The True Villains of the Star Wars Prequel Movies

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There were plenty of antagonists in the Star Wars™ prequels. Encompassing three films — The Phantom Menace™, Attack of the Clones™, and Revenge of the Sith™ — the trilogy certainly had its share of bad guys. Many, such as battle droids, various bounty hunters like Jango Fett, and the Geonosians, however, were minor bumps on a road to total darkness.

So that begs the question: Who were the bad guys in the Star Wars prequels? As in, the ones who really mattered. The ones who changed the galaxy as our heroes knew it. Below, let’s break down some of the most vital Star Wars prequel villains.

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Trade Federation

Don’t be fooled by Viceroy Nute Gunray and Rune Haako’s appearances. Although these bad guys didn’t look particularly scary or strong, they wielded considerable insidious influence over the galaxy as leaders of the Trade Federation. The Trade Federation was one of the largest and wealthiest corporations in existence. Although they were not a government body nor advocates of any specific planet, they even had a representative in the Galactic Senate who would lobby for their capitalist/criminal interests.

Greedy and corrupt, the Trade Federation would have aligned themselves with anyone who could make them richer. The Viceroy therefore offered the Federation’s allegiance to Darth Sidious and the Sith. For instance, in The Phantom Menace, the Trade Federation instigated the invasion of Naboo which jeopardized both the life and rule of Queen Amidala.

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Separatists

Members of the Confederacy of Independent Systems were colloquially referred to as Separatists. The Separatist Alliance mostly consisted of corrupted corporate officials or leaders of star systems who wanted to excessively tax their planets’ residents. Since the democratic New Republic was diametrically opposed to this idea, the Separatists had to work their way inside like a parasite. Many Separatists were secretly backed by businesses and even the Sith.

Ultimately, the Separatists were an extreme political threat. Their greed completely changed the galaxy. They were to blame for most of the unease and unrest in the galaxy. In fact, their revolt against democracy was the main cause of the Clone Wars — a majorly destructive intergalactic conflict that claimed the lives of civilians, Jedi, and clone troopers alike.

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General Grievous

General Grievous was no Sith — nor a Jedi or Inquisitor, for that matter. Yet he collected and wielded multiple lightsabers. That’s because he stole them from the bodies of fallen foes. In battle, General Grievous was an extremely formidable opponent who slaughtered ruthlessly and indiscriminately. He commanded Separatist droid armies, using them to absolutely annihilate any people or places he deemed an obstacle to Imperial rule.

In Revenge of the Sith, General Grievous was responsible for many Jedi deaths. He also proved an extreme obstacle to Obi-Wan Kenobi while fighting in the Outer Rim. While Obi-Wan eventually defeated the General, it was not without a lot of hard work and blaster instead of a saber. Ultimately, Grievous’ downfall was that he was more of a living weapon than any sort of strategist.

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Darth Maul

Darth Maul was one of the most impressive Sith Apprentices of all time. Silent, intelligent, and patient, the Dathomirian stalked the Jedi duo Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi across the stars. Darth Maul was a true predator who did not give up on his prey. Once he finally had them cornered, he showcased incredible skills with a dual-bladed red lightsaber. Between its fiery glow, his horned head, and his red and black markings, he was utterly terrifying.

But what brought Maul the most acclaim was his defeat of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon was beloved by the Jedi Order and widely considered one of the most skilled warriors in their ranks. It was a major shock when a Sith emerged who was capable of killing such an esteemed fighter. Of course, Maul was cut in half for his efforts by Obi-Wan. However, he survived and bided his time until he could exact revenge.

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Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus

Count Dooku was a Sith Lord who was once a powerful Jedi — and Apprentice to Yoda. However, Dooku was dissatisfied with the Jedi Order’s ideology and hypocrisy. So he defected, and then sought to impose “peace” and order upon the worlds with a dictatorship full of violence and fear. Obviously, his fall to the dark side was helped by his Master Darth Sidious. Count Dooku revered his new master and thus led a pan-galactic secessionist movement against the Republic in order to help Sidious conquer the galaxy.

Far too late, Dooku realized he was just a pawn in a larger scheme. Although Dooku guaranteed success for his Master, his Master viewed him as disposable once his usefulness ran out. So Dooku primed the galaxy for the taking by inciting civil war. And then his Master orchestrated his murder at the hands of a new Apprentice. Unfortunately, Dooku clearly forgot that pesky Sith Rule of Two — where only one Master and one Apprentice can exist at a time.

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Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader

Anakin Skywalker did not begin a bad guy. Born into slavery on the planet Tatooine, young Anakin grew up with aspirations of a life and legacy beyond the sand dunes. His freedom was granted early on when the Jedi realized his potential as a Force user. However, Anakin had to leave his mother behind on the planet. He did not see her again until she died a prisoner of Sand People. The incident irreparably damaged Anakin’s relationship to justice as well as soured his belief in Jedi principles. This led to violence, anger, and hatred within him — emotions that would eventually culminate in his downfall.

Darth Vader killed younglings and helped carry out the galaxy-wide Jedi purge. While Darth Vader wanted power to save his loved ones from death, he sadly achieved the opposite. His actions caused his wife, Padmé Amidala, to die. Vader’s children, as well as his Master and friend Obi-Wan Kenobi, survived. Unfortunately, he and Obi-Wan became enemies from that moment on. Additionally, Anakin’s kids, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, were not aware of their true heritage until much later in life.

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Sheev Palpatine / Darth Sidious

Darth Sidious was the mastermind behind all the struggle and strife in a galaxy far, far away. The Sith Lord masqueraded as the quiet and peaceful Senator Sheev Palpatine. While acting innocent, he orchestrated the complete downfall of the Jedi. He also manipulated Anakin Skywalker, plotted the new uprising of the Sith, and programmed the clones to execute Order 66. Basically, nobody was safe from his malicious ministrations.

And that’s not all! Emperor Palpatine went on to weave a sinister web throughout the Skywalker Saga. The Emperor, a main villain in the original trilogy, also made an appearance in the sequel trilogy. By cloning himself and his powerful M-count, he kept causing trouble behind the scenes. Then, he showed himself for the villain he was when he revealed he had manipulated Ben Solo/Kylo Ren like his grandfather before him. The Skywalkers have a lot of grief to blame on this bad guy.

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