TheStar Warsprequels have divided fans for almost two decades , but there is a sensory faculty that they have been quietly grow in popularity since the franchise relaunched in 2015 . Whatever your thoughts on the celluloid , The Force Awakensdoes take up heavily fromA New Hope , while the upcomingHan Solo , Obi - Wan and ( potential ) Boba Fett spin - offs are certain to benefit from the same nostalgia for the original trilogy .

buff who are warm to criticizeEpisode VIIfor its supposed lack of imagination have to concede that the prequels are , if nothing else , original , complex , and unlike anything we ’d ever see from theStar Warsuniverse . Rogue Onegenerated mint of bombilation for reintroducing characters exclusive to the prequels . More recently still , Hayden Christensen , who might have buried his head in the sand ( if he did n’t hate it so much ) in the eld sinceRevenge of the Sith , was met with a standing standing ovation atStar WarsCelebration .

We ’re not claiming that the prequels are better than the original trilogy , or even the most recent installments , but that they should n’t be left behind in the hurry of upcomingStar Warsmovies . For every awkward line of dialogue , George Lucas reminds us precisely whereStar Warscame from with a scene that you would n’t see anywhere but in a Galax urceolata far , far away .

Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2

Here are15 Scenes From the Prequel Trilogy That Are Actually Great .

The Battle Over Coruscant

As the scene develops , Obi - Wan and Anakin provide a running comment on the stunning scene , which is so ambitious that only George Lucas could have come up with it . You rarely see visuals as charge as these outside ofStar warfare , let alone in an chess opening shot , and it stay on the skilful first scene in aStar Warsfilm - even compared to the updated effects of the most recent entry .

Yoda vs. Dooku

Fans had been waiting over 20 years to see Yoda in action , and follow Anakin ’s defeat by Count Dooku , the sound of those lilliputian step was enough to send shivers down   our spines ( even if the hindsight police do n’t approve of the fight ’s execution ) .

Sure , the idea of a   computer - generated character dancing backflips around Sir Christopher Lee is a little punch-drunk , but Yoda would naturally have to compensate for his elevation , and what kind of Jedi Master ca n’t use a lightsaber ?

Either way , Yoda bosses this scene even before the lightsaber fight , first by sweep off Dooku ’s attempt to best him with the Force . Dooku eventually repair to Force lightning , which Yoda elicit right back at his former apprentice , and responds by using the Force to cite his lightsaber . You do n’t have to relish the affaire d’honneur that follows to apprise the scene as a whole .

George Lucas with A New Hope imagery v3

Vader Rises

We all know howRevenge of the Sithwas going to end , but after three film of waiting , there was still something extra about seeing Anakin don the ill-famed Darth Vader suit of clothes .

From Vader ’s first breathing spell tuck into silence , to the raw , room - shake power he lets off when he learns of Padme ’s expiry , the view is put together brilliantly , and is arguably one of Lucas ’ best moment in the director ’s chair . As always , John Williams adds the finish up musical spot to an iconic minute inStar Warshistory .

Of course , the “ Noooooo ! ” that rounds the scene out would later become the clobber of internet fable ( for all the wrong rationality ) , but the rest of the scene is so adept that it almost gets off with it . Almost .

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

R2’s Introduction

Our narrators through the original trilogy , R2 - D2 and C-3PO were certain to make prequel appearances at some breaker point . 3PO is reveal to have been created by the future Darth Vader , which only asks more query than it answer .

R2 ’s reintroduction is much more unostentatious . R2 is one of several droids deployed to deposit the shield generator of the Naboo Royal Starship , but not before shoving Jar Jar out the way ( as if he were n’t pop enough already ) . As the droids are blasted from atop the ship one - by - one , R2 quietly gets on with saving the lives of everyone on board .

The scene inject two minutes of sport intoThe Phantom Menace , and reminds us all exactly why we loved the little droid in the first place .

Star Wars Prequels Best Scenes

Goodbye, Old Friend

On its own , this brief leave between Anakin and Obi - Wan as the latter contribution for Utapau is n’t much to write dwelling house about , but it becomes an incredibly powerful consequence when you call back that this is the last clock time Obi - Wan ever speaks to Anakin Skywalker .

For the final prison term , Anakin sincerely apologize for the disrespect he has usher his master , which makes it twice tragic when Obi - Wan returns only to chance that Darth Vader has take his place . Even more impactful is the throwaway word of goodbye Obi - Wan affords his learner before boarding the ship .

As Obi - Wan steps into the light source to descend the runway , Anakin is cast into darkness , and between them , the two Jedi briefly stand for light and dark in a well - concealed moment of foreshadowing .

Opening Space Battle from Revenge of the Sith

The Battle of Geonosis

Attack of the Clonesis often consider the rickety of the prequels , but if it had just admit more scene like this , and   few of Anakin and Padme talking about sand , it might have been in for a much   more positive   decisive response . The prequel trilogy promised us a glimpse into how the Jedi operated at the height of their world power , and here we finally see what all the squabble was about .

As Mace Windu confronts Count Dooku with a cool “ This company ’s over ” ( the dialogue still needs work , but this scene is all about the visuals ) , the large routine of lightsabers ever gather in a undivided place are ignited all across the stadium . From Dooku ’s linear perspective , we see a web of blue , green , and purplish turn out down almost an full droid army , and it becomes clear exactly why Palpatine needs the Jedi out of the moving-picture show .

Yoda vs. Sidious

Yoda ’s battle with the Emperor does n’t come with the aroused weight of the side - by - side duel between Obi - Wan and Darth Vader , but the raw power on display more than make up for it . At this degree in the saga , Yoda and Sidious are by far the most sinewy Force users in the extragalactic nebula , and this scene is solid proof .

Theirs is also a battle of wag , as Yoda tries to force the Emperor into close combat , while Sidious uses his surround to keep his resister at bay . It ’s no coincidence that the location in question is the Senate chamber , which the Emperor destroy both figuratively ( through his cost increase to power ) and literally in this picture , as he launches podium after podium at his opponent .

Ultimately , the pair fight to a stalemate , but Sidious , with back - up on the way of life and about 100 - invertebrate foot of eminent ground , draw Yoda to fly the Senate and exile himself to Dagobah .

Yoda vs. Count Dooku

Order 66

The original trilogy made it exculpated that Yoda and Obi - Wan would be the only Jedi to make it out of the prequels alive , but we had no idea that the great purging was set in apparent motion by just three word , or that it would be such a sinewy moment to take in on filmdom .

It ’s hard to decide which is more gut - wrenching : seeing the Jedi gun down by the ever - loyal Clone Troopers and them realise too late that they have been betrayed , or the sexual conquest by John Williams .

Just as Yoda decides that he ’s having absolutely none of it and beheads his aggressor , the sequence seems to end on a high-pitched Federal Reserve note , but instead , it transitions to its most brutal moment . Anakin , in his first act as Darth Vader , stares down the Jedi younglings in a meet end to a scene that fully embraces the repulsion of the situation .

Anakin Becomes Darth Vader

Podracing

George Lucas is n’t precisely known for his conservative approach to especial effects , and while his experiments have n’t always paid off , the podrace is all the proof you postulate thatThe Phantom Menacewas visually ahead of its fourth dimension . The chronological succession , which successfully combinesBen - Hur ’s chariot race with the in high spirits - speeding video recording game of the late ‘ XC , carry up as well as it ever did to the activity scenes of today .

Just as telling is the heavy figure . John Williams allow for the necessary nobility in the work up - up to the race , but soon after , he is noteworthy only by his absence . The music gives agency for the diegetic sound of Ben Burtt , long - timeStar Warssound designer and editor program , which gives you a better spirit for the virtuous speed of Anakin ’s pod than any visual cue .

Slave I

If it were even possible , sound - fashion designer Burtt ups his secret plan even more for this vista inAttack of the Clones , which follows Obi - Wan as he tracksSlave I , piloted at this point by Jango Fett , through an asteroid subject area .

The chase itself is like something pulled right out of the original trilogy , but with the added fillip of updated ocular and audio effects . Jango ’s seismic charges , which explode into quiet with something close to a bass voice drop cloth , steal the view , and the lightning drab shockwaves they farm have the graphics to match .

When it comes to named ships inStar Wars , only theMillennium Falconis more iconic thanSlave I , and its return in such a thrilling scene is a welcome addition to the prequels .

R2-D2 fixes and saves Padmé’s ship in The Phantom Menace

Obi-Wan and Anakin Farewell

Jedi on Geonosis in Attack of the Clones

Yoda vs Darth Sidious in the Republic Senate building in Revenge of the Sith

Palpatine tells Commander Cody to execute Order 66 in Star Wars Revenge of the Sith

Anakin Skywalker Flying in Podrace in Star Wars

Slave I in Attack of the Clones

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