when posing as a handmaiden? It makes no sense to me.

 

maybe padme was a name that was shared by an actual handmaiden. then, when the queen went into hiding, handmaiden padme went on vacation, and the queen filled that role.

just a theory.

 

No, because the decoy queen (Sabè) was a handmaiden when Amidala was the queen.

Perhaps Padmè is a common name on Naboo. Using the Secret Service example above, it wouldn't necessarily be too obvious, since George is a fairly common name.

 

Okay, maybe I can accept that Padme is a common name, like "Jim" or "John". Then what's with the "Amidala" name? Is it a ceremonial title? The Queen we see in AOTC is not known as "Amidala".

Plus, Padme had to have been seen by people when running for office. Unless she wore all the huge outifts and makeup before she became Queen (and as we see in AOTC, it seems that the outfits and makeup are strictly for the person in the Queen role), her face had to be pretty well known. So how can she pose as a handmaiden?

 

4-LOM, I completely agree with you.

I posted a similar topic sometime ago, but it didn't go anywhere.

When I found out Natalie Portman was going by the name of Padme in Episode II as a senator, I thought it made no sense.

For the ruse to be effective, if she was elected (looking like herself) she would need to go by a fake Handmaiden name and her face would need to be disguised as well. Like the long hooded outfits that obscure the handmaiden's faces.

Or, on a stretch, if she was elected with the face paint on and the public never knew what she looked like wihtout it, she would still need to use a fake name! Otherwise, how is she hiding?

The queen is Padme Amidala and she has a handmaiden named Sabe. But part of the time, the Queen, Padme Amidala has a handmaiden named Padme who kind of looks like Sabe, but during these times Sabe is gone.

What?!?This alone should raise the eyebrows of those around her.

And then there is the theory that the people of Naboo know who she is, but it is just a disgiuse for outsiders. Yeah right, that is a pretty big secret to be kept by millions of people.

Should not the Queen, Padme, go by the name of Sabe while dressed as a handmaiden? Would that not make the most sense?

 

Good point, 4LOM. This would be like Luke, who was hidden from the Emperor, keeping the name Skywalker.

Hey, wait a minute...

 

Okay, maybe I can accept that Padme is a common name, like "Jim" or "John". Then what's with the "Amidala" name? Is it a ceremonial title? The Queen we see in AOTC is not known as "Amidala".

It's like the popes or kings of England taking on a legacy name. John Paul II isn't really named that, but that's a Christian name (or pair of them) with history behind it. Same thing with some of the kings of England, like a couple of the Georges. So Padme takes on the name "Amidala" as her queen name.

Plus, Padme had to have been seen by people when running for office. Unless she wore all the huge outifts and makeup before she became Queen (and as we see in AOTC, it seems that the outfits and makeup are strictly for the person in the Queen role), her face had to be pretty well known. So how can she pose as a handmaiden?

Remember, they were planning on leaving Naboo, so the disguise was meant to fool people like the TF, the Hutts, and other unsavory types, not the people of Naboo. While "Queen Amidala" is apparently well-known (since she needs to disguise herself at all), I don't imagine that the TF really did much research into the elections of Naboo to learn about up-and-coming young politician Padme Naberrie and what she looks like. They only know her as the Queen, and that's a disguise in itself, what with the concealing clothes and makeup.

 

I am to call her Padmé Amidala (like all of the 2002-04 Hasbro figures were called).

 

To tell you the truth, I was kind of checking out the blonde handmaiden...she's smokin'

 

When Padme was elected queen, she took the name 'Amidala' and reigned as Padme Amidala. Her handmaid was the decoy. If you remember when Padme, QGJ, OB1 and company got the 'sacred place' to ask Boss Nass for help, Padme in her handmaiden costume pushed her way to the front and proclaimed to all that she was Queen Amidala and apologized for the deception stating that the decoy 'queen' was her body guard. I don't recall what the decoy's name was, but I don't believe there was anyone else in her entourage named Padme.
As far as AOTC goes, Captain Typho referred to Padme as 'Senator Amidala' at least once, if not 2 or more times in the movie. The one time I'm sure of occurred after the 'accident' on the landing platform at the beginning of the movie.

 

I never liked the whole 'decoy' thing. I think they could've done things a bit differently. Because it's unnecessarily confusing, and it doesn't add much to the story.

Then again, how are you going to have the Queen of Naboo running around in the slums of Tattooine? I don't know. But GL could've found a way.

meh

 

As for decoys, standard operatoring procedure when it comes to bodygaurding...Gerald Ford had one...Churchill had one...and come on...what's with all those presidential limousines looking the same...


But, I digress, and think once again about the stunning blonde handmadien...

 

The starwars.com databank lists Padme as "Padme Amidala" and says she was born "Padme Naberrie" but when she became queen became "Padme Amidala". So Amidala IS her "royal name". I wonder how that name was chosen for her? The Queen after her wasn't "Queen Amidala". And if "Naberrie" is her real last name, why does she still use "Amidala" for a last name when she stops being Queen?

I can buy...maybe...that the handmaiden-decoy ploy is only meant to fool outsiders, but can they really trust all outsiders to not know something basic like the Queen of Naboo's first name and out-of-makeup appearance, especially if they are an assassin gunning for her? Someone like that would do all the research possible on her, then go do the job.

So I maintain that the handmaiden-decoy ploy really makes no sense.

 

The starwars.com databank lists Padme as "Padme Amidala" and says she was born "Padme Naberrie" but when she became queen became "Padme Amidala". So Amidala IS her "royal name". I wonder how that name was chosen for her? The Queen after her wasn't "Queen Amidala". And if "Naberrie" is her real last name, why does she still use "Amidala" for a last name when she stops being Queen?

She or some advisor probably chose it as a name with some history or meaning, just like Karol Wojtyla chose to call himself John Paul II. As for why she keeps it, after her stint as queen she's publicly known as Amidala. She even spoke to the Senate as Amidala. So she probably keeps it for continuity and recognizability.

I can buy...maybe...that the handmaiden-decoy ploy is only meant to fool outsiders, but can they really trust all outsiders to not know something basic like the Queen of Naboo's first name and out-of-makeup appearance, especially if they are an assassin gunning for her? Someone like that would do all the research possible on her, then go do the job.

Remember, the "assassin gunning for her" wasn't until AOTC. The people trying to kill her in TPM were a bunch of overconfident corporate types who were looking for her on the spur of the moment. They were just looking for the same person they had spoken to before, ans assuming she'd be the same person as before without taking the time to research before they go after her.

 

Unless the Queen was a clone. How did they all look alike anyway? So the queen in the Senate with Palpatine is the bodyguard? It's made so confusing that the only way for it to make sense is for it to have some relavance in Ep. 3. Maybe this is the thing that drives Anakin crazy. He's been dating and married to three different Padme's all along!

 

Unless the Queen was a clone. How did they all look alike anyway?

They don't. They're all played by different actresses who look similar.

So the queen in the Senate with Palpatine is the bodyguard?

No, it's the real queen. Portman and Knightley do look similar, but you can tell the difference between them. Someone made a list of all the cases where it's really Padme and where it's Sabe, but I don't know where that is. To my recollection, in every scene with the fake Queen, "handmaiden" Padme makes some appearance, so you know it's not her.

 

We really don't know enough about Naboo's social or political customs to draw any conclussions.

 

"It's made so confusing that the only way for it to make sense is for it to have some relavance in Ep. 3."

But that's the whole point! It's supposed to be confusing in order to discourage/foil (Corde) assasination attempts.

 

The only time the handmaid Padme was introduced as such was when Panaka told Qui-Gon and Jar Jar that the Queen wished for her handmaid to accompany them. Up to then, she had been an anonymous background servant whose only contribution had been to tell the 'queen,' "We are brave, your highness."

The first time we see Amidala, she is in a red dress, yes? We see her looking out of the window at the invaders (still in that red dress). When next we see her being led out of the palace, she's in black--THIS is now Sabe playing the role of the Queen. The Jedi rescue the party shortly thereafter.

The Amidala the Jedi knew from the moment they met her up until Qui-Gon left for Mos Espa, was the decoy!

 

But the Jedi knew, of course, that Padmé was the real queen.

 

But the Jedi knew, of course, that Padmé was the real queen.

The great thing was that the Queen's entourage kept playing the game and kept silent about it, although the Jedi could have been trusted.

 

But the Jedi knew, of course, that Padmé was the real queen.

The great thing was that the Queen's entourage kept playing the game and kept silent about it, although the Jedi could have been trusted.

However, the impersonation had to continue, because droid focus on symbols, and the funny cuts on the side were not recognizable Let's not forget the Nemoidians also have this weakness.