I Was A Child Of The Star Wars Prequels, & George Lucas Was Right To Make Them For Us (2024)

Recently, it came to light that George Lucas stood on the firm decision to target the Star Wars movies, particularly the prequel trilogy, towards children rather than adults, and as a child of the prequels, I can confirm this was the right decision. Lucas' recent words about the Star Wars movies being made for kids caused quite a bit of a stir in the Star Wars fandom, with many insisting that this was the wrong choice. As someone who was very young during the prequel trilogy era, however, I wholeheartedly agree with Lucas' sentiment.

I'm not the only one. It was Ahmed Best, the actor who brought Jar Jar Binks to life and now portrays Jedi Kelleran Beq, who really made me ponder my experience with the Star Wars prequels as a child. When speaking with StarWars.com about Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace's 25th anniversary, Best reflected upon how Star Wars' message leaves a lasting impact upon young fans that lasts for a lifetime, and it transcends time by being passed from one generation to another - much of which is facilitated by younger fans. I was once one of those young fans.

One of the reasons why I think Jar Jar really resonates with young people is because George is always looking towards the future, 20, 30, 50 years down the line. What’s going to happen, and what’s the message we want to give to young people as they grow up? [...] These Star Wars stories really have a strong message that transcends time. We see the kids who are now adults still believing in these movies and showing their own kids, and for a lot of them, their introduction is through Jar Jar, being a child and connecting to this very innocent character.

As A Child, I Connected Greatly With The Star Wars Prequels

These Movies Defined My Childhood

Despite being very, very young when the prequel Star Wars trilogy came out, I really connected with those movies and characters. The first movie I ever remember seeing in a theater was Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, and prior to that, I used to watch Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones on repeat. This was all while I ate off Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace plastic plates, most notably the one with the podracers Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba.

Because of this, these movies will always be a very integral part of my childhood. They defined much of that part of my life and development, and I learned a lot from what those movies taught me. From the bravery of its heroes to the warnings from its villains, there were lessons in these stories that were easy for me to digest at a young age. The earliest video games I played were based on these movies, and some of the first stories I ever created were with Star Wars action figures. The prequels cultivated my passion for storytelling.

The Prequels' Silliest (& Coolest) Characters Were Always My Favorite

These Characters Drew Me Further Into The Story

As a child during the prequels' release era, it was easy to ignore whatever criticisms were being hurled at this addition to the Skywalker saga at the time. In fact, many of the prequel trilogy's most criticized elements were my favorite, with the most notable example being Jar Jar Binks himself. There was a long duration of time when Jar Jar was my ultimate favorite Star Wars character, to the point where I would walk around talking in his voice and play exclusively with his action figure. I had no idea how hated he was by Star Wars fans.

I also loved the clones and their home on Kamino, which was a big reason why Attack of the Clones was my favorite movie as a child. Again, I wasn't thinking about the mechanics behind the clone army or any of the other complaints many fans had at the time. As a child, I was just in awe of how cool those clone troopers looked with their armor, and how brave they were for rushing into battle to help the Jedi. Clones now continue to be some of my favorite characters in the franchise.

Padmé Amidala's Strength Was A Huge Inspiration For Me

She Taught Me How To Be A Brave Young Woman

As a young girl, however, my biggest role model in the Star Wars prequels was easily Padmé Amidala. While Revenge of the Sith did unfortunately cut back on a lot of her shining moments as a leader, the first two movies established her as a woman of strength even at a young age. Being a young girl and seeing Padmé's strength and bravery inspired me to find those same things within myself, and it taught me that I could still be the hero of a story without having to sacrifice my girlhood to do so.

Now that I'm older, I'm even more grateful that I had a character like Padmé to look up to as a young girl. She taught me how to embrace both my inner strength and my femininity simultaneously, in that I could be a strong leader while also still enjoying the smaller pleasures of life. Not everything about Padmé's character was perfect, especially once Revenge of the Sith came along, but the role model she was for someone as impressionable as I was during that era was extremely remarkable.

Padmé Amidala

The elected Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala won galactic acclaim for her heroism when she led her people against the Trade Federation. She became an influential member of the Republic Senate, but her life changed forever when she fell in love with Anakin Skywalker. Padmé Amidala found herself torn between her love for Anakin and her belief in the principles of the Republic, especially when Anakin became Darth Vader. She was brutally attacked by Anakin on Mustafar, and died in childbirth.

Created By

George Lucas

Cast

Natalie Portman , Catherine Taber

First Appearance

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Died

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Alias

Sabé

Alliance

Naboo, Republic

Race

Human

Movies

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace , Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones , Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

TV Shows

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Franchise

Star Wars

Lucas Ultimately Succeeded In His Vision For The Future

He Was Right To Make These Movies For Younger Audiences

My own experience with the Star Wars prequels proves that Lucas' vision for the future was not only successful, but it was also the right decision to make. These movies clearly resonate the most with children who look past their flaws and easily find the core message at the center of their stories. Kids will simply laugh at and enjoy the silly aspects that many adults frown upon, and that really does capture the true spirit of Star Wars. Its absurdity is an important piece of what makes it so unique, and children no doubt appreciate that the most.

This is how I know Lucas was right to make these movies for children, and other Star Wars projects that are currently doing the same are on the right track. The impact these movies had on me as a kid is immeasurable, and that's something that will continue to happen with brand-new Star Wars stories for generations. It doesn't mean adults aren't welcome to the experience, but it does mean that they perhaps ought to look at Star Wars as if they were children again, simply letting themselves get lost in the wonder of it all.