The Star Wars prequel trilogy introduces fans to and develops some of the franchise's best characters, using its near seven hours to explore the likes of Anakin Skywalker. He, of course, gets the lion's share of screen time throughout the three divisive films, but there are plenty of other characters who get a lot of time to shine on-screen.
Alongside those central characters, who have vast amounts of time in front of audiences, there are less prominent characters who, while still getting a good chunk, are more efficient, making an impression on fans with just a scene or two.
10 Count Dooku - 11 Minutes 30 Seconds
Count Dooku remains one of Star Wars' most underrated villains, being phenomenal throughout The Clone Wars and such a good presence in his two prequel trilogy movies.
Most of Dooku's 11-plus minutes of screen time gets spent battling Obi-Wan and Anakin, as well as Yoda, two good but not brilliant Star Wars prequel trilogy battles. Christopher Lee was great to watch in the role, though, and Dooku was a vital part of the story of the prequel trilogy, but it is unlikely he will ever get the praise he deserves from audiences who do not watch The Clone Wars.
9 Mace Windu - 14 Minutes 30 Seconds
For many people, Mace Windu epitomized what was wrong with the Jedi during the time of the Galactic Republic, full of hubris and even arrogance. Nonetheless, he remains a popular and badass character to the fandom.
In under 15 minutes, Mace makes a significant impact. He not only is a big part of the Battle of Geonosis but his role in Anakin's story throughout the trilogy, particularly in Revenge of the Sith, cannot be overstated. His purple lightsaber remains one of the franchise's most memorable, and some fans still hold out hope that the Jedi Master survived his fall.
8 R2-D2 - 17 Minutes 30 Seconds
Neither of the sequel trilogy or prequel trilogy used R2-D2 as well as the original trilogy, and the beloved astromech did not get anywhere near the same amount of time in either trilogy to shine as he did in the originals either.
Nevertheless, Artoo continued to add to his legacy in the trilogy. Audiences caught glimpses of his friendship with Anakin, which is further advanced in The Clone Wars, and got to see more of a violent and courageous side to him as he showcases his bravery in the face of Separatists.
7 Jar Jar Binks - 20 Minutes 15 Seconds
Jar Jar Binks is the most criticized and hated character of the prequel trilogy, put in the films as more of comedic relief for children. The fact he spends 20 minutes on-screen, more than most Jedi and more than Artoo and Threepio, will be seen as criminal by many.
The majority of Jar Jar's 20 minutes come in The Phantom Menace, where he spends nearly 18 minutes irritating older audience members. Since he is the one to transfer emergency powers to Palpatine in Attack of the Clones, his role in the other films remains important, even though they are minimal in length.
6 Yoda - 25 Minutes
Many fans, particularly those who grew up with the original trilogy, disagree with how Yoda got portrayed in the prequel movies. Still, the argument over whether he should or should not have wielded a lightsaber does not take away from how the films advanced his legacy.
Yoda remained one of the most likable Jedi throughout the films, not displaying as much hubris or arrogance as others, while still imparting incredible wisdom. He is not as impactful or brilliant as he is in the originals, but in 25 minutes of screen time across three films, he reaffirmed why fans are so captivated by him.
5 Qui-Gon Jinn - 35 Minutes 30 Seconds
Qui-Gon Jinn may have only appeared in one of the three prequel trilogy films. Still, he is undoubtedly one of the best and most essential characters in the entire Star Wars trilogy, as well as the character fans spend the most time with during The Phantom Menace.
If Qui-Gon had survived the events of The Phantom Menace, the entire landscape of the Star Wars galaxy would be drastically different. His death is one of the most crucial moments in galactic history, but as well as being a critical character, he is also a great one. A wise Jedi Master who is also a bit of a maverick, holding little hubris and having a unique perspective of the Force and the Galaxy -- he is what many fans believe a Jedi should be.
4 Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine - 36 Minutes
The central villain of the Skywalker saga gets a good chunk of screen time throughout the prequel trilogy, and he is incredible throughout. Ian McDiarmid is one of the best performers of the trilogy, and the sheer evil and genius of the character are astounding.
The way he orchestrates and puppeteers a whole war and plays not only the government but the Jedi Order is all done in such a jaw-droppingly cruel and intelligent manner. While many audiences dislike the political aspect of the prequel trilogy, understanding the story and the plans in place underneath it all, as well as Palpatine's role in it, makes it utterly fascinating.
3 Padmé Amidala - 72 Minutes
Three characters in the trilogy get over an hour of screen time. One of them is Padmé Amidala, a kickass character whose writing and performances in the prequels often get criticized.
Padmé does not have as many iconic moments or scenes as the other two characters with over an hour of screentime to their name, but her role in the overall story of the prequels is still essential. In the end, Padmé turns out to be one of the strongest and most tragic characters in the Star Wars franchise, alongside one of the most important.
2 Obi-Wan Kenobi - 92 Minutes 30 Seconds
With Ewan McGregor's incredible performance, the prequel trilogy helped further the status of Obi-Wan as one of Star Wars' most fantastic characters. Throughout the trilogy, Obi-Wan is not only a tremendous part of the narrative but one with so many iconic moments.
Whether they be memed lines like, "Hello there," or genuinely brilliant sequences such as the Battle of the Heroes and the Duel of the Fates, Obi-Wan is such a key component to most of the prequel trilogy's best scenes. For over an hour and a half of screen time, audiences get to see what Old Ben Kenobi was like in his younger years, and to many, McGregor is Obi-Wan and he steals the Star Wars trilogy. To say that fans are excited for his return in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series is a huge understatement.
1 Anakin Skywalker - 123 Minutes 15 Seconds
The Skywalker saga as a whole can be boiled down to the rise, fall, and redemption of one Anakin Skywalker, with the prequel trilogy telling the story of Anakin's early life and rise in the Jedi ranks before his fall to the dark side of the Force. It is an immense story.
While Anakin has gotten widely criticized for his dialogue and the performances of his actors, most prequel fans adore the character, and there is no doubt he has gotten improved to no end by the wider canon such as The Clone Wars. With over two hours of screen time to his name, the three movies have no shortage of Anakin, and nor should they. He is the centerpiece of the Skywalker saga, and for all the criticism surrounding the writing of the prequels, his story is genuinely outstanding.
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