Summary
- Palpatine had unchecked power by the end of Attack of the Clones, setting the stage for his Empire years before Revenge of the Sith.
- The Jedi were blinded by the dark side, leading to their downfall during the Clone Wars.
- Anakin's attachment to Padmé in Attack of the Clones started his path to the dark side, sealed by his secret marriage.
Attack of the Clones is the true Fall of the Republic in the Star Wars canon. While Revenge of the Sith may be the final film in the prequel trilogy, so much is already lost by the ending of Episode II. As such, Revenge of the Sith is more like the official rise of the Empire with the Republic having already fallen the moment the Clone Wars began at the end of Attack of the Clones.
As seen in the Star Wars prequels, corruption ran rampant throughout the Republic and the Jedi Order had become extremely compromised due to their pride and hubris. However, these flaws were present long before the events of The Revenge of the Sith. In more ways than one, Attack of the Clones is the true Fall of the Republic based upon how the second prequel film ends and what it sets up for the Star Wars timeline.
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Palpatine Has Become Emperor In All But Name
Emergency Powers Providing Unchecked Authority
First and foremost, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) is already Emperor in all but name by the end of Attack of the Clones. Having manipulated the largely corrupt Republic Senate to grant him emergency powers, Palpatine played upon the fears of the Republic to approve the use of a clone army against the Separatist Alliance, a collection of worlds that chose to cede from the Republic while seeking to enact a new galactic order with their own droid armies. As such, Palpatine's emergency powers gave him virtually unchecked authority during the Clone Wars, meaning that the power of galaxy democracy was quite diminished.
Likewise, the clone army itself was created via a secret conspiracy between Palpatine and Count Dooku, Palpatine's secret Sith apprentice who was also the leader of the Separatist Alliance. The end of Attack of the Clones was the master stroke that essentially helped guarantee Palpatine's full control of the galaxy in Attack of the Clones. Even if the official dawn of his Empire wouldn't come for another few years, Palpatine had already become the most powerful being in the galaxy by Episode II's end.
The Shroud Of The Dark Side Has Blinded The Jedi
Unable To Foresee The Future
Attack of the Clones also confirms the Jedi Order's ability to foresee the future was greatly lessened by the dark side of the Force and Palpatine's growing power. Combined with the reveal that Count Dooku had become a Dark Lord of the Sith and was leading the Separatist movement, Master Yoda's dark declaration at the end of the movie about "the shroud of the dark side having fallen" is incredibly poignant. It's the first true sign that while the Jedi understand that dark forces are gathering against them, they've also greatly compromised themselves.
There's a key scene in which both Yoda and Mace Windu discuss the fact that the Order's ability to use the Force is growing weaker. However, Yoda determines to keep the truth hidden from the Senate, believing that more enemies would rise up against them beyond the Sith should they reveal their vulnerabilities. As such, the Jedi Order's pride is on full display, choosing to keep themselves guarded and continue operating as they always had, despite knowing that the Sith had returned and that the dark side was growing ever stronger with the dawn of the Clone Wars.
Anakin Skywalker's Fate Is Sealed With His Marriage To Padmé
Guided By His Attachments and Fears
Additionally, Anakin's secret marriage to Padmé Amidala was the true start of his downfall. Having already lost his mother and giving into the dark side by killing the Sand People who kidnapped her, the end of Attack of the Clones sees Anakin forming new attachments that end up guiding his actions throughout the Clone Wars. As such, Anakin having a secret wife makes it that much easier for Palpatine to seduce him to the dark side by Revenge of the Sith.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
PG-13
Action
Adventure
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is the sixth film in the Star Wars franchise and chronologically the third in the Skywalker Saga. Set three years after the events of Attack of the Clones, Anakin Skywalker is tasked with keeping an eye on Chancellor Palpatine while other Jedi battle across the galaxy. In the background, however, a mysterious Sith lord begins to make their move to destroy the Jedi once and for all.
- Director
- George Lucas
- Release Date
- May 19, 2005
- Studio(s)
- Lucasfilm
- Distributor(s)
- 20th Century Fox
- Writers
- George Lucas , John Ostrander , Jan Duursema
- Cast
- Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Hayden Christensen , Ian McDiarmid , Samuel L. Jackson , Christopher Lee , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , Frank Oz , Ahmed Best , Temuera Morrison
- Runtime
- 140 Minutes
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
- Sequel(s)
- Solo: A Star Wars Story , Rogue One: A Star Wars Story , Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope , Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back , Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi , Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens , Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi , Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker
- prequel(s)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace , Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
- Budget
- $113 Million
Manipulating and taking advantage of Anakin's fear of losing his wife and future children, Palpatine promised the Chosen One the power to keep the ones he loved from dying in Revenge of the Sith. As such, one can imagine that it would have been much harder to turn Anakin had he kept his emotions in check, resisting an attachment to Padmé in Attack of the Clones. Instead, Skywalker and Amidala's marriage at the end of Episode II was the beginning of the end of Anakin's Jedi path, heralding his eventual turn to the dark side as Darth Vader.
The Clone Wars Are The Ultimate Jedi Trap
The Jedi Order Lost The Moment They Led Troops Into Battle
It's also worth noting that the Clone Wars themselves were the ultimate Jedi trap. As laid out in Matthew Stover's novelization for Revenge of the Sith, it's confirmed that the Clone Wars served as the perfect means of ensuring the Jedi's downfall from the moment they decided to engage in the conflict at the end of the Attack of the Clones:
The Clone Wars have always been, in and of themselves, from their very inception, the revenge of the Sith.
They were irresistible bait. They took place in remote locations, on planets that belonged, primarily, to 'someone else.' They were fought by expendable proxies. And they were constructed as a win-win situation.
The Clone Wars the perfect Jedi trap.
By fighting at all, the Jedi lost.
Painstakingly laid out by Palpatine, the Clone Wars checked all the boxes to take down the Jedi. By simply agreeing to fight, the Jedi Order lost its way regardless of the outcome.
After all, the Jedi Order had no idea they were serving the will of a Sith Lord until it was far too late. The deck was stacked from the very start with Palpatine controlling both sides, while also having Order 66 at the ready once the time finally came to eradicate the Jedi for good. As such, it all began with the Jedi agreeing to lead the Republic's clone armies in the first place, as seen at the end of Attack of the Clones.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
PG
Action
Adventure
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
Years after the events of The Phantom Menace, the Skywalker Saga continues with Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. When Senator Padme Amidala's life is threatened, Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are tasked with her protection. While Obi-Wan uncovers a clone army made in secret, Anakin falls in love with Padme, marking the beginning of his inevitable fall to the dark side of the Force.
- Director
- George Lucas
- Release Date
- May 16, 2002
- Studio(s)
- Lucasfilm
- Distributor(s)
- 20th Century
- Writers
- George Lucas , Jonathan Hales
- Cast
- Ewan McGregor , Hayden Christensen , Natalie Portman , Ian McDiarmid , Samuel L. Jackson , Christopher Lee , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , Frank Oz , Temuera Morrison , Ahmed Best , Daniel Logan
- Runtime
- 142 Minutes
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
- Sequel(s)
- Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith , Solo: A Star Wars Story , Rogue One: A Star Wars Story , Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope , Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back , Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi , Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens , Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi , Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker
- prequel(s)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
- Budget
- $115 Million
