20 years later, it’s still almost as difficult to wrap my head around the revelation that Padmé and the Queen were the same person.  It was almost as mind-blowing that Palpatine and Palpatine were the same person.  I certainly hope it doesn’t turn out the Luke Skywalker from the OT is the same Luke Skywalker as was in the sequels.  Because that’s just too much. 

Anyway, Padmé was pretty cool in this film.  I mean, she was young, but had some strong leadership traits.  She was like Lyanna Mormont, only like, way older.  Maybe the love story between Padmé and Anakin was a little hokey, but it otherwise worked.  Padmé, as queen, addresses the Galactic Senate in an attempt to secure an intervention in the Naboo conflict, eventually unites the two races of her planet, and leads the effort to liberate it…all at the age of 14.  Later, she became a galactic senator and survived the execution at Petranaki Arena on Geonosis, escaping her chains on her own and fending off the fierce Nexu before the Jedi arrived to save the day.  During the 3 year Clone War, she was an active participant in the conflict and a fearless political negotiator.  Then, as the war was winding down, she basically spent almost the entire length of Revenge of the Sith, crying, whimpering, and otherwise standing idly by, while everything fell apart.  Finally, she dies.  Because she was sad and had no reason to live.  Oh, except for her newborn twins.  I guess she figured they’d be totally fine without her.

This outfit was the one Queen Padmé Amidala wore during the Battle of Naboo.  Her part was to lead the infiltration of Theed Palace, and attempt to apprehend the Trade Federation leaders Nute Gunray and Rune Haako.  I guess she felt this was the most appropriate outfit to wear during an infiltration.  There’s certainly no reason to believe that the long skirt and billowy sleeves would interfere with the physicality necessary for a dangerous military operation.  Fortunately, Padmé pulled it off like a queen.  She succeeded in the mission, and looked great doing it. 

By 1999 standards, it wasn’t a bad figure, but it has certainly aged poorly.  The face looks nothing like Natalie Portman on her worst day.  The robes are fairly simply sculpted, although Hasbro did make a separately sculpted long skirt, which is certainly better than getting a salt shaker.  But otherwise, the uniform is sculpted rather simply.  There’s no texture to the fabric, whatsoever.  It is simply painted, with some gold piping at the shoulders and along the sides of the skirt.  The only detail that Hasbro added here was a bit of dirt on the boots.  It’s a nice touch, but that’s about it.  Queen Amidala comes with two blasters.  They’re both supposed to be the stylish naboo blasters, but they just look like pieces of rubbery plastic that were hastily cut from a larger piece, almost cookie-cutter style.  There’s zero detail to either blaster.  One is larger than the other.  I believe the larger one was the blaster she carried into battle during the infiltration, but had it taken away when she was captured briefly by battle droids.  Later, after the confusion caused by the appearance of Sabé disguised as the queen, Nute Gunray let down his guard and ordered the droids to go after the “queen”, because he thought Padmé was a decoy.  NO, YOU FOOL!  It was Sabé that was the decoy!  What a buffoon!  So Padmé used that confusion to buy time and grab a couple of smaller blasters hidden in her nearby throne.  Hasbro paid some attention by getting her both blasters.  But they’re terrible, and the figure kind of is terrible, too.

There were only two figures ever made of Padmé in this important look.  This was the first.  The second came a few waves later towards the end of the Episode I line, which was designed to better represent her use of an ascension gun…you know, to ascend.  This is the more neutral of the two figures, as the other is scene specific.  But after that, there has never been an update and it is sorely needed.  [Note: Yes, Hasbro did technically update this figure in the 2012 TPM3D Movie Heroes Line (listed below as a ”superior” release.)  But you know what?  Screw that figure.  It was a grossly underarticulated figure in 2012 and barely deserves acknowledgement of its sad existence.]    This is pretty much as disappointing in 2019 as the previously reviewed Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon figures.  But at least those guys got modern updates.  Padmé is on our list of PT figures needed in TVC.  This gets a 3/10, but sadly, it’s still necessary for your collection as it is the best available version of Padmé in this important outfit.  It’s an action-oriented main character in a battle uniform.  She needs full Jedi-Level articulation, FACE!, and should include both blasters and the ascension gun.  That is all.