Polygon.com / 30.04.25

Star Wars' best novelization, Revenge of the Sith, fixes a lot of the movie's problems

Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith had one of the all-time biggest rereleases in history in 2025, as it returned to theaters for its 20th anniversary. At the same time, Lucasfilm celebrated Matthew Stovers novelization of the film by announcing a deluxe edition reissue coming in October. While each of the prequel films has its own book adaptation, Revenge of the Siths is the first to get a significant rerelease, and its one of the few pre-Disney Star Wars novels that Lucasfilm has reissued. And that might be because Stovers take on Revenge of the Sith is the best novelization Star Wars has fielded so far.  A core issue with the Star Wars prequel trilogy is that the characters motivations are often obscured by unexplained world-building or erratic choices. But Stovers adaptation offers deeper insights on Anakin Skywalkers transition to the dark side, addressing the ambiguities of George Lucas script. Unlike most novelizations, Stovers Revenge of the Sith enriches and enhances t...
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