The Costumes of Star Wars: Episode III

The official "Star Wars" Homing Beacon newsletter included news on the costumes of Star Wars: Episode III. Here's what you can expect!

Many of the elements of Episode III are harbingers of things to come in the original trilogy. The Costume Department has worked diligently to not only foreshadow future events, but also give the final Star Wars chapter its own distinct style. Though the film is the most visually diverse of the saga, spanning the largest number of locales and cultures, there will definitely be costumes that look familiar.

"There's a link of characters between Episodes III and IV," says Trisha Biggar, Costume Designer. "In terms of quality, there will always be a difference between how things look in Episode III and Episode IV, just because we have a great deal more time to achieve things than the people in Episode IV did. But there's always a mind to keep the flow from III into IV, and that's been achieved in color and feel and referring back to Episode IV for the characters who have continuity, rather than trying to copy exactly any particular costumes from Episode IV."

For Obi-Wan Kenobi, his role as a Jedi pretty much defines his overall look, but there is room for subtle progression from The Phantom Menace to A New Hope. "We started in Episode I with a younger version of the costume from Episode IV. We kept that for Episode II. For Episode III, a couple of years have passed, and we changed his costume to blend into Episode IV. We changed the color of his undershirt and the color of his trousers, so he's very slightly becoming a little more like the old Obi-Wan."

Anakin Skywalker clearly has the most profound transition from the prequel to the original trilogy, but the evolution of his Jedi robes from Attack of the Clones to his garb in the new installment is more understated than his future look of dark armor. "We changed his cloak shape, and gave him a new slightly more Jedi-like cloak this time," says Biggar. "We changed his colors, and we darkened them all down, hinting at what he's going to become. Although he was quite dark brown before, there were some lighter aspects. This time, we've really taken shades of dark brown to give him a dark outline even though he's still a Jedi."

Though Senators Padm� Amidala and Bail Organa are absent from the original films, they continue to evolve Episode III, building upon their looks from the previous chapter. "In Episode I, Padm� was very formal and very ceremonial, and that became slightly relaxed for Episode II. In Episode III, we see her in a couple of business-like -- but not heavily ceremonial -- costumes, so generally her look is softer, and we get a chance to see her in a more relaxed state. I think even more relaxed now than she was in Episode II -- softer, more feminine," explains Biggar.

"Though we saw Bail Organa in Episode II as a Senator, George wanted him to look slightly more high tech in a way," she says. "We ended up using more metal pieces in his costumes. He has a high-tech metal comlink, and his ceremonial Senate costume has a beautiful metal collar piece."

"Episode III" is targeted for a May 25, 2005 release date.