For the title of 'Jedi Knight' to be confirred on a padawan learner, a young Jedi must "face the trials." Who knows what these are like? But look what Obi-wan did to win his knighthood—defeat Darth Maul (...just barely. He kinda sorta lost, too, ya know.) Luke is told he "must confront Vader." Luke assumes this to mean he must "kill [his] own father." \
Now, in Ep IV Obi-wan tells Luke, "I was once a Jedi Knight, same as your father." Jedi Knight, same as your father. But with the Jedi running around fighting in the Clone Wars, who will have time to administer 'the trials' to Anakin by Ep III? Might we assume that a number of padawans will earn knighthood in a similar fashion to Obi-wan during the Clone Wars? I suppose if I dug around in the info on the Clone Wars online that there might ready be an answer. So whom might Anny defeat that the Jedi Council deems a worthy display of Jedi prowess sufficient to 'the trials?' Count Dooku, maybe? Hmmm, but remember, in Jedi the Emperor wants Luke to kill Vader and "fulfill your destiny and take your father's place at my side." This is how the Sith are perpetuated—the apprentice eventually overthrows his master or a new, stronger apprentice comes along and replaces the current one.\
When the Trade Federation is defeated and there's a big celebration of peace on Naboo, it looks like the bad guys have lost. But the real bad guy has actually won, and now he's Chancellor Palpatine. True, he's suffered the loss of his apprentice, but he can find another one. Again, we already know he will (1).
I don't think Sidious suffered much at the loss of Maul. Maul certainly did not have the political charisma of Dooku (aka Tyrannus). Maul was actually rather weak, probably good only for running around doing some dirty work. I wonder if Sidious the Sith Apprentice teamed up with Maul to distroy Sidous' master..."Jedi" Master Sifodious, perhaps??? After all, he was the one to order the clone army from the Geonosians. Hm, but Jango "was recruited by a man named Tyrranus." So maybe no. But sombody killed Master Sifodious "almost ten years ago," or even "before that." I wonder if Sifodious concocted a plot that Sidious decided he was better suited for.\
So I wonder if Anakin will kill Bill...I mean Dooku...in Ep III, simultaneously garnering his status as a Jedi Knight and establishing himself as the new Sith apprentice!
