By George & Josh Bate
“This is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker. Forever…”
The iconic line from Matthew Stover’s novelization of Revenge of the Sith remains in the memories and hearts of Star Wars fans over 20 years since the novel’s release. In celebration of its 20th anniversary this year, Random House Worlds have published a deluxe edition re-release, which, in addition to featuring the original text and brand new binding and cover art, includes over 170+ insightful annotations from author Matthew Stover himself.
Here are 10 things we learned from reading the Revenge of the Sith novelization and its annotations….
How The Invisible Hand Got Its Name
Matthew Stover discloses that General Grievous’ flagship did not have a specified name in the script he was given, meaning he was able to name it. Stover decided on naming it The Invisible Hand for two reasons.
The first reason is what Stover terms “an inside joke.” Stover says the name of the ship is “a veiled reference to Palpatine being the puppeteer behind the Clone Wars.”
But the second meaning of The Invisible Hand is even more interesting. Stover notes that The Invisible Hand is “a subtle dig at the conservatives who idolize Adam Smith, because the Trade Federation types who are Palpatine’s stalking horses are so clearly modeled on robber barons.” For those unfamiliar, the invisible hand is a controversial and well-known metaphor that economist and philosopher Adam Smith described. Essentially, the invisible hand refers to how self-interested individuals operating in a free market and in pursuit of their own goals unintentionally benefit broader society, which leads to appropriate allocation of resources and production of goods and services.
George Lucas was not a fan of the ‘Sun-Dragon’
Those familiar with the novelization will know that Stover devises a metaphor to describe Anakin’s rage. Stover came up with the idea that a sun-dragon whispers to Anakin continuously that he will lose his wife Padme, which eventually leads him to embrace the dark side. For many, the sun-dragon metaphor elevates our understanding of exactly why Anakin turned to the dark side, a switch many found to be a bit jarring in the film. However, one of the novel’s most lauded elements did not have a fan in George Lucas.
In a chapter at the end of the deluxe edition (which expands upon a previous footnote), Stover reveals that George Lucas did not like the sun-dragon metaphor and demanded that it be removed from the novel. “I lost my shit because Mr. [Howard] Roffman [of Lucasfilm] had called and said, ‘George doesn’t like the dragon stuff. It all has to go,’ and they needed all the changes by the day after tomorrow.”
George Lucas’ comments led to Stover reworking the entire concept of the sun-dragon. Lucas’ issue with the metaphor was that “the dragon made it feel like something outside Anakin was driving him toward the dark – as though his fall came from something acting on Anakin, instead of his own choices.”
Originally, the sun-dragon was used to describe Anakin’s “nuclear-fury” that he tried his best to lock down. “I sort of naturally assumed that rage was most of what drove him,” Stover writes. “You can read about why I was completely wrong,” he continues.
The sun-dragon metaphor that ends up in the final novel is more in keeping with Lucas’ desire to have Anakin’s fall to the dark side come from within, rather than an external source. Although Palpatine feeds into Anakin’s anxieties and insecurities, it is ultimately Anakin’s internalization of these anxieties and insecurities and misguided attempt to quell them that leads him to become Darth Vader.
The novelization was the first time Palpatine was confirmed to be Darth Sidious
It didn’t dawn on us until reading Stover’s annotations that Chancellor Palpatine had never actually been confirmed to be Darth Sidious until the novelization.
As Stover details, “The novelization was published on April 2, 2005, a bit more than a month before the film was released on May 19. Because this book was published (along with several others) before the film’s release, this little passage here may arguably be the first time in prequel media that Chancellor Palpatine is openly revealed and confirmed to be Darth Sidious.”
The passage Stover refers to explicitly names “Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith” when referring to Palpatine in a conversation he shares with Count Dooku.
Why we never get inside Palpatine’s head
Throughout the novelization, Stover offers readers an opportunity to see the inner-workings of a variety of characters, including Anakin, Obi-Wan, Mace Windu, Padme, C-3PO, and even Count Dooku. But one character he refrains from doing this with is Palpatine. And for good reason.
According to Stover, “Palpatine is the ultimate embodiment of existential evil in Star Wars, which is why I avoid putting you inside his head.”
Stover continues, “He needs to be more than human, and less, and one (in-universe) key to his power is that no one, ever, can so much as guess what he’s thinking, much less his true nature. So, I decided to keep the readers guessing as well.”
Anakin’s issues with overattachment spanned further than just Padme and his mom
A small moment in the film is subtly, yet impactfully, expanded upon in Stover’s novelization. Aboard The Invisible Hand, after Anakin and Obi-Wan ‘rescue’ Palpatine, Anakin communicates with R2-D2, telling him to “get down here” and asking, “Artoo, do you copy?” That marks the end of this interaction in the film, but, in Stover’s novel, the author uses it to highlight Anakin’s difficulties with overattachment.
“Anakin’s refusal to leave R2-D2 behind was only suggested in the script,” writes Stover. “But I amplified it here to deepen the context around Anakin’s attachment problem. Anakin’s tragic flaw – what Aristotle would call hamartia – is overattachment, so I wanted to show that Anakin’s devotion goes far beyond neediness.”
Next time you watch Revenge of the Sith, you’ll probably view this little interaction differently.
George Lucas shot down the idea of Palpatine telling Anakin “I love you”
Yes, you read that right.
In Stover’s original draft, the author included a line that had Palpatine profess his love for Anakin. When Palpatine reveals himself as a Sith Lord to Anakin, the Jedi asks Palpatine, “You won’t even fight – ?” Palpatine responds by saying, “Fight you?”
“In my original draft,” Stover writes. “This line read, ‘Fight you? Anakin, I love you.’ Mr. Lucas struck out the second sentence in his line edit. My understanding is that he deleted it despite understanding that Palpatine is only lying to manipulate Anakin.”
Stover continues, “The reasoning, to the best of my recollection, was that love is so alien to the mindset of the dark side that Palpatine can’t comprehend why a lie like that might persuade someone.”
The Jedi are inherently a self-contradiction
In one of his annotations, Stover points out how the Jedi fundamentally contradict themselves.
“Jedi are great for Zen-adjacent self-contradiction,” Stover explains. “As I (and others) have observed elsewhere: Jedi are warriors for peace whose weapon is a sword with no edge, yet it is nothing but edge – and they use this killing tool as armor.”
In the words of Anakin, “I can see through the lies of the Jedi” indeed.
One of the movie’s most iconic lines was not in the original script
Stover reveals that Obi-Wan’s line, “So uncivilized” was not originally in the script for Revenge of the Sith. Rather, this was added later on to the film and, in turn, to Stover’s novel.
That’s not all. One of the movie’s most emotional moments wasn’t in the script either
Anakin brooding at the Jedi Temple as he deliberates what to do is one of the best, most understated scenes in Revenge of the Sith. With John Williams’ score swelling in the background, Anakin connects with Padme through the Force as he reckons with making a life-changing decision.
But originally, this scene was nowhere to be found in the script.
“The ‘Anakin brooding at the Temple’ scene wasn’t shot until after I delivered my draft,” Stover reveals. “Which (per the shooting script) had him accompanying the Jedi Masters when they go to arrest Palpatine.”
This ended up being a great change from George Lucas as Anakin merely tagging along with Mace Windu and company would have deprived the film of its most quietly reflective moment.
Palpatine evokes Ronald Reagan in his big speech
As Palpatine delivers his triumphant speech to the Senate declaring himself as Emperor, he tells the crowd, “It is morning in the Republic!”
Stover notes that this line was intended to mirror the slogan ‘Morning in America’ used during Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign. “Have a Sith Lord proclaim a slogan that echoes a notorious U.S. presidential campaign?” Stover says. “I would never!”
Finally we know why Obi-Wan and Yoda split up to fight Palpatine and Anakin
The third act of Revenge of the Sith sees Yoda go off to fight Darth Sidious while Obi-Wan travels to Mustafar to duel his former apprentice. But why didn’t Yoda and Obi-Wan stay together and go two-on-one against their enemies? Stover has an answer for that (sort of).
“Why not team up against Palpatine, then handle Anakin after?” Stover posits. “Yeah, I didn’t know either. I decided to hint that the dark-side iniitiation links Vader and Sidious in the Force somehow, so attacking Anakin might distract or weaken Palpatine and improve Yoda’s chances against him. Or, at least, that’s what Yoda and Obi-Wan might think.”
Twenty years later and Stover manages to answer a question we’ve had for quite some time..
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (Deluxe Edition) is out October 14, 2025!
