The Star Wars Finale

In Episode II: The Attack of the Clones, Anakin is given his first mission - to protect Padme from those who wish to kill her. After experiencing nightmares in which his mother is suffering, Anakin and Padme leave the safety of their hideout and return to Tatooine, the planet Skywalker left to pursue his training as a Jedi. After learning that his mother has been kidnapped by Tusken Raiders, Anakin rescues her but she dies in his arms. Devastated by grief and then consumed with anger, Anakin slaughters the bandits and takes a considerable step towards the Dark Side.

Anakin Skywalker, the chosen one and the one prophesized to bring balance to the Force, is finally seduced by the Dark Side in Episode III. His fall ushes in a new tyranny in the galaxy and spells the end of the Jedi Order to which he had given so much hope.

The long and gruelling Clone Wars are coming to an end in Episode III, but peace is far from being restored. Meanwhile, Padme battles with her own personal secrets. Her marriage to Anakin remains hidden as the forces of evil conspire to seduce her husband. But unknown to Skywalker and the increasingly powerful Dark Side, Padme is carrying twins; a boy who will be named Luke and a girl who will be named Leia.

In the time before the Empire, evil forces begin to plan the downfall of the peaceful galactic Republic that has stood for 1000 years. Here, Queen Padme Amidala considers her options in Episode I: The Phantom Menace as her planet, Naboo, comes under siege by the Trade Federation's droid army. Manipulation by a dark lord has caused a diplomatic stand-off which threatens the stability of the Republic. Queen Amidala holds out for a peaceful solution but Naboo is invaded. She is rescued by Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, delegates of the Jedi Council attempting to broker their own peace deal.

Peace in the Republic is about to come to an end. In Episode II: The Attack of the Clones, political intrigue and manipulation combines to create a situation of war. In a bid to fight a Seperatist rebellion, Chancellor Palpatine orders the creation of a clone army to protect the Republic while secretly laying down his own nefarious plans for a future galactic dictatorship under his command.

The evil Darth Sidious, the brains behind the trade embargo that threatens to plunge the Republic into war, unleashes his apprentice Darth Maul to eliminate those who would stand in his way. Confronted by Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul displays the growing power of the Dark Side by defeating the master. However, Kenobi kills the Sith lord to avenge his mentor.

Luke Skywalker yearns for more than a life as a farmer on the desert planet of Tatooine. When his new droids reveal a mysterious call for help from a beautiful princess and his guardians are killed, Luke finds that destiny is calling. Along the way, he teams up with smuggler Han Solo (left), a man with his own fair share of problems, in an adventure which leads them both into the rebellion against the tyrannical Empire.

The Star Wars saga is essentially the story of one man: Anakin Skywalker. A boy blessed with the potential to do immense good but who uses his power for evil, Anakin's story is a terrible fall from grace. A Jedi Knight who is seduced by the Dark Side, Skywalker becomes Darth Vader: enforcer of the Empire. Believing his past to be something of a different life long dead, Vader works to tighten the Empire's grip on the galaxy. But his past catches up with him in the form of his son and the rise of his progeny ultimately brings about his downfall -- and also his salvation.

The final Star Wars film actually comes in the middle of the saga. The Revenge of the Sith charts the final days of the Republic before the rise of the Empire and Anakin Skywalker's transformation into Darth Vader. The sixth film links the prequels to the original movie Episode IV: A New Hope

While on the desert planet of Tatooine after their escape from Naboo with Queen Amidala, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi encounter the boy Anakin Skywalker. Amazed at his skill as a pilot and convinced that this boy is the chosen one written about in the Jedi prophesy, Jinn frees Anakin from slavery and promises to teach him the ways of the Force.

Presented with the boy Skywalker, the Jedi Council entrust his training to Obi-Wan Kenobi after Qui-Gon Jinn's death. Some, like Mace Windu (right) believe young Anakin to be the future of the Jedi Order while Yoda remains skeptical.

Droids R2-D2 and C3PO, stalwarts of the movie saga, watch a worrying development in Episode IV: A New Hope. Their new master, Luke Skywalker, has met up with Ben Kenobi, a former Jedi Knight, and is about to take them on an adventure to the stars. Skywalker will confront his history and his past on the journey and his faithful droids will be there every step of the way.