- Post
- #1365416
- Topic
- How would you have done the Prequel Trilogy?
- Link
- https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1365416/action/topic#1365416
- Time
Since Anakin’s fall is supposed to be a dark reflection of Luke’s rise, I would give Qui-Gon a role closer to that of Obi-Wan, and Palpatine the role of Yoda.
Episode 1: Anakin is a Padawan in the Jedi Temple. He never knew his mother; and yet, he’s getting nightmares about her. He asks about this to Master Obi-Wan, who just says Jedi aren’t supposed to have attachments. Anakin goes along with this because he believes in the Jedi teachings. After being called to action by the plot, he somehow meets Qui-Gon, an ex-Jedi who tells him that receiving visions of the parents they never knew is a sign that somebody is especially strong with the force. He goes on to explain how he was expelled by the Jedi council for believing that the Dark Side is not inherently sinister, but could in fact be used for good. Then more plot, the Seperatist Alliance declares war, Qui-Gon dies, and Anakin does some climactic act of heroism… using the Dark Side. He completes the first cycle of his hero’s journey by returning to the Jedi with the knowledge that they might not be trustworthy.
Episode 2: The Tusken Raiders, on behalf of Tatooine, join the separatist alliance. Anakin is working with Obi-Wan and Padme (with whom he’s falling in love) on the political side of the war. They try to keep the fighting to a minimum but Anakin still gets some moments to show he’s proficient in combat. Before long, Anakin is assigned to protect Chancellor Palpatine - who, in their time together, talks to Anakin about power and control, which Anakin believes himself to be lacking because he obeys the Jedi Council. Eventually, Palpatine has some strings pulled to get Anakin assigned to Tatooine, where he discovers the Tusken Raiders have taken several civilians hostage, including Shmi. Palpatine warns Anakin that the Tuskens can’t be reasoned with, but Anakin tries to negotiate rather than freeing the prisoners by force; however, the negotiations fail, and Anakin’s mother is killed. He responds by force-choking the leader.
Episode 3: Anakin is now a General. He claims he is only doing his duty as a Jedi, but he secretly hopes the war goes on forever. He’s still in a covert relationship with Padme, but they’re apart so much that he’s more in love with the idea of Padme than with Padme herself. We also discover he has kept the mask that belonged to the Tusken Raider he killed. Palpatine tells Anakin more of what he wants to hear: the ends justify the means, all that matters is destroying the Separatists, and the Jedi are complicit and must be destroyed. Anakin provides the chancellor with the information necessary to “hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights” but DOES NOT PHYSICALLY KILL ANY OF THEM. Instead, he goes to Mustafar (which is more of an industrial wasteland than volcanic nightmare, but still very hell-ish), wearing the mask which, when combined with his hood, bears resemblance to a certain other mask he is known for wearing. He gives the Seperatist leaders an ultimatum: join the new Empire or die. Most of them agree, but the Tusken raiders are among those that don’t, so Anakin - now Vader - kills them. Anakin then turns on Padme and fights Obi-Wan like in the movie, while Palpatine - instead of dueling Yoda - sets a trap, and blows up the Senate building with Yoda inside. Yoda survives but is crippled, and Palpatine blames the destruction on the Jedi. Anakin gets defeated by Obi-Wan, who presumes his friend dead, and cannot retrieve the body because of the fire that is spreading around them - a fire that started because Anakin tried to shoot force lightning but didn’t have the hang of it. Darth Vader would go on to believe that, if he had only been more focused in his hatred for Obi-Wan, his horrible injuries would never have happened.