Deep Dive Into The Darkest Episodes Of 'The Clone Wars'
On July 19, 2018, at San Diego Comic-Con, Dave Filoni, supervising director of The Clone Wars, announced that the beloved and Emmy Award-winning show would return for a final season. To the delight of Star Wars fans everywhere, the final arcs of the show would finally see the light of day after being shelved as part of the Disney buyout. These episodes, some of the last Star Wars stories that George Lucas himself helped tell, are regarded as some of the best episodes of the show, the first arc even spawning The Bad Batch spinoff. The final four episodes of the show, culminating the prequel era alongside Revenge of the Sith, are layered with intense action, a thrilling score, poignant thematic elements, and heart-wrenching emotional moments; a recipe for exceptional Star Wars. The final arc of The Clone Wars, often referred to as The Siege of Mandalore, consists of the episodes "Old Friends Not Forgotten," "The Phantom Apprentice," "Shattered," and "Victory and Death." It is the crown jewel of the Star Wars animated library.
As the Battle of Yerbana unfolds onscreen, we find General Kenobi and the 212th pinned down under heavy fire. Fortunately, Anakin arrives to save the day, calmly facing down the droid army much as his son would do years later on Crait against the First Order, complete with music from the battle onboard Jabba's sail barge in Return of the Jedi. As Ahsoka and Bo-Katan arrive on the scene, Ahsoka is surprised to find that the clones still salute her and respect her rank even after she left the Jedi Order. Anakin then foreshadows one of the darkest moments in Star Wars as he reminds Ahsoka that "loyalty means everything to the clones."
Unfortunately for the Jedi, the true nature of the clones' loyalty, while unquestionably committed, is not to the Order. Combined with the warm, heartfelt gesture from the clones of repainting their helmets to honor Ahsoka, it is a poignant yet sobering moment. As Republic forces begin their invasion of Mandalore, Ahsoka carves her way through Maul's forces in a thrilling aerial action sequence, complete with her saving a seemingly doomed clone pilot. This moment highlights how Ahsoka, who has fought and grown as a character alongside the clones, view their lives differently than the average Jedi, even Obi-Wan or Yoda. As Republic forces take the capital city of Sundari with aid from Bo-Katan's Nite Owls, it seems the day has been won. However, Ahsoka and her forces are lured into the sewers after Gar Saxon attacks a clone platoon. The tone noticeably shifts as Ahsoka descends from the light of victory on the surface into a dark, shadowy underworld where Maul still rules and his sinister machinations are proceeding as planned.
"The Phantom Apprentice" is highlighted by one of the best lightsaber duels in the Star Wars universe. The work of stunt performers and choreographers Ray Park and Lauren Mary Kim is impeccable. The juxtaposition between the saber duel in the Mandalorian throne room and the continued fighting between the clones and the Mandalorians is also extremely well animated and edited. However, before the duel commences, Maul asks for Ahsoka's help in destroying Sidious. In an iconic moment of temptation, Maul asks Ahsoka to join him. As the battle rages outside the Force holds it breath, the fate of the galaxy balanced on a razor's edge. Maul implores for Ahsoka's help, knowing he alone has no hope of defeating Sidious. Ahsoka, like Kenobi and Padme, is blinded by her love for Anakin and cannot accept that he is being seduced by the dark side.
Rejected as a liar, Maul's plea for help quickly turns back into his customary sneer of anger as he launches himself at Ahsoka. As Maul and Ahsoka duel in the throne room, outside, clones in Ahsoka-inspired armor and Mandalorians in Maul-red armor do battle, echoing the combatants of the saber duel. As the duel takes Maul and Ahsoka into the structure supporting the eco-dome, Maul makes a break for his waiting ship, trying to not only escape the Republic siege but also his former master. More terrific choreography ensues, with the combatants forced to fight for balance and against the forces of gravity. Ahsoka is eventually successful in disarming and capturing Maul, accompanied by an Emmy-worthy performance from Maul voice actor Sam Witwer. Ahsoka is left wondering if she made the right choice in not joining Maul, with events already in motion to bring down the Jedi Order.
Few moments in the Star Wars universe have as far reaching an impact as Order 66. With the fall of the Republic and the seeming extinction of the Jedi Order, the galaxy is changed forever. While Revenge of the Sith conveys the emotional weight of that moment and shows us what role characters like Anakin and Obi-Wan play, there are few depictions of Order 66 that are as up-close and personal as what is seen in "Shattered." This episode of The Clone Wars overlaps the most with the Skywalker saga as many scenes from Revenge of the Sith are continued or referenced in this episode. The war meeting between members of the council is included, as this is where Ahsoka reports her capture of Maul. The meeting concludes with Yoda still recognizing and respecting Ahsoka with the honorific "padawan," which she left along with the Order while Windu disregards her as a "citizen," continuing to embody the arrogance and dogmatic views of the Jedi.
Something that season 7 of The Clone Wars has done extremely well is play with the lack of music alongside the iconic scores of Star Wars. The virtual silence, like the vacuum of space, as Ahsoka and Rex escort the captive Maul back to the flagship is masterful in building a sense of dread. Upon arriving on the bridge of the Venator, Ahsoka senses the fall of Anakin Skywalker, her mentor and brother. In her vision, the original Revenge of the Sith audio can be heard, at one point mixing Hayden Christensen's voice with that of Matt Lanter, who portrays Anakin in The Clone Wars. As Order 66 unfolds across the galaxy, even Rex isn't able to resist the control of the Sith as he and ARC Trooper Jesse fire on Ahsoka. The dark side has never been stronger as defenders of the light perish across the galaxy, Darth Vader marches on the Jedi Temple, and the noose of the Sith tightens around the Republic.
A long-standing mantra of The Clone Wars is to "never underestimate a droid," and Ahsoka puts this idea to use, recruiting three astromechs to assist in her capture of Commander Rex. The idea of a "Force mind meld" is nothing new, as Kylo Ren and Maul have both used it to gain valuable information. The Jedi version of this is far less painful and violating as Ahsoka uses it to locate the control chip located deep inside Rex's brain and extract it. The final scene of the episode, a brief quiet moment after the frenzy of Order 66, brings to mind Old Ben Kenobi describing the fall of the Jedi to Luke. Rex's description of "hunting down and destroying," along with the use of the rare "Jedi Knights," referring to the entirety of the Order, are pulled directly from Kenobi's monologue. The animated shows have been key in connecting the smaller stories of the Skywalker saga and making them feel grounded in the same galaxy. And this is just a small example of that expertise.
The finale of The Clone Wars, while full of well animated action, contains some of the most emotionally driven moments in the whole show. Rex and Ahsoka have only each other and their small droid squad to rely on while they try to escape a hostile clone division. The opening score is appropriately somber, bordering on a funeral dirge. It is extremely reminiscent of the music that plays at Qui-Gon Jinn's cremation on Naboo, as well as Vader being encased in armor after his defeat on Mustafar, music to accompany the death of a Jedi. As this small squad of Jedi loyalists, Ahsoka, Rex, and the droids make their way to the hanger. Maul is wrecking havoc upon the ship and, using the unprecedented power of the dark side, wrenching the cruiser out of hyperspace. As Rex and Ahsoka reach the hanger, they realize that Jesse has beaten them there with a sizeable clone force to prevent their escape.
Voice of the clone army, Dee Bradley Baker, and the exceptionally talented Ashley Eckstein, truly bring it home in this scene. The emotions of sorrow, anger and compassion in their voices convey to the audience exactly how gutted they both are by this situation. Forced to fight against their friends while mentors and allies across the galaxy are in similar situations or have been destroyed. Seeing Rex shed a tear for this horrible and twisted fate of his brothers is a gut punch, to say the least, and is the perfect touch in this scene. As the situation in the hanger dissolves into chaos, Maul arrives and steals the shuttle Ahsoka intended to use for their escape. Reaching out, she is able to briefly halt his escape with the Force, but is forced to let go as the clones close in. Ahsoka in this moment chooses the Jedi path, in defending Rex as opposed to aggressively trying to stop Maul. As the Venator plummets to the surface of the moon, Ahsoka and Rex escape in a Y-Wing.
The final minutes of the episode are filled with symbolism showing that the Republic is truly dead, and many years of dark times loom ahead. The Venator, a symbol of the Republic, crashes and burns, taking the clones with it, while two rebels escape in a fighter that will become a staple of the Alliance's fleet. As Ahsoka surveys the wreckage and the graves of clones that she fought alongside, front and center is Jesse's helmet. With the Republic cog emblazed on the faceplate, to match his tattoo, the macabre message is clear. The Republic is dead, alongside countless good soldiers and civilians caught up in the Sith plan for galactic domination.
The final scene of The Clone Wars is powerfully poignant as Darth Vader himself arrives to inspect the crash site and the supposed grave of his former apprentice and friend. The convor Morai wheels above the clone cemetery, an embodiment of the hope and light that is sparking rebellion across the galaxy just out of Vader's reach. As the Dark Lord turns to leave, we see his silhouette reflected in the cracked visor of a clone helmet, still baring the orange paint and markings in honor of Ahsoka Tano. Anakin has turned his back on everything that was once important to him, including his padawan, his men, and the Republic itself. As the credits roll for the final time, there's no music, no victorious fanfare, only the cold howling of the wind as the galaxy waits for a new hope to emerge.