CLASSIC IMAGE: DROID DEBARKATION!

Newly arrived on the peaceful world of Naboo, Trade Federation Battledroids begin dispersing their armies out into the planet's forests, in this great conceptual art by Doug Chiang for Episode One.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THREEPIO JOINS THE FIGHT!

Batting for the wrong side, adding to the droid's overall dreadful ordeal on Geonosis, Threepio, or at least his head, joins the enemy! A fun moment away from, yet linked to, the gargantuan death arena conflict of EPISODE II.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: ANAKIN BLASTS OUT!

With power to his starfighter quickly restored, Anakin escapes the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship, but not without first letting out two proton torpedoes that do heavy damage to the main reactor and soon sets off a chain reaction, as seen in two pivotal ILM storyboards shown here.

This would be a scene from Lucas deliberately echoing, or rhyming with, Luke Skywalker's later destruction of the Death Star space station with his proton torpedoes in EPISODE IV.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: STAP REINFORCEMENTS!

The Naboo plains battle between Gungans and Trade Federation intensifies as Battle Droids on STAP vehicles enter the fray in this specially composed ILM photo image- a sequence planned as a storyboard, and likely created as an animatic, that ultimately didn't make cinematic reality for the final cut of EPISODE I. Instead, they would be seen in long shot for one brief moment during the Gungans surrender aftermath.

Early storyboard showing STAPs penetrating the energy shield and attacking the Gungans.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: CLOSE QUARTERS COMBAT!

The action, danger and lightsaber battles within the Theed hangar are well captured by Australian artist Matthew Hatton in this accomplished and exciting art that originally appeared in Star Wars Insider magazine back in 1999.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: THE WAR MACHINES!

Stage two of the Trade Federation attack on the Gungans begins as thousands of Battle Droids are released from cocoon belts to stride forward and break through the enemy shields. Conflict is soon joined between Gungan and machine, as George Lucas showcases the heroism of the primitive over faceless, cold-hearted technology, an idea also shown with Return of the Jedi with the Ewoks and the Empire, and before that with his fascination with the Vietnam War, in his original vision for Apocalypse Now.

"There's nothing like four thousand Gungans fighting four thousand Battle Droids. It's neat."

Dennis Muren - 2001

The Gungan army stands ready...

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: TO FLEE NABOO!

"Coruscant, that doesn't compute."

The Queen and her party have been rescued by Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan in a brief street skirmish, but they must now all flee Coruscant if they are to win support from the Senate on Coruscant. Our Jedi duo will have to liberate a group of captured pilots and win back the Royal Cruiser if the escape is to succeed.

Nick Gillard, Andreas Petrides and stand-in Gavin Hale watch as George Lucas demonstrates a lightsaber attack on the static Battle Droid prop - Leavesden Studios, 1997.

Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan spectacularly 'liberates' the Royal officers and pilots captured in the hangar bay.

Qui-Gon goes on the offensive.

"There was a sequence we had to fight these droids. Ewan and I had just started, and cameras rolling, and action, and we just started (swings his arms and makes lightsaber sound effects). And I thought, we don't have to do that! We don't have to make the sound effects! He'll (George Lucas) add them in later!"

Liam Neeson - 1999

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: A QUEEN'S RESCUE!

Captured and unwillingly escorted to a processing centre for the citizens of Naboo, Queen Amidala and her party are surprised by the sudden appearance of two Jedi, who make quick destructive work of her Trade Federation Battle Droid captors- leading the charge, the noble Qui-Gon Jinn, in this great art by Brian Rood, created for an EPISODE I online storybook of a few years back.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: THE SWEET TASTE OF 'VICTORY'!

With such an army at their disposal, it wasn't going to be a long, hard battle for the Trade Federation in winning control of the peaceful world of Naboo- the spoils of war are theirs, for the time being, in this great production painting by Doug Chiang, showcasing the elite Neimoidian leaders.

Intriguingly, this art shows the original facial designs for the Neimoidians that were not used in EPISODE I- for practical filming reasons, and instead applied to EPISODE II's CGI-created flying pests on Geonosis. The idea of the Battle Droids reflecting their masters visages was held over for that film. too.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: INVASION ROAD!

Their transport ships landed and cargos disembarked, thousands of Trade Federation Battle Droids and legion air swarming Droid Fighters now travel across the Naboo plains- their destination for invasion and control: the city of Theed!

Of computer-generating believable, dynamic characters: "The challenge, always, is to bring a performance out of those digital characters. For instance, George (Lucas) came up with this great idea of having the droids react like pigeons. They kind of flock together, and they're not too smart - which eventually causes their downfall."

Dennis Muren - The Making of STAR WARS: EPISODE I book - 1999

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: DAWN OF THE BATTLE DROID!

Onscreen, the Jedi would soon cut them down like butter, but that exciting first sneak peek of a Battle Droid, seen on a special US subscriber's cover for Star Wars Insider magazine back in 1998, was nonetheless impressive, especially riding its flying Stap vehicle, seen all too briefly on Naboo during the film's opening.

A terrific photoshop composition created by ILM (supervised by Dennis Muren), with background by Russ Kaiser.

DELETED SCENE: ESCAPE DESCENT!

Having been cornered by General Grievous and unable to stop his brutal slaying of Jedi Master Shaak Ti, our heroes Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi now escape to another level of the Invisible Hand- an unexpected move during a deleted scene from EPISODE III that eventually made it to 2005 DVD release.

THE CLONE WARS: SURROUNDED!

Down but not out from his conflicts with former master Count Dooku and the agile warrior Asajj Ventress, Savage Opress must escape to lick his wounds and fight another day. But first there's the additional firepower of varying Trade Federation battle droids to tackle, in a scene from The Clone Wars Season Three classic episode Witches of the Mist.

CLASSIC ART: RISE OF THE WAR MACHINES!

Their Battle Droids may have shown incompetence during the battle of Naboo, but their creators on the creepy world of Geonosis are always out to make improvements- powerful improvements, as seen here with the front and centre Super Battle Droids soon unveiled into battle against the mighty but small in numbers Jedi force newly arrived on that outer rim hellspot. The infamous The Clone Wars begin, in this great art linked to EPISODE II.

If anyone knows the artist behind this spectacular piece, please get in touch.

THE CLONE WARS: SITUATION - DESPERATE!

Though they have the strong leadership and incredible powers of Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker keeping their backs, the Clone Troopers valiantly fighting within the crystalline streets of Christophsis are starting to become overwhelmed by the en masse Battle Droids attempting to cut them off. A memorable scene from the beginning of The Clone Wars animated movie showcasing the Clone Troopers bravery and agility in combat but also showing them getting some savage slaughtering from their inhuman opponents, during some quite adult and gritty moments. The level of violence would be subsequently toned down or handled more discreetly for family audiences once Cartoon Network aired the oncoming series.

Introducing us to the unusual and striking realms of Christophsis, there would be subsequent visits to the intriguing planet on and off the series to follow, and within all parts of the Galactic Timeline.

CLASSIC ART: STAP ATTACK!

In the skies of Naboo, STAP flying Battle Droids try and fail to shoot down some Gungan riding air beasts, in this gorgeous production painting art for EPISODE I by the ever-talented Doug Chiang circa 1997.

CLASSIC IMAGE: MASSACRE ON MUSTAFAR!

Trapped in the control room of their secret Mustafar base, the Trade Federation and Separatist enemies of the newly established First Galactic Empire are swiftly wiped out by the proclaimed Emperor's lethal man servant, the shrouded identity hidden Darth Vader, in this great moment from EPISODE III.

CLASSIC IMAGE: LIFT CONFRONTATION!

"Roger, Roger!"

The last words those Battledroids will ever hear, not from their own electronic mouthboxes, however, but from an in-synch Obi-Wan and Anakin as they finishing cutting the small squad to pieces with their lightsabers, inside one of the lifts of the Invisible Hand. A fun little moment from EPISODE III that made its way properly onto Blu-ray in 2011.

CLASSIC IMAGE: IT'S ALL IN THE WRIST!

A bulky Super Battle Droid uses its wrist blaster weapon to spread brutally destructive effect, in this great imagery from the Geonosis Arena battle, from EPISODE II.

CLASSIC IMAGE: NO WILD BANTHA CHASE THIS TIME!

In a defiant lightsaber attack/defence gesture, the former "negotiator" Obi-Wan Kenobi makes his last stand against the evil Cyborg General Grievous, as the villain's lair is finally revealed on the sinkhole world of Utapau, during the middle sequences of EPISODE III.