The 1999 release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was one of history's most anticipated cinematic events. The resulting film, by most accounts, failed to live up to the hype. The ensuing prequel trilogy followed a similar trend; they all looked promising, but were ultimately disappointing.
As a whole, the three films never lived up to the original three masterpieces that introduced audiences to the Star Wars franchise, but there are certain aspects about it that deserve veneration. Some would even argue that the prequels did certain things better than the originals, though that is up to one's own opinion. To even the most ardent detractors, the next twenty entries will show that the three lackluster movies were not produced entirely in vain.
So get ready for a lot of poorly aged CGI, because here are 20 Times The Star Wars Prequels Were ACTUALLY Better Than The Original Trilogy
20 Lightsaber Choreography
The emotional weight behind every lightsaber duel in the original trilogy is palpable, with each clashing of the blades feeling like it rocked the universe. However, the actual movement and style of the opponent's fight could often be slow and sluggish. The prequels remedied this with their high speed, intensely choreographed battles.
19 Order 66
Revenge of the Sith promised to satisfyingly wrap up the lukewarm trilogy. While one has to decide for themselves if it kept that oath, most can agree that seeing the Jedi Order's collapse on the big screen was something they wanted for decades. Order 66 is tragic, but a part of the lore all fans must witness.
18 Learning More About The Galaxy
The Empire of the original trilogy is evil, but audiences are kept in the dark as to why they are. While sometimes considered a weakness of the prequels, it was also nice learning more about how the galaxy's government works, what issues they deal with, and the reasons behind the galactic conflict.
17 Qui-Gon Jinn
One can put up a convincing argument against the words George Lucas put into his mouth, but no one can deny Liam Neeson's acting talent. Likewise, Qui-Gon Jinn is a memorable character and one of the saving graces in The Phantom Menace. He may have only been in one film, but he plays an important part in the overarching narrative.
16 Jango Fett
People can't get enough of the Fetts. The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi have Boba, but he gets a paltry amount of screen time. Attack of the Clones introduces Jango Fett, who gets more action. Some argue that it ruined the character's mystery, but at least he got more to do.
15 More Jedi
One can count the amount of Jedi in the original trilogy on one hand. It served the story, because the order had fallen, but people always wanted to see more. Fortunately, the three following films showcased a plethora of different Jedi from numerous species. Unfortunately, audiences also saw them all get mercilessly slaughtered.
14 Droid Army
Certain aspects about the droid army are unforgivable, such as their dialogue. However, they are great as long as they keep their mouths shut. One can hardly have humans being regularly chopped to bits in a rated PG film, so the droids allowed Lucas to film more creative take downs.
13 More Star Power In The Cast
All of the household names viewers know from the 1977 film were made such by that movie, save for the already respected Alec Guinness. When Lucas made the next trilogy, he opted to cast more well established actors in important roles, including some legendary faces one would never have expected to see in Star Wars.
12 More Alien Planets
In the late 1970s and early 80s, it was difficult to make a planet that looked completely alien. The only world that really succeeded in looking impossible in reality was Bespin. By the late 90s and early 2000s, Lucas could imagine and create planets that looked truly out of this world, like Coruscant and Mustafar.
11 Seeing Palpatine Fight
Palpatine, or Sheev as his friends call him, spends most of the first three films looming ominously in the background, briefly using force lightning before his demise. The emperor finally gets his hands dirty with both Mace Windu and Yoda in Revenge of the Sith, almost losing in both cases.
10 Yoda Fighting
Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back is old and tired. While his Force powers are still great, he spends his energy training Luke. Fortunately, the prequels see a relatively more vibrant Yoda. As a result, he gets his turn to wield a light saber and utilize his impressive Force abilities.
9 Jimmy Smits
There are few elements from these films that people want to see show up in future Star Wars stories. Bail Organa is one of those few, and he has already made an appearance in Rogue One. The senator sadly blew up along with Alderaan in A New Hope, meaning Jimmy Smits won't be making any appearances in The Rise of Skywalker.
8 Palpatine's Manipulation Of Anakin
The main draw of the prequel trilogy is witnessing Anakin Skywalker's fall from grace. Through Palpatine's tutelage, the powerful Jedi is sent down the path of the dark side, eventually becoming Darth Vader. Seeing this tragedy slowly unfold over three films almost makes all of the bad parts of the movies worth it.
7 Mace Windu
Everything Samuel L. Jackson touches is automatically made cooler, including Star Wars. Had George Lucas made the prequels without the famous actor in the Mace Windu role, they wouldn't be worth their weight in hard drive space. Mace Windu is no joke of a character either, single-handedly defeating Palpatine before Anakin betrays him.
6 Darth Maul
The Phantom Menace has its share of problems, not the least of which is its half baked dialogue. It's no coincidence, then, that its coolest character, Darth Maul, barely speaks throughout the whole thing. Jokes aside, his design and presence are more than enough to make him a memorable antagonist.
5 The Clone Army
Attack of the Clones may be a misleading subtitle, as the titular clone army swoops in at the end to save the characters from peril. Little did they know, this army would later come to bite them in the backside as Order 66 is carried out. In addition to the films, some of the troopers become memorable parts of The Clone Wars' ensemble.
4 Pod Racing
One of The Phantom Mecance's most stand out moments is the famous Podracing scene. Some argue that it goes on for too long, but it is a truly brilliant spectacle for viewers. Not only is it visually stunning, but the sound design elevates the sequence to a whole new level of movie magic.
3 Revenge Of The Sith's Finale
The series is known as family friendly, even when it gets dark. Revenge of the Sith, however, gets pitch black during its most dire scenes, echoing The Empire Strikes Back's most intense moments. Maybe some kids were scared in theaters, but the tonal shift works to the advantage of the trilogy's closer.
2 Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor had already proven himself a talented actor by the time The Phantom Menace rolled around. While the film's quality is questionable, McGregor's performance has always been noted as a highlight. Even the most ardent detractors will admit they are hopeful to see him return for The Rise of Skywalker.
1 Spawning The Clone Wars
The Clone Wars is one of the most celebrated pieces of Star Wars media out there. It brought a wealth of new and interesting tales within the lore, and almost retroactively makes the prequels better. Say what you will about George Lucas' film making abilities, but without his prequels, The Clone Wars would not exist.
What are your favorite things about the prequel trilogy? Let us know in the comments!