The Star Wars prequel trilogy has become an acquired taste among franchise fans, but there’s always been plenty to love amid its lowest points. Episode III — Revenge of the Sith is a decisive highlight, as beloved for its epic set pieces as its devastating story. Those two elements collided with the so-called Battle of the Heroes, a climactic duel between the stalwart Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), his fallen padawan. Their clash on the planet of Mustafar has become a high point of the prequels; not only does it represent the fracturing of their bond as master and apprentice, but it sets the scene for Anakin’s physical transformation into Darth Vader.
It also marks a relative peak for the saga’s trademark lightsaber battles. As the Jedi were everywhere during the prequels, the trilogy boasts plenty of intricately choreographed duels, and the Battle of the Heroes is the most elaborate of them all. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call it the best fight in the franchise, but according to the prequels’ chief stunt coordinator, it could have been radically different — and darker.
