Star Wars: 50 Greatest Moments - Ranked

23. The Tragedy Of Darth Plagueis The Wise (Revenge Of The Sith)

Star Wars Revenge of the Sith Tragedy of Darth Plagueis
Lucasfilm

Chancellor Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker take a trip to the opera, a grand affair that surprisingly results in a moment of rare subtly from the would-be Emperor.

Ian McDiarmid is full of menace as always, but it's of a more restrained kind as he recounts the story of Darth Plagueis the wise to a beguiled Anakin. It's him at his shrewdest, painting parallels between the pair of them as he speaks of a Sith Lord who could create life and stop death.

It serves as a clever expansion of the Star Wars mythology, but more importantly pulls at the strings of Anakin, seducing him to the Dark Side, without him even knowing that it's happening - this is Darth Sidious showing just how powerful he really is.

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Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.