PT Your Favorite "Unexpected" Aspect/Twist

I remember seeing TPM as a senior in high school in theaters for the first time. This was before my family even had the internet at home, so all I knew about the movie was what was in the trailer. The books and stuff had been released, but I opted to wait and see the movie "spoiler-free", though that wasn't a term I even knew at the time. I did not have the same experience with AOTC and ROTS, and so none of it was "unexpected" when I saw it.

So, the biggest twist I experienced was definitely seeing Padme reveal herself as the Queen! Don't ask me why it didn't occur to me sooner. I guess I was just so in the moment seeing that movie for the first time I wasn't looking for plot twists.

 

Well.

gui gons Death, the Whole clones twist, shmi dying, order 66 aso

 

Well, despite your differing opinions on them, you're both fundamentally mistaken about what midi-chlorians are. It's a mistake many people make, though I'm not sure why, since the movies are very clear on this point. But midi-chlorians are simply the medium through which living beings communicate with the Force. The Force itself is something else entirely, a mysterious energy field that permeates the fabric of reality. The Force still defies explanation, and the midi-chlorians didn't change that.

As to my favorite unexpected aspect of the prequels, that would have to be the revelation that the clones fought on the side of the Jedi and the Republic. Of course, it did make a lot of sense in hindsight. It served as a stark demonstration of the Republic's descent into militarism and utilitarian conformity.

 

How Palpatine masterminded everything so that the Republic would give him absolute power and turn against the Jedi.

 

Ah! A really great insight here!

Thanks for that post!!!

 

Ok. I still don't care for the idea that

Ok. I still don't care for the idea that there's a known factor responsible for sensing the Force.

 

There was already a known factor. It was called the brain; hence all the admonishments to Luke to focus and clear his mind when trying to sense the Force. Now it's something else even more mysterious.

 

Everything was unexpected to me. Seeing Yoda in the urban civilization of Coruscant instead of a swamp was a surprise. Seeing the image of The Emperor was the first surprise. It was like "already? Huh?"
-The double identity of Palpatine and Sidious
-Not seeing many familiar aliens in Episode I.
-A double-bladed lightsaber.
-No star-streaking hyperspace jump shot.
-Anakin being immaculately conceived and the whole "Chosen One" thing.
-How the Clone Wars happened and that the name basically just comes from the types of soldiers fighting the war.
-Count Dooku and Yoda having an apprentice.
-Anakin wearing black in Episode II.
-The expected Boba Fett being the father Jango Fett, and Jango Fett being a bounty hunter with the same kind of suit.
-Boba Fett being the first clone.
-A planet with rings.
-Lots of other stuff.

 

To continue:
-Probably the ten year jump and recasting of Anakin was probably the biggest surprise after Episode One. Along with this was that Anakin's training was skipped and Padme went from queen to senator. It made the story arc seem less well-plotted before Episode One.

 

Sidious using the political system to bring down the Republic/Jedi. Genius storytelling by George, not least of all because it is still relevant today.

 

Qui-Gon was cool, but he should have been Obi-Wan.

 

I was surprised that Anakin was knighted before he turned to the dark side. In ANH, Obi-Wan, says that Vader was "young" and "a pupil", which I always took to mean that he was still a padawan when he turned.

 

Anakin losing his arm was pretty shocking. As in while Luke just lost a hand, Anakin's injury clearly went above the elbow. Vader was actually going easy on the kid.

 

Qui-Gon
Anakin losing an arm in AOTC
Anakin and Padme marrying
Anakin losing the rest of his limbs
Yoda fighting