Annotations In The Deluxe Edition Of The 'Revenge Of The Sith' Novelization Reveal Cut Lines And More
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Random House World released a deluxe edition of Matthew Stover’s novelization of Revenge of the Sith on October 14th. Stover’s celebrated novel celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and the deluxe edition includes new cover art, original text, and over 170 revealing annotations from the author. The Holo Files compiled a list of the most intriguing new points in the deluxe edition, including George Lucas’s input on what made it into the novel, and the origin of scenes that weren’t in the film’s script until Stover delivered his first draft.
Among the most intriguing revelations is that General Grievous’s ship wasn’t called “The Invisible Hand” in the original script. In fact, it had no name, and Stover named it himself. He based it on what he calls an “inside joke”, but it has deeper roots within U.S. politics. Stover revealed that the name “is a subtle dig at the conservatives who idolize Adam Smith, because the Trade Federation types who are Palpatine’s stalking horses are so clearly modeled on robber barons.” Stover also revealed that George Lucas wasn’t a fan of the ‘Sun-Dragon’ metaphor, which is an important aspect of Anakin’s story in the novelization. He was asked to rework it by Lucas, who thought it made it seem like Anakin was being controlled by an outside force that decided his fate. Lucas wanted it to be clear that Anakin had chosen the dark side himself.
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Image Source: SWNN
Stover’s annotations also reveal that his novel was the first time Palpatine was officially confirmed to be Darth Sidious. While the movies made it obvious, Stover’s novelization was published a month before the release of Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. In it, he refers to Palpatine as “Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith.” The author also explained that he chose not to go inside Palpatine’s mind, unlike other characters in the story. Stover wanted Palpatine to remain a character who’s so evil that it would be hard to “guess what he’s thinking, much less his true nature. So, I decided to keep the readers guessing as well.” He also touches upon Anakin’s attachment issues, which go beyond Padme. Anakin isn’t ready to leave anyone behind, be it his Master or his droid. In the novel, Stover “amplified” Anakin’s anxiety for R2-D2 to “deepen the context around Anakin’s attachment problem. Anakin’s tragic flaw – what Aristotle would call hamartia – is overattachment, so I wanted to show that Anakin’s devotion goes far beyond neediness.”
The deluxe edition reveals that not only was Obi-Wan’s “So uncivilized” line not in the original script of the movie, but one of Episode III’s most appreciated and emotional scenes wasn’t added to the script until later. The scene of Anakin quietly contemplating his future at the Jedi Temple wasn’t shot until after Stover delivered his first draft. George Lucas originally planned to have Anakin accompany Mace Windu to confront Palpatine, but changed it to add this poignant moment. One of the biggest revelations from the deluxe edition is that George Lucas made Stover delete a line in which Palpatine would’ve told Anakin that he loves him. The original dialogue takes place between Anakin and Palpatine, when the latter reveals himself as the Sith Lord who’s been hiding in plain sight. Here, Anakin questions if Palpatine would fight him, to which the cunning Sith responds, “Fight you? Anakin, I love you.” While everyone knows that Palpatine didn’t love Anakin, Stover wrote the line as Palpatine’s way of manipulating him. However, Lucas thought that love was a concept “so alien to the mindset of the dark side that Palpatine can’t comprehend why a lie like that might persuade someone.” You can read more of Stover’s annotations in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (Deluxe Edition), which is on sale everywhere.
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Sources: The Holo Files, Culture Slate, SWNN
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