Star Wars: Prequel scene too ‘GRUESOME’ to be shown – THIS shocking Anakin moment was CUT

The actor, who played Palpatine in four Star Wars movies, revealed at the FanX Convention in Utah, USA, that one of the most unsettling moments from Revenge of the Sith was nearly much more intense.

As Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) turns to the dark side, Palpatine endeavours to wipe out the last of the Jedi.

Initiating Order 66, which saw the cloned troopers killing their Jedi generals, he prompted Anakin to march into a temple and kill a group of young children.

This scene, it seems, was more “gruesome” when it was filmed.

“I think it was a little more gruesome than you ended up seeing, you know,” he said, according to ComicBook.

“A lot of young potential Jedi ended up on the cutting room floor.”

The film was given a PG-13 rating in the US, and McDiarmid revealed that George Lucas’ thinking was for audiences to see how truly despicable Anakin had become.

“George says, ‘That’s what he’s like, this guy, he’s uncompromising. People should know it,’” he recalled.

McDiarmid revealed that, incidentally, Episode III was his favourite movie to make, thanks in part to the infamous scene at the opera between Palpatine and Anakin.

“I got to play that great scene — and one of the best scenes I think George has written,” he said.

“I know he’s often teased about his writing, but he surpassed himself in the scene at the opera.”

Released in 2005, Revenge of the Sith saw Anakin become Darth Vader and made $848.8 million at the box office.

It fared reasonably well with critics, too; amassing a 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes – topping predecessors Attack of the Clones (66%) and The Phantom Menace (55%).

The Skywalker Saga is expected to conclude for good in 2019 with the release of Episode 9.

The as-yet-untitled film is currently in production in the UK, with JJ Abrams back in the director’s chair.

Star Wars: Episode 9 is out in December 2019.