You can argue this point all day. You are correct, the OT fights were more realistic (5-6). However, people like the flash of the prequel fights. The only individual fights I respect from the prequels are the Obi-Qui-Gon-Maul fight, because it was thoughtfully choreographed and I could believe it from a Jedi fighting other Jedi. I also liked Dooku's fighting style simply because I've trained in classical fencing. The other PT fights are absolute trash. The Obi vs Anakin was the worst POS in the whole series. Only people who have never experienced any sort of combat situation, not including karate or Tae Kwon D'oh, think that those fights are super-cool. They were facepalm-galore. Tl;Dr- Yea, the OT fights were more realistic and overall better, but the PT were what people wanted to see. Most of them were garbage, but its obviously what the general populace likes, and what is popular is always correct.

For starters, Vader looked like crap. Second, Vader, Malak and Malgus all look the same and wear virtually the same costume because people think that's what a sith has to look like. It immediately says "Sith" and so its an easy look to use. Sith corruption is just a ploy made up to explain why all sith look like crap. Its just a way that the fanboy EU writers use to explain inexplicable things that happened in the movies that really just were the way they were for the effect in the film.

Actually the Thrawn trilogy is not particularly well-written, and it takes a while to get into. Right now I regret purchasing it.

The final fight scene between Obi-Wan and Anakin was horrible. That was the movie's one chance to redeem itself and it blew it. Who cares if they had to practice swinging sticks really fast for a million dollars? I would too if I was getting paid for it! It was a stupid, ridiculous fight with no realism in it. That's why I like the originals' fights better- they actually look like they're fighting with swords, whereas the prequel jedi fight with pixie sticks or something. There's no believe-ability to it and so there is no tension. Its watching something we can't understand and waiting for it to be over so that we know what the outcome of the "fight" was. Actually, the episode 1 fight was pretty cool.

OK. In my mind, going from what we're given in the OT, Vader fell to the Dark Side because he felt the Republic was incompetent and was drawn to the allure of power of the Sith and the efficiency and competency of the empire. He later came to regret his affiliation with the dark side, but was somewhat addicted to it, and his servitude to the dark side was really all that he had left. He even admits, in so many words, to Luke that he made bad decisions, but that his position made it impossible to change. He is a tragic tale, and the prequels did not set that up. And Hayden Christensen doesn't even have the body frame to be Darth Vader!! Don't say he was a robot so he looked different! Nothing about that skinny a-hole was right for DV. Honestly, Leonardo DiCaprio coulda taken that horrible script and made it work. He's honestly an amazing actor who would have fit the Anakin part. Hell, the kid even looks like a young Leo, and he certainly has the larger frame for Darth Vader. And heck, does anyone think of Hayden Christensen when you see Vader at the end of ROTJ? Watch that and imagine DiCaprio as Anakin. Let me know what you think!