ChainsawAsh said:TheBoost said:-What if the Jedi deserved to be destroyed? What if they, as a religion, were too powerful, too comfortable, and many of them were turning their back on the true path? I'm inspired by the medieval Catholic church, where the clergy weilded more power than kings and more than half of all priests and most popes had illigetimate kids. Perhaps a handful of Jedi, like Quigon, might still be faithful, but as a whole it's a decaying institution. This would put Luke as the start of a fresh, pure Jedi order.
-What if the Republic was hopelessly corrupt as well? What if Anakin and Obiwan were part of a valid revolution, but where Obiwan was on the side to redeem and reform the Republic, whereas Anakin finds himself more in the 'burn it all, behead your enemies, reform a dictatorship' camp. (A little Oliver Cromwell. a little Napoleon)
-What if Anakin, publicly as Anakin, was leader of the Storm Troopers, President Palpatine's personal security force? He eventually renounces the Jedi and becomes head of this 'Secret Police' (very Nazi Brownshirts). He could even wear a white, helmetless version of the Vader armor. If the Jedi are outlawed, he could lead the hunt for them as Anakin, not becoming Vader until Obiwan makes him all crippleified.
No offense, but a movie like you described would be so full of completely unredeeming characters that I don't think anybody would find any kind of enjoyment in it.
Plus I'm still in the camp that OT secrets need to be kept, and that the Jedi should be only well-known enough for some people to think that it's a crazy cult (precedent: "Your sad devotion to that ancient religion ... " "... I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful 'force' that controls everything"), some people to not even know they exist, and some, obviously, to believe in them.
However, I like your Anakin not having a wife/knocking up Bail's wife idea.
No worries. They're all pretty downer ideas if they were all used. But maybe just one? Perhaps the Jedi are good, but the Republic is legitimatley corrupt (as opposed to just inefficient in the PT) or perhaps the Republic is strong, but the Jedi are bloated and wealthy. So if the Empire does indeed have a claim to being 'good,' it's even more f-ed up when Palpatine and Vader turn out to be such jerks.
Here's another thought. If Anakin goes bad and leads the Stormtroopers against the Jedi... maybe Obiwan could try and redeem him, failing miserably. THAT might be why he's so dead-set against Luke trying to redeem Vader.
Another thought: Ian McDiarmid described Palpatine as like Iago from Othello, a comepletely unredeemable character. What if instead of being a mastermind, Palpy's rise to power was more Iago-esque. He could be a flatterer, a spreader of innuendos, a false friend, an oppurtunist. He might be Bail Organa's advisor, who might subtly sow the seeds of war from the shadows the same way he subtly begins to turn Anakin Skywalker to his side. It would take some real skilled and subtle characterization, but it might be interesting.