The Most Unique Era of Star Wars: The Prequels

[@Neonytic]

Imagine how little Anakin would've cared about being on the council had Qui-Gon trained him instead.

[@tegridyfarms6197]

The reason we hear dueal of fates in the fight against maul and the more decisive/tragic version on mustafar. Wait there is a quote about it that degenerates didn't get over 20 years now "Again, it's like poetry, so that they rhyme."

[@christianlee1423]

Anakin wants access to the jedi library archives to know more about the force to save padms

[@Neonytic]

@@christianlee1423 yes, but Anakin also would've handled his fears and obsessions differently had Qui-Gon finished his training. Likely Qui-Gon would have either managed to keep him from getting together with Padmé OR at least he would've been less susceptible to Palpatine's manipulation. Hell maybe under Qui-Gon Anakin would've managed to save uis mother in time. Qui-Gon likely would've taken some measures when Anakin first told him about his nightmares of his mother.

[@Jiub_SN]

@@NeonyticQG likely would've trained Anakin far better than obi and would've likely been ok with Anakins relationship with padme and taught him to control his feelings. When Anakin is afraid of his mother's death and subsequently padmes (it's likely that had his mother not died Padme wouldn't have given what we know). Qui-Gonn was borderline against the Jedi council, he believed in the living force and that belief likely would've meant Anakin would've become a true Jedi akin to Luke had qui gonn trained him

[@Neonytic]

@@Jiub_SN indeed. I suppose it's all sort of fated though. It's a tricky subject to talk about even in hypotheticals as technically it was the will of the force for things to go the way they did so one might say it couldn't have gone any other way, unless we assume the actions of the sith really do change the natural flow of the force so drastically. We kinda have to hypothesize on what could have been with the assumption that the force (the Whills) could change it's mind about things. As it stands Anakin was likely meant to take out the jedi order. Whether killing jedi kids was a necessary part of it, I wouldn't know for certain. But had they (Vader and Sidious) left them alive and trained all of them in the dark side under the empire, that would've then tipped the balance even further towards the sith, so as insane as it sounds, the ultimate balance required the killing of even the younglings. Killing only the older jedi and letting yhe kids go would result in vengeful rogue jedi kids growing up. The order had become corrupt even if less evil than sith, so killing all but a few jedi was supposedly a true act of balance albeit unknowingly. I wonder how the ultimate balance would be found if Sidious was taken out by a Qui-Gon-trained Anakin Skywalker and the order still stood? Would Anakin change the order in some other way to rid the corruption and mend the ways of the jedi towards a more true jedi way? Would there end up being a jedi civil war because some jedi would not accept a complete change in management even when it's coming from a hero of prophecy? Even if the sith had lost during prequel era and Anakin had stayed a jedi, it was fated the flawed order of their time had to fall, so it would happen one way or another.

[@highonsugar6273]

I loved the politics in the prequels, especially in the clone wars, Padme is such an underrated character

[@joshdunne8792]

You're the first person I've ever seen say they love the politics in Star Wars 😂 I appreciate it and think it's integral to the story of all of Star Wars but what I love is the relationships between the Characters (Luke, Leia, Han, Ben Kenobi, Vader, Yoda and the Emperor in OT and Anakin, Obi Wan, Qui Gon, Padme, Palpatine, Maul and Dooku and the Jedi in the prequels/prequel era), (I know I'm forgetting characters like Ahsoka, Rex. There's so many

[@micahvdw962]

I love the politics too, outside of the real world commentary that was the main driver of it, the in universe function and context it provides I think ads a lot more than it's given credit for

[@99Gara99]

Padme isnt underrated. She is rated as a hot character that doesnt do much

[@highonsugar6273]

@@99Gara99 she does do a lot though, especially in the clone wars, you seeing her as “just a hot character who doesn’t do much” is pretty sexist, I doubt you’d say that about any male characters

[@minecrafter3448]

Politics in the clone wars are executed geniusly. (Not a word but it should be)

[@richardnixonpog9925]

My biggest thing is look at how unique the Prequels LOOKED. The Sequels lacked that Prequel visual flair, the decadence, the framing, the costume design. Everything was gorgeous in its own unique way in the Prequels, everything felt alive and looked spectacular. I know people rag on their use of CGI but compared to a lot of the practical aliens we're getting these days, I don't mind it as much now considering how ugly some of these shows and films can look. Everything in the Prequels was designed to thematically show something, everything felt, in a sense, real.

[@LegioXXI]

The prequels gave that "golden roman age" vibe which made the downfall of everything so much more impactful. All the pretty designs, all the diverse outfits all the will be replaced with the (thematically and aesthetically) dark military state of the Empire. You can't have darkness without light, and the prequels knew that since the OT already start with the established empire. We simply never knew what the Empire actually destroyed.

[@gorcsauce696]

Sequels looked amazing they have the best visual effects sounds look dialogue . The only problem is they didn’t respect the legacy characters and the sky walker legacy and as well clearly had no plan after force awkwens making a 180 and then tryna save it in rise of sky walker making it worse .

[@internettraveler8666]

Nah the prequels look faker than the cartoon show

[@ek5268]

@@internettraveler8666that’s not what he’s saying. You can debate the quality of the special effects but the costume design and art style were incredibly unique and vibrant

[@LilacSreya]

⁠@@internettraveler8666 Get your eyes checked. CGI was great for ITS TIME. You know what else looks fake af? Original trilogy! Fake ass sock puppets, matte paintings, miniature toys., etc. looks like Sesame Street. Specialized Editions were improved, but theatrical releases were crap. But not only it get a pass, but praised. Why? Because of the designs and what they tried. OT was visionary taking RISKS and CHANGED the industry; if they never tried VFX, sci-fi, and franchises like these wouldn’t have gotten to where we are now. And PT did the same and commends respect for that (cgi industry and trying something new). Art needs to take risks and shouldn’t be hated for that; otherwise we’ll be stuck with formulaic trash forever.

[@Afineaddition]

The prequels were just vibes, man. So much passion and creativity that honestly rejuvenated the franchise. It is easily the best era of Star Wars and brought newfound enthusiasm to the younger generations of the time

[@Green_Pix-L]

Damn straight. I'm tired of people saying otherwise.

[@KRYP-T1K]

This is one of the best descriptions I've read for the prequel era of Star Wars thank you for this!

[@ian.swift.31614]

what does "The prequels were just vibes, man." even mean?

[@TRN_SIRIS]

real shit brodie

[@TRN_SIRIS]

we got so much lore, and toys, best legos, best cartoon network show, best new iconic actors/characters, and so much new content to flesh out the prequels, so definitely it is one of the best eras, they had passion and love

[@jimbeaux89]

I’m 34 and I grew up with the prequels since TPM when I was 9. I saw RoTS 5 times on opening day, dressed in my Jedi robe. No piece of media holds a more special place in my heart than the prequels. I still cry when I see RoTS.

[@jnnx]

That’s a “You” problem, SON.

[@noobmaster69426]

I love the prequels as well. ROTS ties with Empire as my personal pick for best Star Wars movie.

[@truthseeker333-id7ex]

why you crying?

[@BabysitterSky]

Crying?!dude grow tf up. It wasn't that deep.

[@ajdavis3607]

@@BabysitterSky "You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you" is the single most emotional line and piece of dialogue in any star wars movie. It's ok to cry after it.

[@ethanwilson7787]

19:09 Remember it wasn’t just Dave, George was the one who decided that Anakin would have a padawan and that Maul would come back etc. I love Dave but George was the one who made most of the decisions on what people now praise Dave for. Dave definitely had his place and without him a lot of it might not have worked out the way it did but still.

[@NikoCigoj]

Dave filoni was against bringing back maul

[@joejusto3292]

@@NikoCigoj So he still followed his bosses orders.

[@justadummy8076]

Absolutely, cutting GL out was the biggest mistake Disney ever made. At first you can understand why they did it, but now that I’ve seen SW without Lucas… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss him…

[@noooooobica]

@@justadummy8076They didn’t cut him out, he sold the rights for 4 billion dollars 😂. He still had the rights for Clone Wars up until he sold before the final season could come out.

[@joshdunne8792]

Yeah exactly when you listen to Daves interviews he explains George Lucas made the Clone Wars. It was Georges idea after Revenge of the Sith to keep Star Wars going with the Clone Wars and George reached out to Dave through one of George's people. Dave explains he received a call from a person claiming to work for George and explained George was working on a Clone Wars series and wanted Dave to make it for him. Dave explains he thought it was a joke at first because he was a known Star Wars nerd who went to comic con dressed as Plo Koon but as he listened on the phone entertaining what he thought was a prank he realised oh shit this is real 😂 he was told he was recommended highly and was the guy to make this series hand picked by george and his response was "YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THE GUY I AM. I HAVE A PLO KOON COSPLAY IN MY GARAGE"😂😂 he explains he met George, George went into a monologue on the force and at the end basically told Dave he got the job and they made the early clone wars together before it was bought by Disney. I've never seen Dave or George speak on the later seasons or Disneys cancellation just that George began putting the Clone Wars in motion when he finished Revenge of the Sith

[@reaver1414]

Killing the younglings is the most emotional scene in all of star wars. Even the following scene where the teenage Jedi jumps out and tries to protect (I think it's the senator) and gets killed makes it even worse. The difference between the little kids looking to Anakin for protection and the teens bravery is very jarring.

[@BonnerDoesYouTube]

Yeah, I've always been bummed out by those scenes. Fun fact: the Jedi Padawan who dies is named Zett Jukasa, who was played by Jett Lucas, George Lucas' son.

[@xjadit7826]

The senator? That's bail organa sentor/King of alderaan and adoptive father of leia what do you mean you "think" he's one of the most important characters in the whole saga

[@hyperion3145]

​@@xjadit7826 If you're a casual fan, you won't know that especially since Bail only appears in two movies (not counting the shows and comics), one as a largely background character and the other as easily forgettable but plot significant senator. Can't really blame them for not noticing senator #359 when he shares 90% of his scenes with bigger names like Yoda, Obi Wan or Padme.

[@xjadit7826]

@hyperion3145 he literally says "me and my wife will adopt the girl" at the end of the movie you'd have to be blind and stupid not to.know that's bail.. I mean granted you may not know his name but you should at least know it's leias adoptive father and not just "the senator guy I think"

[@lukakaps9548]

​@@xjadit7826 of course its obvious that thats bail, but op may be a casual fan and people who just enjoy the movies for what they are don't typically know his name. And you just assume that op doesn't know that he is leias father, and get weirdly mad about "the Senator i think".

[@ak-skeleton-7195]

The prequel era is definitely the most unique and interesting era because of the clone wars I believe Star Wars wouldn’t be what it is today without it

[@vincenttillman7257]

Damn right about that

[@thehalfricanguy]

Eh, maybe.

[@lorealiiiii]

@@thehalfricanguyno definitely think of all the shows that all link to heavy nostalgia of the clone wars and there characters

[@bilbobagend8155]

"I believe Star Wars wouldn’t be what it is today without it" Maybe not the best statement, and I say this as someone who doesn't mind the prequels. Star Wars as it is today is a franchise that managed to go from the most hyped media franchise of all time to... whatever it is now. Disney really dropped the ball, and they keep consistently dropping the ball with everything they release.

[@thehalfricanguy]

@@lorealiiiii *their characters. What is your point? All the shows link to the OG trilogy as well. Star Wars wouldn't be what it is today without the OG trilogy.

[@step6584]

The prequels are completely under appreciated. They add so much context to the originals, and without them, Star Wars as a whole wouldn’t have been nearly as good or as interesting as it is.

[@twiedenfeld]

Please realize that for many people who grew up with the original movies, the prequels ruin them, which is why we don't want to recognize them as cannon. For example: Anakin Skywalker killing a bunch of children makes him unredeemable. It turns him from a Napoleon type figure into a Hitler type figure.

[@val3nt358]

@@twiedenfeldit’s realistic. happens in real life. world is full of different mindsets, circumstances and thus leading to the outcome of humanity in its present state.

[@jakecollinsworth5159]

​@@twiedenfeldTough shit because everyone loves the prequels now

[@ludvikisnes1628]

darth vader was pure evil even in the original. @@twiedenfeld

[@magarinoskevin2063]

​@@twiedenfeldprequels are outdated :P

[@josephpasquarella2123]

I loved the prequel movies as a kid and now love and understand them way more as an adult. The clone wars series, battlefront games and all the content around it has been the icing on the cake. I don’t think anything can get bigger than the prequel era!

[@WhitneyDahlin]

I completely agree! I was and I am so completely disappointed in the new sequels. ‼️I'm really frustrated that they chose to expand on after the empire fell instead of going back in time to before the rule of 2 where there were giant Sith versus Jedi wars and telling a new story with new characters. With thousands of Sith versus thousands of Jedi. WHY??? WHY haven't we gotten that movie series!!!!???? That would have been way better, way more cool, just so much more visually spectacular, so much more interesting than the sequel movies we got. WHY DIDNT THEY SET THE MOVIES THEN?!!? I genuinely think they just wanted to smash in as many cameos of beloved characters as possible. Like how can there have been giant Sith versus Jedi battles before the rule of two and we've never gotten a movie series about that. That's literally the coolest point in all of Star wars history. I don't care what anyone says that is the movie series we all wanted to see.

[@corn.3892]

You're wrong, they aren't the "icing on the cake", but fundamental parts to understand the Prequel movies. For example, the Sifo Dias mystery, or the inhibitor chip and the following Order 66.

[@clarity2199]

I watched the originals as a small child. I remember my favorite then was Return of the Jedi, watching for the first time a bad guy turn good. When I got older, the Prequels became my main movies. After watching them, especially Revenge of the Sith, that's when I realized my favorite character of all WAS infact Anakin/Vader. Never stopped loving him. But a surprise came to me in the prequels how much I liked Obi Wan. I didn't realize it in the originals cuz he was just some old man that dies. But you really get to know and love him more than anything in the prequels, especially the bond between him and Anakin during that time, making ROTS all that more tragic in the end.

[@PatLund]

​@@WhitneyDahlinthey have been doing stuff with the High Republic era lately which is cool, but none of it has really been very good.

[@MistahJay7]

The amount of times I've rewatched Darth Mauls arc in Clone Wars is unhealthy One of the most satisfying Star Wars narratives I've watched. The Final Fight between Sidious Vs Maul and Savage is easily my favorite Duel in all of Star Wars. I never thought I would see my two favorite characters fight each other and well they delivered.

[@ulty1472]

Darth maul is dumb.

[@DontrelleRoosevelt]

*story

[@gavomorg762]

@MistahJay7 "100%mate "You have become a rival "(Evil cackle) .And I know we saw him using force lightning on Luke at the end of ROTJ and duelling Mace &Yoda .whiich was incredible i might add .But to see him at 🎉🎉 his Maniacal best ,Pure evilness was something special to behold Laughing and toying with not just Maul.but Savage asweell and with utter ease too❤

[@MistahJay7]

@@DontrelleRoosevelt No it's Arc.

[@MistahJay7]

@@gavomorg762 I honestly think the Darth Maul Episodes are my favorite pieces of Star Wars Media ever created lol

[@andrecherry2347]

To answer the question of who is the protagonist in the Phantom Menace, the title gives it away. It's Sheev Palpatine. While the film spends most of its time focusing on the adventures of Qui-gon, Obi-wan and Queen Amidala, the entire conflict is manipulated by Sidious in order for him to bring about the beginning of the final phases of the Sith Grand Plan, namely by becoming Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. The conflict on Naboo, the discovery of the Chosen One, the defeat and ostracization of the Trade Federation, even the death of Qui-gon Jinn are all used by Sidious in one way or another to bring him closer to absolute power in the galaxy. The final shot of the film, also, is quite telling. During Qui-gon's cremation, Mace and Yoda discuss Darth Bane's Rule of Two, and ask which sith was destroyed, "the Master, or the Apprentice?", only for the camera to shift over to Palpatine's face as he watches the greatest obstacle between him and the Chosen One burn to ashes on a funeral pyre. The name of the film, "The Phantom Menace," describes Palpatine perfectly. The Trade Federation don't know WHO Sidious is, the Republic and the Jedi don't know that Palpatine is Darth Sidious. From the shadows, obscure and unknown to all, he plays both sides of the Naboo conflict in order to garner power for himself, all while making it look like it's "a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one." All so that one day, he can destroy the Republic and the Jedi in one fell swoop.

[@redjirachi1]

Attack of the Clones is also a pretty clever title. After seeing the movie you're wondering "wait, the clones are there to help the Republic"? But after seeing Revenge of the Sith, it's clearly foreshadowing their eventual role; a Trojan horse for the Jedi

[@Onezy05]

@@redjirachi1 The 'clones' could alternatively be seen as the theme of deception present in the film.

[@andrecherry2347]

@@Litty2Shoes We actually see Sidious and Palpatine quite a lot during this film. Sidious is in frequent contact with the Trade Federation, and Palpatine is on Coruscant in pivotal moments before and after the battle of Theed Palace (Sidious even appears during the battle, surprised by Padmé's aggressive tactics) The protaginost in a story is the character who's goals and the accomplishment of them is the point of the story. Those who oppose the protagonist's goals are antagonists. In the Phantom Menace, all of Palpatine's goals are achieved. The trade conflict on Naboo set forth a series of events which led to: -the folding of Naboo into the Republic -the revelation of the Sith - the downfall of Chancellor Valorum -the erosion of the Jedi Order's spuritual integrity (that we see as the audience, it's implied subtextually that the Jedi have fallen from the light for some time.) -Anakin's separation from his mother and his tragic attachment to Padmé -Palpatine's rise to the Chancellorship and the beginning of his influence on the Chosen One. In expanded material, Palpatine also kills Darth Plageuis the night before his inauguration, making him the Dark Lord of the Sith, with Qui-gon's death on Naboo even pushed Dooku to the Dark Side to be Sidious' apprentice to get the Clone Wars going until Anakin was old and powerful enough. It's just like in Matt Stover's RoTS novelization, the whole scenario was a Jedi trap. As soon as Obi-wan and Qui-gon entered negotiations, they already lost. The "good guys" might have won in the short term, but literally EVERYTHING ended up working in Palpatine's favor, despite the efforts of the Jedi, who have no idea that this unassuming old man is actually the newly minted Lord of the Sith.

[@TheGreatestJediOfAllTime]

Dudes barely in the movie. Thats not how a protagonist works. You guys will do any mental gymnastics required to excuse this shit😂

[@Onezy05]

@@TheGreatestJediOfAllTime Ensemble cast?

[@brambleheart]

I was born in 2004. Even though I didn’t formally watch Star Wars until I was 11, I did experience the prequel era with Clone Wars in a definite form. My best friend was raised on it. He had all the toys and games. Just having fun with THOSE were magical. When I did watch the movies, my reaction was exactly the same as you described. I feel the same way about Rebels and Force Awakens (to an extent, I was 11), I am still a late prequel kid and I am proud. Anakin forever, love to Hayden!!!!

[@sethmende]

I was also Born in 2004 I remember watching the clone wars about 10 years ago in a big fan to the prequel trilogy

[@SpFlash1523]

I was also born in 2004. The first Star Wars content I watched was Rebels when it came out and I liked it, and then watch the original 6 movies when I was in high school, and loved the whole journey.

[@jesustovar2549]

Same age, I didn't formally watch Star Wars until I was 11, my introduction was through the Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, I remember having that game for Wii, it was a present from my Godfather (a Star Wars fan since 1977), I remember liking that game, but I never finnished because the disc got scratched (typical), I didn't played it again until my Godfather bought me the game for Nintendo DS, because my cousin had one and I looked up to it, then I watched the movies chronologically, later I got the dvds, watched Clone Wars (2D and 3D, I watched the movie first, later I admit that it wasn't that good) and I started to explore the Old Expanded Universe, reading Wookiepedia, watching gameplays, even Star Wars Rebels which I loved despite the hate at the time. Just at time for TFA anticippation, ngl, I loved it, my first Star Wars movie in theatres, but I also saw the similarities with the OT (mostly A New Hope), I didn't hate TLJ when I saw it, but I saw elements that could bother many others, having seen all the negative reviews, after a 2nd watch I started to see the flaws, that left me no hope for TROS, which I ended up seeing in an almost empty movie theatre (there was an old man and old woman who saw the OT back in it's day). On the other hand, I enjoyed Rogue One and Han Solo (despite it's flaws), I liked The Mandalorian (S1-2, never saw S3), I haven't seen Boba Fett or Obi-Wan shows, just clips, I'ven seen the first 5 episodes of Ahsoka and then stopped because of disinterest. Now I watch the movies (episodes 1-6) from time to time, especially on May 4th or 5th.

[@jorgealbertoferraraguillen7711]

SAME! I've loved Star Wars since I was 9

[@flazedog1647]

Same here

[@notfromhere8889]

A positive Star Wars video, thank you. It is funny that people treated the prequels the way the sequels are treated now

[@nightraven2975]

It is funny indeed. However, I don't think the Sequel Trilogy has the right elements to make a turnaround like the Prequels did.

[@notfromhere8889]

@nightraven2975 They could. Just make a New Republic cartoon like Clone Wars. The only problem is we never got to see why the heroes or galaxy changed after ROTJ

[@tdoran616]

That’s because we didn’t know how good we had it.

[@vincentadultman6226]

​@@nightraven2975same, the prequel trilogy has many things going for it, including cool characters and settings The sequels subverted our expectations and gave us nothing, so I doubt there will be any redemption for them. just bringing back Palpatine makes RoS irredeemable in my eyes

[@claudioforjan1743]

What makes sequels worse is the aim to please the fans of the originals.

[@acidbubblebath77]

Your postulation of how Qui Gon's death became the catalyst of future events is something I have never heard before and interesting.

[@DeathMetalDuelist666]

Order 66 is always a scene that I watch and hope “you know, maybe this time everybody WONT die”. Truly tragic.

[@ThwipThwipBoom]

Seeing Master Plo Koon die fucks me up every time. :(

[@titanomachy2217]

Revenge of the Sith was my favorite, or at least my second favorite after Empire Strikes Back, for a time when I was a kid. Now I would say that my favorite is actually Return of the Jedi. It wraps the narrative up in a neat little bow and I love a happy ending. I think the scenes of Luke facing off with Vader, being tempted to use his rage to destroy his father, rejecting the dark side and throwing away his saber, being shocked while we see the light from the force lightning glinting off of Vader's mask, Emperor Palpatine being thrown to his death (yes, his death, his final death, thus fulfilling the prophecy, and no his doesn't "somehow return", that trash will never be cannon no matter what any Disney executives or Hollywood actors claim), and Luke reconciling with his father before he dies, is the best sequence in the entire Star Wars franchise. It's the most emotionally poignant scene, and it is a huge part of why Episode VI is now my favorite, now that I appreciate the deeper emotional moments in film more as an adult. I think Episode III probably has the next most emotionally impactful scene in the series after that, specifically the fight between Obi-wan and Anakin and their falling out after seeing Anakin strangle Padme, and Anakin being defeated by a reluctant Obi-wan who leaves him to die. And as a kid, my main reason for liking Episode III was General Grievous and all of the cool spaceships (Arc-170s, for instance) and war machines (All Terrain Tactical Enforcers and Hellfire droids, for instance, although those are introduced in Episode II, but I realized that Episode III was better written and generally more exciting than the previous two on top of having that cool stuff), that are in it, and I liked Episode V because of the AT-ATs. I loved the design of General Grievous and I really liked the Gendy Tartakovsky Clone Wars series because it depicts General Grievous in top form, before he was crippled by Mace Windu using force crush on his organs. He is capable of wiping out entire groups of Jedi single-handedly, along with a squad of ARC Troopers. It shows how he actually managed to get such a lightsaber collection in the first place, whereas in Episode III we never get to see him do anything all that impressive, and he's beaten by Obi-wan even when he has a droid army at his disposal. That was kinda disappointing about Revenge of the Sith, but I loved Grievous's design so much that I was willing to overlook it. And possibly my favorite thing about the prequel trilogy was all of the really cool Lego sets they made based on all of the spacecraft and land vehicles and even some buildings featured in the prequels. I had a big collection of Star Wars Legos, like I had a model quality AT-ST set and a model quality TIE Fighter Advanced set with Darth Vader seated in the cockpit, they both came with little descriptive plaques on stands, they were really cool, and I had a Y-Wing and an X-Wing and an ARC-170 and my best friend had an AT-AT set and he lucked out and got the Star Destroyer set for Christmas one year, which was going for around $400 or $500 I think back then but is worth way more now, not as much as the Millennium Falcon but still a lot, but then the dumby never finished building it! I was so bummed out when I found out my mom had given all of my Legos away to Goodwill. Hope some kid managed to put my broken sets back together, hope some kids got enjoyment out of that huge bin of Legos I had collected over my entire childhood and through my teenage years. Man, wish I hadn't given away all of my valuable Pokémon cards when I stopped collecting them, that collection would actually be worth something today. Although I'd probably just keep them to have em and look at em, cuz those base set cards had beautiful designs. Well that's enough ranting, thanks for coming (or more likely, not coming) to my TED Talk. TL;DR: I liked Episode III a lot as a kid cuz I thought General Grievous looked cool, which I was correct about; he does look cool.

[@Onezy05]

In regards to TPM 'lacking' a main character, I never found that to be a problem. It was an ensemble cast, with different characters giving different perspectives into the story. The Jedi are the ones we follow for the majority of the runtime, and it's through them we meet the other characters.

[@SonOfTheChinChin]

george lucas was experimenting with the main character-less movie. the screen/camera was merely a baton for the story to move

[@hermos3602]

Qui-Gon Jinn is the main character. I don't understand how people not realize that.

[@Onezy05]

@@hermos3602 I can see that.They'd argue that he's not the main character due to lacking an arc, but that misses the idea of 'flat character arcs'. But my interpretation of TPM is that it's an ensemble cast. We give as much focus to Qui-Gon as we do Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padme, and even Jar Jar. The whole reason it's ensemble is to give us more perspectives on the status quo and backstory to flesh it out. This IS episode 1 after all. That's why it was never a 'problem' with the film. TPM is a much Qui-Gons story as it is Kenobi's, Anakins, Padmes and Jar Jars. Want to see a film that actually lacks a protagonist/specific POV? Check out Batman 89.

[@LegioXXI]

@@Onezy05 Yes but Qui-Gon still has the most influence over the fate of Anakin in this film (even more than Sidious at this moment). His death and therefore absent influence in the future of Anakin is literally one of the main reasons why he fell to the dark side, because as much as a good friend and brother Obi-Wan was to him, Anakin needed a father. Especially a Jedi father who isn't dogmatic and not always 100% obeys the rules of the overly political council.

[@Onezy05]

@@LegioXXI Yeah, he's arguably the most important character in not just TPM but in the saga (bar Obi-Wan) in regards to his relationship with Anakin and philosophy on the Force. But I'm not sure if we could presume him to be THE main character of TPM. He's definitely one of the two primary focalisers for the narrative, the other being Obi-Wan. Something people forget with Lucas's style of Star Wars storytelling is how it works on character dominoes. In ANH, we ONLY meet Luke for the first time when he meets the droids. That's why they cut out the scene of him watching the battle from below, because at that point he has no relevance to the plot yet. Same applies to TPM, only with more focalisers. We ONLY first meet Padme through Nute Gunray, who we previously met through the two Jedi. It's through Gunray we meet Sidious, it's through Padme we meet Anakin, and etc etc. At no point are we given an isolated character intro separate from the main plot that doesn't SERVE the main plot. It all helps maintain character and plot momentum. That's why in many rewrites of TPM I've seen where they try to jump between Anakin on Tatooine and the Naboo situation at the start of the film, the plot becomes less co-ordinated and more messy.

[@razorblademask]

Born in '88 with a dad who loved the originals so of course I did too. So I was a kid when the first two prequels came out. I can't begin to explain the audience reaction in the theater I went to when Yoda pulled out his saber in AotC. Even my dad was was clapping. Iconic.

[@theickster3008]

I was born in '98 so i literally grew up with the prequels from a baby. Some of my earliest memories are playing with an Anakin lightsaber and a cloak my grandma made me, pretending to be my favorite character. I love the prequels, probably more than the original trilogy, regardless of the shit older fans have given me throughout my teen years.

[@razorblademask]

@@theickster3008 I honestly don't like the main movies anymore when I used to be obsessed (the fans drove me away when RotS was coming out), but I will always say the prequels are nowhere near as bad as the fandom wants/wanted to claim. Far from perfect, but so what? It has a great charm to it even with all it's faults. Also if you wanted to know how much I loved the prequels, I spent all my Halloween budget on a big rubber jar jar mask when phantom menace came out. I had so much jar jar stuff 🤣

[@notreallymyname3736]

I was in early elementary school when episodes 1 & 2 came out. I remember the theater just being dead silent when Maul came out, and gasps when Yoda pulled his lightsaber. Yeah, the prequels had their problems; but they were amazing to watch as a kid.

[@jase276]

People like to dog on the prequels but let me tell you the theaters lit up for them. Like you said, when Yoda squared up people went wild. I was a kid when the prequels came out so I won't lie, the first half of the first film put me to sleep often and I always HATED Jar Jar but I loved the other two. My grandfather and uncle loved the OG trilogy so I've seen them a ton but the prequels will always be my favorite trilogy.

[@Unouna10]

​@@theickster3008 this is so real most of my memories are from toys I played with

[@OfficialGrandAdmiralThrawn]

When Order 66 played after him being named Vader, I instantly recognized that it was a play on the word "Invader" for his role of invading the temple. Much like Sidious being "Insidious" and Nihilus being "Nihilistic".

[@ryanbarth6691]

Wow Darth nihilistic that's got a ring to it

[@diamondskull0739]

Vader is also the Dutch word for father

[@nr1229]

​@@diamondskull0739That's true, but it's not pronounced like that at all, it's actually pretty close to father.

[@diamondskull0739]

@@nr1229 I'm well aware :)

[@nr1229]

@@diamondskull0739 My bad 🙃 Lots of folks don't know that and just assume it's like exactly the same word.

[@ek5268]

Dude this is a KILLER video. It’s abundantly clear this was made by a true fan who grew up with the prequels as many of us did and who love that era unapologetically. The video editing was immaculate as well, loved watching this

[@Rishi123456789]

I always unapologetically love the prequels and the prequel era no matter what. Even though Return Of The Jedi is my most favourite Star Wars film of all time and always will be, my second most favourite Star Wars film of all time is The Phantom Menace. The prequels were ahead of their time and they remain ahead of their time even today. They embraced topics like the Hegelian dialectic and false-flag attacks that continue to go over the heads of most people. I didn't hate the politics of the prequels as a kid, but I didn't understand it and therefore didn't care for it. Now that I'm much older and have more of an understanding of politics, I appreciate the politics a lot more. I love the fact that Star Wars has always been a story about two conflicts existing simultaneously, a political conflict between liberty (represented by an idealised version of the Republic) and tyranny (represented by the Empire) and a greater spiritual conflict between the Light Side of the Force (represented by the Jedi) and the Dark Side of the Force (represented by the Sith) with some overlap between the two conflicts. The prequels were also warning us of increasingly totalitarian governments in the future here in the real world and the very real possibility of people accepting those increasingly totalitarian governments 'with thunderous applause' (in the words of Padme). Like I said, the prequels were ahead of their time. They gave us a glimpse of OUR future.

[@rikudoubapeck]

I'm glad you pointed out that ROTS stands on its own without TCW. I think in some parts you overstated TCW's impact on the story but you did give ROTS credit. I think Anakin's turn is only rushed if you percieve Anakin as ever being emotionally solid and when you believe he actually turned and what that effectively means. To me from the moment we met Anakin in TPM he had all the qualities that would lead him to being Vader primarily his fear. That fear grew as the films went on and sometimes it would overwhelm him causing him to act out and resulting often in serious violent consequences. When Anakin would act out he would normally reprimand himself in but retain the memory of the lashing out, some guilt but also some sense of wondering what he could be capable of would always linger. He wanted power and after he killed the Tuskens while he felt ashamed of himself he also came away believing his mother died because he wasn't strong enough. When round 2 comes around with Padme possibly sharing the same fate he knows I need to get power quickly this time. He made that decision in AOTC. He already killed not just the men but the women and children too. He killed Dooku further pushing him away from Jedi ideals which he never completely jived with even though he tried to. His friendship with Palps obvs made him suggestible as he grew further from the council. Then Palps offers him what he wants and desperate after betraying Windu he gives in to temptation. He does all he can to gain power in the darkside as Sidious tells him. He gives in to all his negative emotions but doesn't reign himeslf in and relishes in it. Just imagine what Anakin would have been like after AOTC if he didn't feel bad about killing the tuskens and was encouraged. In fact Palps tells him it was natural in the beginning of ROTS. Now when did Anakin turn and what does that mean? First Anakin chose to give in to the darkside. Palps seduced him but when the moment came he wasn't tricked. People think Anakin should have slowly been led to something but don't appreciate someone choosing to do something is a legit way to turn to something else. He had all the excuses in the world so why wouldn't he choose to turn? I say he actually became consumed more with the darkside after pledging himself to Sidious. He wasn't quite Vader even after being christened. When Padme meets him on Mustafar he is still in conflict imo even after all the evil. It's when Padme dies that he becomes Vader as we know him and he turns as much he ever was turned. So in essence it took the whole film for Vader to truly be born and for Anakin to fully turn. What we see after Windu's death is the process of Vader being born and because it's Anakin making the conscious choice he can't then say he was tricked or that he didn't know what he was doing. That's why it's hard for him to leave Palps.

[@clarity2199]

I think it's funny that people think he took a dark leap too far too quick by plowing down those younglings. But they constantly forget that Yoda also directed him to do that. He specifically told him he should be thankful that those he cared for died, because they became one with the force. He was simply following Yoda's own lesson at that moment by killing the younglings. It's Yoda acting out of character during that moment. What's wrong, Yoda? Why so upset? You should be happy they're all dying...they're becoming one with the force, just like you said to Anakin!

[@WarrenF19]

That was dark, bro....​@@clarity2199

[@gsegarra21]

Idk if you could call it impact on the story but since those things are canon and that extra content is there to help be like well we had 5+ seasons of him & his student then having his student framed and then not even getting a formal apology or acknowledgement and then her leaving the order it helps having that story told to be “well why wouldn’t he turn when this is the shit he’s had to deal with from them”

[@CincinnatusPublish]

For the MAJORITY of people the first time they saw Yoda with a light Saber was during the movie, which is why the audience reaction was so big.

[@clarity2199]

That is true, that was pretty badass to me. But at the same time, I didn't realize what an @sshole Yoda was until I saw him in the prequels. That moment he turns to Windu saying, "I sense great suffering in Skywalker" as the two of them seem to have a good laugh. Never mentioned to Anakin or his master Obi Wan. Can't imagine why Anakin turned on them all.

[@allstarr9tc]

@@clarity2199 genuinely what the fuck are you talking about? neither Yoda nor Windu show any emotion after Yoda speaks about Anakin and then the scene ends. There's literally nothing even implying any laughter or happiness out of his pain. Could you find a timestamp for it? Either in a diff video or the movie itself?

[@Ltsjet]

Given that the first two movies of the Original Trilogy came out before I was born and the third came out when I was very young, I would say that the moment that it became apparent that Yoda would fight is one of the most shocking moments I've ever had in a movie theater and it was *the* most shocking moment I had watching a Star Wars movie (besides possibly the Vader scene near the end of Rogue One). It's not even when I first saw the lightsaber, it's a few moments before that - When Dooku pulls out his. Because even at the beginning of the fight between them it still didn't occur to me for a single moment that Yoda would use a lightsaber. But when Dooku said "It is obvious this content cannot be decided by our skills with the force, but by our skills with the lightsaber" and he pulled his out it was just a shockwave of "IS THIS HAPPENING????????"

[@Ayem427]

The prequel era will always be my introduction to Star Wars, and I'll forever cry when Order 66 is carried out, especially now that we have so, so many stories from it

[@doc_holliday9484]

The OT were old school sci-fi serial adventures creating an overarching story. The prequels were a Shakespearean tragedy. The sequels… exist? Lmao

[@thomasredden4263]

Really hit me when you said, “…or put it on in the background while I build legos.” One of the most cathartic things in my life if sitting down with a new Lego set and putting on my favorite episodes, often red episodes lol, and just letting the rest of the world not matter for a while. I have the commander Cody helmet in the other room waiting for me and that was actually my plan for the morning right after I finish this video an my coffee

[@onemoreminute0543]

I've been up and down as a SW fan over the years but to me, the OT and PT will always be the heart of the series and the story. And before someone debates the watch order for those films, I'd argue that both chronological AND release order are great. The former brings the story full circle thematically and tonally, while the latter does so narratively and aesthetically.

[@trevturp6891]

The OT and PT are also the foundation of Star Wars and were created by George Lucas, and he said that they are The Tragedy Of Darth Vader.

[@onemoreminute0543]

@@trevturp6891 Exactly

[@jesustovar2549]

Man, I've seen you in a lot of Star Wars related videos and posts. And I agree with you.

[@onemoreminute0543]

@@jesustovar2549 Hah, thanks! I do tend to sprinkle my thoughts here and there.

[@occam7382]

@@trevturp6891, "Have you ever heard The Tragedy of Darth Vader The Vengeful?"

[@covertcombine49]

HOLY SHIT!!!!, I did not know there was a system when it comes to clone wars episodes. The yellow logo episodes are the standard story episodes that focus on the treo. The blue logo episodes are the skippable episodes, the ones that are for kids. The red logo episodes is when shit hit the fan and when things get real.

[@alexandertodorov6373]

Star wars and TWD? What could be better?!

[@ge0rge_saint_p0gg3rs7]

That's jackpot

[@LukeBacon-eq9wd]

I love both ,both but for me TWD is better

[@joeysmoot7608]

did u like the latest ashoka episode?

[@LukeBacon-eq9wd]

​@@joeysmoot7608 it was ok , the show is a 8/10 in my opinion

[@KingSlayer_.]

Star Wars, TWD AND Game of Thrones.

[@naughtydawgP]

The phantom menace will forever hold a special place in my heart, as it takes me back to the first time watched in the cinema not knowing much about star wars.

[@georgeoust]

You literally managed to put all the feelings and thoughts I had into words. It’s almost remarkable that every time I thought “this is what makes it great and unique” you proceeded to put into words.

[@kristianolsenlarsen]

Palps giving Anakin the name Darth Vader is actually huge. He's the one who planted the dreams of Padmè passing in childbirth, that's how he knew. And the name Darth Vader literally roughly translates to "Dark Father" witch means Palatine knew Anakin was at least not going to spend time with he's kid / kids if they where even born at all.

[@Onezy05]

I didn't even know Vader getting his name was an issue people had. I mean ... it's just a title with sinister connotations. No different to Darth MAUL, Darth TYRANUS, or Darth SIDIOUS. Darth (in)Vader is just another name.

[@mikebane2866]

⁠@@Onezy05Right? Savage Opress, General Grevious, they’re all really on the nose.

[@102-d7i]

1 big flaw, Palpatine didn’t give him they dreams. One of Anakin’s ability’s was seeing the future, after Mustafar he lost that ability

[@Onezy05]

@@mikebane2866 Exactly. People tend to forget that part of the classic Star Wars style is the pulpy, cheesy tone. I mean, when you have a superweapon called THE DEATH STAR and a Buddhist like mentor named YODA (ie 'yoga') don't expect Francis Ford Coppola subtlety lol

[@furious_llama_gaming3537]

@@102-d7i its something that Palpatine implies in revenge of the sith and i think is expanded on books though i may be wrong about that. With that being said you are correct about Anakin's ability to see into the future and i think Palpatine uses that as a way to give Anakin dreams by making him think its a vision of the future.

[@tagus100]

One thing I think you’re misunderstanding is that the criticism towards female characters like Rey & Rose aren’t because Star Wars fans don’t like women. They just don’t like the writing. Leia, Jyn, Ahsoka, Ventress and many more are beloved by fans. But the horrendously written sequel trilogy didn’t give those characters a good story or characterisation. Disney wrote terrible characters, then called you a misogynist for calling them terrible.

[@lordraiden7397]

A part of it is influenced by the weird incels in the community though. The writing for them sucks balls.

[@hyperion3145]

Another example: Ahsoka initially wasn't well received because early writing made her seem like a Mary Sue sidekick to Obi Wan and Anakin until they started developing her on her own.

[@markopusic8258]

Such an argument is even more ridiculous when you remember that the biggest criticism wasn't even directed towards Rey and Rose, because that would be the abortion of a character they paraded as Luke, either that or Holdo... Or Palpatine. Man the Sequels sucked.

[@tagus100]

@@markopusic8258 It's the scourge of modern writing: break-down a previously established, well-loved legacy character into a pathetic shell of their former selves, and elevate up the female protagonist into the girl boss character.

[@loganmenchaca]

Rey has a character. It's just all over the place as a result of Episode 9 and she doesn't reach her full potential. It's a damn shame.

[@Kade_Bauman]

I love the prequel aesthetic so much.

[@musayibghani3986]

You like a cgi garbled mess

[@galaxyace9492]

I was born in 2005 and although I unfortunately wasn‘t around to see the Prequels in Cinema, I grew up on them and immediately fell in love with them, in my opinion by far the best era of Star Wars and Episode 3 is by far the best piece of Star Wars content ever produced and nothing from Disney will ever surpass that. But of course that‘s just my humble opinion 😁

[@jtmed]

You’re correct that most audiences didn’t know Yoda could use a lightsaber when the fight with Dooku started. I was pretty young when I watched Attack of the Clones in theaters, and that was the moment I learned Yoda uses a lightsaber. The audience went totally nuts when he pulled out his lightsaber and it’s a memory that frequently comes to mind for me when I think of Yoda as a character. People were cheering throughout his entire fight with Dooku. Absolutely legendary moment.

[@cordhose-j5f]

The lightsaber fights including Yoda are the worst lightsaber action in all of star wars. It just can not look good if a tiny thing is flying around and swings with a lightsaber. Not like two "real" humanoids engage in a duell and you can see the quality of the choreography. The other duels of count doku for example or the fight between Obi Wan and Anakin.

[@MrSpartan993]

That happened in my theater too! I still remember the audible gasps when Yoda moved his robe to the side revealing the lightsaber.

[@acigarette9050]

officially become my favourite channel. Star wars AND TWD…hell yeah

[@RayvenTheNight]

Star wars will always have a wonderful spot in my heart and memories. My mother was a huge nerd just like myself and as a kid we both loved to watch starwars. And she was as hyped about the prequels just as much as I was. She got episode 1 and 2 right away as soon as they came out on VHS. Sadly she passed away about 7 months before episode 3 came out.

[@cjellis1019]

The Clone Wars show alone could have warranted a 40 minute video because there’s so much stuff. Thrifty didn’t even have time to talk about the Mortis Gods, who look like they’re about to be a central part of the new era of Star Wars. Great video!

[@jaketerpening3284]

Something I love about Qui-Gon is that he is a rebellious without being a bad boy for lack of a better term. He carries himself in a way that seems wise and respectful. Normal rebellious characters are defined by their rebelliousness that usually ties into some sort of passion they have, but Qui-Gon is rebellious because years of thoughtfulness and meditation have lead him to a different conclusion about what is right than the Jedi Council.

[@trustworthydan]

Qui-Gon has always been my favorite Jedi. The council became too comfortable sitting there making decisions, that they forget that they serve the force, not the force serves them. I always thought Qui had it figured out, and the way he served the force was much more in tune with what the Jedi are meant to be.

[@arian151yt]

I’ve watched the whole 43 minutes and paused the game I was playing just to listen to this awesome video. I enjoyed every minute listening to it. Thank you man🤝

[@AdamBowles-pt6rb]

DUDE The whole thing you said about mace windu being the one who constantly dissapoints anakin makes his fall make so much more sense and I had like never made that connection

[@theanonymouscritic1710]

3:54 This movie is told primarily from the Obi-Wan & Qui Gon’s point of view but the story that’s being told is essentially the story of Queen Amidala and her plight of having her planet bloackaded.

[@FollowerOfChrist144]

The world building of episode 1 is why I love it. I love seeing the Jedi in their prime. The old republic…the temples, the Jedi fully robed roaming the galaxy keeping the piece. So many different planets vibrant and full of life. All different yet seamlessly tied together. I even love the negotiations and politics. It gives the galaxy life, and links all of the planets we visit at the same time. It’s expansive and quiet an adventure story. 4-6 feel rather restrictive. Limited planets are visited, and with the empire running the show there’s not much else to explore. I find it funny when people bag on trade negotiations. Have they watched episode 4 sense they were kids?? Tons of table talk! The only original trilogy film that truly comes close to the prequels is episode 5. Hoth, dagubah, and cloud city really contributed a lot to why that film is so much better than 4 and 6. If you put each other in a vacuum, there’s no film that does a better job of building an entire universe than episode 1. While I do wish darth maul had 2-3 more scenes, I understand why he didn’t. Darth maul was nothing more than a pawn, a means to an end. The true evil was the emperor, using the Jedi councils arrogance against them. “phantom menace.” Darth maul wasn’t the phantom, he was the phantoms muscle. Qui gon was also incredibly defining. He was the quintessential prime Jedi knight that every one of us envisioned. Noble, idealistic, brave. His death isn’t only profound because of what it meant for anakin, it was profound because the Jedi council failed their own first. His death marked the end of the old republic , and the jedis true reign.

[@erikirgens4260]

This is why Episode 1 is my favorite. It's the most real. It gives you foothold in the universe, and makes thing palpable. The music, the themes, the special and practical effects, the cultures, the planets, the art style... it was monumental in its contributions to the world and is unmatched to this day, in my opinion. I want more from the Episode 1 era, or whatever is RIGHT BEFORE it. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone could pull that off except George.

[@Darthdoodoo]

We need a show about the jedi before the episode 1 stuff like sifo dias time or something like that to see the jedi at their peak

[@musayibghani3986]

The jedis in the prequels suck tho. All of them are weak and horrendously stupid. They're also so badly written with no personality at all. You see how wise Alec Guinness or Yoda in empire is. For them to be all this weird Shakespearean boring people in the prequels.

[@A7XKoRnRocks1]

I grew up the same way, Star Wars The Phantom Menace was my first SW movie and I absolutely loved it so much and rewatched it so many times.

[@stepanovicboro]

Well ep 3 actually shows anakins fall pretty good even without the clone wars background. Palpatine was throughout anakins years at the jedi temple always there for him and a father figure that wouldnt judge him or say that he couldnt do this or that like obi wan would and then the jedi council asksed anakin to do something that goes totally against their code and he has to spy on his „father“, also he has those visions of padme dying the same way as his mothers and the jedi didnt tried to help him back then, nor did they now. They basically just told him to let go and chill and then theres comes his „father“ with a solution to all his problems. Also anakin has been a soldier for 10 years all the while he shouldve been a peacekeeper (all jedi were) and finally having a way to end the war. Yeah it was shown a little bit rushed in the movie, but if theyve done it like it shouldve been, the movie would be 4 hours long. All in all i think ep 3 really made anakins fall plausible and understandable.

[@trustworthydan]

Anikins fall throughout all three movies is even relatable, really. I consider Phantom Menace to have a few foreshadowing moments based in things Anikin says and does. Random thought, the kid has been a killer since he was 9 and blew up the control ship. It's not stated, but I'm sure there were a lot of sentient beings on there...

[@brigo1744]

Your analysis of the clone wars and the Jedi council is so amazing I love how much you put into the contextualization of the clone wars. And your analysis of mace windu and his relation to anakin was especially fantastic!!

[@ricopena2053]

I once heard, I think it was Cody from Some More News, who said the Oscars should wait 5 years to determine what was the best movie of that particular year. I think this holds true for Star Wars content as well. There is always initial loud complaints about the new Star Wars show or movie, then a few years later, it is seen as being surprisingly good.

[@waltonsmith7210]

Only when George Lucas or gis vision are involved.

[@broncojuan]

​@@waltonsmith7210 No, Lucas ruins Star Wars first. Filoni bailed him out with the clone wars, but the prequels are god awful.

[@lost_dude]

L opinion@@broncojuan

[@brettpatron6103]

As a casual fan, this was EXTREMELY helpful for understanding and appreciating both the Prequel films and the Clone Wars. Definitely saving this one for future reference!

[@ItsHorizonz]

I see a video giving love to the Prequels and I gotta watch it. Great video!

[@kcrad1527]

One of the things I always loved abput the prequels is that it has the same momentum as real world history- War is a car crash in slow motion than no one can stop, and its a mixture of circumstance, perfect timing for the worst things, and both real and inflated passions.

[@Vincent_Rabbit]

While i think the Original Trilogy is the better trilogy overall, it is a fact Star Wars as a franchise peaked with the Prequels in worldbuilding and especially in influence. So many games, novels/comics, toys and two entire shows all in one decade [the 2000s], even if George had some questionable creative decisions, he did something that i doubt could ever be replicated ever again.

[@musayibghani3986]

What do you mean peaked in terms of influence.

[@Vincent_Rabbit]

@musayibghani3986 what i mean is that during the late 90s and 2000s Star Wars was everywhere. It's that simple really

[@musayibghani3986]

@@Vincent_Rabbit I think in terms of culture it was biggest in the 70s and 80s. Even though I didn't live through those times, star wars was the highest grossing film and studios were trying to make rip offs everywhere. I'd actually say it was quiet during the 90s due to the fact 83 was the last star wars movie. And considering how bad the prequels were received it was really quiet for the latter half of the 2000s.

[@jish55]

I think what made the prequels the best was that it really was that era of pure fantasy within a galaxy far far away. It was the era of knights fighting a never ending conflict, an era where magic was endless, an era where it was vast and beyond our greatest imaginations. Add in that Lucas had a consistent vision for these films, where he knew how to make them fit into his universe that he had already created, and it just felt so natural within this universe.

[@julianzuber1433]

Thank you thank you thank you for this video ❤❤ this gave me so much chills and i refelt all the emotions I had built up in all those many years. I grew up with the franchise, I saw the prequels and originals as a kid and watched the clone wars as it came out. The show was young and goofy when I was young and goofy and it grew up as I grew up. Back than it was just cool action, but with time I realized the depth it hast to offer. And that’s something that’s so hard to explain for me to my peers. Your video sums up all the love for star was I have in my heart. It feels so good not to see just another “fan“ dismantling the magic I saw and always will see in the sake of “reviewing”. THANK YOU!!! And keep up the love and the magic. May the force be with you 🙌

[@vincentoh955]

Qui-gon is the protagonist of the Phantom Menace. He is the main driving force behind the story, even post death.

[@e3i1ra]

fr people who site those reviews as actually good criticism make me so mad

[@YasugoLiehu]

I've heard this concensus floated around by cantankerous 40/50 somethings: “People only like the prequels now because these are kids who grew up with them. All of the 20 to 30 year olds who love the prequel trilogy and hate the sequel trilogy will be like us when the next generation venerates the sequel trilogy.” I don't really think that's going to be the case though. The thing is, while there are awkward and some poorly aged parts of the prequel trilogy, overall, it's a cohesive narrative with memorable action scenes and a lot of subtle moments that strengthen the characters and narrative. I think that part of the reason that my generation (Gen Z) as well as younger millenials have a stronger appreciation for the prequels is due the fact that we are (by necessity) more politically savvy than the two preceeding generations and our better understanding of mental health leads us to being more open to regarding characters as actual people with vulnerabilities and weaknesses. We're able to follow along with the (actually very simple) political discussions, enjoy the intrigue, and appreciate the believability of Palpatine's rise to power because we've seen, in real life, how war and manipulation of public sentiment can be used by governmental officials to secure wealth and power (the war in Iraq, specifically). As for characters, we're willing to listen to _what_ a character is actually saying and _why_ instead of _how_ they're saying something. Case in point: _“I hate sand… it's coarse… it's rough… and it gets everywhere.”_ From what I gather, prequel haters mock this line because they think it sounds silly/dumb. I'm not going to pretend that it's an exceptional line of dialogue, but I don't think it's dumb because _Anakin_ is the one saying it. He's signaled out a word from what Padmé just said about sandy beaches (that being sand, obviously), which causes him to reflect on his experiences on the one world covered in the stuff. Since he and his mother were slaves, they were looked down upon, abused, and treated as property first, objects second, and people third. He's simply sharing his thoughts and feelings with Padmé, it just comes off as awkward because, again, he was an _enslaved child_ with not much of a social life before being indoctrinated into a cult. All of this is to say that there are parts of the prequel trilogy that are genuinely good which are totally fucking absent in the sequel trilogy. The sequel trilogy, unlike the OT and PT, lacks a strong overarching narrative, (actually) compelling characters, worldbuilding, and yes, politics which help to ferment the setting. The sequel trilogy has some cool action scenes, sure, but it's the equivalent of jangling keys in front of a baby. When the generations antecedent of mine come of age, there's nothing substantive in the ST that they're going to be able to fully appreciate as adults compared to the PT. Holy shit I wasted a lot of time writing something that no-one's going to give a fuck about. I'm going to take a walk and rethink my life; peace. ✌

[@NeonBeeCat]

I mean I grew up with the sequels and I don't really care about them, will always love the prequels the most, never even seen the rise of somehow palpatine returned. The only things about the sequels I really remember is seeing 7 and 8 in theaters, when someone spoiled han solos death in the box office when I was a kid, and watching episode 8 again in the mental hospital lol.

[@musayibghani3986]

Nah bro the prequels will always suck. You cant fix the issues with dialogue, story and characterisation. The only people that like them are the ones who grew up with them, due to nostalgia reasons. If you look at it objectively the original trilogy is still the best. Only rogue one and andor comes close in terms of actual quality. The sequels and prequels will never hold a candle.

[@Joshua-uw7wm]

I was in college when these films released and myself into the whole art of cinema itself. I took classes and kept up in trade journals/magazines. Hayden was an up and coming actor who was thought of as a real serious type, like Shakespeare and stage type of serious actor, and when he was cast myself and the others like me in school all felt that was a dumb choice and that they should have gotten an action actor instead. However he is Anakin Skywalker now in our eyes and he nailed it.... btw he was known for his ability to emote and even cry when needed before he was in Star wars. And IMO the moment when Anakin is holding his dying mother and looks up is the very best portrayal of what it looks like when a person falls into a fit of blinding rage... in fact it's a perfect portrayal

[@suzygirl1843]

Everyone besides Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, and Natalie Portman lost their careers over this movie

[@jesustovar2549]

@@suzygirl1843 Don't forget Samuel L. Jackson.

[@102-d7i]

If ur going to do Star Wars content I’d love to see u cover the old republic era

[@DecRambles]

Your analysis of Mace Windu was so interesting, gave me a whole new view of the character.

[@real.rusoka]

you're SO right! i have a very difficult time getting my thoughts into words but the way you put it was perfect.

[@thelittleal1212]

I always loved the prequel era as a story and as a overall Era in world building. It always has been such an interesting era to me, I loved the many worlds and species, the Jedi, the clones, the droids and many of the other cool characters and technology. Plus the many awesome battles it had but also some other serious topics in the clone wars. If I think of Star Wars, this is what I consider Star Wars(plus the Originals as well) The fact I watched the third movie after watching the clone wars, truly felt heartbreaking and traumatizing to me when I was a kid

[@drushe1983]

I recently rewatched the PT for the first time with my kids. This was the first time rewatching these since seeing Phantom Menace on tv, Attack of the Clones in the cinema and Revenge of the Sith at a midnight screening. And I really enjoyed them, all over again. Episode II and III are stronger films than Episode I. And my kids and I did watch the OT before the PT, as this was the theatrical release schedule and we stayed true to this. However, I think watching them I-VI would also be better for fully appreciating Anakin's rise, fall and redemption. My kids and I have started the ST and while they are a technically superb, they don't hold a candle to Lucas' work.

[@minetieplays2092]

Prequel haters after watching any piece of Disney era Star Wars content: “perhaps I treated you too harshly”

[@musayibghani3986]

Nah they still suck

[@maxhooper4319]

completely agree with ur Clone Wars series opinion, I like Star Wars as a little kid but the clone wars made me a FAN as a kid

[@okankyoto]

Episode 2 also visually has the issue of being the only film that hasn't aged quite as well as the other ones. Just because it was a prototype for the digital film pipeline and was worked on at a resolution somewhat below 1080p. The VFX were also hampered by artists not even being able to watch their work playback in real time, they had to send it to a server and then book time to review their work, which led to a bunch of visual oddities.

[@whitleypedia]

The reason I don't think the "generation the sequel trilogy was made for" will have the fondness for them that you have for the prequels is because they're so oversaturated with member-berries that they can't stand on their own. That's the problem with all legacy media "updated for modern audiences" is they really on stuff that's 20 to 50 years old, but isn't made for people who grew up 20 to 50 years ago.

[@tibsky1396]

And especially that Star Wars is no longer the main saga, the MCU films surely had more impact on the new generation than the SW's sequels in the meantime.

[@yonathor]

"the main issue I have" - showing jar jar's face. Lol

[@boogidwnej179]

If you were born in the 90’s and even late 80’s the prequels are what the original trilogies were to those born in the 70’s and earlier. Born in 92, I never did care for the original trilogy but the prequels I loved! It’s really what got me into Star Wars

[@fanudswatttstram8351]

your clone wars take couldnt be more accurate to my own, loved the video man!

[@JustAMuffin.]

I absolutely loved this video I share so many of the opinions and when you said Palpatine is the creepy uncle your mom doesn’t want you talking to 😂

[@merleharris7485]

Good job! Fair and honest while acknowledging your subjective reasons for favoring the prequels - and that subjective element is part of what we call "love" and that can legitimately surpass bad dialogue, direction, and special effects, etc. for what we cherish in our hearts. The childhood - or any time in your life connection -- w/ entertainment is part of the joy of being a fan. I was around for the debut of the first Star Wars movie in '77. And while I'm not unaware (I'm being charitable in my phrasing) of the cringe moments in the prequels, I have always been a fan of these films and saw Phantom Menace maybe four times in the theater when it first came out. Very few things are either all good or all bad, even very good things, and there is a LOT that is good in the prequels. I have never had a problem as seeing them as a piece with the original trilogy, and I truly regret that Lucas didn't do his thrid trilogy. It possibly would have been derided as much as the prequels in their day, but I'd prefer it to Disney's version b/c it would be the vision of the series' creator taking it to its conclusion, no matter how weird it got . And then, twenty years later, they would have "reappreciated"....LOL! Maybe not, but it would have been interesting. Lucas involvement with the Clone Wars also gives it gravitas for me, and there were sure some interesting stories going on in there. And, yep, for me, Revenge of the Sith is in the top three of the best SW made, coming after "Empire," and "New Hope..." or, as it was known my day, "Star Wars." Thanx for this - enjoyed it!

[@RougeNinjaAce]

Honestly, I love Star Wars. Especially the prequel era and the original trilogy was amazing to I just remember how much I liked it when growing up and I’m glad Star Wars has made it come back basically and I still watch Star Wars to this day

[@kingyaga]

the protagonist of the entire prequel trilogy is Darth Sideous. this trilogy is HIS story. Hes the hero. every thing he sets out to do is successful (obviously, its a prequel). but in the end. hes the hero

[@matilda0410]

First time watching one of your videos, couldn't agree more! I love the prequel era! I was 12 when TPM was released and it was the first SW film I saw in theaters. My friends and I bought cheap plastic lightsabers and ran up and down the aisles, it was the best of times. ROTS is also my favorite SW film, just rewatched them all for May the 4th and it still is top tier for me. Great video!

[@erikschwartz1214]

@4:00 I counter this talking point about "who is the main protagonist?" with a question: who is the main protagonist of Pulp Fiction? The answer is some stories don't need one, and there is a word for this type of story: ensemble. You can even argue that the original Star Wars films have no main protagonist either. It's easy to say "but, Luke" because his character takes the classical hero's journey, however Han, Chewie, Leia, R2 and C3PO all get almost equal screen time as Luke.

[@cptsteele91]

I know right, and in fairness it could be argued that as the audience's POV characters in the OT the droids are actually the main characters

[@MarcMagma]

It's nice to hear someone talk positively about Star Wars in a long video for a change. Usually, people seemingly can't mention what they like about Star Wars without dedicating even more time bashing another part of it, mostly either the Prequels, the Sequels or the new canon as a whole. As someone who loves Star Wars as a whole, old and new canon and all its related media alike, it's so nice to see someone focusing on what they like while acknowledging what they don't like rather than on what they dislike while not mentioning what they do like, as people unfortunately tent to do.

[@darkmonger6244]

I love how RotS is the FINAL STAR WARS FILM EVER

[@MrSpartan993]

Of course. Why would you even bring it up? There’s only ever been six movies and all are made by George Lucas

[@ButchersNailsEnjoyer]

The thing missing in Attack of the Clones was another assassination attempt on padme while anakin was with her. It only happens once at the beginning and thats it. Anakin could’ve tapped more into the dark side trying to protect padme without obi wan being there to keep anakin in check. And i also feel it would bring anakin and padme closer together

[@McCannDeez-xk8fs]

I’m 24 and my actual first memory of watching a movie in theaters is ep 3. It will forever be my favorite Star Wars movie.

[@isaiahyinko7182]

What movies did you see in the theater in 2005?

[@cjsdizzy]

Can't wait to watch this video. Episode 1 was the first movie I ever saw in theaters when I was like 6. But it's not just nostalgia from growing up with it, the world building and themes and conflicts were so much deeper in this era. The original trilogy did a great job at what it was trying to be, but it's never been as fun for me.

[@staroceans8677]

I'm a fan of the original trilogy but I love the prequels. I love Hayden, he did as good a job as he was directed to do. If there's anything awkward in the dialogue and there's any time constraints that happened too quickly George Lucas, not Anakin or any of the actors are to be blamed for that. I would like to have seen things transpire a little differently and perhaps overtime but George was the one who had it hasten along.

[@oww386]

I live in the generation that the sequels were made for and I haven’t met a single person my age who likes Star Wars and says that the sequels are trash. They all believe that they are some of the most powerful moments in Star Wars. I believe every Star Wars movie has chills moments and I just love them all. I don’t think one of them is down right bad. I think they have their problems but just like the prequels, I think people may come around to the sequels like they did with the prequels

[@roderick8167]

Yeah I used to look down on the prequels I never hated them they just weren't that good to me but I've always had soft spot for Revenge of the Sith this movie kicks ass but yeah like you said as our generation has got older I've definitely grown to appreciate and love the prequels a lot more and to be honest after Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker I've pretty much jumped off Star wars completely I mean watched The Mandalorian Season 1 but that's it I haven't watched Season 2 or 3 I haven't watched Andor , I haven't watched Book of Boba Fett , I haven't watched Ashoka I haven't watched any thing Star Wars recently I have no interest I don't hate Star Wars not at all but after Rise of Skywalker I'm literally Peter Griffin when he left that movie theater: Done ! Lol 😂

[@thethriftytypewriter]

Yeah I’ve been wavering in recent years as well. I think there’s some bright spots in recent years, but also some very, very dark areas too. This was a cool video to make cause it brought me back to the time that I loved this universe so much. Kinda sad to think about how it’s gone down but I’ll always have a spot in my heart for the prequels.

[@roderick8167]

​​@@thethriftytypewriteryeah I agree and damn I take it back I just remembered I watched the Obi- Wan Kenobi show I totally forgot about that show and the fact I forgot about it and it didn't leave any lasting impact on me yeah that's not good Lol

[@suzygirl1843]

​@@thethriftytypewriterThe REAL reason the prequels were hated by nerds was because it's a romance at its core. This is the catalyst to YA dystopian romance genres like Twilight, Hunger Games, Maze Runner etc.

[@jesustovar2549]

Just like you, I loved The Mandalorian (Seasons 1-2), and just watched clips of the other shows, just watched the first 5 episodes of Ahsoka and stopped becasue of disinterest, I haven't even watched Andor which I heard is the best quality piece of Star Wars in a long time.

[@roderick8167]

@@jesustovar2549 I know right, I wanna watch Andor because I've heard it's great and I hear Ahsoka is amazing too but the disinterest is strong in me right now

[@WT.Nation.]

Thanks for this video bro, I’m about your age and I’m the same I grew up in the prequel era and absolutely loved it I’ve watched those 3 movies more times than I can count and I’ve always been told from either end of the age pendulum that I’m crazy for thinking they’re the best so I’m glad you’ve talked about this in the light that i see it

[@928studiosinc06]

I've always loved the Prequel Trilogy, but it was only recently when this era became my favorite Star Wars era. Watching Anakin Skywalker fall to darkness and become Darth Vader always fascinated me, as was the flaws with the Jedi council, the intriguing character relationships like Ahsoka and Rex, frightening villains like Maul, Grievous, Cad Bane, and others, and some of the best storytelling I've seen in the series, you get a truly unique and tragic tale of good vs evil. This was a great video, and it bought you a sub.

[@AndoThePerson]

You really should've mentioned "Lego Star Wars 3 : The Clone Wars" probably the best Lego game I've ever played

[@nick335online]

The clone wars by far was my favorite from when I was a kid til this day, although I was legitimately left scared because I watched the clone wars before ep 2 and 3 of the movies, and to this day still pulls my heart strings. Such a good series

[@thalmoragent9344]

The Prequel Era gave rise to the Clone Wars. And that there has proven to be a very loveable and unique story overall.

[@justiceadams6623]

Facts

[@dustinbell401]

11:34 I cannot wait for the day that Star Wars makes a “what if” series

[@Emelenyt]

The Phantom Menace was the first movie I ever saw in the cinema, and it remains one of my favourite Star Wars movies. I know it's not technically a great movie, but I love it. Since taking my own son to the re-release this year, we has been watching everything Star Wars and I'm finding a much deeper appreciation for the universe outside of the movies.

[@MrSpartan993]

Maybe don’t show him the Disney movies for long…LONG time.

[@kartinisricitrasutiarno6062]

I loved the second one so much I bought a t-shirt with the picture of Padme and Anakin at the front and the title at the back. I was so proud of wearing it. Growing up with the OT it didn't matter that my generation didn't appreciate it when it first came out. Now that the prequels are much more appreciated, especially Hayden, I am over the moon. Still I think people should see episodes 4-6 first to truly get the gist of how evil is redeemed. 😊

[@lumeronswift]

The Prequel Era was something completely unique for pretty much any media - has anything else spawned such a massive amount of merchandise, extended universe material, spin-offs, games, and a vast number of hardcore following groups that still exist more than 20 years later? Warhammer has some similarities in the spin-off regard, but it never quite hit mainstream appeal

[@trustworthydan]

As a kid, the extended universe was what made me fall in love with star wars. I watched 1 and 2 and then I figured out they had books and video games and all kinds of shxt about things that weren't in the movies, dude I went wild. I wanted to know everything about everyone in the universe. Aaand now none of it is cannon...

[@lumeronswift]

@@trustworthydan The fascinating thing about the canon thing is that... technically EU content was never truly canon, but Lucas always respected it right up until it clashed with his own story direction. To my understanding, he even implemented some elements from EU material in the remasters and the prequels, and there was an interview where he mentioned the EU content in a positive light (who can blame him, as it showed that thousands of people were exceptionally passionate about the world he created). This essentially encouraged us to take anything that we enjoyed from the EU content (assuming it didn't contradict Lucas) as canon. Disney actually came out and spat on it... they didn't have to do so, of course - they could have just ignored it or just kept their mouths shut... but instead they intentionally spoke out against it.

[@musayibghani3986]

That's not true. After the OT came out, the expanded EU happened which came out with better stories

[@66morningview]

I am totally in agreement with you on this. It is interesting that Disney in their attempts to steer well away from the prequels, by essentially retelling the story of the original trilogy in the sequel movies is what has allowed this unique era to shine. The Clone Wars show if you take the time to watch it really is great and does an incredible job of contextualising the prequel films. It seems Disney have finally come around to the idea of more prequel content (Clone Wars S7, Tales of the Jedi), I am really hoping one day we get to see the unfinished Clone Wars arcs.

[@Blakbox92]

This video sold me on watching the Clone Wars cartoon. I was one of those people who thought it was just a kids' cartoon back in the day... well, now I'm seeing Count Dooku crush a man's windpipe with the force... they're really leaning into that PG rating.

[@Agrhonak]

This is where my heart lies. Shed a few tears both at the ahsoka 66 and later showcase of 66, thats how emotionally invested i am woth this universe and this era.

[@boydudeman]

Easily my favorite era. Prequel era was so special. Playing classic Battlefront 2 galactic conquest was so great.

[@kongsied4279]

I did not know that the prequels were bad until I got on KZbin back in 2007

[@alexspain9103]

The Protagonist of The Phantom Menace is Palpatine. Every moment is informed by him.

[@jankeck2702]

Bro i really love that video, you are speaking put of my heart too!!! I totally felt the same as you and haveing someone to compremise what makes Star wars for US magical :) love gies out bro :)

[@based4560]

I disagree with you on a lot of this but I do appreciate how your willing to explain your viewpoint.

[@Yeeyeeenation]

My favorite prequel content is actually the Dark Horse comics that came out at the time

[@based4560]

Yep, the republic comics were GOATED.

[@MrSpartan993]

Damn right! Remember Durge?