Seeing As How Anakin Was Supposed To Be Celibate And Their Marriage Was A Secret, Who Did Padme Tell People Was The Father To Her Unborn Children?

Padmé Amidala’s pregnancy was one of the most tightly kept secrets in the final days of the Republic. With Anakin being a Jedi – who weren’t supposed to marry or form attachments – and their relationship hidden from nearly everyone, the question naturally comes up: who did Padmé tell people was the father of her unborn children?

Turns out, the answer is more complicated than it seems. Here’s what we know based on Canon and Legends.

She Kept the Pregnancy an “Open” Secret From Most People

The most consistent detail across sources is that Padmé kept her pregnancy extremely private. In the novel Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, it’s mentioned that her pregnancy was somewhat of an “open secret” in political circles – people knew she was expecting, but they didn’t ask questions. That discretion likely came out of respect for her personal life and the turmoil the galaxy was going through.

Only a few people knew for sure. Her handmaidens, close friends like Bail Organa, and Obi-Wan Kenobi figured it out. Obi-Wan even directly asks her in Revenge of the Sith: “Anakin is the father, isn’t he?” He says it like he already knows – and he does. He’d just kept quiet for their sake.

Some people also believe Rex (Anakin’s loyal clone captain) had a good idea, too. In The Clone Wars, Rex helps cover for Anakin multiple times when he sneaks away to talk to Padmé, and it’s hard to imagine he didn’t put two and two together.

No Official Father Was Named

There’s no record in canon of Padmé publicly naming the father. And she didn’t need to. The chaos of war, her social status, and her sudden death allowed that question to fade into the background quickly. But had she survived, some fans speculate she might’ve claimed the father was someone like Rush Clovis.

Her past with him wasn’t a secret, and since he died shortly before Revenge of the Sith, people might’ve accepted that story and respectfully avoided pressing her on it.

The Padmé Trilogy (especially Queen’s Shadow) even mentions that on Naboo, it’s not unusual for women to have children without a partner. Padmé’s own sister chose that path, so culturally, it wouldn’t have raised many eyebrows.

Also in Legends, it’s said the Naboo are private people. Padmé’s family likely suspected the truth, but they respected her enough not to dig. This would’ve helped her maintain the illusion that the father either wasn’t important or didn’t want to be named.

Some Thought It Was a Political Scandal

According to the Episode III Visual Dictionary, the pregnancy was considered a minor scandal in some political circles. But it never escalated into anything serious, likely because Padmé’s reputation was strong, and people were more focused on the Clone Wars and the fall of the Republic.

Bonus: Like Mother, Like Son

When Qui-Gon Jinn asked Shmi Skywalker who Anakin’s father was in The Phantom Menace, she said, “There was no father.” That wasn’t just a way to dodge the question. According to both Legends and canon, Anakin was literally conceived by the Force itself – no biological father involved. So in a strange twist, Padmé’s son Luke once again became a child with a mysterious father… though this time, it was just a secret – not a miracle.