The Star Wars Story That Made The Prequels Worth It

5. The Prequels, Their Potential, And The Clone Wars

Love them or hate them, or just generally accept them, the prequels are a part of the Star Wars canon, and shouldn't be erased. Yes, they had plenty of flaws, but they weren't without some interesting concepts. The concept of seeing Anakin Skywalker succumb to the dark side and join the Sith is an inherently compelling one, but the execution was lacking.

By the time Anakin had been reduced to a smouldering wreck on Mustafar, audiences weren't exactly left with a gratifying journey. We understood that Obi-Wan thought his former Padawan a brother, but the evidence for that connection was scarce, save for brief expository dialogue regarding Gundark nests and "that business on Cato Neimoidia." Evidently it needed more exploration, which came - eventually - in the form of the Clone Wars TV show.

Genndy Tartakovsky had previously tried his hand at a 2D animated Clone Wars series - and it was great - but the era needed something more. There were years' worth of stories to explore, and in Dave Filoni's Clone Wars, they were.

The 2008 movie was lacking in plenty of departments, as were the earlier seasons of the show, but it improved drastically towards the middle of Season 2. Central to this was the time spent developing the relationship between the clones and the Jedi, the return of Darth Maul, and the relationship between Kenobi and Skywalker.

The series added so much, in fact, that it invites viewers to reappraise Revenge of the Sith. When viewed with the Clone Wars in mind, you're left with a completely different impression of Anakin and Obi-Wan's relationship - one that informs the entire Saga going forward.