Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith

Opening crawl

Plot summary

Battle over Coruscant

The events of Attack of the Clones occurred three years prior. A monumental galactic conflict rages between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, led by Count Dooku, also known as the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus. General Grievous, the cyborg commander of the Confederacy's Separatist Droid Army, has brought the war to Coruscant, capturing Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, the leader of the Galactic Senate, amidst a massive space battle.

As the Separatist Droid Army attempts to flee the capital of the Republic, a large space battle begins. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his former padawan, now Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, rush into battle as they lead a mission to rescue the Chancellor. The Jedi battle through the Separatist fleet. During the fighting, Obi-Wan's interceptor is damaged by buzz droids, and his astromech, R4-P17, is destroyed. Anakin attempts to shoot the droids off, but only manages to blast apart the wing of his former Master's ship. Obi-Wan tells Anakin to hold his fire because he's not helping. Anakin agrees it was a bad idea. Obi-Wan tells Anakin to go on and rescue the Chancellor, but Anakin says he won't leave without Obi-Wan. Anakin uses one of his fighter wings to knock some of the buzz droids off Obi-Wan's fighter, but one crawls onto Anakin's ship, though it is quickly disabled by R2-D2. As they approach Grievous's flagship, Obi-Wan reminds Anakin their shields are still up, so Anakin breaks formation and attacks a shield generator, knocking out the shields on the docking bay of the ship. The destruction of the shield generator activates the ship’s emergency breach door, which quickly begins closing. The two Jedi crash-land just before the door slams closed.

Anakin and Obi-Wan proceed through the flagship, utilizing their lightsabers to cut down an army of droids. R2-D2 aids them from the hangar bay while simultaneously incinerating a pair of super battle droids using fuel and his thrusters.

Rescuing the chancellor

The Jedi reach the top, finding the captive Chancellor Palpatine. They are confronted by Count Dooku himself. Obi-Wan tells Anakin that they will fight Dooku together, and an intense lightsaber duel begins. The Jedi throw the Count off guard by changing from basic attacks to more skilled tactics. During the battle, Obi-Wan is rendered unconscious when Dooku uses the Force to hold him in mid-air by the throat before throwing him against a railing.

Anakin continues the battle and is repeatedly taunted by Dooku. Using his anger, Anakin taps into the dark side of the Force and gains the upper hand in the duel. He severs both of Dooku's hands, rendering him incapable of defending himself, and then holds him at blade point with both his own lightsaber and Dooku's weapon. Palpatine encourages Anakin to kill Dooku, much to the shock of the latter who looks at the Chancellor pleadingly, only to be met with a sinister smile from Palpatine. At first, Anakin hesitates, but Palpatine firmly insists. Completely unaware of Palpatine's true intentions, Anakin viciously decapitates the helpless Dooku. His body and head fall to the ground.

The Invisible Hand crosses by a Venator-class Star Destroyer. A broadside attack begins with both ships firing their cannons. A shell from a Republic Venator destroys one of the Invisible Hand's cannons and ammo crates, causing the Invisible Hand to begin an uncontrolled descent into Coruscant. Despite Palpatine's persuasions that he should leave the unconscious Obi-Wan, Anakin carries him on his back, and maneuvers through the ship with the Chancellor. Obi-Wan later regains consciousness.

Confronting Grievous

After Grievous has the bridge crew regain control of his flagship by firing the emergency booster engines, he makes certain the two Jedi and their ward are captured. Having fallen foul of a ray shield trap, the three are brought to the bridge under custody, but R2 successfully creates a distraction, allowing the Jedi to retrieve their lightsabers and break free.

Grievous then sends a pair of his powerful IG-100 MagnaGuard droids after the Jedi. Obi-Wan quickly beheads the first MagnaGuard with his blade, but the droid continues the fight, forcing Obi-Wan to slice the droid warrior apart before it deactivates. Anakin finishes off the second MagnaGuard and destroys the battle droids attempting to drag Palpatine from the bridge. The Jedi close in on Grievous, though the wily General smashes a window with his fallen guard's electrostaff and is swept outside. Using a tow cable, Grievous latches himself to the ship and heads for the escape pods. Launching all other escape capsules, Grievous speeds for the safety of a Trade Federation Lucrehulk-class battleship. Once again, the flagship begins to descend in free fall into Coruscant, though due to its extensive damage taken from its broadside cannon fight with the Guarlara and entering Coruscant' atmosphere, the ships hangar bay begins to weaken. After extending the ship's drag flaps, the hangar gives out and breaks off from the rest of the ship, sending them into a faster freefall. With the aid of a few emergency firespeeders they land, hitting a control tower along on one of Coruscant's industrial landing platforms.

Happy reunions

On Coruscant, Anakin is praised for his heroics. He meets secretly with Padmé Amidala, and they share a kiss in the shadows of the Senate office building, keeping their love secret. She reveals to him that she is pregnant with their child.

Elsewhere, Grievous, now both the political and military leader of the Separatists, arrives on Utapau, where Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray, Geonosian Archduke Poggle the Lesser, Techno Union head of state and Foreman Wat Tambor, and others on the Separatist Council remain in hiding. The General is contacted by Darth Sidious, who gives him instructions to move the Separatist leaders to a volcanic planet, Mustafar. He also explains that the war is almost over. Grievous is uncertain about this, given Count Dooku's death. Sidious assures him that Darth Tyranus's death and loss were necessary, for he would soon have a new Sith apprentice: one far younger and more powerful.

Later, on Coruscant, Anakin awakens in a panic, covered in sweat. He reveals to Padmé that he has been dreaming about her dying in childbirth, and believing that he can't live without her, vows not to let this dream come true.

Chancellor Palpatine requests Anakin's presence, and they meet in the Chancellor's office. The Senate has granted the Chancellor further emergency powers, giving him direct control of the Jedi Council. Palpatine confides in Anakin his fear, distrust, and contempt of the Masters. He appoints Anakin to be his personal representative on the Council.

The High Council begrudgingly accepts Anakin's appointment, but does not grant him the rank of Master. Anakin reacts angrily at this perceived slight, but is quickly shut down by Mace Windu. Ignoring his outburst, the Council goes on to discuss matters concerning the war. It is decided that Anakin will be assigned to protect the Chancellor, and Yoda will take a battalion of clones to reinforce the Wookiees on Kashyyyk. Anakin is angry and disappointed.

Obi-Wan later tells Anakin that the Council wants Anakin to report on all the Chancellor's dealings, essentially spying on him. Anakin is confused and upset, feeling torn between two friends and loyalties. Obi-Wan himself is unhappy with the situation.

The tragedy of Darth Plagueis

At the Galaxies Opera House in the Uscru District, Anakin joins Palpatine in watching the Mon Calamari Aquatic Ballet performing Squid Lake. Palpatine tells Anakin Clone Intelligence has located General Grievous hiding in the Utapau system. Anakin is delighted by this news, as Grievous's capture will accelerate the war's end. Palpatine remarks that he'd question the competence of the Jedi Council if Anakin was not sent on the mission. Inviting Anakin to join him, Palpatine dismisses his aides: once they are gone, Palpatine seduces Anakin to the dark side. He also tells Anakin that the Jedi Order wishes to overthrow the Republic and that if he has suspected it, Anakin must surely have sensed it. Anakin confirms that the Jedi don't trust him, a fact that Palpatine expands to include the Senate, the Republic, and democracy as a whole. Anakin tells Palpatine that his trust in the Jedi has been shaken and Palpatine deduces Anakin's distaste for the Council's mission to spy on the Chancellor. Palpatine takes Anakin back to some of the early political lessons Palpatine tried to teach him, about how all those who gain power are afraid to lose it and that includes the Jedi. Anakin tries to defend the Jedi by saying they use their powers for good, but Palpatine argues good is only a point of view, noting that in almost every conceivable manner, including a quest for greater power, the Sith and the Jedi are exactly alike. Anakin disagrees, remarking that the Sith depend on passion for strength, thinking only of themselves, whereas the Jedi are selfless, thinking only of others.

After a brief pause in their conversation, Palpatine makes a remark about the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise. Palpatine describes Darth Plagueis as a Dark Lord of the Sith so powerful and wise that he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life. Not only this, but having such power and knowledge of the dark side, Plagueis could use thistle ability to save people he cared about from death, a statement which gets Anakin's attention (which was Palpatine's desire) and Palpatine describes the dark side of the Force as a pathway to many abilities considered by some to be unnatural. When Anakin asks what happened to Darth Plagueis, Palpatine concludes that Plagueis became so powerful that all he feared was losing his power, which he eventually did. Unfortunately for Plagueis, he taught his apprentice, who happened to be Darth Sidious, all he knew: after he had, his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Palpatine notes the irony of how Plagueis could keep others from dying, but not himself. When Anakin asks if it is possible to learn the power to stop death, Palpatine simply replies, "Not from a Jedi," further alienating Anakin from the Jedi Order.

After Yoda arrives on Kashyyyk, Anakin relays the information about Grievous, explaining that a partial message was intercepted in a diplomatic packet from the Chairman of Utapau. Yoda says they should act quickly and decisively on this information. When Anakin expresses his interest in going at Palpatine's request, Mace Windu harshly tells him that the Council will decide who goes and not the Chancellor. Yoda believes that a Master with more experience is needed to confront, and defeat, Grievous. Ki-Adi-Mundi agrees and nominates Obi-Wan to go. With the nomination agreed on, the Council adjourns and Obi-Wan prepares to go to Utapau. Yoda, Luminara Unduli, and Gree, along with Tarfful and Chewbacca defend Kashyyyk against the Corporate Alliance Tanks, Dwarf Spider droids, Droid Gunships, and legions of battle droids.

Obi-Wan vs. Grievous

Anakin walks Obi-Wan to a Jedi cruiser before he leaves. Anakin still believes he'd be needed on Utapau, and while Obi-Wan agrees, he also notes it might just be a wild Bantha chase. Anakin stops Obi-Wan and tells him that he knows he's disappointed Obi-Wan and that he's not been acting very grateful for the training he received. Anakin tells him he's just been so frustrated with the Council lately, but that he does apologize. Obi-Wan calls Anakin strong and wise and tells Anakin he's very proud of him and while Obi-Wan trained him since Anakin was a boy, he calls Anakin a far greater Jedi than Obi-Wan could hope to be. But Obi-Wan encourages Anakin to be patient and that it won't be long before the Council makes Anakin a Jedi Master. The two bid each other farewell and Obi-Wan leaves for Utapau. Little do they know that this is the last time they will see or speak to each other as fellow Jedi and friends.

Obi-Wan arrives in Pau City on Utapau, and begins his search for General Grievous, riding a varactyl named Boga. He finds Grievous on the Tenth Level. After Obi-Wan dispatches the droids around Grievous, the two engage in single combat. Grievous's arms split in half, allowing him to use four lightsabers at once. Obi-Wan quickly cuts off the lower halves of the General's hands, helping to even out the odds a little. During the battle, the Third Systems Army arrives under the command of CC-2224 "Cody." Obi-Wan manages to catch Grievous off guard and uses the Force to push the fiendish droid general into the ceiling. Grievous drops his remaining two lightsabers and attempts to flee on his wheel bike, while Obi-Wan pursues on Boga. During the chase, Obi-Wan drops his lightsaber, which Commander Cody happens to find during the massive battle against the droids.

On Coruscant, Anakin tells Palpatine that General Grievous has been found on Utapau. Anakin insists he should be on Utapau as well. Their conversation shifts to Palpatine's knowledge of the Force and dark side, both of which he learned from his mentor (Plagueis), much to the shock of Anakin who starts to become wary of the Chancellor. After Palpatine tells him that the dark side can save Padme from death, Anakin realizes that Palpatine is in fact Darth Sidious, the latter of which Palpatine confirms (This revelation means that Palpatine as Sidious engineered the Invasion of Naboo and War, betrayed and caused the deaths of Plagueis and Dooku, and has been deceiving the Jedi and Republic). Anakin ignites his lightsaber and threatens to kill Palpatine, but then decides to expose his deception and identity to the Jedi Council. He is still concerned with saving his wife, and believes only Palpatine's knowledge will ensure this.

Obi-Wan continues to chase General Grievous on Utapau. He catches up with the General and jumps onto his wheel bike. Using Grievous's electrostaff, he manages to destabilize the speeder, and it goes into a spin. Both Obi-Wan and Grievous are thrown off as the speeder topples over the edge of Grievous's secret landing platform. Grievous then draws his blaster, though it is knocked from his hand by Obi-Wan, now wielding the electrostaff. He knocks Grievous down, and a brawl ensues, during which Kenobi tears open the General's chest plates, revealing his living organs. Enraged, Grievous repeatedly hits Obi-Wan and then picks up the helpless Jedi and throws him over the edge. Obi-Wan barely manages to hang on and momentarily dangles for his life. As Grievous moves in for the kill, Obi-Wan uses the Force to retrieve the General's blaster and fires at Grievous's exposed organs. He hits, and they burst into flames. With his eyes flaming, Grievous falls to the floor, dead.

Sidious revealed

Anakin returns to the Jedi Temple and approaches Windu who tells Anakin that they have just been informed that Obi-Wan has destroyed General Grievous and so they are going to go to the Senate to ensure that Chancellor Palpatine gives back his emergency powers. However, Anakin reveals that Palpatine is a Sith Lord and is not likely to give up his powers, a statement which shocks Windu and stops him dead in his tracks. Anakin confirms what he just said and says he believes Palpatine is the one they have been looking for. When Windu asks how Anakin knows this, he tells Windu that Palpatine knows the ways of the Force and has been trained to use the dark side and that he is absolutely sure. Windu says their worst fears have now been realized and that if the Jedi Order is to survive, they must move quickly. Anakin warns Windu that Palpatine is very powerful and they'll need his help to arrest Palpatine, but Windu urges him to stay out of it as he senses much fear in Anakin and it could cloud his judgment. Windu also adds that if what Anakin says is true then Anakin will have gained his trust but for now, he wants Anakin to wait in the Council Chambers until he returns. Masters Windu, Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tiin board a gunship and head to Palpatine's office.

Sitting in the Council Chambers, remembering Palpatine's promise of stopping death and the dreams of Padmé dying in childbirth, Anakin ruminates over his decision: in his mind, he hears Palpatine's voice saying that if the Jedi kill him, any chance of saving Padmé will be lost. Finally, he leaves and rushes after the four Jedi.

Windu and the three other Jedi Masters arrive at Chancellor Palpatine's office. Windu declares Palpatine is under arrest and the Masters ignite their lightsabers. Sidious pulls a lightsaber from his sleeve and hurls himself at the Jedi with a screeching war cry. Kolar is the first to die, run through the chest and as Kolar's life is ending due to the wound, Sidious turns and slices Tiin's torso. A few seconds later, with more effort from Sidious, Fisto is slain, killed by a slash across the gut. Only Windu remains, alone against the Dark Lord.

Rise of Lord Vader

Sidious and Windu were locked in a fierce duel, a continuation of their battle. While the combatants appeared evenly matched at the start, Windu progressively gained an advantage, pushing the Sith Lord from the Chancellor's antechamber and into the main office area. Soon after they shattered a massive glass window, Windu kicked Sidious, causing him to fall and drop his lightsaber. Anakin's arrival coincided with Windu holding his lightsaber to Sidious's throat. Windu declared victory, but the Sith Lord countered by unleashing a powerful stream of Force lightning. Windu, however, used his lightsaber to deflect the lightning, redirecting much of its energy back into Sidious. The Sith Lord's body was grotesquely transformed: his face became pale and withered, his teeth turned yellow and decayed, his fingernails grew long and filthy, and his eyes glowed with a fiery yellow hue surrounded by blood-red rings. He ceased his attack, claiming he was too feeble to continue. As Windu considered killing Sidious, Anakin protested that Palpatine should face trial. Windu dismissed this, arguing that Sidious's influence over the Senate and courts made him too dangerous to be left alive. Anakin was ultimately forced to choose between the Jedi Order and Padmé. Just as Windu was about to strike the final blow, Anakin betrayed him, severing his sword arm. Sidious, laughing maniacally, tortured and blasted the stunned Windu out of the window, sending him plummeting to his death hundreds of stories below.

Anakin was appalled by what he had done, but he understood that betraying the Jedi was a point of no return. He pledged his loyalty to Sidious in exchange for the Dark Lord's power to prevent death, hoping to save his beloved wife. Sidious accepted Anakin as his Sith apprentice, renaming him "Darth Vader," a Sith title. Sidious then commanded Vader to initiate Operation: Knightfall to crush the so-called Jedi Rebellion, followed by the elimination of the Separatist Council on the Mustafar system, declaring, "Once more the Sith will rule the galaxy."

Vader led the 501st Legion in an assault on the Jedi Temple. He and the clone troopers stormed through the Temple, killing every Jedi they encountered, including swordsmaster Cin Drallig and even the younglings who were hiding in the Council Chamber.

Order 66

Simultaneously, from his office, Sidious transmitted a command to Commander Cody and numerous other clone troopers stationed throughout the galaxy: to carry out Order 66, a directive to eliminate all Jedi, which the Clones followed (as explained in seasons 6 and 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars).

Across the galaxy, the Jedi Generals were betrayed and murdered by their own clone troopers. As these events unfolded, Yoda sensed the deaths of all the Jedi. On Utapau, Kenobi was knocked off a cliff by an explosion from an All Terrain Tactical Enforcer, but both he and Boga survived the fall, and Obi-Wan escaped aboard Grievous's hidden starfighter. On Mygeeto, Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi was shot down by CC-1138 and the 21st Nova Corps. On the lush, tropical planet of Felucia, Jedi Knight Aayla Secura was killed by CC-5052 and his 327th Star Corps. On Cato Neimoidia, Plo Koon's Jedi starfighter was shot down by Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighters, crashing into a clone staging area. And on Saleucami, Stass Allie's 74-Z speeder bike was destroyed by CC-8826 and his wingman, riding BARC speeders. On Kashyyyk, Yoda was overseeing the battle when Commander Gree received the order. Gree and Captain Jek attempted to ambush Yoda, but the wise Master sensed their intentions and decapitated both clones with a swift strike of his lightsaber. Tarfful and Chewbacca aided Yoda in escaping the planet.

Senator Bail Organa arrived at the burning Jedi Temple and witnessed the slaughter of a young Padawan named Zett Jukassa by a squad of troopers led by Commander Appo. Horrified, Organa fled the scene and departed Coruscant aboard the Tantive III, seeking to contact any surviving Jedi.

Obi-Wan and Yoda both survived Order 66 and were rescued by Senator Organa after evading pursuit. The Jedi decided to return to Coruscant to alter the Jedi beacon, which was calling all Jedi back to Coruscant, unaware that it was a trap set by Darth Sidious. Kenobi hoped to warn any surviving Jedi to avoid the Temple.

After the assault on the Jedi Temple, Vader returned to Padmé at the Senate Apartment Complex, from where the smoke rising from the destroyed Temple was visible. He told her that the Jedi had attempted to seize control of the Republic and that there were traitors within the Senate. He demanded her loyalty to the Chancellor and then informed her that he was going to the Mustafar system, where the remaining Separatists had gathered, to end the war.

Through a hologram, Sidious informed the Separatist Council that Vader would deal with them upon his arrival, but the council was unaware that Sidious had betrayed them and had actually sent Vader to kill them.

Birth of the Empire

Vader arrived on Mustafar and was greeted by Viceroy Gunray, but the Sith apprentice quickly trapped the Separatist Council in the bunker. He murdered Poggle the Lesser, Rune Haako, Po Nudo, and Wat Tambor, among others. He saved Gunray for last, slicing the Neimoidian across the chest as he begged for his life. It was at this moment that the first physical manifestation of the dark side began to appear in Vader, as his irises turned a sickly yellow, and the rest of his eyes took on a bright crimson hue.

The Senate convened a special session where Palpatine announced the "Jedi's plot to overthrow the Senate," which he claimed had been foiled. Amidst thunderous applause, he declared that the surviving Jedi would be hunted down and defeated. He then proclaimed that "in order to ensure the security and continued stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire," which Palpatine described as creating a safe and secure society. While the majority of the Senate cheered in approval, Padmé Amidala and Bail Organa, shocked by the outcome, simply looked around, and Padmé could only lament, "So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause."

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and Yoda went to the Jedi Temple, killing several clones and walking through the carnage in disbelief. Yoda noticed that several of their fellow Jedi had been killed by someone wielding a lightsaber. They altered the Temple's signal to warn all surviving Jedi to stay away, but then Obi-Wan, seeking the truth, reviewed the security hologram recordings. To his horror, one recording showed Vader dueling Younglings and then kneeling before Sidious. Yoda declared that they must destroy the Sith, but Obi-Wan was hesitant to kill Anakin and wanted to pursue the Emperor instead. Yoda, however, stated that Obi-Wan was not strong enough to face Sidious and that Anakin was gone, "consumed" by Vader. Yoda set out to confront Sidious, instructing Obi-Wan to "use his feelings" to find Vader.

Following Yoda's advice, Obi-Wan visited Padmé, asking about Anakin's whereabouts and informing her that he had turned to the dark side and murdered many Jedi in the temple, and also that Sidious had deceived everyone and was behind everything, including the war. Despite her anguish, Padmé refused to reveal where her husband had gone. Obi-Wan deduced that Padmé was pregnant with Anakin's child, revealing that he knew about their relationship all along, and apologized for what he had no choice to do before leaving. On Mustafar, Vader surveyed the violent landscape around him and wept over his recent acts of violence, knowing that he could not turn back from the influence of Darth Sidious.

Later, Padmé left Coruscant in her star skiff, heading for Mustafar to find her husband and learn the truth. Unbeknownst to her, Obi-Wan secretly boarded the ship just before it departed.

Battle of the heroes

The star skiff landed on Mustafar, and Padmé was greeted by a smiling Vader. Padmé revealed her conversation with Obi-Wan, but Vader dismissed it as lies, although he did not deny the accusations. Padmé also told him that Obi-Wan knew about their relationship, wanted to help them, and begged him to run away with her to raise their child in peace. Vader, consumed by power, claimed that they no longer had to run and that he could overthrow Palpatine so that they could rule the galaxy together. Padmé, realizing how much her husband had changed, backed away in horror and tearfully begged him to stop, insisting that she still loved him.

As she pleaded, Obi-Wan stepped out onto the star skiff's boarding ramp. Upon seeing him, Vader became enraged and accused Padmé of betraying him with Obi-Wan. Without giving her a chance to explain, he began Force-choking her. Obi-Wan intervened and demanded that Vader release Padmé, but Vader choked her unconscious. Turning his anger on Obi-Wan, Vader accused him of turning his wife against him, but Obi-Wan retorted that Vader had done that himself and had allowed himself to be twisted by Sidious's lies, becoming a Sith. Vader refused to listen and ranted that he had brought order to his "new empire." Obi-Wan, unable to believe what he was hearing, prepared to fight. Vader fumed that those who opposed him were his enemies and engaged Obi-Wan in a ferocious duel between Master and Apprentice.

In the Chancellor's office within the Imperial Senate Building, Yoda confronted Palpatine. He revealed that he knew of Anakin's turn to the dark side, addressing Palpatine by his Sith name. Sidious used Force Lightning to hurl the Jedi Master backward into a pillar. Obi-Wan and Vader battled across a bridge and entered the Klegger Corp Mining Facility, fighting through the hallways. Back on Coruscant, Sidious declared to Yoda that the Jedi would be no more. The Jedi Master stood up and pushed Sidious backward past the desk. They engaged in an intense battle, using their lightsabers and Force abilities. At the Mustafarian Mining Complex, Obi-Wan and Vader fought in the conference room on the desk. Vader attempted to Force choke the Jedi Master with his lightsaber activated. Obi-Wan lost his lightsaber after being kicked in the stomach, but he quickly retrieved it. Yoda resumed fighting Sidious until they reached the Galactic Senate Chamber, the heart of the Senate. Vader continued to battle Obi-Wan, who was on the defensive. They fought in the command center with the bodies of the dead Separatist leaders on the floor. A missed slash from Vader's lightsaber damaged a computer console, deactivating the facility's shields. As the door opened, Obi-Wan and Vader exited the mining facility and stepped outside. At the Galactic Senate Chamber, Sidious hurled Senate pods at Yoda, and the effort to avoid them exhausted the Jedi Master. Sidious then blasted Yoda with Force Lightning, causing the Jedi Master to lose his lightsaber. With the last of his strength, Yoda redirected the lightning back at Sidious, causing an explosion that threw both himself and Sidious over the pod's edge.

Obi-Wan and Vader's battle continued as they carefully walked across some pipes. A mining droid approached the Jedi, and they fought with their lightsabers. The pair jumped onto a bridge and walked onto some large stalks. Simultaneously, deadly lava blasts erupted toward Vader and Obi-Wan, forcing them to take cover from the falling debris. The lava severed a collection arm attached to the main structure. Sidious managed to hold onto a senate pod, while Yoda fell to the senate floor, leaving his cloak behind. With Bail Organa's help, Yoda fled the Senate Building, intending to go into exile. Back on Mustafar, the battle resumed. Obi-Wan and Vader rode the collection arm down the lava river below, which plunged over a molten waterfall. Abandoning the arm, Obi-Wan leaped onto a hovering mining platform below, with Vader pursuing him back up the lava river atop a collection droid. Obi-Wan pleaded with his old friend one last time, but Vader still refused to see reason, forcing Obi-Wan to accept that his student, friend, and brother was corrupted beyond redemption.

After fending off another attack from Vader, Obi-Wan disengaged as the platform neared the shore of the lava river, leaping up onto the black sand bank. Obi-Wan warned Vader that he now held an unassailable position, but Vader, enraged and bloodthirsty, yelled "You underestimate my power!" and foolishly leaped up to kill his old Master in the same way Obi-Wan had defeated Maul. With a swift sweep of his blade, Obi-Wan severed Vader's left arm and legs. Vader tumbled down the embankment and rolled to a stop at the edge of the river of lava.

As Obi-Wan watched, Vader, helpless and now fully consumed by the dark side, tried in vain to pull his crippled, smoking body up the embankment with his one remaining mechanical arm. Obi-Wan was overcome with disgust and sadness at the pitiful fate of "The Chosen One" and was reduced nearly to tears. He angrily shouted that Vader had failed in his life and destiny and had hurt all those who loved him, including Obi-Wan himself. All Vader could do was scream in pain and powerless rage, cursing his former friend and Master. The lava below Vader then engulfed his leg, setting him on fire, horribly burning and disfiguring him, with Obi-Wan turning away from the terror, unwilling to kill him. After briefly staring at the charred, mutilated figure that was once Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan turned and walked away, taking Anakin's dropped lightsaber with him. He returned to the star skiff and left the planet with the unconscious Padmé and her droids. Obi-Wan felt guilt for failing Anakin & Padmé's happiness.

Birth and rebirth

Sidious arrived on Mustafar with a group of shock troopers led by Commander Thire. They rescued Darth Vader from the brink of death using a stasis pod and Sith medicines held in the Emperor's shuttle.

On the isolated asteroid Polis Massa, Yoda meditated and heard the spirit voice of Qui-Gon Jinn. The voice revealed that there was a way to merge with the Force and retain consciousness after death. To learn this power, Yoda declared himself an apprentice to the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn.

Obi-Wan arrived at Polis Massa with Padmé, who received emergency medical treatment from the facility's droids. She was dying, having lost the will to live. The medical droids worked to save her babies—she was carrying twins, much to the surprise of Bail Organa, Obi-Wan, and Yoda. A boy and a girl were born. In her final breaths, Padmé named them "Luke" and "Leia."

As his children were born, Vader was being rebuilt at the Grand Republic Medical Facility on Coruscant. Vader was given new legs, a new arm, mechanized lungs, and other "replacement parts." He was dressed in black armor, a face mask was sealed tightly, and his helmet was fitted. Darth Vader began to breathe through his mask. Most, if not the entire surgery was carried out in true dark-side form, with Vader wide awake and apparently unanesthetized, leaving him moaning, screaming, and writhing in excruciating agony.

With Padmé's final breath, she maintained that there was still good in Anakin. She died still believing in the man she loved, before his violent acts against the Jedi Order and the Separatist Council. Obi-Wan watched her go sadly.

Vader was raised to a standing position, his surgery complete. Vader began to speak through his vocabulator to the Emperor, asking about Padmé. Sidious, seeking to sever Vader's last tie to his old life and permanently cement the dark side in his heart, lied to Vader, telling him that he had accidentally killed his wife while Force choking her. With his last shred of hope and love now gone and his mind broken by the realization that he himself had killed the person he wanted to save, Vader ripped himself free of the operating table and unleashed a powerful scream of rage, shame, and grief through the Force, shattering the droids and equipment. Vader screamed "Nooo!" in anger and despair, while the Emperor looked on with an evil grin.

A new hope

On board the Tantive III, docked at Naboo, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Bail Organa sat at a conference table. They agreed to preserve Padmé's pregnant appearance, thus faking the children's deaths. For their own safety, Luke and Leia would be separated in hopes that the Sith would not sense their presence. Leia would be adopted by Bail Organa, and Luke would be sent to his father's step family on Tatooine. Obi-Wan and Yoda would watch and wait until the time was right for the Skywalker children to fulfill their destiny. Yoda instructed Obi-Wan to study the technique Qui-Gon had learned to achieve immortality.

Bail Organa left R2-D2 and C-3PO in the care of Captain Raymus Antilles of the Tantive III. He ordered a memory wipe of the talkative protocol droid.

On Naboo, Padmé's funeral took place in a solemn ceremony in Theed. Her hands clutched the japor snippet given to her by Anakin following his departure from Tatooine some thirteen years ago. To protect her children, her body was made to appear still pregnant.

In a deleted scene, Yoda traveled to Dagobah to begin his self-imposed exile, which he partly owed as penance for his failure to defeat Sidious.

On the bridge of a gray-hulled Imperial Venator, Vader, the Emperor, and Governor Wilhuff Tarkin oversaw the construction of a moon-sized battle station.

On Alderaan, the infant Leia was brought by Bail Organa to his wife, Queen Breha.

On Tatooine, Obi-Wan brought Luke to his new family: his uncle, Owen, and his aunt, Beru. Obi-Wan left on an eopie, heading to his exile in the Jundland Wastes. As the movie and prequel trilogy ended, Owen and Beru, holding the infant Luke, looked out to the horizon and watched the setting of Tatooine's twin suns.

Development

Lucas approved a piece of concept art for a starship in the film described as a "Republic Clone Sky Fighter", but it was ultimately cut. The design was reused years later for the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia initiative, delighting its creator, Warren Fu. Fu also created the concept art for the "Droid General" character who evolved into Grievous. One of his previous Grievous designs was used for the MagnaGuards.

Principal photography for Revenge of the Sith spanned from June 30 to September 17, 2003, primarily at Fox Studios, Sydney. Additional studio photography occurred in late 2004 at Shepperton Studios and an Elstree Film Studio in the UK. A brief end sequence was shot at Chott el Jerid in Tunisia during the filming of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones in 2000 to avoid a separate trip. Second unit filming took place in Grindelwald, Switzerland, Guilin, China, Phuket, Thailand, and Mount Etna, Italy.

Release

Revenge of the Sith's premiere events, benefiting charities, occurred in numerous cities including Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., Boston, Denver, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Miami on Thursday, May 12, 2005. Furthermore, on May 13, 2005, two additional charity screenings took place in Modesto, the hometown of George Lucas. On that very same day, an episode of MTV's Total Request Live was broadcast, promoting the film and showcasing a performance by the band Good Charlotte. The official premiere of the movie took place at the Cannes Film Festival (though not in competition) on May 15, 2005. Its release in most other countries followed on May 19. It was estimated that the premiere of Revenge of the Sith would result in a loss of approximately $627 million USD for the US economy, attributed to employees taking time off or calling in sick.

Due to its somber themes, scenes of destruction, and violent content (notably the scene depicting Anakin's burning alive in a graphic and realistic manner, along with Dooku's decapitation and the burning of Grievous' internal organs), Revenge of the Sith holds the distinction of being the first Star Wars film to be rated PG-13 by the MPAA. All previous installments in the series had received a PG rating. In contrast, A New Hope was initially rated G, but its rating was intentionally elevated to broaden its appeal and due to the inclusion of the remains of Owen and Beru Lars.

Merchandise

A film novelization was penned by Matthew Stover, featuring significantly more dialogue than its cinematic counterpart. The duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin is expanded, becoming more dramatic. The novel also incorporates numerous references to characters from the Expanded Universe, such as Raith Sienar and Garm Bel Iblis, and presents details that differ from the film, including Shaak Ti's demise and Captain Needa's presence at the Battle of Coruscant. However, aside from the Anakin and Obi-Wan duel, the final act is condensed, particularly when compared to the extensive depiction of the opening space battle, which occupies the book's initial third.

A comic book adaptation of the movie was released by Dark Horse Comics in March 2005. Other literary works include the prequel novel Labyrinth of Evil and the sequel novel Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader.

A video game adaptation based on the film was launched on May 5, 2005, preceding the film's release by two weeks. The game largely followed the film's narrative, integrating scenes directly from it. Nevertheless, many sections of the game showcased either cut scenes from the movie or entirely original scenes created specifically for the game. The gameplay primarily revolved around lightsaber combat, allowing players to fight as either Obi-Wan or Anakin/Vader. A notable and popular aspect of the game was its inclusion of an alternate ending, which served as such for both the game and the movie. In this ending, Obi-Wan warns Vader about having the high ground, but Vader leaps and evades Obi-Wan's attempted Mou kei, subsequently stabbing his former master in the back, resulting in his death. Following his death, Vader kicks Obi-Wan's lifeless body down the black sand bank, grins, and walks away, as Palpatine arrives on Mustafar to congratulate Vader on his victory. Vader proceeds towards Sidious' docked shuttle, and the new emperor declares the galaxy to belong to the both of them and gives Vader his new, red-bladed lightsaber. After quickly examining his new lightsaber, Vader ignites it and impales his Sith master, declaring the galaxy to belong only to him.

The film's soundtrack was made available by Sony Classical on May 3, 2005, which was more than two weeks ahead of the film's premiere. The musical score was composed and conducted by John Williams, with performances by the London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices. A music video titled A Hero Falls was produced for the film's theme, "Battle of the Heroes," incorporating footage extracted from the movie.

Home video

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was launched on DVD on November 1, 2005 in both Canada and the United States. This DVD release consisted of a two-disc set featuring picture and sound that had been mastered from the original digital source. Included was a brand-new full-length documentary, along with two shorter featurettes. One featurette delved into the prophecy surrounding Anakin Skywalker as the Chosen One, while the other explored the film's stunt work. The collection also included the 15-part web documentary series "Making Episode III," as well as a playable demo for the Xbox game Star Wars: Battlefront II, which was released concurrently with the DVD.

This release marked the first instance of a Star Wars film (and also the first major film ever) not being widely available on VHS (although it was released on VHS in Australia). This decision sparked some backlash from fans who collected both DVD and VHS versions, as they felt that their VHS collection was incomplete without Episode III. Both the DVD and VHS versions featured a single alteration from the film's digital theatrical cut: a straight cut replaced a wipe transition between the scene where Obi-Wan departs Mustafar and the scene where Vader climbs away from the lava. (The wipe was later reinstated for the Blu-ray release.)

Disc 1:

• DVD Menu themes are inspired by planets featured in the movie: Coruscant, Utapau, and Mustafar.
• Subtitles are available in English.
• Audio Tracks are available in English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), and French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround).
• Commentary is provided by writer-director George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, animation director Rob Coleman, and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll and Roger Guyett.
• A hip-hop Yoda music video, functioning as an easter egg, presents a non-canonical musical performance by Yoda and a group of clone troopers from the 41st Elite Corps (wearing phase II armor) within the Jedi Temple. [9] (This marked the first release that did not include a hidden blooper reel from filming as an easter egg.) The video showcases a dancing Yoda, break-dancing in the Jedi Temple alongside clone troopers. This easter egg can be accessed by inserting Disc 1 into a DVD player, selecting "Options," highlighting the THX logo, and inputting the numbers "11," [10] "3," and "8," pausing after each number.

Disc 2:

• The main DVD Menu theme is inspired by the Invisible Hand.
• Exclusive deleted scenes are included, accompanied by introductions from George Lucas and Rick McCallum.
• "Within a Minute" is a documentary film that focuses on the making of the Mustafar battle.
• "The Chosen One" is a featurette in which George Lucas explores the myth of Darth Vader across Episodes 1-6.
• "It's All for Real: The Stunts of Episode III" showcases the film's stunt work.
• A 15-part collection of web documentaries from Lucasfilm Ltd. is included.
• A trailer and Xbox game demo for Star Wars: Battlefront II are provided.
• A trailer for the PC game Star Wars: Empire at War is included.
• The "A Hero Falls" music video is featured.
• The poster and print campaign for the film is showcased.
• Trailers and TV spots for the film are included.
• A production photo gallery is provided.
• DVD-ROM content includes a free trial of Hyperspace: The Official Star Wars Fan Club.

Wal-Mart stores offered an exclusive bonus disc, titled The Story of Star Wars, with select copies of Revenge of the Sith upon its DVD release. As with many previous Star Wars "history" featurettes, it is hosted by R2-D2 and C-3PO. Presented in full frame with Dolby Digital 2.0 sound and running for a total of one hour, it was originally produced and released in 2004 as a 3-disc collection for the VideoNow Color personal video player. The DVD version contains the content from the first two discs: The Story of Anakin Skywalker and The Story of Luke Skywalker. The footage used does not include any scenes from Revenge of the Sith, nor does it incorporate the changes present in the 2004 DVD Special Edition releases.

Other retailers provided various collector's items. Target offered a collector's coin from the film, featuring Darth Vader on the "heads" side and the Mustafar duel on the "tails" side. A $5 gift card, featuring Vader with added lights and sound, was also given to DVD purchasers. Additionally, Target included a bonus CD-ROM with the Episode III soundtrack. Best Buy Rewards Zone members received a Star Wars print created by the artist Shepard Fairey.

Revenge of the Sith was released on Blu-ray in September 2011.

On April 7, 2015, Walt Disney Studios, 20th Century Fox, and Lucasfilm jointly announced the digital releases of the six existing Star Wars films. Given that Lucasfilm had retained digital distribution rights for Episodes I to III and V to VI, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Revenge of the Sith for digital download on April 10, 2015.

Despite the Walt Disney Company's 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the rights to release all future Star Wars films, Fox was slated to maintain original distribution rights in perpetuity for Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, which they had co-produced and co-financed, across all media worldwide. Fox was also to retain theatrical, nontheatrical, and home video rights globally for the franchise's subsequent five films, independently produced and financed by Lucasfilm, until May 2020, at which point ownership would transfer to Disney. This intricate relationship between Fox and Disney, particularly regarding Fox's perpetual rights to Episode IV, posed a challenge for any potential boxed set encompassing all nine films. On December 14, 2017, The Walt Disney Company revealed its acquisition of the majority of Fox's parent company, 21st Century Fox, including the film studio and all distribution rights to A New Hope. On March 20, 2019, the deal was officially finalized. On April 12, 2019, a Blu-ray box set containing the nine core installments of the Star Wars saga, remastered in 4K, was reportedly announced to be in development for a 2020 release.

Reception

George Lucas stated in interviews that George Bush did not influence the writing of the movie. Instead, he developed the basic story outline in the 1970s during the Vietnam War, with President Richard Nixon in mind. At Cannes, he commented, "The parallels between what we did in Vietnam and what we're doing in Iraq now are unbelievable." Lucas further explained that, more broadly, his story illustrates how any democracy can evolve into a dictatorship with the consent of its citizens, citing examples such as Caesar of Rome and Napoleon I of France.

Popular reception

In the age of the internet, Revenge of the Sith has become a significant source of content for internet meme culture. Notably, Kenobi's greeting to Grievous on Utapau, "hello there," has risen to become one of the most recognizable Star Wars memes, even being referenced in official works. It was included as Kenobi's greeting to Luke Skywalker in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series, where Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen reprised their roles as Kenobi and Vader, respectively.

Deleted scenes

Six deleted scenes were featured on Disc 2 of the DVD:

• "Grievous Slaughters Shaak Ti" - Depicts the death of Shaak Ti at the hands of General Grievous aboard the Invisible Hand. It was removed due to time constraints and a change in the storyline, which originally had Grievous leaving Shaak Ti alive on Coruscant.
• "A Stirring in the Senate" - Shows the initial meeting of the Rebel Alliance. It was removed because it detracted from the central narrative of Anakin Skywalker.
• "Seeds of Rebellion" - Depicts the second meeting of the Rebel Alliance. It was removed because it detracted from the central narrative of Anakin Skywalker.
• "Confronting the Chancellor" - Shows the presentation of the Delegation of 2000 to Palpatine. It was removed because it detracted from the central narrative of Anakin Skywalker.
• "A Plot to Destroy the Jedi?" - Features Mace Windu sensing the destruction of the Jedi Order. It was removed due to time constraints and because the point was already evident.
• "Exiled to Dagobah" - Shows Yoda landing on Dagobah. It was removed out of concern that it would clutter the ending, preferring a focus on "father, mother, and the kids." Rick McCallum has expressed that this was the biggest loss for him and hopes to see it in a future edition.

Additional scenes were also cut from the film:

• Obi-Wan visits Senator Amidala to discuss Anakin, informing her that he is aware of her marriage. This scene is present in the script, novel, and comic book adaptation of the film, though with slight variations.
• Obi-Wan selects Boga from the other varactyls. An animatic of this scene was shared on StarWars.com in November 2007.
• The deaths of Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee. This scene was never filmed.
• The Order 66 "death" of Quinlan Vos. This scene was never filmed.
• The Order 66 death of Mina Podia. This scene was never filmed.
• Another death of Shaak Ti, as detailed in the novelization: Ti is stabbed in the back by Darth Vader during his raid on the [Jedi Temple](/article/jedi_temple-legends] while she is meditating. She asks Anakin about Windu, Fisto, Kolar, and Tiin. Skywalker responds by stabbing her in the back (a similar death of Shaak Ti appeared in LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game).
• Obi-Wan evading the Nos monster, a natural predator of Utapau, after falling into the sinkhole on Utapau.
• Conversation scenes between Aayla Secura and Bly, and Plo Koon and Jag.
• An ambush scene involving Yoda, Tarfful, and Chewbacca. A Clone Walker passes by a lake. Tarfful is lying dead on a Wookiee boat. The clone observes him for a moment, and a furry creature covered in mud emerges from the water onto the boat. The clone asks the creature if anything is there. "Wookiee good, eat Wookiee," the creature responds. The clone dismisses it as a native Kashyyyk creature and decides to leave. Suddenly, Chewbacca leaps from the water and pulls the clone underwater, killing him. Tarfful then awakens, and the creature reveals itself to be Yoda. He instructs the Wookiees to give him a moment to bathe. Yoda jumps into the water and washes off all the mud. Yoda emerges, puts on his robes, and they proceed towards the emergency escape pod.
• A scene in which Yoda communicates with the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn's spirit. Yoda commits himself to Qui-Gon's teachings. This scene was featured in the novelization.
• Darth Vader kills Wat Tambor.

Continuity

In the DVD commentary for Revenge of the Sith, Lucas makes a casual remark concerning the Death Star shown in the film's closing moments. He clarifies that it is the very same one seen in A New Hope, and acknowledges that it might be "a bit of a stretch," but explains that "union disputes and supply problems" led to a 19-year construction period. The canon novel Tarkin by James Luceno, set five years after Revenge of the Sith, explores certain facets of the Death Star's construction. The book Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel, also by James Luceno, provides further details on how the Republic secretly initiated the project and how it continued to expand under the Empire's direction. Thrawn and Thrawn: Treason also depict aspects of the Death Star's production and supply challenges. The film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story offers additional insight into the Death Star's construction, illustrating how the Rebel Alliance obtained the Death Star plans.

Within the Legends continuity, Kevin J. Anderson's novels Jedi Search and Champions of the Force explain that a prototype Death Star was constructed in preparation for the first Death Star in A New Hope. These conflicting accounts were reconciled in The New Essential Chronology, which stated that the former was a testbed prototype for the superlaser to be installed on the latter. The Chronology also notes that the construction site was moved to various locations throughout the nineteen-year period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope to prevent sabotage, suggesting that there were numerous attempts by unknown individuals to disable or destroy the massive battle station. This theory is supported by Vader's line in A New Hope, where he declares, "There will be no one to stop us this time" regarding the Death Star and its plans. The Legends novels The Dark Nest Trilogy, penned by Troy Denning, explore the continuity aspects related to the holographic recordings of Anakin, Padme, and Obi-Wan in R2's memory banks. Although the Skywalker family saga comes full circle, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo remain unaware of their mother's identity. However, Luke stumbles upon a memory in R2-D2's files that contains her image, and he even watches a hologram of Anakin Force-choking Padmé, as well as his and Leia's birth. Denning portrays Artoo's reluctance to reveal these recordings to Luke, likely sensing that he will learn something painful, while attributing it to quirks in the astromech droid's circuitry.

The Legends video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed revealed that Galen Marek severely damaged the Death Star while infiltrating the station to rescue Rebel leaders. This was considered a partial explanation for the extended construction time of the Death Star, as well as Vader's line, "There will be no one to stop us this time."

Credits