20 Greatest Movie Villains Of The 2000s

Though the Star Wars sequel trilogy may have ended up being hated almost universally by Star Wars fans, at the very least it made many re-evaluate the prequel trilogy. Yes, there is still a lot wrong with Episodes I-III, but Revenge of the Sith is a genuinely great entry into the legendary franchise.

Of course, it was no secret that Anakin Skywalker was going to turn into Darth Vader, and Hayden Christensen caught what was largely unfair criticism, but his descent from Jedi Knight to Sith Lord was incredible.

The strained relationship with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) had been building, as had his relationship with Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), but the vital moment in the trajectory of the Skywalker Saga was far darker than most could have imagined. Did anyone expect the new Darth Vader to slaughter an entire class of Jedi younglings?

Then there is the fight with Kenobi on Mustafar. The raw emotion of these brothers landing on either side of Good vs. Evil, the hatred that spewed from Anakin's mouth as he told Obi-Wan he hated him, and the heartbreak as he was engulfed in flames after killing the love of his life, no less, still to this day make up some of the most compelling moments Star Wars has to offer.