In the first and sixth episodes of the Skywalker Saga, a young woman disguises her royal status so that she can safely explore the seedy underworld of Tatooine.
In The Phantom Menace, Queen Padmé Amidala travels to Tatooine to repair her ship's damaged hyperdrive. Because Tatooine is the territory of Hutt gangsters, the queen disguises herself as an unassuming handmaiden for her own protection.
In Return of the Jedi, Padmé's daughter, Princess Leia Organa, travels to Tatooine to rescue Han Solo. Because Han is a prisoner of the gangster Jabba the Hutt, the princess disguises herself as a bounty hunter for her own protection.
Padmé and Leia both come from sophisticated worlds where they are expected to present themselves with a detached, dignified demeanor. However, these royal personas hide their more passionate and adventurous sides. In one sense, the lowly disguises they adopt to blend in on Tatooine conceal their true identities; in another sense, these disguises reveal an aspect of their personalities that is usually hidden behind a royal façade.
EXPLORE FURTHER…
Characters: Leia Organa / Padmé Amidala
Films: Episode I: The Phantom Menace / Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
GO DEEPER INTO THE ARCHIVES…
Interpretive Tools: Ring Theory
READ MORE ABOUT…
Follow The Jedi Archives on…