Steven Spielberg Contributed to Star Wars' Saddest Moment

Revenge of the Sith featured one of the saddest sequences in Star Wars. But it wouldn't have been nearly as tragic without Steven Spielberg.

Part of what has made Star Wars so beloved for so many decades has been how it's told many stories for all ages that feel different from anything that came before or in the future. For example, The Mandalorian has become a perfect example of action-adventure, and Star Wars: The Bad Batch leaned more into political thrills and drama to balance the moments of action and excitement. But one thing that has always played a huge role in the franchise has been emotion.

Whether feeling the victory from defeating the Empire or the heartache of seeing Obi-Wan Kenobi's old apprentice become Darth Vader, emotion sold each moment in a galaxy far, far away. However, one of the most emotional moments in The Skywalker Saga came in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith with the execution of Order 66 and the purge of the Jedi across the galaxy. While each death in the brief montage was tragic, it was the keen eye of George Lucas' close friend Steven Spielberg that tipped the scene over the edge and into the history books.

Order 66 Is Star Wars' Most Defining Moment

Order 66 was the systematic eradication of the Jedi during the Clone Wars by Clone Troopers programmed to kill them without hesitation. Revenge of the Sith was the first widespread look at this moment and showed the deaths of many Jedi, as well as a siege on the Jedi Temple. This also included the tragic slaughter of Younglings that were hidden in the Jedi Council room by Darth Vader. But this wouldn't be the only time Order 66 would be covered as shows like The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Star Wars: The Clone Wars covered different perspectives of this. Even Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order had players trying to survive as Clones fired on a young Cal Kestis.

Though it appeared that Star Wars couldn't stop exploring Order 66, the reason for this was that each experience kickstarted a new direction for those that survived. From Caleb Dume becoming Kanan Jarrus to Kenobi being put on a path to a greater destiny, Order 66 set a new tone for the galaxy. But narratively, it sent ripples through the timeline and established that if Order 66 hadn't happened, the galaxy might've been a much safer place. As a result, Order 66 was more than a compelling string of events; it was the most defining moment in the entire Star Wars canon.

Steven Spielberg Made Order 66's Deaths More Emotional

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas shared a close personal and professional relationship that led to the creation of Indiana Jones. And the two continued to work together years later, with Spielberg even offering some new perspectives on the many deaths of Order 66 in Revenge of the Sith. While many causal fans may not know the names of the Jedi that were killed across the galaxy, the brutality and pain of the sequence was the most memorable aspect. Even the moment when Yoda grasped his chest, realizing the disturbance in the Force, served to create heartache in the movie as its heroes were now the victims. But the most brutal deaths were altered thanks to what Spielberg contributed.

While Ki-Adi Mundi being gunned down was a huge moment in Revenge of the Sith, Aayla Secura's assassination on Felucia was another heavy hitter. While patrolling the planet, Secura noticed the disturbance and was about to ignite her lightsaber before she was shot down by her squad and shot repeatedly. Spielberg saw the scene and added a new layer by having a large leaf obscure Secura's corpse. The only way the audience knew she wasn't going to survive was the flashes under the leaf each time she was shot. It also showed how brutal blaster bolts could be to a body if they weren't being shown. And since Secura wasn't as widely known as someone like Mace Windu, it also showed how many interesting characters were snuffed out before they could be explored further.

The death of Plo Koon was another that Spielberg offered some insight into as his murder was one of the more unique of the sequence. Flying in his Jedi Starfighter, Koon was gunned down by clone pilots in the ARC-170 fighters after they broke ranks and moved behind him. It caught the kind Jedi off guard but also showed that even the Clones that were shown respect by Koon had no choice but to adhere to their programming. Spielberg proved the importance of non-verbal storytelling, and the scene was set up as Koon showed that he had a feeling something was wrong. As a result, of these changes, Order 66 stuck out in Revenge of the Sith even more than the epic duel between Yoda and Palpatine.

Order 66's Drama Balanced Revenge of the Sith's Action

When remembering Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, it's hard not to immediately think of the battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan. While the emotion led the scene, it was the intricate lightsaber combat that many were attracted to, as well as some of the other battles, such as the fight Obi-Wan and Anakin had against Count Dooku. But the balance of drama and action was defined thanks to the Order 66 sequence, as it was as intense as it was tragic.

Seeing the Jedi killed one by one was meant to evoke a sense of great emotion as it showed the end of an era and the destruction of a galactic peacekeeping force. However, without Spielberg's contributions, it might've lost a degree of drama, as Spielberg showed the importance of subtlety when conveying emotion. From a leaf to a slight grasp of a doomed situation, Spielberg showed how the greatest emotions didn't need a grand setup. Since Order 66 was all about the execution of setup, having its victims show surprise in small ways was as crucial as setting the perfect scene. What resulted was one of the darkest moments in the Star Wars universe that continued to be talked about years later.