Star Wars has one of the most expansive and complex timelines in popular culture, spanning over 60 years of storytelling across films, TV shows, books, comics and video games. However, it all started with the prequel trilogy of films that kicked off the Skywalker saga – Episodes I to III which cover the fall of Anakin Skywalker and the rise of Darth Vader and the Empire. In this article we talk about The Main Star Wars Timeline: Explained The Prequels.
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.