The Road to Episode Infinity: April 2013

And then Palpatine says to Anakin, “It was I who created you from the midiclorians and therefore I am your father!”

“Nooooooooooo!” Screams Anakin.

Though the previous lines may seem like something out of fan-fiction, they are based on a real scene that Lucas wrote, then discarded from the final draft of “Episode III”. Lucas, in fact, played with a lot of ideas while writing the film which would eventually be titled “Revenge of the Sith”. Early drafts include a 10-year-old Han Solo running around Kashyyyk (And why not- he’d already featured 10-year-old versions of Vader and Boba Fett).

As Lucas continued to write, he realized that he had a lot of splainin’ to do. How was he going to fit Anakin’s fall, Luke & Leia’s birth, the rise of the Empire, the death of the Jedi, and tie up all those loose ends (*cough* force ghosts) in one film? Lucas’ response? Let’s make a cyborg that fights with four arms and light sabers!

A "Stylistic" decision with a hidden metaphor? Nope, just looks cool.

Thus General Grievous was born- the baddy of Episode III that appears to serve no actual purpose in the film (other than to look cool). And do you know how Lucas picked his name? Well according to dictionary.com Grevious means, “To cause great sorrow”. Yes, just like previous prequel villain-names such as “Sideous” and “Tyranus”, Lucas wastes no energy trying to make his characters “morally ambiguous” in any way. Grievous is evil. How can you tell? Evil voice, evil name, evil character.

Another great example of this is how calm, collected, and peaceful Chancellor Palatine seems in the films, until he turns into Sideous, then he transforms into a totally different character all together. It’s almost like he has the split personality of Gollum and Smeagol. But the real truth is Lucas wants to make really, really sure that the kids know who is the good guys and who is the bad guys.

So when Sith turn evil they get yellow eyes and yellow teeth?

And perhaps this is what bothered me most about “Revenge of the Sith” when I saw it in cinemas eight-years ago; the lack of subtly. In the original Star Wars film (now known as “A New Hope”), the Empire was made up of crotchety-old Brits like Grand Moff Tarkin. There were respectful actors with lines such as “Perhaps she would respond to an alternative form of persuasion”. Even Vader was more of a strong silent-type.

See, kids, Anakin's the bad guy now. Root against him!

In the original Star Wars there were no Wicked-Witch-of-the-West-like cackles or “Execute Order 66”. There were no bright-yellow Sith eyes. Palpaine was evil, but still smart and collected. Maybe “Evil-for-evil’s sake” was a bit too much for me to handle. Maybe it bothered me even more than Jar Jar Binks. Maybe on that fateful May night, the Saga had been spoiled for me forever.

I wonder how they came up with these numbers?

I walked out of the theater and vowed never to watch “Revenge of the Sith” ever again.

That night in the parking lot of Rogers Cinema, my friend Alex asked me why I didn’t like the film. What more did I want? My friend Corey would later tell me that fans had too high of expectations for the prequels and nothing could have ever satisfied us. But I reject that theory. I believed that left in the right hands, the Star Wars prequels could have been something…. watchable. Which is why for eight years I have never touched a copy of “Episode III”.

It's very subtle.
Look close and you might...
Oh... there it is.

Yet all this will change on May 4^th, 2013. With news that Lucas has sold the rights to Star Wars to Disney, I have found New Hope. I now have the courage to finally go back and watch the film that I have sworn off for so long. On this May the Fourth (be with you), I will watch Episode III again and I will post my review of it here on this blogsite. See you next week!

The Jedi Council stood for almost five-thousand years before the Jedi Purge and some of the most famous Jedi Masters in the Galaxy served on the council. Here is my top-ten list of the coolest Jedi Council Members from the prequel films.

#10 Oppo Rancisis

The snakelike Jedi, Oppo Rancisis, first appeared on the Jedi council in Episode I. He is of the Thisspiasian race and a brilliant military strategist. Oppo was designed by artist Benton Jew, who based Oppo off of a picture of an old man on a Chinese Calendar. When Oppo appeared in episode II his snake tail could clearly be seen.

Oppo does not appear in the film “Revenge of the Sith”. Oppo was killed in battle months before. His death is depicted in the comic book series “Star Wars: Republic". Ultimately Obi-Wan Kenobi would take Oppo’s set on the council.

#9 Even Piell

Even Piell is a fierce warrior from the planet Lannik. He has one eye and bares the scars of long-gone battles. It is said that Even Piell refused bacta treatment or a replacement eye.

Piell served on the Jedi Council during Episodes I & II but he was killed before Episode III. Interestingly enough, Piell has two deaths in the EU. (This is because the cartoon series “The Clone Wars” likes to ignore previously established canon.) His original death is depicted in the novel “Jedi Twilight”. His “new” death is depticted in “The Clone Wars” season three. His council seat would remain open until Anakin Skywalker was selected to replace him.

#8 Eeth Koth & Adi Gallia

Adi Gallia & Eeth Koth are two Jedi Council members who met a similar fate. This fate has to do with casting decisions. Though both characters were suppose to appear in all three Star Wars prequels, the actors that played them were sloppily changed during the filming of Attack of the Clones (Because it would have cost too much money to fly the original actors to Australia and Lucas underestimated the ability of Star Wars fans to see through the casting changes of background characters.) It was left for the Expanded Universe to explain that when you see the same characters played by different actors, it is actually because they are different characters.

Adi Galia vs. Stass Allie

Adi Gallia alter ego is her cousin, Stass Allie. Stass Allie can be seen at the end of Episode II and also in Episode III. The real Adi Galia was killed off in the comic series “Obsession”. (But this death was overridden during the forth season of “The Clone Wars”, a TV series that blatantly disregards previously established canon.)

Eeth Koth vs. Agen Kolar

Eeth Koth’s alter ego is Agen Kolar. It is worth noting that Koth, Kolar, and Darth Maul are all of the Zabrak species

#7 Shaak Ti

Shaak Ti is a Togruta who was placed on the Jedi Council after Master Yaddle was killed. She appears in both Episode II & III. Shaak Ti is somewhat of a fan favorite and features heavily in the comics, The Clone Wars cartoons and The Force Unleashed. Though Shaak Ti was originally suppose to be killed by Grievous in Episode III, the scene was cut from the film and therefore Shaak Ti became one of the only Jedi council members to survive “Order 66”. Shaak Ti’s ultimate fate is explained in the novelization of “The Force Unleashed”.

#6 Saesee Tiin

Saesee Tiin is one of five Jedi to have served on the Jedi Council in all three films. (A different actor played Tiin in each film, the heavy make-up makes it harder for fans to tell and therefore the EU did not have to explain the changes.) Saesee Tiin met his end (along with three other council members) during the scene where Mace Windu tries to arrest Chancellor Palpatine.

#5 Kit Fisto

Kit Fisto (another casualty of the Palpatine arrest scene) was first seen in the Battle of Geonosis in Episode II. Interestingly enough, the character was originally designed as the Sith for the film until the character of Count Dooku was created. Fisto is of the Nautolan species and is amphibious. He also carries a lightsaber that can function both in and out of water. By Episode III, Fisto had been elevated to the Jedi Council. Kit Fisto is featured heavily in “The Clone Wars” cartoon series.

#4 Plo Kloon

Plo Kloon is another council member who appeared in all three prequel films. Plo is of the Kel Dor species and must wear a breathing apparatus because his species is accustomed to much less oxygen than most other sentients. Plo is thought to be one of the strongest warriors of his time and is also an ace starfighter pilot. It is in his starfighter that Plo Kloon met his end during Episode III when Palpatine gave “Order 66".

#3 Ki-Adi-Mundi

Ki-Adi-Mudai is a rare example of a Jedi Council Member that had speaking lines in the prequels (all three films actually). Ki is a Cerean and he is also a rare example of a Republic-era Jedi who was married (He had five wives!) Because Cerean’s have a birth rate of one male for every 20 females, Ki was allowed to take wives in order to promote the continuation of his species. Ki is one of the most popular Jedi in the EU.

Interestingly enough Ki was suppose to have an eye-patch in Revenge of the Sith, but this awesome concept art never came to fruition. Ki-Adi-Mundi met his end in Episode III during Order 66.

#2 Mace Windu

Mace Windu is pretty much Samuel L. Jackson living out his childhood fantasies. He’s also pretty much as bad-ass as Jedi get. In Episode II he takes out Jango Fett with relative ease and in the Expanded Universe his bad-assry is even more apparent.

It is interesting to note that the name “Mace” actually derives from the earliest draft of Star Wars, where it was he (not Luke Skywalker) that was the central character of the film:

"This is the story of Mace Windy, a revered Jedi-bendu of Ophuchi, as related to us by C.J. Thorpe, padawaan learner to the famed Jedi." ~The Journal of Whills 1973

#1 Yoda

What more can be said about Jedi Master Yoda that has not yet been explored in this blog? Yoda is a rare example of character in Star Wars that is so revered that they have not even named his species. Very few members of his species have ever appeared in the films or the expanded universe.

According to the EU, Yoda discovered his force capabilities during adulthood (strange since he always proclaims others of being too old to start the training). Yoda would continue to study the force until he eventually became the greatest Jedi that the universe had ever seen. By the end of Episode III, Yoda goes into exile and therefore is the only Jedi Council Member to appear in the classic trilogy (unless you count Anakin & Obi-wan).

Upon Yoda’s death he told Luke that he was the last of the Jedi, however Wookiepeedia lists dozens of Jedi who survived the Purge and it’s a wonder that Yoda didn’t reach out to all of them and stage a revolt against Palpatine. (I guess its in the nature of the expanded universe to contradict the films in unexplainable ways)

Council Members excluded from this blog:

Yarael Poof vs. Kaminoian

Though this blog focused mainly on council members who appeared in multiple films, there were a few notable exclusions. Obi-Wan & Anakin technically served on the council, but Anakin was appointed by a Sith Lord and I think Obi-Wan was only a sitting member because there were so few Jedi left alive after the clone wars that the council didn’t have a lot of options. Yarael Poof is an awesomely designed council-member, but sadly did not appear in Episodes II & III because Lucas thought people would confuse him with the Kaminoians, who also have really long necks. Other council-members excluded include Yaddle, Depa Billaba, Coleman Kcaj & Coleman Trebor.

Top 10 Lists

Top 10 Tie Fighters

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/01/top-ten-tie-fighters.html

Top 10 Lightsabers

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/02/top-ten-lightsabers.html

Top 10 Bounty Hunters

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2013/03/top-ten-bounty-hunters.html

Top 10 Troopers

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/02/top-ten-troopers.html

Top 10 Star Wars Ships

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2020/07/top-10-star-wars-ships.html

Top 10 Star Wars Battles