The Rebel Leader in Andor May Be Padme’s Hidden Legacy

One of the latest additions to the Star Wars franchise, Andor, introduces a character that might be linked to the legacy of Padmé Amidala.

Taking place in the Dark Times of the Empire’s rule, Andor stars Stellan Skarsgård as Luthen, a rebel agent in charge of a network of operatives within the early Rebel Alliance, and Elizabeth Dulau as Kleya Marki, his mysterious assistant at an antique shop. Although Kleya mainly works alongside Luthen and provides a note of caution when he is prone to take risks, she also meets with the operatives in secret and helps run the shop. Her activities are always conducted discreetly to avoid detection by the Empire on Coruscant, the capital world of the Empire.

Notably, there are subtle hints that Kleya has been involved in espionage well before the rise of the Empire, and there is a possibility that she was one of Padmé Amidala’s handmaids, who joined Luthen following Amidala’s death, as depicted in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Despite Kleya’s shadowy past, viewers have not speculated much about her background, given her inconspicuous presence in the series.

The fact that Luthen’s shop in Andor contains some artifacts from Padmé Amidala’s homeworld of Naboo, including a headdress worn by Padmé in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and a Gungan personal energy shield from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, has piqued viewers’ interest. The headdress was seen when Padmé returned to Naboo with Anakin Skywalker after surviving an assassination attempt, and the shield was used by the Gungan army in their battle against the Trade Federation’s battle droids. There is a possibility that Kleya, who may have been one of Padmé’s former handmaids, brought these items from Naboo for Luthen to display in his shop. This is not far-fetched, as Naboo is also the homeworld of Emperor Palpatine, and it is reasonable to assume that patrons of Luthen’s shop would find both the headdress and the shield of great value.

Padmé’s legacy extended into the era of the original trilogy through the establishment of the Amidalans, a united group consisting of former handmaids and Naboo fighters who remained loyal to Padmé. They banded together to seek vengeance against Darth Vader, who they held responsible for Padmé’s death. Although the majority of the group was destroyed by the Dark Lord of the Sith between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the handmaidens remained alive during the time of Andor.
However, little is known about what the handmaids did in the years immediately following Padmé’s death. It is possible that Kleya Marki may be either a cover name or the true name of one of Padmé’s handmaidens, as they adopted new identities while serving Amidala (as revealed in E.K. Johnston’s Padmé trilogy). Specifically, Kleya could be Rabé, the handmaid renowned for her expertise in forgeries, with a criminal background and an implicit network of informants and suppliers. It is highly plausible that Rabé’s abilities would be beneficial to Luthen Rael, aiding him in establishing his own network of rebellion against the Empire.

If Kleya Marki is indeed revealed to be Rabé (or one of the other handmaids), it would establish a significant connection to the prequel trilogy and further link Padmé Amidala’s legacy to the birth of the Rebel Alliance. This connection would be highly noteworthy for several reasons, particularly because Padmé herself would likely have played a key role in the creation of the Rebellion had she survived to witness the rise of the Empire. In fact, deleted scenes from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith reveal Padmé working alongside senators Bail Organa and Mon Mothma in opposition to Palpatine, a fact that has been canonized in Daniel Wallace’s The Rebel Files.
Like Luthen Rael, Kleya Marki is enigmatic and mysterious. However, there are enough potential clues to suggest that she may have been one of Amidala’s handmaidens, now working to honor Padmé’s legacy by fighting for galactic freedom and the restoration of democracy in the Star Wars universe. While this theory remains speculative, it is based on solid evidence, and it is hoped that Andor season 2 will confirm its validity.