Star Wars prequel questions

[Morrus]

Naboo's standing forces were a big enough organization to have both an air force and organized ground troops.

We see, what a handful of fighters and a half dozen palace security guards?

If you want to call that an 'army' I guess I can't stop you, but it's not how I would use the term. But sure, if you define an army as a handful of fighters and a half dozen palace security guards, then Naboo had an army.

They have an army like the Vatican has an army.

They had their own custom designed and built starfighters that were kept on call. With enough fighters to take on the Trade Federation fleet in space and succeed.

They succeeded because Anakin did wacky plot hijinks and blew up the control ship. The starfighters did very little.

I think we see at least a dozen fighters in the movie, and they had enough that they could afford to let one go missing without it being a problem. On the ground, the Trade Federation had at least a dozen tanks and a dozen troop carriers that probably held about a thousand battle droids each. The Gungan's weren't winning against them, but they also weren't overwhelmed. They had nearly matching manpower and enough firepower available on instant call to hold their own against them.

They didn't hold their own, though--they lost against them. The droids rounded them all and then they surrendered.

Then the droids all shut down because of Anakin's aforementioned wacky plot hijinks. Otherwise the Gungans would have been toast.

 

[payn]

I know you dislike animation. However, The Clone Wars animated series does a fantastic job fleshing everything out between Episodes II and III. The Separatists have their own government and everything.

There's another facet to the Clone Wars that hasn't been mentioned yet: with the exception of Dooku, the Confederacy of Independent Systems was run by money-grubbing alien CEOs. By cooking up a war in which they were the face of the "bad guys", Palpatine was able to sway public sentiment in the Republic-turned-Empire against both aliens and corporations. This in addition to turning public sentiment against the Jedi and droids in general. Old Palps was playing 4D chess during the Clone Wars.

That answers one of my questions I guess about Dooku. Namely why he was a formidable foe at the end of Clones but barley an inconvenience in Revenge.

Im one of those Skywalker saga only folks that doesnt play the video games, watch the anime, read the novels, collect the comics. So, it seems I missed a lot.

 

[Zardnaar]

That answers one of my questions I guess about Dooku. Namely why he was a formidable foe at the end of Clones but barley an inconvenience in Revenge.

Im one of those Skywalker saga only folks that doesnt play the video games, watch the anime, read the novels, collect the comics. So, it seems I missed a lot.

Dooku was old and Darkside made him weaker as time went on.

And Anakin was drawing on the darkside more.

Prequel wra Jedi were also comparatively weak.

In universe explanation.

 

[payn]

Dooku was old and Darksidenade him weaker as tine went on.

Maybe, but screen time it felt like a couple hours.

And Analin was drawing on the darkside more.

Prequel wra Jedi were also comparatively weak.

In universe explanation.

That dont sound right, but I dont know enough to argue.

 

[Zardnaar]

Maybe, but screen time it felt like a couple hours.

That dont sound right, but I dont know enough to argue.

1000 years of peace. Jedi did karate and Sith trained MMA.

In D&D terms Jedi took feats like skill focus diplomacy. Sith took Power attack: maul Jedi.

 

[The Firebird]

That answers one of my questions I guess about Dooku. Namely why he was a formidable foe at the end of Clones but barley an inconvenience in Revenge.

I also don't engage with much beyond the movies. But I always took Dooku as being at similar strength. Narratively, it works that way to show Anakin's growth. In I and II, you see him as a kid and then a talented but still immature teen. The start of III shows you Obi Wan and Anakin together at the height of their powers. Then forces Anakin and Dooku into a 1:1 conflict to demonstrate Anakin has surpassed him.

There is a lot more to say about Dooku. The scene where he tries to turn Obi Wan is interesting because in a very real sense, Dooku is right--the Republic is corrupt, infiltrated by the Sith, and rebellion is justified. It seems that he has his own plan to betray Palpatine which never bears fruit.

 

[jian]

I also don't engage with much beyond the movies. But I always took Dooku as being at similar strength. Narratively, it works that way to show Anakin's growth. In I and II, you see him as a kid and then a talented but still immature teen. The start of III shows you Obi Wan and Anakin together at the height of their powers. Then forces Anakin and Dooku into a 1:1 conflict to demonstrate Anakin has surpassed him.

There is a lot more to say about Dooku. The scene where he tries to turn Obi Wan is interesting because in a very real sense, Dooku is right--the Republic is corrupt, infiltrated by the Sith, and rebellion is justified. It seems that he has his own plan to betray Palpatine which never bears fruit.

Yes, I thought it quite possible that Obi-Wan, as a righteous knight who was effectively his grandson (grand-padawan), represented his only possible redemption and salvation to Dooku, the only chance to return to the man he had once been.

Dooku was twisted and evil, embittered by his long and pointless life of service to the Jedi ideal (the last straw was probably Qui-Gonn’s death), but he also probably knew that Palpatine had caused his padawan’s death and was up for some revenge if possible. As a powerful and good man apparently uncorrupted by the Jedi philosophy, Obi-Wan might have represented to Dooku his only chance to actually do some good and get some payback too. Not sure how that could have realistically worked out, though telling Obi-Wan that Sidious was Palpatine would have been a great start.

 

[Morrus]

I also don't engage with much beyond the movies. But I always took Dooku as being at similar strength. Narratively, it works that way to show Anakin's growth. In I and II, you see him as a kid and then a talented but still immature teen. The start of III shows you Obi Wan and Anakin together at the height of their powers. Then forces Anakin and Dooku into a 1:1 conflict to demonstrate Anakin has surpassed him.

There is a lot more to say about Dooku. The scene where he tries to turn Obi Wan is interesting because in a very real sense, Dooku is right--the Republic is corrupt, infiltrated by the Sith, and rebellion is justified. It seems that he has his own plan to betray Palpatine which never bears fruit.

Anakin literally says “my powers have doubled since we last met”. There’s nothing in the movies to suggest Dooku is weaker, but it makes clear that Anakin is much more powerful than he was.

 

[pukunui]

After their duel, Palpatine subtly used the Force to push Anakin into decapitating Dooku instead of taking him prisoner. It's entirely possible he had also been subtly hampering Dooku and/or empowering Anakin during their fight.

 

[Morrus]

After their duel, Palpatine subtly used the Force to push Anakin into decapitating Dooku

Did he?