78
votes
Accepted
Why did Palpatine pick 'Vader' as a name for Anakin?
Per the Matthew Stover novelization, the name "Vader" was plucked from the Force itself (emphasis mine):
Darth Sidious laid a pale hand on Anakin's brow. "Then it is done. You are now ...
- 162k
72
votes
Accepted
Why did Mace Windu and the Jedi Council refuse to raise Anakin to the rank of Master?
Why can't Anakin be a Master?
Anakin's appointment was political, not spiritual. Historically the Jedi elected their own leaders by consulting the will of the Force and by mutual consent. Anakin, on ...
- 667k
65
votes
Accepted
What is the name of the move that Obi-wan uses to remove Anakin's limbs?
The severing of several limbs at once is referred to in the Star Wars: The Jedi Path - A Manual for Students of the Force as Mou Kei, a variant of Cho mai (the severing of an arm) and Cho mok (the ...
- 667k
65
votes
Accepted
What was Chancellor Palpatine watching in the theater?
The (fully canon) factbooks Star Wars in 100 Scenes and Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know identify it as a graceful aquatic ballet performed by a Mon Calamari troupe at the swanky ...
- 667k
64
votes
Why did Darth Vader need extra equipment (lenses) to clear his vision?
It's not clear if Vader actually needed the lenses on his helmet to see properly. Given that he had to cover his burned flesh anyway, the helmet lenses offered other benefits, such as viewing ...
- 4,643
62
votes
Why were Luke and Leia split up and given to two different families?
This is addressed in the film's official novelisation. Obi-Wan suggests that they be split up as allowing the discovery of both (at the same time) would be an intolerable error on their part.
“We ...
- 667k
59
votes
Is Palpatine's execution of Order 66 legally justified?
No... but it almost is.
If we are to take some Legends material into account, Order 66 was buried in a set of Contingency Orders for the Grand Army of the Republic that outlined protocol for a series ...
- 13.4k
58
votes
Accepted
Why does General Grievous say “Ah yes, the negotiator?”
Because that's his nickname out in the galaxy.
Obi-Wan's diplomatic skills, specifically his reputation for preventing and
stopping battles without using a single weapon, earn him the
appellation &...
- 667k
56
votes
Why did Darth Sidious have Darth Vader kill the trade federation?
Two things.
Who was killed?
The scum Vader killed on Mustafar were not just the Trade Federation - they were the military and economic leaders of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the ...
- 15.9k
55
votes
Accepted
How did Anakin think the power to cheat death would be helpful?
Anakin is desperate and gullible
In universe, Anakin is not very bright, and he trusts Sidious implicitly. He describes Sidious to Obi-Wan as "a mentor and a friend". Sidious has had more than ten ...
- 36.7k
54
votes
Accepted
Was killing Dooku actually the 'Jedi way'?
Obi-Wan was unconscious when Anakin killed Dooku (Obi-Wan had been knocked out earlier in the fight), so he didn't see that Anakin executed Dooku. Obi-Wan praised Anakin for his victory over Dooku ...
Null♦
- 69.4k
53
votes
Why were Luke and Leia split up and given to two different families?
In-movie logic: Darth Vader will be looking for twins, not single children, and splitting the pair makes it more likely that one would remain free in case Darth found the other.
What is less logical ...
- 20.2k
49
votes
Accepted
How did the Republic have enough clones for... anything?
Yes, there is an explanation if you read a few pages on the starwars.wiki. The Grand Army of the Republic(GAR) was the main fighting force at the beginning of the clone wars, it was comprised entirely ...
- 1,288
47
votes
Did Count Dooku know about Order 66?
Yes.
In the The Clone Wars episode "The Unknown", a clone trooper's control chip malfunctions and prematurely triggers Order 66, leading him to shoot a Jedi. When news reaches Dooku, he realises what'...
- 4,643
47
votes
Accepted
Why didn't anyone in the Galactic Senate raise a motion against the formation of the Empire?
This is addressed in the official novelisation. In short, the vote was a done deal and the "2000" were already being systematically rounded up. Bail was in favour of raising a vote against the Empire ...
- 667k
46
votes
Accepted
Why did Anakin turn to the Dark Side?
Because Sidious manipulated him
From Revenge of the Sith:
ANAKIN: What have I done?
ANAKIN sits.
PALPATINE: You are fulfilling your destiny, Anakin. Become my
apprentice. Learn to ...
- 114k
43
votes
Accepted
What is Obi-Wan referring to when he says "five thousand"?
There's a little bit of extra dialogue in the script that would suggest that he's reading off their temperature (in degrees?)
OBI-WAN: Careful . . . we're heating up-twelve thousand . . . thirteen
...
- 667k
40
votes
Accepted
Why were Anakin and Obi-Wan the only Jedi who were assigned to rescue the Chancellor?
There's a few plot points here to consider
First, the Jedi DID send more to try and save Palpatine. Note that the Tartakovsky cartoons are no longer official canon, but the events they depict are (...
- 50.8k
40
votes
Accepted
Why would Windu say the Senate would decide the fate of Palpatine?
Quite simply, Mace believes in the rule of law. He does not think that the Jedi should unilaterally act against the Chancellor. We can see this trait in a few of his other defining moments. When ...
- 114k
35
votes
Accepted
What happened to Count Dooku's lightsaber?
Anakin left Dooku's lightsaber beside his corpse in General Grievous' quarters in the spire aboard the Invisible Hand.
This part of the ship was destroyed during their catastrophic landing (you can ...
- 667k
34
votes
How did Anakin Skywalker survive Order Sixty Six?
According to the film's script, the orders to kill Jedi were given individually, to each clone commander (and for obvious reasons, Chancellor Palpatine never issued that order to whoever Anakin's ...
- 341k
33
votes
Why did Mace Windu and the Jedi Council refuse to raise Anakin to the rank of Master?
Watch the video again and you'll see why. Jedi believe in emotionless serenity; they don't let their emotions cloud their judgment. Anakin was a powerful Jedi but he was still far too passionate and ...
- 4,772
33
votes
Accepted
Why didn't Darth Sidious detect Yoda inside the Galactic Senate building before Yoda walked into his office?
There's a lot in play here
Sidious thought Yoda was dead (he literally says "Master Yoda, you survived" in reaction to seeing him). Order 66 had seen to the death of most of the Jedi since ...
- 50.8k
30
votes
Accepted
Did Grievous know Palpatine was Sidious?
In the opening sequence of Matt Stover's novelisation of Episode III, it's made very clear that Grievous has no idea that Palpatine is Sidious. Also, when Grievous escapes the crashing ship he is ...
- 6,552
30
votes
Accepted
How did Grand Moff Tarkin Feel About Darth Sidious?
Tarkin respected both Darth Vader and Darth Sidious. He didn't know for sure that they were Sith Lords, but he suspected it. He agreed with their political goals and willingly served Sidious.
Tarkin's ...
Null♦
- 69.4k
30
votes
Was Mace Windu technically committing treason or not?
The novelisation has a very slightly different version of the conversation with Windu and Palpatine. It would appear that their stated reason for arresting him was flawed, hence their arrest procedure ...
- 667k
28
votes
How did Vader survive that long on Mustafar?
According to the film's official novelisation, Obi-Wan sensed that Palpatine and his men were already on final approach to the planet shortly after the duel ended. Given that Padmé needed emergency ...
- 667k
28
votes
Why did Anakin turn to the Dark Side?
Palpatine was a master manipulator, of people, governments, and the Force; indeed, the plot of Eposides I-III are essentially Palpatine manipulating everyone and everything - both sides of every war - ...
- 470
28
votes
What was Chancellor Palpatine watching in the theater?
The Mon Calamari Aquatic Ballet, performing Squid Lake, according to the Star Wars Wiki, which cites Star Wars: Galactic Atlas and Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 13: Burning Seas, Part I as its ...
- 2,087
27
votes
Accepted
When does Darth Vader realise Palpatine lied to him about his killing Padme?
The Darth Vader marvel comic series that takes place post "A New Hope" is when he realizes that Palpatine was lying to him.
When Vader has Boba Fett track down the pilot who blew up the Death Star, ...
- 19.5k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible