"The theme of General Grievous" is a musical composition crafted by John Williams specifically for the soundtrack accompanying the 2005 release of the Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith film, which is part of the prequel trilogy, and its associated score. This piece serves as the musical representation of General Grievous, a character belonging to the Separatist faction. The London Symphony Orchestra and the London Voices, the same choir that contributed to the two preceding prequels, performed the piece in 2005. Within Revenge of the Sith, this theme is heard three times, and it appears twice on the film's soundtrack. The "General Grievous's theme" prominently utilizes a number of strings, with French horns carrying the melody, and features the London Voices. Furthermore, the musical arrangement is present in the _Revenge of the Sith_ video game, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, and Star Wars: The Old Republic, alongside its inclusion in 2017's Star Wars Battlefront II.
For Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, John Williams composed the score, continuing his work from the previous five Star Wars movies. In 2005, he collaborated with the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Voices choir to bring the score to life, mirroring his approach for the two earlier prequel films. Both the Orchestra and choir were featured in "General Grievous's theme," the primary theme associated with the Separatist character General Grievous, the cyborg commander of the Separatist Droid Army after the death of Count Dooku. The soundtrack was initially made available on May 3, 2005, and later as an MP3 download on May 24. On September 25, 2015, Sony Classical revealed their plan to release the Revenge of the Sith soundtrack along with the soundtracks of the other five films in three new collections: Star Wars: The Ultimate Vinyl Collection, Star Wars: The Ultimate Soundtrack Edition, and Star Wars: The Ultimate Digital Collection, all scheduled for release on January 8, 2016.
"General Grievous's theme" makes two appearances on the Revenge of the Sith soundtrack. The track entitled "Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious" showcases the most distinct and elaborate rendition of the theme. The musical piece is primarily polyphonic, indicating that different sections perform independent parts with varying rhythms and pitches. In this particular track, the theme commences with a fast-paced section played by the string instruments. Subsequently, trumpets join in, followed by horns that play the main melody, which is divided into three parts by brief pauses. This sequence is repeated once before the London Voices enter, singing in between the brass segments. The theme concludes abruptly as the chorus and orchestra cease playing simultaneously. The theme is also present in the track "Star Wars and The Revenge of the Sith." This iteration features a tuba soli—a segment highlighting a single section rather than an individual musician—followed by the beginning of the theme, with tubas replacing the horns.
"General Grievous's theme" is first introduced at four minutes and forty-six seconds into the track titled "Star Wars and The Revenge of the Sith," which is the opening track on the Revenge of the Sith soundtrack. It can also be heard at the start of "Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious," the thirteenth track on the soundtrack.
The exclusive use of "General Grievous's theme" is in Revenge of the Sith. It is featured in the scene set on the Invisible Hand, which is General Grievous's flagship, marking Grievous's initial appearance in the movie. It is then heard again when Grievous arrives on the sinkhole planet Utapau aboard a Sheathipede-class transport shuttle. This particular scene showcases the most complex presentation of the theme. The theme makes its third appearance during the lightsaber duel between Grievous and Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi within the hangar located in Pau City, the capital city of Utapau, culminating in Grievous's death. Furthermore, the theme is incorporated into the chapter menu of the film's DVD, utilizing the hangar scene as its background.
The theme is present in the video game Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith from 2005, specifically in the level titled "Showdown with Grievous." It also appears in the "General Grievous" level within the Episode III section of the 2007 non-canon video game LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
Moreover, the 2011 massively multiplayer online role-playing game by BioWare, Star Wars: The Old Republic, features the theme during player combat against non-player characters, as well as in the Huttball player-versus-player warzone instance. In the 2016 digital expansion Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Eternal Throne, the theme is used when the Eternal Fleet razes the planet Voss and the Eternal Alliance arrives to defend and liberate it.
The 2017 version of Star Wars Battlefront II plays the theme whenever a player spawns as General Grievous, as well as upon the player's defeat.
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith soundtrack
- Sony Classical to Release Ultimate Editions of Original Star Wars Soundtracks on StarWars.com (backup link)