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Rewriting Prequels for TCW

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I've been rewatching Star Wars: The Clone Wars recently and I noticed that it works better as a stand-alone instead of bridging the gap between episode 2 and 3. Here's why.

There are some in-show references that don't necessarily match the PT movies. First, it references in the later seasons that the Battle of Naboo (from TPM) was where the first battle of the Clone Wars took place. Second, when Anakin faces Dooku in Revenge of the Sith, he says his "powers have doubled" since the last time they met (meaning from the climax of Episode 2). But Anakin and Dooku are shown to duel many times in the show. 

Also, TCW gives the feel of the OT in a PT setting (to me), much like how Filoni and the producers stated. Because of this, I've wondered if the Prequels were rewritten for TCW.

What do you think? Could it be done? If so, how would it be done? Who would be the main lead (Anakin or Obi-Wan)? Thanks.

Screw lightsabers, I’ll stick with regular swords. At least they won’t blow up in my face like this franchise has.

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I think it'd be fairly easy to rewrite the PT to be more TCW-friendly. All one would have to do is drop the worst stuff that isn't directly referenced in TCW and replace it with more OT-compatible elements. A number of stupid PT elements would still remain -- Darths, younglings, Gungans, Chosen One prophecy, etc. -- but they're be framed in a more palatable storyline.

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I've personally never had a problem with the Chosen One prophecy. It's one of the few things that George didn't make a character explain in simple terms, but it makes perfect sense to me.

From my POV, Anakin DID bring balance to the Force, just as predicted. The problem is that the Jedi misinterpreted it. They thought "balance" meant peace and harmony, but by the time Vader was finished in EpIII, there was Yoda & Obi-Wan and Palpatine & Vader. It was a perfect balance of two-on-two. The misinterpretation could have been an interesting element to delve into more deeply, but like with many things in the PT, George just didn't bother.

What might be explored in the ST (though I doubt it), is that Luke created an imbalance when he was the only one left; it's only natural for more evil to come lurking to "balance" the Force again.

What do you think: interesting... or nonsense?

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For this, I have a timeline that hopefully works with TCW:

44 BBY – Anakin’s born to Shmi, whose husband died a short while ago.

32 BBY  Qui-Gon frees Anakin and his mom from slavery. Anakin's 12.

31 BBY  Dooku encounters Sidious.

30 BBY  Invasion of Naboo.

29 BBY  Sifo-Dyas is killed after he and Dooku form the Clone Army. Anakin's taken into the Jedi Order by 15 and trained by Obi-Wan. Clone Wars officially start as the Trade Federation gains more allies.

28 BBY  Palpatine is made Chancellor. Cease fire is made.

26 BBY  Dooku forms the Separatists and brings in the Trade Federation.

23 BBY  Episode 1. 

23-20 BBY  TCW

20 BBY  Episode 2. 

19 BBY  Episode 3. 

With that timeline set up, here's a rough synopsis for each installment:

EPISODE 1

As the fragile peace between the Republic and the Separatists crumbles, Dooku tries to assassinate Padme. Anakin takes her to Tatooine for safety (with his mother) while Obi-Wan goes to investigate the Clone Army that the Kaminoans have grown for the Republic. Their adventures would lead to Geonosis, where the war begins anew.

EPISODE 2

Dooku manipulates clones into attacking the Jedi and the Republic. Anakin and Obi-Wan manage to defeat the rogue clones (with help from a Viceroy Bail Organa of Alderaan), but Anakin's secret marriage with Padme is revealed. Padme, not wanting Anakin to sacrifice his future as a Jedi, divorces him. Unbeknownst to anyone, Padme's a few weeks pregnant.

EPISODE 3 

Almost a year passed since Padme divorced Anakin. Anakin's relation with the Jedi is strained, and Palpatine uses that to turn Anakin to the Dark Side and hunt down the Jedi. Obi-Wan finds a pregnant Padme, and helps her escape Palpatine's wrath. After Obi-Wan faces Anakin (now Darth Vader) on Mustafar, Padme gives birth to Luke and Leia, who are split up. Obi-Wan takes Luke to Tatooine and Leia to Alderaan.

More details will be added, but for now, what do you think? Is it alright? Does anything need to be added, or removed? Please, let me know. Thanks.

Screw lightsabers, I’ll stick with regular swords. At least they won’t blow up in my face like this franchise has.

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Sounds very intriguing. I like the bit about Padme divorcing Anakin in particular.

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 (Edited)

DuracellEnergizer said:

A number of stupid PT elements would still remain -- Darths, younglings, Gungans, Chosen One prophecy, etc. --

Sadly, one of the things that has to stay is Yoda using a lightsaber as he's shown to use it in TCW. That can be turned down a notch, though, having Yoda wield with the lightsaber with the Force instead of actually jumping around and slicing droids up.

Screw lightsabers, I’ll stick with regular swords. At least they won’t blow up in my face like this franchise has.

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Hey guys. It’s been a REALLY long time since I touched this. I’m going to reworking the plot details for these stories. Episodes 2 and 3 will mostly stay the same, but Episode 1 will change drastically. I’ll put that up hopefully this weekend. For now, enjoy this little preview I’ve written so far for Episode 1. Please let me know what you think about it. Thanks.

XXXXX

Shmi panted as her feet clapped on sand and rock. Tatooine’s twin suns bore down on her from high above, its heat entering through the many tears in her rags. Her skin and hair perspired and stained the already-smelling fabric with stink of sweat. She eyed the formation up ahead of her that grew, turning into a large dune.

It was only a few steps away when Shmi let her sore legs give way onto the ground. She scooted under the dune’s shade and sat there, giving in to her tired body. Already, her feet swelled, her chest pounded, and her lungs wheezed. Shmi wondered if she could go on, let alone go any faster.

Through her pains, Shmi heard a small voice whisper, “Mom?”

She let out a few pants before she finally managed to ask, “Yes?”

“Will be at Mos Espa, soon?”

Shmi glanced to her boy clinging close to her. Though the rags covered his face, those beautiful blue eyes stared at her, and her heart sunk seeing the fear in them.

Shmi hugged her son and rested her chin atop of his scalp. She whispered back in a soothing tone, “Don’t worry. Mos Espa’s not fair away now. We’ll be there soon.”

While her son looked away, Shmi’s heart ached. It hurt to lie to her child. It hurt more that he saw the truth behind it. He always had that way with her, bless him.

He had to be given some hope, something to keep him calm. The port city of Mos Espa was still a long ways away, and running for so long and so fast in broad daylight left Shmi’s body taxed. Though she wasn’t as fast or strong as the other slaves, she kept her son and herself safe. Now, all she wanted to do was rest.

When Shmi’s pains slowly went away, small hands tightly gripped at her tunic. “Mom! It’s them!” she heard.
Shmi’s mind rang in alarm. Already? She thought she lost their trail awhile back. “Wait here,” Shmi said and rose on her sore feet to leave the boy alone.

She peeked over the dune’s edge to see a large creature, a Bantha, slowly trail it wooly body on the desert. Its tusks stuck out threateningly, much like its riders with their desert robes, rifles and gaffi sticks.
Sand People, Shmi fearfully recognized. The feared natives of Tatooine often hunted the ‘invaders’ of their planet, which happened to include the two humans hiding at the dune.

There was only one, fortunately. Its bandaged-wrapped face and goggles turned right and left, but nowhere in the direction of Shmi, her son, and the dune they hid by.

She retracted back into the dune, back to her boy. “Mom, they’re…”

Shmi cut him off. “I know. We have to run now. Can you make it?” A nod answered her. “Good. We’re going!” She grabbed the little hand into hers, and began to run…

Screw lightsabers, I’ll stick with regular swords. At least they won’t blow up in my face like this franchise has.

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The Trade Federation’s role could be reduced. TCW without the prequels implies that the Trade Federation is distinct from Nute Gunray and the other Nemoidians who support the Separatists. Anakin could be the good friend that the OT implied he was.

DuracellEnergizer said:

A number of stupid PT elements would still remain – Darths, younglings, Gungans, Chosen One prophecy, etc.

That doesn’t mean that a TCW-compatible PT would have to reference them. Also, we could be selective as to which TCW episodes we include in the continuity of our rewritten PT.

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Sorry for putting up anything new for a while. I’ve been going more through the story, and find myself making more and more changes as I go on, partly due to the new content shown in the latest episodes of “Star Wars Rebels.” This will change some of the stuff I originally planned for this rewrite. That being said, I will be posting my new stuff in a thread called “Star Wars Prequels Disney-Friendly Rewrites,” or I’ll just edit the title for this thread, if I can (I think there used to be something on here that would let me do that, but I can’t find it now).

Screw lightsabers, I’ll stick with regular swords. At least they won’t blow up in my face like this franchise has.

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(Keep in mind that I’m including all episodes of TCW in my rewritten universe) How about instead of the Trade Federation being responsible for the Invasion of Naboo, it’s Gungans who have joined the Separatists?