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180-464: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas in his first directorial effort since 1977 . The film stars Liam Neeson , Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Jake Lloyd , Ahmed Best , Ian McDiarmid , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , Pernilla August , and Frank Oz . It is the fourth film in the Star Wars film series,

360-429: A monastic organization well-trained in the martial arts , who cooperate intimately with the galactic government and work towards bringing "peace into the galaxy by being ambassadors and troubleshooters", according to Lucas. Jedi characters investigate certain crimes ranging from high-profile murder to political corruption, act as diplomats between powerful interplanetary groups, protect the highest government officials of

540-666: A 25-minute version of the race, although the film only included a 9-minute version. Stunt coordinator Nick Gillard was recruited to create a new Jedi fighting style for the prequel trilogy. Gillard likened the lightsaber battles to a chess game "with every move being a check ". Because of their short-range weapons, Gillard thought that the Jedi would have had to develop a fighting style that merged every sword fighting style, such as kendo and other kenjutsu styles, with other swinging techniques, such as tennis swings and tree-chopping. While training Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor, Gillard wrote

720-476: A Buddhist monk who happened to be very good at fighting". As depicted in the canon , the Jedi study and utilize the Force in order to help and protect those in need. The Jedi members, known as Jedi Knights, respect all life by defending and protecting those who cannot do it for themselves, striving for peaceful and non-combative solutions to any altercations they encounter and fighting only in self-defense and for

900-617: A Force Projection, allowing the Resistance to escape. When Rey learned of her lineage and exiled herself on Ahch-To out of fear of turning to the dark side, Luke appeared before her as a Force spirit and encouraged her to face the Emperor. Along with the spirits of other past Jedi, he then empowered Rey during her final confrontation with Sidious, which marked the definitive defeat of the Sith. Later, he and Leia gave Rey their blessings to adopt

1080-479: A Force spirit. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens , Obi-Wan's voice can briefly be heard just after Rey 's force vision when she came into contact with Anakin's lightsaber. In Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker , Obi-Wan appears as a disembodied voice alongside other past Jedi, empowering Rey to face a rejuvenated Darth Sidious. Anakin Skywalker was a human Jedi Knight, one of the main protagonists of

1260-482: A Jedi named Kanan Jarrus survived the purge; the latter trains a new apprentice, Ezra Bridger . The series also reveals that, following the start of the purge with Order 66, Sidious commissioned the Inquisitorius, a group of former Jedi who had turned to the dark side for various reasons, to aid Darth Vader in hunting down the remaining Jedi. The Clone Wars spinoff series Star Wars: The Bad Batch follows

1440-570: A Thousand Faces (1949), directly influenced Lucas, and was what drove him to create the 'modern myth' of Star Wars . Lucas explained that the Jedi are trained, allowed and expected to love people (even their enemies, the Sith), but they are not to form attachments because attachment leads to the dark side of the Force. When one has, gets or wants a person or experience and attaches to them, one becomes afraid to lose them. The fear of loss feeds into greed, wanting to keep things, thus, an attached person

1620-501: A breakthrough in computer generated effects. About 1,950 of the shots in The Phantom Menace have visual effects. The scene in which toxic gas is released on the Jedi is the only sequence with no digital alteration. The work was so extensive that three visual effects supervisors divided the workload among themselves—John Knoll supervised the on-set production and the podrace and space battle sequences, Dennis Muren supervised

1800-794: A brother as shown in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith , he doesn't act like a father, which coupled with the Jedi's indifference, seals Anakin's fate. As with previous Star Wars films, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace ' s score was composed and conducted by John Williams . He started composing the score in October 1998 and began recording the music with the London Voices and London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios on February 10, 1999. Williams decided to use electronic instruments such as synthesizers to enhance

1980-426: A curve that frames make-up of a Japanese cast". The Jedi practice Zen -like meditation and martial arts , as did the ancient Japanese Samurai warriors. The name "Qui-Gon" adapts the term qigong , which refers to a Chinese discipline involving meditation and cultivation of the flow of the vital energy called " qi " for healing, health, and combat. The words qi ( Chinese ), gi ( Korean ), ki ( Japanese ), and

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2160-556: A drawn theatrical poster, Drew Struzan , the artist responsible for the Special Edition posters, was commissioned to illustrate, and the poster was unveiled on March 11, 1999. Lucasfilm dictated that, contractually, Struzan's illustration was the only art the foreign distributors could use, and other than the text, it could not be modified in any way. The film also reused the Godzilla slogan on teaser posters. A novelization

2340-408: A duel. He communes with Kenobi before returning to the Force. In Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker , he appears as a disembodied voice alongside other past Jedi, empowering Rey to face a rejuvenated Darth Sidious. Obi-Wan Kenobi was a human Jedi Master who trained Anakin Skywalker, at the behest of his deceased master Qui-Gon Jinn, and later Anakin's son Luke Skywalker, making him one of

2520-466: A historical or a mythical event and add an extravagant setting, lavish costumes, an expansive musical score , and an ensemble cast , which would make them extremely expensive to produce. The most common subjects of epic films are royalty and important figures from various periods in world history. The term "epic" originally came from the poetic genre exemplified by such works as the Epic of Gilgamesh and

2700-457: A hydraulically controlled cockpit and a few practical podracer models, the entire podracing scene—which the effects crew designed to be as "out of this world" as possible—is computer-generated. Like previous Star Wars films, The Phantom Menace makes several references to historical events and films that George Lucas watched in his youth. The Star Wars films typically mix several concepts from different mythologies together, drawing heavily from

2880-529: A junk dealer on Tatooine who owns Anakin and his mother as slaves; and Lewis MacLeod voiced Sebulba , an aggressive, scheming podracer who is Anakin's main rival at the Boonta Eve podrace. Greg Proops and Scott Capurro voiced Fode and Beed, respectively, the two-headed announcer of the Boonta Eve Race. Alan Ruscoe appears as Jedi Master Plo Koon and Neimoidian Daultay Dofine, commander of

3060-603: A large part in translating Lucas's vision; he constantly tweaked, revised and reworked shots and scenes. The final sound mix was added in March 1999, and the following month, the film was completed after the delivery of the remaining visual effects shots. "Writing the script was much more enjoyable this time around because I wasn't constrained by anything. You can't write one of these movies without knowing how you're going to accomplish it. With CG at my disposal, I knew I could do whatever I wanted".  —George Lucas The film saw

3240-688: A leader of the Rebel Alliance . As seen in The Rise of Skywalker , Leia began training as a Jedi under her brother shortly after Return of the Jedi , but quit her training when she had a vision that it would result in the death of her yet to be born son. Decades later, while leading the Resistance against the First Order , Leia also briefly mentored Rey in the ways of the Force, despite her limited knowledge about it. Ultimately, Leia gave her life to redeem her son, Ben Solo , who had turned to

3420-612: A list of Force-sensitive children, which could be used to rebuild the Jedi Order. Once their mission was completed, Cal decided to destroy the Holocron, believing it to be better for those children to discover their own destinies. Kanan Jarrus (born Caleb Dume) was a human Jedi Padawan who fought for the Rebellion during its formation. First introduced as a main character of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels , Jarrus

3600-504: A marketplace to differentiate it from A New Hope ' s Mos Eisley—and Coruscant, in particular a metropolis design that became the basis for the Senate. Bocquet would later develop the work of Chiang's team and design the interiors, translating the concepts into construction blueprints with environments and architectural styles that had some basis in reality "to give the audience something to key into." Some elements were directly inspired by

3780-572: A massive scale. Biographical films may be less lavish versions of this genre. They often have a Roadshow theatrical release and are often shot on 70 mm film . Many writers may refer to any film that is "long" (over two hours) as an epic, making the definition epic a matter of dispute, and raise questions as to whether it is a "genre" at all. As Roger Ebert put it, in his "Great Movies" article on Lawrence of Arabia : The word epic in recent years has become synonymous with big-budget B picture . What you realize watching Lawrence of Arabia

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3960-474: A peaceful end to an interplanetary trade dispute. Joined by Anakin Skywalker —a young slave with unusually strong natural powers of the Force —they simultaneously contend with the mysterious return of the Sith . The film was produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by 20th Century Fox . Following the release of Return of the Jedi (1983), talks of a follow-up were proposed, but Lucas was unmotivated to return to

4140-606: A pneumatic R2-D2 that could shift from two to three legs and was mostly used in Tunisia because its motor drive system allowed it to drive over sand. Lucas originally planned to create many of the aliens with computer graphics, but those that would be more cost-effectively realized with masks and animatronics were created by Nick Dudman's creature effects team. These included the Neimoidians, background characters in Mos Espa,

4320-525: A protocol droid on the Federation ship. Sally Hawkins made her screen debut as an uncredited villager. While writing the original Star Wars film , George Lucas decided the story was too vast to be covered in one film. He introduced a wider story arc that could be told in sequels if it became successful. He negotiated a contract that allowed him to make two sequels, and over time created an elaborate backstory to aid his writing process. While writing

4500-446: A reference for live-action filming, shots that would be filmed in front of a chroma key blue screen, and shots that would be composed using CGI. The sets were often built with the parts that would be required on screen; often they were built only up to the heights of the actors. Chroma key was extensively used for digital set extensions, backgrounds, or scenes that required cinematographer David Tattersall to seek powerful lamps to light

4680-583: A rejuvenated Darth Sidious. Ezra Bridger is a human Jedi Padawan who was born on the planet Lothal on the same day the Galactic Empire was established. He witnessed many injustices of the Imperial occupation of his homeworld for much of his childhood and was separated from his parents from a very early age. He was able to survive alone using street smarts and skills but was discovered by Kanan Jarrus to have potential Force sensitivity after he encounters

4860-580: A result, some advance tickets were sold by scalpers at prices as high as US$ 100 apiece, which a distribution chief called "horrible" and said was exactly what they wanted to avoid. Daily Variety reported that theater owners received strict instructions from Lucasfilm that the film could only play in the cinema's largest auditorium for the first 8–12 weeks, no honor passes were allowed for the first eight weeks, and they were obliged to send their payments to distributor 20th Century Fox within seven days. Epic film Epic historical films would usually take

5040-716: A role in the royal entourage, which she accepted because it "seemed like a good vantage point to watch without getting in the way". Filming began on June 26, 1997, and ended on September 30 of that year, primarily taking place at Leavesden Film Studios in England. Leavesden was leased for a two and a half year period so the production company could leave the sets intact and return after principal photography had been completed. The forest scenes on Naboo were filmed at Cassiobury Park in Watford , Hertfordshire. Pick-ups were shot between August 1998 and February 1999 after Lucas screened

5220-632: A rough cut of the film for friends and colleagues in May 1998. Most of the action and stunts were filmed by Roger Christian 's second unit , which worked alongside the main unit instead of afterwards because of the high number of shots to be completed daily. The Tunisian desert was again used for the Tatooine scenes; Mos Espa was built outside the city of Tozeur . On the night following the third day of shooting in Tozeur, an unexpected sandstorm destroyed many of

5400-450: A sequence that lasted around 60 seconds and intended to be around five or six sequences per fight. Lucas later referred to the Jedi as "negotiators" rather than high-casualty soldiers. The preference of hand-to-hand combat was intended to give a spiritual and intellectual role to the Jedi. Because Gillard thought that the stunt jumps with the actors and stuntmen dangling from wires did not look realistic, air rams were used to propel them into

5580-420: A small percentage of them would appear in the film. Whitlatch also designed detailed skeletons for the major characters and facial muscles on Jar Jar Binks as a reference for ILM's animators. Each creature would reflect its environment; those on Naboo were more beautiful because the planet is "lush and more animal-friendly", Tatooine has rough-looking creatures "with weather-beaten leathery skin to protect them from

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5760-545: Is Palpatine's intent to become Chancellor, which leads to the Trade Federation's attack on Naboo, the Jedi being sent there, Anakin being met along the way, and the rise of the Sith Lords. As with the original trilogy, Lucas intended The Phantom Menace to illustrate several themes throughout the narrative. Duality is a frequent theme; Amidala is a queen who passes as a handmaiden, Palpatine plays on both sides of

5940-504: Is derived from "Jedha," a planet that was once home to a Jedi temple and was a source of kyber crystals. Kyber crystals are used to power lightsabers and were considered sacred by the Jedi Order. In his book The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film , J.W. Rinzler notes that Lucas originally considered using the term "Jedidiah" for his knights, but ultimately settled on "jedi." Rinzler also suggests that

6120-581: Is most strongly apparent in Darth Maul's demonic horns and the red and black make-up mask that borrows from the facial designs found in depictions of Japanese demons." King and Krzywinska say that "Qui-Gon's pony tail and Obi-Wan's position of apprentice further encourage a reading in terms of the Samurai tradition". They also say "Amidala, in keeping with her status and character, has a number of highly formal outfits ... to go with hair sculpted into

6300-497: Is renamed Kylo Ren and destroys all that Luke built. After Kylo's fall and the destruction of the New Jedi Order, Luke goes into a self-imposed exile on Ahch-To , believing himself and the Jedi to be a negative influence on the galaxy. In the sequel The Last Jedi , the scavenger Rey ( Daisy Ridley ) discovers Luke on Ahch-To and convinces him to train her in the ways of the Force. During her training, Luke explains that

6480-407: Is selfish and unable to let go. The fear of loss turns into anger, which will lead to hate, and hate will lead into suffering, mostly on the part of the one who is selfish, because then one will spend their lives being afraid rather than actually living. The light side is focused on compassion and giving; thus it is love, and the opposite of attachment – it is everlasting joy, devoid of fear of loss and

6660-541: Is successful in pushing for the vote, Amidala grows frustrated with the corruption in the Senate and decides to return to Naboo. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are ordered by the Jedi Council to accompany the queen and investigate the return of the Sith, whom they had believed to be extinct for more than a millennium. On Naboo, Padmé reveals herself as the queen before the Gungans and persuades them to join in an alliance against

6840-485: Is that the word epic refers not to the cost or the elaborate production, but to the size of the ideas and vision. Werner Herzog's Aguirre: The Wrath of God didn't cost as much as the catering in Pearl Harbor , but it is an epic, and Pearl Harbor is not. The epic is among the oldest of film genres, with one early notable example being Giovanni Pastrone 's Cabiria , a two-and-a-half hour silent film about

7020-594: The Clone Wars series, the Jedi believed romantic feelings are natural and as such, they did not prohibit them, but for a Jedi Knight, it was essential to make the right choice for the Order and not neglect their Jedi duties in the favor of their beloved, even if that would mean the end of the relationship. This proves problematic when Anakin, now a young adult ( Hayden Christensen ), falls in love with Padmé Amidala ( Natalie Portman ). The Clone Wars , first spoken of in

7200-544: The Star Wars Rebels episode "Path of the Jedi" , Kanan Jarrus stated: There were around 10,000 Jedi Knights defending the galaxy. Now, we are few. But in those days, we had small outposts, temples spread throughout the stars. The Empire sought out these temples and destroyed many of them... Yoda was a wise, experienced, and powerful Grand Master of the Jedi of an unknown species and the oldest known prophet in existence (having lived at least 900 years), considered

7380-528: The Galactic Republic by blockading the planet Naboo in secret preparation for a full-scale invasion. The Republic's leader, Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum , dispatches Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi , to negotiate with Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray . Darth Sidious , a Sith Lord and the Trade Federation's secret benefactor, orders the Viceroy to kill

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7560-702: The Galactic Senate . Qui-Gon asks the Jedi Council for permission to train Anakin as a Jedi, but the Council refuses, concerned that Anakin is vulnerable to the dark side of the Force due to his age. Undaunted, Qui-Gon vows to train Anakin anyway. Naboo's Senator Palpatine persuades Amidala to call for a vote of no confidence in Valorum to elect a more capable leader and to resolve the crisis. Though she

7740-564: The Punic Wars , which laid the groundwork for the subsequent silent epics of D. W. Griffith . The genre reached a peak of popularity in the early 1960s, when Hollywood frequently collaborated with foreign film studios (such as Rome's Cinecittà ) to use relatively exotic locations in Spain, Morocco and elsewhere for the production of epic films such as El Cid (1961) or Lawrence of Arabia (1962). The genre soon spread to other regions of

7920-731: The Royal Palace of Caserta in Italy and the Tunisian desert—and ended in September. The Phantom Menace was released in theaters on May 19, 1999, almost 16 years after the premiere of Return of the Jedi . The film's premiere was extensively covered by media and was widely anticipated because of the large cultural following the Star Wars saga had cultivated. Upon its release, The Phantom Menace received mixed reviews from critics. While

8100-513: The devil , complete with red skin and horns. The Star Wars film cycle features a similar Christian narrative involving Anakin Skywalker; he is the "Chosen One"—the individual prophesied to bring balance to the Force—who was conceived of a virgin birth . However, unlike Jesus , Anakin will eventually fall from grace and seemingly fail to fulfill his destiny (until the prophecy comes true in Return of

8280-527: The hero's journey , an archetypical template developed by comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell . The film also notably borrows from Ben-Hur (1959), including the podrace sequence, which mirrors the chariot race scene; additionally, the end celebration scene closely resembles a Roman parade in Ben-Hur . There are many references to Christianity in the film, such as the appearance of Darth Maul, whose design draws heavily from traditional depictions of

8460-460: The original trilogy , Return of the Jedi , ends with Luke redeeming Vader and helping to destroy the Empire, thus fulfilling his destiny as a Jedi. The two last Jedi Masters die during the events of the films, after which they return as Force spirits to help Luke. Now that they're extinct, the Jedi are romanticized, deified. But if you strip away the myth and look at their deeds, the legacy of

8640-502: The " Chosen One " of a Jedi prophecy, destined to bring balance to the Force. At the end of The Phantom Menace , following Qui-Gon's death at the hands of Darth Maul , Anakin is paired with his apprentice, the young Obi-Wan Kenobi ( Ewan McGregor ), who promises to train him. The sequel, Episode II: Attack of the Clones , establishes that the Jedi forswear attachments, being in the same category of possession and striving to cultivate compassion, unconditional love instead. As revealed in

8820-587: The "epic" film, encompassing such examples as Ben-Hur , Gone with the Wind and more recently, 300 and the Star Wars films [...] none of these comes from literary epics per se , and there is little that links them with one another. Among those who espouse film genre studies, epic is one of the most despised and ignored genres". Finally, although the American Movie Channel formally defines epic films as historical films, they nonetheless state

9000-473: The "moral authority to do that" since they are "the most moral of anybody in the galaxy". Throughout the franchise, Jedi are often recognizable by their robes and tunics in various shades of brown and their use of lightsabers : sword-like weapons with a colorful blade made of plasma . Along with New Age elements, Lucas developed the Jedi creed by adopting certain elements from Eastern religions —namely Buddhism and potentially Taoism . In that same vein,

9180-416: The 1980s, Lucas said he had no desire to return to Star Wars and had canceled his sequel trilogy by the time of Return of the Jedi . However, because Lucas had developed most of the backstory, the idea of prequels continued to fascinate him. In the early 1990s, Star Wars saw a resurgence in popularity in the wake of Dark Horse 's comic line and Timothy Zahn 's trilogy of novels . Lucas saw that there

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9360-496: The 2023 sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor , it is revealed that mercenary Bode Akuna was also a survivor of Order 66. In the limited series Obi-Wan Kenobi , the Great Jedi Purge is depicted in a flashback in which Reva Sevander, future Inquisitor called Third Sister, escapes from the clones during the night of Order 66. The exact size of the pre-purge Jedi's membership and operations are never specified. However, in

9540-566: The 50-year-old but still toddler Grogu was sought by a remnant of the Galactic Empire due to his connection to the Force, but was found and adopted by the Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin , who sought to reunite him with the Jedi. When Grogu was eventually captured by Moff Gideon's Imperial remnant, Djarin mounted a rescue, which would have been unsuccessful if not for the arrival of Luke Skywalker (whom Grogu had previously contacted through

9720-518: The Chosen One. In Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker , Anakin appears as a disembodied voice alongside other past Jedi, empowering Rey to face a rejuvenated Sidious. Ahsoka Tano is a Togruta Jedi Padawan discovered on her homeworld of Shili by Jedi Master Plo Koon. Plo brought her to Coruscant to train as a Jedi. She eventually became the Padawan learner of Anakin Skywalker during

9900-539: The Clone Wars, Jedi Master Dooku left the Jedi Order as a result of differences with his fellow Jedi, becoming the 20th Jedi Master in the history of the Order to do so. To showcase the failures of the Jedi they created statues of the fallen Jedi and placed them in the Jedi Temple Archives. The animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars depicts the battles of the Clone Wars, focusing on

10080-750: The Clone Wars. Among many campaigns, Ahsoka found herself advising rebels on the planet Onderon, including Steela and Saw Gerrera, in their fight against the Confederacy. These rebels would eventually form part of the basis of the Alliance for the Restoration of the Republic, a relationship that would later prove beneficial to her. She was accused of bombing the hangar at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant before clearing her name with Anakin's help. However,

10260-407: The Force to control and command animals, a skill that proved more useful several times during his service in the Rebellion. Bridger later went missing in action during the battle to liberate Lothal from Imperial occupation, where he successfully defeated Grand Admiral Thrawn , regarded by many as the Empire's best tactician. Luke Skywalker was a human Jedi Knight (later Master) and the protagonist of

10440-528: The Force). With Djarin's approval, Luke took Grogu with him so that the child could be trained as a Jedi. Though Grogu briefly trained with Luke, he showed signs of not being fully committed to the Jedi path and wishing to be with Djarin instead, causing Luke to doubt his abilities as a teacher, as seen in The Book of Boba Fett . After speaking with Ahsoka Tano, Luke decided to let Grogu choose his own destiny, and

10620-412: The Force. With peace and justice restored to the galaxy, Rey lives on to start the Jedi Order again. In a deleted scene from Attack of the Clones , the "Lost Twenty" is the name given to a group of Jedi Masters—numbering twenty in total—who left the Jedi Order throughout its history. The first 12 of this Lost Twenty became "Dark Jedi" who eventually founded the first Sith Empire. In the years preceding

10800-421: The Imperial era, he lived on Bracca, working as a scrapyard rigger and hiding his Force powers. While scrapping a freighter, an accident forced Cal to reveal his Force abilities to save a co-worker, exposing him to the Empire, who dispatched two Inquisitors to hunt him down. On the run, Cal was rescued by Cere Junda, a Jedi Knight also in hiding, and worked with her and other allies to find a Jedi Holocron containing

10980-560: The Indian term " Prana " all refer to the energy that is thought to flow through all living things, from the source of all qi (or power), which is "The Way" or "The Tao " in Chinese philosophy. In Taoist philosophy, from The Way, yin and yang —the opposing but complementary aspects of reality or nature—are born. Unlike Chinese philosophy, in which yin and yang are not moral qualities, the ancient Persian philosophy of Zurvanism taught that

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11160-418: The Jedi ). Japanese films such as Akira Kurosawa 's The Hidden Fortress (1958) influenced the original Star Wars film; scholars say that The Phantom Menace was likewise influenced by Korean and Japanese culture. Film historians Geoff King and Tanya Krzywinska write, "The costume and make-up designs ... favour a mixture of the gothic and the oriental over anything very futuristic. The gothic

11340-519: The Jedi Council's response during the ordeal soured her faith in the Order, and she left the Order to forge her own path in the galaxy. She briefly returned in the service of the Republic during the final days of the Clone Wars, when she led part of the 501st Clone Legion in the siege of Mandalore to capture the Sith Lord Darth Maul , who attempted to warn her that Anakin would soon fall to the dark side. Shortly after capturing Maul, Ahsoka

11520-480: The Jedi Council, and the Galactic Senate. Dudman's team was told where the creatures would be required six months before principal photography begun, and they rushed the production. The Neimoidian suits, which were originally intended as digital characters, were delivered one day before they would be required on set. Dudman traveled to Skywalker Ranch to see the original creatures that could be reused, and read

11700-478: The Jedi Order's last hope. Darth Vader ( David Prowse / James Earl Jones ) is also established as the Jedi's main enemy. By the end of the film, which depicts the battle of Yavin , Luke is on the path to becoming a Jedi. In the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back , Luke receives Jedi training from the elderly (and only surviving) Jedi Master Yoda ( Frank Oz ), even as he learns that Vader is, in fact, his father, former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker . The third film in

11880-547: The Jedi and begin their invasion with an army of battle droids . Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan escape and flee to Naboo. Amid the invasion, Qui-Gon rescues a bumbling Gungan outcast, Jar Jar Binks . Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fail to persuade the Gungan leader Boss Nass to aid the planet's surface dwellers, but manage to obtain Jar Jar's guidance and underwater transport to Theed, the capital city of Naboo. After rescuing Queen Padmé Amidala ,

12060-462: The Jedi and clone troopers they lead against the Separatists and its Sith leaders. The feature-film pilot reveals that Anakin trained an apprentice, Ahsoka Tano , between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith . Later arcs explore the foundations of Order 66 and Darth Sidious' manipulation of the Jedi Order. The animated television series Star Wars Rebels reveals that Ahsoka and

12240-411: The Jedi creed focuses on compassion for others, mindfulness, non-attachment, and meditation, which are all characteristics of what Jedi characters call the "light side" of the Force. Furthermore, the Jedi view fear to be the root of suffering: fear leading to anger, anger leading to hate, and hate leading to suffering. The Jedi warn that an excess of these negative emotions can turn practitioners away from

12420-413: The Jedi is failure. Hypocrisy, hubris. [...] At the height of their powers, they allowed Darth Sidious to rise, create the Empire, and wipe them out. In The Force Awakens , the first film in the sequel trilogy, it is revealed that Luke had attempted to rebuild the Jedi Order, but failed when his nephew Ben Solo ( Adam Driver ) fell to the dark side, lured by the mysterious Snoke ( Andy Serkis ). Ben

12600-610: The Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire. The Jedi are first introduced in the 1977 motion picture Star Wars as an order of warrior monks who serve as "the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy " and embrace the mystical Force. Obi-Wan Kenobi ( Alec Guinness ) explains that the Galactic Empire has all but exterminated the Jedi, and seeks to train Luke Skywalker ( Mark Hamill ) to be

12780-561: The Republic, track down fugitives, and are promoted as leaders in the Republic's army during the Clone Wars . Still, their creed demands that they defend and protect all life and use their power only for knowledge and defense. With the rise of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious and the Galactic Empire , the Jedi Order is outlawed and most of its members killed in the ensuing political purge . Later efforts are made to revive

12960-407: The Skywalker surname and continue their family's legacy. Leia Organa was the daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, the twin sister of Luke Skywalker, and one of the main characters of the original and sequel trilogies. While Force-sensitive, she didn't become aware of her connection to the Force or her lineage until much later in life, instead focusing on a career as a senator and, secretly,

13140-573: The Spectres for the first time. After discovering how much of a team player he could be during a rescue operation, they recruited Bridger, who began training him in the ways of the Jedi under Jarrus, himself still a Jedi Padawan. Bridger took a long time learning how to wield a lightsaber and use it to deflect blaster bolts, modifying his first one to fire stun blasts in the interim. He was not well skilled in lightsaber duels against Inquisitors and Darth Vader, but later discovered his unique ability to use

13320-736: The Trade Federation's droid control ships. Ralph Brown plays Ric Olie , commander of the Naboo Royal Space Fighter Corps and chief pilot aboard Queen Amidala's starship, while Matthew Wood appears as the Twi'lek Bib Fortuna alongside a CGI Jabba the Hutt , who is voiced by Scott Schumann. Dominic West plays the role of an unnamed Naboo guard, Celia Imrie appears as a fighter pilot, and Sofia Coppola appears as Saché, one of Amidala's handmaidens. Christian Simpson appears as Lieutenant Gavyn Sykes. Lindsay Duncan voices TC-14,

13500-451: The Trade Federation. Jar Jar is promoted to general and joins his tribe in a battle against the droid army, while Padmé leads the search for Gunray in Theed. During a battle in a hangar, Anakin flees to a starfighter and accidentally triggers its autopilot , traveling to the battle against the Federation droid control ship and inadvertently causing its destruction from within, which deactivates

13680-706: The Unknown Regions. Ahsoka is one of the few Jedi to survive past the Imperial era and into the New Republic era. After the fall of the Empire, Ahsoka took on Sabine Wren as her apprentice. In Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker , Ahsoka appears as only a voice alongside other past Jedi, empowering Rey to face a rejuvenated Darth Sidious. Cal Kestis was a human Jedi Padawan and the main protagonist of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order . Trained by Jaro Tapal, Cal witnessed his master's death during Order 66, which he himself barely managed to survive. During

13860-592: The Wind is the highest-grossing film ever, with two other romantic epics ( Titanic and Doctor Zhivago ) also featuring among the global top ten. So far the most Academy Awards ever won by a single film stands at eleven. This feat has only been achieved by three films: Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), all of which are above three hours long and considered epic films. The previous record holder

14040-432: The ability to move objects with the mind , perform incredible feats of strength , and connect to certain people's thoughts . As Star Wars creator George Lucas explains, the Jedi are "warrior-monks who keep peace in the universe", avoiding the use of violence except as a last resort, with a mission to "use their power to keep the governments of all the planets in line, so that they don't do terrible things". The Jedi have

14220-655: The air instead. Lucas decided to make elaborate costumes, because the film's society was more sophisticated than the one depicted in the original trilogy. Designer Trisha Biggar and her team created over 1,000 costumes that were inspired by various cultures. Biggar worked closely with concept designer Iain McCaig to create a color palette for the inhabitants of each world: Tatooine followed A New Hope with sun-bleached sand colors, Coruscant had grays, browns and blacks, and Naboo had green and gold for humans while Gungans wore "a leathery look, like their skin". The Jedi costumes followed

14400-503: The alien skins. A huge wardrobe department was set up at Leavesden Film Studios to create over 250 costumes for the main actors and 5,000 for the background ones. Nute Gunray 's Thai accent was chosen after Lucas and McCallum listened to various languages to decide how the Neimoidians would speak. The character design of Watto was an amalgam of rejected ideas; his expressions were based on video footage of Secombe's voice acting, photographs of animation supervisor Rob Coleman imitating

14580-532: The basis of their enormous scope and the sweeping panorama of their settings such as How the West Was Won or East of Eden that do not have the typical substance of classical epics but are directed in an epic style. When described as "epic" because of content, an epic movie is often set during a time of war or other societal crisis, while usually covering a longer span of time sometimes throughout entire generations coming and passing away, in terms of both

14760-473: The character, and modeler Steve Alpin saying Watto's lines to a mirror. Lucas described Sebulba 's design as "a spider crossed with an orangutan crossed with a sloth ", with a camel -like face, and clothing inspired by medieval armor. After Samuel L. Jackson expressed interest in appearing in a Star Wars film, he was approached by casting director Robin Gurland to play Mace Windu . Rapper Tupac Shakur

14940-412: The command Order 66: Operation Knightfall . This resulted in the clone troopers being forcibly brainwashed into viewing their Jedi generals as traitors to the Republic and subsequently executing them. Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker led the 501st Legion to carry out "Operation Knightfall" against the Jedi Temple, burning and slaughtering all Jedi within, including Temple-Defender Shaak Ti. Sidious deceived

15120-440: The compositing of computer-generated effects. A couple of digitally shot scenes made it into the movie, one of them being of Qui-Gon taking a blood sample of Anakin Skywalker. All future films would be shot using Sony CineAlta high-definition video cameras. Greg Proops and Scott Capurro were filmed wearing makeup and blue bodysuits so their heads could be joined in a computer-generated body. The visual effects crew did not like

15300-578: The creation of sets and landscapes with digital technology. In April 1994, McCallum started searching for artists in art, architecture and design schools, and in mid-year he began location scouting with production designer Gavin Bocquet. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) art director Doug Chiang impressed McCallum the most and was hired as the design director. Art development on the film began in January 1995. Within three to four months of Lucas beginning

15480-575: The dark side and became the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus . He is one of the main antagonists of the prequel trilogy. He led the war against the Jedi and the Republic until his demise aboard General Grievous' ship in the Battle of Coruscant at the hands of Anakin Skywalker. Qui-Gon Jinn was a wise and powerful human Jedi Master, who was trained by Count Dooku and mentored Obi-Wan Kenobi. Unlike other, more conservative Jedi, he valued living in

15660-424: The dark side and become his Sith apprentice, Darth Vader. The latter begins helping Sidious hunt down and destroy the Jedi, who are nearly exterminated during the events of Revenge of the Sith ; Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Ahsoka Tano are among a handful of Jedi that avoided the initial purge. As revealed in the Clone Wars series, each of the clones were implanted with chips that Palpatine would activate with

15840-498: The dark side, and became one with the Force. Later, she and Luke gave Rey their blessings to adopt the Skywalker surname and continue their family's legacy. Grogu was a Jedi Initiate of the same species as Yoda who first appeared in The Mandalorian . Raised at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant during the Clone Wars, he was rescued by Jedi Master Kelleran Beq during the Great Jedi Purge and hidden for his own safety. Decades later,

16020-402: The defense of those they protect. By training the mind and the body, the Jedi seek to improve themselves by gaining unfettered access to the Force while also seeking to improve those individuals and groups they come in contact with. Like their evil counterparts, the Sith , the main weapon of the Jedi is the lightsaber. However, according to Lucas, "The Force really doesn't have anything to do with

16200-531: The droid army. Meanwhile, Darth Maul infiltrates the Theed Palace and engages Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan in a lightsaber duel. Maul mortally wounds Qui-Gon before being bisected by Obi-Wan and falling down a shaft. Before Qui-Gon dies, he asks Obi-Wan to train Anakin. Gunray is arrested by the Republic and Palpatine is elected Chancellor. Grand Master Yoda promotes Obi-Wan to the rank of Jedi Knight and reluctantly accepts Anakin as Obi-Wan's apprentice. That evening,

16380-520: The dualism of dark and light forces are locked in an eternal battle while being two sides (or evolutes) of the same "Force", the force of time itself (Zurvan)—the prime mover. These elements derive primarily from Eastern and Iranian religions and myths. As with other Star Wars films, themes about family and hope are featured prominently. In the Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian episode "Legacy", Dave Filoni explains that

16560-449: The epic film may be combined with the genre of science-fiction and cite Star Wars as an example. Stylistically, films classed as epic usually employ spectacular settings and specially designed costumes, often accompanied by a sweeping musical score, and an ensemble cast of bankable stars . Epics are usually among the most expensive of films to produce. They often use on-location filming, authentic period costumes , and action scenes on

16740-426: The epic is often credited to their ability to appeal to a wide audience. Several of the highest-grossing films of all-time have been epics. James Cameron 's 1997 film Titanic , which is cited as helping to revive the genre, grossed $ 1.8 billion at cinemas worldwide to become the highest-grossing film—a record it held for twelve years. If inflation is taken into account, then the historical romantic epic Gone with

16920-402: The events depicted and the running time of the film. Such films usually have a historical setting, although speculative fiction (i.e. fantasy or science fiction ) settings have become common in recent decades. The central conflict of the film is usually seen as having far-reaching effects, often changing the course of history. The main characters' actions are often central to the resolution of

17100-409: The events of the first film released in the franchise . The fictional organization has inspired a real-world new religious movement and parody religion : Jediism . Within the Star Wars galaxy , the Jedi are powerful guardians of order and justice, who, through intuition, rigorous training, and intensive self-discipline , are able to wield a supernatural power known as the Force , thus achieving

17280-545: The few survivors of Order 66 following the Galactic Republic's transformation into the Galactic Empire, Obi-Wan hid on the desert planet Tatooine , watching over Anakin's son Luke, knowing that he would one day grow to become a Jedi and defeat Vader. In Obi-Wan Kenobi , while Obi-Wan hid on Tatooine , Senator Bail Organa 's daughter, Leia Organa , was captured upon the request of the Third Sister. Obi-Wan

17460-553: The film's advertising campaign and made promotional licensing deals with Hasbro , Lego , Tricon Global Restaurants and PepsiCo . Lucasfilm also helped the Star Wars fan club to organize an event called Star Wars Celebration , which was held in Denver , Colorado, between April 30 and May 2, 1999. The first teaser trailer was released on selected screens accompanying Meet Joe Black on November 17, 1998, and media reported that people were paying full admission at theaters to see

17640-409: The film, as they each found the project "too daunting." Before Lucas had started writing, his producing partner Rick McCallum was preparing for the film. McCallum stated that his experience with The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles led to many of his decisions on The Phantom Menace , such as long-term deals with actors and soundstages, the employment of recent graduates with no film experience, and

17820-408: The film; Lucas accompanied him to explain factors of the shots that would be practical and those that would be created through visual effects. Knoll later said that on hearing the explanations of the storyboards, he did not know how to accomplish what he had seen. The result was a mixture of original techniques and the newest digital techniques to make it difficult for the viewer to guess which technique

18000-532: The final film of the sequel trilogy, it is discovered that Darth Sidious created Snoke and has returned from death and has been secretly manipulating events from the Sith world Exegol . In his last attempt to reclaim the galaxy, Sidious unveils the Final Order, a massive fleet of Xyston -class Star Destroyers built by the Sith Eternal . The Emperor offers the Sith fleet to Kylo Ren in exchange for killing

18180-405: The first film of the prequel trilogy and the first chronological chapter of the " Skywalker Saga ". Set 32 years before the original trilogy (13 years before the formation of the Galactic Empire ), during the era of the Galactic Republic , the plot follows Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi as they try to protect Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo in hopes of securing

18360-450: The first new Star Wars film in 16 years was accompanied by a considerable amount of attention. According to The Wall Street Journal , so many workers announced plans to view the premiere that many companies closed on the opening day. Queue areas formed outside cinema theaters over a month before ticket sales began. More theater lines appeared when it was announced that cinemas were not allowed to sell tickets in advance until two weeks into

18540-519: The franchise. During the hiatus, the backstories he created for the characters, particularly Anakin's, sparked interest in him to develop a prequel trilogy during the 1990s. After he determined that computer-generated imagery (CGI) had advanced to the level he wanted for the prequel trilogy's visual effects , Lucas began writing The Phantom Menace in 1993, and production began in 1994. Filming started in June 1997—at locations at Leavesden Film Studios , at

18720-578: The galaxy together." ". . . a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him. It [partially] controls your actions, but it also obeys your commands". The prequel trilogy depicts the Jedi in their prime, headquartered at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant , and dealing with the rising presence of the dark side of the Force and the return of the Sith. In Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn ( Liam Neeson ) discovers nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker ( Jake Lloyd ), whom he believes to be

18900-410: The group make their escape from Naboo aboard her Royal Starship, intending to reach the Republic capital planet of Coruscant . The ship is damaged passing through the Federation blockade, and the group lands for repairs on the outlying desert planet of Tatooine , situated beyond the Republic's jurisdiction. Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, astromech droid R2-D2 , and Padmé—disguised as one of her handmaidens—visit

19080-450: The harsh desert elements", and Coruscant has bipedal, human-looking aliens. The film made extensive use of the new technique of digital pre-visualization, using computers to essentially create 3-D animated storyboards. This was done for dozens of scenes in the film but was first and primarily used in the pod race sequence. Animatic supervisor David Dozoretz, also an ILM alum, worked on this sequence for nearly three years, and at one point had

19260-501: The heroes of the Battle of Naboo attend Qui-Gon's funeral, held in Theed in accordance with Naboo tradition. The following day, a celebration of their victory on Naboo and the reconciliation of the Gungans and Naboo is held, where Queen Amidala rewards Boss Nass with a peace making trophy. Additionally, Brian Blessed voiced Boss Nass , the leader of the Gungan tribe who allies with the Naboo surface dwellers; Andy Secombe voiced Watto ,

19440-402: The highest-grossing Star Wars film at the time (not factoring in inflation). The film has been re-released several times, including a 2012 3D reissue which brought its overall worldwide gross to over $ 1 billion. Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005) followed The Phantom Menace , rounding out the Star Wars prequel trilogy. The Trade Federation has upset order in

19620-479: The human and Gungan cities of Naboo and three buildings in Coruscant. With the exception of the Gungan city, which had an Art Nouveau -inspired visual, these locations would be given distinctive looks with some basis in the real world. The concept drawings of Ralph McQuarrie for the original trilogy served as the basis for Mos Espa—which was also inspired by old Tunisian hotels and buildings and had touches such as

19800-420: The last remaining Jedi, Rey, who is revealed to be his granddaughter. After the death of Kylo's mother, Leia Organa ( Carrie Fisher ), Kylo returns to the light and reclaims his identity as Ben Solo. At the end of the film, Ben joins Rey as she confronts Sidious. Rey channels the power of the past Jedi to destroy Sidious and the Sith, before dying herself. Ben sacrifices his life to revive Rey and becomes one with

19980-418: The light side of the Force towards the dark side, which embraces passions, aggression, hate, rage, fear, and bitterness as a way of life. The Sith are followers of the dark side and the traditional enemies of the Jedi. While the Sith ultimately seek violent and absolute rule over the galaxy, the Jedi work to protect democracy, harmony, and justice. The Jedi are depicted, in the franchise's Old Republic era, as

20160-405: The lightsaber. Anybody can have a lightsaber. It's just a weapon like a pistol". Qui-Gon Jinn gives an insight into the Force in The Phantom Menace when he tells Anakin: "Your focus determines your reality". And later, he explains: "Midi-chlorians are microscopic lifeforms that reside within all of your cells. And we are symbionts with them. Lifeforms living together for mutual advantage. Without

20340-504: The live-action actors would perform the same scene alone. A CGI character would later be added into the shot to complete the conversation. Lucas also used CGI to correct the physical presence of actors in certain scenes. Practical models were used when their visuals helped with miniature sceneries for backgrounds, set extensions and model vehicles that would be scanned to create the digital models or filmed to represent spaceships and podraces. Lucas, who had previously confronted problems with

20520-471: The lower age would better fit the plot point of Anakin being affected by his mother's separation from him. Eventually, Anakin's younger age led Lucas to rewrite his participation in the movie's major scenes. The film's working title was The Beginning , with the title not being changed to The Phantom Menace until shortly before the film's completion. Lucas later revealed that the Phantom Menace title

20700-618: The main characters in the Star Wars franchise. Having fought in the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan proved himself an adept strategist, duelist, and spy, as his leadership style heavily favours subterfuge and misdirection while commanding clone troopers, or wielding the Force. Due to his charisma and persuasion skills, he became known as 'The Negotiator' during the Clone Wars. Obi-Wan best exemplifies the Jedi Code: in spite of Darth Vader 's betrayal and his master ( Qui-Gon Jinn ) being killed by his nemesis, Darth Maul , he never fell into darkness. As one of

20880-485: The maternal uncle of Ben Solo . After redeeming his father from the dark side of the Force, who died killing his master and the last Sith, Darth Sidious, in order to save Luke, he set out to train a new generation of Jedi to rebuild the Order, only to have them wiped out by Supreme Leader Snoke , a puppet created by a revived Sidious, who also turned Ben to the dark side, adopting the Kylo Ren persona. Skywalker then spent

21060-407: The midi-chlorians, life could not exist and we would have no knowledge of the Force. They continually speak to us, telling us the will of The Force. When you learn to quiet your mind you'll hear them speaking to you". In A New Hope , Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke Skywalker: "The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, it binds

21240-419: The moment as the best way to embrace the Force. While other Jedi respected him highly, they were frequently puzzled by his beliefs. He refused to take a seat on the Jedi Council, despite him being among the wisest and most powerful of the Jedi. Jinn was both the Jedi to discover the Sith's return after a millennium, upon being attacked by Darth Maul during a mission to protect Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo , and

21420-783: The name for his knights. Kaminski notes that Lucas has cited Jewish mysticism as an inspiration for his work, and that he may have been drawn to the idea of his heroes being beloved protectors. George Lucas acknowledged that the Jedi, Sith , and other Force concepts have been inspired by many sources. These include: knighthood , chivalry , paladinism , samurai bushido , Shaolin Monastery , Feudalism , Hinduism , Qigong , Greek philosophy and mythology , Roman history and mythology , Sufism , Confucianism , Shintō , Buddhism and Taoism , and numerous cinematic precursors. The works of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and mythologist Joseph Campbell , especially his book The Hero with

21600-465: The new trailer. A bootlegged version of the preview was leaked to the Internet the same day. The next morning, the trailer was released on the film's official website and shortly afterwards the servers became overloaded. This trailer had over 1 million downloads within its first 24 hours of release, setting a record for the most downloaded trailer at the time. It would hold this record for a year until it

21780-461: The one to find the ability to become a Force spirit after death, though he wasn't capable of having a physical body. Following his death at Darth Maul's hands, Jinn guided both Yoda and Obi-Wan to the ability to become a physical Force spirit after death. Within the Disney+ TV series, Obi-Wan Kenobi , Qui-Gon Jinn appears as a force spirit following Darth Vader 's defeat to Obi-Wan Kenobi in

21960-558: The organization. The word Jedi is said to have been adapted by George Lucas from Japanese 時代劇 ( jidaigeki ) (meaning 'period drama' motion pictures about samurai ), or perhaps inspired by the words Jed (Leader) and Jeddak (King) in the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs , a series that Lucas considered adapting to film. According to the Star Wars: Rogue One – The Ultimate Visual Guide , "Jedi" in-universe

22140-429: The original 1977 film, begin with hundreds of Jedi participating in the battle of Geonosis . In Episode III: Revenge of the Sith , Yoda confides to Mace Windu ( Samuel L. Jackson ) that the prophecy of the Chosen One could have been misread. Palpatine ( Ian McDiarmid ), who is revealed to be Darth Sidious, manipulates Anakin's attachment for Padmé and distrust and resentment of the Jedi in order to turn him to

22320-453: The original results and crafted Fode and Beed as an entirely computer generated alien. Because of the amount of visual effects produced, editing took two years; Paul Martin Smith started the process in England and focused on dialogue-heavy scenes. Ben Burtt —who was also the film's sound editor —was responsible for action sequences under Lucas's supervision. Non-linear editing systems played

22500-491: The original trilogy. As the last Padawan of Obi-Wan Kenobi, he became an important figure in the Rebel Alliance 's struggle against the Galactic Empire . Luke was heir to a family deeply rooted in the Force, being the twin brother of Rebellion leader Princess Leia Organa of the planet Alderaan , the son of former Queen of Naboo and Republic Senator Padmé Amidala and Jedi turned Sith Lord Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker), and

22680-486: The original trilogy; Lucas described the battle droids as predecessors to the stormtroopers . Chiang uses that orientation to base the droids on the Imperial soldiers, only in the same style of stylized and elongated features seen in tribal African art. Terryl Whitlatch , who had a background on zoology and anatomy, was in charge of creature design. Many of the aliens are hybrids, combining features of real animals. At times, entire food chains were developed, even though only

22860-474: The pain of loss. "As long as you love other people and treat them kindly, you won't be afraid". Lucas, identifying himself as "Buddhist Methodist" or "Methodist Buddhist" stated that his philosophy of non-attachment , depicted in his movies was influenced by the fact that he was from San Francisco, the "Zen Buddhism capital of the United States". In 2020, he indicated that the Jedi were "designed to be

23040-405: The past Jedi allowed Darth Sidious to rise to power. She also discovers several ancient Jedi texts hidden away in a tree. Rey learns the truth about Ben's fall to the dark side and believes herself to be his only chance of redemption. Luke decides to stay on Ahch-To and attempts to burn down the tree with the texts, but cannot bring himself to do so. However, Yoda appears as a Force spirit and burns

23220-538: The people of the Republic that the Jedi were corrupted warmongers responsible for prolonging the Clone Wars, labeling them criminals with bounties placed on them. Darth Vader continued to hunt and kill nearly every surviving Jedi during the early years of the Empire, in what became known as the Great Jedi Purge . For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in

23400-493: The planet and Kenobi defeats his former apprentice, allowing Leia to return to her parents. Following this event, Qui-Gon Jinn appears before Kenobi as a force spirit, after years of failed attempts by Obi-Wan to communicate with the deceased Jedi Master. Obi-Wan mentored Luke Skywalker in the Jedi arts, before meeting his demise at the hands of his former apprentice aboard the Death Star , though he continued guiding Luke as

23580-468: The prequel trilogy, and the central antagonist of the original trilogy. He is the Chosen One, being born of the Force. He was apprenticed to Obi-Wan Kenobi and proved to be a very gifted duelist and Force user, being appointed to the Jedi High Council at the age of 22. He secretly married Padmé Amidala at the onset of the Clone Wars and has two children, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa . He

23760-467: The props used to depict R2-D2, allowed ILM and the production's British special effects department to create their own versions of the robot. Nine R2-D2 models were created; one was for actor Kenny Baker to be dropped into, seven were built by ILM and featured two wheelchair motors capable of moving 440 pounds (200 kg), enabling it to run and be mostly used in stage sets, and the British studio produced

23940-416: The protagonist, and the series would be a tragedy examining Darth Vader's origins. A relic of the original outline was that Anakin would, like his son, grow up on Tatooine. Lucas also began to change the prequels' timeline relative to the original series; instead of filling in the tangential history, they would form the beginning of a long story that started with Anakin's childhood and ended with his death. This

24120-433: The ranks of the Jedi Order, he was tasked with training the young Force-sensitive Ezra Bridger throughout his eventual service to the larger Rebellion. Ultimately, Jarrus died to save his friends, in particular Hera Syndulla , who would later give birth to her and Jarrus' son, Jacen Syndulla. In Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker , he appears as a disembodied voice alongside other past Jedi, empowering Rey to face

24300-494: The release. This was because of a fear that family theater-goers would be either unable to receive tickets or would be forced to pay higher prices for them. Instead, tickets were to be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. However, after meetings with the National Association of Theatre Owners , Lucasfilm agreed to allow advance ticket sales on May 12, 1999, provided there was a limit of 12 tickets per customer. As

24480-472: The required hyperdrive part and Anakin's freedom on a podrace . Anakin wins the race and joins the group to be trained as a Jedi, leaving behind his mother, Shmi . En route to their starship, Qui-Gon is attacked by Darth Maul , Sidious's apprentice, who was sent to capture Amidala. After a brief lightsaber duel, Qui-Gon escapes on board the starship with the others. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan escort Padmé to Coruscant so she can plead her people's case to Valorum and

24660-461: The rest of his life in exile on Ahch-To , the original headquarters of the Jedi Order, blaming himself for Ben's turn and the destruction of his Order, until he was found by Rey, the Last Jedi and the secret granddaughter of Sidious, whom he reluctantly trained in the Jedi arts. Shortly after, he gave his life to distract Kylo Ren, now Supreme Leader of the First Order , on the planet Crait via

24840-417: The role of Obi-Wan Kenobi and nearly landed the part until Lucas's young daughter rejected him upon meeting him during the second level of auditioning. According to McCaig, in the first draft of the script Neeson's character was originally named Obi-Wan Kenobi and McGregor's character was named Qui-Gon Jinn, but the roles were changed late in filming. Silas Carson was cast as Nute Gunray because another actor

25020-430: The score, which Williams restructured as a listening experience; it is not presented in film order and omits many notable cues from the film because of the space restriction of the compact disc. A two-disc "Ultimate Edition" was released on November 14, 2000. The set features the entire score as it is heard in the film, including all of the edits and loops that were made for the sound mix. Lucasfilm spent US$ 20 million on

25200-421: The script for a breakdown of scenes with practical creatures, leaving only the more outlandish designs to be created using CGI. To research for the podrace vehicles, the visual effects crew visited a jet aircraft junkyard outside Phoenix, Arizona and scavenged four Boeing 747 engines. Life-sized replicas of the engines were built and sent to Tunisia to provide reference in the film. Except for Jake Lloyd inside

25380-458: The second film The Empire Strikes Back , Lucas considered directions in which to take the story. In the original trilogy, Darth Vader was revealed to have been Anakin Skywalker, a once-powerful Jedi Knight, and a traitor to the Jedi Order. With this backstory in place, Lucas decided that the movies would work best as a trilogy. In the trilogy's final episode, Return of the Jedi , Vader is redeemed through an act of sacrifice for Luke. Throughout

25560-552: The sets and props. The production was quickly rescheduled to allow for repairs and was able to leave Tunisia on the date originally planned. The Italian Caserta Palace was used as the interior of the Theed City Naboo Palace; it was used as a location for four days after it had been closed to visitors. Scenes with explosions were filmed on replica sets in Leavesden. A binder with the film's storyboards served as

25740-448: The sets and visual effects supervisor John Knoll to develop software that would remove the blue reflection from shiny floors. Knoll, who remained on set through most of the production, worked closely with Tattersall to ensure that the shots were suitable to add effects later. The cameras were fitted with data capture models to provide technical data for the CGI artists. The Phantom Menace

25920-470: The settlement of Mos Espa to purchase a new part for the hyperdrive. They encounter a junk dealer, Watto , and his nine-year-old slave Anakin Skywalker , a gifted pilot and engineer who has built a protocol droid , C-3PO . Qui-Gon senses a strong presence of the Force within Anakin and is convinced that he is the prophesied " Chosen One ," destined to restore balance to the Force. With Watto refusing to accept payment in Republic currency, Qui-Gon wagers both

26100-474: The societal conflict. In its classification of films by genre, the American Film Institute limits the genre to historical films such as Ben-Hur . However, film scholars such as Constantine Santas are willing to extend the label to science-fiction films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars . Lynn Ramey suggests that "Surely one of the hardest film genres to define is that of

26280-457: The sound and choral pieces to "capture the magical, mystical force that a regular orchestra might not have been able to provide", and create an atmosphere that was "more mysterious and mystical and less military" than those of the original trilogy. One of the most notable tracks is " Duel of the Fates ", which uses the chorus to give a religious, temple-like feel to the epic lightsaber duel. The track

26460-497: The titular group of enhanced clones, who disobey Order 66 and instead choose to save a younger Kanan after his master is killed by the other clones. The canon video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order introduces Cal Kestis, a former Padawan hiding from the Empire who accidentally exposes his Force abilities to aid someone, putting him on the Inquisitors' radar. Kestis gets aid from Cere Junda, another Jedi Knight in hiding. In

26640-469: The tradition from the original film; Obi-Wan's costume was inspired by the costume that was worn by Guinness. Lucas said he and Biggar would look at the conceptual art to "translat[e] all of these designs into cloth and fabric and materials that would actually work and not look silly". Biggar also consulted Gillard to ensure that the costumes would accommodate action scenes, and consulted the creature department to find which fabrics "wouldn't wear too heavily" on

26820-403: The trailer. Other films that played this trailer included The Waterboy , The Siege and A Bug's Life . To keep fans from leaving before the movie was over, some theaters played the teaser an additional time after the film finished. The second trailer debuted on March 12, 1999, in front of Wing Commander ' s theatrical screenings. Again, many fans paid full theater admission to watch

27000-472: The tree, teaching him that failure is just as important as success, and those masters are defined by those who surpass them. Near the end of the film, Luke confronts Kylo on the planet Crait . It is subsequently revealed that Luke had been projecting himself from Ahch-To; he dies from the effort and becomes one with the Force. Rey is shown to have taken the sacred Jedi texts before she left Ahch-To, in order to continue her training. In The Rise of Skywalker ,

27180-422: The underwater sequence and the ground battle, and Scott Squires , alongside teams assigned for miniature effects and character animation, worked on the lightsaber effects. Until the film's production, many special effects in the film industry were achieved using miniature models, matte paintings and on-set visual effects—although other films had made extensive use of CGI. Knoll previewed 3,500 storyboards for

27360-604: The use of " Duel of the Fates " during the lightsaber duel between Darth Maul against Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi represents the fight for the fate of Anakin Skywalker. According to Filoni, Qui-Gon Jinn acts like a father figure towards Anakin because he feels he needs one after taking him from his mother, having realized that the Jedi shouldn't be opposed to love and care. In the end, Qui-Gon dies, and thus Anakin loses his father figure; Obi-Wan Kenobi ultimately becomes his master to honor Jinn's dying wish despite his initial contempt for him, and while he comes to eventually see him like

27540-487: The visual effects were praised, criticism was largely focused on its exposition and characters—particularly Jar Jar Binks . The film was a box-office success and broke numerous records. It grossed $ 924 million worldwide during its initial theatrical run, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1999 , the second-highest-grossing film of all-time , and in North America (behind Titanic and Star Wars ), as well as

27720-563: The war, among others. "Balance" is frequently suggested; Anakin is supposedly "the one" chosen to bring balance to the Force—Lucas said, "Anakin needed to have a mother, Obi-Wan needed a Master, Darth Sidious needed an apprentice" as without interaction and dialogue, "you wouldn't have drama". In November 2015, Ron Howard confirmed that he, Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg were approached by Lucas to direct The Phantom Menace . All three approached directors told Lucas that he should direct

27900-624: The wardrobe uncomfortable. Over 3,000 actors auditioned for the role of Anakin Skywalker including Haley Joel Osment , Cameron Finley , Justin Berfield and Michael Angarano before Jake Lloyd was selected. Vinette Robinson auditioned for the role of Padmé Amidala. Benicio del Toro was originally cast as Darth Maul but later left the project when the character's lines were cut. Michael Jackson expressed interest in playing Jar Jar Binks, but he wanted to do it in prosthetic makeup while Lucas wanted to do it in CGI. Joseph Fiennes auditioned for

28080-424: The wisest and most powerful Jedi Master within the Star Wars universe. Mace Windu was a human Jedi Master of the Order and one of the last members of the Order's upper echelons before the fall of the Galactic Republic . Plo Koon was a Kel Dor Jedi Master who served as a General during the Clone Wars and a member of the Jedi Council . Koon led the 442nd Siege Battalion in the Battle of Cato Neimoidia, in which he

28260-460: The word may have been influenced by the term "bodhisattva," which refers to a Buddhist concept of an enlightened being who chooses to remain in the world to help others. Another potential influence on the word "jedi" is the Hebrew term "yedid," which means "beloved." In his book The Secret History of Star Wars , Michael Kaminski suggests that Lucas may have been influenced by this term when creating

28440-551: The works of the Trojan War Cycle . In classical literature, epics are considered works focused on deeds or journeys of heroes upon which the fate of many people depends. Similarly, films described as "epic" typically take a historical character, or a mythic heroic figure. Common subjects of epics are royalty , gladiators , great military leaders, or leading personalities from various periods in world history. However, there are some films described as "epic" almost solely on

28620-627: The world, such as India where it's flourishing Bollywood industry produced the landmark Mughal-E Azam (1960), which is widely considered as one of the greatest films of all time and a milestone in Asian epics. This boom period of international co-productions is generally considered to have ended with Cleopatra (1963), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and Doctor Zhivago (1965). Nevertheless, films in this genre continued to appear, with one notable example being War and Peace , which

28800-414: The writing process, Chiang and his design team started a two-year process of reviewing thousands of designs for the film. Chiang stated that Lucas intended Episode I to be stylistically different from the other Star Wars films; it would be "richer and more like a period piece, since it was the history leading up to A New Hope ." The story takes place on three planets, some with varied environments such as

28980-657: Was Gone with the Wind (1939), also an epic, with ten awards. Jedi Legends Jedi ( / ˈ dʒ ɛ d aɪ / ), Jedi Knights , or collectively the Jedi Order are fictional characters, and often protagonists , featured in many works within the Star Wars franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic , the Jedi Order is depicted as a religious, academic, meritocratic , and military-auxiliary (peacekeeping) organization whose origin dates back thousands of years before

29160-410: Was dubbed over in post-production by Peter Serafinowicz . Keira Knightley 's parents tried to convince her not to audition, but she still sought a role since she was a Star Wars fan. The casting was influenced by Knightley's remarkable similarity to Natalie Portman, with Knightley admitting their mothers could not tell them apart. Knightley was reported to have "cried every single day" due to finding

29340-518: Was a "bigger than life" character with "a kind of bravado". Blessed described Nass as a "reluctant hero". Sofia Coppola , daughter of Lucas' long-time friend and creative partner Francis Ford Coppola , considers Lucas as "like an uncle to me". As she prepared the script for her directorial debut The Virgin Suicides , Coppola heard Lucas would be making a new Star Wars film and asked him if she could accompany him during filming. Lucas offered Coppola

29520-403: Was a reference to Palpatine hiding his true identity as an evil Sith Lord behind the facade of a well-intentioned public servant. The larger budget and possibilities opened up by the use of digital effects made Lucas "think about a much grander, more epic scale—which is what I wanted Star Wars to be". The story ended with five simultaneous, ongoing plots, one leading to another. The central plot

29700-539: Was again adapted as part of the all-ages Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy – A Graphic Novel , released by Disney-Lucasfilm Press in 2017. A LucasArts video game adaptation was released for the PlayStation and PC . The podracing tie-in Star Wars Episode I: Racer was released for Nintendo 64 , PC and other platforms. A pinball machine was created by WMS Industries . The release of

29880-417: Was also considered for the role of Mace Windu. Ray Park , a martial arts champion with experience in gymnastics and sword fighting, was originally a member of the stunt crew. Stunt coordinator Nick Gillard filmed Park to demonstrate his conception of the lightsaber battles. Lucas and McCallum were so impressed with the test tape that they gave Park the role of Maul. His voice was considered "too squeaky" and

30060-471: Was being used. Knoll and his visual effects team wrote new computer software, including cloth simulators to allow a realistic depiction of the digital characters' clothing, to create certain shots. Another goal was to create computer-generated characters that could act seamlessly with live-action actors. While filming scenes with CGI characters, Lucas would block the characters using their corresponding voice actors on-set. The voice actors were then removed and

30240-545: Was betrayed by her clone troopers as part of Order 66, but she managed to escape alongside Clone Captain Rex (whose control chip she removed). Years later, Ahsoka served the nascent Rebel Alliance as the spymaster and head of its intelligence network, directing operations behind the codename Fulcrum. After the Galactic Civil War, she began searching for Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn , who had gone missing in

30420-534: Was eventually seduced to the dark side by the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, and became the Sith Lord Darth Vader , serving the Galactic Empire. While he was a member of the Jedi Council, he trained a Padawan of his own, Ahsoka Tano during the Clone Wars. Vader was eventually redeemed by his son in Return of the Jedi and gave his own life to save Luke, killing Sidious and fulfilling the prophecy of

30600-473: Was known to be the leader of a small rebel cell called the Spectres, operating on the planet Lothal . As a survivor of Order 66, Jarrus was forced to break certain Jedi traditions to avoid being detected by Imperial forces that continued their mission to eliminate any Jedi on sight, such as eschewing traditional Jedi robes or occasionally using a blaster, a weapon typically shunned by Jedi. Although he lost his master Depa Billaba to Order 66 before he could ascend

30780-490: Was made into a music video. While composing Anakin's theme, Williams tried to reflect the innocence of his childhood and to foreshadow his transformation into Darth Vader by using slight suggestions of " The Imperial March " in the melody. The film's soundtrack was released by Sony Classical Records on May 4, 1999. The album made its broadcast premiere on C101.5 FM Mohawk College Radio's soundtrack program, Cinematic Sound, hosted by Erik Woods on May 1, 1999. This album featured

30960-448: Was released in the former Soviet Union during 1967–1968. Epic films continue to be produced, although since the development of CGI they typically use computer effects instead of an actual cast of thousands. Since the 1950s, such films have regularly been shot with a wide aspect ratio for a more immersive and panoramic theatrical experience. Epic films were recognized in a montage at the 2006 Academy Awards . The enduring popularity of

31140-495: Was sent to rescue the ten-year old Princess, and, after retrieving Leia on the planet Daiyu, was forced to duel his former apprentice Darth Vader on the planet Mapuzo, before escaping. Leia Organa , who was imprisoned by the Third Sister on the planet Nur, is saved by Obi-Wan Kenobi a second time before the two escape to the planet Jabiim with aid from the Path. Vader and Kenobi duel once more following Obi-Wan's attempted escape from

31320-491: Was shot down by his own troops upon the occurrence of Order 66 . Kit Fisto was a Nautolan Jedi Master, who served as a member of the Jedi Order during the Clone Wars . During the attempted arrest of Chancellor Palpatine , Fisto was killed by the Sith Lord in a duel, leaving Mace Windu to face the Chancellor alone. Count Dooku was a human Jedi Master who was trained by Yoda and mentored Qui-Gon Jinn, who later fell to

31500-463: Was still a large audience for his idea of a prequel trilogy, and with the development of special effects generated with computer-generated imagery (CGI), Lucas considered returning to his saga and directing the film. In October 1993, it was announced in Variety and other sources that he would be making the prequels. Lucas began outlining the story; Anakin Skywalker rather than Obi-Wan Kenobi would be

31680-750: Was surpassed by The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in April 2000. The theatrical trailer caused even more media attention because it was premiered in theaters and screened at the ShoWest Convention in Las Vegas , and was aired on Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood . The teaser poster , featuring Anakin with his shadow forming Darth Vader's silhouette, was released on November 10, 1998. After Lucas opted for

31860-425: Was the final Star Wars film to be shot on 35mm film until The Force Awakens (2015). Some scenes, mostly of elements filmed by the special effects team, were shot on high definition digital video tapes to test the performance of digital recordings, which Lucas and McCallum considered the next logical step because of the amount of digitizing—an expensive process compared to recording directly on digital media—for

32040-462: Was the final step toward turning the franchise into a saga. Lucas began writing the Star Wars prequel trilogy on November 1, 1994. The screenplay of Star Wars was adapted from Lucas's 15-page outline that was written in 1976, which he designed to help him keep track of the characters' backstories and events that occurred before the original trilogy . Anakin was first written as a twelve-year-old, but Lucas reduced his age to nine because he felt that

32220-540: Was uncomfortable with the costumes used by the Trade Federation characters, which were hot, exerted a lot of pressure on the bearer, and took about 15 minutes to apply. Hugh Quarshie considered the part of Panaka as "a good career move" and a production that would be fun to make. Brian Blessed originally auditioned for the role of Sio Bibble , the Governor of Naboo, for which he was considered "too loud". Casting director Robin Gurland approached him to play Nass because it

32400-447: Was written by Terry Brooks , who met with Lucas before writing the book and received his approval and guidance. It includes some scenes that are not in the film and foreshadows pending developments in the following two installments of the series. Additionally, a Scholastic junior novelization was written by Patricia C. Wrede . A four-issue comic book adaptation was written by Henry Gilroy and published by Dark Horse Comics . The film

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