Ahsoka smiling at Anakin in Star Wars The Clone Wars season 7
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Lewis Glazebrook
Published 19 minutes ago
Lewis is a Lead Writer for Screen Rant and has written for the site since 2022. This has allowed Lewis to explore a vast array of films, TV shows, books, comic books, and games from across the mainstream world of pop culture, reflecting his lifelong love of all media and typifying his experience in the world of fiction storytelling. To top this off, Lewis graduated from Northumbria University with First Class Honours in Film & TV Studies, truly exemplifying his experience in the medium.
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars is one of the best stories in the franchise, with several episodes outranking the entirety of George Lucas' prequel trilogy. The Clone Wars nestles neatly into the Star Wars timeline, taking place across the three-year gap between Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
The Clone Wars' timeline thus covers a lot, from the trials and tribulations of the Jedi Order in wartime to how the titular conflict affects the wider galaxy. This expansive setting allowed the show to include many great characters and storylines, leading The Clone Wars to become regarded as one of Star Wars' best TV shows.
This also meant that people viewed George Lucas' prequel trilogy very differently, thanks to the heaps of context The Clone Wars provided. Characters that were previously underwritten felt much more fleshed out, as did the prequel era overall.
While Lucas' movies have been the subject of a period of revisionism recently, there is no denying that The Clone Wars has many episodes that outrank the movies of the divisive Star Wars trilogy.
Orders
Fives holds his head in anguish as he speaks to Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex, who are behind him.Image via Disney+
"Orders" is the fourth episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars' sixth season. The episode concludes the "Fives" arc, which centers on clone trooper 5555 as he attempts to uncover a conspiracy surrounding inhibitor chips that are implanted in the heads of each clone trooper. This addressed the "plot hole" of Star Wars' Order 66.
After the prequel trilogy, many wondered how the clones instantaneously turned on the people they had fought alongside for three years without remorse. "Orders" reveals exactly how, unveiling that Palpatine implanted them with chips so that they would immediately see the Jedi as threats. Fives' determination to uncover this and failure to do so make his journey an infinitely sad one.
Beyond Fives himself, the overall plight of the clones is ultimately so much more heartrending. Revenge of the Sith's "plot hole" is given a solid reason for existing, and the clones are made into tragic heroes rather than the lifeless, traitorous CGI creations they were in the prequel movies. For this reason, The Clone Wars' "Orders" outranks the prequels.
Ghosts of Mortis
The Father on Mortis absorbs Anakin's lightsaber through his hand in the Clone Wars
Star Wars' Mortis Gods are some of the most interesting elements ever introduced in the franchise, thanks to The Clone Wars. Lucas' psychedelic, fantastical adventure into the Force itself, to explore the prophecy of the Chosen One, is endlessly intriguing. The visuals, the character explorations, and the thematic meaning are all perfect, as "Ghosts of Mortis" proves.
This episode explores the depths of Anakin Skywalker more intently and interestingly than anything in the entire prequel trilogy. Accompanying this with Star Wars getting weird, in the best way, was always a recipe for success. The ongoing exploration of Mortis elements proves just how great this arc was, and how it was more engrossing than the more surface-level prequel movies.
Sacrifice
Star Wars The Clone Wars Yoda speaking to Darth Bane
As with "Ghosts of Mortis," "Sacrifice" lends itself to the more mystical depiction of the Force. "Sacrifice" is Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 6, episode 13, rounding off what was once the final season with an exploration through the Force as Yoda seeks the secret of becoming one with the mystical energy field after death.
The inclusion of a fan-favorite Star Wars character like Darth Bane, the exploration of light and dark, and the ending note of hope is perfect for Star Wars. The prequel trilogy is receiving more love recently, and Lucas' movies remain compelling, but The Clone Wars' ventures into Star Wars' more mystical side were always better.
Carnage of Krell
Pong Krell in Star Wars The Clone Wars.
"Carnage of Krell" also explores the clones better than the prequel trilogy ever did. By putting the clones under the command of someone who sees them solely as disposable numbers, the clones are humanized in a way neither Attack of the Clones nor Revenge of the Sith bothered with.
"Carnage of Krell" solidifies that the clones are not just numbers, they are men, with feelings and relationships and souls. This is all mingled with the lingering shroud of the dark side, a terrifying villain in Krell himself, a new, visually stunning planet, great action, and a level of maturity that most animated shows, or the prequels, possess.
The Lawless
A character holding a lightsaber, silhouetted against a fiery background
It has long been known that Lucas' biggest mistake during the prequel trilogy was killing off a powerful Star Wars Sith Lord like Darth Maul. The Clone Wars brought him back, and while this could've turned into an unearned plot point, "The Lawless" proves it was a master stroke.
Maul's plan to take Mandalore, thus gaining power for himself, all while disposing of Obi-Wan Kenobi's former lover, Satine Kryze, and getting revenge on his old enemy, is tragically, deliciously dramatic. The action this causes is exciting and beautifully animated, with Maul's scheming at its center.
This ends with an all-timer lightsaber battle between Maul, his brother, Savage Opress, and Darth Sidious himself. "The Lawless" is The Clone Wars at its best, which alone puts it above the prequel movies. That said, given how it redeems one of the prequel's biggest mistakes, it becomes even clearer as an episode of the show that is better than any Star Wars prequel.
The Wrong Jedi
Ahsoka leaves the Jedi Order in The Clone Wars with Anakin Skywalker watching her as she walks away
The prequels' wooden dialogue and performances often meant that most characters were disappointing, aside from a few standout moments. The Clone Wars, however, introduced some of the best Star Wars TV characters that quickly became even better than those in the movies. Ahsoka Tano is one of those, and "The Wrong Jedi" proves why.
This episode sees Ahsoka Tano lose faith in the Jedi Order, leaving its ranks for good. Aside from a genuinely intriguing mystery, some good fight scenes, and a tense narrative, "The Wrong Jedi" explores a key theme of the prequel trilogy better than the movies ever did.
How the shroud of the dark side was affecting the Jedi, and the hubris that it wrought among the members of the Order, should have been a focus of the prequels. "The Wrong Jedi" knew this and used Ahsoka's story to explore it to great effect. This not only showed the flaws of the Jedi, but it made Ahsoka much more sympathetic, all while further exploring Anakin's dwindling faith in the Order.
This was all done in the mature way that makes The Clone Wars special, with this episode one of many that outshines the prequels.
Shattered
Captain Rex and Ahsoka Tano stand across from one another, both looking down as Ahsoka holds on to Rex's helmet.
The final arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is The Siege of Mandalore, with all four episodes ranking better than the prequels, and many other Star Wars stories, for that matter. "Shattered" is the third episode in this batch, exploring Ahsoka's experience of Order 66 as the clones she has befriended and served alongside turn on her.
As already alluded to, Order 66 was much more surface-level in Revenge of the Sith at the time of its release, with only The Clone Wars delving into how truly tragic it was. "Shattered" adds to this, with Ahsoka's closest friends trying to kill her, led by another great Star Wars TV character, Captain Rex.
Seeing Rex fight against his inhibitor chip to warn Ahsoka about Fives, tying back to "Orders", only to later succumb to it, is heartbreaking. Ahsoka's earlier Force vision of Anakin's attack against Mace Windu ties the show to Episode III perfectly, with the clones' attempt to kill Maul offering a heap of action.
"Shattered" takes the relationships and character dynamics that were built over seven seasons and, well, shatters them. This makes it one of the more mature entries in the show, as well as one of the most emotionally satisfying and resonant. The fact that it makes Order 66 infinitely sadder than it was in the prequels only solidifies its ranking above Lucas' trilogy.
Old Friends Not Forgotten
Anakin standing in front of Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Clone Wars, both looking surprised
"Old Friends Not Forgotten" is the opening episode of The Siege of Mandalore and has everything you could want from a Star Wars episode, with a lot of that being what fans felt was missing from the prequels. Seeing Anakin and Obi-Wan in action against the Separatists explored the titular war better than any of the prequel movies.
This allowed hero moments unlike many others in the prequels, from Obi-Wan slicing through a giant projectile to Anakin single-handedly winning the battle with the help of Rex, the rest of the 501st, and R2-D2. The reunion of Ahsoka and Anakin, the first time since "The Wrong Jedi," adds intense emotion to the episode.
Finally, Ahsoka's descent to Mandalore is suitably epic, setting the stage for the last three episodes. In terms of providing the spectacle of the Clone Wars, showing the emotion of the bonds forged during the conflict, and including badass Star Wars moments, "Old Friends Not Forgotten" stands above the prequels.
The Phantom Apprentice
Maul faces off and prepares to duel with Ahsoka Tano on Mandalore.
"The Phantom Apprentice," the second episode of The Siege of Mandalore, is exactly the same. Everything that is part of "Old Friends Not Forgotten" is here, too, only with Maul's villainous presence added in, so I won't repeat myself here. What ranks "The Phantom Apprentice" above its predecessor, though, and the three prequel movies, is one of Star Wars' best lightsaber fights.
Maul vs. Ahsoka is genuinely excellent, foregoing the wooden animation of previous Clone Wars lightsaber fights in favor of a motion-capture duel. The fight flows much better as a result, allowing the performers, Ray Park and Lauren Mary Kim, to showcase their expert footwork and choreography.
Even before this, the setup of the duel is brilliant. The writing is thought-provoking as Maul gives Ahsoka a speech about how her fight is futile against Sidious' endless plans and schemes. Ahsoka almost considers joining Maul to defeat Sidious until he reveals Anakin's role in things.
All of this made "The Phantom Apprentice" one of the most engrossing episodes of The Clone Wars, and, thus, a better story than its namesake, The Phantom Menace, and its sequels, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
Victory and Death
Ahsoka Tano stands in front of the graves for the 332nd Company in her hooded poncho.
"Victory and Death" is the series finale of The Clone Wars, and the fourth episode of The Siege of Mandalore. It builds on the prior three excellently, with exciting action as Ahsoka and a newly-awakened Rex fight their way through their former comrades. Rex's tear-filled reaction to this showcases a level of emotion that the prequels rarely ever reached.
The entire latter half of the episode embodies this further, giving The Clone Wars a deeply emotional send-off. The final scenes of Darth Vader finding Ahsoka's lightsabers are hauntingly beautiful, with one of the best final shots in TV history. In fact, "Victory and Death" is easily one of the best series finales ever made, in animation or otherwise.
For this reason, "Victory and Death" goes down as perhaps the best episode in the entire show. Given how several other installments of Star Wars: The Clone Wars rank better than the prequel movies, "Victory and Death" does the same.
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-PG Animation Science Fiction Action Adventure Release Date 2008 - 2020-00-00 Network Cartoon Network, Netflix, Disney+ Showrunner Dave Filoni Directors Brian Kalin O'Connell, Steward Lee, Giancarlo Volpe, Bosco Ng, Danny Keller, Rob Coleman, Justin Ridge, Nathaniel Villanueva, Saul Ruiz, Jesse Yeh, Duwayne Dunham, Atsushi Takeuchi, Robert Dalva, Walter Murch Writers Katie Lucas, Christian Taylor, Brent V. Friedman, Matt Michnovetz, Drew Z. Greenberg, Steven Melching, Chris Collins, Charles Murray, Eoghan Mahony, Bonnie Mark, Craig W. Van Sickle, Daniel Arkin, Jose Molina, Steven Long Mitchell, Cameron Litvack, George Krstic, Carl Ellsworth, Craig Titley, Julie Siege, Jonathan W. Rinzler, Ben Edlund, Douglas Petrie, Kevin D. Campbell, Kevin RubioCast
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Tom Kane
Narrator / Yoda / Medical Droid / Yularen / Kraken (voice)
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Matt Lanter
Anakin Skywalker (voice)
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