As Iain McCaig notes in “The Art of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones,” the idea behind his dark side version of Padmé Amidala was to inspire young women. The dark side was dominated by men at the time, with characters like “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” favorite Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman) — who constantly flirts with Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), creating one of the galaxy’s weirdest ships — and “Star Wars” Legends icon Darth Talon being exceptions rather than rules. Thus, he put a lot of work into the character’s design, making her appear elegant yet terrifying.
When looking at McCaig’s take on the Dark Queen, there’s some resemblance to Padmé’s intricate “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” queen of Naboo look. First and foremost is the face paint, which feels far more sinister than regal in this context. Surrounding her painted face is long, wavy hair that appears more unruly and twisted than her neatly fashioned royal hairstyle from the 1999 film. She also wears a small crown and has adopted piercing Sith eyes, driving home her devotion to the dark side.
With the storytelling possibilities seemingly endless in the “Star Wars” universe, perhaps someday fans will see this Sith Padmé Amidala flourish in some form or fashion.
