logo Sign In

How would YOU re-do the prequels? — Page 6

Author
Time

CWBorne said:

Padawan's not too bad; it just... reminds me of younglings too much. You know that kind of "space language" that Lucas actually averted pretty well in the original films that seems to just stick out much more in the prequels. Its not like we had fancy names for "Knight" or "Master" after all. Its a minor pet peeve. 

I agree. The way Yoda and Obi Wan spoke of the Force was very appealing as it didn't make the audience buy into a bunch of scifi gobbledygook.

Language in regards to the Jedi is tricky because you run into the obvious problem of why such terms are not brought up again. I do think it can be done, but one has to be careful with it. The Darth thing is intriguing though, as I've had similar thoughts regarding terms of that and "sith" to describe not people but concepts. Anakin using the Darth name as a figurative f*** you to the Jedi and his old life and an acknowledgement of how his old name and life has no meaning anymore would be very interesting to watch, especially if its part of a greater plot line of him seeing the dark side as stronger and more adept towards his goals.  

If the terminology is considered archaic and/or brought up for a specific reason or mentioned by some Jedi who is into a more intellectual understanding...it could work.

I'm thinking about making each of the Jedi have distinct skills and personalities, not just another being holding a lightsaber. Obi Wan and Yoda would represent only a very narrow slice of what the Jedi were. There would be Jedi more oriented toward nature or technology or what-have-you. Would love to have this character. In this way, Yoda could (later) represent the most pure vision of the Force, but allow for other explanations by other Jedi in the PT.

The blue elephant in the room.

Author
Time

I agree that the Jedi should be much more than just people with lightsabers. I don't think that all Jedi should even have lightsabers; of course the Knights would have them, but the Masters would either be of a different class altogether, or would simply have developed past the need for lightsabers. I don't think Yoda has a lightsaber, for example...have any of you guys seen the reviews by "Mr. Plinkett" at RedLetterMedia? He makes some interesting points about lightsabers.

Either way, I've also always hated the word "padawan," too; I would think the best term to use would be "squire," to further go along with the Medieval "theme" that the Jedi Knights have.

Young Anakin and Obi-Wan 

Sebastian Shaw as Anakin Skywalker, Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi

If you want the OT deleted scenes, PM me and I'll send them to you! DON'T BUY THE BLU-RAY DISCS!!!

Author
Time
 (Edited)

I’m 37 and grew up on Star Wars.  Naturally, I was one of the first in line for Episode I, and later Episode II.  I think I waited a couple of days to see Episode III.  While I consider the experience of seeing Episode I one of the best movie-going experiences in my life, I eventually developed a strong dislike of all the prequels.

 

I say I developed this dislike, because I think I wanted to like them, I tried to like them for a long time.  Finally, and I’m not sure what triggered it, but something snapped and I realized the movies were awful and that I hated them.  No more pretending that somehow they were good, worthy of praise and worthy of defending against critics.

 

Since that time I have given a lot of thought to why the movies are so bad.  The creepy Red Letter Media video reviews do a great job of critiquing the films as films, but don’t offer much in the way of remedy, or what could have been.

 

So, my almost daily obsession of thinking about Star Wars led me to develop a series of ideas regarding the prequels, the original trilogy and George Lucas.  I’d like to begin to lay out the theses and also offer some of my ideas about what the prequels could have or should have been.

 

My basic thesis stems from the idea that creativity thrives, and delivers the best outcomes when it is forced to work under limitations.  Limitations, or constraints force creative people to solve hard problems.  More time, more thought is put into the approach and the outcome, I think, tends to be better.  It’s one of the reasons I think hand made paintings are unique, better and more expressive than digital paintings.

 

George Lucas was forced to work under certain limitations when he made Star Wars.  These limitations, for the most part, constrained what Lucas could do visually. Given these limitations, Lucas was forced (it may have been that filmmakers at that time merely felt they had no choice, given the current visual effects technology) to work harder, and focus more on the other aspects of the movie.  He knew then, that he was not the best screenwriter, especially when it came to dialogue, and he got help in this department.  He paid special attention to the story and its mythical allusions.  He concentrated on creating a visual aesthetic for the movie, that would be important regardless of the limitations of the visual effects.  In many of these areas, he sought out help from others who had special talents and knowledge.

 

A lot of time could be spent pointing out all the limitations that Lucas worked under in the making of Star Wars, but suffice to say that Lucas knew he would not be able to re-create all the fantastic visual images he had created in his mind’s eye.

 

Now jump forward to the late 1990s.  Hollywood had reached the point where there was virtually no limitation to what could be depicted visually on the silver screen.  “Jurassic Park” was the first movie I remember seeing (since “Star Wars”)and being overwhelmingly impressed with the visual effects, especially the scene of the T-rex chasing the jeep.  However, as a movie, “Jurassic Park” was average and predictable at best.  The new technology didn’t help in that department.

 

So, now Lucas practically had no limitations on what he could dream up and re-create on screen.  But certainly he knew he had other limitations.  He hadn’t directed a movie himself since “Star Wars.”  He hadn’t written a feature movie screenplay since then, either, and he needed help with dialogue then.  He had a visual aesthetic from the same movies.  He had a canon of three previous movies with an established story and background. On top of this he had a long developed mythos surrounding the stories and characters he had created.

 

George Lucas, having the visual effect limitations removed, and with virtual free rein to create anything he could imagine on screen, set about to also remove any other limitations in his way.  I assert that he abandoned the previous mythos that had existed since the end of “Return of the Jedi.”  This mythos was created by Lucasfilm, through its licensed products, especially story related items like fiction and games.  It was also based on the history of the making of the movies and the evolution of writing of the story.  It is this mythos that delivered to fans the background stories, like how Kenobi defeated Vader in a lightsaber duel and how the emperor took control of the republic.  I believe he abandoned these things in order to put all of his grandiose visual fantasies on the screen.

 

If I were Lucas’ muse, I would have guided him to establish several self-imposed limitations, under which he would create the prequel story and visual feel.

 

(to be continued)

 

Author
Time

Well first off I would go back to the OUT and make a bunch of notes on any allusions the characters make to significant events in the past, or anything they establish about the way things were. That would be the canon I would work with.

A New Hope follows a revolution. Similarly to 1984, very few people remember what life was like prior to the revolution and only a handful of the ones who do talk about it. To make it convincing, one would probably have to look at a seizure of power in recent history - such as the ones that took place in Russia, Germany or France, and base the story on a combination of those. Palpatine's rise to power in the PT as we know it is clearly based on Adolf Hitler's. However, I think given the context of A New Hope (in a deleted scene, Biggs and Luke talk about how the Empire is beginning to 'nationalise commerce in the central systems', implying that Palpatine's rule is of a Marxist nature), Palpatine's rise to power should be more in the vein of Lenin's - i.e. one executed through force.

Now that the political background is established, we of course need a character story to take the fore. A New Hope has often been referred to as a 'road movie in space', and I believe another cinematic archetype - the 'buddy movie' - would be perfect for Episode I. The 'buddies' in this case would of course be Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. The first meeting of these characters would be important, and they would have to build a strong friendship throughout Episode I, just as Luke and Han do in A New Hope. One could perhaps cast Anakin as an adventurer, living a life of thrills and excess with his brother Owen. Then he and Obi-Wan are thrown together in unlikely circumstances and forced to work towards a problem despite their differences. At first they dislike each other, but at the conclusion of Episode I Anakin comes to respect his new mentor and pledges to become a Jedi Knight, following Kenobi on a 'idealistic crusade' at the disapproval of his brother.

Episode II sees the Jedi drawn into the Clone Wars*, with Obi-Wan unable to complete Anakin's Jedi training. Anakin is regarded as a maverick by his peers; he has a far less rigid morality than the average Jedi, and will often use questionable methods in order to do what he believes is right. Most disagreeably for his fellow Jedi, he retains his lifestyle as a party animal, and surrounds himself with vices whenever not carrying out his duties. Obi-Wan on the other hand has a strict devotion to the Jedi creed, and is seen as the Jedi order's poster boy by many. The Republic is at this point clearly losing the Clone Wars, with even the core systems becoming battlegrounds. The climax of the film would see Anakin doing battle with an evil Jedi for the first time, and clearly drawing on the dark side of the force, but ultimately being defeated. Following this he is taken hostage by the Republic's enemies and held captive.

Episode III poses a major problem, as it will inevitably be darker in tone than the other two, but it also needs a certain amount of denouement. The beginning of the movie sees Anakin and Obi-Wan reunited to take part in a battle that will decide the fate of the Republic. Most of the film is based around the lead up and actual fighting of this battle. It is made clear that our heroes are getting old - Obi-Wan is beginning to look wizened and pessimistic, while Anakin's life of excess has clearly taken its toll on him. The two have also become bitter as a result of the perpetual war, causing disagreements between them frequently. Ultimately, Palpatine's forces crush the remaining forces of the Republic and he takes power. At this point, an ultimatum is offered to the Jedi and the Republic at large: serve the new Galactic Empire, or face persecution and death. Anakin, ever the maverick, sees the new Empire as a positive development; he is keen to see the end of war, and for some order to be restored. Palpatine realises the young man's potential at this point and takes him on as his apprentice. Obi-Wan on the other hand stays true to the Old Republic, and the two do battle. Obi-Wan wins, and Anakin is horrifically disfigured. In disgrace, he locks himself into a suit of armour, and abandons his former title in favour of one that suits his now patriarchal role in the Empire - Darth Vader.

The conclusion of the trilogy would see the remaining Jedi forced into exile due to the persecution of the Empire, with Obi-Wan returning to his home world of Tatooine where he learns that Anakin had fathered two illegitimate children. I'm sure you can all guess where this is going, so I won't bother explaining any more.

* The Clone Wars would see the Republic's combined military forces going against Palpatine's revolutionary force, made up of clones.

Obviously Obi-Wan, Anakin and Palpatine are not the only characters that would be present, and the story needs a lot of fleshing out, but you get the idea. Also a strong villain would need to be present throughout, below Palpatine, though not necessarily his apprentice. Perhaps the commander of the Clone army could be a former Jedi, but I haven't given it that much thought.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

I want to reply to three specifics form the last post:

First of all, I wholeheartedly agree that the allusions from the OT should have been considerd canon, and mostly immutable.  I say mostly, because I think some minor adjustemts could be okay, as they were from ANH to ESB, in order to make the story work better.

Secondly, I, too have always thought that the rise of Palpatine should be based on some actual historical event.  I like the idea of him being a type of Napoleon.  One thing this would do is allow the writer to avoid a lot of poltical detail in order to support the idea.  We don't need a lot of political background, just hints, as we got in the OT.  Napoleon was an artillery officer who fought and won some impressive battles in Italy, returned to Paris as a great war hero at just the right time, and was placed into power by others.  He eventually took more and more power and declared himself emperor.  His Continental System was a type of forerunner to 20th century socialism.

Palpatine could be some mid-level type of nobleman/warrior( a la the Prussion army officers who came from the ranks of the nobilty).  He wins some important battles in the Clone Wars and returns to Coruscant to be put into power by others, who intend to manipulate him to their own ends, but to their surprise, he takes control and cannpt be manipulated.  Maybe he foresaw all of this happening due to his dark side force skills.

Lastly, I see the Clone Wars differently than most.  I always thouight they alluded to the Opium Wars, in which Britain fought against the Chinese in order to spread the opium trade into China, where it was illegal.  I see the Republic, showing its moral decay, fighting against systems that have outlawed cloning in order to spread the clone trade. 

And since I need to explain how the Jedi fit into the picture, I have to explain my view of the Jedi.   Next post.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

I always pictured the Jedi as being most similar to the Ronin samurai, especially as depicted in the movie, "The Seven Samurai."  I even think in the early days that Lucas himself made that comparison.  Either way, it is well known that Lucas admired Kurosawa and the fim, even borrowing the line of the peasants, "we seem to be made to suffer,  it's our lot in life."

The Ronin are knights-errant.  This means they wander around looking for quests they can perform in order to live up to their ideal.  In medieval literature this was based on Romance and chivalry.  They were often employed by noblemen, which supports Kenobi's serving Bail Organa in the Clone Wars.  I don't like the idea of their being an institutionalzed, organization like the Jedi Council.  In my imaginings, there is a Jedi Code, a set of ideals that Jedi tryo to follow, but each Jedi has a lot more freedom in what he does to follow that code, and he is not bossed around by a beauracratic council.  This also helps explain how Kenobi decided on his own to take Anakin as an apprentice.  Incidentally, the idea that the Council approved of Kenobi taking on Anakin, makes Kenobi's words in ANH about his decision to teach Anakin almost meaningless.

So, I say all this in order to support my previously expressed idea of the Clone Wars.  I see individual Jedi, or small bands of Jedi (a la the Seven Samurai), being employed by noblemen, political leaders, etc, in order to uphold their systems' anti cloning laws against those who want to force the clone trade.

I know the Mandalorians fit in here somewhere, but not sure how. 

Author
Time

I've had similar feelings regarding the Jedi joelwatts. The Jedi from the original series always struck me as being independent and ensuring peace and justice in the galaxy. Maybe there was some very loose organization, but no real hierarchy beyond master-student and certainly not a council to direct them. The sheer dogmatism about attachment and love taught about the Jedi never seemed to fit with the compassion and connection to the the living Force that was so emphasized in the OT. 

I think that also explains why some were skeptical of the Jedi, specifically because they weren't an institutional body being monitored or checked by the likes of the Senate. Knights almost being mythical in that many didn't see them or the use of the force would demonstrate why those like Han and Motti were disbelieving about it so many years later. 

Author
Time
 (Edited)

For my prequel re-write I've been thinking about casting and stuff.

Due to the fact that nearly all the bad guys in the OT have English accents and the good guys have American accents, How about all the 'good guys' in the prequels have British accents and the 'bad guys' have American ones, because technically the 'good guys' aren't the bad guys yet... if that makes sense.

 

The higher up people would have 'BBC' accents, whilst the lower down people would have Welsh, Irish, Scottish 'cockney' and american accents. Maybe a couple of Canadians as well.

 

Also I've been thinking that filming for scenes that are set on the Clone's homeworld should be done in a quarry (a la Dr Who) It would give it a barren landscape... thingy.

 

Also, What do think of 'The Oncoming Storm' for the title for Episode One?

<span style=“font-weight: bold;”>The Most Handsomest Guy on OT.com</span>

Author
Time

Darth Vader: Path to Power 

            The historical records concerning the rise of the late emperor Palpatine and his apprentices Darth Maul and Darth Vader are filled with inconsistencies which render the entire narrative incoherent. The reason for these inconsistencies lies with the Skywalker propaganda which was propagated after the assassination of Palpatine by his apprentice Vader and the subsequent destruction of the Death Star. We only have one source for the events which transpired on that doomed battle station, the importance of which cannot be underestimated. What we do know is that while attempting to lure Luke Skywalker to the dark side, something snapped in the mind of Darth Vader and for at least a moment, there was a glimmer of his former self which broke the bond between Sith Master and Lord, resulting in the killing of the emperor, Master of the Dark Side, and of Vader himself. What was it about this encounter which broke the immortal bonds between master and slave? Many have argued that Anakin, witnessing Palpatine’s brutality against his only son, was resurrected by love. Others say that it was Vader’s destiny to destroy his master because he was ‘chosen’. Was this destined to occur as later propaganda would expound?

            Based upon my research into archives once thought lost to the decades of conflict between the First Clone War and Galactic Civil War, and my interviews with those who knew the Skywalker and Organa families personally, the image that emerges of the family dynamics becomes much more muddled that the myth to which we now all subscribe. The controversy of Amidala’s untimely death becomes much more difficult when seen in the light of new testimony. New evidence also seems to indicate that Yoda and Obi-Wan knowingly sent Luke to die at the hands of Vader and the emperor believing that they were fulfilling ancient Jedi prophecy. Due to the current political status of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo in the New Republic, these documents and testimonies were difficult to obtain to say the least. Many people whom I asked for an interview locked their doors or hung up, thinking that I was a member of the political police. In fact, one member of the Organa Royal Court, now a planet-less refugee, I tracked to a desolate asteroid in wild space in order to be reached for an interview, only to find them camped out in a space cruiser with the engine constantly running, still fearful of imperial power. But based upon these interviews I deduced one major conclusion: The mythology of Darth Vader is propaganda by the Skywalker family, disseminated after the fall of the empire in order to secure their place in the hierarchy of the New Order and restore the image of their father as a victim of destiny and not of his own passions.

            Anakin Skywalker was not ‘chosen’ - the origins of that tale began after his death. Accounts from his childhood labeled Anakin a potentially dangerous person from a very young age, possessing strange gifts which his family tried to suppress. Many of his peers found him instantly likeable but unstable, possessing a deep seated thirst for power which drove him to terrible actions. All accounts highlight his loner tendencies, choosing always to withdraw rather than seek help. In fact, it appears that his only friends were those within the Jedi Order whom he ultimately turned against.

The role of Yoda and Kenobi in the final days of the Jedi Temple is equally tragic now that the madness of Mace Windu has been fully exposed. His assassination attempt on Palpatine was never officially sanctioned by the Order and in fact, Yoda and Kenobi had distanced themselves much earlier from the order because of the dangerous leadership which began under Jorus C’Boath. The details of the Jedi Purge are worse than we ever thought, especially Vader’s obsessive role in the affair after his falling out with Kenobi, and the holocaust which resulted will hopefully stand as a testament to us all of the dangers of human high culture. Finally, the details around the death of Amida will certainly shock and appall the readers of this testimony, most importantly, concerning Vader’s role.

            In effect, the stories concerning the childhood of Anakin Skywalker, his years in the Jedi Order, his fall to the dark side, and role in the Jedi purge are almost entirely fabricated by the Skywalker family in order to retain his good name and that of his family. The true image which I hope to carefully and methodically uncover, is one of a truly talented but tortured soul, whose inexhaustible ambition and unquenchable thirst for power drove him to madness. His obsession with destroying first the Sith, and then in a complete roll reversal, the Jedi, show not one “who will bring balance to the force” but instead a madman who was a pawn of both sides and ultimately brought about the worst loss of life which the galaxy has seen in its history.

            The role of Palpatine in this epic is not to be underestimated. His evil and cunning knew no bounds and his hands are dirtier than perhaps any other player during this time period. Now that new information is surfacing on his role in the ancient religious order known as the Sith, his secretive past can finally be unraveled. What emerges is a portrait of a terrible man, willing to remove anyone who stood in his way, and endlessly beguiling – in effect, a true psychopath. His path to power in the Senate is both shocking and fascinating, a true demonstration of the power of the force when used for self gain against the weak minded. The rise and fall of various factions during the anarchy of the Clone Wars is exceedingly complicated but Palpatine’s ability to manipulate them and ultimately rally the military behind his ever expanding alliance provides the context necessary to explain his ability to consolidate power in such a relatively short period of time after the Clone Wars.

Most new scholarship in the area of Palpatine examines his early writings in Human High Culture, the foundational documents to his New Order which characterized the early empire. The brutality of the New Order Purges can never be overstated, but with the acquisition of Vader as his apprentice, the purges escalated to a hitherto unthinkable scale. Indeed, in Anakin, Palpatine saw a young confused boy, equally as talented as himself, and he began to turn the boy into the monster known as Vader. Did Palpatine know that Anakin would eventually become his greatest apprentice? Probably not. Did Palpatine anticipate that Anakin could be a very powerful ally, one that the Jedi Order was too blind to see falling to the dark side? Absolutely. Palpatine conducted the corruption of Anakin’s mind like a veteran maestro, dropping ever so subtle hints and tidbits of dark lore to entice any young Jedi’s mind before they are equipped to handle such heresies. Indeed, Anakin’s fall to the dark side was never inevitable, but neither was his ascension to Jedi Knighthood. The mere fact that he attained both simultaneously is astonishing and part of what makes the tale of Vader such a fascinating and enduring mythos.

            The full account of Palpatine’s rise to power and all the factions involved in the Clone Wars are beyond the scope of this study and many authors are currently filling volumes of information about both subjects. But the myth of the chosen one misconstrues Palpatine’s role in Anakin’s downfall, offering him the power to save his Amidala’s life. This story is entirely a fabrication and does not fit in with what we know from exhaustive accounts of the Galactic Civil War. This account argues that Palpatine merely gave Anakin a nudge in the right direction at crucial times in his development. While Palpatine is crucial to this story he is in not central to it, and I will give him as much space as is needed. My goal instead, is to unravel the myth of Anakin Skywalker and separate fact from propaganda. A sketch of his biography begins as many of these stories do, from very humble beginnings.

            A fatherless child in the slums of Coruscant, Anakin enlisted in the imperial fleet as soon as he was able to fight in the Clone Wars. I will try to reconstruct his rocky family life and falling out with his brother Owen as evidence of a very private personality which he would be known for as Vader. His tenure in the imperial fleet was distinguished by medals for bravery and punishment for maverick behavior. His prodigious flying abilities soon attracted the attention of General Obi-Wan Kenobi during an outer-rim siege where his fortunes changed forever. I will argue that this turning point represented the beginning of his downfall and that Kenobi was unprepared for a padawan of Anakin’s caliber. The two would bicker constantly throughout his training but they did manage to forge a friendship by fire during the Clone Wars.

            His life’s second pivotal turning point occurred when he met fellow padawan Padme Amidala and a secret romance blossomed between the two. In their taboo relationship, a historian can begin to see a web of lies and deceit within which lie the seeds for a descent to the dark side, and paradoxically an undying love characterized by possessiveness. It was in the enforcement of the strict codes of the Jedi Order, the magnitude and roots of which cannot be comprehended by adolescent love, that the first true schisms began to show between Anakin and the Order. How were these two to understand that Jedi could not marry for fear of the power resulting from such a union? How could they comprehend the overwhelming fear of a Jedi dynasty among the non-force users of the galaxy, many of whom knew nothing about the Order but superstitious tales and the ancient agreements which led to the foundation of the Order? Most importantly, how could they understand the Jedi’s true role as protectors of a republic which no longer wanted their protection? These questions lay heavy on Kenobi’s already troubled mind, but did not seem to appear in Anakin’s.

            Instead Anakin channeled his frustration into an obsessive crusade against the secret order known as the Sith. His discovery of the ancient cult fascinated his undisciplined mind and he became enamored with the possibility of using the force as an offensive weapon, and not simply for knowledge and defense as Yoda’s school taught. Anakin found a likely mentor is Master Mace Windu, a fellow crusader, who encouraged the young man’s ambitions to take an active role eradicating evil, which they saw embodied in the Sith Order. It was at this point that Kenobi realized that Anakin was playing a very dangerous game, but the politics and rigid hierarchy of the Jedi Temple forbade him from taking any action or delivering lessons to the contrary. Tragically, perhaps a more experienced Jedi would have responded more appropriately, but Kenobi simply fought with Anakin, thus serving to drive him farther away. In fact, Windu’s activist tendencies caused many Masters to leave the Temple in disgust, led by Master Yoda, resulting in a dangerously fractured order at the climax of the Clone Wars.   

            It was in this context that Anakin accomplished the unthinkable: after a year-long crusade, Anakin confronted and defeated the Sith Lord, Darth Maul. At least, that’s how the popular story goes. What really transpired on the graveyard planet of Korriban is far more complex and unlikely than an undisciplined padawan defeating a Sith Lord in hand to hand lightsaber combat. What I will argue for in this book is that Anakin’s crusade actually became a dangerous obsession as he fell further and further to the dark side and he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Thanks to the eyewitness testimony of ex-troopers who served alongside him during those days (and are currently awaiting sentencing in the New Republic for war crimes), we can reconstruct the unstable mind of a brilliant military commander and a Jedi desperately trying to prove himself as worthy of knighthood. How he came to destroy Darth Maul, secret leader of the clone hordes bearing down upon the capital world at the time of his death, was shrouded in mystery until recently. Only with the discovery of the personal correspondences of Chancellor Palpatine in a lost archive on Byss have I been able to construct the exceedingly complex power struggle between two Sith Lords who brought the galaxy to the verge of utter destruction for personal gain. The showdown between the two rivals on Korriban was stumbled upon by the most unlikely person, Anakin Skywalker. But to Palpatine, who had led the padawan straight there, everything was falling into place according to his grand plan. One apprentice had turned on him and had outlived his usefulness. When apprentices outlive their usefulness they must be replaced. The true story of that encounter will be filled out further later on in the book including dialogues between Palpatine and Anakin and the strained relationship and eventual betrayal of a Sith Lord and his “Apprentice”.

            After ‘single-handedly’ bringing Maul to justice, the unlikely hero from Coruscant became a hero around the Core Worlds, the savior of the Republic. Anakin was knighted by the Reformed Jedi Order under Master Windu for his outstanding achievement and became personal assistant to Chancellor Palpatine. But beneath the surface, Anakin had already fallen to the Dark Side and those closest to him noted his erratic behavior. He had emerged from the outer rim a changed man, no longer as full of energy and youth, more prone to anger than before. Amidala’s personal diaries record her concerns about his erratic behavior and the inner turmoil resulting from her discovery that she was pregnant with twins which she chose not to disclose to Anakin. It was at this time that her relationship with Kenobi became very close.

            Most consider the end of the Clone Wars as the lifting of the siege of Corsuscant and the dispersal of Darth Maul’s clones who were no longer driven by his dark will after his defeat. However, I believe based upon the minutes of a secret meeting held by Palpatine and his closest advisors that the passage of the New Order Act truly marked the end of the conflict and the reconsolidation of the Republic. In the meeting, they discussed the difficult job of reconstruction which lay ahead for the galaxy and a map was drawn partitioning the galaxy among regional governors (many of whom were present at the meeting) who answered to an Imperial Senate. Unknown to most at this time, Palpatine had been working tirelessly to ensure political alliances and control the flow of money to reconstruction projects around the galaxy. His web of spies and information networks stretched across the galaxy and there was nothing of importance that escaped his detection. Except for the eventual birth of the Skywalker twins…

            The Republic was ready to fall, and in the wreckage following the Clone Wars many planets went into open rebellion. The failed secession attempts which initiated the Clone Wars were a mere prelude to the administrative disintegration of the post clone wars era. When Palpatine ascended to emperor, all the pieces were in place, and he began to institute his New Order to bring “peace and justice to the galaxy”. His years of tireless political wrangling behind the scenes paid off and the regional governors immediately latched on to the leader who emerged as the victor of the Clone Wars. The Tarkin family of Eriadu was among his earliest and most ardent supporters and set the example for life in the New Order. If you submitted to the bureaucracy, then you were rewarded. If you dissented, then you were harshly punished. Entire systems were eradicated at this time period and it was within this context which Anakin cemented his place at the emperor’s side.

            Anakin was a devout believer in the emperor and recognized the true power of the dark side after the encounter with Maul on Korriban. He took his vows as the apprentice to Palpatine as he was knighted into the Jedi Order. Acting as a double agent, Anakin knew everything before it actually happened and fed information to both Windu and Palpatine. It has been difficult to reconstruct when Master Windu finally realized that Palpatine was in fact the true enemy, the embodiment of the Dark Side in the reborn Sith Order, but based upon his personal writings at the time, he acted very quickly once he attained this information. He called an emergency council meeting to announce, not discuss, that he was going to remove Palpatine from power. Most of the masters who had disagreed with him in the past had already left the order to pursue their own endeavors outside its hallowed walls, so Windu received unanimous consensus to carry out the assassination himself. He chose Anakin to go along with him, as he had garnered much favor with Master Windu due to the success of his crusade. Anakin was appalled that Master Windu had decided upon such a treacherous course and had strong-armed the remaining Jedi Masters to support the assassination. Tragically, it was Anakin who tipped off Palpatine to the assassination attempt and Windu walked right into his trap. Palpatine ensured that the assassination attempt would take place in public but fail so as to discredit the final thorn in his side: the Jedi Order. His plan worked brilliantly, playing to Windu’s hubris, and the Jedi Master, in the name of the Order, failed to kill Palpatine on the steps of the Imperial Senate in the center of Coruscant for all to see. The propaganda machine went into high gear after that and the Jedi were declared outlaws and traitors of the empire. Anyone caught harboring Jedi would be harshly punished. Family members of Jedi were not safe either. Anakin’s brother, in fact, was forcibly relocated to Tatooine, a death sentence, as part of the empire’s relocation initiative. The idea was to populate the outer rim in order to counteract Hutt intrusion into the region. No one knows how many helpless citizens were forcibly relocated on the grounds that they had tenuous ties to the Jedi or another outlawed group, but the severe population disruptions enforced by regional governors helped to prevent an organized armed resistance from forming until much later.

            Now that the Jedi were declared traitors to the Empire, Anakin declared his allegiance to the Emperor and renounced the Jedi Order and all its teachings while Kenobi went into hiding. Accounts from the Jedi diaspora portray a very paranoid time for the remaining knights. Many jumped from system to system trying to stay one step ahead of the authorities, while others chose to stay and fight. Many were turned in by their neighbors who had been convinced that they no longer needed the Jedi. Indeed, Palpatine’s military reforms during the Clone Wars had empowered common humans from around the galaxy as never before. More than ever, the common man truly believed that the Jedi had been conspiring to enslave non force-users and rule the galaxy for themselves for centuries and had almost succeeded under the rule of Jedi Master Jorus C’Boath. Sadly, this is not an entirely false portrayal but we do know that this opinion was held by the minority within the Jedi Order. Many felt as Yoda did and believed that the Jedi Order was doomed, choosing instead to live in exile and wait for the day when the force would reveal its master plan to them all. Kenobi’s personal accounts from this time reveal an utterly defeated Jedi Knight in the throes of depression who would have killed himself were it not for the intervention of his old mentor and friend, Yoda. The two formulated a plan to attempt to bring Anakin back from the dark side and use his insider knowledge of Palpatine to destroy the emperor. They both agreed that it was Kenobi’s task alone and he could not receive assistance.

            It was difficult but Kenobi finally tracked Anakin to Sullust where it appears that he took his old padawan by complete surprise. Accounts from Anakin’s personal guards in the 501st legion provide excellent eyewitnesses to the confrontation between the two Jedi. As the story goes, Obi-Wan tried to bring Anakin back to the light but he refused, and our accounts largely support this. The duel between the two recognized all the ancient rules of combat and honor but something very peculiar happened when Kenobi had disarmed Anakin. As tradtion goes, once a Jedi knight has been disarmed, he must accept his defeat at the hands of his superior, attempting to fight a losing battle was not only dishonorable but heretical, going against the will of the force. However, rather than deliver the killing blow to his own Padawan who held on by a finger to a precipice over the lava pit, Kenobi turned his back on him, and walked away devastated; Kenobi could not bring himself to deliver justice to his old padawan. Utterly exhausted, Anakin’s strength failed and he fell into the molten lava below.

            His own soldiers were terrified as they watched the duel from afar, unable to assist for fear of violating his command. When he fell and Kenobi fled, they scrambled to help him but they feared him dead. Indeed, the charred husk which they pulled from the pit in no way resembled the powerful commander whom that they feared and respected. They placed him in an imperial field hospital and everyone feared the worst. After three days the emperor arrived and entered his room alone. What transpired in that room no one may ever know, but through archaeological finds on Korriban, we may speculate that an ancient Sith ritual took place. Experts in the field of Sith studies speak of a ritual whereby the master enslaves the apprentice to his dark will. History provides many examples of the apprentice eventually overcoming this bond, as was the case with Darth maul, but in Anakin’s case, the Emperor saw an truly unique opportunity. Palpatine could have disposed of Anakin at that time and begun training a new apprentice, but perhaps the ability to enslave his apprentice both in body and spirit was an opportunity too great to ignore. Finally, Palpatine would be able to avoid the inevitable struggle between Sith Master and Lord through which he himself had attained mastery of the Dark Powers decades earlier. Anakin may have died, but his body was resurrected as Darth Vader, sworn ally and servant of the Emperor. If ever the thought occurred to take power for himself, Vader would lose his life in the process as Palpatine’s life was now bound with Vader’s. Palpatine had the perfect apprentice, basically a dog on a leash who would do as commanded without question.

After the duel, Kenobi, thinking Anakin dead, now returned to Alderaan to decide what to do with Anakin’s offspring.  After the purge began in earnest, Kenobi knew that Amidala and her newborn children would not be safe. With their father dead, Kenobi knew that the emperor would stop at nothing to corrupt Anakin’s children if he ever learned of their existence. The story as we know it today is that he forced Amidala to choose which child to keep and which one to send with Kenobi to live with Anakin’s estranged brother. It is said that the heartache of this decision led her to an early grave. This is purely fictional and the true account involves the intrigues of Alderaanian court life.

Servants of the Organa family have finally lifted their silence as to the death of Padme Amidala and provided exlusive interviews. New details are emerging of a complicated plot to steal the children which apparently went awry. During the failed attempt, Amidala was killed, leaving the children orphaned. The twins were separated and a droid was left with the Bail which could contact Kenobi if their need ever became dire. What still remains puzzling is why Kenobi chose Owen Lars to raise the child instead of raising Luke himself and training him in the ways of the force. Some postulate that Kenobi and Yoda’s devotion to the will of the force caused them to interpret strange prophecies, one of which included the necessity of Luke to live among non-force users and know nothing of the force until he was ready. This is purely conjecture and we may perhaps never know why Kenobi chose such a potentially dangerous and convoluted path as he did to leave Luke with his only remaining relative Owen (who had changed his last name to Lars), who begrudgingly accepted the guardianship of his estranged brother’s child and only at the behest of his new wife Beru. More confusing still is the decision to leave the boy in the dark about his lineage. Many speculate that he would have found out eventually had he actually been allowed to enroll in the Imperial Academy, but there is another group of scholars which argue Kenobi would have never allowed that to happen.

            Perhaps the true tragedy of the whole saga is that the fateful decision to split the twins left Leia surrounded by the splendor of elite society in the core worlds, groomed for greatness from a young age, while Luke toiled away in the deserts of Tatooine, living a refugee’s life on a planet considered a death sentence by the empire. While in hindsight we can say that these formative years provided Luke with the skills he would need to reject the dark side, it would have been impossible to know that events would unfold as they did to all but the most far seeing of force practitioners.

            During this chaotic and desperate time, the nucleus of the Rebellion began to take shape under a few dissenting senators: Bail Organa from Alderaan, Mon Mothma of Chandrilla, and Garm-Bel Iblis of Corellia. All three risked their lives to oppose the meteoric rise of the Emperor and his New Order and Iblis lost his entire family to agents of the empire. He narrowly escaped arrest and began acquiring a force to conduct hit and run attacks on the empire. His treatise on guerilla tactics is still used today as the manual for nonconventional warfare. The forging of the Corellia Treaty proved to the final straw for dissent within the Senate and shortly after the declaration was signed, the Emperor targeted the individuals involved in the rebel movement, resulting in Organa’s resignation from his post as Senator and the equally surprising appointment of his daughter, barely 17 at the time, the youngest Senator in the history of the ancient forum, representing billions of Alderanians. The election of Leia Organa was a clear signal that the Alderaanians supported the rebellion and actions needed to be taken to quell the resistance.

            Vader, who spent nearly two decades hunting the last remaining Jedi, driven by a hatred for the order forged by his defeat at the hands of his old master Kenobi, was given a new task by the emperor. He was to command a special task force which was to use similar tactics to the Jedi Purge to root out rebel traitors and spies. At the top of his list was the Organa family of Alderaan. The reason Palpatine needed Vader on this task was that the Death Star was near completion and rebel activity indicated that they intended to sabotage the project. Palpatine would take no risks in the protection of his most prized Imperial project and intended to use the super weapon to suppress all further resistance to his rule.

            A final point to add is that Leia’s mission was not to steal the Death Star plans but instead to recruit a mysterious old veteran of the Clone Wars to the rebel cause, General Obi-Wan Kenobi, living on some backwater in Hutt Space in the Outer rim. Bail Organa had sent R2-D2 along with his daughter on the consular ship to signal to his old friend that times were indeed dire and they once again needed the help of the Jedi. The fact that the death star plans were transmitted to the Tantive IV above Toprawa appear by all accounts to be a historical coincidence and the capture of the ship by Darth Vader set in motion a series of events which do not need to be recounted here.

We all know the story of the galactic rebellion but hopefully, after reading my book about the Clone Wars, the two stories will seem less disjointed than before and many of the mysteries surrounding the Skywalker family will finally be dispelled. 

Author
Time

^I'm not quite sure as to what this is supposed to be, but I'm intrigued nonetheless.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

So the long post I wrote was the culmination of over a year of conversations with other star wars nerds and thoughts on what the original intent of the clone wars and Anakin's backstory really was. To be honest, it is still very much a rough draft and there are parts of it i'm not totally happy with.

We had decided that Lucas still had lots of good ideas for the prequel trilogy (specifically in the art department) but that he lacked the feedback and constructive criticism which made episodes IV and V so good (much love to Gary Kurtz, Lawrence Kasdan, and Irvin Kirshner). We can see the initial breakdown in the creative process taking place in Return of the Jedi when Lucas inserts story elements which don't necessarily fit with pre-established canon (Obi-Wan and Owen are brothers???, where was the sense of loss in A New Hope??)

Our methodology was to take out quotes from the original theatrical releases  without any special editions edits and start from there. After that, we began to look at authors like Tim Zahn, Michael Stackpole, and Kevin J. Anderson. It is clear that these authors received inside knowledge from Lucasfilms concerning a clone wars timeline based upon 35 BBY and that they collaborated on their stories. The critical success of the Thrawn Trilogy, the X Wing series and others cannot be denied: these authors resurrected the spirit of star wars in the early 90s when it was all but dead and brought star wars to an entirely new generation (mine). However, these authors were very very careful not to tread too much on existing canon and it was this mutual respect which made the expanded universe so enjoyable to read about. I know that not everything fit precisely but they established a precedent for prior art, that is, they built upon the story as it was written.

The ultimate problem with the prequel trilogy was that it was a rude jolt out of what many fans considered the Star Wars Universe. Compound this with bad writing and equally uninspiring performances from incredibly talented actors (watch red letter media for more on this subject) and what you have is a mess. And yet, for the longest time, I felt like an oustider in the universe I come to know so well... Audiences didn't care about the symbolism of light vs. dark or the honor involved in a lightsaber duel, they just wanted to see hack and slash. This cognitive dissonance is further compounded when one watches the series from episode 1-6. There are actually forums where people encourage this type of viewing for those new to star wars. This is unacceptable.

The Star Wars writing project is just something that I do from time to time when inspiration hits. I have spreadsheets and word docs galore filling in other parts of what I consider "my canon" but ultimately my list of sources are in this order: Original theatrical releases, Books released prior to 1998, and the Star Wars Encyclopedia by Stephen J. Sansweet.

All that being said, there are still lots of elements which are excellent additions to the Universe - Mace Windu, the Jedi Temple, Padme Amidala, and Darth Maul to name a few. My inspiration was to mix all of these factors together in a coherent format but written in a historical style. My premise would be that the prequel trilogy as we have come to know it is a false interpretation of the events which really transpired. This is due to the skywalker family (or skywalker ranch) seeking to protect their father's name. In my universe, Anakin fell to the dark side because of his OWN CHOICES, no one forced him or tricked him into it, and Palpatine merely nudged him along the path. The nature of the dark side and power are explored not through destiny or prophecy but through our everyday actions. The rest of the narrative seeks to "fix" the propaganda.

These re-writes will never be made into movies and part of the problem with the prequels is fitting everything into a 3 act story structure in a larger 6 part story arc. When I got rid of those arbitrary structures, the story fit together as it was meant to fit based upon lines from Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, Sebastian Shaw, and Frank Oz.

I hope this clears up what my friends and I were trying to accomplish with my long post before this and I hope that everyone on this forum enjoys reading it and provides critical commentary.

Author
Time

Been thinking about ways to avoid the Mandalorians having lightsabers in battling the Jedi and go with some other style fight. Had an idea in my head about them sporting really long, powerful, gauntlet gloves that lightsabers can't penetrate, perhaps ones hot enough to do real damage if they hit. In general I'm envisioning Mandalorian fighters being much more acrobatic with a lot of Jedi actually being more defensive and technical. 

Author
Time

^You could go the route of the EU and have the Mandalorians use swords made out of lightsaber-resistant materials.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

 

My prequels ditch R2 and 3PO, as well as a number of other pointless OT pandering characters like Chewie. Yoda only appears briefly in Episode III, and in much the same capacity as he did in the OT. Not to mention the same location.

I've eliminated basically every single character, setting, and plotline from the existing PT. You will never *ever* hear about Mace, Jango, Maul, Grievous or any other obvious toy-making cash-in characters or comic relief for babies.

Same goes for one-off villains who are given no background of interactions with our heroes or any personality to speak of. There's only one major villain in the series besides Palpatine and Vader, and she's a former Jedi herself (who happens to wield the same red lightsaber that Vader uses in the original trilogy).

And most importantly, I've done my best to eliminate anything having to do with "Senate negotiations" or "taxation of trade routes". Those kinds of boring terms make my eyes glaze over.

Also, Anakin's love interest does not have a profession as boring as being a Senator. She's a rock-and-rolling star pilot badass like her son will be and her husband always was.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that there must be some kind of political background to galvanize the events in a remade PT and thus set up the OT, but I try to do it in a more interesting way.

In my version, the Clone Wars are a racially-motivated conflict. Alien species from many star systems break off from the Republic because they feel that Humans unfairly dominate the galaxy. So these aliens fight against the Republic, bolstering their numbers by cloning the best warriors of so many different races.

In doing so, I believe I have created an adequate justification for the general marginalization of aliens in the OT. 

It kind of amplifies the whole "Empire = Space Nazis" angle, does it not?

 

Finally, I couldn't write my way out of having two protagonists. But this time, it's not Anakin and Obi-Wan. Instead we have Anakin and his apprentice Ben. This being the man who Obi-Wan Kenobi names himself after while in exile on Tatooine. 

It's kind of a long story!

 

Author
Time
 (Edited)

piestrider said:

 

All that being said, there are still lots of elements which are excellent additions to the Universe - Mace Windu, the Jedi Temple, Padme Amidala, and Darth Maul to name a few. 

 

I agree with pretty much all of your points except this one.

Please enlighten us as to what personality Padme had beyond "Important Senator", what personality Maul had beyond "Silent Assassin", and what personality Windu had beyond "Stoic Jedi".

All of these examples remind of me of people who claim that the player character from Doom had a personality beyond "Gruff Space Marine". A job title or story role does not suffice as a personality, IMO. 

It would have been nice to know what the above three characters were like as people. Even one quick gesture, scene, or throwaway line would have spiced these people up just a little bit. 

Maul, what's your favorite flavor of ice cream? Padme, how is your life as a Senator different from your life as a Queen? Mace, what made you decide on a purple blade?

And before anyone tells me to read the EU, I would like to point out that the movies should stand on their own, with the books serving to expand on an already coherent story. That's why it is called the Expanded Universe.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Edit: Oops, pressed the wrong button.

Diverging slightly from the current discussion, I find some common problems/mistakes among many prequel writers (myself included to some extent):

1) In ANH, Obi-Wan states that Anakin was "already an excellent pilot". Yet, I've seen prequel re-writers turn him into a farmer, or street urchin, or some such that does not click very well with Anakin being a pilot.

2) Making Anakin too special. We all know that Anakin has to be exceptionally talented, that's why Obi-Wan trains him. Yet, I've seen writers exaggerate his talents in ways that do not correspond very well with the tough requirements for becoming a Jedi established in the OT. Some have him already self-trained. I've even seen one writer have Anakin keep a spaceship from crashing, using the Force, as if he was already like Yoda. Less is more here, I think.

3) The Republic and the Jedi. The Jedi order are clearly officially sanctioned, from what Obi-Wan tells us. And yet, it doesn't seem like they would be the armed forces of the Republic, because the Republic is a democracy that probably wants to retain control over its own military, not hand it over to a strange sect. This relationship needs to be plausible in the storyline. I've seen too many writers who create something not very convincing.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

danaan said:

Edit: Oops, pressed the wrong button.

Diverging slightly from the current discussion, I find some common problems/mistakes among many prequel writers (myself included to some extent):

1) In ANH, Obi-Wan states that Anakin was "already an excellent pilot". Yet, I've seen prequel re-writers turn him into a farmer, or street urchin, or some such that does not click very well with Anakin being a pilot.

2) Making Anakin too special. We all know that Anakin has to be exceptionally talented, that's why Obi-Wan trains him. Yet, I've seen writers exaggerate his talents in ways that do not correspond very well with the tough requirements for becoming a Jedi established in the OT. Some have him already self-trained. I've even seen one writer have Anakin keep a spaceship from crashing, using the Force, as if he was already like Yoda. Less is more here, I think.

3) The Republic and the Jedi. The Jedi order are clearly officially sanctioned, from what Obi-Wan tells us. And yet, it doesn't seem like they would be the armed forces of the Republic, because the Republic is a democracy that probably wants to retain control over its own military, not hand it over to a strange sect. This relationship needs to be plausible in the storyline. I've seen too many writers who create something not very convincing.

1. My current idea involves Anakin being a navigator on a space frieghtor who in the rare  opportunities he does get to directly fly is quite remarkable, shown to Kenobi when he and Skywalker first leave Tatooine. In general its tricky because you have to establish why Anakin is such a great pilot and yet still is on a place like Tatooine.  

2. Agreed. I think Anakin's distinct quality should be one of emotion not abilities. Its the temptations he faces, and ultimately how worldview in compared to Kenobi and other Jedi led him down a darker path. It creates a more interesting picture if other than possibly Obi-Wan the other Jedi and Yoda didn't really see anything all that notable. In fact if Skywalker is largely under the radar of most other knights and masters it helps to explain why his fall was such a surprise since most would have assumed  Palpatine would seduce a more powerful Jedi.

3. That is an issue, plus it would seem to be a discrepancy that Obi-Wan and Anakin fought in the wars, while Yoda states that a Jedi uses the force for defense and not attack. However I think there is a way to make it work. If the Jedi were utilized in more of an advisory capacity in defense and dodging (utilizing precognitive abilities to alert about ships, planning strategy, very occasional use of the mind trick) they would be critical but not overtly powerful. In fact, my thinking has that fact as a growing point of conflict between Kenobi and Skywalker, as the latter grows discontented that the Jedi are not being more directly involved in offensive assaults in the war.

Author
Time

CWBorne said:



danaan said:

Edit: Oops, pressed the wrong button.

Diverging slightly from the current discussion, I find some common problems/mistakes among many prequel writers (myself included to some extent):

1) In ANH, Obi-Wan states that Anakin was "already an excellent pilot". Yet, I've seen prequel re-writers turn him into a farmer, or street urchin, or some such that does not click very well with Anakin being a pilot.

2) Making Anakin too special. We all know that Anakin has to be exceptionally talented, that's why Obi-Wan trains him. Yet, I've seen writers exaggerate his talents in ways that do not correspond very well with the tough requirements for becoming a Jedi established in the OT. Some have him already self-trained. I've even seen one writer have Anakin keep a spaceship from crashing, using the Force, as if he was already like Yoda. Less is more here, I think.

3) The Republic and the Jedi. The Jedi order are clearly officially sanctioned, from what Obi-Wan tells us. And yet, it doesn't seem like they would be the armed forces of the Republic, because the Republic is a democracy that probably wants to retain control over its own military, not hand it over to a strange sect. This relationship needs to be plausible in the storyline. I've seen too many writers who create something not very convincing.


1. My current idea involves Anakin being a navigator on a space frieghtor who in the rare  opportunities he does get to directly fly is quite remarkable, shown to Kenobi when he and Skywalker first leave Tatooine. In general its tricky because you have to establish why Anakin is such a great pilot and yet still is on a place like Tatooine.  

2. Agreed. I think Anakin's distinct quality should be one of emotion not abilities. Its the temptations he faces, and ultimately how worldview in compared to Kenobi and other Jedi led him down a darker path. It creates a more interesting picture if other than possibly Obi-Wan the other Jedi and Yoda didn't really see anything all that notable. In fact if Skywalker is largely under the radar of most other knights and masters it helps to explain why his fall was such a surprise since most would have assumed  Palpatine would seduce a more powerful Jedi.

3. That is an issue, plus it would seem to be a discrepancy that Obi-Wan and Anakin fought in the wars, while Yoda states that a Jedi uses the force for defense and not attack. However I think there is a way to make it work. If the Jedi were utilized in more of an advisory capacity in defense and dodging (utilizing precognitive abilities to alert about ships, planning strategy, very occasional use of the mind trick) they would be critical but overtly powerful. In fact, my thinking has that fact as a growing point of conflict between Kenobi and Skywalker, as the latter grows discontented as the Jedi not being more directly involved in offensive assults in the war


Sounds good, particularly the third part. For 1) I'm not sure why everyone seems to feel that Anakin has to be on Tatooine at the start of the Prequel. The OT material states that Obi-Wan recruited him to the Jedi order and that Obi-Wan and Owen clearly had a disagreement about this. But that's it. There's a lot of freedom to elaborate on this background.

As for 2), I think that it's ok to let Anakin show himself to be notable, but that's notable in the eyes of a Jedi. For anyone outside, those signals should probably be very subtle. The Force is strong with him, but only a Jedi can see it and interpret it correctly. For anyone else, he's just lucky, or very talented at something...

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Regarding Tatooine I think the Original Trilogy line that has people tending towards having Anakin on the planet is Kenobi stating to Luke that "He didn't hold with your father's ideals, thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved. 

Now that could still easily mean that Anakin and Owen were on a trip and met Kenobi on a nearby planet or station, and while Lars wants Skywalker to go back to Tatooine, he instead goes with Obi-Wan. It would still fit with the spirit of what Kenobi said. 

Truth be told, I want to show Tatooine just because in my version, the planet was actually starting to develop commericially with low-level terraforming being considered before the Clone Wars and the Empire's reign completely destroyed any potential of economic development. Basically the planet's a handy visual demonstration of both the costs of the war and that Anakin at the time was giving up a potentially decent life. That this better livelihood was taken away somewhat due to Skywalker's absence is something Lars holds against Kenobi when he shows up with Luke later.

 

Author
Time

CWBorne said:


Regarding Tatooine I think the Original Trilogy line that has people tending towards having Anakin on the planet is Kenobi stating to Luke that "He didn't hold with your father's ideals, thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved. 
<div>

Now that could still easily mean that Anakin and Owen were on a trip and met Kenobi on a nearby planet or station, and while Lars wants Skywalker to go back to Tatooine, he instead goes with Obi-Wan. It would still fit with the spirit of what Kenobi said. 


Good point about the quote, and about the possiblites for scope in the PT. It somehow establishes that at least Owen Lars lived at Tatooine. As for the others...


CWBorne said:


Truth be told, I want to show Tatooine just because in my version, the planet was actually starting to develop commericially with low-level terraforming being considered before the Clone Wars and the Empire's reign completely destroyed any potential of economic development. Basically the planet's a handy visual demonstration of both the costs of the war and that Anakin at the time was giving up a potentially decent life. That this better livelihood was taken away somewhat due to Skywalker's absence is something Lars holds against Kenobi when he shows up with Luke later.
</div>
 


Interesting idea. What I feel is that Lucas very intentionally builds Tatooine as a peripheral planet. There's rural/urban divide going on there, with Luke being the country boy finding himself in a very important role all of a sudden. Kinda like the Hobbits from the sleepy Shire in LOTR. i think that needs to be maintained when you build this. Maybe you give Tatooine the Western Boomtown feel in this, and then tear that boom to shreds during the war. That would be kinda cool, and it's a good way to show that the war does, in fact, have consequences....

Author
Time

    Clever ideas.

     Maybe Tat is never named in the PT until the end or given a different name?

Author
Time

Please enlighten us as to what personality Padme had beyond "Important Senator", what personality Maul had beyond "Silent Assassin", and what personality Windu had beyond "Stoic Jedi".

A very good question. The short answer was famously indicated in RedLetterMedia's review of the prequel trilogy in which fans of the series gushed over Darth Vader and Han Solo but were at a loss to explain any significant details about prequel characters. My longer answer is to rewrite these characters. 

A very good place to start would be the nature of the Jedi Order. If they really did have a temple system with a rigid hierarchy whose members were sworn protectors of the realm, I suppose that it makes sense for them to follow a very strict moral and ascetic code. As such, I have always pictured Mace Windu as a Paladin, a lawful good paragon whose main goal is to root out evil at any cost, regardless of the consequences. Regarding the portrayal of the character by Samuel L Jackson, Mace Windu and he are one in the same in my mind and to separate them would violate the image many fans have in their head of what he looks and sounds like.

I do believe that Star Wars and the Jedi in particular were inspired by eastern mysticism and so the idea that all the masters of the Jedi Order have to agree is a bit ridiculous. As such, I would portray Yoda as exemplifying an ancient, more passive version of what it means to be a Jedi, whereas Windu would embody a more aggressive, activist approach. And with great power comes great responsibility, as Jorus C'Baoth learned aboard Outbound flight. The real tension of the prequel trilogy should revolve around not just the tension within the Jedi Order and its downfall bu also the tension between force users and non force users in the galaxy. Are the Jedi obsolete without the republic?

As for Amidala, I was intrigued by the idea of forbidden romance between her an Anakin. Ways to make this work better would be 1) if they were the same age and 2) if they were both Jedi in training. I have always believed that the Jedi were forbidden to marry for fear of the powerful offspring that such a union would produce. Given that the slide to the dark side is fraught with peril, Jedi dynasties could easily take control of non-force users. Amidala could still be from Naboo and highborn but it would be a lot more interesting to write scenes where she and Anakin are sparring and training in the force and get very close to intimacy but must constantly back away and deny their emotions and feelings for each other. The denial of self required by all Jedi would be a constant source of tension for young acolytes. 

Finally, I believe that Darth Maul would better serve as the source of Anakin's obsessive crusade to destroy the Sith as inspired by Mace Windu. To do this, I would throw out the rule of two. I picture an old Sith Master (Darth Plagueis) who trained Maul, Dooku, and his final pupil Palpatine, killed him in his sleep. As per the thrawn trilogy canon, I would make Darth Maul the master of the clones who are held in check by his dark force powers. Dooku would seek to sow the seeds of civil war and split the outer rim from the core worlds. Palpatine would seek to consolidate his political power over the core worlds, institute human high culture, subjugate the outer rim, and exterminate the Jedi. If Darth maul becomes the great white whale, then Anakin becomes his Ahab and thus the slide to the dark side occurs as a result of obsession with vanquishing evil. 

Author
Time

thejediknighthusezni said:


    Clever ideas.

     Maybe Tat is never named in the PT until the end or given a different name?


Why give it a different name?

I dunno, I get the feeling that Tatooine can be used in the PT, but maybe more sparingly than in the official version. I.e. one wants to make sure that Anakin does not become Luke 2.0, and showing a great deal of Anakin's setup at Tatooine will likely come across as too much of a Luke-rip off. Lucas managed to avoid that by making Anakin a kid, but that came at a great cost to the narrative. My solution is having Anakin (and Owen and Beru) being somewhere else at the start of the PT, but their paths will diverge at Tatooine. That way, setup is done somewhere else, but there's still a way to show the viewer the events behind how Ben descrbes the conflict with Owen.

Author
Time

piestrider said:


<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: verdana, geneva, arial, helvetica, 'sans serif'; line-height: 17px; text-align: left; background-color: #484e5e; ">Please enlighten us as to what personality Padme had beyond "Important Senator", what personality Maul had beyond "Silent Assassin", and what personality Windu had beyond "Stoic Jedi".</span>

A very good question. The short answer was famously indicated in RedLetterMedia's review of the prequel trilogy in which fans of the series gushed over Darth Vader and Han Solo but were at a loss to explain any significant details about prequel characters. My longer answer is to rewrite these characters. 

A very good place to start would be the nature of the Jedi Order. If they really did have a temple system with a rigid hierarchy whose members were sworn protectors of the realm, I suppose that it makes sense for them to follow a very strict moral and ascetic code. As such, I have always pictured Mace Windu as a Paladin, a lawful good paragon whose main goal is to root out evil at any cost, regardless of the consequences. Regarding the portrayal of the character by Samuel L Jackson, Mace Windu and he are one in the same in my mind and to separate them would violate the image many fans have in their head of what he looks and sounds like.

I do believe that Star Wars and the Jedi in particular were inspired by eastern mysticism and so the idea that all the masters of the Jedi Order have to agree is a bit ridiculous. As such, I would portray Yoda as exemplifying an ancient, more passive version of what it means to be a Jedi, whereas Windu would embody a more aggressive, activist approach. And with great power comes great responsibility, as Jorus C'Baoth learned aboard Outbound flight. The real tension of the prequel trilogy should revolve around not just the tension within the Jedi Order and its downfall bu also the tension between force users and non force users in the galaxy. Are the Jedi obsolete without the republic?

As for Amidala, I was intrigued by the idea of forbidden romance between her an Anakin. Ways to make this work better would be 1) if they were the same age and 2) if they were both Jedi in training. I have always believed that the Jedi were forbidden to marry for fear of the powerful offspring that such a union would produce. Given that the slide to the dark side is fraught with peril, Jedi dynasties could easily take control of non-force users. Amidala could still be from Naboo and highborn but it would be a lot more interesting to write scenes where she and Anakin are sparring and training in the force and get very close to intimacy but must constantly back away and deny their emotions and feelings for each other. The denial of self required by all Jedi would be a constant source of tension for young acolytes. 

Finally, I believe that Darth Maul would better serve as the source of Anakin's obsessive crusade to destroy the Sith as inspired by Mace Windu. To do this, I would throw out the rule of two. I picture an old Sith Master (Darth Plagueis) who trained Maul, Dooku, and his final pupil Palpatine, killed him in his sleep. As per the thrawn trilogy canon, I would make Darth Maul the master of the clones who are held in check by his dark force powers. Dooku would seek to sow the seeds of civil war and split the outer rim from the core worlds. Palpatine would seek to consolidate his political power over the core worlds, institute human high culture, subjugate the outer rim, and exterminate the Jedi. If Darth maul becomes the great white whale, then Anakin becomes his Ahab and thus the slide to the dark side occurs as a result of obsession with vanquishing evil. 


I agree with the notion of making Maul Anakin's white whale. It's nicely mythological and makes it personal in a way it should not be for a Jedi.

However, I get the feeling that turning Padme into a Jedi, while popular among many fanfic writers, gets to be "too many lightsabers". I.e. it creates some sort of Jedi inflation in the story, which makes me uncomfortable with the idea. It's probably important to have some significant characters be non-Jedi.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

My current treatment actually as Mother Skywalker as a bit of a quirky wrench wench engineer type who actually worked with and knew Anakin before he ever met Kenobi. Character wise, you can actually see a bit of their kids personalities in them: Anakin with his daughter's iron determination and son's passion towards being a Jedi, Mother Skywalker with Leia's warmth and Luke's wide eyed farm boy impression of the galaxy (and a shared knack for mechanical work).