PT Rewriting the Prequels...

A minor change:

Instead of Jabba, Anakin's owner would be Zorba Desilijic Tiure (Jabba's father from the EU)

 

Should Alderaan and/or Bail Organa have played bigger roles in the prequels?

The easiest change, which would make sense, would probably be for in II to have Anakin and Padme initially go hide on (and start to fall in love in) Alderaan rather than going back to Naboo, that might have led to losing some of Padme's backstory but could have worked better in having both of them seeming cut off from their pasts.

 

There is so much for me ... However, I'll keep it simple.

The biggest thing (for me) would be to either explain the concept of the "Chosen One", "Balance to the Force", "Prophecy", etc. If not - then remove it completely and simply have Anakin's story be the original tragedy it was from the OT. Him falling to the Dark Side and losing his humanity. It may be more "plain" than him being some type of messiah for the Light Side of the Force, but it at least is clear as to why his story is a cautionary tale for Luke. I never understood why it was so important to retcon him as being this messiah figure that was destined to do ... something. It's never really made clear.

With that out of the way, a lot more focus could be made to his humanity as it slips away, the choices he makes, and his friendship with Obi-Wan/love for Padme. Considering that outside of cartoons and novels, we never really get any explanation of it anyways. I'd rather the PT focus on Anakin as a person rather than some predetermined role he was supposedly meant to play but failed at.

 

Arguably it may have been done to cement the ending of ROTJ as stating that that is the end of the sith.

 

It is made clear what balance means. Yoda states that the shroud of the dark side has fallen, following the Battle of Geonosis. That refers to the imbalance. The Sith have started the war in order to take over. Anakin destroyed the Sith and restored balance.

 

In my version of the prequels:

- Anakin would be a teenager or young adult in TPM.
- Obi-Wan would be at least 10 years older.
- Obi-Wan would be Anakin's "discoverer" instead of Qui-Gon.
- Qui-Gon probably wouldn't even exist although I really liked him and he was one of the best characters in the PT; Yoda would be Obi-Wan's master instead (like in TESB)
- Personality-wise, Anakin would be more like a younger Count Dooku or a darker, more sinister version of Obi-Wan instead of some angry teenager
- Anakin wouldn't be the Chosen One or "Space Jesus". He would be a normal Jedi who fell to the Dark Side due to unfortunate circumstances.
- I'd focus more on the Clone Wars and Anakin's and Obi-Wan's relationship
- Padme would survive ROTS (so that Leia can remember her a little bit)

 

Yoda was suggested to have taught Obi-Wan in AOTC. In TESB I don't think Obi ever says Yoda was his master.

Vader is shown to be angry and petty, like Anakin is in the PT.

In ROTJ it was already suggested that Anakin wasn't normal.

 

He was suggested to have taught Obi-Wan as early as Ben's first appearance as a Force Ghost, on Hoth:

"There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me"

and on Dagobah there's this moment:

"Much anger in him, like his father"
"Was I any different when you taught me?"

 

Again, there's no contradiction here aside from what we filled the blanks with in our heads, before the prequels came.

 

Pre-prequels, Lucas stated Jedi Masters exist to teach, while not being "real Jedi" themselves, and not being good in a fight.

https://www.themarysue.com/george-lucas-star-wars-prequels/

Kasdan: A Jedi Master is a Jedi isn’t he?
Lucas: Well, he is a teacher, not a real Jedi. Understand that?
Kasdan: I understand what you’re saying, but I can’t believe it; I am in shock.
Lucas: It’s true, absolutely true, not that it makes any difference to the story.
Kasdan: You mean he wouldn’t be any good in a fight?
Lucas: Not with Darth Vader he wouldn’t.
Kasdan: I accept it, but I don’t like it.

When combined with the idea that Obi-Wan was wrong in believing he could teach the way Yoda could

"I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought I could teach him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong"

as well as Luke's father being a Jedi Knight, and Obi-Wan being only referred to as a Jedi Knight and not as a Jedi Master, the idea does seem to be that Yoda's job is to turn apprentices into Jedi Knights, the way he did Luke - and that it was a reasonable conjecture by the fans that Yoda turned Obi-Wan from an apprentice into a Jedi Knight, and that this was what "instructed me" and "taught me" referred to.

 

I still don't see the contradiction.

 

Qui-Gon's existence as a Jedi Master who can fight like a Jedi Knight can, contradicts Lucas's assertion that Jedi Masters are teachers and not real Jedi, and not good in fights.

Yoda is "the Jedi Master who instructed me" in TESB, not "one of the Jedi Masters who instructed me" as he is in the PT.

 

I said it was suggested in AOTC he taught him. Obi never says Yoda was his master though.

None of which was ever developed in the movies, so that's not a contradiction of canon.

I think you may see how in a realistic situation, someone may say that even if they had another teacher. "This is my parent." instead of, "this is one of my parents."

It may be a retcon, but not one that actively contradicts or works against anything developed in the movies before.

 

About AotC, I think that tries to explain away the inconsistency with Obi-Wan saying THE Jedi Master by implying that Yoda trains all young kids. But the problem then becomes Obi-Wan saying "Was I any different when you taught me?" If he is comparing himself at age 5-6 with 20 year old Luke, that becomes more than a little odd.

Not a very good example with parents as humans generally have two parents.
If instead someone says "This is THE karate instructor who taught me." or "This is THE doctor that saved my life." or "This is THE teacher who inspired me to become an actor." Then the intent is clear that it is this specific person, not a bunch of people.

Bye.
Old Stoneface

 

I think first of all I'd have got rid of some of the links to the originals which I think are unnecessary.

Anakin being on Tatooine, Anakin building 3PO, the TPM actually being set on Tatooine, R2 being with Obi-Wan and Anakin. Surely they could have told a story without all these links, which to me shrinks the scale of the story.

 

Yes, because a two foot puppet with a Lightsaber was possible in 1977. Lucas had intended for Yoda to use a saber. But it was a logistical nightmare and so he was of the mind that a Jedi Master didn't fight. Because saying a Jedi Master cannot fight is like saying a Shaolin Master cannot fight. That's why Kasdan had the reaction that he had.

It isn't about age, but the mentality of the Padawan. Obi-Wan was angry and headstrong, like Luke was. He was reckless and looking for adventure. This is why Yoda teaches them until they are thirteen or fourteen. Kanan and Ahsoka were both fresh from the Temple, when paired with Luminara and Anakin.

Nope. Luke has family on Tatooine. That means that the Lars had to be there as well. Which means Anakin has to be from Tatooine. The droids were intended to be the witnesses to the Saga. When Lucas decided to tell the back story, that meant they had to be there too.

 

Erm yes. That’s my opinion. Luke has no direct family on tatooine. Anakin doesn’t have to be from tatooine, there’s nothing to say he has to be either. It doesn’t really matter what Lucas said about the OT being told through the droids eyes, that’s not an important detail and I bet most people don’t even think about that. The droids could still be part of the story somewhere without spending it all with Anakin and obi-wan and without them also being a major part of the story. It’s very small minded to limit the PT in that way and creates too many questions for later films IMO. Some of it is bordering on ridiculous.

 

But he does. His aunt and uncle are on tatooine. His uncle who has the most concern in regards to Luke's dad, so it makes plenty sense that Anakin would also be from tatooine. Obi literally even suggests Anakin was from tatooine when he says, "Thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved."

 

As noted, Anakin and Owen were supposed to raised on a farm, per the fourth draft. And it doesn't matter that general audiences didn't know about the droids importance. Lucas knew. That's why he told Marcia that he couldn't kill the droids. He was homaging "Hidden Fortress", which begins with two farmers getting caught up in a grand adventure. Their fate was decided on day one.

Nothing is wrong with them being there, since Lucas covered it all in the PT. Threepio's memory gets wiped., Obi-Wan doesn't own a droid and the Lars do realize who the droids are when Luke tells them about the recording. Plus, the story is small because he was tightening it up. Making it a story of generations who have role in galactic events.

 

So I started to toy with the idea of a an alternate version of the prequels based on everything we knew about the PT before the actual PT and the '90s EU, stories like Thrawn, Dark Empire etc. These are some general ideas I had and wanted to get feedback, the reimagined saga which will match everything we knew in the OT and the Pre-PT lore. (I love the PT, this is just a possible alternate version of them if George was using the old EU as a blueprint)

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• Anakin Skywalker
  

Originally a 19-year-old orphan on the Planet of Corellia, Anakin (Nicknamed "Kane") is an idealistic young man and a Pilot who doesn't have friends besides Owen Lars and Beru. He is bullied by the local bullies and has similar character traits to that of Luke in Episode 4. When Obi-Wan arrives in Corellia, he instantly shows interest in the young Anakin after noticing his Piloting skills. Obi-Wan is amazed at how strongly the Force is within Anakin, and the two share similar ideals. Obi-Wan offers Anakin to fight alongside him in "The Clone Wars". Owen doesn't want his friend to join this crazy wizard on a "damn fool idealistic crusade", but Anakin is not listening to him and joins Obi-Wan, who nicknames him "Skywalker". During the war, Anakin became "The best Star Pilot in the Galaxy and a cunning warrior. And he was a good friend", a hero of the Old Republic, facing the evil Clones of the "Dark Worlds Alliances" and achieved fame.

Due to the horrors of the war, Anakin became from the kind, innocent young man from Corellia to something else. The more battles he won, the more injuries he sustained, andy started to lose organs, becoming "more machine than man". After his home planet was nearly destroyed, he started to adopt fascists and authoritarian methods and ideology believing at in "all meanings possible" tactics, inspired by his new ally, President Palpatine.

He became ruthless, aggressive, and cold, willing to slaughter anyone who would stand in his way, in order to end the chaos in the galaxy. Deciding that the War should end at all costs, Anakin betrayed the Jedi Order and joined forces with President Xon Palpatine, he became a Dark Jedi and slowly started to hunt down the Jedi Knights one by one, in a long and brutal campaign, believing it is the right thing to do to end the War and bring peace. Obi-Wan eventually confronted Anakin, which led to a tragic showdown between the two that resulted in Anakin falling into a volcano pit and becoming Darth Vader.

Since we know Lucas likes to take inspiration from classic myth and other fiction stories, Anakin is basically Arthur and Lancelot merged into one. He is a classic "Hero's Journey" at the beginning, and is inspired by characters like Michael Corleone.

• Obi-Wan Kenobi
  

The last Apprentice of the Legendary Master Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a brash and arrogant, but wise and balanced Jedi Knight. During a mission on Corellia, Obi-Wan encounters the young Anakin and takes him under his wing after being impressed by the young man's talents. Obi-Wan served the House of Organa during the war, fighting side by side alongside Antilles Organa, the viceroy of Alderaan. Obi-Wan believed he could train Anakin just as well as Yoda, but that resulted in Anakin becoming a ruthless fascist and a mass murderer who kills innocents to achieve his goals. Obi-Wan eventually learned from his mistakes too late, as Anakin was too far gone which led to their tragic showdown. Obi-Wan is the brother of Anakin's best friend, Owen Lars, who is jealous of Obi-Wan for being a Jedi.

• Nellith Arcadia
  

Lady Nellith Arcadia is a member of the Alderaanian aristocracy, she is a compassionate, altruistic, and idealistic young woman, an individual with the heart of a true Jedi. She wanted to help others and was extremely empathetic. She was originally supposed to marry Antilles Organa, but the wedding was canceled as she fell in love with the young Anakin. During the War Nellith joined the Republic forces to protect those in need. Her parents eventually allowed her to marry young Anakin (Like Michael and Apollonia). Her political views clashed with that of Anakin, and as she noticed his descent towards darkness she started to drift away from him. She eventually noticed that Anakin is becoming weird in home, and eventually discovers the horrible truth: Anakin is hunting down the Jedi Knights. She broke up with him but Anakin tried to get her back by force, she rejected him and went into hiding. Unbeknownst to Anakin, Nellith was pregnant with his young child.

• Starkiller (Maul)
  

Starkiller, also known by his private name Maul, is a mysterious dark-side warrior who was raised in the "Dark Worlds", Starkiller is the Apprentice of "the Emperor". He leads the Clone Army against the Republic and develops a grudge against Anakin. He is a brilliant and cunning military strategist, fanatic supporter of the Dark Side and a ruthless Jedi killer who also has a political agenda of his own. He has similar characteristics to that of Thrawn and Sinestro and is loosely inspired by Napoleon.

• Supreme Master Bendu (An allegory to Dumbledore with Jorus C'baoth design)
  

The first Apprentice of Master Yoda and The Leader of the Jedi Knights takes the place of Yoda (who is only mentioned, never seen). He is pretty much an allegory to Jorus C'baoth and Albus Dumbledore as the wise Jedi Master.

• Prince Antilles Organa
  

The Prince of Alderaan, the Leader of the House of Organa, and the candidate of the Alderaanian Party for Presidency. He is a space JFK, charismatic and charming, an older brother-esque figure, a mentor to Nellith, and a friend of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He is the political rival of Xon Palpatine and knows exactly what he is up to. He eventually decides to join the War efforts to protect his people and helps to form the rebel alliance alongside the House of Organa.

• Xon Palpatine / The Emperor (Lucas likes to take inspiration from politics and based Palpatine on Richard Nixon. Ni-Xon)
  

Since we know Lucas likes to take inspiration from real-life politics (for example Vietnam war), this trilogy is a criticism of America before Vietnam, Watergate, and Reagan's Capitalism, Therefore, Palpatine will be a mix of Ronald Reagan, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. Xon (Nixon. Ni-Xon) Palpatine is secretly an ancient dark-side wizard who lived for generations and possesses Clone bodies that will contain his soul. He is the ancient rival of Master Yoda. He is at first the candidate of the "Imperial Party" for Presidency and is known for his populist rhetoric and authoritarian ideology. He eventually becomes President after his team of officials sabotages the campaign of Antilles Organa and rigs the election, and as the trilogy progresses he slowly corrupts the Republics from within alongside the Imperial officers, who are his servants. He allows the chaos in the galaxy to spread, which eventually allows him to take all the power in the Republic to himself. Palpatine is a member of the line of Dark Side Emperors and he is the last Emperor of the Dark Side. He is the mentor of Starkiller and leads the Clone Masters

• Tarkin
  

One of the members of the Imperial party who works under Palpatine and helps him to corrupt the Republic.

• Jedi Knight Mace Windu
  

A Jedi Knight who serves the House of Organa alongside Obi-Wan

• Governor Atha Prime
  

The Leader of the Republic's rivals, the "Galactic Alliances". He is a Clone Master who Seeks to bring new order to the Galaxy and has a similar role to that of Tarkin. He is loosely based on Cherchenko and secretly works with Palpatine until is betrayed by him

• Jaster Mereel
  

Young and unstable Clone in the Dark Worlds Alliances' Clone Army who becomes a bounty hunter.

• King Organa
  

Antilles' father who is hesitant about forming the Rebel Alliance at first.



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There will be Planets that will be similar to that of the OT and meant to be memorable like them, for example The Republic capital of Coruscant, Had Abbadon, Anakin's home planet of Corellia, Alderaan, and more. This planets will introduce new memorable races like how Endor introduced the Ewoks.The Clone Wars is an allegory to the Cold War and WWII, The Republic are the US while the "Galactic Alliances" are the soviet union. The Republic is using human fighters while the Galactic Alliances are using unstable Clones much like how the Thrawn trilogy described. The Clones are created by the Clone Masters.

The first movie is named "The Beginning" and introduces us to Anakin and his hero's journey, the beginning of his training, and we are introduced to the rest of the supporting cast and the War.

The second movie is named "The Clone Wars" which shows us Anakin's slow fall to the Dark Side and becoming scarred by the War while developing a romance with Nellith, the Republic's fall to fascism, and Obi-Wan's struggles. Anakin defeats Starkiller, has a fallout with Obi-Wan and becomes Palpatine's apprentice at the end.

The third movie is named "Rise of the Empire", and takes place 5 years after EP2. Anakin hunts down the Jedi Knights one by one and leads the campaign against them while Obi-Wan tries to stop and redeem him.

The Clone Wars are multiple wars between the Republic and the Clones that took place 35 years before Episode 4 and 15 years before EP1. The Jedi Knights are not monks but are more Arthurian Knights and they can have children. They are dressed more like how Luke was dressed in Episode 6 or like how the Jedi were dressed in the Expanded Universe.

 

We don't really see or get that, almost the opposite, "If you would only follow the Code you would be on the Council," "Don't do anything without consulting either myself or the Council"

I don't really get much sense of what the Alliance's ideology/motivations would be, why they are in conflict other than probably just rivalry for power/control, which could also make the Republic look obviously petty from early on.

Don't know about Anakin going bad by part two, it would be possible but challenge to have all the plot of him being introduced, be likeable hero, becoming strong in Force, have romance and also go bad/dark/traitor in just the first two films.

It was a bit of a missed opportunity with the actual films to not have more of a role for Bail and some kind of role for/introduction to Tarkin.

 

They want to restore the Galaxy to a position where everyone are equal because they are sick of the rich dominating the poor. Anakin is introduced in Episode 1 as 19 years old instead of 9, he is a hero's journey character like Luke in Ep4 and will have the romance in Episode 1, he is a lot like James Dean in A Rebel without a Cause: Conflicted, vulnerable, rebellious, naive, etc. Episode 2 then takes place years later, Anakin is a powerful Jedi Knight and a war hero and is pretty much in his Prime. In Episode 2 we see him at his peak while he is getting corrupted by the War and the Episode then ends when he pledges himself as Palpatine's Apprentice.

 

Obi-Wan was at the tail end of his training in TPM. Luke was at the beginning of it in TSEB. When Obi-Wan was in his teens and transitioning from Yoda to Qui-Gon, that's when he was behaving like the Skywalker men. By the time of the Naboo blockade, Obi-Wan had grown past most of that. He was more like Luke was in ROTJ.

This is why Jedi training takes a long time to undergo. Even being trained from birth, that doesn't stop the Padawan from being reckless and immature, prone to anger and impatience. Yoda deals with the Padawan as a child and when they start becoming willful in their early teens. The field Master has to finish the training that started with Yoda.

 

There seems to be an idea floating around that making Anakin a 9yo was a necessary move, as if older people cant be affected by their loved ones dying. Weird.

 

If memory serves, George Lucas stated that he made Anakin a pre-teen in The Phantom Menace because it'd be a bigger wrench for him to be separated from his mother at that age. It wasn't about Shmi dying yet, it was about him leaving home. Culturally and stereotypically speaking, teenagers can't wait to leave home.