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Why was Padme the Queen at age 14!?!?

Discussion in 'Archive: The Phantom Menace' started by President-JarJar, May 11, 2003.

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  1. D_Lowe

    D_Lowe Jedi Knight star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 15, 2002
    Why was Padme the Queen at age 14!?!?

    Why not?!
     
  2. Jabba-wocky

    Jabba-wocky Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    May 4, 2003
    Most young kings/queens were just figureheads until they got old enough to actually operate. Tutmoses III was rather resentful about all this, and destroyed most records of his sister's reign as regent because of it.

    The point being that we shouldn't have any delusions about the power of young monarchs, regents ran the country and made all the important decisions.

    Though that said, 14 might be a legitimate age for actual leadership (as whoever had the comment about different ages of maturity for cultures pointed out), although even that's pushing it somewhat. And I certainly don't how younger people than her could have been queen and actually done anything.
     
  3. -Mesa_Jedi-

    -Mesa_Jedi- Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    May 5, 2003
    Think of what Yoda said in Ep2 something like "Amazing how the mind of a child thinks"
     
  4. DARTH_FLACCID

    DARTH_FLACCID Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Jun 25, 2002
    this is a bit of a confusing issue, one that really does need some explaining if you think about it too much. where could this have come from?

    my theory is that GL wanted to show Anakin before he became a Jedi. This meant he'd have to show him as a young boy, as one would became a Jedi at teen years or later wouldn't credibly be able to become the great Jedi Knight talked about in the OT.

    so, if Anakin has to be a young boy, his future wife should be near that age, as great age differences are a bit less common in matters of romance.

    So Padme had to be young. but why does she have to be Queen? well, I'm guessing she needs to be someone of importance so she's involved in the story, not an observer (like C3PO and R2).

    So she's made a Queen. But not the usual kind of Queen, but an elected one. Obviously, if she was a queen by inheritance, we wouldn't be having this discussion due to the historical precedents, all cited above. so why make her elected? for political correctness? I dunno, but that's the best I can come up with. Maybe GL was sensitive to potential attacks that he supported a Royal Monarchy (like in LotR)....

    it's especially confusing given that:

    1) there are presumably lots of intelligent older people on Naboo, such as Padme's parents and Sio Bibble. who's better qualified for a leadership post: someone young who's got lots of education, or someone older who's not lots of education AND lots of life experience?

    2) everyone who's survived their teen years knows what an idiot they were back then.
     
  5. DarthMaul13

    DarthMaul13 Jedi Youngling star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 1998
    The Naboo are a futuristic society.

    "Ummm....a long time ago...."

    Does it really matter if it was a long time ago? They have hyperdrives and blasters. They're a futuristic society.
     
  6. mjerome3

    mjerome3 Jedi Knight star 6

    Registered:
    May 11, 2000
    Obviously she accomplished a lot when she was young and got ahead quickly. Didn't she say in Episode II that she wasn't the youngest queen ever elected?
     
  7. President-JarJar

    President-JarJar Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2003
    Yes. There is a 5 year difference between Anakin and Queen Amidala/Padme in The Phantom Menace.

    Anakain is 9.
    Padme is 14.


    In AOTC,

    Anakin is 19.
    Padme is 24.


    In Episode III,

    Anakin will be 21-22 and Padme 26-27, so forth...


    Yea, It's not a big deal... I was just wondering. :D

    Episode I Rocks! ;)



    -JarJar
     
  8. AERYN_SUN

    AERYN_SUN Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 1, 2001
    so, who was the youngest leader under 14?

    i think this maybe reaching but i'm going to say 8-9, maybe 11-12.

    ~aeryn
     
  9. President-JarJar

    President-JarJar Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2003
    ^I'm going to say about 12 or 13 years old. ;)


    -JarJar
     
  10. Mortimer_Nerdly

    Mortimer_Nerdly Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2002
    She was actually 12. :eek:

    Mortimer_Nerdly! :cool:
     
  11. Denny

    Denny Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Aug 29, 2001
    yeah well -- she could be Queen at 14, but Senator at 20-some did her brain no good -- she indulged Messed-up-Anakin's fantasies - she DID disappoint me a lot - I like the 14 Queenie better than the Senator.

     
  12. Koohii

    Koohii Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 30, 2003
    The part I thought was dumb was that she was elected Queen for 2 4-year terms. ??? OK, earth has had systems of elected monarchs, but the system is that when the old monach dies, a new monarch is elected from the pool of candidates by the other nobility, FOR LIFE.
    What the heck is this 2 4-year term BS. Is someone trying to mirror the US presidency a bit too much perhaps?
    Did she have to be a queen? No. How about Duches, Marquesse, Baroness, or some other title. Wouldn't that be still important, without having to do some silly "Ruler of a World" schtick that would have to have abandonded for the sequel?
     
  13. Scott3eyez

    Scott3eyez Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2001
    I still haven't heard a good reason why NOT to have a 14 year old queen?

    I've seen US elections that seem less believable...
     
  14. Spike2002

    Spike2002 Former FF-UK RSA and Arena Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Kids that young should realistically not be allowed to get involved in politics, regardless of their culture and "futuristic society".
     
  15. Koohii

    Koohii Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 30, 2003
    Oh come on? US elections less believable? When? ;) Ah-Nold fohr Gooven-ahr!

    I have no problem with a 14yo queen, just the election for 4-year terms. That's dumb.
     
  16. Queen_Sara

    Queen_Sara Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 8, 2002
    I believe that King Tut was nine when he became Pharoah. Just a little history. ;)

    But really, Padmé had been trained for, what, seven years by the time she became queen? It's just a cultural difference. If we had been trained as politicians from the age of seven then most of us could probably be major world leaders. We'd probably do better than Bush too. (Had to add my little Bush-bash. Though most of you are probably going to disregard this message because I talked about Bush. Meh.)


    :) ~*^SARA^*~ :)
     
  17. JediMasterEllic_Kier

    JediMasterEllic_Kier Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 17, 2002
    Ender Wiggen was destroying entire civilizations by the same age.

    Monarchs in Malaysia are elected to 5 year terms
     
  18. DarthMaul13

    DarthMaul13 Jedi Youngling star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 1998
    I think another issue is with her title. She should be called President or Prime Minister. Not Queen.
     
  19. Spike2002

    Spike2002 Former FF-UK RSA and Arena Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Why is that?
     
  20. DarthMaul13

    DarthMaul13 Jedi Youngling star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 1998
    An elected queen? Isn't that a contradiction?
     
  21. ST-TPM-ASF-TNE

    ST-TPM-ASF-TNE Moderator Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 27, 2001
    Not in Star Wars ;)

    Kings/Queens are elected.
     
  22. son_of_the_tear

    son_of_the_tear Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 23, 1999
    Um, Anakin was 20 in AOTC. Lucas said that Anakin had just celebrated his 20th birthday prior to AOTC.
     
  23. Koohii

    Koohii Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 30, 2003
    Queens can be elected. Germanic and Scandanavian tradition. See my post above.
     
  24. KSkywalker

    KSkywalker Jedi Grand Master star 3

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 1998
    Why did the Naboo choose a Queen so young?

    You must not have heard the old saying:

    "Hire a Teenager.....While they still know everything!!"

    [face_mischief]

    I guess the Naboo take it literally! [face_laugh]

    I can't believe I'm the first to think of that! [face_mischief]
     
  25. dArTh_wenley

    dArTh_wenley Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 10, 2001

    If they have the ability and education I should think age is ultimately irrelevant.
     
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