Among its many virtues, the prequel trilogy of Star Wars brought us answers to decades-old questions. I, like many fans, wanted to know why no one stopped Palpatine's rise to power and whether Padme saw the warning signs of her husband turning to the dark side. I looked forward to the inevitable introductions of Luke and Leia and seeing just how Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice turned on one another. This year is the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. There's no better time than the present to relive the movie, which remains timely and brings everything to the dark times of the Empire.
Here are the 5 most satisfying character moments of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
1. "So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause."
Long before some of us realized that Padme and Queen Amidala were the same person, the Sith Lord called the queen of Naboo "young and naive." We saw her trust in Palpatine at play when she called for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership.
I desperately wanted to see a moment in which Senator Amidala stood apart from any sense of loyalty to the Chancellor. I regretted that the Seeds of Rebellion deleted scene and other evidence of the early rebellion were cut from the final movie, but what we had left was Padme begging her husband to help support peace and justice. When she witnessed the founding of the Empire, it was moving to hear Naboo's representative identify it as "How liberty dies, with thunderous applause." It was tragic to know that she would never live to see others rise up against the man she once trusted.
2. "I have to admit, my trust in them has been shaken."
The most crucial part of this movie was setting up how, as Obi-Wan said in Return of the Jedi, "The good man that was [Anakin] was destroyed." Much like the dismantling of the Republic, the temptation of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker had to be done with care and precision. All of us who had seen Darth Vader's repentance in the original trilogy needed to understand how he fell in the first place.
Ian McDiarmid's outright invitation to join the Dark Side was done well, not to mention the balance point of Anakin being forced to choose between his allegiance to the Jedi and his desperation to save Padme. Long before those turning points, we had Anakin invited into Palpatine's box at the opera house. His mentor sees his inner conflict and is sympathetic to the moral quandary that he finds himself in. This scene not only highlights Anakin's feeling that he's "not the Jedi he should be" but establishes the hidden Sith Lord as his best source of wisdom. It's a needed stepping stone to reach the all-or-nothing offer of power.
3. "You are strong and wise, Anakin, and I am very proud of you."
As much as I looked forward to the love story of Anakin and Padme, I was always more interested in the relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi and his most gifted pupil. Between Anakin acting the rebellious teenager and Obi-Wan constantly pointing out that he has a "very young apprentice," Attack of the Clones sometimes made me want to knock their heads together. But I had hopes that we would get to see them as brothers in arms in the third movie.
Just before Obi-Wan leaves for Utapau, Anakin confides in his master in ways that he hasn't done for the entirety of the movie. He is vulnerable and aware of his own shortcomings, and Obi-Wan responds with an emotionally honest assessment of how much Anakin has grown over the years. They part with a loving "May the Force be with you," and since they next meet after Anakin's turn to the dark side, this breaks my heart.
4. "And so it is."
It's no surprise that Bail Organa, who, from his first appearance, was a member of the Loyalist Committee and an opponent of the Military Creation Act, would have strong feelings about the Clone Wars. His adopted daughter pleaded with Grand Moff Tarkin that "Alderaan is peaceful we have no weapons." When Anakin identifies how long the war will last, the peaceful Senator from Alderaan promises to do his part in the legislature.
When the Grand Army of the Republic marches on the Jedi Temple, we only see one person trying to intervene. Bail Organa challenges the clone troopers as the home of the Order burns, and his failure to save a Padawan leads him to aid the Jedi further. We see him turn from the activist to the active rebel who helps the Jedi fight for their survival and takes Anakin's daughter as his own.
5. "You're going down a path I can't follow."
Episodes I-III promised fans to show the love story that ended with Darth Vader at the Emperor's side and his children separated. Except for the bridge scene in Return of the Jedi, there wasn't a story of Luke and Leia's mother for too long. So when we saw the queen-turned-senator who fell in love with a Jedi apprentice, we had to know what led to her demise.
The direction of her confrontation with Anakin is incredibly choreographed. Against all sense, Padme runs to the man who has turned to the dark side and led the attack on the Jedi Temple, but we see her back out of his embrace as he becomes unrecognizable to her. His teasing about the benefits of a dictatorship turns deranged as he dreams of overthrowing the Emperor. He has a mad glint in his eye as he invites her to rule the galaxy with him. And she tells him he's going down a path she can't follow "because of what you've done. What you plan to do." It's an awful corruption of their relationship, and he turns on her with devastating hatred. We always knew this would have a tragic end, but seeing her finally turn on the man she loves is what we needed.