15 reasons why the Star Wars prequels are better than you remember

The prequels: every Star Wars fan’s favorite thing to hate. George Lucas’ much-maligned movie trilogy chronicles the rise of the Empire and fall of the Jedi. It has been a subject of much debate amongst Star Wars fans for years. A lot has been said about what people didn’t like, what didn’t resonate, and why the backlash to these movies eventually drove George Lucas away from Star Wars. However, we tend to forget that these movies are actually… kind of amazing!

For many people, myself included, the prequels were our introduction to Star Wars. They are responsible for us falling in love with science fiction, space opera, and the Force. While they are certainly not without their flaws, let’s take a moment to remember some things this trilogy had going for it that are frequently overlooked.

1. Qui-Gon Jinn

A terrific actor with a number of significant roles under his belt, Liam Neeson is undeniably gripping as the Jedi who trained Obi-Wan Kenobi and discovered Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace. My only regret is that we don’t get to see more of him, but I am hopeful that he will make an appearance (in Force ghost form) in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series. He exemplifies the calm, wise nobility that every Jedi is supposed to have.

There’s a good argument to be made that Qui-Gon’s death is the most important event that leads to Anakin’s eventual downfall. He’s a special Jedi Master in that he doesn’t fully believe that a Jedi should be void of personal attachments. He believes in nurturing our capacity to care for one another and sees that Anakin’s greatest strength is his passion and dedication to people he loves (a trait that the Jedi council are constantly trying to hammer out of him). In his absence, Anakin is left without an experienced father figure willing to help him sort through his dark past in a healthy way.

Qui-Gon is a brilliantly conceived character, one of the best from the prequel trilogy.