Although I have a great deal of love for all Star Wars movies and TV shows, I believe Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith to be the single best Star Wars movie for multiple reasons. When the prequels were first released, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in particular, they were not universally beloved. In fact, to the contrary, the prequels suffered from significant backlash, and, for a time, they were considered among Star Wars’ worst movies.

However, over time, the prequels have begun to receive the love they deserve. In part, this is because the children who went to see the prequels in theaters in the late 90s and early 2000s (myself included) have grown up and can vocalize their adoration. Other factors include the way shows such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Obi-Wan Kenobi have fleshed out the prequel movies beautifully. Even in 2005, though, I knew Revenge of the Sith was always going to be the best Star Wars movie.

11

Anakin And Obi-Wan’s Brotherhood Is The Best It’s Ever Been

Anakin And Obi-Wan Grew Much Closer After Attack Of The Clones

One of the first things I loved about this movie was the relationship between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, particularly in the opening scenes when they were on their way to rescue Chancellor Palpatine after he had been abducted by the Separatists. Unlike Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, in which they have a much more combative master and apprentice relationship, in the early Revenge of the Sith scenes, Obi-Wan and Anakin really seem like friends. In fact, the opening of Revenge of the Sith is a far cry from where Attack of the Clones left them.

Not only was their banter with one another charming and comedic, but it was also a breath of fresh air. Although there were certainly moments of levity in Attack of the Clones, the movie was also quite dark, with the brutal death of Anakin’s mother and the beginning of the Clone Wars. Of course, the bleakest prequel scenes were yet to come, but these early moments in Revenge of the Sith reflecting the warmth and familiarity that had grown between Obi-Wan and Anakin were truly touching.

10

Revenge Of The Sith Has Some Of Star Wars’ Most Iconic Lines

Many Of The Most-Quoted Lines In The Franchise Are In This Movie

Star Wars is full of iconic lines that are repeated not only in other Star Wars movies and shows, such as with the consistent refrain “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” but also in pop culture more broadly, like “No, I am your father.” While the original trilogy has of course been the source of many popular quotes, Revenge of the Sith produced a surprising number of Star Wars’ most quoted lines. This is especially true for main characters Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who each delivered some of their most well-known lines in this movie.

For Anakin, his beloved line “This is where the fun begins” came early on in Revenge of the Sith. While perhaps a bit more ironically beloved, given many found it a bit too on-the-nose, Anakin’s speech about bringing peace, freedom, justice, and security to his new Empire also came from Revenge of the Sith. Some of Obi-Wan’s best quips also came from Revenge of the Sith, including his massively well-known and constantly quoted “Hello, there.”

9

Count Dooku’s Death Is Shocking

Palpatine’s Betrayal Brought An End To The Powerful Sith Lord

Several of the plot twists in Revenge of the Sith were already set in stone, such as that Anakin would become Darth Vader and Chancellor Palpatine would take over. However, Count Dooku’s death, especially the manner in which he died, was not expected. After serving Darth Sidious loyally and leading the Separatists in the Clone Wars, Count Dooku met his end at the hands of Anakin Skywalker. What made this shocking was that Chancellor Palpatine himself commanded Anakin to execute Dooku—meaning that Dooku’s own Sith master was betraying him.

This was a delightful way for Star Wars to still surprise audiences, which was especially welcome for a movie that had already had so many of its secrets revealed. The Empire Strikes Back had already introduced the franchise’s (and perhaps cinema’s) greatest plot twist with the revelation that Darth Vader was actually Luke Skywalker’s father, and Return of the Jedi, even more surprisingly given their kiss, revealed Luke and Leia to be twins. Because those mysteries had already been revealed, Revenge of the Sith added new betrayals and unexpected moments, and Dooku’s death was an excellent one.

8

Anakin Is Christened Lord Vader On Screen

This Terrible Moment Was Perfectly Captured On Screen

Although Darth Vader’s suit is one of Star Wars’ most iconic looks, Revenge of the Sith got to depict the very moment Anakin fell to the dark side and accepted his new role as Darth Vader. This was an incredibly powerful moment, as it completed Anakin’s tumultuous arc, which began with him as an innocent child on Tatooine and ended with him committed to the dark side and prepared to slaughter all Jedi—children included—to serve his Sith master. It also captured one of the most significant, influential moments in all of Star Wars on screen.

It was especially meaningful for this to happen not with a figure in a mask, but rather with the face of a character who had become so beloved throughout the trilogy. I can still recall how difficult it was for me to swallow the fact that Anakin was turning to the dark side, even though I had known it was coming. In truth, I am still heartbroken and wish for a different outcome every time I watch Revenge of the Sith, and the impact of seeing Anakin’s face as he accepts Palpatine’s offer to join him is partially to blame.

7

Master Yoda And Palpatine’s Fight Is One Of The Franchise’s Most Significant

Two Of Star Wars’ Most Powerful Force-Users Had An Epic Fight

While, yes, most Star Wars movies include at least one epic lightsaber fight, it’s difficult to compete with the significance of Master Yoda, Grandmaster of the Jedi Order and one of Star Wars’ most powerful Jedi, and Emperor Palpatine, ruler of the Empire and one of Star Wars’ most powerful Sith, going head-to-head. In fact, because the battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin on Mustafar is so loved, the fact that these two incredible adversaries fought one another in Revenge of the Sith can occasionally be overlooked. In truth, though, this battle represents a true test of Jedi versus Sith.

This was also an incredible turning point in the larger Star Wars franchise. For so long, Yoda had seemed to be the most powerful being in the galaxy. Even with Darth Sidious lurking in the background, Yoda had clearly earned so much respect, his power simply seemed unquestionable. However, in the end, Yoda couldn’t beat Palpatine, which was a sobering reminder of the ways everything was about to change following Order 66 and the fall of the Jedi.

6

Luke And Leia’s Birth Is Shown

The Original Trilogy’s Beloved Heroes Made An Appearance

As far as Star Wars cameos go, getting to see Luke and Leia as infants in Revenge of the Sith was absolutely thrilling. It was clear that the prequels were going to set the stage for what had already come in the original Star Wars trilogy, but how much crossover there would be remained to be seen. Of course, it was exciting enough that Padmé was pregnant early in Revenge of the Sith. Actually getting to see a version of the original trilogy’s two heroes, though, was on a completely different level.

Sadly, this scene also ended in one of Star Wars’ most terrible tragedies, as Padmé died immediately after giving birth to her children. Even this, though, brought a small bit of comfort to that very sad story. Luke hadn’t remembered his biological mother whatsoever, and Leia had only remembered feelings. This scene at the end of Revenge of the Sith revealed how much love Padmé had for Luke and Leia even as she lay dying.

5

Revenge Of The Sith Perfectly Sets Up A New Hope

Revenge Of The Sith Connected The Prequels To The Original Trilogy Beautifully

The scene of Luke and Leia being born was also such a beautiful way for Revenge of the Sith to connect to A New Hope. The plot of the original trilogy had already made it clear that tragedy was impending for the prequel trilogy characters, especially the Jedi Order, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padmé. However, Revenge of the Sith didn’t conclude in the entirely morose way it could have. Rather, it showed the twins as infants, reminding audiences that there truly was hope for the future even as everything had begun to fall apart.

Revenge of the Sith laid other critical groundwork too, showing how Obi-Wan ended up on Tatooine with Luke, where C-3PO and R2-D2 went, and how Yoda and Obi-Wan planned to keep hope and the legacy of the Jedi alive. This was so much more than just fan service, though. What has always impressed me about Revenge of the Sith is the way it genuinely worked to make sense of the events of the original trilogy.

4

Revenge Of The Sith Includes The Fall Of The Republic And The Rise Of The Empire

Revenge Of The Sith Is A Critical Point In The Star Wars Timeline

It would be difficult to overstate how significant the events of Revenge of the Sith were. Not only did Anakin fall to the dark side, but also, the Jedi were all but eradicated, the Sith won the day, and the entire galaxy was reshaped forever. Most notably, Revenge of the Sith saw the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Galactic Empire, which would go on to rule for nearly two decades and continue to permeate the Star Wars timeline even into the sequels, as the First Order drew direct inspiration from the Empire.

Truly, Revenge of the Sith marks one of the most significant moments in Star Wars’ entire history. This shift went far beyond the personal lives of the prequel trilogy’s main characters. Rather, by the end of the movie, the galactic structure itself had been overthrown, and liberty, as Padmé so wisely pointed out, had died.

3

Star Wars Doesn’t Pull Any Punches With Order 66

Revenge Of The Sith Showed Even The Younglings

Order 66 is one of the single most gruesome events in all of Star Wars, which is really saying something given how frequently massacres happen in the franchise. However, what is especially remarkable about Revenge of the Sith is the way it didn’t shy away from depicting how horrible the attack truly was. Not only did the movie show a series of clips of Jedi being betrayed by the clones they had grown to trust and, often, care for, but also even the younglings’ deaths were confirmed in the movie.

In fact, Revenge of the Sith very intentionally drew attention to the death of the younglings, as the young actor who asked Anakin what they were going to do was meant to resemble Anakin from The Phantom Menace. In this sense, Revenge of the Sith really went all in on Order 66 in the best way, committing to depicting the extent of the event’s horrors and not letting Anakin/Vader off easy, although his redemption had already been confirmed. Although I was certainly haunted by these scenes when I was younger, now, I respect them for the dedication they represent.

2

Anakin And Obi-Wan’s Battle On Mustafar Is One Of Star Wars’ Best Duels

Many Consider This The Greatest Lightsaber Battle In Star Wars

Although the iconic “Duel of the Fates” soundtrack from The Phantom Menace makes the battle between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul a standout, the lightsaber battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith is still my favorite from the Star Wars prequels. For one, the battle itself is incredible, as both actors embodied the Jedi they were playing and executed the choreography masterfully. However, the emotional stakes made this battle the best one of the prequels in my mind.

Even more than the physical aspects of the fight, the turmoil both Obi-Wan and Anakin were feeling throughout their battle was profound. For Anakin, he had finally given into the anger and resentment that had been building up for years and was able to take it all out on Obi-Wan. For Obi-Wan, this was a necessary but devastating fight against a person he’d only ever wanted to fight side-by-side with. This emotional weight, to me, makes this fight simply unbeatable in the prequel trilogy.

1

Anakin’s Fall To The Dark Side Is One Of Star Wars’ Most Important Stories

Anakin’s Fall Is Essential To Star Wars

Whenever I’ve had to defend my belief that Revenge of the Sith is the best Star Wars movie, I’ve always pointed to the fact that Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side and transition to Darth Vader is the core story of Star Wars. In a literal sense, Anakin’s turn is the event that propels Star Wars’ movies and shows forward; this event has had aftershocks for decades and informs countless other plotlines. In a more abstract sense, though, Anakin’s story is what Star Wars is about.

By introducing Anakin not as an evil person from the outset, but rather as an innocent child, Star Wars revealed that anyone can turn ‘bad,’ and that these issues aren’t black and white or simple. Revenge of the Sith, as the fulcrum in that arc, confirmed just how terrible such a turn could be—and yet, audiences were at the very same time aware that, in the end, he would return to the light. In that sense, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is Star Wars’ best movie because it is the critical turning point in the franchise’s most important lesson.

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