Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is the first movie in the Star Wars canon timeline and follows Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, as they are sent to negotiate peace between the Trade Federation and the planet Naboo. The Federation, under the influence of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, has blockaded Naboo in a bid for power. When negotiations fail, the Jedi are forced to flee to the planet’s surface, where they meet Queen Padmé Amidala, who seeks to escape and plead for help from the Galactic Senate.
Escaping Naboo with the Queen, their ship is damaged and forced to land on the desert planet of Tatooine. There, Qui-Gon meets a young slave boy, Anakin Skywalker, who possesses extraordinary Force abilities. Qui-Gon believes Anakin is the prophesied Chosen One who will bring balance to the Force. Hoping to free him, Qui-Gon enters Anakin into a dangerous podrace, which the boy wins, securing his freedom. However, Darth Sidious’ apprentice, Darth Maul, tracks them down and briefly duels Qui-Gon before the Jedi and their companions escape.
Arriving on Coruscant, the capital of the Galactic Republic, Padmé Amidala appeals to the Senate for help against the Trade Federation. However, the bureaucracy, led by Chancellor Valorum, is ineffective. Influenced by the ambitious Senator Palpatine, Padmé calls for a vote of no confidence, leading to Palpatine’s nomination as the next Supreme Chancellor. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon presents Anakin to the Jedi Council, hoping to have him trained as a Jedi. The council, led by Yoda and Mace Windu, is skeptical of Anakin’s future, sensing fear and darkness in him.
Frustrated with the lack of action from the Senate, Padmé returns to Naboo with the Jedi and enlists the help of the native Gungan people to fight back against the Trade Federation. The battle is fought on multiple fronts—Padmé and her forces infiltrate the royal palace to capture the Federation’s viceroy, while Anakin accidentally finds himself piloting a starfighter in space, eventually destroying the control ship that powers the Federation’s droid army. Meanwhile, the Jedi face Darth Maul in an intense lightsaber duel.
During the climactic fight, Qui-Gon is mortally wounded by Darth Maul, leaving Obi-Wan to battle the Sith alone. In a furious exchange, Obi-Wan manages to outmaneuver Maul, slicing him in half and sending him tumbling into a reactor shaft. With his dying breath, Qui-Gon asks Obi-Wan to train Anakin as a Jedi, believing he is the Chosen One. Obi-Wan agrees, despite the Jedi Council’s earlier reluctance.
With the Trade Federation defeated and Naboo liberated, Padmé’s rule is restored. The Republic celebrates, and the Gungans and Naboo people unite in peace. Meanwhile, the Jedi Council reluctantly allows Obi-Wan to take Anakin as his apprentice, though Yoda warns that Anakin’s future is clouded and dangerous.
As the film concludes, Chancellor Palpatine begins his rise to power, subtly manipulating events in his favor. Though the Sith Lord Darth Maul is presumed dead, Yoda senses that the Sith threat is not yet over, implying that another Sith remains in hiding.
The Phantom Menace sets the stage for the Star Wars prequel trilogy, introducing key characters and themes such as Anakin’s destiny, the rise of Palpatine, and the growing corruption within the Republic, which will ultimately lead to the fall of the Jedi and the rise of the Empire.