When an item redeploys, can it go to anyone? Could you give a light saber to padme or a hired gun?

exactly it ignores play restrictions. The thing is laying on the floor and another character just picks it up.

When an item redeploys, can it go to anyone? Could you give a light saber to padme or a hired gun?

Even without Redeploy Padme or a Hired Gun could include a lightsaber or any other weapon (so long as you have the same color character in your deck, thus allowing you to include the weapon in your deck at all). Redeploy just allows you to also ignore play restrictions, in addition to the item not being discarded when the attached character is defeated.