Natalie Portman practically set the Holonet ablaze this May 2025, during her cozy chat on The One Show. For anyone who missed it, let me catch you up. The Oscar winner – yes, Natalie Portman herself – revealed she’d leap at the chance to play Padmé again. But here’s the twist: she wants to come back… as a Jedi! “If somehow she comes back to life, that would be exciting,” Portman mused, grinning, and then painted an even wilder picture: “I think she should be a Jedi.” And just like that, the Star Wars fandom collectively spat out their blue milk in surprise.
She’s not talking about some library duty on Coruscant either – she’s dreaming about Padmé with a lightsaber, kicking Sith butt. Instantly, Reddit did what it does best. The community exploded with theories, concept art, fevered speculations about how this could – possibly, maybe, in some alternate universe – actually happen. And because the internet can’t resist a good “what if” (especially if it involves a double-bladed lightsaber), let’s jump straight into all the wild and not-so-wild ways Lucasfilm could give us Jedi Padmé.
Taking a Detour Down Star Wars: What If Lane
So, let’s get this out of the way: in “Revenge of the Sith,” Padmé very much died. That’s canon. But Star Wars fans? We don’t let a little thing like canon keep us from wild theories.
- The ‘Infinities’ comics went there first.
- Cloning’s basically a Tuesday in this galaxy.
- The World Between Worlds is now on the table, thanks to Rebels.
And if you think Lucasfilm wouldn’t dare fudge with reality for a cool story idea, remember when they literally chopped Darth Maul in half and he walked it off? Let’s pull apart all these possibilities.
The ‘Infinities’ Playbook: When Star Wars Went Full “What If?”
Some fans might remember the ‘Star Wars: Infinities’ comics from back in the early 2000s – yes, the MTV era. And if not, time to add them to your reading list. These stories are pure alternate-universe fun, kind of like Marvel’s “What If…?” but set during the classic trilogy.
Here’s what they do: they take a pivotal moment, flip it, and go wild. In “Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back,” Luke freezes to death on Hoth (morbid), but Leia then heads off to Dagobah and winds up as Yoda’s padawan. The outcome? Leia turns into a full-blown Jedi, AT-AT-kicking all the way to Cloud City.
This is important. Because, in these non-canon stories, Star Wars writers have already dabbled in the idea of thrusting someone – not destined for the lightsaber spotlight – right into the heart of Jedi drama. And while Padmé’s never directly gotten this “alternate fate,” you can see there’s precedent for taking a tragedy and remixing it into something totally different.
The World Between Worlds: Star Wars’ Official Cheat Code
Fast forward to “Star Wars: Rebels,” and we meet the World Between Worlds – a mind-bending, Force-heavy, time-warping place that basically functions as a cosmic reset button. Ezra Bridger uses it to pluck Ahsoka Tano out of certain death. Suddenly, the timeline’s not so rigid. If a scrappy kid from Lothal can rearrange fate, could some future Jedi or Sith do that for Padmé?
Think about it. Someone desperate enough to change the past – a Skywalker, perhaps, or someone paying the galaxy back for all that drama – might go looking for Padmé. Maybe they save her right at the pivotal moment. Maybe Palpatine’s plot fizzles. Suddenly, Padmé gets to discover she’s got a little bit of Force power herself. She’s alive, angry, and her galaxy doesn’t look the same.
Cloned Padmé: If You Can Clone a Palpatine, Why Not Amidala?
If you need proof that cloning is basically the galactic equivalent of fixing your ship with duct tape, look no further than every era of Star Wars. Cloning has been part of the saga since “Attack of the Clones,” and it went into full whiplash territory when The Rise of Skywalker rolled out a Palpatine clone plot twist.
Now, imagine the Kaminoans, desperate for redemption post-Clone Wars, secretly create a Padmé clone – except, this version is Force-sensitive. The fun part? Her genetic memories blur with Force-visions, and she seeks out the Jedi temple ruins on Coruscant, guided by ghostly whispers from Anakin and Obi-Wan. Could a clone Padmé forge her own legacy as a Jedi? The story writes itself.
Padmé as a Force Ghost: Beyond the Jedi Rulebook
Force ghosts have always been Jedi territory – or so we thought. But The Clone Wars cartoon loved breaking new ground, extending the mystical to characters we wouldn’t expect (just look at the Mortis arc). Maybe Padmé, because of her unique connection to Anakin and the Skywalker children, manages a one-in-a-million spiritual return. What if she learns from Yoda and Qui-Gon in the afterlife? Next thing you know, she’s guiding Rey (or Baby Broom Boy) across the stars, all while glowing blue and sage-like.
Fan Buzz: Is the Fandom Ready for Jedi Padmé or Not?
Here’s the real shocker: the fandom’s nowhere close to agreement on this. Let’s break down what the Holonet’s been shouting since Portman dropped her interview bombshell.
- Many die-hard prequel fans absolutely love it. They always thought Padmé deserved a bigger destiny, one that didn’t end with heartbreak on Mustafar.
- Others grit their collective teeth. Some say Padmé’s story is perfect and tragic as it stands, and bringing her back risks cheapening the impact of her choices.
- Meanwhile, a loud subsection of Reddit gleefully brainstorms Padmé Jedi costume designs and unique lightsaber styles (hello, twin purple blades).
- Some fans reference George Lucas’s own rules – Jedi can’t have attachments! But then again, when did that ever actually stick?
So, while Lucasfilm loves a good discourse-stirring rumor, they also know the value of nostalgia and reinvention – especially if it gets Portman excited, not to mention all the new Disney+ subscribers.
The Lucasfilm Playbook: Making the Impossible Happen
Let’s not kid ourselves. Lucasfilm has made plenty of wild pivots before. Did anyone expect Darth Maul to survive Naboo? Or Boba Fett to escape the Sarlacc on Tatooine (and then spend his retirement in a Bacta tank)? Star Wars storytelling bends, but rarely breaks – especially if it means giving a beloved actor a second act.
And studios have already started leaning into multiverse narratives and soft reboots. So, even if Padmé never shows up as a living, breathing (slash saber-swinging) Jedi, an animated series or “Infinities”-style anthology could absolutely showcase such a scenario. That would let Portman return without disrupting canon, all while fans get the butterfly-effect storyline they’ve been craving.
From Padawan Dreams to Headcanon Realities: What’s Next?
Summing up all this Star Wars Daydreaming, there’s a real sense that Padmé’s Jedi destiny could take flight – if only in the right kind of story. Here’s what Lucasfilm might try (with plenty of room for speculation):
- A “What If…?” animated miniseries on Disney+, focusing on moments in Padmé’s life that could have changed everything.
- A cameo in a future World Between Worlds episode, where Padmé wields a blue or green saber and offers cryptic warnings to the next generation.
- A limited comic series that lets Portman voice her character in animation, following the Legends playbook but with all the style and sass fans love about her Padmé.
- Or maybe, just maybe, a full-blown return in some form we haven’t even dreamed up yet, courtesy of a bold writer’s room and Lucasfilm’s “never say never” attitude.
In the meantime, the galaxy far, far away just feels brighter for having this rumor out in the open – Padmé’s fans finally get to imagine her story taking a new path. Whether it’s through alternate realities, time-bending adventures, or just a wink in a spin-off, it’s clear: Padmé Amidala, lightsaber at her side, would shake up the Force in the best way possible.
So will Lucasfilm go for it? With Natalie Portman at the helm and the entire fandom along for the ride, there’s always hope. In Star Wars, impossibility is just the first step to “what happens next?”
