20 years afterStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithwas first released in theaters,Star Warshas improved the movie in these 10 key ways. Although the reception to theStar Warsprequel trilogy was mixed, to say the least, over time,Revenge of the Sithhas begun to be seen by many as one ofStar Wars’best movies. In part, that is because nostalgia for the movie has grown, which is clear in the incrediblebox office numbers forRevenge of the Sith’sre-release.
There’s more than just nostalgia makingRevenge of the Sithso much better, though. In the two decades since the movie was first released,Star Warsmovies and TV shows, in addition to a host of books and other stories, have fleshedRevenge of the Sithout so much more, making it even greater than it was in 2005.These 10Star Warsupdates in particular have improvedRevenge of the Sithconsiderably over the last 20 years.
10Obi-Wan Kenobi Proved How Loved Luke And Leia Were
We Got To See So Much More About Their Childhood
Obi-Wan Kenobiwas an unexpected but brilliant follow-up toRevenge of the Sith, and it provided so much more insight into how Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa grew up (in addition to revealing more about Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s whereabouts at this time). Prior toObi-Wan Kenobi, very little had been shown about Luke and Leia’s upbringings on screen. At the end ofRevenge of the Sith, we saw each baby delivered to their respective homes, andA New Hopehad given a peek into Luke’s life on Tatooine.
However,Obi-Wan Kenobishowed how deeply loved both children were. In Leia’s case, it was clear that her adoptive parents, especially Bail Organa, absolutely doted on her. Although the love Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru showed Luke was arguably more reserved, the way they defended him with their lives against Reva proved how much they truly loved him. Given how tragic their stories were, and how sad it is that Anakin and Padmé didn’t get to raise them, this was a wonderful update.
9Obi-Wan’s Training With Qui-Gon Was Given More Attention
This Curious Reference From Revenge Of The Sith Has Since Been Fleshed Out
Towards the end ofRevenge of the Sith, Master Yoda told Obi-Wan that he had training for him on Tatooine with his former master, Qui-Gon Jinn. At the time, this was a rather curious assertion, given Qui-Gon had died inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Some had therefore guessed that this was training for one of the most difficult ofStar Wars’Force powers, becoming a Force Ghost, particularly because Obi-Wan became a Force Ghost in the original trilogy.
Since then,bothStar Wars: The Clone WarsandObi-Wan Kenobihave shown that this is precisely what Obi-Wan’s training entailed. InThe Clone Wars, Yoda went on a journey of his own that led him to reconnect with the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn, making it clear how Yoda knew to tell Obi-Wan of this training. InObi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn even appeared as a Force Ghost, making it clear that this training took place betweenRevenge of the SithandA New Hope.
8The Clone Wars Shed More Light Upon Padmé’s Strength And Bravery
We Got To See So Much More Of Padmé’s Work In The Senate
Padmé’sStar Warsstory is one of the most compelling but also the most frustrating. ThroughoutThe Phantom MenaceandStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Padmé proved how brilliant, resilient, and capable she was, even when she was just 14. Yet, inRevenge of the Sith, Padmé often comes across as naive and helpless.
Thankfully,The Clone Warsreinforced how incredible Padmé really is as a character. Throughout the show, she was depicted as wise, brave, and self-determined—things that were sorely missing in her representation inRevenge of the Sith. The show also fleshed out her relationship with Anakin during this era considerably, which helped to illuminate why she may have been so willing to look beyond his obvious red flags.
7Andor Has Done Right By Mon Mothma
Andor Has Shown So Much More After Mon Mothma’s Scenes Were Deleted In Revenge Of The Sith
Mon Mothma has become one ofStar Wars’most important characters of late, with appearances inStar Wars Rebels,Ahsoka, andAndor, among various others going back to the originalStar Warstrilogy.Andorin particular has made great strides for her character following her major arc in the prequels being relegated toRevenge of the Sith’sdeleted scenes. Specifically,Mon Mothma was meant to be shown as a leader among the Delegation of 2000 inRevenge of the Sith, but that storyline was cut from the movie.
Andor, includingAndorseason 2’s first six episodes, has already done so much to ameliorate this, showing how involved Mon was in the Rebellion and all she did to help bring down the Empire. In fact, althoughAndorseason 2 is only halfway through, it’s clear that the show is priming Mon to be a key player in the rebel cells coming together, which will lead directly into the events of the original trilogy. While it remains disappointing that these scenes were cut fromRevenge of the Sith,Star Warshas at least since shown just how important Mon was.
While it remains disappointing that these scenes were cut fromRevenge of the Sith,Star Warshas at least since shown just how important Mon was.
6Anakin’s Return In Obi-Wan Kenobi And Ahsoka Continued His Story
Both Shows Explored Anakin’s Story In Brand-New Ways
Anakin’s story has dominatedStar Warsfrom the very beginning, and that only became more true in the prequel trilogy. In fact, although the prequels also focus on myriad other key events, including Order 66 and the downfall of both the Jedi Order and the Republic, these three movies feel like Anakin’s story in many ways. Yet,Star Warshas only fleshed outAnakin Skywalker’sStar Warstimelineall the more in recent years.
This occurred in shows likeThe Clone Wars, certainly, butHayden Christensen’s more recent returns as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader inObi-Wan KenobiandAhsokahave provided major updates to Anakin’s storyas well. InObi-Wan Kenobi, we got to see Anakin/Vader and Obi-Wan have one final face-off beforeA New Hope, which offered significantly more closure between the two than had been shown so far.Ahsokadid much of the same for Ahsoka and Anakin/Vader, revealing their confrontation inthe World Between Worldsand helping Ahsoka let go of her grief and guilt.
5The Clones Were Finally Given The Humanity They Always Deserved
In The Prequels, The Clones Weren’t Fully-Fleshed Characters
The clones were a fascinating addition toStar WarsinAttack of the ClonesandRevenge of the Sith, but, as much as clones like Commander Cody were shown to be close to the Jedi,the clone troopers were not really treated as fully human throughout the prequel trilogy.Star Warshas changed this significantly over the last two decades, though. InThe Clone Wars, we learned countless clones' names and got to see their unique story arcs.
In fact, Captain Rex is arguably amongStar Wars’best characters, in part because of that show.Star Wars: The Bad Batchdid even more to flesh out the clones, making them main characters in their own right.TheBad Batchseason 3 endingin particular gave the clones so much humanity, even allowing them a (very rare, inStar Wars) happy ending.
4Several Other Order 66 Survivors Have Been Confirmed
The List Of Surviving Jedi Continues To Grow
At the end ofRevenge of the Sith, it seemed unlikely many Jedi beyond Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda had survived the devastating attack on the Jedi. In the years since, however,many more Jedi survivors of Order 66 have been revealed. This includes Kanan Jarrus, who was a leading character inRebels, as well as Jedi like Quinlan Vos, Grogu, and arguably Ahsoka Tano herself (although she insisted she wasn’t a Jedi at that time).
While some may take issue with these changes to Order 66, the stories of these survivors have become some of the very best inStar Wars.Rebelsis in fact considered by many to be amongStar Wars’best TV shows, and it also led to Kanan training Ezra Bridger—a now fan-favorite Jedi inStar Wars. Likewise, Jedi survivor Cal Kestis has become one of the most popular Jedi in the franchise, even without him appearing on theStar Warsscreen (so far).
3Ahsoka Tano Fleshed Out Anakin’s Fall (And His Entire Character)
Ahsoka Was The Perfect Addition To Star Wars
One of the single best changes toStar WarsfollowingRevenge of the Sithwas the introduction of Ahsoka Tano as Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan. When Ahsoka was introduced in theStar Wars: The Clone Warsmovie, there was plenty of resistance to her. Many felt it was unrealistic for Anakin to have a Padawan, as she wasn’t mentioned in the prequel trilogy, while others simply didn’t like her sassy attitude.
However, over time, Ahsoka has become one of the most beloved characters inStar Wars, and her importance has only grown. AfterThe Clone Wars, Ahsoka returned in animatedStar Warsshows likeRebelsandStar Wars: Tales of the Jedi, and she even debuted in live-action inThe Mandalorian, with subsequent appearances inThe Book of Boba Fettand (of course) her own show,Ahsoka. In addition to how brilliant she is independently,Ahsoka did so much to explain Anakin’s fall to the dark side and show the flaws of the Jedi Order.
2The Brutality Of Order 66 Has Been Showcased Even More
Several Shows Have Made These Events Even More Graphic
In addition to revealing more Jedi who survived Order 66,in the years sinceRevenge of the Sith,Star Warshas depicted how brutal Order 66 really was so much better. InRevenge of the Sith, it was of course clear that this was a horrifying tragedy, particularly with Anakin’s scene in the Jedi Council Chambers, in which it was apparent that he slaughtered younglings. However, that scene stopped short of actually showing Anakin killing children—it was just heavily implied.
Obi-Wan Kenobichanged that by showing children directly cut down by Anakin/Vader. Likewise, shows likeThe Clone WarsandThe Bad Batchhave shown the experiences of many Jedi who were not inRevenge of the Sith, confirming just how brutal Order 66 was across the board. This additional context has only enhancedRevenge of the Sith, making these scenes that much more painful by reminding audiences that there was so much more devastation than what was shown in the movie.
1The Clone Wars Revealed The REAL Reason The Clones Turned On The Jedi
The Inhibitor Chip Made This Story So Much Better
Finally,the single best wayStar Warshas improvedRevenge of the Sithover the years is by confirming why the clones turned on the Jedi during Order 66. In the movie, it wasn’t clear why the clones would betray the Jedi so gravely, especially asThe Clone Warslater revealed in such great detail how close the bonds between many Jedi and their clone troopers were. The explanation of the inhibitor chips, which forced the clones to turn on the Jedi against their will, was therefore perfect.
The explanation of the inhibitor chips, which forced the clones to turn on the Jedi against their will, was therefore perfect.
In addition to this providing an explanation for why the clones did this, it also made Palpatine even more of a mastermind than he had already seemed. These inhibitor chips proved Palpatine had been playing the long game for decades, and it made the events of the prequels so much more believable. Of all the updates toStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithin the two decades since the movie was released,Star Warsmost improved the movie with this revelation regarding why the clones turned on the Jedi, nearly eradicating them.
