Star Wars: J.J. Abrams Says Darth Plagueis Speech Is His Favorite Prequel Scene

The Star Wars prequels are unjustly maligned by many, as they contain a number of compelling sequences, with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams pointing out that his favorite scene from the trilogy is the sequence in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith when Palpatine recalls the tragedy of Darth Plagueis. The sequence from the film has earned a passionate following over the years, not only due to the compelling performances on display, but also for the implications that an individual’s mastery over the Force could be powerful enough to bring someone back to life, altering everything we know about the franchise’s mythology.

“I think my favorite scene from the prequels is when the Emperor is telling Anakin the story of Darth Plagueis ‘The Wise.’ There’s just something about that scene,” Abrams shared with Sirius XM. “There’s just two people sitting there. It’s visually interesting. But I just think Ian’s [McDiarmid] performance in it is spectacular.”

In a now-iconic piece of dialogue, Palpatine used the story of the Sith to sway Anakin to the Dark Side in order to protect Padme in perpetuity. According to Palpatine, Palgueis was “so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life” in addition to preventing others from dying. Palpatine also noted that, while Plagueis could save others, he couldn’t save himself, and he was reportedly killed by his apprentice.

With this piece of information being introduced in the last film created by George Lucas, fans have been waiting to see if this lore could somehow be utilized more directly. Various pieces of media have tangentially connected to the concept of Darth Plagueis, though none have fully delved into the history of the mysterious character.

This isn’t the only thing about the prequels that Abrams loved, as he also bemoaned his disappointment at Darth Maul seemingly being “killed” in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

“I remember the reason I didn’t love that was only because I remember the posters had advertised Darth Maul, the feeling of, ‘Oh my god, here we go.’ Then he was over,” Abrams admitted. “And I know that in the extended universe he lived on with those spidery legs and everything but I will tell you that it was over too quickly, this character that I thought was here we go with the beginning of something that will take me somewhere. I just remember that when it ended I was like, ‘What?’ I mean, the scene is amazing, but…”

As Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is set to be the final chapter in the Skywalker Saga, we won’t be surprised if Abrams finds a way to unite all corners of the mythology. The Rise of Skywalker lands in theaters on December 20th.

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