10 Events That Changed Star Wars Forever

Time and time again, the likes of Yoda, Mace Windu and co. opted to turn a blind eye to the signs of their bitter enemy's return during the Prequel Trilogy, focusing more on leading Clone troopers into battle than searching for Darth Sidious.

And when an opportunity to end the Sith once and for all fell right into their laps during Episode III, what did the purple-bladed Jedi Master decide to do? Foolishly leave Anakin Skywalker in the Temple due to a lack of trust in the ally he'd regularly clashed with over the years.

It was that arrogant move that likely nudged an already conflicted Skywalker that much closer to embracing the Dark Side.

Sure enough, after not exactly being convinced the Jedi would allow Palpatine to stand trial - a move that would kill any hopes of him saving his beloved Padmé via Sheev's assistance - Skywalker disobeyed Windu's orders and showed up just in time to see the master attempting to kill the eventual Emperor.

Already feeling let down by his fellow Order member, Windu blatantly ignoring his calls to spare Palpatine's life ultimately acted as the final straw for Anakin. And one swing of his lightsaber later, Vader was born and the galaxy was forever changed in the wake of the coming Order 66...