Big things were expected of the Revenge of the Sith, ended up being incredibly divisive. Some loved it, others hated it.
In the time since, however, they've become increasingly popular - thanks to a little help from The Clone Wars TV series. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, we'll take a look back at the trilogy and pick out 10 characters we feel were underused.
Mace Windu
When you have an actor like Samuel L. Jackson at your disposal, you expect him to be a pretty prominent member of the cast. However, he made just fleeting cameos in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones - and only really hit his stride when Revenge of the Sith hit theatres back in 2005.
ittedly, Windu does have some epic moments. His beheading of Jango Fett is ruthless and his fight with Palpatine is certainly enthralling to watch. However, he didn't get as much screentime as fans expected. And that means it's no surprise he makes this list.
Kit Fisto
If you're only a fan of the Star Wars movies, then you can be forgiven for thinking Kit Fisto isn't that interesting. After all, he makes only a brief, fighting cameo in Attack of the Clones and is easily killed by Palpatine in the following film, dying after just a matter of seconds.
But Fisto is a big deal in other Star Wars media and The Clone Wars certainly helped flesh out his character. Fisto has some memorable moments, such as fighting General Grievous and rescuing Ahsoka Tano when she seems destined to die. Therefore, he didn't get the big screen treatment he deserved.
Ki-Adi-Mundi
English actor Silas Carson plays Viceroy Nute Gunray in all three of the Star Wars prequels and also takes on the role of Ki-Adi-Mundi. However while Gunray gets plenty of screentime in The Phantom Menace, and also has some big moments in the two movies that follow, the same can't be said for Mundi.
Again, like Windu and Fisto, he's a Jedi Knight who The Clone Wars did a brilliant job at making interesting. Mundi fought alongside Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi at the second battle of Geonosis, helped free Mandalore and took part in the rescue mission to save Quinlan Vos. Again, though, he got snubbed when it came to the movies with many other characters instead taking the spotlight.
Mon Mothma
Mon Mothma became something of a cult hero after the events of A New Hope that released back in December 2016.
Her involvement in the prequels is just one deleted scene in Revenge of the Sith, however, where she talks with Pe Amidala about the fate of the Senate as Emperor Palpatine tightens his grip on the galaxy. Given how she's relatively prominent in the final act of the original trilogy, she deserved more. Alas, it wasn't to be.
Jabba The Hutt
When it was shown that Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi would meet Anakin Skywalker on the planet of Tatooine, fans dared to dream of an appearance from Jabba the Hutt. The gangster appeared during two movies of the original trilogy and made a brief cameo in The Phantom Menace, shortly before Anakin chances his arm at the Boonta Eve podrace.
RELATED: Star Wars: 10 Kylo Ren & Darth Vader Similarities
But, in what feels like a big missed opportunity, Jabba doesn't do anything. The Hutts, too, had their potential squandered on the big screen. It would have been good to see more of Jabba but the space slug is barely involved and his involvement is merely fan service.
Commander Cody
Commander Cody is introduced in Revenge of the Sith. He's a loyal fighter alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi, serving the Jedi with the utmost loyalty during their time together. But he ends up turning on Kenobi following Order 66 - where Palpatine orders all Clone troopers to rid the galaxy of the ancient warriors.
Cody is another character who was greatly enhanced by The Clone Wars, appearing in a huge 32 episodes. Not much is known about his life after the fall of the Jedi but we imagine he served the Empire with distinction - just like he did the Republic prior to Palpatine's evil act.
Grand Moff Tarkin
Grand Moff Tarkin's cameo in Revenge of the Sith is brief, to say the least. A younger version of the villain from A New Hope stands with Palpatine and Darth Vader as they look out at the new Death Star, with Vader only just encased in his armor following his defeat to former friend Obi-Wan Kenobi on the lava planet of Mustafar.
Fans expected Tarkin to be introduced in the blockbuster but the reality is that he's merely there as a cameo, rather than anything meaningful to the plot. It's a nice touch but, given how popular a bad guy the character has become over the years, it would have been good to see him on screen for a little longer.
Aunt Beru And Uncle Owen
Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen are Luke Skywalker's only family when he's first seen in A New Hope. They unfortunately perish in that movie with the Empire obliterating them after finding out they purchased droids C3-PO and R2-D2, from Jawas. Both droids are accused of taking the Death Star plans, which could lead to the space station's destruction.
They barely get a look-in in the prequels, though. They meet Anakin in Attack of the Clones and take Luke off Kenobi's hands in Revenge of the Sith but that's all we get to see. It would have been fascinating to find out more about the characters given they're related to the poster boy of the series but that's a job for different forms of media instead.
Darth Maul
Prior to The Phantom Menace's release in 1999, everybody was buzzing about the mysterious villain Darth Maul. With his red and black face, horned head and double-bladed lightsaber he definitely looked the part, a character perhaps worthy of sharing the bad guy throne with Darth Vader.
Yet Maul, in that movie, is shoved to the side. Most of the action follows the good guys and Maul takes a backwards seat, spending most of the blockbuster on the fringes of things before playing a starring role in the battle on Naboo at the end. Maul is assumed dead after he's sliced open by Kenobi but ends up returning in The Clone Wars, with Lucasfilm realising the error of their ways.
General Grievous
Many fans were surprised when it was announced a new villain would be introduced in Revenge of the Sith, despite it being the final instalment of the prequel trilogy. After all, this was meant to be the moment where Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader. What was the point?
However, by the end of the film, nobody was complaining. General Grievous had awesome design, was a formidable warrior and was also capable of killing Jedi and wielding four lightsabers all at once. He was so cool many were disappointed by his death and, like Maul, The Clone Wars has also done him a great service. It's just a shame he was so underused on the big screen.
