Top 10 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Moments
For this list, we're choosing from the original five seasons of the animated series that made its debut on the Cartoon Network in 2008, as well as the sixth season called “Lost Missions” that was released through Netflix. Given the nature of the topic, you shouldn't have to be a force wielder to realize there will be spoilers ahead.
#10: General Krell vs. Clone Troopers “Carnage of Krell”
During the Clone Wars, clone troopers are extremely loyal soldiers and their Jedi generals are beyond reproach. However, this is a rare exception to that rule. In a four-episode arc, Jedi Master Pong Krell temporarily assumes command of the 501st Legion during the battle of Umbara. From the start, Krell’s dislike of and disrespect for his troops is clear, but they feel it necessary to follow his orders. However, when the clones discover he ordered them to fire on each other, they confront him and discover he’s embraced the Dark Side of the Force. They’re left with no choice but to kill him.
#9: Anakin Sees the Future “Ghosts of Mortis”
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When Anakin, Obi Wan, and Ahsoka find themselves stranded on Mortis for a multi-episode story arc, they encounter the Son, representing the dark side of the Force, the Daughter, representing the light, and the Father, which keeps balance. In what was supposed to be a final encounter, the Son shows Anakin what his future holds, including Padme’s fate, the Emperor turning him to the dark side, and Darth Vader. This sets Anakin on the path to change his future – and not even Obi Wan can convince him to do otherwise. Eventually, the Father takes the vision away, but for a moment Anakin did have knowledge of his own destiny and the will to change it.
#8: Darth Maul Returns “Brothers” & “Revenge”
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In a move that endured beyond this series, all the way to “Star Wars Rebels,” “The Clone Wars” brought fan favorite prequel baddie Darth Maul back from what everyone thought was the dead. All it takes is his brother Savage Opress finding him in a galactic junkyard and a bit of Force magic from Mother Talzin to make his re-birth possible, but the result is the return of a tough, conflicted dark Force user into the “Star Wars” Universe. As one might expect from a reborn Sith Lord, Maul returns wanting revenge on Obi Wan Kenobi and with plans for power – in this case by building a vast criminal empire.
#7: Attack on Dathomir “Massacre” “The Clone Wars” introduced us to Force wielders who are neither Jedi nor Sith. One such group is the Nightsisters of Dathomir. When Count Dooku is ordered to kill Asajj Ventress, his former apprentice escapes by returning home to the sisters and is welcomed back by their leader Mother Talzin. Dooku then orders General Grievous and his droid troops to attack them. To help Ventress and the Sisters defend their home, Mother Talzin and Old Daka use the dark side of the Force to wake the dead to fight alongside them and harm Dooku from light years away - that is, until Grievous catches up with them and breaks the spell.
#6: Tup, Fives & Order 66 “Fugitive”
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Order 66, the secret command for the clones to kill their Jedi generals, seems to work fine in “Revenge of the Sith.” However, the whole plan was almost exposed during the Clone Wars when the order activated early in clone trooper Tup, causing him to involuntarily assassinate a Jedi. As the cloners on Kamino try desperately to cover up what happened, Arc Trooper Fives is determined to get to the bottom of it and clear his friend’s name. And he almost does, except that he makes the mistake of trusting Chancellor Palpatine, meaning that the secret of Order 66 dies with him.
#5: Darth Sidious vs. Darth Maul & Savage Oppress “The Lawless”
Obsessed with revenge on Obi Wan Kenobi and his newfound position as ruler of Mandalore, Darth Maul forgets that the real evil power in the galaxy is still his former master, Darth Sidious. The future Emperor, however, doesn’t forget Maul so when he sees his former apprentice staging a Sith insurgency, he drops his political guise and decides to take care of the situation personally and permanently. What follows is an epic Force, lightsaber, and Darksaber battle that leaves Maul’s brother and apprentice, Savage Oppress, dead and Maul begging for his life. Excluding dream sequences, this is the only time we get to see Sidious in action during the series – and it is awesome.
#4: Duchess Satine Is Murdered by Darth Maul “The Lawless”
Jedi are forbidden from having personal attachments, but in “The Clone Wars,” we learn that Anakin isn’t the only one who’s been in love; Obi Wan and Duchess Satine of Mandalore were once together. Satine had already featured prominently in other story arcs, but here Darth Maul uses her as bait to bring Kenobi to him. After Obi Wan rescues Satine from prison and their escape is foiled, the two are brought before Maul who levitates, force chokes, then stabs the duchess through the heart with his Darksaber. After she dies in Obi Wan’s arms, he is clearly devastated, but maintains his calm Jedi ways.
#3: Death of Steela Gerrera “Tipping Points”
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This finishes a multi-episode story arc that sees Jedi covertly training insurgents to fight battle droids and re-take their planet of Onderon. The moment in question comes out of nowhere, just as things seem to be wrapping up and the mission seems to be succeeding. While Anakin and Obi Wan remark that it will clearly have an effect on Ahsoka, who was responsible for training Steela’s group and was trying to save her from falling off the cliff while using the Force, the most significant repercussions for the “Star Wars” Universe could be how Steela’s death affects her brother Saw Gerrera, who we see again as a major part of the movie “Rogue One.”
#2: Yoda Sees the Future of the Jedi “Voices”
Yoda goes to Dagobah after the voice of the late Qui-Gon Jinn tells him to. We get a beautifully animated look at the Jedi Master’s future home in exile before he enters the same cave he will show to Luke decades later. Inside, the Dark Side envelops Yoda and shows him visions of Order 66, Mace Windu’s encounter with force lightning, and the Emperor recruiting an apprentice. It isn’t detailed enough to know just who’s doing the killing and recruiting, but we now know that Yoda saw the death of most of the Jedi a few years before it actually happened. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - Obi-Wan “Dies” “Deception” - Anakin Loses His Mind Against Clovis “The Rise of Clovis” - Yoda on Moraband “Sacrifice”
#1: Ahsoka Leaves the Jedi Order “The Wrong Jedi”
Ahsoka Tano was an integral and well-loved part of “The Clone Wars” since the beginning of the series, making her exit at the end of Season Five all the more poignant. It comes at the end of a multi-episode story arc that sees her framed for an explosion at the Jedi temple, on the run, expelled from the Jedi order, and put on trial. When she’s finally exonerated and invited back, she can’t overlook her former colleagues’ previous lack of faith. When Anakin begs her to stay in an emotional and visually stunning scene, she leaves, but only after revealing she has an idea of the dark path he is headed down.
