An interesting comment from Yoda to Padme that was left on the cutting room floor of AOTC about the Force being with Padme began to cause a stir. I suppose Rick McCallum's later comment about how Padme being the person carrying the most midichlorians ever on account of her being pregnant with the twin children of the Chosen One only added fuel to the fire. Could Padme have actually been a Jedi? Is it possible that Force sensitivity lay dormant in her, much like it did Leia, waiting to reveal itself at an appropriate time?

I believe the answer to those questions is a resounding no. If she was force sensitive, surely the Jedi would have been able to sense it since she was preumably born on Naboo. Aside from a line ultimately cut from the film, there is zero indication that she was Force sensitive. And from Yoda's teachings to Luke, we know that the Force binds all life together. Qui-Gons' explanation to Anakin about the midichlorians indicates that all beings have midichlorians inside of them, just that Jedi have higher concentrations of midichlorians. So, the Force could be with Padme and she could still be just a regular human. Even carrying the offspring of the Chosen One would not transform her into a Jedi. And this is not a bad thing. I think that making Padme into a Jedi would actually weaken her character.

Why do I make such a claim? How could turning a non-Jedi character into a Jedi actually weaken that character? The answer lies with a statement George Lucas himself made. In an interview with Bill Moyers for a PBS special in 1999, Lucas said that you don't have to wield a lightsaber to be a hero. This idea is at the core of Padme's character. Unlike the Jedi, Padme does not have any unique abilities that make her special. She cannot see things before they happen. She can not anticipate what move an opponent is going to make next. She does not have any special abilities to influence an outcome the way she wants it to go. She cannot perceive the thoughts of others or see the future. Padme has become who she has through her own hard work and the influence of her parents and mentors.

Contrast this with the Jedi. By virtue of being Jedi, they are granted respect. Even Anakin, a young padawan learner is afforded the same honorific title, Master Jedi, that was granted Yoda. My point here is not to insult the Jedi or what they did for the galaxy, but rather to point out that Padme had earned the respect and admiration of others through her own merits, not the merits of others who had passed on before her.

If Padme were to be a Jedi, that would weaken what she represents. Part of what makes the Jedi great is their strength and the gifts they receive from the Force. As a regular being, Padme has access to none of that. She has learned kindness, compassion, and wisdom through her own experience. She has become a champion of liberty through her own efforts to stand up for democracy. She has earned respect because of who she is and who she has become.

Why does this matter, you ask? Because Jedi are mythical beings. There is certainly much to be admired about them, what they stood for and what they believed in. What made them special was the gift that they have that set them apart from others. Padme, on the other hand, is like us. She was just a simple human. No mystical energy force gave her extra strength or knowledge. She had no special powers. She drew her strength from who she was, from her parents, loved ones, friends, and mentors who loved and counseled her through the years. In other words, she is just like us. We have no access to an energy field that can help us jump higher and run faster. We are guided by the same light that Padme possessed, our consciences.

It is a fitting tribute to Padme that Luke would be the one who saves the day echoing his mother's dying words. Luke is a Jedi, a powerful one at that, and yet his powers are useless against the Emperor. Palpatine has already bested Yoda in a duel of Force powers, so Luke would be no match for him. Yet Palpatine is powerless against love, the pure love of a wife for her husband, even at his worst, and the love of a son for his father knowing what his father has become.

Padme's strength was her own. She did what she had to by tapping her own inner strength and commitment to what was right. Her greatest strength was her ability to love, not just when Anakin was good, but when he was bad. She had compassion and believed that there was still good in him. This is what makes her a hero. It was love, not special powers that saved the day. And this is why Padme is not, and should not, be a Jedi. She doesn't need to be one. She is strong and special without the Force.