General principles:

• Depicts Jedi as serious, dignified, skilled and reserved, with significant emotional control, self-discipline, wisdom, etc. In short, no Jedi bashing, including no “Jedi code bashing”.
  
  
• A more mystical Force. Jedi rely on the Force more, lightsabers are drawn only as a last resort. Also to flesh out the mental powers of the Force.
  
  
• Eliminate silly vocabulary.
  
  
• More adult tone.
  
  
• Flesh out galactic economy, politics, technology.

Star Wars Episode 1

• Establishes Anakin and Obi-Wan dynamic and backstory. Anakin is Obi-Wan’s apprentice and has been for some time. Flashback chapters will establish their backstory and dynamic (think Stormlight flashback chapters).
  
  
• Depicts Anakin (already an adult) as:
  
  • The model apprentice. He is meditative, studious, deliberate in action, and patient.
    
    
  • But with a bit of an edge - highly focused on self-improvement (hint at how this could turn into lust for power), independently minded (prerequisite for him later siding with the Republic over the Jedi), and with a weakness for women (adheres strictly to the code via the “no attachments” loophole).
    
    
  • Tatooine backstory eliminated. He was taken as a baby like other Jedi. It will be his experiences as an apprentice which have shaped him, not his childhood. Though his unusual power will have always set him apart.
• Establishes the Clone Wars setting. The Clone Wars are already in their early stages at start of story, but the Jedi are not yet involved.
  
  
• The background to the Clone Wars is different. The Clones are the Separatist forces (fits better with Luke’s comment in ANH). But the Republic is still the side with a proto-Empire aesthetic.
  
  
• The story follows the Jedi’s attempts to broker a peaceful solution between the Republic and Separatists. The Jedi are ostensibly neutral in the conflict.
  
  
• Establishes Palpatine, ex-Senator for Alderaan, now Chancellor of the Republic.
  
  
• Count Dooku mentioned but seen only in passing. Establish that he is a prominent and powerful Master on the Council, but with an unusual position in that he still has connections to his home planet (where his family are prominent).
  
  
• The story ends with Jedi being drawn into the Clone Wars on the side of the Republic. The ending hints at internal division within the Jedi - Dooku not at all happy that the Jedi have taken sides. He was strongly supportive of their neutrality (his home planet is a separatist one).
  
  
• Anakin becomes a Jedi Knight in his own right at the end.
  
  
• Anakin character arc?
  
  
• Obi-Wan character arc?

Star Wars Episode 2

• Depicts the Clone Wars hitting their full stride, with the Jedi becoming a key part of the Republic’s military.
  
  
• Some Jedi, led by Dooku, have joined the Separatists. Others, led by the spiritual Master Yoda, have retreated to seclusion, unwilling to fight a war. Mace Windu leads the Republican Jedi.
  
  
• Anakin is taking to his military role well, rising up the officer ranks. He is an extremely successful commander and military thinker. He is to be depicted as a leader, not a foot solider (though he is capable of high combat skill when required). The more time he spends in the military, the more he appreciates its culture and he begins to think of himself as a servant of the Republic as much as a Jedi. He also develops a good working relationship with Mace Windu, who shares Anakin’s pragmatism.
  
  
• Introduces Princess Padme Organa of Alderaan. Strongly pro-Republic, ally of Chancellor Palpatine. Seductive, Anakin tempted.
  
  
• Introduces Count Dooku in person. He does not consider himself a Sith, but rather the true inheritor of the Jedi’s legacy. He still carries a green blade.
  
  
• Palpatine:
  
  • He needs some form of plan!
    
    
  • Need to establish the Anakin-Palpatine connection here - ep. 3 is too late.
    
    
  • Also establish elements of his power base which will become the core Imperial court.
• Obi-Wan arc: spiritually aligned with Yoda, does not approve of the war, but sticks around due to his bond with Anakin. Nonetheless their relationship is strained by their differing perspectives on the war. Obi-Wan trying to choose between loyalty to Anakin and moral convictions. Chooses loyalty to Anakin (which he will come to regret).
  
  
• The story ends with a major seperarist victory. Anakin loses to the more experienced Dooku (but it’s closer thing than in AOTC), which plants the seed of Anakin looking to less conventional knowledge (i.e. dark side) to gain an advantage.

Star Wars Episode 3: The Fall of the Republic

• Final phase of the war. Separatists on brink of victory, Republic getting desperate.
  
  
• Anakin secretly learning of the dark side. He is increasingly influenced by military thinking - the Jedi are at war, the Force is their weapon. The dark side is like a dangerous, powerful weapon: to be used with caution, but appropriate for use in certain situations. He is encouraged in this by Chancellor Palpatine.
  
  
• Cool dark side worldbuilding - more mystical side of things.
  
  
• Anakin/Padme relationship. Padme plays a significant role in anchoring Anakin’s loyalty to the Republic. Padme is pregnant by the end of the story but Anakin never learns of it. She flees to Alderan when Anakin’s nature as Darth Vader becomes apparent.
  
  
• Palpatine unveiled. Republic Jedi plan to get rid of him (not an immediate reaction, Jedi need time to plan their coup). Anakin sides with Republic over the Jedi out of belief in the Republic. Jedi cannot just depose the democratic leader, even if he is a Sith.
  
  
• Anakin brings a small number of other Jedi with him - those who served under him in military.
  
  
• Obi-Wan sides with the anti-Palpatine Jedi against Anakin.
  
  
• Many Jedi killed in chaotic finale in which Separatists attack the capital, with Republican Jedi mid-coup. Anakin kills Dooku in the climax, but Obi-Wan severely injures Anakin in the fight.
  
  
• Palpatine executes a clever plan to deal a severe blow to the Separatists, and no Dooku is there to anticipate it. Separatists forced to retreat.
  
  
• Establish the genesis of the rebellion out of the remnant of the shattered Separatists.
  
  
• Establish basis of Imperial court - hint at how things will be run during the Empire.
  
  
• Hint at Vader will spend next years hunting Jedi down and finishing off the Separatists, who are broken but not defeated.

Thoughts?

 

Phantom Menace:

Background:
Separatists are more pro slavery to get support from Hutts, making Anakin more pro republic because he found out for whatever reason he was a slave from birth, and his mother likely still is on e and rumors of Maul being a sith and in the Confederacy are abound so much so that Mace Windu believes it.

Palpatine was a senator from Alderaan prior to this but step down in order to campaign for Chancellor, heavily advocating war, as up till now there had been minor skirmishes with the Confederate planets but nothing major, maybe with one particularly devastating battle.

Events:
So when there is a chance of talks with Separatists but there needs to be a Jedi moderators the council is in upheaval about who to send, Yoda and the doves, advocating for say Plo-Koon as a dove, with support from Dooku and his neutral bloc. Mace advocating harder for a more war hawk Jedi, eventually they settle on sending young Obi-Wan who is seen as a dove, and Anakin his war hawk apprentice, Anakins job is to find any proof of maul, and if found demand his execution or else peace would be impossible. Obi-Wans is just to moderate.

Seppies demand what they always do, complete removal from the Republic, and with neutral terms, between the two governments but no embargo, they also want Serannos removal from the Republic, obviously. And few other critical factory planets, that are essential for the manufacturing in the outer rim. Including Ryloth. In addition to the canonical established Separatists planets.

Republic sees losing Seranno as terrible for them, Seranno is the one good thing in the outer rim, and a good foothold for expansion at a later date. the various manufacturing planets seem like a wall to prevent republic expansion into wild space, and given the increased slaver activity in confederate space, Ryloth would be a humanitarian disaster.

They blither on for days and days, eventually coming to the conclusion the Republic refuses to cede either Seranno or Ryloth. If the Seppies don't get Ryloth, no backing from Hutts, if they don't get Seranno, no backing from the royalty there, and their endless coffers.

Talks start getting bad when Anakin is caught snooping around in a Seppies office maybe?, but it leads to them embargoing Ryloth, and thus the deceleration of war from the Republic.

Obi-Wan, and Anakin retreat back to Coruscant with rest of the Republic Contingent. War is declared, Dooku and his neutrals flee, Yoda loses his bloc. And Mace Windu scores enough votes that they Jedi are officially allied with the Republic in the war against the Separatists.

Yoda and the doves flee, and Windu becomes the Grandmaster and elevates Anakin to a Knight. Citing his preformance at the talks in discovering the existence of Maul, and that its war time, he is granted an apprentice in the form of Ahsoka Tano.

Palaptine ascends to Chancellorhood as war breaks out and the need for a war time Chancellor is necessary and who better than the man who advocated a full plan for it and whatnot.

Additional Notes:
Anakin story arc can be him at the Talks trying to find information on Maul with aide from Padme, she is more of a dove, but if there is a Sith she'd advocate war. They get closer and the whole romance thing goes down.

Obi-Wans arc will be more complex, him trying to figure out where his loyalty is as, talks turn to war, is he staying by his padawan and best friend or following his beliefs, and advocate for peace even during the war, taking a non violent role.

Thats it for now, do have some plans for Ahsoka in AOTC.

 

Nicely done, but I always wanted someone to try fix prequels without changing their structure, but rather focusing on details.

Something like:

- Make Anakin a little older and Padme a little younger for them to be closer in age and a more obvious mirror images of each other. One is poor when other is rich. One has a loving mother when the other has power hungry parents. Both have no freedom in their lives with one being a slave and the other being a puppet queen. It's not really subtle, but with both having similar ages and something in common, they would have a better connection starting with Episode 1.

- Remove midi-chlorians, the Force is mystical. Anakin is special because he mastered it to a level of a Jedi initiate using just his intuition.

- Introduce Count Dooku in the Episode 1 as someone who helps the main characters despite Council's decision to stay away from the conflict establishing him as a trusted ally. That way you have more emotional impact in the Episode 2 when he's revealed as one of the leaders of the Separatists.

- Put more focus on the fact that the Jedi are highly respected by everyone because they're masters of resolving conflicts without use of weapons. Of course, they fight as often as not, but it's the public's perception that matters in this case. The fact that they finally join the war hits hard their reputation. It's what Palpatine planed because he can't destroy them when they have full support from people.

- Padme is killed shortly after giving birth to Luke and Leia when she tries to stop Obi Wan and Anakin's duel. It's mostly accidental, but caused by Anakin's actions.

 

I have a problem with this one. Not from a narrative point of view but from staying true to the franchise. Star Wars in Lucas idea is a since fiction fairytail, and in fairytails there are clear good and evil. This is not to say there cant be changing allegiances but not that drastic. If I understand it correctly in your version the seperatist would start as the villan and than (in a New Hope and onward) be the hero. This in my opinion goes against that Star Wars is in its core. It makes a good story no questions there, but it is a strong derivation from the ground idea. In the original triologie we are supposed to root for the rebels and Luke, they are fighting an oppersive goverment after all. Showing that they started as renegades themselfs could sour that view.

Maybe that view I hold is a bit to special, and I certainly would read a fic that follows your ideas. But I would always prefer one that stay true to the core ideas of the original work.
But as I said, as a plot it is quite good. And most certainly better than everything Lucas himself wrote in the prequels, so one could argue wether my point stands anyway. But those are just my two cents on frachise ideas. When I find a bit of time maybe I try to develope a few ideas for a good prequel myself.

 

All we know is that they’re in conflict with the Republic. That’s not quite the same as being villains - just antagonists.

Palpatine is the villain.