Mothers and Daughters: The evolution of Padmé and Leia

Photo courtesy: Penguin Random House

The Queen and the Princess

For eight years, Padmé served as Queen of Naboo. She became a beloved monarch who put her people’s needs before her own and was willing to fight for their freedom and security. Once her second term expired, Padmé was asked by her successor Queen Jamillia to remain in politics as Naboo’s leading senator. Padmé couldn’t to refuse. For the first couple of years of her tenure as senator, nothing significant happened until just weeks before the beginning of the Clone Wars where Padmé became the target of assassination, which saw one of her handmaidens killed. This led her to be placed in Jedi custody under the watch of old friend, Anakin Skywalker.

As sole heiress of Alderaan’s throne, Leia was a rebellious princess who loved exploring. She also had a great appreciation for the working class because of the lessons her adoptive father had taught her. From a young age, Leia displayed an adventurous streak, a trait she had inherited from Anakin. As she grew, Leia started to realize her father and aunts were right that one day, she would take over as queen so she stopped fighting them and started to embrace her place in life.

Photo Credit: Lucasfilm

Fighting Spirit

In Star Wars, Skywalker women had a rebellious spark in their souls. Shmi Skywalker fought the beatings she took when Tusken Raiders kidnapped her. She fought to stay alive just long enough to be reunited with her son one. Padmé and Leia both saw the field of battle and they were known to issue excellent arguments while debating in their respected Senates.

As far as combat was concerned, Padmé was trained by Captain Panaka who was her chief of security during her tenure as queen. She learned self-defense and learned how to use a blaster. During the Clone Wars, Padmé often found herself in situations where she had to defend herself and her use of a blaster rivaled her husband’s skill with a lightsaber.

Leia learned to defend herself much later than Padmé did. When she turned 16,  Leia was given permission to take up self-defense but the skills she learned were only to be used if necessary. She was rather gifted with a blaster as seen when she takes arm at Stormtroopers when they storm the Tantive IV.