Star Wars Can Bring Back A Major Phantom Menace Character – And Showcase Padmé’s Legacy At Last

Star Wars has the perfect chance to bring back Keira Knightley’s Sabé, Padmé Amidala’s body double in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. George Lucas’ Star Wars prequel trilogy introduced viewers to the beautiful planet Naboo, and to its young ruler, Natalie Portman’s Padmé Amidala. The Queen of Naboo, Padmé was served by a group of dedicated handmaidens who swiftly proved key to her safety. One of them, Keira Knightley’s Sabé, served as a body double to serve as a target for Padmé’s enemies.

Star Wars has turned Sabé into a key player during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign. Sabé and the other handmaidens gathered together at Padmé’s funeral in the aftermath of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and they sensed something dark and dangerous about this new Galactic Empire. They established a group known as the Amidalans, an early rebel cell operating on Naboo – ironically, the homeworld of Emperor Palpatine himself. The Amidalans would operate throughout the Dark Times, even targeting Darth Vader himself shortly after the events of The Empire Strikes Back.

Andor Season 2 Can Introduce The Amidalans

Tony Gilroy’s Andor Disney+ TV show is set during the Dark Times, and it is showing the formation of the Rebel Alliance. Many of Andor‘s main characters are rebel leaders, including Stellan Skarsgård’s Luthen Rael, Genevieve O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma, and Forest Whitaker’s Saw Gerrera. Andor season 2 will presumably tell the story of some rebel cells coalescing into a united force under Mon Mothma’s leadership. This makes it highly likely other rebel cells will be featured – and it’s quite possible the Amidalans will make their way into live-action.

For months now, there have been recurring rumors Andor season 2 will return to Naboo. Significantly, back in June there were reports the crew had headed to Hever Castle in England, used when shooting “The Waterfall Sequence” on Naboo in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. It is, therefore, quite easy to imagine a scene in which Mon Mothma met with the Amidalans, although there’s no evidence they ever formally joined the Rebel Alliance.

Star Wars Could Finally Bring Back Keira Knightley’s Sabé

This wouldn’t just be another Star Wars Easter egg; rather, it would be an opportunity for Lucasfilm to bring back Keira Knightley herself. Sabé remained a key player in the Amidalans throughout the Dark Times, so she would logically be part of any meeting with this particular rebel cell. It would be thrilling to see Knightley return to Star Wars, showing a different version of the same character and demonstrating her acting skills. Recent Star Wars TV shows have brought back other, more prominent characters from the prequel trilogy, and this would be the perfect opportunity to do the same for Knightley’s Sabé.

Andor Season 2 Could Cement PPadmé’s Rebel Legacy

The last few years have seen Lucasfilm pay homage to many stars from the prequel trilogy, but there is one character whose legacy has been almost completely unexplored; Natalie Portman’s Padmé Amidala. That’s largely because Padmé’s story came to a tragic end in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, when she was killed by Darth Vader. This naturally means stories set during the Dark Times or The Mandalorian era can’t feature her. Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker can return as a Force Ghost in Ahsoka, but there’s no way Padmé can do the same.

It’s past time for Star Wars to stress Padmé’s legacy. A deleted scene from Revenge of the Sith sees her plant the seeds that would grow into the Rebel Alliance, providing crucial guidance to future rebel leaders Mon Mothma and Bail Organa; Lucas may have cut this scene, but it has been referenced in canon. Andor season 2 could easily build on this by introducing viewers to the Amidalans, revealing she inspired a rebel cell on her very homeworld – and Palpatine’s own.

A return for Knightley’s Sabé would reinforce this, because she was the handmaiden closest to Padmé, the one who literally served as her body double. Sabé remained loyal to Padmé long after the Queen’s death, and that very loyalty showcases just how inspirational Padmé’s character really was. This would be a smart approach for Andor season 2, explaining the show’s return to Hever Castle, and it would be a smart move for Star Wars.