Widely regarded as the finest film in the series, found composer in complete control of the universe. Having already established a wide berth of memorable character motifs and notable hero/villain cues, he fleshed out the old and brought in the new with special attention paid to the movie's darker themes, resulting in one of the most cohesive and fully realized scores of his career. Beginning with the unmistakable main titles, launches into a peerless battle theme that utilizes the composer's vast orchestral arsenal to great effect. Pounding percussion, brass, and the intricate weaving in and out of familiar themes from the previous installment engage the audience from the very first note. All of this cacophony is really just a setup for the introduction of the series' most coveted piece of music, had hinted at this -meets- death march throughout portions of , and to hear it in its completed form is exhilarating. Also notable are the romantic cues for and ( ) and the expansion of the wistful "Jedi" melody, which is used to great effect on is epic, romantic, and powerful. It is ' world at its most uncompromising, and ' score treats its themes of heroism and betrayal like the tragedy that it is. ~ James Christopher Monger