TheForce.Net - Episode III - Just The Facts

Just The Facts: Story & Characters

Maintained By -Commander_Thigh-

Last Updated: February 6th, 2005

Please note, the info in this section contains spoilers.

Aayla Secura
Anakin Skywalker
Bail Organa
C-3PO
Chewbacca
Clonetroopers
Count Dooku
Creatures
Droids
EU Character
General Grievous
Jar Jar Binks
Ki-Adi-Mundi
Luke & Leia
Mace Windu
Mon Mothma
Nute Gunray & Neimodians
Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi
Owen & Beru Lars

Padmé Skywalker
Palpatine
R2-D2
Tion Meddon
Wookiees
Yoda
Other Character Info

The Duel
Fights & Battles

Timeline
Color & Theme
Plot Points
Ships & Vehicles
Scenes
Sets & Locations

Overall

(Blue text indicates an update)

Palpatine

"We will see more interaction between Anakin and Palpatine." - RM
Palpatine has several scenes with Anakin. - PH
"We will see the emperor and/or Anakin make use of the dark side of the force with lightning, chokes and more." - RM
We will definitely see Palpatine/Sidious use an "awesome display of the dark side of the force". - RM
Much of Palpatine's plan will be revealed in Ep3. - OS
Palpatine discusses a new assignment to Anakin in a scene in the Chancellor's office. - OS
One scene will be a Coruscant theater which will feature tiers of viewing boxes and an elaborate stage show for entertainment yet to be determined. Palpatine will be in this scene and a clue is that the show may be "refined and sophisticated". Palpatine will be seated, awaiting a guest. He will by joined by his aides Sly Moore and Mas Amedda and a pair of red robed guards. - OS
Palpatine and his entourage will be watching some performance art (Coruscant Theater) at one point in the film. The art will be created by ILM. - PH
The Coruscant theater scene with Palpatine will not be intercut with other sequences. - PH
A scene will feature Palpatine, Mas Amedda, and four red-robed guards in which they depart in a large shuttle. - OS
A scene will include Obi-Wan, Anakin, Palpatine, Mace, and Bail Organa - as well as a swarm of Senators and planetary representatives, alien and human alike. - OS
Palpatine discusses a new assignment to Anakin in the Chancellor's Office. - OS
The Senate Rotunda scene will include Chancellor Palpatine, Sly Moore and Mas Amedda in their familiar positions on the Chancellor's podium. - OS
C-3PO has scene(s) with Palpatine in Ep3. - AD
Ian McDiarmid (Palpatine) has a much larger and important role in Episode III (for obvious reasons). - OS
When asked if he had a favorite character in Ep3, Rick stated that he thought Palpatine was fantastic. - RM
The most often-quoted line on set is one spoken by Palpatine, which is cool and will likely make many a person's email signature. - PH
In Pablo's opinion, the most dramatic scene of shooting he has witnessed so far was the day Palpatine delivered a riveting performance, and the entire crew applauded because it was so well done. - PH
Regarding Ian's intensity in playing Palpatine in Ep3, "Ian doesn't hold anything back." - PH
Jimmy Smits and Ian McDiarmid seemed to be the actors that enjoyed wearing their costumes the most. Both have many more costumes than previous films and a number of costumes that could almost match Padm?'s wardrobe in size. - TB
Palatine has more than one look/style of appearance in the film. - PH
Overall, Palpatine has much more screen time than Sidious. But Sidious will have much more screen time than seen in Ep2. - PH
Darth Sidious will remove his hood.- PH
Darth Sidious communicates with one of his evil henchmen via hologram. - OS
"You'd imagine that my character has been rather deskbound in the past but this time he will get to take part in the action. I can't give the story away as George Lucas would kill me but I have been engaged in far more physical activities than any of the other films. I have found myself sliding down chutes at speed and landing on heaps of rubber, it's been a completely new experience for me. I haven't had to go down the gym to get fit for the scenes but I did need a few rehearsals to get up to speed. Most of my scenes have been with Anakin Skywalker who eventually becomes Darth Vader." - IM
Darth Sidious uses his lightsaber. -NG
Darth Sidious will talk to people via hologram in Ep3. - OS
Ep3 will explain how and why Palpatine looks the way he does in ROTJ and why he did not look like that in Ep1 & 2. - PH
Sidious gets his hands dirty in this one. - PH
Darth Sidious has much more screentime in Ep3 than he did in Ep2. - PH
There will be three shots that establish the upscale entertainment venue wherein Palpatine catches a show in the posh Coruscant theater, filled to capacity with the high society of the capital planet. The theater is in the upper strata of the "entertainment district," the glassy neon-filled expanse that Obi-Wan and Anakin tore through in Episode II. The exterior of the building has an immense spot lit globe that presumably contains the auditorium. With a laser pointer, George points out possible places for limo traffic and droid valets to congregate. Palpatine's will be seated in one of several balconies. There will be many rows of stadium seating. But what draws the eye in certain camera angle is a bizarre zero gravity performance art of alien design which will be accompanied by unique alien music. While the show will demand attention, there is also important dialogue to be heard in the scene. - OS
In the theater balcony, Palpatine is accompanied by Mas Amedda, Sly Moore, and a pair of Royal Guards, plus another face. A computer-generated alien sits to the left behind the Supreme Chancellor. The alien guest isn't terribly important -- it's just there for visual diversity. - PH
Darth Sidious is a human, in case there was any doubt. - PH
There is nothing in Ep3 addressing anti-alien politics by Palpatine. That is left for the EU. - PH
For the scenes of Anakin and Palpatine in the Chancellor's office, George brought down the warmer values that were on stage, making everything a bit cooler, a bit more blue. It occurs during midday and he wants to provide a greater contrast to the warmer scenes that occur when Padm? and a group of concerned Senators meet with the Chancellor at dusk. - OS
Palpatine will not know about Luke and Leia. - PH
There is definitely more backstory developed for Palpatine in Episode III. By 2005, you'll know more about Palpatine than you ever did -- which I realize, isn't saying much. But you'll get some idea of his origins. - PH
In one scene, Palpatine leads the way as Senators and Representatives follow closely: Bail Organa, Jar Jar Binks, Orn Free Taa, Mon Mothma, Tundra Dowmeia and his new aide. Fang Zar, Giddean Danu, Mal?-Dee, Nee Alvar, Chi Eekway, Terr Taneel, and Fema Baab are there as well, along with the as-yet-unnamed Mon Calamari Senator. - OS
In one scene, Chancellor Palpatine and his entourage will be met by Mace Windu as he enters the Senate building. - OS
There is a scene where Anakin and Palpatine discuss the ongoing war in Palpatine's private office. - OS
Anakin rushes through the theater lobby and up a grand staircase, weaving his way through the crowd of 50 extras that make up the theater lobby crowd. He goes into the entrance of Palpatine's private viewing box. - OS
The theater sequence consists of a ballet, held at the opera house, where Palpatine discusses an old play. - OS
As Chancellor Palpatine arrives at the Senate building, Mace Windu asks, "Chancellor Palpatine. What a welcome sight. Are you all right?" - OS
In the scene mentioned above, Mace and Palpatine were originally supposed to meet in an industrial area of Coruscant, before the Chancellor would be shuttled off to a Senate landing platform and greeted by assembled dignitaries. In the new version of this scene, Mace is at the Senate landing platform with the rest of the dignitaries. Mace and Palpatine film a most civil exchange, pleasantries included, although veiled with tension. - OS
The war has strained the relationship between the Jedi and the Chancellor. - OS
There is a scene of dialogue between Anakin and Palpatine in the Supreme Chancellor's office. - OS
A new corridor extends from the familiar offices of Chancellor Palpatine to a new, more secure private office. Here, the Chancellor is able to make holographic contact with his underlings in private, and a display screen allows him to track the progress of the Clone Wars. - OS
Crucial decisions of galactic and personal importance are made in the Supreme Chancellor's Office, the most important chamber in the galaxy. - OS
A new doorway in Palpatine's office leads into his more secure chambers. - OS
Chancellor Palpatine praises Anakin Skywalker as they walk through a cavernous corridor within the Galactic Senate building. - OS
Standing before a frieze depicting an ancient event, Palpatine wistfully recalls better days to his guest, Anakin Skywalker. - OS
As numerous plots and conspiracies enter their respective endgames, Chancellor Palpatine is once again witness to momentous events that will forever change the Republic. - OS
In Episode III, some of the meetings that take place in Chancellor Palpatine's office are considerably less civil than in previous films. - OS
No one tries to assassinate Palpatine during the theater sequence. - PH
Bail has two roles; to be one of the early architects of resistance to Palpatine's regime, and to become Leia Organa's foster father. His role will be fully realized by the end of Episode III. - PH
We will not see the erecting of the large Palpatine statue from Return of the Jedi: Special Edition's Coruscant scene in Episode III. - PH
Palpatine has no unusual connection to Kashyyyk, as far as the movie's concerned. - PH
Chancellor Palpatine was not once Sifo Dyas. - PH
We will not see Grievous in Palpatine's antechamber (private office), nor on Coruscant, in Episode III. - PH
Dooku knows the true identity of Darth Sidious. - PH
Sidious is not a thousand years old; there have been other Sith lords between 1000 years ago and Darth Sidious. - PH
Padm? and Palpatine will not have a show-down in the Senate, but there is some concerned discussion between the two in more private chambers. - PH
Palpatine will have the title "Emperor" by the end of Episode III. - PH
Palpatine's first/last name will not be revealed in Episode III. - PH
Palpatine is not in love with Padm?. - PH
Darth Sidious does not have a clone of himself. - PH
We will not see any type of new secret fortress or castle for Sidious in Episode III. - PH
For much of his early appearances, Darth Sidious is a hologram transmitting from an undisclosed location. - PH
R2-D2 has not been passing on information to Palpatine. - PH
Palpatine is not a twin or brother of Darth Sidious. - PH
"We've never really seen the Emperor without his hood on, and now for Episode III we're going to see what he looks like." - DE
The Emperor's new look includes new contact lenses and new teeth. - OS
The Supreme Chancellor expands his power and controls the Galactic Senate. As the Clone Wars rage, he sets into motion the final part of his plan to rule the galaxy and destroy the Jedi. - AFCB
Anakin finds his loyalties divided between the Jedi Council and his trusted mentor, Palpatine. Even as a distraught Padm? tries to help Anakin deal with his conflicting emotions, the young Jedi is in a quandary, pulled more and more into the beguiling embrace of the dark side. - THC
Mace Windu discusses his growing concerns about Palpatine with the other members of the Jedi Council. - THC
Palpatine helps Anakin secure a place on the Jedi Council. - THC
"One of the themes throughout the films is that the Sith Lords, when they started out thousands of years ago, embraced the Dark Side. They were greedy and self-centered and they all wanted to take over, so they killed each other. Eventually there was only one left, and that one took on an apprentice. And for thousands of years, the master would teach the apprentice, the master would die, the apprentice would then teach another apprentice, the master, and so on. But there could never be any more than two of them, because if there were, they would try to get rid of the leader, which is exactly what Vader was trying to do, and that's exactly what the Emperor was trying to do. The Emperor was trying to get rid of Vader, and Vader was trying to get rid of the Emperor. And that is the antithesis of a symbiotic relationship, in which if you do that, you become cancer, and you eventually kill the host, and everything dies." - GL
Anakin's amazing piloting abilities make the difference in a daring mission to rescue Chancellor Palpatine, who has been kidnapped by Separatist forces. - OS
The Separatist commerce barons know that Dooku's master is Darth Sidious. - PH
Anakin runs through the entrance to the Chancellor's offices on his way to meet with Palpatine. - OS
In one scene, Anakin pulls up in his protractor-shaped speeder past a line of limousines, rushing up a staircase filled with Coruscant glitterati, tearing down a burnished hallway, and finally arriving at the Chancellor's executive box. - OS
Pertaining to whether Sidious is right-handed or left-handed with a lightsaber, he's ambidextrous. He's just that good. - NG
Sidious' abilities are beyond anything we've experienced. - NG
It took a really long time for Nick (Gillard) to work out Sidious' fighting style, and he has a style that's constantly changing. His style is one in which you'll never get the better of him. It is ambiguous --- he'll fight less than you and draw you in; you're a sucker if you think you're going to better him. - NG
Sidious is a master of every weapon and every style. - NG
By Episode III, the Sith are ready to reveal themselves. There's no more need for subterfuge, no more need for skulking in the shadows. Darth Sidious, the Sith mastermind, will make good on a 1000-year plot to finally avenge the fallen order, destroy the Jedi Knights, and retake command of the galaxy. - PH
In the Jedi levels of lightsaber fighting, Obi-Wan is an eight, while Anakin, Yoda and Darth Sidious are nines. - Homing Beacon
Level nine, the highest level of lightsaber fighting, is occupied by a small number of capable sword masters, including Yoda and Darth Sidious. At so high a ranking, it comes down to individual fighting styles as well as the circumstances of the surroundings that make a difference. - Homing Beacon

The holographic specter of Darth Sidious makes contact with Separatist masterminds on the hellish world of Mustafar. - OS

Yoda has had enough. The diminutive Jedi Master strides into Chancellor Palpatine's outer office, ignoring the Emperor's "Royal" Guards, to confront Palpatine. - Insider #80

[Anakin] converts from Jedi to Sith without knowing it or even wanting it and becomes enmeshed in a trap by the Emperor. - CL

A cowled Anakin receives instruction and words of dark wisdom from his new mentor. "The Council's first move will be against the Senate," Anakin says. He listens to a few more words from Sidious. "I understand, Master." - OS

In the years since the onset of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi has become a Jedi Master serving as a General in the ongoing war against the Separatists. After rescuing Chancellor Palpatine from the clutches of General Grievous, the dreaded commander of the droid armies, Obi-Wan tracks Grievous to the sinkhole planet of Utapau, where he must destroy him if the war is to end. - MR

Acronym Key:

GL = George Lucas (Director)
OS = Official Site (starwars.com)
RM = Rick McCallum (Producer)
CF = Colin Fletcher (First Assistant Director)
NP = Natalie Portman (Actress)
HC = Hayden Christensen
RB = Roger Barton (Film Editor)
IM = Ian McDiarmid (Actor)
GT = Genndy Tartakovsky (Clone Wars Animated Series Creator)
C2 = Celebration II
BB = Ben Burtt (Sound Editor)
JEJ = James Earl Jones (Voice Actor)
JK = John Knoll (Visual Effects/ILM)
PE = Paul Ens (Official Site)
GB = Gavin Bocquet (Production Designer)
JE = Joel Edgerton (Actor)
PM = Peter Mayhew (Actor)
RC = Rob Coleman (Visual Effects/ILM Supervisor)
AA = Amy Allen (Actress)
BS = Bruce Spence (Actor)
BL = Bai Ling (Actress)
CSC = Caroline de Souza Correa (Actress)
NG = Nikki Gooley (Makeup Supervisor)
JB = Jon Berg (Modelmaker)
EL = Euisung Lee (Animatics Artist)
LP = Lorne Peterson (Modelmaker)
DW = David Weitzberg (Visual Effects Artist)
MR = Master Replicas (Prop Replica Company)
DE = Dave Elsey (Creature Shop Creative Supervisor)
AD = Anthony Daniels (Actor)
MW = Matthew Wood (Supervising Sound Editor/Voice Actor)
TB = Trisha Biggar (Costume Designer)
SLJ = Samuel L. Jackson (Actor)
PH = Pablo Hidalgo (Official Site, Webcam)
RC = Ryan Church (Concept Artist)
DG = Dan Gregoire (Pre-Visualization Effects Supervisor)
DB = Don Bies (Droid Unit Supervisor)
NG = Nick Gillard (Stunt Coordinator/Swordmaster)
THC = Topps Heritage Card
AFCB = Action Figure Card Back
MK = Michael Kingma (Actor)
CL = Christopher Lee (Actor)
JL = James Luceno (Writer)
BG = Brian Gernand (Model Supervisor)