Prequel trilogy
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Prequel trilogy
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- "What drove me to make these movies is that this is a really interesting story about how people go bad. In this particular case, the premise is: Nobody thinks they're bad. They simply have different points of view. This is about a kid that's really wonderful. He has some flaws—and those flaws ultimately do him in. The core issue, ultimately, is greed, possessiveness—the inability to let go. Not only to hold on to material things, which is greed, but to hold on to life, to the people you love—to not accept the reality of life's passages and changes, which is to say things come, things go. Everything changes. Anakin becomes emotionally attached to things, his mother, his wife. That's why he falls—because he does not have the ability to let go."
- ―George Lucas[2]
Theprequel trilogy is the second installment of films of theStar Wars saga to be produced. They were released from1999 to2005. The prequel trilogy describes what had taken place32 years up to19 years before the events ofStar Wars: Episode IVA New Hope. It primarily focuses on a young Darth Vader, thenJediAnakin Skywalker, and an accompanying youngObi-Wan Kenobi and the story of how they went from being friends to enemies and the tragedy of Anakin's descent into the dark side, as well as the origin of how theGalactic Republic became theGalactic Empire. It also features familiar faces such asC-3PO,R2-D2,Yoda,Chewbacca, and a youngerSheev Palpatine with the story of how he became the Emperor of the galaxy. It was the last trilogy to be distributed by20th Century Fox untilLucasfilm was acquired byThe Walt Disney Company in2012.
Plot summary[]
The Phantom Menace[]
The saga begins with a childAnakin Skywalker, the futureDarth Vader, being discovered by legendaryJedi MasterQui-Gon Jinn, who senses the boy's enormous potential. It is here that Skywalker first encounters the youngObi-Wan Kenobi, who himself is still but a pupil. As the first film unfolds, key characters appear, such asPadmé Amidala,R2-D2,C-3PO,Yoda, and the villainousSheev Palpatine, who is a mereSenator in theGalactic Republic at the time. After a debate with theJedi Council, one which includes the possible resurface of theSith in addition to Skywalker, it is decided that Anakin will not be trained as a Jedi. At the end of the film, the Sith,Darth Maul, leads an attack against the Jedi onNaboo, and only the tragic death of Qui-Gon at his hands persuades the Jedi to reconsider their decision. Anakin Skywalker then becomes Obi-Wan's apprentice in the ways ofthe Force.
Attack of the Clones[]
Over the course of the next two films, theClone Wars begin between theGalactic Republic and theConfederacy of Independent Systems. Episode II starts with mysterious attempts on Padmé Amidala's life. While Obi-Wan Kenobi investigates the attacker, Anakin takes Padmé offCoruscant to her home planet of Naboo. During the course of her protection, the two become entwined in a romantic relationship, furthering Anakin's future fall from the Jedi ways. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan discovers that, for years,Kaminoans have been growing and training clones for use by the Republic. This discovery also bringsJango Fett and his sonBoba out of hiding. The two escape toGeonosis, where Obi-Wan follows them and discovers the leaders of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, including fallen Jedi MasterCountDooku.
Anakin, after his mother is brutally murdered byTusken Raiders onTatooine, feels the pull of the dark side growing stronger in himself and his surroundings. On Geonosis, Obi-Wan is captured, and the Jedi Council asks Anakin and Padmé to remain where they are. Padmé, however, decides to go to Obi-Wan's aid despite the urgings of the Council, forcing Anakin to follow her. They are also captured after a brief scuffle, and the trio are nearly executed in the arena. Moments before this, many Jedi appear and begin attacking the native Geonosians andbattle droids alike.
The Senate gives newly electedSupreme ChancellorSheev Palpatine emergency powers to raise an army of clones (cloned from the notoriousbounty hunter Jango Fett) to combat the rising Separatist threat. These clones are also dispatched to Geonosis to attack the Confederacy. While the major battle unfolds, presaging what the Clone Wars will become, Count Dooku escapes, the clones become theGrand Army of the Republic, and Anakin and Padmé fall in love, a love that must be kept hidden from the Jedi, including Obi-Wan.
Revenge of the Sith[]
The film opens with a brutal attack on Coruscant.GeneralGrievous leads the attack, while Count Dooku holds the Supreme Chancellor hostage. When Clone War veterans Skywalker and Kenobi are dispatched to rescue him, Dooku is killed but the droid general escapes. Palpatine has managed to gain almost unlimited power over theGalactic Senate, and Anakin, who is pushed closer and closer to thedark side of the Force, has become close friends with him, deeply troubling his fellow Jedi. His secret wife, Padmé Amidala, is pregnant and stays at her apartment on Coruscant as Obi-Wan leaves for theUtapau system to search for Grievous. Leading an army of clones, Kenobi finds and destroys the droid general, who, on command ofDarth Sidious, sent the Separatist leaders toMustafar.
At first, the Jedi Council does not heed Skywalker's revelation that Palpatine is the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious. Upon realizing their error, the Jedi Council moves to confront the Chancellor. MasterMace Windu and three otherJedi Masters (Agen Kolar,Saesee Tiin, andKit Fisto), attempt to arrest Sidious. However, they are overcome, and with the help of the fallen Skywalker, the Jedi are all killed. With this act, Anakin becomes Darth Vader. His convictions that the Jedi are behind the treachery cause him to lead the destruction of the Jedi Order. Palpatine issuesOrder 66, whereupon many Jedi are slaughtered by theclone troopers. Darth Vader conquers theJedi Temple and sets the Jedi beacon to call all remaining Jedi back to the temple into an ambush waiting to slaughter them. After Vader leaves for Mustafar, Yoda and Obi-Wan infiltrate the temple, where Obi-Wan alters the signal to alert all Jedi to stay away. While in the temple, Obi-Wan activates the security recording, leading him to learn the truth about Anakin. With this knowledge, Yoda and Obi-Wan agree the two Sith Lords must be defeated. Yoda would remain on Coruscant to confront Darth Sidious, while Obi-Wan would battle his former apprentice.
Yoda fails to defeat the Sith Lord, and, escaping with his life at the end of the battle, determines to go into exile to theDagobah system. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, learns Anakin is responsible forPadmé's pregnancy. Padmé, afraid for Anakin, leaves for the volcanic world ofMustafar, where Vader has been sent to assassinate the remaining Separatist leaders, effectively ending the war. After sneaking aboardPadmé's ship,Obi-Wan Kenobi confronts Vader on Mustafar. The two engage ina duel, which results in Vader suffering the loss of his limbs, severe burns, and damage to his lungs. Obi-Wan leaves his long-time friend and former apprentice for dead, and takes the critically injured Padmé with him.
Vader is rescued by Sidious and encased in alife-support suit before discovering that he killed Padmé in anger. Padmé dies in childbirth, and the Skywalker twins,Luke andLeia, are separated; Leia is adopted by SenatorBail Organa and his wife, while Luke is taken in byBeru andOwen Lars onTatooine. (Owen was the son ofCliegg Lars, the man who freed and then marriedShmi, Anakin's mother.) C-3PO and R2-D2 are now in the custody of Bail Organa with C-3PO's memory getting wiped in order to have the twins split-up and protected. On Naboo, mourners carry their former monarch, their beloved elected queen, through the streets ofTheed. Clutched in her hands is the carving Anakin gave her when he was a young boy. Yoda begins his exile on Dagobah. OnAlderaan, Bail and his wife adopt Leia. On Tatooine, Obi-Wan delivers Luke to the Lars' where he will be safe before going in exile on Tatooine.
Sidious and Vader rise to take control, first of the Senate and then of the galaxy, using the power gained from both sides of the Clone Wars and forming the Galactic Empire. The two Sith oversee the construction of thefirst Death Star, a glimpse of the dark times to come.
Development[]
- "There is continuity with the characters in other words, but not with the actors — and the look of the films will be different. The first trilogy will not be as much of an action adventure kind of thing. Maybe we’ll make it have some humor, but right now it’s much more humorless than this one. This one is where all the excitement is, which is why I started with it. The other ones are a little more Machiavellian-it’s all plotting-more of a mystery."
- ―George Lucas,Starlog 81[3]
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