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

12. Padme is a Badass

I feel like it’s often forgotten how cool Padme is because people are so focused on the awkward love story between her and Anakin. She’s a skilled diplomat, is able to trick Jedi into missing her true identity, cares deeply about the people of her planet, and can hold her own in a fight.

While she may be relegated to annoying damsel-in-distress roles from time to time, if one looks closer, she’s one of the smartest, most resourceful characters in the Star Wars saga. She never really needs rescuing time and time again, as she always seems to have a plan and can figure her way out of any tough spot. She’s also suspicious of Palpatine from the very beginning, and through her, we see the true tragedy of the Republic’s fall and the Galaxy’s submission to the Dark Side.

13. The Allure of the Dark Side

The Dark Side usually doesn’t feel like something a rational person would ever feasibly take to. Darth Vader shows off the Dark Side’s true power in the original trilogy, and it’s clear how dangerous he is, but it’s never clear why one would gravitate towards this side of the Force, not when the Jedi are painted as perfectly good, pure, and without flaws.

The prequels add so much more nuance to that! The Jedi are shown to be harsh, unfeeling people who fail to do what is right, making us question the morality of a structure that’s inherently light vs dark. Anakin’s descent to madness is trackable and clear, because the Jedi don’t offer him anything that can fix his problems, but the Dark Side does. We’re shown over and over again how people throughout the galaxy are suffering, and Anakin being born as a slave and wanting to protect the people he loves from death is unlike anything any other Jedi has experienced. The Dark Side actually feels alluring for the first time ever, and his decision to try and save people through ultimate power and control makes a lot of sense.