Star Wars: 12 Stupid Decisions From The Prequels That Actively Ruin The Originals

12. The Emperor Has A Lightsaber

One thing that even the prequels staunchest detractors can concede is that the lightsaber battles are pretty exhilarating. Frantically choreographed and usually set against visually creative backdrops, they realise that Jedi heyday only hinted at in the originals. Sure, Revenge Of The Sith could probably have done with a one or two being cut, but for the most part they're high points of the movies.

The thing is, bar the climactic battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan (and, if you're being picky, Obi-Wan taking on General Grievous), none of them should have taken place under the rules of the Original Trilogy.

In Return Of The Jedi Palpatine repeatedly calls sabers a "Jedi weapon" in a rather condescending tone, indicating an all-powerful Sith is above such physical arms. So it all gets a bit hypocritical when Revenge Of The Sith rolled around and he has at least two ready for duels. Surely a battle of Force powers with Mace Windu and Yoda would have been more fitting, to both the character and the continuity.

And if the Master scoffs at them, why are his doting students treating them like a bottomless bad of glowsticks? The suggestion is that Vader uses his simply because he's versed in that form of combat. And while the same can apply to Count Dooku, for all its coolness there's no logic for Darth Maul to have well-honed doubled-bladed skills. Aside from toys, of course.