11 Mind-Blowing Plot Holes in Revenge of the Sith You Totally Missed Before

20 years following the initial cinema release of “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” this iconic film is being re-released in theaters for a special commemoration – however, upon my recent re-viewing, I found myself questioning 11 seemingly nonsensical scenes within “Revenge of the Sith.” Despite receiving criticism when initially unveiled, all three prequel trilogy movies did so, and since then, “Revenge of the Sith” has garnered considerable affection from fans. In fact, many consider it one of the finest “Star Wars” productions, if not the very best.

The movie isn’t perfect, as it has its share of issues, particularly with “Revenge of the Sith” from the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Despite my own criticisms towards the film, like how Padmé died, I still consider it one of the finest productions among all Star Wars movies and TV series. However, upon re-watching it in the cinema, I must acknowledge that these 11 scenes in “Revenge of the Sith” are rather illogical.

The Opening Crawl Claimed There Were “Heroes” Among The Separatists

This Is Especially Surprising At This Point In Star Wars

During my viewing of the 20th anniversary re-release of Revenge of the Sith, I was struck by the opening crawl’s mention of “heroes on both sides” in the Clone Wars. This was surprising because, in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, the Separatists were strongly linked to Count Dooku and General Grievous, who clearly played the roles of villains. However, it was also the timing of this revelation that caught my attention.

In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, characters like Mina Bonteri, a friend of Padmé Amidala, who was on the Separatist side yet yearned for peace, added complexity to the narrative, blurring the lines between good and evil, although she wasn’t exactly a hero. However, in Revenge of the Sith, there was no room for ambiguity; the Separatists were clearly in the wrong. Still, the specific detail this statement refers to remains unclear.

Palpatine Is RIDICULOUSLY Committed To his Role

Palpatine Really Could Have Died During The Battle Of Coruscant

It has always seemed unusual to me that in the movie “Revenge of the Sith,” it didn’t seem possible for Palpatine to have died during the Battle of Coruscant, especially given the way Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and their rescue attempt went awry. This was particularly noticeable when they were fleeing General Grievous’ crashing ship, as Palpatine had to feign being the relatively defenseless Supreme Chancellor instead of one of the most powerful Sith in “Star Wars.” It seemed Palpatine was prepared to die if it meant hiding the truth about his connection to the dark side.

It’s been suggested that Palpatine might have survived if the situation were truly dire, but there’s a lot of evidence suggesting otherwise during those scenes. For instance, the emergency landing itself could have proven fatal for him, as he had minimal control over it. Moreover, some viewers have noticed his anxious glance towards R2-D2 in that scene, which certainly gives the impression that he was genuinely worried.

Grievous’ Ship Crash Landing Wasn’t Treated Like A Threat

Anakin And Obi-Wan Weren’t Able To Warn Anyone In Advance

Instead of Palpatine inexplicably not considering his life endangered during the emergency landing, it’s peculiar that upon landing on Coruscant, the ship wasn’t deemed a potential danger. Since Obi-Wan and Anakin hadn’t warned anyone about taking control of General Grievous’ ship and preparing for an unexpected landing, the Republic should have recognized this vessel as a significant threat.

Initially, General Grievous was a significant menace during the Clone Wars, and his vessel was part of the Battle of Coruscant. Given his formidable reputation, one might expect that he would continue the battle on the ground, prompting an enemy fleet to be ready to destroy his ship. However, instead of facing a barrage of attacks, the Republic ships approached it, not to attack but to douse its flames as it descended.

Obi-Wan Said Anakin Had “Never” Let Him Down Before

Even Before Anakin’s Worst Acts, This Wasn’t Exactly True

During a crucial conversation about Anakin’s undercover mission targeting Palpatine, Obi-Wan inadvertently misled Mace Windu and Yoda by stating that Anakin had “never” disappointed him before. At that moment, Obi-Wan was unaware of some of Anakin’s most significant transgressions, like the massacre of the Tusken Raiders. However, it is clear from subsequent events and their shared history that Anakin had indeed let Obi-Wan down on multiple occasions, with their relationship being deeply rooted in mutual understanding, as evident by their knowledge of each other’s connection to Padmé.

In smaller instances too, Anakin had fallen short of Obi-Wan’s expectations. His outbursts and errors in Attack of the Clones, such as his failed rescue attempt at Geonosis, were clear indications of not fulfilling his duties well. This statement, however, may not hold much truth, and both Yoda and Mace Windu would likely challenge this claim.

Anakin Risked Everything By Telling Palpatine About The Tusken Raiders…But Kept His Marriage A Secret

Anakin Told Palpatine The Much Riskier Secret

In “Revenge of the Sith,” it becomes startlingly clear that Anakin had shared with Palpatine details about his actions against the Tusken Raiders and everything concerning his mother. Given their relationship, where Anakin perceived Palpatine as a mentor, this revelation was risky because it could have led to his immediate dismissal from the Jedi Order. This revelation, which casts a dark shadow over Anakin’s narrative, seems unexpected, especially since at that point, Anakin was not yet aware of Palpatine’s true allegiance to the dark side.

What’s puzzling, though, is that while Anakin seemed unbothered by revealing the Tusken Raiders incident to Palpatine, he kept his marriage to Padmé a secret. It’s true that Anakin might have been trying to shield Padmé from potential consequences, but it’s hard to understand why he would consider this secret less risky than the other. To put it simply, although the Jedi might view Anakin’s marriage as wrong, most others wouldn’t share this perspective.

Palpatine Inexplicably Spoke Like Yoda When Christening Lord Vader

“A Powerful Sith You Will Become” Was An Odd Wording Choice

One fascinating detail I didn’t catch until my latest viewing is the similarity in Palpatine’s dialogue to Master Yoda when he addresses Anakin as ‘Darth Vader’. In particular, after declaring that Anakin will now be called Darth Vader, Palpatine says, “You will become a powerful Sith.” This sentence structure mirrors the way Yoda speaks, which certainly leaves us pondering.

Was it deliberate on Palpatine’s part, another means of manipulating Anakin, that he spoke in a manner similar to Yoda? Or was this a parallel intended by George Lucas if not a conscious act? The link between this speech pattern and Yoda’s is somewhat ambiguous regarding its intentionality or significance, yet it will undeniably influence how I perceive that line forever.

Mace Windu Immediately Suspected The Jedi Order Would Be Destroyed

This Was A Significant Jump From Learning Of Palpatine’s True Identity

It’s astonishingly fast how Mace Windu discerns that the entire Jedi Order is in grave danger once he learns Palpatine is a Sith Lord. When Anakin informs him of this revelation, Mace Windu immediately responds, “We need to act swiftly for the Jedi Order to endure.” His rapid deduction was indeed accurate, but what prompted such a significant logical inference?

At that moment, Mace didn’t think the complete Jedi Order was on the verge of being annihilated. While Palpatine (or any Sith) posed a formidable challenge, they had faced and overcome Sith in the past. Despite Mace Windu’s great wisdom, it seems somewhat puzzling that he unexpectedly sensed the impending doom of the entire Jedi Order, solely because Palpatine was unmasked as a Sith Lord.

Palpatine Said “Don’t Let Him Kill Me” Before Mace Ever Mentioned Killing Him

Until That Point, Mace Windu Had Only Indicated He Was Arresting Palpatine

In the pivotal scene from “Revenge of the Sith,” Mace Windu faces off with Palpatine in his office, joined by other Jedi Knights with the intention of arresting him and bringing him before the Republic for trial. At first, it appears that the Jedi are sincere in their plan to apprehend Palpatine. However, things change drastically when Mace Windu comes to believe that Palpatine is too perilous to let live. This decisive moment plays a crucial role in Anakin’s eventual descent into the dark side of the Force.

In the heat of the confrontation, before I, Mace Windu, contemplated striking down Palpatine, he pleaded with Anakin, “Don’t let him kill me“. This statement, in a way that seems oddly prophetic, seemed to spark something within me. It wasn’t until after his desperate plea that I declared Palpatine needed to be put to death. Unfortunately, this sequence of events was not logically structured, as it would have made more sense for the declaration of Palpatine’s fate to precede his plea for mercy. As a result, this exchange leaves us questioning its intended meaning.

Padmé Says On Naboo There Were “No Politics,” But She Was Hiding From An Assassination Attempt

Anakin And Padmé’s Time On Naboo Wasn’t Exactly Idyllic

When things turn extremely ominous in Revenge of the Sith (before she learns that Anakin has slain the younglings), Padmé implores Anakin, “Embrace me, as you did by the lake on Naboo. So long ago, when our love was all we had. No government affairs, no scheming, no conflict.” This line is somewhat puzzling, considering their visit to Naboo in Attack of the Clones wasn’t for leisure but to ensure her safety due to numerous attempts on her life.

To put it simply, it’s quite misleading to say that there was no scheming when they were on Naboo – that’s exactly why we found ourselves on Naboo in the first place. And while the war didn’t kick off until their return for the wedding, it’s far from accurate to claim there were no political machinations. In fact, politics have been an integral part of Padmé’s Star Wars journey from the very start – there’s never been a moment without politics.

Palpatine’s Discussion With Darth Vader Was In The Jedi Temple’s Records

Why Would Palpatine Have That Conversation At The Jedi Temple?

Even though I’ve often watched Obi-Wan witnessing Anakin killing younglings in a hologram, it’s only recently occurred to me how strange it is that Palpatine appears in one of the Jedi Temple’s holograms speaking to Darth Vader too. This conversation happens after Anakin has executed Order 66, suggesting that Palpatine waited until the order was completed before seeking out Vader. Although this scenario might be plausible, it seems rather risky for Palpatine to have done so, given the destruction of the Jedi and potential danger lurking in every corner.

Why did Palpatine enter the Jedi Temple, where he found dead children, when he could have easily called Vader to him instead, thus potentially ruining his story that the Jedi were trying to kill him? This action also made it possible for others to overhear their conversation, which seems illogical.

2025-04-29 01:27