Star Wars: Clone Wars Series Recap and What to Watch Before the Show’s Final Season

With The Rise of Skywalker on the downhill stretch of its theatrical run, the Star Wars sequels have pretty much come to an end. With the second season of The Mandalorian still eight months away, viewers may be wondering what new Star Wars content they’ll be able to sink their teeth into in the meantime. Thankfully, Disney + has the answer. The seventh and final season of the award-winning Star Wars: Clone Wars series is making its way to the streaming service on February 21st. If you’ve been preparing for the new season by rewatching the entire series, then you’re in good shape, but what about the rest of us? Unless you’re just a binging freak with a ton of free time, there’s not much time left to rewatch the series before the season premiere at this point, but never fear, we’ll get you up to speed with a season by season recap.

 

Before we get into our recap of the series, let me just say that if you enjoy Star Wars and have any interest in Clone Wars season seven, you should absolutely watch the entirety of this series at some point (also available on Disney +). Honestly, I think the most rewarding experience for you going into the seventh season would be to just go ahead and watch it all before jumping in, even if you have to wait a little bit before diving into the new season. But I think with a little homework on your part, you can always watch the final season and then go back and watch the other ones if you so choose and still be thoroughly entertained without getting confused. I mean, Star Wars fans are used to starting right in the middle of a story anyway, aren’t we?

 

If you’re like me though, you’ve already watched this series (multiple times). After TROS, I wanted to take a little hiatus from Star Wars for a bit, so I decided not to rewatch Clone Wars. I’ve seen the entire series twice, and I often go back and watch some of my favorite story arcs from time to time, so I didn’t feel the need to rewatch it all again. So maybe you’re in that same boat and you’d just like a little refresher on the story. If that’s you, or if you’re completely new to Clone Wars, this recap might be just what you’re looking for.

 

If you have never watched Clone Wars, I think it’s probably a good idea to let you know now that the show doesn’t really find its footing until around the third season. There are some real gems buried in the first two seasons, but they are surrounded by a sea of largely underwhelming episodes. However, if you can hang in there, seasons three through six are some of the best stories Star Wars has to offer in my opinion. For our recap, we’ll begin with the feature film that kicked off the series and then go through the six seasons of the show. Afterwards, as a bonus, we’ll look at a couple of stories that would have originally been told in the series, but following the show’s cancellation after season five (with doubts about the series ever being continued) the stories were told via other media. So let’s get started…

 

 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

(Feature Film)

 

The Clone Wars movie was originally released in theaters in 2008 as an effort to kick off the animated series that would soon follow. The film is basically a story consisting of four episodes (which is the common storytelling format in the series) that have been edited together and presented as one movie. The movie is most notable for introducing viewers to Anakin’s padawan, Ahsoka Tano, that would train under him throughout the series. And before there was “Baby Yoda”, there was “Baby Jabba” a.k.a. Rotta, the son of the nefarious gangster, Jabba the Hutt. Unlike Baby Yoda, however, fans didn’t go so wild over this little guy, and we haven’t seen Rotta in any other stories since.

 

 

Movie Recap:

 

The Clone Wars rage all across the galaxy as more and more systems leave the Republic and join the Separatist movement. In an effort to gain an ally with the Hutts, Count Dooku orders the kidnapping of Jabba the Hutt’s son, Rotta, with the intention of blaming it on the Jedi.

 

On Christophsis, Jedi Knights Obi-Wan and Anakin struggle to gain the upper hand as they lead their clones in battle against the Separatists’ droid army. Soon, a ship arrives carrying a teenage Togruta youngling named Ahsoka Tano. She reveals that she was sent by master Yoda to begin her journey as a Padawan learner. Assuming she was going to be Obi-Wan’s new apprentice, Anakin is shocked to discover that she was actually assigned to him, no doubt a move by the council to help discipline the Jedi whose actions lean on the side of unorthodoxy.

 

 

Anakin eventually comes to appreciate the Padawan, and he and Ahsoka set out to rescue Jabba’s son and prove that the Jedi had nothing to do with the kidnapping. During their mission, the Jedi encounter Dooku’s Force-powered assassin, Asajj Ventress, a former Nightsister from Dathomir, raised by the Jedi Ky Narec who was marooned on the planet Rattatak. Narec had trained Ventress in the Force, but when he was killed, she blamed the Jedi for abandoning him and grew to hate the order. Eventually, she was discovered by Dooku and became a particularly crafty and ruthless villain.

 

The Jedi prove to Jabba that Dooku was actually behind the kidnapping, aided by his own uncle, Ziro the Hutt. In gratitude for the Jedi assistance, Jabba opens the hyperspace lanes in Hutt space to the Republic forces, giving them an edge in the ongoing conflict.

 

 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 1

 

Season one of the Clone Wars series is somewhat of a mixed bag. There are some great story arcs though that are definitely worth your time (e.g. “Malevolence”, “Maridun”, and”Ryloth”). This season is most notable for introducing viewers to the various Jedi and clone troopers that would appear throughout the series, as well as the Twi’lek freedom fighter, Cham Syndulla, and the recurring villain Cad Bane.

 

 

Season Recap:

 

Master Yoda goes on a secret mission to forge a treaty with the king of Toydaria, facing off against Ventress and her massive droid army. Yoda tries to prove to the Toydarian people that the Jedi are strong enough to protect them from Dooku and gain their support.

 

Anakin and Ahsoka hurry to rescue Jedi Master Plo Koon and his clone troopers after his squad was attacked by the Separatist warship, the Malevolence. As General Grievous uses the Malevolence to terrorize medical bases, the Jedi come to the defense. Anakin leads a bold strike mission into enemy territory as he and Obi-Wan chase down the Malevolence, hoping to destroy it before it can escape. Padmé and C-3PO are captured and held hostage aboard the Malevolence, but the Jedi are able to save the day, destroying all the droids onboard and rigging the ship’s navicomputer to set a course right into the nearby moon. Grievous survives, but the loss of his warship hurts his standing with Count Dooku.

 

Later, R2-D2 is lost during a fierce space battle, and Anakin and Ahsoka set out to find him with their clunky replacement droid R3-S6, who turns out to be a Separatist spy. Obi-Wan disapproves of the mission, but Anakin views R2 as more than a droid; he sees him as a friend.

 

Ahsoka and Jedi Master Luminara Unduli escort captured Viceroy Nute Gunray of the Trade Federation to trial, but Dooku dispatches Ventress to free Gunray and kill the Jedi. Ahsoka saves Unduli from Ventress, but the assassin escapes with the Viceroy. Jedi Master Kit Fisto and his former Padawan  Nahdar Vebb track Gunray to Grievous’ lair on Vassek, only to discover the General has set a trap for them. Fisto survives, but Vebb is killed and the mission is a failure.

 

 

Anakin and Obi-Wan track down Dooku, but all three become ensnared by the Weequay pirate Hondo Ohnaka and his gang. The Jedi and Dooku work together to escape their imprisonment, but Dooku evades them in the end.

 

Anakin, Ahsoka, and the Jedi Aayla Secura find themselves marooned on the planet of Maridun. Anakin is gravely injured and the trio, along with clone Captain Rex do what they can to survive. They convince the pacifist locals to rise up and defend themselves against the Separatists.

 

The war comes to the Twi’lek homeworld of Ryloth. In space, Ahsoka disobeys Anakin’s orders, causing her to lose most of her squadron. Ryloth is invaded by the Separatists and Obi-Wan enters an occupied town with a small clone force to discover the people are being used as living shields against their attack. Mace Windu joins the battle and tries to convince the freedom fighter Cham Syndulla to help him save the capital city. Together, they free Ryloth from Separatist occupation.

 

On Coruscant, bounty hunters Cad Bane and Aurra Sing take control of the Senate Building in an attempt to free the crime lord Ziro the Hutt. Anakin, who was at the building stealing a moment with his wife, manages to save the senators, but not before Bane escapes with Ziro.

 

 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 2

 

Although the second season is also hit or miss, it’s certainly an improvement over the show’s first season. The second season of the Clone Wars series is most notable for introducing viewers to the culture of Mandalore, Barriss Offee (fellow padawan and friend to Ahsoka Tano), and picking up on the story of Boba Fett as the young bounty-hunter-in-training seeks revenge against the Jedi who killed his father. This is also the first time we are introduced to the Darksaber weapon that would later appear in the season one finale of The Mandalorian.

 

 

Season Recap:

 

The Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, hires bounty hunter, Cad Bane, to break into the Jedi Temple and steal a Jedi holocron. Sidious uses the holocron to locate Force-sensitive children across the galaxy and orders Bane to hunt them down. Anakin and Ahsoka stop Bane but are unable to recover the holocron.

 

Padmé investigates a Separatist conspiracy in the Senate, only to discover that an old flame, fellow senator Rush Clovis was working with the Separatists to acquire the credits needed for the Geonosian leader, Poggle the Lesser, to build a new droid foundry.

 

In response to this discovery, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Ki-Adi-Mundi travel to Geonosis to destroy the droid factory. Luminara Unduli and her Padawan,  Barriss Offee arrive to aid the attack. Unduli convinces Skywalker to give the task of destroying the factory to their Padawans while they provide a distraction. They lose contact with the Padawans when they become trapped in the detritus of the destroyed factory, but the apprentices work together to survive. Soon, Luminara goes missing and Obi-Wan and Anakin lead a group of clones to search for her.

 

They eventually find the Jedi Master in a Geonosian catacomb, where they encounter the hive Queen, who attempts to control them with mind worms. Upon leaving the planet, it is discovered by Ahsoka and Barriss that the worms have infiltrated their vessel. Discovering the worms are susceptible to the cold, they are able to adjust the climate controls onboard the vessel and save the ship.

 

When Jedi Master Eeth Koth is taken hostage by Grievous, the Jedi devise a rescue plan. They are able to save Koth, but Grievous escapes to Saleucami and Obi-Wan picks up the chase. While searching for the General on Saleucami, clone Captain Rex encounters Lawquane, a clone deserter that has settled down with a family of his own. Grievous escapes and Rex struggles to come to terms with Lawquane’s decision to leave the clone army.

 

 

Obi-Wan is called to investigate rumors of a conspiracy surrounding the Mandalorian Duchess Satine, and he soon discovers the truth about a mysterious plot. The Mandorian extremist group known as Death Watch, led by Pre Vizsla, disagrees with Satine’s pacifistic leadership and vow to put an end to her rule. Anakin discovers that Obi-Wan and Satine have a history together, and the Jedi work to defend the duchess against her would-be usurpers. Obi-Wan stands by Satine and helps her put an end to the threat.

 

On the fungi-world of Felucia, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka form an uneasy partnership with four deadly bounty hunters to protect a local farmer from Hondo Ohnaka and his band of pirates. When Hondo realizes the effort is no longer profitable, he retreats, and the Zabrak bounty hunter Sugi offers the Jedi a ride to a Republic outpost.

 

As the war rages on Malastare, the Republic unleashes a weapon that awakens the fearsome Zillo Beast. The Jedi work to contain the deadly creature and Palpatine orders the subdued beast to be brought to Coruscant. When it breaks free, they are forced to put it down. In secret, Palpatine gives orders to clone the beast.

 

Seeking revenge for the loss of his father, Boba Fett, the unaltered clone that Jango was given to raise as his son and heir, wages his own personal war against the Jedi that killed him. Boba infiltrates a squad of young clones to get close to his targets. His mission to kill the Jedi fails, but he escapes capture on board his father’s old ship, the Slave I, with bounty hunters Aurra Sing and Bossk.

 

Pursued by the Jedi, the bounty hunters eventually travel to Florrum, seeking aid from Aurra’s former lover, the pirate Hondo Ohnaka. Hondo refuses to aid them, and Aurra attempts to abandon the others in the Slave I, only to be stopped by Ahsoka. Boba and Bossk are arrested and taken to Coruscant.

 

 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 3

 

Season three is where the series really begins to hit its stride. This season reveals how Chancellor Palpatine gains economic power over the galaxy through control of the InterGalactic Banking Clan. Viewers are also introduced to the Mortis gods, the Nightsisters of Dathomir, and the rogue Jedi, Quinlan Vos. The Wookiee Chewbacca also makes a cameo appearance in the season finale.

 

 

Season Recap:

 

Ryloth is under siege. Alderaanian Senator Bail Organa and Representative Binks of Naboo convince the neutral Toydarian King to send aid.

 

Ahsoka Tano is assigned to teach a class at a leadership academy on Mandalore. Soon, Duchess Satine’s nephew and his classmates uncover a plot, discovering that Mandalore’s Prime Minister Almec is part of a conspiracy involving Mandalore’s black market. Ahsoka helps the students expose Almec and his scheme.

 

Later, Ahsoka is tasked with protecting Senator Padmé Amidala on a mission to Alderaan. She begins having visions of Aurra Sing, whom she thought died when she stopped her escape from Florrum. The visions eventually prove to be prophetic as Padmé is almost assassinated by Sing, who is still very much alive. Together, the Jedi and the senator are able to trap the bounty hunter, who reveals that she was employed by the Hutt gangster, Ziro.

 

Cad Bane breaks Ziro out of prison on Coruscant, but the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Quinlan Vos track him down, chasing him through the swamps of Nal Hutta. Bane escapes the Jedi, but Ziro is not so lucky. He is betrayed and murdered by his lover, Sy Snootles, who was secretly working for his vengeful nephew, Jabba.

 

As the Separatists gain more ground with each passing day, the Republic army is diminishing at an alarming rate. In response to this crisis, the Senate pushes for de-regulation of the Banking Clan, which would allow further financing for more troops. Padmé and Ahsoka visit an old friend of Padmé’s, Mina Bonteri, who has joined the Separatist movement. Ahsoka meets her son, Lux Bonteri, and comes to an understanding that in war, there are sometimes heroes on both sides. Padmé and Bail Organa are vehemently opposed to the proposed bill and are almost assassinated in an attempt to silence their opinion.

 

Sidious becomes concerned about Ventress’ growing abilities with the dark side of the Force and commands Dooku to eliminate her. Betrayed by her master, Ventress vows to take revenge and enlists the aid of the Nightsisters of Dathomir, a group of mystical dark side witches led by the mysterious Mother Talzin. Disguised as Jedi, the Nightsisters attempt to have Dooku killed. They fail to kill the Sith lord, but the deception was successful as Dooku is forced to come to the Nightsisters for protection.

 

 

Talzin supplies Dooku with an apprentice to replace Ventress, a Zabrak Nightbrother named Savage Opress. She then delivers Opress to Dooku, where he will serve as his secret Sith apprentice in his plot to overthrow Darth Sidious. Soon, Dooku begins to test his new apprentice, dispatching him to kill several Jedi. In response, Obi-Wan and Anakin pick up his trail and track the apprentice down.

 

Opress escapes and the time has come for Ventress’ plan to be revealed. Savage joins her in fighting against Dooku, but Dooku’s superior skills put the battle in his favor. Ventress flees and Savage returns to Talzin, where she sends him on a new task to seek out his long-lost brother.

 

Responding to a Jedi distress code that hasn’t been used in over two thousand years, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka are suddenly spirited away to a strange planet called Mortis, whose three inhabitants are a family of exceptionally powerful Force-wielders. The “Daughter” is strong in the light side of the Force while the “Son” aligns with the dark side. The mysterious “Father” struggles to keep his children in balance, as he has done for ages.

 

The Father is hopeful that Anakin will be able to take his place in keeping the balance on Mortis, putting the Jedi through a series of tests to determine if he is the Chosen One. He offers the job to Anakin, but the Jedi refuses to take on the responsibility. The Son attempts to turn Anakin to the dark side and shows him a glimpse into his dark future, but the Father later erases the memory what he had seen. When the Son betrays his family, Anakin restores balance on Mortis by killing the son, and the Jedi return back to their reality, realizing that no time has passed since their disappearance.

 

Aided by R2-D2 and a squad of captured battle droids, an elite team of Jedi and clones led by Obi-Wan and Anakin infiltrate the virtually impenetrable prison on Lola Sayu to rescue Jedi Master Even Piell and Captain Wilhuff Tarkin. The mission is crucial as both Piell and Tarkin possess information about secret hyperspace lanes vital to the Republic. Piell dies in the escape, but the Jedi are successful in saving Tarkin and preventing the Separatists from discovering the coordinates.

 

Ahsoka and a group of abducted younglings are trapped on a Trandoshan moon where they become prey to a cruel hunt. As they struggle to survive, a new captive, Chewbacca the Wookiee, provides the extra manpower they need to overthrow their captors. They send a distress signal to Kashyyyk, and soon Wookiee General Tarfful arrives to put an end to the Trandoshan hunt. Ahsoka returns to the Jedi Temple where she is reunited with Anakin.

 

 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 4

 

Without question, season four of the show is most notable for the return of Darth Maul. However, this season has a lot more going for it than bringing fan favorite characters back from the dead. Story arcs like “The Battle for Mon Cala”, “Darkened World of Umbara”, “Obi-Wan Undercover”, and “The Slaves of Zygerria” (all of which which make up the majority of the season) are some of the best stories in the series.

 

 

Season Recap:

 

When the king of Mon Cala is assassinated, civil war threatens the uneasy peace between the Mon Calamari and the Quarren people who both inhabit the planet. The Republic sends Padmé and Anakin to keep the peace. It is discovered that the Separatists are backing the Quarren, and the Jedi help Prince Lee-Char defeat the Separatists, restoring peace and earning his place as the rightful leader of Mon Cala.

 

As the Republic fights to defeat the Separatists on the dark world of Umbara, Anakin is supposedly called away by special request from Palpatine, forcing him to leave his battalion of clones under the leadership of the Besalisk Jedi Pong Krell. The clones soon realize that Krell’s leadership is vastly different from that of General Skywalker, as his disregard for clone lives in exchange for ultimate victory doesn’t sit well with the clone soldiers. They may be programmed to follow orders, but Krell is crossing the line.

 

The clones soon discover that Krell has allied with Dooku and is purposefully sabotaging the mission. Together, Rex, Fives, and the other troopers work to bring down Krell. The trooper known as Dogma kills Krell, and Rex begins to question the purpose of the war, pondering the future of the clones after the fighting comes to an end.

 

When Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka discover that Zygerrian slavers have abducted peaceful colonists from the planet Kiros, their search for the missing colonists leads them to Kadavo, where Obi-Wan is captured and placed in a slave camp. Anakin and Ahsoka infiltrate the facility and rescue the slaves. The people of Kiros decide to break their neutrality in the war and join the Republic.

 

Seeking revenge for his mother’s death, Lux Bonteri of Onderon interrupts a meeting between delegates from both sides of the war and accuses Count Dooku of murdering his mother. Fearing for Lux’s life, Padmé sends Ahsoka to protect him and bring him to Coruscant to be granted amnesty.

 

 

On the way, however, Lux pulls a blaster on Ahsoka and joins forces with the Mandalorian Death Watch in hopes of bringing down Dooku. He soon discovers that this was a mistake, as Pre Vizsla is only really looking out for his own interests. Lux and Ahsoka eventually escape from Viszla after his alliance with him goes sour, but as the ship heads to Coruscant, Lux leaves Ahsoka on an escape pod, hopeful that they will meet again.

 

When a plot to kidnap the Chancellor is discovered, Obi-Wan fakes his death and goes undercover as the bounty hunter Rako Hardeen. Obi-Wan infiltrates a group of bounty hunters that are competing to prove that they have what it takes for the kidnapping mission. Obi-Wan is selected along with Cad Bane and a few others for the mission and is able to sabotage their effort from within. Anakin and Obi-Wan are able to stop Dooku’s plan, but the Sith Lord overpowers them and escapes.

 

Determined to get revenge on the Nightsisters, Dooku and Grievous launch an attack against Ventress and the witches of Dathomir. After Dooku massacres her entire clan, Ventress is forced into exile and she seeks a new life as a bounty hunter in the Outer Rim.

 

Savage Opress sets out on his quest to find his brother, Darth Maul, who was thought to have been killed over a decade before. Savage’s search takes him to Lotho Minor, where he discovers a spider-like creature who turns out to be his brother, now an emaciated and deranged shell of his former self. Maul was somehow able to survive his bisection by Kenobi through the power of the dark side and now has cybernetic legs. The reunited brothers travel to Dathomir, where Mother Talzin removes Maul’s spider-like cybernetics and uses her magick to create new legs for the dark warrior and restore his sanity. Maul sets out with his brother to seek revenge on Kenobi.

 

Maul baits Obi-Wan into battle by slaughtering the inhabitants of a village on the planet Raydonia. Ventress learns that a bounty has been placed on Savage and sets out to collect it as Obi-Wan travels to Raydonia to rectify his mistake in leaving Maul alive. Kenobi is overcome by the combined attack from Maul and Savage, but Ventress arrives to help him turn the tide. The brothers, now outmatched, make their escape. Maul is content to wait for the day when their paths will inevitably cross again.

 

 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 5

 

Aside from the often maligned droid arc, season five is another batch of fantastic episodes, oftentimes marking the zenith of Star Wars storytelling. This season introduces viewers to the rebel freedom fighter Saw Gerrera and gives us our first canonical glimpse of the kyber crystals that power a Jedi’s lightsaber. Ahsoka is framed for a crime she didn’t commit which ultimately leads to her departure from the Jedi Order, and Darth Maul rises to power, unifying the Mandalorian Death Watch and various crime syndicates into a criminal alliance known as the Shadow Collective.

 

 

Season Recap:

 

Maul and Savage continue to spread terror and violence across the galaxy. The Sith brothers force Hondo Ohnaka and his pirates to work for them while Obi-Wan and fellow Jedi Adi Gallia chase them down. On Florrum, Ohnaka and his crew form an alliance with Kenobi against the brothers and battle ensues. Gallia is killed and the brothers escape Kenobi’s grasp.

 

On Onderon, a group of insurgent rebels war against the Separatist occupation. The rebels, led by Lux Bonteri and the Gerrera siblings, fight to take back the capital city of Iziz. Unable to intervene directly, the Republic decides to send Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and Rex to train the rebels to fight the Separatists. The Jedi leave after the training is complete, but Ahsoka remains to supervise the rebels as they begin to carry out decisive strikes against targets throughout the city.

 

As the war to take back Onderon is in full swing, Ahsoka contacts Obi-Wan and Anakin, pleading with them to convince the Republic to send aid, however Obi-Wan is reluctant to intervene, fearing the ramifications of such direct action. Anakin contacts the pirate Hondo Ohnaka and hires him to deliver some much-needed artillery to the Onderonian rebels. Saw Gerrera leads the rebels to victory, but his sister Steela is killed in the battle. With the battle won, Lux is appointed as the official senator of Onderon, and he expresses his intention of leading his people back to the Republic.

 

Later, Ahsoka escorts a group of younglings to the planet Ilum, where they learn from Yoda and begin a rite of passage crucial to the Jedi – the construction of their lightsabers. After the students obtain their kyber crystals and head home, their ship comes under attack by Hondo and his gang. The younglings work together to free Ahsoka from Hondo, who intends to profit from her capture. When Grievous attacks Hondo’s base, Ahsoka and the younglings fight along with him to stop the Separatist forces. After the battle, the younglings form a ceremonial circle with their newly constructed lightsabers and are formally welcomed into the Jedi Order.

 

On Mandalore, Maul and Savage form an alliance with Death Watch to destroy their common enemy, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maul reaches out to the criminal underworld and forms an alliance between them and Death Watch known as the Shadow Collective. Maul promises to help them takeover Mandalore as he sets his trap for Kenobi. However, Vizsla betrays the brothers and Maul challenges the Mandalorian in combat, killing Vizsla, claiming his darksaber, and declaring himself the new leader of Death Watch. However, a group of Death Watch dissidents, led by Satine’s sister Bo-Katan, refuses to follow an outsider.

 

 

Maul uses Satine as bait to lure Obi-Wan into his trap. Maul impales Satine with the darksaber, and the Duchess dies in Obi-Wan’s arms. Maul orders his men not to kill Kenobi, deciding to imprison him instead to let him rot in his own misery. Bo-Katan comes to Obi-Wan’s rescue and together they drive out Maul’s forces. Meanwhile, Darth Sidious, having felt a disturbance in the Force over Maul’s actions, arrives on Mandalore and confronts his former apprentice. Sidious reminds Maul of the Rule of Two, telling him that he had been replaced. Savage is killed in the battle and Sidious overpowers Maul with Force lightning, taking him captive.

 

Back on Coruscant, a deadly bombing occurs at the Jedi Temple and Anakin and Ahsoka investigate. Ahsoka is framed for the attack and finds herself at odds with Admiral Tarkin. Ahsoka is convicted for her crime, but escapes imprisonment. On the run, Ahsoka travels to the criminal underworld of Coruscant’s lower levels and has a confrontation with Asajj Ventress who was after her bounty. Ventress decides to help Ahsoka instead, but she is knocked out from behind and her lightsabers are stolen by a mysterious figure. Appearing to be Ventress, the attacker assaults Ahsoka. The mystery assailant flees when Republic forces arrive to capture Ahsoka.

 

Anakin, unwilling to accept that his Padawan could have committed the crime, follows Ahsoka’s lead on Ventress and tracks her down. Ventress reveals that an imposter stole her lightsabers and that she was only trying to help Ahsoka. She points out that she and Ahsoka have something in common, both having been betrayed by their masters, an accusation that cuts Anakin deeply.

 

Ventress tells Anakin that Ahsoka had contacted her friend and fellow Padawan, Barriss Offee, and they soon realize that Barriss is the traitor. Anakin tracks her down, subdues her, and presents her at Ahsoka’s trial where she confesses to the crime, claiming to have lost faith in the Jedi Order. After Ahsoka is declared innocent, she is asked to rejoin the Order, but to everyone’s surprise, she rejects the offer. Anakin pleads with his Padawan, revealing that he too had considered leaving the Order. She tells him that this is something she must work out on her own and says goodbye to her master as she walks away from the Jedi Temple.

 

 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 6

 

Following the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, the Clone Wars series was cancelled, officially leaving Cartoon Network in March of 2013. A year later, the series was released on Netflix, along with a brand new season dubbed “The Lost Missions”. The sixth season was originally intended to include twenty-two episodes, but due to halted production, only thirteen episodes were completed and released on the streaming platform. The stories of some of the unreleased episodes were eventually told in other formats later on (Dark DiscipleDarth Maul: Son of Dathomir), but what we are ultimately left with in season six is an abbreviated version of what could have been. That being said, what we do get is really good. This season is most notable for revealing the plot behind Order 66 and taking Yoda on a journey to discover the path to immortality, a quest that takes him to the homeworld of the Sith.

 

 

Season Recap:

 

When clone trooper Tup succumbs to a mysterious mental illness causing him to turn on the Jedi, he is sedated and taken to Kamino for examination. Anakin and ARC trooper Fives accompany him but are ambushed by Separatists along the way. While under examination, Tup babbles about killing Jedi, causing Shaak Ti, the Jedi overseer of the clones on Kamino, to wonder if this is all part of a Separatist brainwashing plot.

 

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine orders Tup to be transported to Coruscant where his own doctors will examine him. Fives breaks protocol and defies orders to find answers about what was going on. He discovers that an organic construct with an unknown purpose was hidden in the brains of all clone troopers. As Fives continues to push for answers, he secures an audience with the Chancellor, but he is accused of attacking Palpatine and is forced to flee.

 

When Fives is apprehended by his fellow clones, he tries to convince them of the plot to kill the Jedi, and that Palpatine is the one behind it. Rex and Skywalker refuse to believe him, and clone trooper Fox is forced to shoot Fives when he refuses to stand down. As he dies in Rex’s arms, Fives tells him that the conspiracy is bigger than any of them.

 

Later, Palpatine assures the Jedi that the situation is under control, claiming that the “tumors” were actually parasites that the clones had picked up and that all the other clones were being inoculated to prevent future catastrophe. Count Dooku obtains the biochips and is instructed by Palpatine to destroy the evidence so that Order 66 will remain undiscovered.

 

On Scipio, Padmé is called upon by an old friend, Rush Clovis, to help uncover corruption in the Banking Clan. The pair escape the bounty hunter Embo as they head to Coruscant with the incriminating evidence. On Coruscant, Clovis makes a deal putting him at the head of the Banking Clan. Anakin’s distrust and hatred of Clovis strains his relationship with Padmé to its breaking point.

 

When Clovis is betrayed by Dooku, war comes to Scipio, causing the Republic to intervene. When the Muun government is forced to dissolve the Banking Clan, control of the bank is ceded to the Office of the Chancellor. Palpatine accepts the responsibility with great humility, promising to return the banks to their former standing once the Clone War is over.

 

 

Later, when the world of Bardotta is threatened by an ancient prophecy coming true, Queen Julia contacts her friend Jar Jar Binks to help her. Binks arrives with Jedi Mace Windu to investigate, but soon the Queen is abducted by a bloodthirsty cult, hell-bent on fulfilling a dark ancient prophecy. Binks and Windu set out to find the missing Queen before the cult can rise in power. The Nightsister, Mother Talzin, is revealed to be the one behind the cult, seeking power that will make her stronger than any Sith or Jedi. Talzin is defeated and peace is restored to the people of Bardotta.

 

On the moon of Oba Diah, Plo Koon examines a signal from the ship of a Jedi thought long dead, Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. Plo finds a lightsaber aboard the vessel and Yoda confirms that the lightsaber did indeed belong to Master Sifo-Dyas. Meanwhile, Sidious orders Dooku to clean up any loose ends that may lead the Jedi to discover the truth. The former Chancellor, Valorum, reveals to the Jedi that his aid, Silman, was with the Jedi Master when he went missing.

 

The Jedi find Silman imprisoned by the Pyke Syndicate on Oba Diah, but Dooku arrives to kill the crazed man before he can reveal who really killed the Jedi Master. Lom Pyke reveals to the Jedi that Tyranus, the mysterious figure tied to the creation of the clones, was actually Count Dooku. The Jedi Council deduces that Dooku was responsible for the creation of the clone army. As the Council wonders why their enemy would create an army for them, Yoda explains that it must be the work of the Dark Lord of the Sith and that all they could do for now was play along with his game as they search for the truth.

 

While meditating for answers, Yoda hears the voice of a fallen Jedi master. The voice, claiming to be that of Qui-Gon Jinn, demonstrates his presence in the Living Force by levitating nearby objects. Yoda is troubled by this and asks Anakin about his encounter with Jinn’s ghost on Mortis, an event that Obi-Wan had previously written off as an illusion, but Anakin wasn’t so sure. Qui-Gon instructs Yoda to travel to Dagobah but to tell no one else of his journey.

 

As Yoda ventures into the swamp, he makes contact with Qui-Gon who manifests in a glowing swarm of fireflies. He explains how living beings generate the Living Force which feeds the Cosmic Force, communicating with the living. Qui-Gon instructs Yoda to travel to the origin of all life in the galaxy where he will find further guidance in his training to learn how to retain his identity after death.

 

The Force guides Master Yoda to a strange Force planet, where he undergoes difficult trials administered by the Five Priestesses, mysterious Force-wielders who hold the secret to immortality. For his final test, Yoda travels to Moraband, the ancient homeworld of the Sith. As Yoda wanders through the desert landscape, he encounters several illusions and specters of Sith warriors.  Upon entering the Sith temple, Darth Bane appears and challenges Yoda, but the Jedi knows the Sith Lord is long dead and that he is merely an illusion created by the dark side.

 

The Priestesses tell Yoda to enter the temple where in ancient times, Jedi were sacrificed by the Sith. On Coruscant, Sidious senses Yoda’s intrusion on the temple and calls on Dooku to help him attack Yoda with Sith sorcery. Yoda defeats Sidious’ magic, but is unable to discover the Sith Lord’s true identity. He returns to Coruscant and begins to train further with Qui-Gon, neglecting to divulge the details of his mission to the Council. He understands now that the Jedi may have caused the Clone War to be lost by their involvement, but claims that there is still a path unknown to the Sith that could lead to a long-term victory for the Jedi.

 

 

Star Wars: Dark Disciple

(Novel by Christie Golden)

 

It’s a shame that we never got to see this story on screen, but as Star Wars novels go, it’s worth a read, especially if you’re a fan of Asajj Ventress, the notorious recurring villain / anti-hero from the series. The Jedi Council are at the end of their rope with Count Dooku, and they call upon the rogue Jedi, Quinlan Vos and Ventress to assassinate the Count. Obi-Wan in particular is very uncomfortable with this notion, and the book really highlights just how far the Jedi have strayed from their ideals during the war. If you’re curious about whatever happened to Ventress after her last appearance in the Clone Wars series, you may want to check this book out as it provides closure on her storyline.

 

 

Novel Recap:

 

With the Clone War taking its toll on the galaxy, the Jedi have reached the end of their rope. It is suggested that the war must come to an end and that the quickest way to arrive at such an end is to assassinate the Separatist leader, Count Dooku. Although many Jedi see the logic in this, Obi-Wan Kenobi voices his concern, as this type of action goes against what the Jedi stand for. Nevertheless, he understands the decision and recommends Jedi Quinlan Vos, who excels in undercover operations, for the task.

 

Yoda recommends that Vos track down Dooku’s former apprentice, Asajj Ventress, to convince her to help him take down Dooku. Vos eventually finds her on Pantora and aids her in capturing her bounty by posing as a fellow bounty hunter looking for a partner. Reluctantly, Ventress accepts his proposal, seeing potential in Vos and his career as a bounty hunter.

 

Vos begins to build rapport with Ventress, and the two begin to grow on each other. When Vos reports on his progress with Ventress to Obi-Wan, Kenobi advises him to move forward in recruiting her to assassinate Dooku. Ventress has grown to respect Vos and agrees to help him take the Sith Lord down. However, she informs Vos that the only way to kill Dooku is to tap in to the dark side of the Force.

 

 

Ventress takes Vos to Dathomir to instruct him in the dark side. As Vos begins to embrace aspects of the dark side, their relationship begins to blossom into romance. Eventually, they track down Dooku on Raxus and attempt to kill the Separatist leader. However, when General Grievous arrives with backup, Ventress is defeated and Vos is taken captive.

 

Dooku attempts to turn Vos by revealing that his new lover was actually responsible for the death of his former master. Meanwhile, Ventress sets out to rescue Vos by recruiting some fellow bounty hunters, including Boba Fett and the Trandoshan Bossk. He rejects her rescue attempt, embracing the dark side and siding with Dooku.

 

As time goes on, Vos becomes Dooku’s right hand man and commits several atrocities on behalf of the Sith Lord. Ventress is pardoned for her former crimes against the Republic as she joins Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker on a final mission to stop Dooku and Vos. In a final showdown on the planet Christophsis, Ventress sacrifices herself to save Vos, but Dooku escapes. Vos reveals that he had been swayed by the dark side, but with the intention of getting close to Dooku’s master, Darth Sidious, and wiping the Sith out once and for all.

 

Obi-Wan confronts the Jedi with the fact that the whole operation to assassinate Dooku was misguided, and that they themselves are to be blamed for Vos’ temporary fall. Ventress is revered as a friend of the Jedi, and Obi-Wan accompanies Vos to Dathomir to bury Ventress’ body.

 

 

Star Wars: Darth Maul – Son of Dathomir

(Four-Part Comic Series)

 

When we last saw Maul in the Clone Wars series, his brother was murdered by Sidious and he himself was taken captive. This series details his escape from Sidious and his quest of vengeance against Sidious and Dooku. In the story, Maul discovers that the Dathomir witch, Mother Talzin is his actual mother and that Sidious stole him from her when he was a child. We know that Maul will play a big role in the show’s final season, so this series is worth checking out if you want to fill in the gap between seasons five and seven.

 

 

Series Recap:

 

Having been captured by Darth Sidious and taken to the Spire, a Separatist prison on Stygeon Prime, Maul escapes the Sith Lord’s grasp with the help of his Mandalorian followers, Gar Saxon and Rook Kast of Death Watch. Sidious had explained to Maul that he was imprisoned to draw out Mother Talzin of the Dathomiran Nightsisters, so that he could eliminate her as a threat once and for all. After his escape, Maul reclaims the Darksaber and sets out to wage war on Sidious and Dooku.

 

Maul contacts the spirit of Mother Talzin for guidance, and she sends him to Ord Mantell to regroup with his allies in the Black Sun crime syndicate to prepare for battle against Sidious. Maul is also joined by allies in the Pyke Syndicate and a team of Nightbrothers, led by Brother Viscus. Later, the droid army overtakes Maul’s forces in the Shadow Collective, but Maul is able to capture the Separatist General Grievous and Count Dooku.

 

A team of Jedi arrives to investigate the aftermath on Ord Mantell and Maul informs Sidious that he has Dooku in custody. Sidious tells Maul to kill the Count, as he has no use for failures. Later, Talzin appears to Maul and reveals that she was also betrayed by Sidious. Maul learns that Talzin is his mother, and that he was stolen from her years ago by Sidious. She tells Maul that even now, Sidious is looking for a new apprentice to replace Dooku.

 

 

Dooku joins Maul in his quest for vengeance against Sidious as Maul travels to Dathomir with Death Watch. On Dathomir, Talzin takes control of Dooku’s body, as was her plan all along, so that she could regain her physical form. Eventually, Sidious arrives with Grievous and a fierce battle begins. Talzin leaves Dooku’s body, but is finally able to regain her own. As Maul faces off with Grievous, Talzin is overwhelmed by Sidious and Dooku. Maul is forced to leave as his mother is stabbed through the chest by Grievous. Maul escapes, but Sidious is satisfied that both threats to the Sith have been effectively neutralized.

 

 

Whew…okay, that was a lot, I know. But hopefully for the uninitiated or the forgetful, the recap above was more manageable than watching six seasons of a television series in addition to a feature length film, a novel, and a comic series. If you’re still with us, then we trust that you are completely ready for Clone Wars season seven when it premieres on Disney + in two weeks. That being said, there’s still plenty of time to catch up on some of the show’s best episodes. I’ll leave you with a list of some of my favorite story arcs that I feel are definitely worth watching if you can squeeze some of them in. Something you may or may not know is that some of the episodes prior to season four were not exactly released in chronological order, so that has been taken into account with this list.

 

 

If you want to learn more about the clones…

“Kamino”

 

 

3.01 – “Clone Cadets”

1.05 – “Rookies”

3.02 – “Arc Troopers”

 

If naval combat is your thing…

“Malevolence”

 

 

1.02 – “Rising Malevolence”

1.03 – “Shadow of Malevolence”

1.04 – “Destroy Malevolence”

 

 

If you like to root for the underdog (or you just like Twi’leks)…

“Ryloth”

 

 

3.03 – “Supply Lines”

1.19 – “Storm Over Ryloth”

1.20 – “Innocents of Ryloth”

1.21 – “Liberty on Ryloth”

 

If you like a good heist film (or if you think Cad Bane is the coolest bounty hunter in the galaxy)…

“Magic of the Holocron”

 

 

2.01 – “Holocron Heist”

2.02 – “Cargo of Doom”

2.03 – “Children of the Force”

 

If you’ve been aching to find out what the Geonosians have been up to since you last saw them in Attack of the Clones (or you like Invasion of the Body Snatchers)…

“Return to Geonosis”

 

 

2.05 – “Landing at Point Rain”

2.06 – “Weapons Factory”

2.07 – “Legacy of Terror”

2.08 – “Brain Invaders”

 

If you love Mandalorians (or if you’re curious about Obi-Wan’s love life)…

“Mandalore”

 

 

2.12 – “The Mandalore Plot”

2.13 – “Voyage of Temptation”

2.14 – “Duchess of Mandalore”

 

If you’re a fan of Asajj Ventress (or if dark side magick is your jam)…

“Witches and Monsters”

 

 

3.12 – “Nightsisters”

3.13 – “Monster”

3.14 – “Witches of the Mist”

 

If you’d like to gain more understanding (and even more questions) about the mythology of the Force…

“Secrets of Mortis”

 

 

3.15 – “Overlords”

3.16 – “Altar of Mortis”

3.17 – “Ghosts of Mortis”

 

If you’re a fan of Tarkin (or you enjoy a good prison break)…

“The Citadel”

 

 

3.18 – “The Citadel”

3.19 – “Counter Attack”

3.20 – “Citadel Rescue”

 

If you like epic ocean battles à la Aquaman (or you just want to see what a lightsaber looks like underwater)…

“The Battle of Mon Cala”

 

 

4.01 – “Water War”

4.02 – “Gungan Attack”

4.03 – “Prisoners”

 

If you’re wondering if clones are people too (or what it looks like when a Jedi wields dual double-bladed lightsabers)…

“Darkened World of Umbara”

 

 

4.07 – “Darkness on Umbara”

4.08 – “The General”

4.09 – “Plan of Dissent”

4.10 – “Carnage of Krell”

 

If you are a fan of the seedier side of Star Wars (or if you want to see Obi-Wan go all Mission Impossible with his face)…

“Obi-Wan Undercover”

 

 

4.15 – “Deception”

4.16 – “Friends and Enemies”

4.17 – “The Box”

4.18 – “Crisis on Naboo”

 

If you were confused by Maul’s sudden appearance in Solo: A Star Wars Story

“Darth Maul Returns”

 

 

4.21 – “Monster”

4.22 – “Revenge”

 

If you like a good coming of age story…

“Young Jedi”

 

 

5.06 – “The Gathering”

5.07 – “A Test of Strength”

5.08 – “Bound for Rescue”

5.09 – “A Necessary Bond”

 

If you’re wondering why Ahsoka has to go to Mandalore to confront Maul in season seven (or if you want to see Sidious whip his boy)…

“Shadow Collective”

 

 

5.01 – “Revival”

5.14 – “Eminence”

5.15 – “Shades of Reason”

5.16 – “The Lawless”

 

If you’re wondering why Ahsoka is not around in Revenge of the Sith (or if you enjoy movies like The Fugitive)…

“Rogue Jedi”

 

 

5.17 – “Sabotage”

5.18 – “The Jedi Who Knew Too Much”

5.19 – “To Catch a Jedi”

5.20 – “The Wrong Jedi”

 

If you need more answers about Order 66 (or if you enjoy a good conspiracy)…

“Clone Protocol 66”

 

 

6.01 – “The Unknown”

6.02 – “Conspiracy”

6.03 – “Fugitive”

6.04 – “Orders”

 

If  you’re a fan of Yoda and you’d like to see how he started communicating with Qui-Gon beyond the grave (or if you like the really weird and freaky Force stuff)…

“Yoda”

 

 

6.10 – “The Lost One”

6.11 – “Voices”

6.12 – “Destiny”

6.13 – “Sacrifice”

 

 

 

Well, that’s it folks. I hope you’re now as excited as I am for the upcoming final season of Clone Wars, and I can’t wait to talk about each new episode as they are released in the weeks ahead! Until then, may the Force be with you, always….

 

 

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Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

Jordan Pate (Hard Case)

Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

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