MOVIES · STORY NOTES

Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jonathan Hales. The sequel to The Phantom Menace (1999), it is the fifth entry in the Star Wars film series and second chronological chapter of the "Skywalker Saga".

Description adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones · CC BY-SA 4.0. Text adapted for this entry.

FULL SPOILERS AHEAD

The story, including the ending.

These write-ups discuss major events and outcomes for this listed work. Each source and its coverage are identified below.

Source plot synopsis — includes the ending

Ten years after the Battle of Naboo, the Galactic Republic is threatened by a Separatist movement organized by Count Dooku, a former Jedi Master who mentored Qui-Gon Jinn. Senator Padmé Amidala, the former Queen of Naboo, travels to Coruscant to vote against a motion to create an army to assist the Jedi against the growing menace. After narrowly avoiding an assassination attempt from bounty hunter Zam Wessell upon arrival, she is placed under the protection of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan apprentice Anakin Skywalker. Zam attempts to assassinate Padmé again, but is thwarted and subdued by the Jedi pair. Zam's employer, a jetpack-wearing bounty hunter, kills her before she can reveal his identity. The Jedi Council instructs Obi-Wan to find the bounty hunter, while Anakin is tasked with protecting Padmé and escorting her to Naboo. Despite the Jedi Code forbidding attachments, Anakin and Padme fall in love.
Obi-Wan's search leads to the ocean planet Kamino, located beyond the galaxy, where he discovers a clone army is being produced for the Republic. The Kaminoans claim the army was commissioned by Sifo-Dyas, a Jedi Master who died ten years earlier, with the bounty hunter Jango Fett serving as the clones' genetic template. Obi-Wan deduces Jango is the bounty hunter he is seeking and places a homing beacon on Jango's ship before following Jango and his clone son Boba to the canyon planet Geonosis. Meanwhile, Anakin is troubled by visions of his mother Shmi in pain and returns to his homeworld of Tatooine with Padmé to save her. His former owner Watto reveals that he sold Shmi to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars, who then freed and married her. Cliegg says Tusken Raiders abducted Shmi one month earlier, and she is likely dead. Anakin finds her at the Tusken campsite, barely alive. After she dies in his arms, an enraged Anakin massacres the entire tribe. He later confesses his actions to Padmé and vows to prevent the deaths of those he loves.
On Geonosis, Obi-Wan discovers a factory building battle droids for Count Dooku's Separatist army, funded by several mega-corporations including the Trade Federation, whose leader Nute Gunray ordered the assassination attempts on Padmé in exchange for his support. Obi-Wan reports to the Jedi Council but is captured by Separatist droids. Dooku meets Obi-Wan in his cell and reveals that the Republic is under the control of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. He attempts to persuade Obi-Wan to join the dark side, but Obi-Wan refuses. Senate Representative Jar Jar Binks proposes a successful vote to grant emergency powers to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, allowing the clone army to be officially mobilized.
Having also received Obi-Wan's message, Anakin and Padmé head to Geonosis to rescue him, but Jango captures them. Dooku sentences the trio to be killed by alien beasts in their arena. A Jedi strike team led by Mace Windu attempt to rescue the trio, but are almost overpowered by Dooku's droids until Yoda arrives with a battalion of clone troopers. During the battle, Windu kills Jango, while Obi-Wan and Anakin intercept a fleeing Dooku and engage in a lightsaber duel. Dooku injures Obi-Wan and severs Anakin's right arm, but Yoda intervenes and defends them. Dooku attempts to fatally collapse a structure on Anakin and Obi-Wan during the duel, forcing Yoda to save them and allowing Dooku to escape to Coruscant and deliver the schematics for a superweapon to Sidious.
As the Jedi acknowledge the beginning of the Clone Wars, Anakin is fitted with a cybernetic arm and elopes with Padmé on Naboo with R2-D2 and C-3PO as their only witnesses.
Sources and content license

Source and revision history ↗ · Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Section headings and formatting adjusted. · Content license