The Star Wars franchise is one of the most beloved in the world and always right at the heart of the pop culture zeitgeist, but its vast fandom is not afraid to make jokes about the adored films. Particularly in the prequel trilogy, many scenes have fallen victim to meme culture, whether that be down to dialogue or continuity, and are iconic because of just how memed they have become.
Of course, the prequel trilogy is not the sole source of Star Wars' memed moments. Both the original and sequel trilogies have their moments that fans have taken full advantage of. No matter which film the moments come from, they cannot help but make fans laugh.
"A Surprise To Be Sure But A Welcome One" In The Phantom Menace
When Palpatine is put forward for the position of Supreme Chancellor of the Republic in The Phantom Menace, he gives this iconic quote, a line full of irony given that Palpatine is anything but surprised, and it's a line that fans have memed countless times.
And the moment is not used exclusively for Star Wars memes. It has been used for pretty simple, funny memes by people who are not even a part of the Star Wars fandom. The Phantom Menace has its flaws, but it gives fans a lot to love, including memes that come from this moment.
*Visible Confusion* In Attack Of The Clones
There may be no character in Star Wars more memed than Obi-Wan Kenobi, a trend that may well continue into his Disney+ series. In Attack Of The Clones, the combination of Ewan McGregor's facial expression and the closed caption gives fans an iconic moment.
The "visible confusion" meme is another one used universally, not just for Star Wars fans. The moment gets used in GIF replies and is combined with a funny situation to make memes that have even people not invested in the Galaxy far, far away laughing.
Obi-Wan & Luke Talking About Anakin In A New Hope
The original trilogy has nowhere near as many meme-worthy moments as the prequels. However, due to some contradictions between the trilogies, some moments are memed from the trilogy for continuity reasons.
Not long after the duo of Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker get reacquainted in A New Hope, Obi-Wan gives Luke Anakin's lightsaber and tells him how his father wanted him to have it -- and he also talks about how great Anakin was -- making for a good laugh. Obi-Wan, of course, took Anakin's lightsaber from Mustafar while Anakin burned to a crisp, with Anakin making no mention of passing the lightsaber on since he was too busy screaming about the searing pain.
Anakin & Padmé On Naboo In Attack Of The Clones
One of the most recent and hilarious Star Wars memes comes from Anakin and Padmé's time on the fields of Naboo in Attack of the Clones, a sequence that was already pretty funny to many, due to its cringey nature.
The meme comes specifically from their conversation about dictatorship versus democracy in which Padmé's smiling face is quickly turned to one of worry. It is a meme often used to convey red flags, which is fitting given the doomed nature of Anakin and Padmé's relationship.
Who Shot First In A New Hope
One of the most iconic moments from the Star Wars original trilogy is when Han Solo and Greedo face-off in Chalmun's Spaceport Catina. The moment initially had Han shoot Greedo, with special editions controversially altering the moment.
Over the years, it has gotten changed to Greedo shooting first and also to them both shooting simultaneously. Due to this, it is a hotly debated moment that has been memed and joked about, time and time again. This has become even more true since the addition of Greedo's infinitely strange "Maclunkey."
The Droid Attack On The Wookiees In Revenge Of The Sith
Ki-Adi-Mundi is one of the most recognizable Star Wars characters and is also one of the most unlikable Jedi of the prequel/Clone War era. The Cerean Jedi Master did give fans one of the prequel trilogy's most iconic pieces of dialogue, though.
Mundi's "What about the Droid attack on the Wookiees?" has been altered in various memes over the years so that the character says all manner of hilarious things or reacts accordingly to pictures that fans combine with the dialogue. It is a pretty timeless prequel trilogy meme that fans await on every Revenge of the Sith rewatch.
"Somehow Palpatine Returned" In The Rise Of Skywalker
One of the most painful pieces of dialogue in all of Star Wars comes in The Rise Of Skywalker when Poe Dameron announces to the Resistance that "somehow Palpatine returned." To many fans, it sums up the serious issues with the movie.
In the relatively short time since the movie's release, the moment has been poked fun at time and time again by fans. The line would be nowhere near as memed if fans actually got an explanation in the film about how Palpatine returned (something that has been revealed in content such as the film's novel). Alas, it has become perhaps the most memed sequel trilogy moment.
Opinions On Sand In Attack Of The Clones
When talking about poor/cringey dialogue in Star Wars, the quintessential example comes from Anakin in Attack of the Clones when he painfully flirts with Padmé on Naboo, telling her, "I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything's soft and smooth."
Why Padmé did not immediately kiss Anakin at this moment is hard to figure out. Few moments have gone from being universally despised to almost beloved due to how entertained the prequel fans are by it than this. It is undoubtedly one of the prequel trilogy's most iconic scenes.
The High Ground In Revenge Of The Sith
The Battle of the Heroes between Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar is heralded by many fans as being the best lightsaber duel in all of Star Wars, surpassing the likes of Luke Vs. Vader and the Duel of the Fates.
Arguably the most iconic moments from the duel, though, are the pieces of dialogue between the two former brothers, not least of all "I have the high ground," which has been talked about, joked about, and memed since 2005. Whether it is poking fun at Star Wars or being altered to be a more general meme, the moment is engrained in the world of pop culture memes.
"Hello There" In Revenge Of The Sith
In Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi gives fans a piece of dialogue that would go on to be used by fans to spot other Star Wars fans for years to come in a simple "Hello there" to General Grievous.
It is not just that intro that is memed from their duel, it is all of their dialogue with one another. Every line from, "Oh, I don't think so" and "General Kenobi" to "So uncivilized" has been used by fans in some manner of meme over the years, and they are some of the very best to come from the saga.