Revenge of the Sith: Why It’s Great, Hated, and Back in Theaters

Anyone who has argued about Star Wars for more than ten minutes has hit the same wall: Revenge of the Sith is either the best film in the saga or the moment the prequels jumped the shark. It was the highest-grossing film of 2005, and its 20th-anniversary rerelease on April 25, 2025 brought in $42.2 million worldwide, according to LiveNOW Fox (news coverage).

Original release: May 19, 2005 · Director: George Lucas · Runtime: 140 minutes · Original worldwide gross: $848,754,768 (Los Angeles Times) · Rotten Tomatoes: 80% critic score

Eight facts, one pattern: the measurable record explains why the film keeps coming back.

The table below shows that the box-office numbers are unambiguous, while the fan labels stay subjective.

Why is Revenge of the Sith so good?

The operatic tragedy of Anakin Skywalker

• The prequel trilogy starts with The Phantom Menace in 1999 and continues with Attack of the Clones in 2002 (Wikipedia).
• Revenge of the Sith is the third and final film in that trilogy (Britannica).
• The film’s original worldwide gross was $848,754,768 (Los Angeles Times).

The critics who defend Episode III usually point to the shape of the story. Palpatine isolates Anakin, pushes him toward the execution of Count Dooku, and turns every Jedi virtue into a trap. By the time Anakin chooses the dark side, the audience has watched a good man walk into disaster with his eyes open.

John Williams’ final prequel score

• John Williams composed the score for the entire prequel trilogy, and “Battle of the Heroes” became the signature cue for Anakin vs. Obi-Wan.
• The final duel is often described as the musical and emotional peak of Episode III.

The music does what the dialogue can’t. When the choir drops into “Battle of the Heroes,” the fight stops being about lightsaber choreography and becomes a funeral for the Jedi Order.

What this means: The film’s defense is strongest where its story commits hardest. When Anakin makes his choice, even the film’s harshest critics usually stop laughing.

Is Revenge of the Sith the best Star Wars film?

Where ROTS ranks against the original and sequel trilogies

ROTS original gross: $848,754,768 (Los Angeles Times) · Prequel trilogy compiled total: $2.526 billion (Wikipedia) · 2025 rerelease: $42.2 million worldwide (LiveNOW Fox)

The strongest Star Wars argument usually starts with The Empire Strikes Back. But when the conversation turns to the prequels, Episode III is the one fans defend. It holds an 80% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it is the only prequel that regularly appears in broader “best Star Wars movie” lists.

The Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb debate

• Comparisons are fairer when the trilogies are separated; the prequels should be judged against each other before being judged against the original six.
• The “worst trilogy” title usually falls on the prequel era, with The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones carrying most of the criticism.
• Fans ranking ROTS often place it behind Empire Strikes Back but ahead of the other prequels.

The comparison table later in this explainer separates the financial record from the fan labels. That distinction matters because “best” and “worst” can both survive contact with the same film.

What this means: The data makes the commercial case for ROTS; the fan labels just keep the argument alive.

Why is Revenge of the Sith so hated?

The ‘wooden’ dialogue and romance problem

• The romance between Anakin and Padmé is the usual first target; lines that work as opera can read as wooden without the right delivery.
• Padmé’s role shrinks after her political setup in the earlier prequels, which frustrates viewers who wanted her to be more than a plot device.
• Anakin’s turn to the dark side is clear, but the love story that motivates it is the section critics keep quoting back.

The criticism isn’t fictional. The dialogue has been quoted, mocked, and remixed for two decades. But the hate usually points to the first hour, not the final one.

Prequel-era digital effects and tonal whiplash

• Heavy CGI in the battle scenes and digital sets creates a specific prequel look that some viewers find dated.
• Tonal whiplash comes from cutting between Senate debates, lava duels, and grand opera-style tragedy.
• Darth Maul and Count Dooku are often called “weakest Sith” candidates because they lack screen time, not because their plans are weak.

The tonal complaints are not just about effects; they’re about how much the movie asks you to switch gears. One scene is a political thriller, the next is a disaster movie, and the last one is a Greek tragedy.

The trade-off: Revenge of the Sith earns its tragedy by going too far in almost every direction. That is also why it gives critics so much material.

What’s the saddest Star Wars movie?

Padmé’s death and Anakin’s fall

• The film is commonly called the saddest Star Wars movie because Anakin destroys what he loves.
• Padmé dies after losing the will to live; the movie frames her death as a consequence of Anakin’s fall.
• The films do not show Anakin explicitly saying he regrets killing Padmé.
• Their relationship begins in Attack of the Clones, and the films do not address Padmé’s virginity (Wikipedia).

The tragedy lands because Anakin is not tricked at the last second. He chooses the Emperor, he chooses the dark side, and the cost is immediate: his wife, his friends, and most of the Jedi Order.

Yoda’s reaction to the Jedi purge

• Yoda feels the deaths of Jedi during Order 66; his grief is one of the film’s most restrained emotional beats.
• The movies never show a direct Yoda-Anakin reconciliation.

Yoda doesn’t get a final scene with Anakin in the films. The closest the saga comes to closure is Luke, not Yoda, reaching the good man still inside Vader in Return of the Jedi.

Why this matters: The sadness is structural, not accidental. Anakin’s tragedy only works because the movie lets him choose the wrong thing.

What was the biggest Star Wars flop?

Box office versus fan disappointment

ROTS original domestic: $380,270,577 (Los Angeles Times) · ROTS original worldwide: $848,754,768 (Los Angeles Times) · Prequel trilogy total: $2.526 billion (Wikipedia)

By any commercial measure, Revenge of the Sith was not a flop. It was the highest-grossing film of 2005, and the 2025 rerelease added tens of millions more. “Flop” in Star Wars fandom usually means creative disappointment, not financial failure.

The usual flop candidates beyond the prequels

• The Star Wars Holiday Special is the most common fan example of a true franchise misfire.
• Solo is often described as a commercial underperformer despite decent reviews.
• The prequel trilogy as a group passed $2.4 billion globally before re-releases and inflation adjustments, according to TheWrap (entertainment business outlet).

Calling ROTS a flop mixes two questions. If the question is money, the answer is the opposite. If the question is “did it disappoint some fans who wanted a different Star Wars?”, that’s a real answer — but it’s not a box-office one.

The distinction matters: Revenge of the Sith is proof that a franchise can be a financial hit and still become a lifelong argument.

Will Revenge of the Sith be in theaters in 2026?

20th anniversary rerelease status

• The 20th-anniversary rerelease opened on April 25, 2025 (Box Office Mojo).
• LiveNOW Fox reported the 2025 return as one of the most successful re-releases in recent box office history (LiveNOW Fox).
• MovieWeb estimates the rerelease added roughly $55.6 million and pushed lifetime global gross to about $905.5 million (MovieWeb).

How to confirm official 2026 screenings

• No official 2026 theatrical schedule appeared in the research reviewed for this explainer.
• A September 25, 2026 Deadline article used ROTS’s $3.4 million preview gross as a comparison point for another rerelease — it is not a confirmation of new ROTS screenings (Deadline).
• Readers should verify local theater listings and watch for official Disney or Lucasfilm announcements.

The pattern: Every successful Star Wars rerelease makes the next one more likely. The 2025 numbers are the strongest evidence yet that theaters will keep calling Anakin back.

Three recurring arguments, one pattern: the data settles the money questions and stays silent on taste.

The table below compares the financial data to the subjective fan arguments.

The consequence: Revenge of the Sith is not a puzzle to solve; it’s a dividing line between two versions of Star Wars fandom. The commercial record is clear, and the emotional record is even clearer. For fans waiting on a 2026 rerelease, the choice is simple: trust Disney and Lucasfilm announcements, or treat the 2025 rerelease as the latest confirmed way to see Episode III on the big screen.

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