Sabé / Legends Sabé ( ) was a Human female who served as a loyal handmaiden to Queen Padmé Amidala during her reign as Monarch of Naboo . A native of Naboo , Sabé was handpicked by Captain Panaka of the Royal Naboo Security Forces shortly after Amidala ' s coronation , due to her strong resemblance to the new queen . Along with the other handmaidens , Sabé was trained to serve as both an attendant and a bodyguard , and as the most important of her group , she was chosen to be the first in line to take the queen ' s place in times of crisis , as a decoy . Together with Amidala , Sabé perfected her act as queen , learning to mimic the monarch accurately . Sabé was required to step into the role during the Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY . When the Trade Federation subjugated the capital city of Theed , the handmaiden donned one of the queen ' s gowns , while Amidala took Sabé ' s role , using concealed gestures and signals to communicate . Before they were taken into Federation custody , Sabé and her " retinue " were rescued by the Jedi Knights Qui - Gon Jinn and Obi - Wan Kenobi . In attempting to flee Naboo in the queen ' s J - type 327 Nubian royal starship , the group was forced to make a detour to Tatooine in order to repair the craft before journeying to Coruscant . Once on Coruscant , Amidala attempted to reason with the Galactic Senate , and hoped to receive aid to help remove the Federation from Naboo . No such help came her way , however , and she was forced to take matters into her own hands . Sabé once again took on the role of the queen in an attempt to persuade the Gungans to help fight the Federation . Sabé ' s attempts failed , forcing the real Amidala to reveal her identity . The revelation impressed the Gungan leader , Boss Rugor Nass , and he agreed to aid the Naboo . Sabé then participated in the Battle of Naboo , helping to defeat the Federation and free her planet . Biography . Early career . Sabé was a handmaiden in the service of Padmé Amidala , Queen of Naboo . Amidala ' s head of security , Captain Panaka , handpicked Sabé and the other handmaidens following the queen ' s coronation and had them trained in gymnastics , hand - to - hand combat and small arms handling . Despite their ability to serve as bodyguards , the handmaidens would also serve Amidala on a more personal level , tending to her outfits and hairstyles . Thinking ahead , Panaka devised a scheme to ensure the queen ' s safety in times of crisis . Sabé , who bore a striking resemblance to Amidala , would adopt the role of the queen , while Amidala herself would pose as a handmaiden . The pair developed a set of signals they would use , while in disguise , to convey messages without arousing suspicion . The queen would give her dialect lessons to aid her mimicry , but Sabé was always afraid that she would give away the ruse . Though Sabé was usually first in line to play the role of " false queen , " the other handmaidens could also fill the position if needs be . Due to her role as Amidala ' s decoy , Sabé was considered to be the most important of the queen ' s bodyguards . During her time as a handmaiden , Sabé became close friends with Amidala . The handmaidens would constantly train at a secret compound set up by Panaka , located just outside Theed . There , they would hone their marksmanship under the captain ' s supervision . The training area included an obstacle course that the handmaidens had to navigate while constantly being harried by a floating training droid . One day , the handmaidens were joined by a newcomer , named Padmé . Yané and Eirtaé successfully completed the course that day , but Rabé encountered some potentially fatal difficulties . Hit in the arm by the training droid ' s non - lethal blaster fire , Rabé returned fire , but even a direct hit was unable to down the droid . Padmé and Sabé also opened fire on the training device , to no avail . The duo quickly realized that something had gone amiss with the droid , and it pursued the fleeing Rabé to a nearby waterfall while Yané went to alert the compound ' s droid control . While Rabé waited on the treacherous footing near the waterfall , Sabé , acting quickly , fired a cable at a nearby branch . Padmé swung from the cable , lashing out at the training droid and knocking it wildly off course . She then retrieved the injured Rabé from her dangerous position . When everyone was safe , Padmé revealed that she was in fact the queen , and in doing so she assured her handmaidens that their loyalty to her was returned in kind . The occupation of Naboo . In 32 BBY , the forces of the Trade Federation invaded Naboo as a part of their protest of the taxation of trade routes . Knowing that the queen would be in danger , Captain Panaka initiated his scheme to ensure the safety of Amidala . Sabé , due to her close resemblance to Amidala , took on her guise , while Amidala adopted handmaiden attire and used her birth name of " Padmé Naberrie . " Before the ruse could be completed , however , it was discovered that the queen ' s amulet had gone missing . Sabé helped Amidala locate the object in a nearby meadow , allowing her costume to be completed . Sabé was able to fool Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray , although she did not have to keep up the ruse for long . Two Jedi Knights , Qui - Gon Jinn and Obi - Wan Kenobi , rescued " Amidala " and her retinue from the Federation ' s forces . Jinn , fearful that the Federation might harm the queen , insisted that she journey to Coruscant to put her case before the Galactic Senate . By giving advice to her decoy in her role as handmaiden , Amidala was able to acknowledge the decision without arousing the suspicion of the Jedi , and Sabé agreed with Jinn . As they left Naboo in the queen ' s unarmed starship , they sustained heavy fire from the Federation blockade that surrounded the planet . Though they were able to safely make it out of the system , the starship ' s hyperdrive was critically damaged . Kenobi was able to locate a nearby planet without Trade Federation presence , Tatooine , where the group of fugitives would be able to purchase the repairs needed . Using Sabé as her proxy , Amidala agreed to the plan . The astromech droid that had made the speedy but temporary repairs that had allowed the ship to escape the blockade , R2 - D2 , was commended by Sabé , who then " ordered " Amidala to clean him up . Upon landing on the desert planet , Amidala herself set out for Mos Espa , a nearby city , with Jinn , the Gungan Jar Jar Binks , and R2 - D2 . While they were absent , Sabé received a message from Governor Sio Bibble , pleading her to contact him on Naboo . Kenobi cautioned against this , a warning Sabé heeded . At any rate , she could not act without Amidala ' s authority , but Sabé still found the situation she was in to be highly taxing . While laying in wait , Sabé ( still in the guise of Queen Amidala ) was captured by Tusken Raiders . Obi - Wan successfully rescued her , returning her safely to the ship while awaiting their companions ' return . After several days , Amidala and Jinn were able to secure the parts , and the group set off for Coruscant . Arriving at the capital , Sabé again swapped identities with Amidala , allowing the real queen to deal with the critical political maneuvering that was sure to take place . This allowed Sabé to take a break from her stressful role , although the respite was short - lived . Amidala was unsuccessful in her mission , and she decided to return to Naboo and take matters into her own hands . The Battle of Naboo . On returning , Amidala and Sabé once more switched places due to the dangerous nature of the queen ' s plan . Queen Amidala had decided to make peace with the Gungans and persuade them to use their army to aid in the liberation of Naboo . Sabé , in her guise as Amidala , went before Boss Rugor Nass and pleaded with him to join their cause . When Amidala saw that this was not working , she revealed her identity as a token of trust . Nass was initially taken aback by this move , then amused , and agreed to help the Naboo . Sabé was to continue to assume the role of the queen in the Battle of Naboo , although she would fight alongside Amidala herself . During the battle , she met up with some members of the Naboo Underground , and ordered them to provide a diversion as she and her compatriots made their way into the Theed Hangar , so that the Naboo pilots would be able to launch in their fighters without too much difficulty . As they battled their way through the Theed Royal Palace , Panaka came up with the idea of using ascension guns to scale up the outside walls of the building . While Amidala and Panaka did this , Sabé continued to fight the long way through the enormous halls of the palace , eventually reaching the throne room . When she got there , she found that Amidala and Panaka had been captured . Sabé , still in her royal attire , shouted out that the Federation ' s occupation had ended before destroying two battle droids with her blaster . Viceroy Gunray , under the impression that she was the real queen , sent several other droids after her , but the distraction allowed Amidala to retrieve the weapons hidden in the arm of the throne itself . Amidala and Panaka destroyed the few remaining droid guards , sealed the throne room from the inside , and captured the Viceroy . Thanks to Sabé and Amidala ' s efforts , amongst those of many others , the battle was won , and Naboo was freed . Following the battle , after the funeral of Jedi Master Qui - Gon Jinn , who had been struck down in combat , Sabé again contacted elements of the Naboo Underground , and had them investigate Savor Kibbs , the leader of a new renegade movement of Humans and Gungans . The underground members eventually did battle with Kibbs in Naboo ' s swamps . Later career . In 22 BBY during the Clone Wars , the Jedi High Council discovered that the Confederacy of Independent Systems had paid several outlaws on Coruscant to kidnap Amidala before a crucial speech in the Senate . In an effort to draw out the kidnappers , the Jedi hid Amidala in a safe location and allowed Sabé and Eirtaé to be captured instead . The Council then sent Anakin Skywalker — now a Jedi Knight and secretly Amidala ' s husband — to rescue the senator ; Skywalker was not aware of the exchange that had occurred . Skywalker successfully tracked down the kidnappers and subdued them . He released Amidala ' s decoys , but did not like the fact that he had not been told the truth about the Jedi Council ' s plans . After the conclusion of the Clone Wars , Sabé continued to serve the eventual successor to Amidala in the Imperial Senate — Jar Jar Binks . She remained suspicious of the circumstances of Amidala ' s death , joining forces with Bail Organa , ally of the late queen . In her service to the House of Organa , Sabé was employed as an envoy to establish resistance cells across the galaxy , gather and spread information , and handle the distribution of matériel to said rebel groups . Sabé also had the opportunity to interact with young Princess Leia Organa and her friend Winter . Sabé tutored the girls ; Organa in matters of court etiquette and diplomacy , and Winter in security and bodyguard tactics . These skills would later greatly serve both as agents of the Alliance to Restore the Republic . Personality and traits . Sabé was an extremely talented impersonator , fooling many in her act as Amidala . The ruse was not only successful due to her physical similarity to Amidala , but also to her skilled mimicry of Amidala ' s voice and mannerisms . Sabé was taught how to echo Amidala ' s gait by the queen herself . She was also a skilled combatant , fighting Federation droids at the Battle of Naboo . A crack shot with an ELG - 3A blaster pistol , she managed to take off a droid ' s head with a single shot . Although no harm ever befell her , Sabé was usually in great danger when disguised as the queen . She accepted this role dutifully , however . Sharp and calculating , Sabé became a close friend of Amidala during her time as a handmaiden , devising a set of hand signals that would enable communications between the two when playing their switched roles . Although she was adept in the role , Sabé would worry about ruining the deception with one slip of the tongue , and she found playing the part to be extremely stressful during the Invasion of Naboo , since she was effectively barred from making any actions whatsoever without Amidala ' s approval . In addition to her skills as a bodyguard , Sabé could speak Gunganese , Huttese , Twi ' leki , and could understand Shyriiwook . Behind the scenes . Sabé was portrayed by Keira Knightley in George Lucas ' . It was Knightley ' s second feature film , and her first " " motion picture . The role was originally going to be filled by a , until casting director Robin Gurland came across Knightley , who bore a striking resemblance to Natalie Portman , the actress playing the role of Padmé Amidala in the film . Knightley ' s role was kept quiet by " The Phantom Menace " marketing department in order to heighten the surprise of there being a decoy queen when the film was released . The queen ' s costumes were specifically designed to hide any height and shape differences between Knightley and Portman , so much so that Portman ' s mother could not distinguish between the two on set . In the of " The Phantom Menace " , Obi - Wan Kenobi and Sabé , disguised as the queen , are separated from everyone else while fleeing Theed . Together , they venture through the war - torn city and find their way back to the group .