The Prequels SHOULD have been the greatest Trilogy ever shown. Hands down.
The OT legacy and lore told us about Anakin Skywalker, Vader, the Clone Wars, Jedi Knights. Stuff that people desperately wanted to know more about.
Outside of Yoda, Mace, Qwi-Gon, Obi Wan, name another Jedi. In fact, you already knew Yoda and Obi Wan. So in 3 films, we met 2 knew Jedi that mattered to the story.
Vader betrayed and hunted down the Jedi. But all we saw was him killing kids.
We should have seen an already strong Anakin training with the Jedi academy and Ben taking interest and thinking he could finish his training outside of the Council.
We should have seen Anakin rise thru the ranks with those teachings but be awfully shaky with his decision making over time. Conflicted, angry, aggressive. Using rage to finish off opponents, even killing say Darth Maul after he was disarmed.
Ben tries to reign him in, but Anakin gets more and more powerful, believes he is above Ben, Made, Yoda, and any of the other Jedi you could flesh out. Should know at minimum 10 elite Jedi counsil members.
Palpatine remains in his ear at all times.
Anakin meets Fett, they do business together in secret. (Imagine seeing them fight alongside each other)
Eventually his rage and anger takes him over. He believes he is above the Jedi way of thinking. Meditating is for *******. He wants the Jedi to be proactive. To hunt the Sith, take the fight to them. But Jedi always play defense, slow play.
Palpatine finally gets Anakin to see his vision, of the Empire running the galaxy the "right" way. (From a certain point of view).
From the inside, in the Jedi Temple, Anakin Strikes, and takes out 2-3 elite Jedi. He has turned. Anakin is gone.
Padme is pregnant, but he doesn't know.
By the third film, he is hunting Jedi, planet to planet, his Dark Side power is supernova. He can't be stopped. Jedi after Jedi die at his hands.
Until Obi Wan. Obi puts that work in. Anakin is placed in the Suit, he is now Vader. You still have an hour of film him wrecking other Council members, Mace, etc. Yoda dips, Ben takes Luke. Organa takes Leia. Padme doesn't die, she goes to Alderran. (Leia remembers her mother, who dies when she is very young)
As a final showdown, the last group of Jedi make a "Final" stand. 7-8-9 Jedi vs Vader and his group of Stormtroopers (Clones) Maybe even has Fett fight alongside him. Vader defeats them all. He has betrayed, and murdered the Jedi. As we were told. The way Ben told Luke in that hut.
That story, fleshed out, would have made George a God. He would have cleared a billion with each film. Fans would be crying in their seats. We'd all wear Lucas T shirts. I'd call him my dad. We were promised that.
We got Jar Jar. 8 year old boys. Roger Roger, Viceroy's, blockades, and Senate meetings. And Anakin/Vader never killed a single Jedi. Not. One.
I will never understand what the **** Lucas was thinking.
That's not how the force works.
