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.
Obi-Wan’s heartbreak is palpable as he pleads with Anakin to see the truth, but Anakin is lost to the dark side, consumed by his belief that the Jedi betrayed him and that his power is the only way to save Padmé. Their duel stretches across the molten hellscape of Mustafar, symbolizing the destruction of everything the Jedi once stood for. As the battle intensifies, so too does the pain between them—brothers turned enemies in a final, tragic confrontation.
Simultaneously, on Coruscant, Yoda engages Darth Sidious in the Senate chamber. Their duel is a metaphor for the collapse of democracy itself—two titans of the Force battling amid the ruins of galactic politics. Yoda’s agility and wisdom match Sidious’s cunning and raw power, but ultimately, the ancient Jedi Master is overwhelmed. With the Republic already fallen, Yoda realizes he cannot defeat Sidious, and he is forced to retreat into exile.
Back on Mustafar, the duel reaches its harrowing conclusion. Obi-Wan gains the high ground, warning Anakin not to attack, but Anakin’s arrogance blinds him. In a swift move, Obi-Wan disables him, severing his limbs and leaving him to burn near the lava river. Obi-Wan’s sorrow is immense—he cannot bring himself to kill Anakin, even after all he’s done. He takes Anakin’s lightsaber and leaves him behind, believing the man he once knew is truly gone.
Padmé Amidala arrives too late to save Anakin, and overcome with heartbreak, she is rushed to a medical facility. There, she gives birth to twins—Luke and Leia—before dying, her will to live broken. Her last words to Obi-Wan are filled with hope: she insists that there is still good in Anakin. Her death marks the final loss of innocence in the galaxy, as darkness fully takes hold.
Meanwhile, Darth Sidious retrieves the mutilated body of Anakin and brings him to a medical facility. There, in a grotesque transformation, Anakin is encased in the iconic black armor of Darth Vader. When he awakens and learns of Padmé’s death, his agony fuels his final descent into darkness. The man Anakin Skywalker is no more—the Emperor’s apprentice has truly been born.
The surviving Jedi, Obi-Wan and Yoda, decide to go into hiding. Obi-Wan brings infant Luke to Tatooine to live with the Lars family, while Yoda retreats to Dagobah. Leia is adopted by Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan. With the Jedi scattered and the Sith in power, the galaxy enters an age of tyranny under the newly formed Galactic Empire.
The end of Revenge of the Sith is both tragic and powerful. It bridges the prequels to the original trilogy, revealing how love, fear, and manipulation led to the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader is complete, but as Padmé said, hope remains—hidden in the form of his children, who will one day rise to challenge the darkness he helped create.