Prequel trilogy The prequel trilogy , released between 1999 and 2005 , consists of The prequel trilogy describes what had taken place over 32 years before the events of and it primarily focuses on a young Darth Vader , then the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker , and a young Obi - Wan Kenobi and the story of how they went from being friends to enemies and the tragedy of Anakin ' s descent into the dark side . It was the last trilogy to distributed by 20th Century Fox . Plot summary . The saga begins with a child Anakin Skywalker , the future Darth Vader , being discovered by Jedi Master Qui - Gon Jinn , who senses the boy ' s enormous potential . It is here that Skywalker first encounters the young Obi - Wan Kenobi , who himself is still but a pupil . As the first film unfolds , key characters appear , such as Padmé Amidala , R2 - D2 , C - 3PO , Yoda , and the villainous Sheev Palpatine , who is a mere Senator in the Galactic Republic at the time . After a debate with the Jedi Council , one which includes the possible resurface of the Sith in addition to Skywalker , it is decided that Anakin will not be trained as a Jedi . At the end of the film , the Sith , Darth Maul , leads an attack against the Jedi on Naboo , and only the tragic death of Qui - Gon at his hands persuades the Jedi to reconsider their decision . Anakin Skywalker then becomes Obi - Wan ' s apprentice in the ways of the Force . Over the course of the next two films , the Clone Wars begin between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems . Episode II starts with mysterious attempts on Padmé Amidala ' s life . While Obi - Wan Kenobi investigates the attacker , Anakin takes Padmé off Coruscant to her home planet of Naboo . During the course of her protection , the two become entwined in a romantic relationship , furthering Anakin ' s future fall from the Jedi ways . Meanwhile , Obi - Wan discovers that , for years , Kaminoan s have been growing and training clones for use by the Republic . This discovery also brings Jango Fett and his son Boba out of hiding . The two escape to Geonosis , where Obi - Wan follows them and discovers the leaders of the Confederacy of Independent Systems , including fallen Jedi Master Count Dooku . Anakin , after his mother is brutally murdered by Tusken Raider s on Tatooine , feels the pull of the dark side growing stronger in himself and his surroundings . On Geonosis , Obi - Wan is captured , and the Jedi Council asks Anakin and Padmé to remain where they are . Padmé , however , decides to go to Obi - Wan ' s aid despite the urgings of the Council , forcing Anakin to follow her . They are also captured after a brief scuffle , and the trio are nearly executed in the arena . Moments before this , many Jedi appear and begin attacking the native Geonosians and battle droid s alike . The Senate gives newly elected Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine emergency powers to raise an army of clones ( cloned from the notorious bounty hunter Jango Fett ) to combat the rising Separatist threat . These clones are also dispatched to Geonosis to attack the Confederacy . While the major battle unfolds , presaging what the Clone Wars will become , Count Dooku escapes , the clones become the Grand Army of the Republic , and Anakin and Padmé fall in love , a love that must be kept hidden from the Jedi , including Obi - Wan . The film opens with a brutal attack on Coruscant . General Grievous leads the attack , while Count Dooku holds the Supreme Chancellor hostage . When Clone War veterans Skywalker and Kenobi are dispatched to rescue him , Dooku is killed but the droid general escapes . Palpatine has managed to gain almost unlimited power over the Galactic Senate , and Anakin , who is pushed closer and closer to the dark side of the Force , has become close friends with him , deeply troubling his fellow Jedi . His secret wife , Padmé Amidala , is pregnant and stays at her apartment on Coruscant as Obi - Wan leaves for the Utapau system to search for Grievous . Leading an army of clones , Kenobi finds and destroys the droid general . At first , the Jedi Council does not heed Skywalker ' s revelation that Palpatine is the Sith Lord , Darth Sidious . Upon realizing their error , the Jedi Council moves to confront the Chancellor . Master Mace Windu and three other Jedi Master s attempt to arrest Sidious . However , they are overcome , and with the help of the fallen Skywalker , the Jedi are all killed . With this act , Anakin becomes Darth Vader . His convictions that the Jedi are behind the treachery cause him to lead the destruction of the Jedi Order . Palpatine issues Order 66 , whereupon many Jedi are slaughtered by the clone trooper s . Darth Vader conquers the Jedi Temple and sets the Jedi beacon to call all remaining Jedi back to the temple into an ambush waiting to slaughter them . After Vader leaves for Mustafar , Yoda and Obi - Wan infiltrate the temple , where Obi - Wan alters the signal to alert all Jedi to stay away . While in the temple , Obi - Wan activates the security recording , leading him to learn the truth about Anakin . With this knowledge , Yoda and Obi - Wan agree the two Sith Lords must be defeated . Yoda would remain on Coruscant to confront Darth Sidious , while Obi - Wan would battle his former apprentice . Yoda fails to defeat the Sith Lord , and , escaping with his life at the end of the battle , determines to go into exile . Obi - Wan , meanwhile , learns Anakin is responsible for Padmé ' s pregnancy . Padmé , afraid for Anakin , leaves for the volcanic world of Mustafar , where Vader has been sent to assassinate the remaining Separatist leaders , effectively ending the war . After sneaking aboard Padmé ' s ship , Obi - Wan confronts Vader on Mustafar . The two engage in a duel , which results in Vader suffering the loss of his limbs , severe burns , and damage to his lungs . Obi - Wan leaves his longtime friend and former apprentice for dead , and takes the critically injured Padmé with him . Vader is rescued by Sidious and encased in a life - support suit . Padmé dies in childbirth , and the Skywalker twins , Luke and Leia , are separated ; Leia is adopted by Senator Bail Organa and his wife , while Luke is taken in by Beru and Owen Lars . ( Owen was the son of Cliegg Lars , the man who freed and then married Shmi , Anakin ' s mother . ) C - 3PO and R2 - D2 are now in the custody of Bail Organa with C - 3PO ' s memory getting wiped in order to have the twins split - up and protected . On Naboo , mourners carry their former monarch , their beloved elected queen , through the streets of Theed . Clutched in her hands is the carving Anakin gave her when he was a young boy . Yoda begins his exile on Dagobah . On Alaaderan , Bail and his wife adopt Leia . On Tatooine , Obi - Wan delivers Luke to the Lars ' where he will be safe before going in exile on Tatooine . Sidious and Vader rise to take control first of the Senate and then of the galaxy , using the power gained from both sides of the Clone Wars and forming the Galactic Empire . The two Sith oversee the construction of the first Death Star , a glimpse of the dark times to come .