Natalie Portman’s Padmé Amidala remains one of the most tragic figures of Star Wars. The prequel series, for all the hate it gets, has found a lot of appreciation among fans, in the form of memes and character beats, especially for Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side and Ewan McGregor’s portrayal of a young Obi-Wan Kenobi.
However, despite the newfound praise that the films received after the initial backlash, there are still certain aspects of it that fans have not been able to decipher or digest. There is one plot point in particular that seems to be irking everyone, despite the parts of the Prequel trilogy that new and old fans alike have come to appreciate: Why does Padme blame Count Dooku for the attempt on her life?
Dooku would benefit from Padmé being alive rather than dead
Natalie Portman‘s Padmé Amidala had not only opposed the creation of the Grand Republic Army but was also vehemently against war. Killing her would have diminished the amount of votes against the war, and would also put Dooku in charge of a war with the Jedi order for the separatist forces.
If anything, Padmé’s wish for peace was the one thing keeping Dooku out of a hoard of trouble, which would otherwise have complicated Dooku’s ambitions for the separatists. Given all this, it seems incredibly odd that Padme would think Dooku was the one who tried to get her killed, given that a lot of what the ex-Jedi had in mind aligned, at least in part, with what Padme was lobbying for in the Senate.
Even the Jedi council questions Padmé’s accusation, given that they have known Dooku for a long time, and are aware of the fact that despite the Sith Apprentice’s misgivings, he is not capable of committing political violence as a means to his end.
Palpatine knew he needed Padme out of the Senate if he had to get anything done
Senator Sheev Palpatine was manipulating the senate and Count Dooku in a bid to reorganize the Republic into the Empire, which would have served the dark lord’s ambitions of restoring the Sith to their former glory. It would make much more sense for Palpatine to be behind the deaths, but it is unfair to expect any of the characters to come to that conclusion.
Palapatine’s play to have Padmé also served as a way of making Anakin more insecure in his power, as he would fear for her life and hence be open to more manipulation from the Sith Lord. Padmé’s demise was something that greatly benefitted Palapatine, as he was able to use that anger to keep Darth Vader on a leash, up until Luke and Leia entered the picture, freeing Vader of the burdens of his past.
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones can be streamed on Disney+.
