droid army, the Queen tries to capture Gunray inTheed, Anakin pilots a vacant starfighter and joins the fight against theFederation droid control ship in space and destroys the ship, deactivating thedroid army down on Naboo. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon encounter Darth Maulonce more and engage him in a lightsaber fight. Maul mortally wounds Qui-Gon,but is defeated by Obi-Wan; Qui-Gon's dying request is for Obi-Wan to trainAnakin. Palpatine is elected as the new Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, theFederation Viceroy is sent to stand trial for his crimes, Obi-Wan is bestowedthe rank of Jedi Knight, and the Jedi Council accepts Anakin as Obi-Wan'sapprentice. However, the Jedi are still mystified by the recent reemergence ofthe Sith, and even at Qui-Gon's funeral they're left to wonder if Darth Maulwas a Sith master or merely a master's apprentice. At a festive ceremony, Padmepresents a gift of appreciation and friendship to the Gungans. During aPost-credit scene a blank screen is shown with Darth Vader's iconic breathing,reminding the viewers of the fate of young Anakin Skywalker.Cast Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn:A Jedi Master andmentor to Obi-Wan. When he discovers Anakin, he insists that the boy be trainedas a Jedi, despite the protests of the council. Lucas originally envisioned anAmerican actor in the role, but cast Neeson, who is Irish, because heconsidered Neeson to have great skills and presence, describing him as a"master actor, who the other actors will look up to, who has got thequalities of strength that the character demands."[3] Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi:Qui-Gon's young Jedi Padawan apprentice. He holds Qui-Gon in high regard, butquestions his motives at times. McGregor prepared for the role by watching Alec Guinness,who portrayed the elderly Obi-Wan, in both the original Star Wars trilogyand Guinness' early work.[3] Natalie Portman as Queen PadmeAmidala: The young queen of Naboo at 14 years of age, Amidala hopesto protect her planet from a blockade brought on by the Trade Federation. Over200 actresses were auditioned for the role,[4] withproduction notes stating that "The role required a young woman who couldbe believable as the ruler of that planet, but at the same time be vulnerableand open." Portman was chosen especially for her performances in The Professional(1994)and Beautiful Girls (1996), whichimpressed Lucas.[3] Hestated, "I was looking for someone who was young, strong, along the linesof Leia [and] Natalie embodied all thosetraits and more."[3] Theactress was unfamiliar with Star Wars prior to being cast,[3] butwas enthused over being cast as the Queen of Naboo, a character she expected tobecome a role model: "It was wonderful playing a young queen with so muchpower. I think it will be good for young women to see a strong woman of actionwho is also smart and a leader."[5] Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker anine year old who dreams to became a Jedi like Kenobi and Jinn. Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine/DarthSidious: The Senator of Naboo, who is eventually elected Chancellorof the Republic. McDiarmid was surprised when Lucas approached him 16 yearsafter Return of the Jedi to reprise the role of Palpatine,because he had assumed that a younger actor would play the part in the