The Phantom Menace (32 BBY)

This film kicks off the timeline, set 32 years before the Battle of Yavin and the events of the original 1977 Star Wars film. We are introduced to Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan (apprentice) Obi-Wan Kenobi, who are sent as ambassadors to negotiate a peace treaty between the Trade Federation and planet Naboo. However, they soon discover the Trade Federation has set up a blockade and invaded Naboo on orders from the Sith Lord Darth Sidious.

The two Jedi escape and rescue Queen Padmé Amidala, fleeing with her from Naboo to the desert planet Tatooine. There, they meet 9-year old slave Anakin Skywalker. Sensing Anakin is strong with the Force, Qui-Gon helps secure his freedom and brings him with them to Coruscant, the capital of the Galactic Republic. However, Darth Sidious dispatches his apprentice Darth Maul to track down the Jedi.

On Coruscant, Qui-Gon asks the Jedi Council to train Anakin but they refuse, concerned about the fear and anger in him. Returning to Naboo, Anakin helps the Queen’s forces defeat the Trade Federation army. However, in a climactic lightsaber duel, Darth Maul kills Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan then kills Darth Maul, and takes Anakin on as his own Padawan learner, as Qui-Gon requested. With Naboo liberated, there is celebration – but Senator Palpatine is elected Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious himself manipulating events from behind the scenes…

Attack of the Clones (22 BBY)

Set 10 years after The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker are tasked with protecting Senator Padmé Amidala from assassination attempts, believing them to be politically motivated. After another attempt, Obi-Wan sets out to track down the bounty hunter behind it, Jango Fett, which leads him to discover an army of clones being created for the Republic on Kamino.

Meanwhile, Anakin travels with Padmé to Naboo, and they soon fall in love. Anakin starts having visions that his mother Shmi is in danger back on Tatooine. Defying Obi-Wan’s orders, Anakin travels there but discovers Shmi has been abducted by Tusken Raiders. When he finds her, she dies in his arms. Overcome by rage, Anakin massacres the entire Tusken camp.

Receiving a message from Obi-Wan, Anakin travels to Geonosis where he discovers Separatist forces are preparing for war. Captured by Dooku, the leader of the Separatists, Anakin and Padmé are sentenced to death but saved at the last moment by an army of Jedi and the new clone army, marking the start of the Clone Wars between the Republic and the Separatists. In a lightsaber duel, Dooku defeats Anakin and cuts off his arm but is then forced to flee by Yoda. The film ends with Anakin getting a cybernetic arm and marrying Padmé in secret, while Palpatine oversees the clone army mobilizing for galactic war.

Revenge of the Sith (19 BBY)

The third and final prequel film is set 3 years after Attack of the Clones, in the midst of the Clone Wars between the Republic and Separatists. Anakin is now a Jedi Knight and hero of the Republic. After rescuing Palpatine from General Grievous, the new leader of the Separatists, Anakin discovers that Palpatine is in fact the Sith Lord Darth Sidious.

Though conflicted, Anakin informs Jedi Master Mace Windu, who confronts Palpatine. However, fearing the loss of Padmé who he has visions will die in childbirth, Anakin intervenes to save the Sith Lord, allowing Palpatine to kill Windu. With nowhere left to turn, Anakin pledges himself to Palpatine and becomes the Sith Lord Darth Vader. On Palpatine’s orders, Vader leads the 501st clone battalion to kill everyone in the Jedi Temple and wipe out the Jedi Order.

Padmé meets Obi-Wan and informs him of Anakin’s turn to the dark side. Devastated, Obi-Wan stows aboard her ship when Padmé travels to the volcanic planet Mustafar to try and turn Anakin back. Instead, Anakin believes she has betrayed him and uses the Force to choke her into unconsciousness. Obi-Wan engages Vader in an epic lightsaber duel across the lava rivers of Mustafar, eventually defeating his former apprentice by severing his legs and arm.

Badly burned, Anakin is rescued by Palpatine and encased in black armor kept alive by machinery and his rage, completing his transformation into Darth Vader. On Polis Massa, Padmé gives birth to twins Luke and Leia before dying. Bail Organa adopts Leia while Obi-Wan takes Luke to live with his aunt and uncle on Tatooine. Yoda orders Obi-Wan into exile until the time is right to challenge the Empire. The Republic has fallen, Palpatine reforms it into the first Galactic Empire with himself as Emperor, and Darth Vader leads his forces to wipe out any remaining Jedi. This brings the Star wars prequels timeline to a close, directly leading into the original 1977 film set 19 years later.

Themes and Story Arcs

George Lucas deliberately mirrored events and themes between the original and prequel trilogies. The prequels showcase the fall of Anakin from a prophesized hero of the Jedi to a tragic villain, lured to the dark side out of a desire to protect his love Padmé. It is the inverse of the original trilogy which follows his son Luke’s journey to becoming a hero by staying true to the light.

By showing the steady corruption of the Galactic Republic into Palpatine’s dictatorship, the prequels also act as a warning about how democracies can turn into tyrannies when citizens become complacent and willing to give up liberty for promises of security. Lucas explored ideas about morality, redemption, prophecy, political decay and more across the sweeping narrative of the six films.

Legacy and Impact

The prequel trilogy brought groundbreaking new digital effects to Star Wars, with extensive use of CGI allowing for epic scenes of planetary battles and cityscapes with countless visual effects elements that would not have been possible in the 70s and 80s. Each film was a worldwide box office smash hit on release.

However, the prequels have a mixed reputation among fans compared to the beloved original trilogy. While praised for their visual spectacle and mythic storytelling, they were also criticized for clunky writing and acting. Nevertheless, over time reassessment has warmed opinions somewhat and their worldbuilding contributions remain hugely influential on all Star Wars media that has followed. From the Clone Wars and Jedi Order to planets like Coruscant and Kamino, concepts introduced in the prequels now define what Star Wars is.

So while controversial, the prequel trilogy is an integral part of the Star Wars tapestry that together with the original films and sequels makes up the bold, operatic 40+ year Skywalker saga with its timeless themes about good vs evil, fathers and sons, hope and redemption. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this “The Main Star Wars Timeline Explained The Prequels” article.

The post Star Wars Timeline Explained-The Prequels appeared first on Scissortailguild.

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away…

The Star Wars saga takes place “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” giving it an epic, mythical feeling. We’re not provided an exact year the events occur, but are shown an ancient battle between good and evil amongst the stars. The timeline explained here focuses on the events of the Galactic Civil War depicted in the original trilogy films directed by George Lucas.

Before the Clone Wars

While we don’t see these events unfold, history preceding the Skywalker saga provides context. The galaxy was once protected by an ancient order of guardians with supernatural abilities called Jedi Knights. After a millennia of peace, the Jedi Order was destroyed by the Sith – their mortal enemies who use the dark side of the Force – after secretly infiltrating the Galactic Republic. Only a few Jedi managed to survive the attack, going into hiding across the galaxy.

The Clone Wars

The Republic continued to rule for another thousand years until conflict emerged again. After attempts to leave the Republic, some planetary systems were forced to comply, leading Jedi Knight Count Dooku to leave the Order and form a Separatist movement with the backing of corporate giants. Tensions rose for over a decade culminating in the Clone Wars – a conflict between the Republic’s new military clone army and Separatist battle droids.

During the war, the Sith return after a thousand years in secrecy. A young Jedi Knight named Anakin Skywalker becomes a war hero but is slowly seduced to the dark side by Chancellor Sheev Palpatine. After Anakin informs the Jedi Council of Palpatine’s true identity as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, Mace Windu attempts to arrest him. Wanting to save his wife Padmé Amidala, Anakin intervenes allowing Palpatine to kill Windu. Anakin then pledges himself to the Sith, becoming Darth Vader.

Palpatine issues Order 66, turning the clone troopers against the Jedi Order. Only a few survive the purge, such as Grand Master Yoda and Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. Palpatine then transforms the Republic into the Galactic Empire, naming himself Emperor with Vader as his chief enforcer. After a climatic duel on Mustafar leaves Vader severely injured, he must rely on a black armored suit to survive. Meanwhile, Padmé gives birth to twins Luke and Leia before passing away. The children are then hidden from the Empire.

A New Hope

Nineteen years pass under the oppressive rule of the Empire. The Rebellion emerges to challenge Palpatine’s authoritarian regime, engaging in a covert civil war. Princess Leia Organa, adopted daughter of Senator Bail Organa, secretly serves in the Rebellion. She manages to steal secret Death Star plans that reveal a weakness in the Empire’s new planet-destroying space station.

Leia’s ship falls under attack from Vader’s Star Destroyer. She hides the plans in astromech droid R2-D2 and sends him to find Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine with protocol droid C-3PO. The droids come across young farmer Luke Skywalker who meets Obi-Wan, hiring pilot Han Solo to take them to Alderaan. However, the Death Star destroys Alderaan. Captured in a tractor beam, the group rescues Leia only to watch helplessly as the Death Star obliterates Leia’s homeworld. Luke begins learning the ways of the Force under Obi-Wan’s guidance as they escape. After analyzing the plans, the Rebels launch an attack on the Death Star, and Luke destroys it in one shot after turning off his targeting computer and using the Force.

The Empire Strikes Back

Three years after the Death Star’s destruction, the Rebellion continues battling the Empire while establishing a hidden base on the remote ice planet Hoth. Vader becomes obsessed with finding young rebel pilot Luke Skywalker, who he learns is the son of Anakin. The Empire attacks the Hoth base, forcing an evacuation. Han, Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO escape aboard the Millennium Falcon unable to reach a rendezvous point. They later seek refuge at Bespin’s Cloud City overseen by Han’s old friend Lando Calrissian.

Meanwhile, Luke travels to Dagobah seeking Jedi Master Yoda to complete his training. After a crash landing, he receives a disturbing vision his friends are in danger. Against both Obi-Wan and Yoda’s advice, Luke abandons his training to rescue them. Upon arrival at Cloud City, he falls into Vader’s trap. After a fierce lightsaber duel, the Sith Lord severs Luke’s hand and reveals his true identity as Luke’s father. Han is frozen in carbonite and taken by bounty hunter Boba Fett to crime lord Jabba the Hutt. As the Falcon escapes, Luke is rescued by Leia’s telepathic powers.

Return of the Jedi

Luke constructs a new lightsaber aboard a Rebel medical frigate. After R2-D2 and C-3PO are dispatched to crime lord Jabba the Hutt, bounty hunter Boushh (a disguised Leia) infiltrates Jabba’s lair and frees Han from carbon freeze. Jabba later captures her, Han and Luke to execute them but they overpower their captors.

The Rebels learn of construction of a second Death Star orbiting forest moon Endor. Luke insists Vader can still be saved and surrenders to Imperial troops to confront him. On Endor, Han leads a team to destroy the Death Star’s shield generator. After initial conflict, the native Ewoks help the Rebels attack the Imperial base.

Aboard the Death Star, Luke tries appealing to the good still inside his father. The effort proves futile; Vader threatens to turn Leia if Luke refuses to join the dark side. Furious, Luke attacks and nearly kills Vader. Realizing this path leads to the dark side, Luke refuses the Emperor’s offer of power and proves himself a true Jedi. Enraged, the Emperor attacks Luke with Force lightning. Unable to watch his son die, Vader turns against his dark master and destroys him, sacrificing himself in the process.

As the Death Star II explodes, Luke escapes to Endor and cremates his father’s armor. The Rebels celebrate the fall of the Empire as the galaxy looks towards a hopeful future now that freedom has been restored.

The Star Wars Legacy

While the Skywalker saga has concluded, the impact of these iconic films continues today through new stories told in books, comics, video games and future film projects currently in development. By exploring the timeline of events focusing on the original trilogy, the expansive, generation-spanning Star Wars epic is more easily understood and appreciated. The timeless themes of good vs evil, freedom vs tyranny, and belief in redemption mean Star Wars will undoubtedly continue capturing imaginations for decades to come. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this “The Main Star Wars Timeline Explained The Originals” article.

The post The Main Star Wars Timeline Explained The Originals appeared first on Scissortailguild.