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Which provides the definitive narrative of the events immediately preceding Revenge of the Sith? The novel by James Luceno or Clone Wars Chapters 23-25?

Both provide parallel, yet seemingly contradictory events that occur during the same time frame. One example: Kit Fisto and Mace Windu fight Grievous on top of a subway car in LoE, while Mace is seen Force crushing Grievous' torso and organs in Clone Wars. Kit is nowhere to be seen on Coruscant during the Separatist attack in CW.

In addition, the planet Nelvaan as depicted in CW is nowhere to be seen or mentioned in LoE. Rather the planet that Obi-Wan and Anakin are on is Tynthe (sp?) and instead of searching for Grievous (as in CW), they are looking instead for Dooku in LoE.

The actual movie DOES have little snippets that support either of the two parallel stories. In RotS, we do see Grievous wheezing and coughing regularly, which is explained by Mace's attack in Clone Wars. But we also have Obi-Wan talking about Cato Neimoidia. That battle is detailed extensively in LoE, but nowhere to be seen in CW.

So to those who have read and seen both, the question is: "Which narrative provides the one backstory that is actually canon?"

Ask Leland Chee. According to him, both are canon, just depicting events out of order or whatever.

The novelization of ROTS contains references to earlier episodes of The Clone Wars cartoon, as well as the Clone Wars comics...but none of the cartoon episodes that involve Palpatine's kidnapping. No references to The Labrynth of Evil either, that I can recall. Seems both the writers of the book and the cartoon were told where the story was to end up but neither collaborated with the other on the bridging.

So as far as what's official, I've haven't seen anything to indicate which is or isn't. I think Labrynth is the better story of the two though the Clone Wars is more poetic, visually, and does a nice job at foreshadowing.

I'd be in favor of Labrynth of Evil, IMHO.

Seems both the writers of the book and the cartoon were told where the story was to end up but neither collaborated with the other on the bridging.

Acually, there are a large number of references to the CW cartoons in LOE (Nelvaan, the species of the Jedi who accompany Shaak Ti, etc.) alomost as if Luceno was trying to partially reconcile the difference.

Generally, the consensus is that the CW cartoons and LOE are telling the same events, but CW is cinematically dramatised, and LOE is a historical document.

BOTH Labyrinth of Evil AND Star Wars Clone Wars provide valid and justifiable lead-ins to Episode 3. That certain isolated events in the two works appear to contradict each other is nothing new or remarkable - often in such fantasy worlds, we see contradictory accounts (I'm sure the same is true for certain elements in the star trek world, though i cannot say with certainty). I would still consider BOTH to be valid accounts.

I also agree with Noble Ire that CW is dramatized and stylized with respect to the cinema of it, and many of the apparent "contradictons" can be traced to this. You can't choose one or the other, in the same way that you can't (hypothetically, of course) dismiss one or more movies of the PT or OT becuase you happen to dislike them. It's all part of the universe.

Kenoshi wrote:No references to The Labrynth of Evil either, that I can recall.

There's Mace Windu's "I have fought him blade-to-blade" bit when giving Obi-Wan the mission to Utapau.

In related news, I found and still find the whole Obi/Ani subplot with the wierd native people boring and stupid. So I'm throwing my support in for LoE.

Noble Ire wrote:

Seems both the writers of the book and the cartoon were told where the story was to end up but neither collaborated with the other on the bridging.

Acually, there are a large number of references to the CW cartoons in LOE (Nelvaan, the species of the Jedi who accompany Shaak Ti, etc.) alomost as if Luceno was trying to partially reconcile the difference.

Generally, the consensus is that the CW cartoons and LOE are telling the same events, but CW is cinematically dramatised, and LOE is a historical document.

Yes, I did see numerous references to the Clone Wars cartoons in LOE, but, to clarify what I said, it seems that they are mostly from the first season. I do like your assessment as to the difference between LOE and CW. Sort of falls into the whole "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" theme. We're looking at different accounts of ancient events; some synchronize better than others.

There is also a depiction of the peripherals of the Battle of Coruscant in "Reversal of Fortune" on the Hyperspace section of the Official Site. Has anyone examined this to see which version it complements, or if it is different from both Labyrinth of Evil and Clone Wars?

Publius wrote:There is also a depiction of the peripherals of the Battle of Coruscant in "Reversal of Fortune" on the Hyperspace section of the Official Site. Has anyone examined this to see which version it complements, or if it is different from both Labyrinth of Evil and Clone Wars?

The direct references are very brief (only the first few strips) but as far as I could tell, they dont support any particular retelling. The only intersection point is when the strip depicts the Ithorian Jedi that GG kills, and that happened in both.

Noble Ire wrote:

Publius wrote:There is also a depiction of the peripherals of the Battle of Coruscant in "Reversal of Fortune" on the Hyperspace section of the Official Site. Has anyone examined this to see which version it complements, or if it is different from both Labyrinth of Evil and Clone Wars?

The direct references are very brief (only the first few strips) but as far as I could tell, they dont support any particular retelling. The only intersection point is when the strip depicts the Ithorian Jedi that GG kills, and that happened in both.

There is also another reference. In Reversal of Fortune, Mace Windu provides intelligence to the Chancellor stating that Dooku might be on the planet Tynthe (sp?). As a result, the Council and Palpatine decide to send Obi-Wan and Anakin to investigate. The reason that these two are sent is because as Mace Windu says, "The Council is in the midst of an important investigation here on Coruscant" and thus there are no other capable Jedi to be sent.

In Labyrinth of Evil, Dooku is indeed on Tynthe and Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent there. Also, the book provides many more details about the "investigation" that Mace alluded to in Reversal. This investigation is in fact the Council's search for Darth Sidious, who they believe resides or inhabits a part of 500 Republica, a posh elitist district reserved for V.I.P.'s on Coruscant.

These two references, when taken into account with the depiction of the Ithorian Jedi Master in the book as well, persuades me to believe that LoE is just a bit more credible than Clone Wars Chapters 23-35.

Like some have said before, I thnk CW is just a stylistic and exaggerated portrayal of events. Things may or may not have happened EXACTLY as they were depicted in the cartoons. But hey, that's just my two cents.

Publius wrote:There is also a depiction of the peripherals of the Battle of Coruscant in "Reversal of Fortune" on the Hyperspace section of the Official Site. Has anyone examined this to see which version it complements, or if it is different from both Labyrinth of Evil and Clone Wars?

It briefly ties into the CW series, showing Shakk Ti tied up like in the cartoon. But beyond that nothing either way.