The Star Wars franchise has an unfortunate habit of focusing entirely on a handful of major figures. The little people scattered around the galaxy rarely get the spotlight they deserve. Fans may remember that Padme had a body double in her first appearance, but that body double did a lot more than stand in for a queen. Sabé, the queen's handmaiden, deserves better.
The Phantom Menace gets a lot of negative attention for putting too much of its focus on boring details like trade negotiations and senate policy. It's strange for a film aimed at children to spend more time in boardroom meetings than its predecessors. There are interesting details, even in the ostensibly boring elements of this widely despised film's narrative.
Who is Sabé?
Sabé was born Tsabin on Naboo in 46 BBY. She came from a family of renowned musicians who sent her to the Theed Conservatory to learn the seven-string hallikset. Tsabin hated music but studied at the school that trained her brothers to appease her parents. She longed for more than a supporting role in a local orchestra. Her opportunity came after she graduated from the Conservatory. At 14, citizens of Naboo gained the right to vote, and with sovereignty came expectations. Tsabin began looking for apprenticeships. During her search, she was approached by Quarsh Panaka, the Captain of the queen's guard. Captain Panaka had a strange request for Tsabin. He asked her to hold off on apprenticeships until the end of the upcoming election. Panaka saw a strong resemblance between Tsabin and an up-and-coming candidate named Padmé Amidala.
Who were Padme's handmaidens?
Tsabin became Queen Amidala's first handmaiden shortly after the new leader's ascension to power. She and Padme became dear friends. Tsabin decided to remain loyal to Padme first and to the state second. Two weeks after Padme's coronation, she selected four other handmaidens. The artist Rabene, the scientist Eirtama, the seamstress Suyan, and Sashah, the page. Her maidens served as her closest security detail. Padme trusted them much more than Panaka's men. All five handmaidens were trained in combat and cloaked in matching robes. Padme kept her first name hidden from most, but she revealed it to her handmaidens. Her handmaidens also got new names to keep their identity under wraps. Tsabin became Sabé, Amidala's closest confidant.
Sabé served as a double and emissary for the Queen until Padme's tragic death. She did much more than pretend to be Padme. When Padme's term as queen concluded, she became Naboo's representative in the Galactic Council. While Padme served in that public role, her need for a double was diminished. Padme's time on Tatooine affected her deeply. Sabé set to work trying to free every slave on the desert planet. Her work helped to gradually emancipate the poor population of Tatooine. Unfortunately, Padme sent Sabé to Tatooine with a specific slave in mind. Anakin's mother, Shmi Skywalker, remained in bondage for a decade after the start of the Clone Wars.
Sabé took a turn after Padme's death. Padme died believing that there was still light within Darth Vader's soul. Sabé took that belief too far. When the Republic fell, the Empire rose, and Sabé became an agent of Darth Vader. She was angry at Anakin for killing Padme, but it took her some time to determine who Vader was. When she discovered his identity, she broke the news to Vader. She helped guide Vader to begrudgingly do some good as he enforced the Imperial will. She helped lead Vader to a colony of former slaves led by a corrupt criminal, and they destroyed it together.
How did Padme's deception work?
Sabé began shadowing Padme at a young age. She learned her mannerisms and speech patterns at 14 and spent the next decade pulling off the disguise. Most people that Sabé fooled didn't know Amidala personally, allowing her to frequently introduce herself as the queen without challenge. Sabé wasn't the only handmaiden to serve as Amidala's double. Two of Padme's handmaidens were killed by assassins while in disguise. Politics on Naboo seem to involve a lot of cloak-and-dagger conspicuous silence. The regular attempts on Padme's life explain the need for secrecy, but Sabé and her other handmaidens also enable Padme to attend to multiple political crises at once.
The life of Sabé is very interesting. She spent her entire life dedicated to the protection of a politician who died suddenly then worked to protect the person who killed her. Sabé was also visibly in love with Padme, though her affections were always unrequited. Imagine the story of a young lady falling in love with the powerful politician she was trained to protect, then joining the dark side to carry her legacy. There's a lot to Sabé, even if so little of it ever made it to the big screen.