A Continuity Issue (Episodes II & IV)

[Vek Eldar]

Let me preface this by saying, 'For the love of Yoda, please don't flame me to death about this! I swear it was a total accident!' With that out of the way, I submit the following to the Assembly:

Last night, I watched Episode II for only the second time ever, the first having been when it originally came out in the theaters in 2002. Early on in the film, in the first scene in Palpatine's office, Palpatine is talking with Mace Windu, Yoda, Plo Koon, and several other Jedi. Palpatine is talking about not knowing how much longer he can hold off the vote for the creation of an army of the Republic to stave off the separatists.

PALPATINE: I don't know how much longer I can hold off the vote, my friends. More and more star systems are joining the separatists.

MACE WINDU: If they do break away -

PALPATINE: I will not let this Republic that has stood for a thousand years be split in two. My negotiations will not fail!

So, given this, we assume that the Old Republic has been around for a thousand years. However, in Episode IV, when Ben Kenobi presents Luke Skywalker with Anakin's lightsaber, the following conversatin ensues:

LUKE: What is it?

BEN: Your father's lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster.

Luke pushes a button on the handle. A long beam shoots out about four feet and flickers there. The light plays across the ceiling.

BEN: An elegant weapon for a more civilized time. For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire.

Thus, based on Ben's statement, we can assume that, if each generation is 20-25 years (as in, each generation had children after two decades or so) the Old Republic is actually 20,000-25,000 years old. The information in Episode IV, however, has literary backing, as well. Consider this entry from the Star Wars Encyclopedia, written by Steven J. Sansweet, the gentleman in charge of Fan Relations at Lucasfilm, published in 1998:

'Old Republic: A mostly democratic galactic government that lasted nearly 25,000 standard years, it spread justice and freedom from star system to star system...' (pg. 217)

The statement from Episode II also conflicts with the timeline found in the Encyclopedia, which was authorized by Lucasfilm. Therefore, the question must be asked: Is this a true continuity flaw, a misquote by Ian McDiarmid, or is there some other explanation I have not thought of? And, more to the point, which sources are correct: Episode II, or Episode IV and the Encyclopedia?

What's strange about this is that I'm not someone that sits down and picks apart movies to identify continuity issues. I have too much other stuff to occupy my time with to get bogged down with such things. This one, however, jumped right out at me. Having watched A New Hope countless times to the point that I have the script practically memorized, I thought, 'That's not right' when I heard Palpatine say that.

Anyway, if this has been brought up before, my apologies. If it hasn't, well, then cool, feel free to discuss, if you'd like. This is really just me wanting some clarification, not wanting to slam Lucasfilm or any other such thing. Heck, without Lucas, I wouldn't have my super cool Jedi costume and home made lightsaber!

Ciao

[Xana]

Hey, no flamimg from me! Everytime I ask someone "What continuity flaws?" I get a "I don't remember right now, but they are there!" So this is much appreciated. ;D

And sorry, now I'm confused too. I think it's just a misquote Palpatine. I'll trust Old Ben and Steve Sansweet over the Emperor any day.

[Calaveylon Angavel]

I've seen a similar continuity error with the Knights of the Old Repulic comics and XBOX games. The comics and games take place around 4,000 years before ANH.
I think what Cahncellor Palpatine is referring to is when the Jedi finally defeated the Sith (which was a long conflict), which was 1,000 years before EP. 1,2,3.

[Jaren Valnor]

I want an excuse for you only watching AOTC only *gasps* TWO TIMES!

[Jedimom/Cor-Al Gelkar]

Write to Steve Sansweet! He'd know the answer

[Jaren Valnor]

Or, you could try Pablo Hildalgo! He has a column in the Insider, but, since the big change, I don't know what it's called.

[lazlototh]

I think the Old Republic though existant the whole time, may have gone through version changes as time passed.... What Palpy is referring to is when the last of the Sith have known to be defeated. But that doesn't mean the Republic started then - just that version....

[Johann Shinobi]

If Your Going By all the literary work , the movies, and most of the games.... The Old Republic was around for over 25,000 years, the "Golden Age of the Sith, and the hyper-space wars took place 5,000 years befor the battle of Yavin, and at that point the Old Republic was established though some what small.. I think what Palpatine meant was that the current form of the Republic (size and peacfull culture) had lasted for 1,000 years. Like Lazlo Toth said also it had been 1,000 years since the last sith war.

[Xana]

Hmmm............ where's George Lucas when you need him?

You knwo that thread we all were supposed to post in and send it with the T-shirt? And Schph asked what would you say to him if you had a chance to meet him? Well this would be first on my list of questions!!!!!!!! ;D

[JediMistressDragon]

Actually there's continutity errors in the films, but then that's because no one checks over them with a fine toothed comb, including Lucas himself (esp. as he wrote the scripts). What can I say, if these were presented as novels andf Lucas brought the chapters to a writer's group he would be drug over the coals. That's why I write down what I write, esp. to make sure names or color or hair, etc.. isn't changed. Readers catch these things.
JMD