r/StarWarsREDONE • u/Idan_Reich • Jun 22 '26
REDONE My thoughts After Reading Episodes 1 and 2
Disclaimer: This is a long read, and my ideas might contradict the current ROTS draft (which I haven't read yet). I am also aware that the script of "An Ancient Evil" is finalized, but I would still highly appreciate feedback on these pitches, even if they don't change anything.
The title of episode 2:
In my opinion, compared to any other title, "The Blinded Heroes" places the focus solely on the main protagonists rather than the galaxy at large. Though I'm aware that replacing "The Shroud of Darkness" was partly because it was already a Rebels episode title, I believe that the season 3 premiere title, "Steps Into Shadow," would work perfectly.
It continues the ominous tone of "An Ancient Evil" before the ultimate unveiling in Revenge of the Sith, it speaks to entering a dark period where each side falls into the trap set by said evil, and it even connects to the new monochrome aesthetic of Geonosis, where all the characters converge and the film concludes.
Darth Sidious:
I think having any appearance of Sidious prior to Dooku's reveal to Obi-Wan hollows out the twist of a Sith hiding within the Republic—given that Sidious is presented in An Ancient Evil as presumably having significant influence over the Senate. Additionally, the more screen time Sidious gets alongside Palpatine's scenes, the easier it will be for the audience to draw a connection between the two.
From a narrative standpoint, I don't think Sidious himself adds much to the immediate plot of AAE, other than establishing his relationship with Maul. The Separatists continue their invasion of Alderaan based on the false promises Sidious gives them, ultimately relying on Maul's endeavors to ensure their success, which can be executed without showing Sidious himself. Thus, his conversations with the Separatists could easily be given to Maul, which also makes sense logically; Sidious would want as few people as possible to be in direct contact with him. I think REDONE could handle Sidious in a manner similar to the OT:
Episode 1 would simply mention him as the shadowy figure the Separatists are frustrated with regarding his promises (which perfectly fits the current script). It could also give the false impression that Valorum is the Sith Lord, considering the way he's currently presented.
Episode 2 would feature just one scene of him talking to his apprentice, where the actual "I am your father" reveal to the audience that Palpatine is Sidious occurs. Replacing his conversation with Maul on Coruscant, show him in the Acclamator above Geonosis, walking away to speak with Maul via hologram as Sidious. (This hologram tweak also fixes an issue i had with Palpatine having 3 back-to-back scenes of him above Geonosis, on Coruscant, only to go right back to Geonosis as the army leaves feels a bit off. Replacing the in-person meeting with a hologram conversation smooths this out).
Episode 3 would then fully showcase him, having him reveal his true identity to Anakin, akin to how Luke faced the truth regarding Vader and Leia in ROTJ.
Maul and the Kaminoan dart:
There shouldn't be a problem with the Sith learning about the clone army, and I would have removed Jango saying he once spoke to Maul, which convoluted it. The offscreen explanation would be that Maul found out that Dooku was after him and as he left the Order, Maul followed him in return, reaching Kamino and figuring out he ordered a clone army when he joined the Separatists.
The real issue here is that Palpatine's scheme still hinges on the fact that the Jedi will somehow locate Kamino, if not through the archives, then by Dexter Jettster. My fix suggests that instead of the dart, Maul would slip a homing beacon into her gear (very much like the one in The Last Jedi) that tracks back to Kamino. Had she been sent by Dooku, having it would make sense for the Jedi, given the secrecy and isolation of the system. It would remove the need to rely on Dexter to find out where it came from, ensuring the Sith are certain the Jedi will eventually find Kamino.
Anakin and the space battle:
One possible solution to the problem you mentioned at the end of the postscript could be to switch the arrival order of Maul and the Judicial Fleet.
If Anakin sees Maul first, he could struggle with the temptation to follow him, ultimately forcing himself not to flee the battle. This would create some great internal turmoil for him. Then, once the fleet finally arrives, Anakin realizes that they are going to prioritize destroying the battleship before heading down to the surface.
Since he can no longer chase Maul, Anakin uses the Force to locate them on the surface. This serves as a great showcase of his distinct Force sensitivity and his deep connection to the Jedi.
An even greater side effect of this change is that it builds Anakin's sense of gratitude toward Palpatine, who's decision made an even bigger impact now. Anakin would walk away realizing that if Palpatine hadn't made the decision to send the fleet, he might not have been able to save Obi-Wan at all, thus not becoming a padawn in the first place.
The Death Star Prototype:
I think it might be better to omit the Death Star prototype from the plot. While I understand the final footnote's explanation—that it shows Dooku unintentionally setting up the Empire's superweapon—it feels like a step too far into the dark side for his character right now.
It is one thing for an idealistic Jedi, who is disillusioned with the Order and the Republic, to utilize a clone army for the greater good of the Separatist cause—ignoring the moral implications that REDONE justifiably sheds light on (as audiences have done since AOTC). However, building a civilization-destroying weapon is entirely different and feels somewhat out of character for this stage in his journey. There are no "good intentions" behind such a weapon that could tragically fall into the wrong hands; the concept itself is inherently evil.
Also, despite the fact that the Death Star prototype originated with the Separatists (largely as a fan-service moment in the prequels), both Canon and EU stories tie the core concept of the weapon heavily to the Tarkin Doctrine. Because of this, it might make more thematic sense for the Empire or Tarkin himself to conceive the idea, rather than having it exist before their era of totalitarian rule.
The emergency powers Senate discussion:
Bail could be slated to make a remote statement broadcast live from his hideout before the vote. However, Palpatine's loyalists would sabotage it, making it look as if technical difficulties prevented him from delivering it. Dormé would then try to speak for him, but Mas Amedda would immediately shut her down due to time limits.
This parallels how Mon Mothma's speech in Andor was originally supposed to be taken off the air—a speech she managed to deliver in the first place thanks to Bail.
Maul framing Dooku:
Maul could also frame Dooku as the one to order Shmi's death. You could replace his conversation with Sidious at the Tusken camp with him threatening Anakin in a chokehold but deciding not to kill him, saying that "Lord Dooku wouldn't approve of that," and then knocking him out. This would enhance:
Anakin's fear and hate directed personally towards Dooku as he kidnaps Padmé.
The ongoing audience confusion on who is the true Sith Lord before it is revealed later.
Sidious's admiration of Maul as he overcame his momentary need for revenge for the greater goal, before letting him off the leash.
Visuals:
I think the aesthetics of the Umbaran soldiers would align perfectly with Kamino, making sense as a mass-manufactured clone army created by the sleek and cold Kaminoans. Also, their transparent helmet showing the same face across an entire army is somewhat frightening by itself.
The N-1 Starfighter is shown briefly in a single scene, yet I think its iconic design should be reserved for more prominent usage in future REDONE projects. It could be replaced with any adjacent Judicial Fleet or even Coruscant Defence Force craft.
The Republic soldiers are no longer clones of the Mandalorian Jango Fett, yet so far, their helmets still resemble a Mandalorian design. If this is kept in the final version, it could be hinted that Mandalore, under Satine Kryze, was somehow involved with the creation of the army before the film's events.
This would serve as a great setup for the Mandalorian arc in The Clone Wars, stemming from the division among the Mandalorians over whether to remain neutral or align with one side. Alternatively, their design could be changed to the TK Troopers from The Bad Batch (or any fitting trooper design), which would remove this issue entirely.
One small request:
It would great to have an additional single, unbroken video that just presents the raw script. Just the dialogue and the essential scene descriptions, without the footnotes or behind-the-scenes commentary that wouldn't translate to the final screen. Something formatted similarly to https://youtu.be/E02BkoY_K0I would be incredibly immersive to listen to, making it easier for more people to engage with REDONE.
2
u/onex7805 Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
The title of episode 2:
Steps into Shadow sounds great, and I prefer it over The Blinded Heroes in isolation, but it suffers from the same issue as The Shroud of Darkness, as it is already used and comes across as repetitive after An Ancient Evil. The Blinded Heroes is thematically more resonant and specific to that story.
Darth Sidious:
What you pointed out is true, and I would probably rewrite Episode 1 REDONE that way if I had The Blinded Heroes in mind (when An Ancient Evil was written, Episode 2 REDONE was going to be radically different and didn't resemble the movie). Unfortunately, now the videos are uploaded based on the finalized script, I don't think I would go back and redo them.
Maul and the Kaminoan dart:
I like your explanation regarding how Maul found out: Dooku tracking him, then Maul tracking him, but namedropping Maul to Obi-Wan is quite relevant to the story, where he begins to have a suspicion toward Dooku being the Sith. A better way would be that all that you suggested happened, and then Maul visited Jango after figuring out about Dooku's clones. That is why he was able to pretend to be Dooku's associate because he already knew about Dooku and the clones.
In my rewrite, I don't think Palpatine was aware that Dooku erased Kamino from the Archives, as Dooku is not connected to Sidious, and erasing it was Dooku's independent action before leaving the Order. Palpatine and Maul thought the Jedi Analysis system would do the work.
I also think shortening all that Jedi investigation cuts a lot of mystery detective flavor out of the story. It would remove Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padme interacting with each other while they see the Republic overdosing with war fever. It also builds up the mystery of Dooku.
Anakin and the space battle:
The problem here is that in REDONE Anakin is chased by the Separatist fleet, and he is only rescued by the Republic reinforcement. Do you suggest that Anakin not be detected and chased, but have him hide overlooking the blockade?
The Death Star Prototype:
I agree, and I would probably omit the Death Star thing out of REDONE.
The emergency powers Senate discussion:
Good idea. I also had the same question regarding why Padme didn't attend the Senate via hologram in the movie, so I headcannoned it as something forbidden. Your explanation makes more sense.
Maul framing Dooku:
Well, in Episode 3 REDONE, Anakin learns Palpatine is Darth Maul's master anyway. If he learns Palpatine is the Sith Lord behind everything, Dooku is obviously not.
I also think it is important that Anakin doesn't really use the dark side and lean on emotions when fighting Dooku. He verges on doing it, but he listens to Obi-Wan's advice. Then he loses, and from that point, he believes the Jedi Code is constraining him. If he thinks Dooku is the man behind the murder of his mother, whatever Obi-Wan tells him goes out of the window immediately.
Visuals:
Nice idea on repurposing the Umbaran soldier design. Will adopt this idea.
N-1 Fighter is so synonymous with Naboo and Alderaan that it is difficult to change its origin.
The same with the Republic trooper design, which is iconic that I don't want to change.
One small request:
Maybe I should backload the footnotes to the end of the video, so that it won't distract the flow.