21 Years Later, The Prequels’ Best Line Is Still The Greatest Quote In Star Wars History

21 years later, the best line in the Star Wars prequel trilogy is still the most impactful quote in the franchise’s history. George Lucas’ Star Wars prequels have been widely derided for their clunky dialogue. From Anakin’s infamous “I don’t like sand” diatribe in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s “I have the high ground!” in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (and most of Jar Jar Binks’ lines in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace), a lot of the trilogy’s most memorable quotes are best ignored.

And yet, amid the clunky exposition and awkward character interactions, Lucas’ scripts did include flashes of brilliance. This is most noticeable in Revenge of the Sith when Palpatine’s master plan is finally set into motion, as he destroys the Jedi’s credibility in the public eye, decimates their ranks, and assumes total control over the Republic, all while naming himself Emperor. Palpatine’s speech in the Senate is genuinely terrifying. His false claims are so readily accepted, offering a horrific glimpse of the Empire’s coming oppressive rule and the immense willpower that will be needed to fight it.

One of a handful of senators left with any shred of decency and courage during this scene is Padmé Amidala. In response to Palpatine’s speech, Padmé quietly says her most famous quote, perfectly summing up the death of the Republic and the way fascism spreads and infects everything and everyone it touches: “So this is how liberty dies: with thunderous applause.” Natalie Portman delivers the line with real confidence and depth, forever cementing it as one of the most important quotes of the prequel trilogy and Star Wars as a whole.

Of course, what makes this all the more tragic is that, while Padmé continues to believe in and fight for democracy, her husband, Anakin, is directly involved with Palpatine’s takeover, doing his bidding and slaughtering innocent lives. It’s an incredible sequence, one that holds up a mirror to history and our current political climate and captures the ease with which dictators control the narrative. Tell a lie enough times, and people will believe it. Tell it some more, and they’ll celebrate their own downfall.

Padmé Amidala’s Legacy Lives On In Other Star Wars Characters

While Padmé Amidala never got the chance to decry Emperor Palpatine in public or join the Rebel Alliance’s fight against the Empire, her political legacy lived on in other characters, including her daughter, Leia Organa, and her Star Wars: The Clone Wars-era friends, Bail Organa and Senator Mon Mothma. Both Bail and Mon became integral members of the Rebel Alliance. Though the Rebellion was initially built in the shadows, Mon eventually publicly allied herself with the Rebels, risking her life with a daring and astounding speech in the Imperial Senate, as seen in Andor season 2.

It’s not a stretch to believe that Padmé’s iconic line had a direct influence on Andor‘s storytelling. While Andor technically functions as a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the original Star Wars movie, thematically, it’s the perfect bridge between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Cassian Andor’s story is A New Hope‘s prequel, while Mon’s story is Revenge of the Sith’s sequel. The way Tony Gilroy and his team brought them together is what makes it such an incredible narrative experience.

Mon’s powerful speech in Andor season 2 is the perfect counter to Palpatine’s speech in Revenge of the Sith. She calls out the importance of honesty and justice and the vileness of the Imperial Senate’s refusal to acknowledge the Ghorman massacre. Unlike Palpatine, everything she says is objectively true, and her words have a ripple effect across the galaxy:

“I believe we are in crisis. The distance between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monsters scream the loudest. This chamber’s hold on the truth was finally lost on the Ghorman Plaza. What took place yesterday, what happened yesterday on Ghorman, was unprovoked genocide. Yes, genocide! And that truth has been exiled from this chamber. And the monster screaming the loudest, the monster we’ve helped create, the monster who will come for us all soon enough, is Emperor Palpatine.”

During the Clone Wars, both Mon Mothma and Senator Amidala were staunch defenders of democracy and against the escalation of violence. If she could have been, there’s no denying that Padmé would have been right there beside Mon that day. Both women understood the threat of the Empire long before the rest of the galaxy did. Andor is one of the best things that Star Wars has ever produced. It wouldn’t have existed without Lucas’ astute political arc in Revenge of the Sith, however, and Padmé Amidala’s liberty quote is at the heart of that story.

Release Date

May 19, 2005

Runtime

140 Minutes

Producers

Rick McCallum