Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (novelization)

The Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novelization was written by Matthew Stover and published on April 2, 2005 by Del Rey. It is based on the script of the movie of the same name. Plot-wise, the book corresponds almost exactly to the movie, beginning and ending at the same points. There are several elements added not seen in the film (Lorth Needa as commander of the Integrity at the Battle of Coruscant, for example), while several sections of the plot (most notably the Kashyyyk sequence) are removed for pacing. All of the deleted scenes with the founders of the Rebel Alliance are included, along with several references to Garm Bel Iblis that will delight Expanded Universe fans. Continuing the tradition of EU tidbits is also a reference to the "Five Brothers" of the Corellian system, and more tie-ins to Labyrinth of Evil.

Publisher's summary
The turning point for the entire Star Wars saga is at hand...

As combat escalates across the galaxy, the stage is set for an explosive endgame: Obi-Wan undertakes a perilous mission to destroy the dreaded Separatist military leader, General Grievous. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine continues to strip away constitutional liberties in the name of security while influencing public opinion to turn against the Jedi. And a conflicted Anakin fears that his secret love, Senator Padmé Amidala, will die. Tormented by unspeakable visions, Anakin edges closer to the brink of a galaxy-shaping decision. It remains only for Darth Sidious to strike the final staggering blow against the Republic –and to ordain a fearsome new Sith Lord: Darth Vader.

Based on the screenplay of the final film in George Lucas's epic saga, bestselling Star Wars author Matthew Stover's novel crackles with action, captures the iconic characters in all their complexity, and brings a space opera masterpiece full circle in stunning style.

Duel with Count Dooku
It is not an exaggeration to say that this duel is the longest duel in the novelization, at least how long it is described. During the duel, Dooku also smashes chairs and particles into the Jedi, which is left out from the movie. In the movie, this duel is relatively short, especially after Obi-Wan Kenobi was knocked to the floor.

Before the duel itself, there is a short conversation between Palpatine and Dooku, revealing the plan Palpatine used to lure Dooku into a confrontation with his new candidate for apprenticeship. This was the first scene ever in novelizations to confirm Darth Sidious and Palpatine are one and the same.

After Dooku is disarmed and Palpatine urges Anakin to kill him, it becomes obvious for Dooku that he had been used as a pawn and a decoy, who never possessed the true powers of a Sith. His last thought was, "Treachery is the way of the Sith".

C-3PO
The book presents more about C-3PO's thoughts, including a scene with 3PO letting Obi-Wan into Padme's Apartment and the droid was cautious of Kenobi. His talk with R2-D2 before Anakin left for Mustafar was more explained with 3PO telling R2 rumors about what was happening.

The Neimoidians on General Grievous' flagship
General Grievous kills almost all of the Neimoidians on board the Separatist flagship, presumably including Lushros Dofine, although none of them are identified by name. Those who were not killed by Grievous absorbed randomly deflected blaster bolts from destroyer droids who were deployed to kill Anakin and Obi-Wan. This is in direct contrast to the film's version of the bridge scene, wherein Grievous simply tells the crew to keep the ship in orbit before leaving the vessel, and during the flagship's crashlanding the Neimoidians are shown, alive and well, running off the bridge.

The Battle of Kashyyyk
The Battle of Kashyyyk is completely absent from the novel. Luminara Unduli, Quinlan Vos, Chewbacca, Tarfful and Commander Gree do not appear, nor are they mentioned. However, the book does explain why Yoda went to Kashyyyk in the first place: it was an attempt to lure Darth Sidious out of hiding. Palpatine was manipulating the Jedi into isolating Anakin from his two closest mentors - Obi-Wan and Yoda - before tempting him with the dark side.

Palpatine tests Anakin's thirst for power
This is a short dialogue which was not filmed, but has importance.

Palpatine offers to give Anakin anything he wants. At first, Anakin wonders if the Chancellor is only playing a childish game with him. He wishes for a new speeder, then Palpatine asks if this is all he wishes. The 'game' culminates when the word comes to Corellia. Sidious asks him if he wishes only the planet or the entire system. Anakin told him he wanted the whole system. The point of this game is to further tempt Anakin towards the dark side and present Palpatine as the gateway to the power denied to Anakin by the Jedi.

The arrest of the Chancellor
In the novelization, Mace Windu contacted Yoda once more after learning the truth of Palpatine's identity, marking his upcoming decision and action approved by the Grand Master of the Jedi Order.

The novelization stated that Darth Sidious could indeed sense the approach of the four Jedi Masters and the emotion of Anakin Skywalker who was still in the Council Chamber. The novel also described how Palpatine prepares for the upcoming duel in details, including how he recovered his Sith lightsaber and prepared an audio recording.

During the duel, Saesee Tiin was beheaded when Sidious tricked him and caught him off guard. Second, Agen Kolar had Palpatine's lightsaber pierced through his head.

Anakin Skywalker, recognizing the consequences of what he did by revealing Palpatine, rushed to the Chancellor's office. Shaak Ti stands in his way and tried to convince Anakin not to go. Anakin rudely refused to obey the Jedi Master.

When he arrived, he witnessed the battle between Kit Fisto, Windu and Palpatine. He did not see who the combatants were yet, only their lightsabers. When the green blade disappeared, he rushed into the office. There, he found the dead body of Kolar and the heads of Saesee Tiin and Kit Fisto. Anakin was able to watch the epic lightsaber duel between Windu and Palpatine for some time, instead of arriving just in time when the Jedi knocked down Sidious in the movie.

Mace Windu could sense the approach of Anakin through the Force before he broke the office window, so it was reasonable for Darth Sidious to have the same experience. When the fight moved to the ledge, Mace described he sensed Palpatine hesitated for a moment and the Sith Lord decreased his speed.

Whether it is an intentional trick from the part of Palpatine or Windu truly outsparred the Sith Lord is confirmed in neither the movie nor the novel. However Mace confessed Vaapad could not overpower the Sith Lord, it was his shatterpoint ability which allowed him to gain the upperhand. In the book, Mace Windu did not kick Palpatine's jaw, and he sliced the Sith lightsaber in half instead of the Chancellor dropping his own weapon.

When Mace held Palpatine at blade point, he explained to the Sith Lord why Darth Sidious and his shadowy order always lose: because they were always defeated by their own fear. Palpatine countered by screaming "Fool! Do you think the fear you feel is mine?" and blasted the Jedi Master with Force lightning.

In the fight, Mace Windu realized that Palpatine's shatterpoint was Anakin Skywalker himself. When Anakin approached Mace who was fighting against the lightning bolts, Mace sensed that Palpatine did not fear Anakin at all, and the Sith Lord would make no move to defend himself. Mace concluded that this was the shatterpoint of the Sith, and the absolute shatterpoint of the dark side itself.

Ultimately when Mace was betrayed by Anakin and blasted by Darth Sidious, he came to the shocking realization that although Anakin Skywalker indeed was the shatterpoint of Darth Sidious, he forgot to look for the shatterpoint of Anakin himself - his desire to save his wife at any cost.

Order 66
Order 66 was described in a few short sentences, with no mentioning of any Jedi's death or any clone commander who executed the order by name. Only Obi-Wan's scene was the same as seen in the movie. Yoda's case was not described either. He appears next when he meets Obi-Wan on the Tantive IV.

When Darth Vader arrives in the Jedi Temple with the clone troopers, it is described how he kills some Jedi, including the gatemaster Jurokk.

In the book, Matthew Stover provided the reasons why the Clone War was fought in the first place, describing it as "the perfect Jedi trap". This is the first account of the full extent of Sidious' plotting.

The return to the Temple
In the novel, it is better described how Obi-Wan and Yoda avoided attention in the Temple. Cin Drallig is mentioned as Obi-Wan's fencing instructor, after seeing his corpse lying on the ground.

Emperor Palpatine vs. Yoda duel
In the novel, it became clear that Darth Sidious was indeed superior to Yoda. Yoda also realized that the Jedi Order mistakenly focused on fighting the old Sith rather than the new, evolved Sith of Darth Bane's order. Yoda described that "he had lost before he started. He had lost before he was born." However he was able to learn a new insight "which held the hope of the galaxy" during the battle.

In the book, Yoda entered the Chancellor's holding office from a different direction, so the Royal Guards did not attempt to stop him. Mas Amedda left the office before any exchange was made. Palpatine's Force lightning was deflected by Yoda which blasted the Guards into unconsciousness instead of himself being knocked across the office. Yoda then knocked Palpatine to the floor with his physical body instead of a Force push.

At the end of the battle, the lightning energy ball did not explode. Sidious safely leapt to a nearby podium and the Grand Master followed. Palpatine turned around and blasted Yoda, who was still in the air, back against another podium who fell down to the bottom.

Palpatine himself was not knocked over by any blast. He was described as "a very old, very tired man" after the epic battle. Palpatine could not direct the search for Yoda as he hurried to rescue Darth Vader, but he told the clones to destroy the whole building if they had to.

Obi-Wan vs. Darth Vader duel
The duel is shorter than it is in the movie. The novel focuses on the duelers' feelings instead of the battle itself. The fight itself is different in many other ways as well. The book has addressed the famous "Obi-Wan's interchanging lightsaber" issue when he was choked by Vader. The way Vader loses his limbs is the same, but the dialogue has changed.

What we've learned from the novel

 * Detailed descriptions of the character's feelings in particular cases
 * Exact words that confirm Darth Sidious' apprenticeship to Darth Plagueis
 * How Anakin became superior to Dooku in the duel on-board the Invisible Hand: He was empowered by anger. The book has detailed descriptions of how anger and the dark side can be converted to fearsome power
 * Detailed descriptions of Anakin's advantages over Dooku
 * Saesee Tiin was a noteworthy telepath
 * Saesee Tiin suffered an injury early in the war (as seen earlier in the Clone Wars cartoon and comics) involving the loss of part of a horn. Before the revelation of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine being Darth Sidious, the horn had regrown.
 * It is mentioned that the four Jedi Masters who attempted to arrest Palpatine were the best Jedi swordsmen available on Coruscant at the time, and four of the best the Order has ever produced, a fact less obvious in the film.
 * Names and details are given for the lightsaber techniques the characters used in their respective duels. All the seven lightsaber combat forms were mentioned and described except Form VI.
 * Anakin wanted to access the Holocrons of the Archives to know more about Darth Plagueis, to find a way to save Padme. Only Jedi with the rank of Master had the privilege of doing so, hence he became outraged when Mace Windu did not grant him the title.
 * Cin Drallig was Obi-Wan's lightsaber instructor, while Yoda was Cin's.