20 years ago, the bestStar Warsstory I’ve ever read totally ruinedStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithfor me. EveryStar Warsfan has their own story, their own tale of how they fell in love with the world that Lucas build. Mine began in 1991, when I watched the firstStar Warsmovie on TV, and quickly started collecting every book and comic I could come across. Looking back, it was actually something of a mistake;I learned aboutThe Empire Strikes Back’s big twists long before watching the movie, utterly spoiled for “I am your father.”
At the time, the prospect ofStar Warsever returning to the big screen seemed bleak. I didn’t really mind, because the oldStar WarsExpanded Universewas continuing apace, and I’ve always been as much a reader as a viewer. All that changed by the end of the decade, though, with Lucas kicking off the prequel trilogy. I became heavily involved in theStar Warsfandom, hooked to the Jedi Council forums. And then, in 2005, the prequels came to an end… and I was utterly spoiled.
George Lucas Didn’t Care About Spoilers For Revenge Of The Sith
Modern movies tend to focus on unexpected twists and shocking character turns. I’ve always loved this kind of movie; it’s why I have such fun with fan theories, and I love trying to figure out what’s going on well before I’m supposed to. But…back in 2005, we were living in a different world.George Lucas didn’t care about spoilers forRevenge of the Sith, likely because he understood this was a tragedy, and we all knew how the story was going to end anyway.
As a reader,my biggest spoiler came 20 years ago today. Matt Stover’s novelization forRevenge of the Sithwas released, and I couldn’t resist picking it up. I’d already become a fan of Stover’s works; I adored hisStar WarsnovelsTraitorandShatterpoint, and I’d even chatted with him a little on the Jedi Council forums. I knew I’d be spoiled… but I couldn’t help myself. I had a newStar Warsstory in my hands, and I simply didn’t care that it was the novelization of a story I was yet to see on screen.
Matt Stover’s Revenge Of The Sith Is The Best Star Wars Story Ever Told
Five years ago,ScreenRant’s own Alex Leadbeater wrote a powerful op ed in which he insisted “Revenge of the Sith Is The Best Star Wars Story Ever Told.” There’s just one problem;he wasn’t referring to the movie. He was talking about Matt Stover’s epic novelization. Alex’s article is a rhapsody of praise for the book, focusing on Stover’s sweeping prose and phenomenal characterization. Here’s what he has to say about Anakin Skywalker himself:
“Hayden Christensen’s interchangeably whiny and wooden performance can be defended in all manner of ways - it’s the dialogue, it was intentionally evoking Mark Hamill from the originalStar Wars- but what he and Lucas were really going for becomes achingly clear with Stover’s words. Anakin is a war hero bordering on celebrity, single-handledly warding off Separatist advances in the outer rim and becoming a legend after saving Palptine. And yet that hides a deep-seated fear, one that’s been with him ever since leaving his mother and personified by the image of a dragon at the heart of a dead star: as he keeps reminding himself in the words of a perhaps-too-distant Obi-Wan, “eventually, even stars burn out.” By the time Palpatine starts whispering in his ear, the Jedi in their plot to draw out Sidious push him aside and dreams of Padmé’s death haunt his nights, he embraces that deep-seated fear to become another being entirely.
I remember reading that article and passing on my praise to Alex, because I agreed completely.Revenge of the Sithis indeed the bestStar Warsstory ever told - just not Lucas' version. I didn’t mention it at the time, but here’s the thing; that actually proved to be a major problem for me. Because I fell in love with that novelization… and then,a few weeks later, I went to the movies.
Revenge Of The SIth Could Never Live Up To Stover’s Novelization
Now, please don’t get me wrong here;I’m not knocking Lucas. I have the utmost respect for him, even if I haven’t always agreed with his decisions (back in 2005, I admit that I hadn’t forgiven him for reportedly pushing for the death of Anakin Solo, a Legends character I bet most people reading this article have never even heard of). Butfor me, Stover’s novelization was simplytoo goodfor the movie to compare.
Novelizations have always been important toStar Wars. The first novelization, ghost-written by Alan Dean Foster, was published a year beforeA New Hopecame out; the prequel era novelizations added wonderful depth to the stories, especially Terry Brooks’The Phantom Menace. Even the Disney era has paid (inconsistent) homage to this; Alexander Freed’sRogue One: A Star Wars Storyis absolutely unmissable, and I consider it another of the bestStar Warsbooks. But none have matched Stover’sRevenge of the Sith.
The 15 Best Star Wars Books Of All Time
Star Wars is far more than just a film phenomenon, with a staggering number of books published over the years. Here are the pick of the crop.
Just take a look at the opening passage:
This story happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. It is already over. Nothing can be done to change it.
It is a story of love and loss, brotherhood and betrayal, courage and sacrifice and the death of dreams. It is a story of the blurred line between our best and our worst.
It is the story of the end of an age.
A strange thing about stories —
Though this all happened so long ago and so far away that words cannot describe the time or the distance, it is also happening right now. Right here.
It is happening as you read these words.
This is how twenty-five millennia come to a close. Corruption and treachery have crushed a thousand years of peace. This is not just the end of a republic; night is falling on civilization itself.
This is the twilight of the Jedi.
The end starts now.
Do you feel a chill? I certainly did when I first read those words. I can’t say for sure - it was 20 years ago, after all - butI seem to remember rereading the book at least three times before I headed to the movies. I settled down at my local theater with some friends, and I watched with surprise as some of the most dramatic moments… didn’t quite land. In fact, some of my favorite bits weren’t even there; Lucas had cut them in favor of more time on Kashyyyk.
Here’s a tip:never read the novelization before you go to see the movie. You’ll have your own idea of what things should look like, and the reality will never live up to your imagination. For years afterward, I found myself really struggling withRevenge of the Sith; I could enjoy the other films, but the flaws in this one stood out too clearly. It took quite some time for me to be able to look past my first impressions, and to see the diamond in the rough - a flawed diamond, not so bright as the one I’d fallen in love with, but a diamond nonetheless.
I admit, memory had blurred all this over the years. I remembered that I found the movie disappointing because I’d read the book first, but I’d forgotten there was a reason; it wasn’t until one of my writers, David Miller, mentioned the book’s release date that I remembered how it all played out. 20 years on, celebrating the 20th anniversary ofStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, I can’t help finding myself rather amused at the recollection.
Whatever you do, don’t make my mistake; enjoy the movie. And then check this book out, and thrill to it.
