"Star Wars Novel's 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Released"

There's no better reminder of the passage of time in 2025 than realizing that Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith has reached its 20th anniversary. Fortunately, fans have something to celebrate as the film is set to return to theaters in May for Lucasfilm's anniversary event. Additionally, Matthew Stover's critically acclaimed novelization of Revenge of the Sith is being re-released in honor of its 20th anniversary, available for preorder on Amazon.

Collider has announced that Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith will receive a Deluxe Edition hardcover, slated for release in October. This edition boasts new cover art, luxurious red foil-edged pages, a removable acetate jacket, and over 170 new annotations from Stover himself.

Out October 14### Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: Episode III - Deluxe Edition (Hardcover)

$60.00 at AmazonFor those unfamiliar with Stover's novelization, it is widely considered one of the best Star Wars novels and often deemed superior to the film. While adhering to George Lucas' screenplay, the book enriches many scenes and subplots, providing deeper insights into the psyches of characters such as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Count Dooku. It also features a distinctive second-person narrative style that sets it apart from other Star Wars literature. A poignant example is the passage describing Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader:

And you rage and scream and reach through the Force to crush the shadow who has destroyed you, but you are so far less now than what you were, you are more than half machine, you are like a painter gone blind, a composer gone deaf, you can remember where the power was but the power you can touch is only a memory, and so with all your world-destroying fury it is only droids around you that implode, and equipment, and the table on which you were strapped shatters, and in the end, you cannot touch the shadow. In the end you don't even want to. In the end, you do not even want to. In the end, the shadow is all you have left. Because the shadow understands you, the shadow forgives you, the shadow gathers you unto itself—And within your furnace heart, you burn in your own flame.

In contrast, the film's portrayal of this scene is markedly different:

This comparison underscores the value of exploring the novelization.

The Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith novelization is currently available in paperback and audiobook formats, with the Deluxe Edition hardcover set to release on October 14. Preorders are open on Amazon.

For more Star Wars excitement, consider exploring the array of Star Wars collectibles available at the IGN Store.