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Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (novel)

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For other uses, see Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (disambiguation).
Star Wars Episode I:
The Phantom Menace
Attribution
Author(s)

Terry Brooks

Cover artist

Lucasfilm Ltd.

Publication information
Publisher

Del Rey

Release date

April 21, 1999

Media type

Hardcover

Pages

324

ISBN

0345427653

Chronology
Canon

G

Era

Rise of the Empire era

Timeline

32 BBY

Series

Film novelizations

Preceded by

Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter

Followed by

Rogue Planet

[Source]

The Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace novelization was written by Terry Brooks and published on April 21, 1999 by Del Rey. It is based on the script of the movie of the same name. Narration for the abridged audio version was performed by Michael Cumpsty. The unabridged version was performed by Alexander Adams.

Contents

[edit] Editions

[edit] American

[edit] Foreign

[edit] Publisher's summary

[edit] Hardcover

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, an evil legacy long believed dead is stirring. Even the Jedi are caught by surprise, their attentions focused on the political unrest between the Trade Federation and the Republic. Now the dark side of the Force threatens to overwhelm the light, and only an ancient Jedi prophecy stands between hope and doom for the entire galaxy.

On the desert world of Tatooine, far from the concerns for the Republic, a slave boy works by day and dreams by night—of being a Jedi Knight and one day traveling the stars to worlds he's only heard of in stories… of finding a way to win freedom from enslavement for himself and his beloved mother. His only hope lies in his extraordinary instincts and his strange gift for understanding the "rightness" of things, talents that allow him to be one of the best Podracers on the planet.

In another part of the galaxy, the Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, young Obi-Wan Kenobi, are charged with the protection of the Amidala, the young Queen of Naboo, as she seeks to end the siege of her planet by Trade Federation warships. It is this quest that brings Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and the Queen's beautiful young handmaiden to the sand-swept streets of Tatooine and the shop where the slave boy Anakin Skywalker toils and dreams. And it is this unexpected meeting that marks the beginning of the drama that will become legend…

[edit] Paperback

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, an evil legacy long believed dead is stirring. Now the dark side of the Force threatens to overwhelm the light, and only an ancient Jedi prophecy stands between hope and doom for the entire galaxy.

The Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, young Obi-Wan Kenobi, are charged with the protection of Amidala, the young Queen of Naboo, as she seeks to end the siege of her planet by Trade Federation warships. This quest brings Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and one of the Queen's young handmaidens to the sand-swept streets of Tatooine and the shop where the slave boy Anakin Skywalker toils and dreams of finding a way to win freedom from enslavement for himself and his beloved mother. His only hope lies in his extraordinary instincts and his strange gift for understanding the "rightness" of things. It is this unexpected meeting that marks the beginning of the drama that will become legend.

[edit] Plot summary

Two Jedi knights, Qui-Gon Jinn and a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with a Naboo outcast, named Jar Jar Binks, must help Queen Padmé save her world from greedy trade executives, and along the way, they discover a young boy, named Anakin Skywalker, who has the potential to be a powerful Jedi himself.

Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi are dispatched to the planet Naboo to settle a dispute between the Trade Federation and Queen Amidala (Padmé). The Federation has blockaded Naboo to force them into signing an unfavorable trade agreement. Unknown to the galactic senate, the Federation has formed an alliance with Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord. The Sith are former Jedi who succumbed to the Force's dark side, although their order is thought to be long extinct.

Before negotiations begin, the viceroy attempts to assassinate Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, but the two Jedi escape to the planet surface. They have discovered a droid invasion army hidden aboard the Federation ship. With the help of Jar Jar Binks, an outcast gungan (aquatic-living creatures), they make their way to Queen Amidala's palace in Theed. To avoid signing the treaty, Amidala escapes with Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Jar Jar Binks and heads to Coruscant, the galactic seat of government. Amidala intends to present her case to the galactic senate. En route, they divert to the desert planet Tatooine for repairs to their damaged ship. At a salvage shop, Qui-Gon, Padmé (Amidala), and Jar Jar meet Anakin Skywalker, a young slave boy. Watto, Anakin's master, refuses to sell the part Qui-Gon needs for Republic credits, and Qui-Gon must somehow raise money. As a sudden desert storm approaches, Anakin offers the group refuge at his home. Qui-Gon discovers Anakin possesses undeveloped Jedi abilities and believes he may be the Chosen One destined to return balance to the Force. He's further convinced when Anakin's mother, Shmi, says Anakin was conceived without a biological father.

To help Qui-Gon get the part for the spaceship, Anakin offers to enter his own racer in a dangerous pod race. Qui-Gon bets Watto the Queen's space ship and the entire winner's purse against the part for the ship and Anakin's freedom. Greedy Watto accepts the bet certain that Anakin will lose. Anakin wins and Watto reluctantly frees him. Wanting a better life for her son, Shmi allows Anakin to leave with Qui-Gon to become a Jedi.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are unaware they have been tracked to Tatooine by Darth Maul, a Sith Lord and Darth Sidious's apprentice. Maul attacks the group as they are about to take off, but they escape. On Coruscant, Qui-Gon reports the reemergence of the Sith to a skeptical Jedi Council. The council denies Qui-Gon's request to train Anakin as a Jedi, claiming he's too old, but Master Yoda has sensed something dangerous in him. Defiant, Qui-Gon says Anakin will be his padawan (apprentice) with or without the council's approval.

Queen Amidala presents her case to the senate. Senator Palpatine persuades her that Supreme Chancellor Valorian is a weak and ineffective leader. In fact, Valorian is attempting to aid Amidala but is stymied by a bureaucratic and increasingly corrupt senate. Urged by Palpatine, Amidala calls for a vote of no confidence against Valorian, and he is removed from office. Palpatine is nominated to replace him. Frustrated by the Senate's inaction, Amidala returns to Naboo accompanied by Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Jar Jar.

Once there, they meet with the remainder of the gungans in their sacred place, after Jar Jar has searched Otoh Gunga. There, padmé reveals herself as the true Amidala and convinces the gungans to fight with them against the trade federation. The gungans create a diversionary battle in order for the naboo underground movement to gain entry to the palace. They gain entry and attempt to reach the viceroy, who has taken cover in the throne room. On the way, the party is ambushed by Darth Maul, and the two jedi engage in a battle, while anakin takes cover in a starfighter. He attempts to help padmé by firing at droids that have also ambushed them. He inadvertently presses the power switch, which activates the autopilot to take him to the space battle to knock out the droid control sip. There i s a heated battle in space which ends with anakin destroying the control ship.

Padmé reaches the viceroy in the throne room, but her party is captured by droidekas. Sabé arrives with a diversion, and the viceroy sends all troops after her, thinking that padmé is a decoy. Padmé gets two blasters out of her throne and capture the viceroy.

Meanwhile, the jedi continue their duel with Maul, and go through many rooms and walkways, until they are separated by laser walls. Qui Gon and maul get through and continue their duel, while Kenobi watches hellessly. Qui gon is eventually slain by Maul, and Kenobi continues the fight and almost defeats Maul before he is knocked into a plasma input chute. There, Maul attempts to knock him down, but Kenobi performs a force jump out of the pit, summoning his master's lightsaber as he goes. He lands and cuts maul in half. Qui-Gon's last wish is for kenobi to train anakin as a jedi. This wish is granted by Yoda at Qui Gon's funeral, as well as making kenobi a jedi knight, his killing of darth maul, lord of the sith a suffiecient trial.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Characters

[edit] Creatures

[edit] Droids

[edit] Languages

[edit] Locations

[edit] Organizations

[edit] Species

[edit] Technology

[edit] Weapons

[edit] Vehicles and vessels

[edit] Miscellanea

[edit] Behind the scenes

This novelization, unlike those from the original trilogy, contains much that is not in the movie. It includes three entire chapters of material created by Terry Brooks and unique to the novel. The first two chapters of the book concern Anakin's next-to-last podrace and its aftermath, while a later chapter describes an encounter between Anakin and a wounded Tusken Raider in the desert.

Brooks met with George Lucas before writing the book and received his approval and guidance, including information about developments to come in Episode II and Episode III. This can be seen in such passages as the Tusken Raider scene, which ironically foreshadows the death of Anakin's mother in Episode II, and the passage leading up to Anakin's fight with the Rodian child (Greedo), indicating that Anakin's anger derives from his anguish at Padmé's impending departure (foreshadowing the plot of Episode III).

The novelization is especially well-known for a passage describing the history of the Sith, including Darth Bane. According to Terry Brooks' memoir, Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life, Lucas spent an hour on the telephone with him discussing the history of the Jedi and the Sith. Therefore, the information on this subject provided in Brooks' novelization can be presumed to derive from Lucas himself.

Brooks devotes the entire fourteenth chapter of Sometimes the Magic Works to the writing of the Episode I novelization, which was an extremely happy and fulfilling experience for him.

[edit] Cover gallery

This is a gallery of the different cover variations of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace novelization.

Hardcover (front)
Anakin Skywalker

Hardcover (front)
Darth Maul

Hardcover (front)
Obi-Wan Kenobi

Hardcover (front)
Queen Amidala

Hardcover (back)
Watto

Hardcover (back)
Darth Sidious

Hardcover (back)
Qui-Gon Jinn

Hardcover (back)
Jar Jar Binks

Special Edition hardcover

Paperback

Paperback Darth Maul cover

Abridged cassette
Anakin Skywalker

Abridged cassette
Inside

Abridged CD
Anakin Skywalker

Unabridged cassette
Queen Amidala

Unabridged CD

UK paperback - The Phantom Menace

Dutch paperback - The Phantom Menace

French hardcover - La Menace Fantôme

French paperback

German hardcover - Die Dunkle Bedrohung

German paperback

Polish - Gwiezdne wojny: część I - Mroczne widmo

[edit] External links


Star Wars film novelizations
Prequel trilogy
Episode I: The Phantom Menace · Episode II: Attack of the Clones · Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Trilogy
Episode IV: A New Hope · Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back · Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
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