ELI5: star wars plot please!

The Phantom Menace The saga begins with a child Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, being discovered by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who senses the boy's enormous potential. It is here that Skywalker first encounters the legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi, who himself is still but a pupil. As the first film unfolds, key characters appear, such as Padmé Amidala, R2-D2, C-3PO, Yoda, and the villainous Sheev Palpatine, who is a mere Senator in the Galactic Republic at the time. After a debate with the Jedi Council, one which includes the possible resurface of the Sith in addition to Skywalker, it is decided that Anakin will not be trained as a Jedi. At the end of the film, the Sith, Darth Maul, leads an attack against the Jedi on Naboo, and only the tragic death of Qui-Gon at his hands persuades the Jedi to reconcile their decision. Anakin Skywalker then becomes Obi-Wan's apprentice in the ways of the Force.

Attack of the Clones Over the course of the next two films, the Clone Wars begin between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Episode II starts with mysterious attempts on Padmé Amidala's life. While Obi-Wan Kenobi investigates the attacker, Anakin takes Padmé off Coruscant to her home planet of Naboo. During the course of her protection, the two become entwined in a romantic relationship, furthering Anakin's future fall from the Jedi ways. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan discovers that, for years, Kaminoans have been growing and training clones for use by the Republic. This discovery also brings Jango Fett and his son Boba out of hiding. The two escape to Geonosis, where Obi-Wan follows them and discovers the leaders of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, including fallen Jedi Master Count Dooku.

Anakin, after his mother is brutally murdered by Tusken Raiders on Tatooine, feels the pull of the dark side growing stronger in himself and his surroundings. On Geonosis, Obi-Wan is captured, and the Jedi Council asks Anakin and Padmé to remain where they are. Padmé, however, decides to go aid Obi-Wan despite the urgings of the Council, forcing Anakin to follow her. They are also captured after a brief scuffle, and the trio are nearly executed in the arena. Moments before this, many Jedi appear and begin attacking the native Geonosians and battle droids alike.

The Senate gives newly elected Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine emergency powers to raise an army of clones (cloned from the notorious bounty hunter Jango Fett) to combat the rising Separatist threat. These clones are also dispatched to Geonosis to attack the Confederacy. While the major battle unfolds, presaging what the Clone Wars will become, Count Dooku escapes, the clones become the Grand Army of the Republic, and Anakin and Padmé fall in love, a love that must be kept hidden from the Jedi, including Obi-Wan.

Revenge of the Sith The film opens with a brutal attack on Coruscant. General Grievous leads the attack, while Count Dooku holds the Supreme Chancellor hostage. When Clone War veterans Skywalker and Kenobi are dispatched to rescue him, Dooku is killed but the droid general escapes. Palpatine has managed to gain almost unlimited power over the Galactic Senate, and Anakin, who is pushed closer and closer to the dark side of the Force, has become close friends with him, deeply troubling his fellow Jedi. His secret wife, Padmé Amidala, is pregnant and stays at her apartment on Coruscant as Obi-Wan leaves for the Utapau system to search for Grievous. Leading an army of clones, Kenobi finds and destroys the droid general.

At first, the Jedi Council does not heed Skywalker's revelation that Palpatine is the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious. Upon realizing their error, the Jedi Council moves to confront the Chancellor. Master Mace Windu and three other Jedi Masters attempt to arrest Sidious. However, they are overcome, and with the help of the fallen Skywalker, the Jedi are all killed. With this act, Anakin becomes Darth Vader. His convictions that the Jedi are behind the treachery cause him to lead the destruction of the Jedi Order. Palpatine issues Order 66, whereupon many Jedi are slaughtered by the clone troopers. Darth Vader conquers the Jedi Temple and sets the Jedi beacon to call all remaining Jedi back to the temple—into an ambush waiting to slaughter them. After Vader leaves for Mustafar, Yoda and Obi-Wan infiltrate the temple, where Obi-Wan alters the signal to alert all Jedi to stay away. While in the temple, Obi-Wan activates the security recording, leading him to learn the truth about Anakin. With this knowledge, Yoda and Obi-Wan agree the two Sith Lords must be defeated. Yoda would remain on Coruscant to confront Darth Sidious, while Obi-Wan would battle his former apprentice.

Yoda fails to defeat the Sith Lord, and, escaping with his life at the end of the battle, determines to go into exile. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, learns Anakin is responsible for Padmé's pregnancy. Padmé, afraid for Anakin, leaves for the volcanic world of Mustafar, where Vader has been sent to assassinate the remaining Separatist leaders, effectively ending the war. After sneaking aboard Padmé's ship, Obi-Wan confronts Vader on Mustafar. The two engage in a duel, which results in Vader suffering the loss of his limbs, severe burns, and damage to his lungs. Obi-Wan leaves his long-time friend for dead, and takes the critically injured Padmé with him.

Vader is rescued by Sidious and encased in a life-support suit. Padmé dies in childbirth, and the Skywalker twins, Luke and Leia, are separated; Leia is adopted by Senator Bail Organa and his wife, while Luke is taken in by Beru and Owen Lars. (Owen was the son of Cliegg Lars, the man who freed and then married Shmi, Anakin's mother.) On Naboo, mourners carry their former monarch, their beloved elected queen, through the streets of Theed. Clutched in her hands is the carving Anakin gave her when he was a young boy.

Sidious and Vader rise to take control first of the Senate and then of the galaxy, using the power gained from both sides of the Clone Wars and forming the Galactic Empire. The two Sith oversee the construction of the first Death Star, a glimpse of the dark times to come.

Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope This film introduces the characters of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, as well as the iron fisted regime of the Galactic Empire. On Tatooine, Luke's home planet, the exiled Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, in the guise of a kindly old hermit named Ben Kenobi, watches over him. When Luke realizes his Jedi potential, he teams with Han Solo, joins the Rebels, destroys the Death Star and rescues Leia from Darth Vader. However, Obi-Wan dies in combat with Darth Vader.

Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back After the Alliance experiences a devastating defeat at the hands of the Empire on Hoth, Luke Skywalker goes to receive training from the Jedi Master Yoda. However when Princess Leia and Han Solo are captured by the Empire on Bespin, Luke attempts a rescue only to be confronted by Darth Vader. His battle with the Dark Lord ends in Luke's defeat, and he receives the horrifying revelation that Darth Vader is in fact the former Anakin Skywalker, his father. Leia manages to break free with the help of Han's old friend; Lando Calrissian; but Han is himself taken away.

Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi After rescuing Han Solo from the gang lord Jabba the Hutt, Luke visits a dying Yoda, who confirms Vader's revelation and reveals that there is another surviving Skywalker before expiring. Obi-Wan Kenobi's spirit appears and elaborates, and Luke deduces that his sister is in fact Leia. While the Alliance engages the Empire in a battle against the second Death Star above Endor, Luke confronts Vader and the Emperor Sheev Palpatine; the Sith mastermind who engineered the creation of the Galactic Empire and the fall of Anakin Skywalker. After a brutal duel with Luke, in which he is defeated and shown mercy, Vader shakes off the Dark Side of the Force and becomes Anakin Skywalker again, destroying Palpatine and saving Luke's life at the cost of his own. With the destruction of the Death Star and the death of Palpatine, the Empire is defeated and as the rebels celebrate, Luke looks on at the smiling spirits of Obi-Wan, Yoda, and his father.

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