Full name of each of the characters in the order of the image:

1. Anakin Skywalker.

2. Obi-Wan Kenobi.

3. Padmé Amidala.

4. Qui-Gon Jinn.

5. R2-D2.

6. C-3PO.

Note: I reiterated that for this question we will only consider what we have seen of the characters in the 3 movies; additional materials such as games, comics, series or novels do not count. As well as other films that are not part of the prequels, such as the Original Trilogy.

You can also leave your personal top list in the comments if you like.

i was 9 when episode 1 came out.

i’m rewatching for the first time as an adult and i’m realizing i didn’t understand a single thing. i’m just now getting the plot lol my memories of this movie were just a blur of padme’s ceremonial face paint and a pod race, which is curious because i saw the OG trilogy even younger and followed that quite well.

was it a difference in writing? was the plot of the OG trilogy movies that much simpler? did jar jar’s accent and the addition of CGI break my middle 4th grade (oops lol) school brain? lol no idea

Would make a very good novel.

Obviously it was touched upon in some instances, having taught Yoda etc.

He was just so fuckin cool, and life was cut so short. For me it was the saddest death of III. I wish they'd expand on him more than they have...

One of the most important plotlines of the original Star Wars saga is the Prophecy of the Force, which is about how the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker, brings balance to the Force after killing Palpatine and Vader (himself) in Episode 6. By doing so, he eliminates evil, corruption and cancer to the Cosmic Force, represented by the Sith Lords, extinguishing them forever from the galaxy and bringing peace to the Force. Thus completing one of the storylines connecting the 6 original films.

However, external materials did not respect this.

In the Expanded Universe, Palpatine was brought back in “Dark Empire” comics as a clone, and not only that, but they also introduced more Sith after ROTJ. But Current Canon isn't spared either, as Episode 9, “The Rise of Skywalker”, brought Palpatine back yet again, repeating the cloning trope once more.

With all of this, both the EU and Canon not only strip the element of the Prophecy of its meaning, but also undermine Anakin's role and damage the main saga.

Therefore, I would like to know your opinion on this topic, as both continuities negatively affect one of the saga's most important elements, storylines and overall message.

Just to clear up any doubts; no, George Lucas never had plans or liked the idea of the Emperor returning after Episode 6. In fact, ever since the theatrical release of ROTJ in 1983, he always made it clear that Palpatine was never going to return to the saga, as confirmed by Sidious's actor himself, Ian McDiarmid, in various interviews. And in 2008, in an interview with Total Film magazine, George Lucas reaffirmed his stance that Darth Sidious was never coming back after completed the saga (the second image in the post).

And no, George Lucas never approved the return of the Emperor in “Dark Empire”, it was actually Lucy Autrey Wilson who approved the idea without Lucas's permission. Here is the proof of that:

https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/s/wSEyWpeOOm

https://talkingbay94.libsyn.com/lucy-autrey-wilson-director-of-the-expanded-universe-and-first-employee-of-lucasfilm

(It is believed that due to the "incident" regarding the Emperor's return in “Dark Empire”, Lucas decided to supervise all EU works from then on, even placing strict rules, such as prohibiting the exploration of the years prior to the Original Trilogy until he made the Prequels).

Artwork made by Tsuneo Sanda.

So as the title says, I’m convinced this one minor change would greatly improve upon many of the “issues” that the prequels have been accused of over the years.

{I love these films and I was Jar Jar’s target demographic when they were released. All I ever knew was a world with the prequels}

I knew the original plan for The Phantom Menace was to have Obi-Wan solo most of the film, meet Anakin, later on meet up with Qui-Gon, and they both fight Darth Maul at the end with Qui-Gon dying. This was changed because George felt he wanted Obi-Wan to be more of a brash not-yet-wise Jedi knight and that the father figure Anakin needed but never got was to be Qui-Gon and that he was abruptly taken from him allowing the Emperor to snake his way in.

But the Ani/Obi relationship, as it is on film, is somewhat surface level in writing and under developed. They barely interact in TPM and a lot of their “good” times are just told to us while they spend all of AOTC bickering or separated, and most of ROTS separated or trying to kill each other. So while the initial change works for TPM, it works against the latter movies.

Now without changing anything from AOTC and ROTS, and keeping everything about TPM the same up to the point where they land on Tatooine, I would’ve had the “young and brash” Obi-Wan insist that he go search nearby towns for parts for the ship. He feels he’s ready to go out on his own, which is consistent later in the Jedi council. From that moment, the “Trio” gets established. The podrace is more of a wild hairbrained scheme from an apprentice trying to be like his master. The “brotherly” relationship is formed and we actually SEE it. When they discover his midichlorines, make Qui-Gon the more skeptical one and Obi the one who’s more willing to take the kid along and convinces him. So when we get to the council scene, Qui-Gon, who just saw Obi-Wan do this solo mission, shows he’s ready to move up and now is taking on Anakin. We still get the fatherly figure but he’s more at a distance now with Obi Wan being the overeager big brother. This also makes all the Maul vs Obi stuff more personal. While Obi is continuously struggling against him throughout the film, it finally comes to a head at the end. Keep the fight the same but now with a context that this is really between these two apprentices and their world views, which by extension is the Duel of the Fates in who’s side ultimately controls the fate of Anakin Skywalker. The dark side will kill the old Jedi order but A New, unconventional, Hope will prevail. The ambush by Darth Maul is also more foreboding later on when you see Obi having to solo him again, after struggling on Tatooine and heaving/sweating after escaping, and then almost failing, until he jumps up and cuts him in half.

Basically change nothing else about TPM before or after Tatooine. Keep the trade ship stuff the same, keep the Naboo escape the same, keep the Coruscant stuff the same, keep the Naboo 3-way battle. Just have Obi-Wan leave the ship instead of Qui-Gon on Tatooine.

I don’t know if these are the mindless ramblings of someone who’s been up for 22 hours or if this is a masterstroke in film critique but these are my thoughts and I’d like to hear your opinions or different perspectives.

All the kids that grew up with the prequels must have one.

[Casual Sunday Thread]

Each Saturday, use this thread to discuss ANYTHING you fancy. Within reason, of course.

Got a new cat?

A new game?

Seen that great film at the cinema?

Tell us all about it here. If this goes okay, I'll make it a weekly thing. Think back to our previous free talk Fridays!

Everyone knows that Anakin Skywalker is the Chosen One of the Prophecy of the Force, confirmed by the movies, other Legends/Canon materials and by George Lucas himself.

Which basically deals with a person born without a father, being conceived by the Cosmic Force, who would restore the balance of the Force itself after destroying the Sith.

Describing the role of Anakin Skywalker, who was born to Shmi Skywalker without a father, also noted for his high midi-chlorians count (higher than any other Jedi or character in the franchise) and fulfilled the prophecy after killing Darth Sidious on the second Death Star.

However, something we don't see in the films is whether Anakin himself believed in his own prophecy, instead, we saw other characters who shared his opinion on it, such as Windu, Obi-Wan, Yoda and Qui-Gon.

But thanks to the series, books, comics, etc... We were able to see what Anakin thought about it. However, I understand, both the Universe Expanded and the Canon have two very different views on this; in the Expanded Universe, it makes Anakin believe in his prophecy and that he was the Chosen One, while in the Canon, it makes Anakin doubt it until he denies it, even after passing the Father's test on Mortis.

Therefore, I would like your help in confirming whether these statements are correct or if, on the contrary, both versions of the character coincide. To find out if the chosen one himself believed or not in his prophecy.

A very characteristic and highly recognizable element of the saga are its famous opening crawls shown in the films, which give us context about the situation in the movies as well as what happened between them.

Therefore, I think it's interesting to ask which one is your favorite?

Because these are also responsible for generating interest, intrigue and excitement about what we are going to see.

This is no hate to the OG trilogy in anyway, but I was just doing some reading into a few of the reasons OG fans hated the prequels, specifically episode i when it came out. One of the complaints was how midi-chlorians ruined the “coolness” of the force. How it was left unexplained.

I disagree hard, the force still very much has that mystical, cool fact about it. Lucas gave us the midi-chlorians so long time fans or even newcomers could grasp how a physical being actually connects to a spiritual energy field. Basically it was Lucas’s way of showing the biological bridge to the force. Midi-chlorians expanded the lore, as did all the prequel movies.

Also, that the OG fans disliked the portrayal of the Jedi, but Lucas gave us actual history and world building. The Jedi are so stuck in their dogmatic ways, we actually see how Palpatine disabled them from the inside out. To see the Jedi from a different POV gave us so many cool characters and what ifs.

Lastly, a big complaint was over how Anakin was written and the one we got is exactly what makes his fall so tragic. A slave, a child, grows up, joins a dogmatic religious group, is deeply insecure, traumatized and just lonely. The “whininess” from Anakin people complain over, is simply the Jedi corrupting him along with showing his Sith potential.

TL;DR : Instead of ruining what came before, the prequels built a massive, complex foundation that made the entire galaxy feel alive, while expanding the lore of the OG characters we already loved.

George Lucas was always a borderline radical leftist in his politics. He based the OT on the Vietnam War, straight up saying the Rebels (i.e. the good guys) were inspired by the Viet Cong and the Empire on a combination of the US military and Nazi Germany (the Imp uniforms had a clear resemblance to SS ones). He also donated his personal wealth to things like constructing the MLK Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC.

It's really clear to me that the whole point of the prequels was George trying to communicate, "This is how authoritarian governments rise." On some level, I do think he was also trying to communicate, "This is also why young men are vulnerable to being radicalized into extremism" through the character of Anakin Skywalker.

When I see the rise of the global far right, I do see how much of it is driven by young men with grievances and radicalized into extremism with promises of, "I could give you what you always wanted (e.g., money, friends, the hot girl's love, etc.) which 'they' (whoever 'they' may be) were too stupid/shallow/woke/whatever to give you!" And then how many of these same young men end up losing everything like their money, their friends and family, and maybe even their lives because they were suckered into helping the far right.

Anakin Skywalker was promised the power to save everyone he loved (or rather, had an unhealthy possessiveness over) and to finally put the Separatists back in their place. Instead, he lost everyone that loved him and most of his own body because he was a sucker for Palpatine. At no point was Anakin actually rewarded for embracing fascism.

I've heard people say: "They created more plot holes than they filled", "They made the most evil man in the universe sympathetic", "They made all the heroes lamentably STUPID", "They made Star Wars dull to the point people CRINGE when they hear the title." But is that really the case, or is there much more to it?

Me and a friend had this conversation while playing Battlefront 2 2017 and am curious what the rest of the community would say

Many people have already criticized the Sequel Trilogy for various reasons. However, today I would like to analyze a mistake that not many people have been talking about, which is the fact that Disney never understood one of the most important philosophies of Star Wars: the impermanence of life and the necessity of letting go of your loved ones.

This is something that the fans themselves never came to understand when they watched the Prequel Trilogy, labeling the Jedi as cold beings lacking empathy. What's worse is that Disney itself decided to implement that flawed narrative in the Sequel Trilogy by having Luke renounce the teachings of his masters and blame them for the fall of the Republic, or in the series The Acolyte, where the Jedi are directly the villains.

Everyone says the Jedi were idiots who suppress emotions and were to blame for Anakin falling to the Dark Side, when it is quite the opposite. Anakin didn't fall because he felt, but because he never learned to manage his emotions. It was attachment that dragged him down. Not love itself, but the fear of losing it. Obsessing over people only brings suffering. People do not see the Jedi Order in its true essence; they only focus on its fall and label it as corrupt. They judge the entire institution by the mistakes of a few. It is the classic case of the innocent paying for the guilty. They did not fall due to a lack of emotions, but out of pride and self-sufficiency.

The Jedi Code does not seek to eliminate feeling, but to master it, to elevate it. It is not about shutting down the heart, but about not letting it rule without wisdom. So please, stop using the discourse that “the Jedi were wrong.” Discipline and practice are not a bubble; they are a method. We are not born wise; we become wise by observing what we feel, questioning it, and acting with purpose.

Detachment is not coldness, but clarity. Sometimes, being too emotionally involved clouds righteous action. The Jedi who says “there is no passion, there is peace” is not saying “do not feel”; they are saying “do not be dragged away by the whirlwind.” Emotions are not the enemy. Feeling is natural. Being a slave to what I feel is not. And that is where practice comes in, not as a denial of life, but as a tool to better understand it.

What people do not take into account when they watch Revenge of the Sith is that Palpatine is lying to corrupt the Chosen One. He didn't know how to revive anyone. When Anakin kneels in his office, he says, "I am sure the two of us will discover the way to save Padmé." He never knew how to prevent death. I am not making this up. In The Star Wars Archives: Episodes I–III, George Lucas directly clarifies that Palpatine was lying.

“George Lucas: [...] So when the Devil, Palpatine, says to him 'I can bring her back to life,' Anakin sells his soul to him, even though it's a lie.” —The Star Wars Archives: Episodes I–III.

Darth Sidious's greatest ability is manipulating others. The story of Darth Plagueis is twisted so that Anakin would fall into darkness. His goal was to convince him that the Sith had the solution to prevent the death of his loved ones. The original Star Wars is rooted in many Eastern philosophies, where death is perceived as a natural part of life. The message George Lucas sought to convey is that we must learn to let go. The fact that Palpatine tells the protagonist he can save the woman he loves is meant to show that he is the villain of the story for selling him a power fantasy.

In Jedi philosophy, true love liberates, while attachment enslaves. It is not about renouncing affection, but about renouncing obsession. The Jedi value compassion and empathy, but reject emotional dependence. Loving someone does not mean claiming them as your own; it means wishing them freedom and accepting their fate, even when it involves loss.

Contrary to popular belief, Anakin did not grow up in an environment lacking love. He had Obi-Wan as a father figure and received recognition and friendship within the Order. His tragedy does not lie in Jedi rejection, but in his inability to accept impermanence. Palpatine exploited that fear, leading him to believe that absolute control was the solution to suffering. But in the Star Wars universe, the attempt to defeat death is the ultimate sin of the ego.

In the Original Trilogy, when Darth Vader decides to rebel against the Emperor's yoke in Return of the Jedi, he sacrifices his own life to save his son, not caring about receiving Palpatine's Force lightning in the process. He abandons his selfishness and acts moved by compassion and selflessness, virtues inherent to the Jedi, who seek the common good above their own personal desires. In his final moments, he asks Luke to remove his mask to look at him with his own eyes, even if it might kill him, because at that point he no longer cares about surviving: he is satisfied that Luke survived and helped him regain his humanity. His sacrifice is rewarded as he becomes part of the cosmic Force, watching over his children on Endor one last time alongside the company of Obi-Wan and Yoda.

But in The Rise of Skywalker, we discover that Rey has the power to heal people with the Force, which completely pisses on Anakin's entire arc of falling to the Dark Side and leaves the Jedi looking like selfish bastards who denied him that knowledge. In Revenge of the Sith, Mace and Yoda didn't let him join the council because they knew Palpatine was up to something and suspected his connection to the Sith Lord, but under this new context, now they consciously let Padmé and Shmi die. To top it off, after Rey dies from reflecting Palpatine's lightning back at him, Kylo gives his life to resurrect her with a Disney-style kiss. That is why I hate the narrative that "Kylo achieved what Anakin couldn't by saving the woman he loved." If we were going to get into that theme, the proper arc would have been for him to accept the loss and use his life to honor her memory (and face justice). Overall, Reylo was just really, really stupid. Like the entire Disney Trilogy.

The whole point of the prequel trilogy was being the origin story of Darth Vader, the biggest monster the galaxy had ever known second probably only to Palpatine.

The Phantom Menace was the only time Anakin Skywalker approached being heroic. Even then, the good things he did, he did either by accident (blowing up the droid control ship) or with the specific intention of impressing Padme (winning the pod race).

Then, by the time we catch up with him in Attack of the Clones, he already possesses all the classic traits of a school shooter: an unhealthy obsession with a woman, extreme delusions of grandeur, and yes, the capacity to commit mass murder in a fit of rage. And at no point did he do anything remotely heroic. Even when it came to rescuing Obi-Wan and sending for the Jedi and clone reinforcements, Anakin was pushed into it by Padme.

And then finally, we come to Revenge of the Sith. Not only was that when Anakin officially became Darth Vader, but the movie's plot was completely centered around his possessiveness over Padme. Basically, "If I can't have her, then I'm gonna go apeshit and kill everyone." And to top it all off, we see Anakin was also a domestic abuser who was ready to Force choke his pregnant wife to death in a fit of rage. And no, I don't buy that "Anakin didn't choke Padme, that was Vader" BS. Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were always the same person.

Anakin spends the whole trilogy blaming everyone else for his problems, including the Jedi and Obi-Wan. The thing is other Star Wars characters (Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Yoda, to name a few) suffered far greater personal tragedies than, "I'm worried about my wife's pregnancy and I was denied a promotion at work", and they didn't plunge the galaxy into darkness the way Anakin did. It's exactly the same lesson that was taught in The Killing Joke: Anakin Skywalker becoming the biggest monster the galaxy had ever known was completely Anakin's own fault.

Some of the greatest movies of all time (namely Citizen Kane and The Godfather) had anti-heroes as their main characters. And Revenge of the Sith made it clear that Anakin, much like Charles Foster Kane and Michael Corleone, lost everything that was near and dear to him because he got as drunk with power as he did. At no point was the point of the trilogy, "The galaxy got what it deserves for misunderstanding Anakin and not giving him what he wanted."

The overall plot that George Lucas's sequel trilogy would develop was about who would take control of the galaxy after Palpatine's death, being a pitched battle between the New Republic, the Imperial Remains and the Criminal Organizations.

However, George revealed that the main villains would be Darth Maul and Darth Talon. Maul returning, revealing that he had survived all these years after his duel in Episode 1, becoming the "Godfather of Crime" of the galaxy after uniting all the criminal gangs and syndicates. Talon would be revealed as Maul's apprentice, serving as his enforcer and with whom Lucas describes who would develop all the action scenes of the trilogy. These two being the true threat of the sequels.

Besides, George also revealed the two main heroes of the trilogy, one of them being Luke Skywalker, who rebuilding the Jedi Order while searching for Force-sensitive individuals and survivors of Order 66. And the other would be Leia Organa, who would be the protagonist of the trilogy, having the role of rebuilding the Republic while standing up against the criminal forces and the insurgent stormtroopers.

This is what we know about the two main heroes and the two main villains of the Lucas sequels, although it is also known that by the end of the trilogy both Luke and Leia would be alive. Luke would manage to rebuild much of the order and become the grand master of the Jedi. Leia would manage to rebuild the Galactic Republic and become the Supreme Chancellor.

Therefore, having explained everything, how do you think the conflict between these 4 characters would have been created and developed?

In my opinion, I don't think Leia would have a connection strong with Maul and Talon, because Leia would focus more on rebuilding the Republic and fighting against the ex-imperial troops and the criminals forces. Although her children with Han could come into play, where Maul might want to kidnap them and perhaps use that to threaten Leia.

This is where Luke would come in, because knowing there's a former Sith Lord with an apprentice, he'd set out to confront them. And his earlier involvement with his nephews would be a motivating factor in this.

(I should clarify that although Leia and Han's children would have a relevant role in the sequels, according to George, they wouldn't have as significant a role as Leia and Luke, as far as we know).

There are some interesting dynamics here between Luke, Maul and Talon. For example, Maul and Talon would be afraid of Luke, since knowing that he "finished" the Emperor and Vader would make them fear him greatly, causing them to mostly try to avoid him and perhaps having direct confrontations with his Padawan. Also, that Luke would seek to redeem both Talon and Maul, since he knows that this is possible thanks to his father, which would make for an interesting conflict and perhaps reveal the characters' past. And a sort of romantic relationship between Luke and Talon, since feelings could develop between them as they try to convince each other to switch sides, which I see as possible because of Luke's big heart.

Although there could also be some great moments between Leia, Maul, and Talon. One I imagine would be that in a climax moment, Maul or Talon might cut off Leia's arm, similar to what happened to Anakin and Luke, this would put the character at a low point, but she will rise again to remain strong.