The Star Wars prequel trilogy has certainly had its critics over the years. But, with such a phenomenal story at its heart and a slew of incredible characters, it has become a beloved and crucial part of the Star Wars franchise. The trilogy is filled to the brim with memorable moments and scenes, and a lot of that is down to the fantastic characters.
Each of the main characters and even many of the one-off or side characters across the films have multiple iconic scenes that they are synonymous with, whether they be lightsaber duels and deaths or something as simple as a speech.
Mace Windu - Attempted Arrest Of The Chancellor
Mace Windu is a character who, while awesome, has become the face of an unlikable Jedi. He is full of arrogance and hubris, with a shocking attitude towards characters like Anakin and Ahsoka.
Nevertheless, he has some great scenes in the trilogy, such as killing Jango Fett. None, though, are quite like his fight with Sidious. The fact he survived as long as he did and debatably beat the Sith Lord on his own is incredible. Then there is the importance of the fact that his wanting to kill Sidious was the tipping point for Anakin, leading to his death at the hands of the Sith Lord.
General Grievous - Duel With Obi-Wan
General Grievous is one of the many characters from the prequels whose legacy and character has been massively improved by The Clone Wars, but that does not mean he does not have good stuff in Revenge of the Sith.
His duel with Obi-Wan on Utapau is one of the most memed moments in Star Wars history, with the "Hello there" and "General Kenobi!" exchange being known throughout the pop culture zeitgeist. While it lacks some stakes and emotional investment, the two still have an entertaining duel, resulting in an over-the-top death for the cybernetic Kaleeshi.
Count Dooku - "Do It!"
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His duel with Yoda is good, but in of being iconic, the scene for Dooku is his death. It is not even the entire duel that is burned into fans' minds, but it is the death. It is a huge step in Sidious's plan, a pivotal moment for Anakin, and home to one of the best phrases in Star Wars, "Do it."
Shmi Skywalker - Death
The prequel trilogy is fairly bleak overall. While there is a hopeful final moment with Luke at the Lars homestead, there is a lot of hopelessness before then, and one of the most vital examples of which comes in Attack of the Clones.
Anakin's attachment to his mother was always a big issue for his role as a Jedi. When he started having nightmares of her, it was never going to end well. Shmi is an essential character in the prequels. While audiences are not fully invested in her death, it is undoubtedly her iconic scene and another huge step in Anakin's fall.
Darth Maul & Qui-Gon Jinn - Duel Of The Fates
Both Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul only appeared in return without the 'Darth' title led to one of the best character stories ever.
In their single movie, Qui-Gon was obviously the much better character overall, but they share the same iconic scene, and it is, of course, the Duel of the Fates. It is a fight many consider to be the best of the best, and with the action combined with John Williams' score and the consequences of the battle, it is hard to argue against.
Pé Amidala - Marrying Anakin
Pé Amidala is one of the prequel trilogy's heavily criticized characters, with the writing and performances of the character leaving some fans fairly disappointed.
Nevertheless, the character herself is vital, and she has some iconic scenes in the trilogy, including her death and giving birth to the twins. Thanks to John Williams' unbelievable "Across the Stars" piece, though, her most iconic scene is her and Anakin's wedding on Naboo. This follows on from probably an equally as iconic moment in the form of their first kiss at the Petranaki arena.
Yoda - Duel With Sidious
All in all, the prequel trilogy does not provide the same amount of iconic Yoda moments as the original trilogy, with pretty much every original trilogy scene Yoda is in being total gold.
However, they do exist in the prequel trilogy, such as his speeches to Anakin and his first outing with a lightsaber in Star Wars against Dooku. However, seeing Yoda face-off with the Emperor in a lightsaber duel was the stuff of the original trilogy children's dreams, and even though it was overshadowed, it is still a great duel. There is so much going on in the duel contributing to Yoda's loss, but it is his most iconic scene either way.
Supreme Chancellor Palpatine - The Tragedy Of Darth Plagueis The Wise
As for Supreme Chancellor Palpatine himself, he was arguably better in the prequels than the originals, with such awesome performances from Ian McDiarmid and so many memorable moments from the character.
Since his killing of Windu and his duel with Yoda have been mentioned, the iconic scene of Palpatine is another widely memed scene, the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise. It is one of the best speeches in Star Wars and ingrained in the minds of all prequel fans.
Obi-Wan Kenobi - The Battle Of The Heroes
Another original trilogy character who is arguably better in the prequels is Obi-Wan, with Ewan McGregor making the trilogy his own and having such a slew of great quotes and scenes.
There is no doubt Obi-Wan's most iconic scene is the Battle of the Heroes. The whole duel is seen by many as better than the Duel of the Fates and both Vader vs. Luke battles. Obi-Wan also has the iconic monologue to his friend at the end of the battle as he slices off Anakin's limbs, and while memes were born from the scene, it is seriously emotional.
Anakin Skywalker - Becoming Vader
The prequel trilogy tells the story of Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side of the Force, and so, as was expected, his final scene in the trilogy is his full transformation into Darth Vader.
Anakin is another character in the trilogy who is often criticized, but his journey through the prequels is still great. He has some amazing scenes, especially now that The Clone Wars and other content have expanded on his character. That final scene of his when he is operated on and placed inside the iconic suit, with the memorable scream of "No!" is his most iconic scene.
