Why can't Episode III end like this?

[Toad]

I imagine something totally different -- or rather, hope for something totally different -- than has been discussed on this board.

Why can't Obi-Wan and Anakin get into their fight towards the end of the movie...

Then, we don't see Anakin don the new armor until the very end .. and we don't even see him put it on really ---- we just see it. He then goes by Darth Vader AFTER Episode III.

This would make the appearance of Vader in the ANH even more compelling, and would make the story much better in the sense that Vader is still a mystery...

I don't know, maybe it doesn't really work that well -- I just thought it was a much cooler idea. The first time we see him Darth Vader, we have no idea who he is -- could be just some guy. This makes the revelation of him being Anakin MUCH MORE IMPORTANT for first-time viewers.

What do you think?

[Rollo Tomassi]

That's a distinct possibility. Padme and the bun(s) in the oven could escape, pusued by Anakin. Obi Wan confronts him, they fight, Anakin "dies" and the last scene of the film is Palpatine and his new apprentice, Vader looking out at the galaxy they now control. Of course, you'd have to be pretty dense not to figure out Anakin isn't Vader. You follow a character through two and a half movies, he dies, and some bumpkin in black armor shows up out of the blue? Hmmmmmmmm....

The only reason I think there is a confrontation between Vader and Obi Wan AFTER their initial Anakin-into-Vader battle is because that seems like extremely POWERFUL storytelling. Obi Wan confronted with his failure and what it means for the entire galaxy for the next 20 years. And showing baby Luke in the final scene gives the audience a "glimmer of hope..."

But keeping Vader's true identity a secret might be what George has in mind.

[evenflow]

Still, no one said it cant be like that.

[JEDIpartner]

I think they would show a little more of what happened to Anakin only to generate a little more sympathy from the audience. I think that, for dramatic effect, the aforementioned situations would be awesome, but I see this as a mass market film... and that generally doesn't satisfy.

[Toad]

I don't know, I'm still holding out hope.

Think about how powerful it would be if they fight at the end, and the most emotional lightsaber battle ensues. They fight, and Obi-Wan unwillingly knocks Anakin into the lava pit -- maybe even trying to save him -- but alas, Anakin's grip slips, and he falls away. Perhaps another of Obi-Wan's "No!"'s follows, like when he lost his master Qui-Gonn.

Obi-Wan returns to Yoda, etc. feeling defeated. They then part ways again, this time Obi-Wan has Luke in his arms.

The scene shifts to the emporer, and he's doing something -- you know he's up to something at any rate. Perhaps we just see him standing over the pit where Ani ---- his pupil ---- fell.

Cut again to Obi-Wan handing the baby Luke over to Owen and Beru. I agree that something powerful is said here, but I think "this boy is our last hope" is a little dumb -- after all, GL has really only repeated one saying in all of SW lore ("bad feeling about this"). AND -- no one wants Luke to be the last hope. They want to save him. Perhaps something will, instead, be said about his father to Uncle Owen ... then fade to black.

[JEDIpartner]

Actually anything... but Anakin laying in a medical centre and Jane Seymour coming into the hallway from the his room, going up to Palpatine and saying, "He's sleeping now." And then walking away. Wow... why do I have the feeling I've seen this before?

[Toad]

Originally posted by JEDIpartnr
Actually anything...

What?? Anything what?

And what's with the Jane Seymour reference? I don't think Anakin will be on any medical table at all. I instead think the last we will see of Anakin Skywalker in the flesh is when he falls into the pit.

I just think it makes Episodes IV-VI more interesting. Of course we all know what's up, because we've seen it, lived it, dreamed it, performed it for decades.

But we have to think of the people who will see I-VI without seeing IV first. If they already know who Darth Vader is -- then ESB loses it's surprise ending ... and if Leia is born with Luke, then ROTJ loses it's big surprise as well.

...just some things to think about.

[Darth Ovori]

No, I want to see Darth Vader destroy the Jedi's one by one... I've waited a long time for that and I don't need to see a quick shut off ending like that...

[odb]

I'm with Toad on this one.

The battle between Anakin and Obi Wan should occur towards the end of the film, with Anakin being shown falling into the pit. This prevents Vader being shown in EPIII, saving his full appearance for ANH.

There should be a link between the two films to make sure that everyone gets the connection, something like EPIII closing with Vader's breathing, a shot on the faceplate of his helmet in a medical facility or even a shot from behind of Vader with his cloak and Helmet.

[Rollo Tomassi]

Originally posted by Toad
I don't know, I'm still holding out hope.

Think about how powerful it would be if they fight at the end, and the most emotional lightsaber battle ensues. They fight, and Obi-Wan unwillingly knocks Anakin into the lava pit -- maybe even trying to save him -- but alas, Anakin's grip slips, and he falls away. Perhaps another of Obi-Wan's "No!"'s follows, like when he lost his master Qui-Gonn.

I'm sticking to my theory on this one that Anakin allows himself to fall. He makes the willing decision to let go, paralleling Luke's decision to let go in ESB. Luke refuses temptation; Anakin refuses redemption. Otherwise it's sort of a "Anakin! Don't trip on that...D'OH!" kind of thing.

by Ovori, dark lord of the Sith
No, I want to see Darth Vader destroy the Jedi's one by one... I've waited a long time for that and I don't need to see a quick shut off ending like that...

That you won't see. There is about 10,000 Jedi and Vader wallowing through all of them for two hours would get very old, very fast. Show Vader dropping a few of the big names(Mace, Plo Koon, Ki Adi Mundi, etc) and imply that the rest are doomed.