We rank the 50 Biggest WTF Moments in Star Wars History
By Josh Hill
11. Anakin Kills A Bunch Of Kids
Film: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The Moment: After turning to the dark side and killing Mace Windu, Anakin pledges himself to the teachings of Darth Sidious. Part of this means wiping out all of the Jedi that remain on Coruscant — which means killing the unprotected younglings left behind in the Jedi Temple. With the Temple under siege, Anakin entered the Council chambers to find the children cowering in fear which is alleviated when he enters. They believe they are about to be saved, which is when Anakin ignites his lightsaber and begins the slaughter.
Why It’s Memorable: Anakin kills children — you really need more than that? This is dark, dark stuff we’re dealing with here as George Lucas actually crafts a brilliantly disturbing series of events that shows off his vintage filmmaking skills. Lucas doesn’t actually show Anakin killing the younglings, rather he gives us the before and after.
That’s a classic trick to use, as it leaves the massacre up to our imagination which is far worse than anything Lucas could have shown us. It also shows restraint, as a man who loves to control every frame of his saga left one of the most critical moments in the prequel trilogy up to our imagination — too bad it’s that darkest moment we’d ever seen.
Next: 10. Darth Vader Redeems Himself