Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith takes place during the final days of the Clone Wars and is the third movie in the canon timeline of Star Wars events. Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker lead a daring mission to rescue Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who has been kidnapped by General Grievous, the leader of the Separatist droid army. They infiltrate Grievous’ flagship, where they confront Count Dooku. In a fierce duel, Anakin defeats Dooku and, at Palpatine’s urging, executes him in cold blood, a significant step toward the dark side. The Jedi escape, and Anakin returns to Coruscant, where he reunites with his secret wife, Padmé Amidala, who reveals that she is pregnant.
While Anakin is initially overjoyed by the news, he begins experiencing prophetic visions of Padmé dying in childbirth, similar to the dreams he had about his mother before her death. Desperate to prevent this fate, Anakin seeks guidance but finds little help from the Jedi Council. Meanwhile, Chancellor Palpatine grows closer to Anakin, subtly influencing him by sowing distrust in the Jedi and promising knowledge of the dark side that could save Padmé’s life. When the Jedi Council assigns Anakin to spy on Palpatine, he becomes increasingly conflicted and resentful of their distrust.
Obi-Wan is sent to track down General Grievous on the planet Utapau. After an intense battle, he successfully kills Grievous, effectively ending the Separatist military leadership. Meanwhile, Palpatine finally reveals his true identity to Anakin—he is Darth Sidious, the Sith Lord controlling the war. He tempts Anakin with the power of the dark side, claiming it is the only way to save Padmé. Conflicted, Anakin reports Palpatine to Jedi Master Mace Windu, who confronts the Sith Lord.
Windu and three other Jedi attempt to arrest Palpatine, but he quickly kills the other Jedi and engages Windu in a duel. Windu gains the upper hand and prepares to execute Palpatine, but Anakin intervenes at the last moment, severing Windu’s hand. Palpatine uses his Sith lightning to kill Windu, solidifying Anakin’s fall. Pledging himself to the Sith, Anakin takes on the name Darth Vader and follows Palpatine’s orders to eliminate the Jedi.
Palpatine executes Order 66, commanding the clone troopers to turn on their Jedi commanders across the galaxy. As Jedi are slaughtered, Anakin leads an assault on the Jedi Temple, massacring everyone inside, including younglings. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and Yoda survive the purge and return to witness the devastation at the temple. They split up, with Obi-Wan going to confront Anakin and Yoda challenging Palpatine.
The climax of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is a devastating convergence of betrayal, loss, and the rise of darkness. It begins on Mustafar, a volcanic planet consumed by fire and ash, where Anakin Skywalker—now Darth Vader—has slaughtered the leaders of the Separatist Alliance at the command of Darth Sidious. Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives to confront his fallen apprentice, leading to one of the most emotionally charged duels in cinematic history.
As the Clone Wars draw to a brutal close, the bond between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker—once as unbreakable as that between brothers—shatters under the weight of betrayal and dark ambition. On the volcanic world of Mustafar, their fates collide in a ferocious lightsaber duel amid rivers of molten lava and collapsing machinery. The atmosphere is apocalyptic, reflecting the internal destruction of their shared past. Obi-Wan’s heartbreak is raw and visible; he pleads desperately with Anakin, begging him to see the truth—that Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord, and that the Jedi were not the enemy. But Anakin, now Darth Vader, is unreachable. Twisted by fear, pride, and Palpatine’s manipulation, he is utterly convinced that the Jedi betrayed the Republic and that only through power—his power—can he protect Padmé and bring order to the galaxy.
Their duel rages through the burning complex, a dance of violence, grief, and betrayal. Each clash of sabers echoes the collapse of everything the Jedi once stood for. Brothers become enemies, champions of light and darkness locked in a final, agonizing confrontation. As the battle reaches its climax on a narrow slope of volcanic rock, Obi-Wan gains the advantage, claiming the high ground. He warns Anakin not to continue—but blinded by arrogance and hatred, Anakin lunges. In a single, devastating stroke, Obi-Wan severs his limbs, sending him tumbling down the embankment, screaming in agony as fire licks at his body.
Obi-Wan stands above his fallen friend, grief etched into every word as he declares, “You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you.” He cannot bring himself to finish Anakin off, despite all he has done. Instead, he takes Anakin’s lightsaber and leaves, his heart heavy, believing that Anakin Skywalker—the Jedi, the friend, the hero—is truly dead.
Elsewhere, high above Coruscant in the Senate chamber—the very heart of galactic democracy—Master Yoda confronts Darth Sidious in a clash that is as symbolic as it is physical. The battle between the ancient Jedi Master and the newly revealed Sith Lord erupts amid the chaos of a government already toppled. They hurl Senate pods at each other, the symbols of democracy turned into weapons in the hands of tyrants and warriors. Yoda’s wisdom and agility match Sidious’s raw hatred and dark power, but ultimately, Yoda is outmatched. Realizing that he cannot defeat Sidious—and that the Jedi Order has failed—he escapes into exile, carrying the burden of defeat and the knowledge that the Republic is lost.
Unconscious and dying from a broken heart, Padmé is rushed to a medical facility by Obi-Wan. There, in the shadow of despair, she gives birth to twins—Luke and Leia. Her final words, barely a whisper, are spoken to Obi-Wan: “There is still good in him.” With her last breath, she clings to the belief that Anakin is not beyond redemption. Her death marks the final extinguishing of innocence and love in a galaxy now plunged into darkness.
At the same time, Emperor Palpatine recovers Anakin’s scorched and mutilated body from Mustafar and brings him to a secret medical facility. In a horrific scene, surgeons graft synthetic limbs and a black life-support suit onto what remains of the man. When he awakens encased in the now-iconic armor of Darth Vader, he demands to know Padmé’s fate. When told she is dead—by his own hand—he erupts in anguish, destroying everything around him in a howl of despair. In that moment, the final ember of Anakin Skywalker is extinguished. What remains is Vader: broken, enslaved, and consumed by the dark side.
In the aftermath, the few surviving Jedi make impossible choices. Yoda disappears into the swamps of Dagobah, something that was depicted in a deleted scene. Obi-Wan entrusts the infant Luke to Owen and Beru Lars on Tatooine, choosing to remain nearby in secrecy. Senator Bail Organa adopts Leia, raising her on Alderaan as his daughter and heir. These hidden acts plant the seeds of rebellion. The Jedi have fallen, the Republic is no more, and the Sith now reign from the throne of a newly christened Galactic Empire.
The conclusion of Revenge of the Sith is a devastating crescendo of loss and transformation. The galaxy, once vibrant and hopeful, has become a shadow of tyranny and fear. Yet amid the ruin, there remains a glimmer of hope. The legacy of Padmé’s final words—and the lives of her children—will one day rise to challenge the darkness. The tragedy is complete, but the saga is far from over.