Star Wars: Padmé Came Closer To Stopping the Clone Wars Than the Jedi

Padmé Amidala’s commitment to a peaceful resolution might have actually ended Star Wars’ Clone Wars had the Jedi stopped and listened.

Falling between the second and third prequel films, Star Wars: The Clone Wars detailed the conflict that would rock the galaxy to its foundations. Ultimately, as fans are well aware, the plot by Darth Sidious to undermine the Jedi and the Republic and take control of everything was successful. However, during the course of the war, one person came closer to foiling his plans than anyone else, even though she didn’t realize it at the time.

Padmé Amidala was introduced to fans in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace as the elected Queen of Naboo. After completing her term as queen, she continued to serve her planet as a representative in the Galactic Senate on Coruscant. She went on to play a key role in installing Sheev Palpatine, who was the Senator for Naboo when she was sat on the throne, as the new Chancellor. Unfortunately for the galaxy, he led a double life under the guise of Darth Sidious.

Keeping in mind that the part she played in Palpatine’s plans was unwitting at best, Padmé also became an important component in trying to end the war with the Separatists. She was a firm believer that the fight was a no-win scenario for both sides, and that diplomatic means were the only way to stop the conflict. Padmé was right because the war was orchestrated by Palpatine, who was secretly running both sides of the battle.

Throughout the war, Padmé would find new ways to fight against the war in the Senate. She created bills that would limit spending on their Grand Army of the Republic as the worsening debt on both sides of the conflict weakened their respective positions greatly. Padmé also went against the orders of the Senate and connected with a friend from the Separatists, Mina Bonteri, who also wanted peace. Had this panned out, it would have derailed Palpatine’s entire plan.

The reality was that Padmé’s various peace initiatives all very nearly succeeded. Palpatine and his flunkies had to go to extreme measures to stop her from hamstringing their operations, including when Count Dooku planned and executed the murder of Bonteri, then initiated an attack on Coruscant to undermine the peace proceedings.

Ironically, everything Padmé did to try and stop the war was infinitely more effective than anything the Jedi tried. The supposed peacekeepers allowed themselves to be drawn into a costly conflict that was rigged against them from the start, and all of their efforts played right into the Sith Lord’s hands. It was a plan they should have been able to perceive through the Force, but they were blinded by their own arrogance.

Had the Jedi been able to get past their hubris, they may have realized a plan in motion around them sooner. Padmé’s true commitment to a peaceful resolution was the biggest thorn in Palpatine’s side throughout the Clone Wars, so if the Jedi had followed her lead instead of running into battle alongside an army designed to kill them, the Order would not have fallen so easily.