OVERLAY REPORT

In *Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith* (2005), the lead character is **Anakin Skywalker**, and his most crucial action is his **betrayal of Jedi Master Mace Windu during the confrontation with Chancellor Palpatine (Darth Sidious)**. This moment is widely considered the "point of no return" for Anakin, where he fully abandons the Jedi Order and commits to the dark side. ### Specific Details of the Action The action takes place in Palpatine’s private office. After Windu disarms Palpatine and corners him on the window ledge, Anakin arrives to find the Chancellor seemingly helpless and pleading for mercy. As Windu prepares to deliver a killing blow, arguing that Palpatine is "too dangerous to be left alive," Anakin intervenes. Anakin draws his lightsaber and **slices off Mace Windu’s right hand**, preventing the execution. This split-second decision allows Palpatine to drop his facade of weakness and blast Windu with Force lightning, sending the Jedi Master falling to his death from the skyscraper. ### Who Helped Him Make the Action Anakin did not make this choice in a vacuum; he was systematically "helped" (manipulated) by **Chancellor Palpatine**. * **Psychological Manipulation:** For years, Palpatine acted as a mentor to Anakin, but the final push was the promise that only the dark side possessed the power to save Anakin’s wife, Padmé Amidala, from her impending death in childbirth. Earlier in the film, Palpatine shared the "Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise" to plant the idea that Sith lore could conquer death. * **The "Victim" Ruse:** During the duel, Palpatine intentionally appeared exhausted and "too weak" to continue. By playing the victim, he forced Anakin to choose between the cold, legalistic justice of the Jedi (represented by Windu) and the only man who claimed to have the knowledge to save Padmé. * **Mace Windu’s Indirect Role:** Paradoxically, Mace Windu inadvertently helped Anakin make his choice by mirroring Palpatine’s own ruthlessness. When Windu declared that Palpatine was "too dangerous to be left alive," he used the exact same words Palpatine used earlier when urging Anakin to kill an unarmed Count Dooku. This hypocrisy confirmed Anakin’s belief that the Jedi were no better than the Sith, making his betrayal feel like a necessary act of "justice" in his clouded mind. Immediately following this action, a distraught Anakin kneels before Palpatine, pledging his loyalty and receiving the Sith name **Darth Vader**.