Star Wars: Revisiting the “No” heard across the galaxy

A certain line in Revenge of the Sith (and later added to Return of the Jedi) helps to bridge the Star Wars saga. The rise and fall and rise of Anakin Skywalker.

In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, in the chancellor’s office, Mace Windu has Palpatine, a.k.a., “the sith lord we’ve been looking for,” cornered at lightsaber point. Or so it would seem.  “I am going to end this,” Windu announces. Anakin Skywalker is standing nearby, torn.

Where do his loyalties lie? With his friend Palpatine, the one who would build him up and praise him, while secretly planting the seeds of doubt and isolation?

Or Master Windu, the Jedi who would not hesitate to tell it how it was, including his hesitations and disapproval of Anakin. “He must stand trial,” Anakin reassures Windu. Mace Windu replies, “he is too dangerous to be kept alive.”  Windu raises his purple saber in a death strike. “I need him,” pleads Anakin. Windu brings the saber down…

“No!” Anakin cries out and activates his own lightsaber and cuts off the arm of Windu.

“Agh!” Windu shouts out and is struck fiercely with the lightning of Darth Sidious/Palpatine, who then throws the Jedi master out the window to his assumed death.

With that act, Anakin, believing this Sith can help him save Padmé and becomes Vader.

Many years later, aboard the second Death Star, after a fierce duel between Vader and Luke Skywalker; Darth Sidious a.k.a. Emperor Palpatine shoots lightning from his fingers at Luke, the son of Anakin Skywalker. Luke writhes in pain.

“Father, please,” he begs. Bolt after bolt strikes the Jedi.

Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine stops briefly, “And now you will die,” he assures the young Jedi. Vader watches and goes to stand by his master.

The master Sith lets out more devastating lightning. “No. Noooo!” Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker lifts his emperor up and walks him to the reactor, all the while being struck by his master’s devastating lightning, and tosses him to his assumed death. Vader/Anakin collapses and soon dies.

The “No!” shouted by Anakin really bridges the prequel trilogy to the original trilogy. The line helps to solidify the fall of Anakin (and his redemption) oh so many years later. In both instances, love motivated him to act, and fear of losing someone he loved. It reached the point where Anakin literally had nothing and no one left. Would he really allow this Sidious to take away one more person — as Sidious had done from the beginning? “No!” Indeed.