Essential Guide to The Clone Wars

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an animated TV show at the center of Star Wars fans’ hearts all across the galaxy. If you have any prior knowledge of the show, you might know about the hardships it faced throughout its airtime, which spanned — not continuously — from 2008 all the way into 2020, switching between three different networks.

But let’s go back to the beginning. The Clone Wars animated premiered in theaters on August 15, 2008, and it was the kickstart to a show that none of us saw coming. With characters based partly on Genndy Tartakovsky’s 2D animated Clone Wars series, which debuted in 2003, The Clone Wars introduced us to a whole new side of the Prequel Trilogy’s story. 

After seeing his work on Avatar: The Last Airbender, George Lucas hired animator and showrunner Dave Filoni to work on the project. That relationship has since provided us with some of our favorite Star Wars content, both in animation and live-action. 

However, it wasn’t always easy to keep the show moving forward, as fans came to fully realize after its sudden 2013 cancellation as a result of the Disney acquisition. The cancellation sparked huge outrage and disappointment among fans, who did not want to see the show end without any true resolution. 

Netflix picked up the show to release its sixth season, a 13-episode batch that satiated fans’ appetites...for a while. Season 6 was a great addition to the story, but it still didn’t truly provide the resolution that fans were craving, so through a massive online campaign called #SaveTheCloneWars, fans of the show fought to see the final season that we all wanted.

Finally, on February 21, 2020, the final season began airing on Disney+, giving us what we’d been waiting on for almost six years — a resolution to the stories of characters we love and an explanation of how The Clone Wars fits into the overall Star Wars timeline. 

And look where we are now: The Clone Wars has inspired several spinoff series, including the live-action Ahsoka series that premiered in 2023 (and included stunning flashbacks to scenes from the animated series). The Clone Wars has given us Rebels, The Bad Batch, Tales of the Jedi, and many other books spawning from that era in the timeline. 

But what is it about The Clone Wars that means so much to the Star Wars community at large? Well, we here at Youtini have several answers to that question, but the first and foremost is this: the characters.

The Clone Wars Characters: New & Old

Ahsoka Tano

You can’t discuss The Clone Wars without discussing Ahsoka Tano, the young Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker who has experienced almost every threat the galaxy could throw her way. But Ahsoka’s tenacity and ability to overcome are two reasons we love her so much. She embodies what it means to fight for light and life, even in the context of so much darkness and destruction, even when it seems like the people who should be on your side have turned their back on you.

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Throughout each season of The Clone Wars, we get to watch Ahsoka grow from a typical bratty teenager into one of the strongest forces for good in the galaxy. The best part is that her story does not end at the close of season seven. It’s no secret that she is one of the favorites of creator Dave Filoni, which means plenty of Ahsoka content is available to stream at any time.

Captain Rex

Captain Rex is a mainstay of The Clone Wars because, as we’ll talk about a little further down, the clones play a huge role in this show. Rex leads the Republic’s 501st Legion of clone troopers under General Anakin Skywalker. Rex, Anakin, and Ahsoka lead countless successful campaigns against the Separatist Alliance as a dynamic team. One of the key differences that sets Rex apart is his ability to quickly change plans while already in the field, especially with the Jedi on his side.

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Though Rex faces massive hurdles throughout the show, he always pushes through to the other side, exemplifying what it means to fight for the light. He is one of the few clones to stick by the Jedi’s side throughout it all, and he spends his entire life trying to revive the galaxy into something great.

Asajj Ventress

Asajj Ventress is one of the key dark figures of The Clone Wars, serving as an apprentice to none other than the fallen Jedi Master himself, Count Dooku. Throughout the galactic conflict, Ventress moves from the shadows, just as she learned growing up with the Nightsisters of Dathomir, who we’ll discuss shortly.

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However, Ventress is more than just a Dark Apprentice. She is a multi-faceted character who always has her own survival at heart. She isn’t afraid to work with or against the Jedi, depending on which side will work out better for herself in the end. An unlikely ally, Asajj Ventress proves herself to be much more important than a warrior of the shadows may seem at first glance. Finally, she wields one of the coolest sabers in The Clone Wars, the double-bladed weapon known as the split-saber. 

The Clones

At the heart of The Clone Wars are, of course, the clones. Created on the aquatic planet of Kamino, the source of these troops may be mysterious, but their ability to wage war is extremely self-evident. As the show moves forward, we meet several clones who have altered their appearance in different ways to set themselves apart, whether through different hairstyles, facial scars, tattoos, etc.

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If you know your way around Star Wars animated television, then you are probably very familiar with a particular group of five clones originally designated as Clone Force 99 but now better known as the Bad Batch. Apart from the famous team, however, other clones such as Fives and Commander Cody play important roles in The Clone Wars.

Darth Maul

Even if you’ve never seen a single episode of The Clone Wars, you know the infamous Sith Lord Darth Maul. From his first appearance in The Phantom Menace, you may not think that Maul has any further role to play in the galaxy, but in fact, he is as resilient as any Jedi and hyper-focused on the power that he may one day hold.

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Left to waste away on the junk planet of Lotho Minor, Maul was cast aside by his master. And even though his exile drives him to the brink of madness, Maul fights his way back to the top of the galactic food chain. The only thing scarier than Maul himself in The Clone Wars is his intense hatred of Obi-Wan Kenobi, whom he has devoted his life to destroying.

Padmé Amidala

It’s no secret that Padmé Amidala gets a lot of character development in the Prequel Trilogy, but you might not know how she reacts to and fights against the Republic’s inevitable fall without The Clone Wars. Alongside other future Rebels, such as Mon Mothma and Bail Organa, we get to see Padmé as she grows from the young Queen of Naboo into a formidable, headstrong leader in the Galactic Senate.

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As we watch Padmé grow into herself through politics, we also get more insight into her marriage to Anakin. Like any Jedi-Senator relationship, theirs suffers many ups and downs. Still, their love for each other is always apparent in the end when it matters most. You might even say these two would follow each other into an angry nest of gundarks. 

Anakin & Obi-Wan

Speaking of Anakin’s relationships, his other most important partner in the show is his former teacher, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The entire Prequel Trilogy — and some of the Original Trilogy as well as a six-episode TV series — focuses on the relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan. In The Clone Wars, we see them as two Jedi who are no longer bound by the Master/Padawan link and who must now find a way to work together as brothers.

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In this show, we see Anakin grow through the eyes of Obi-Wan Kenobi into the chosen one — the Jedi who will finally bring balance to the Living Force. That growth makes it even harder to reconcile Anakin’s future self with the one presented in The Clone Wars. The brotherhood of these two Jedi is more apparent than ever in this show, and it deals the final crushing blow in the closing episodes as we watch the fallout of the inevitable Order 66.

Youtini’s Favorite Episode Arcs

There are so many great episode arcs in The Clone Wars. Throughout all seven seasons, we get to see the galaxy through so many pairs of eyes — and even a few optical lenses of our favorite droids. It was hard to narrow our favorite arcs down to such a short list, but we know you’ll love these as much as we do.

Mandalore

Season 2, Episode 12
Season 2, Episode 13
Season 2, Episode 14

The planet Mandalore is featured several times throughout The Clone Wars. Its first appearance is in the Mandalore Arc of season 2, episodes 12-14. Here we meet the Duchess of Mandalore, Satine Kryze. All she wants is to maintain peace on her homeworld, but the Death Watch, a group of vigilante Mandalorians who disagree with Satine’s aversion to joining the war, stands in her way.

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Over the course of the show, Satine is pushed to her limits as the conflict continues to grow all around her. Her only hope is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, a man with whom she is very familiar. Though Kenobi is dedicated to Satine in every way the Order allows him, it may simply not be enough to save Mandalore.

Witches and Monsters

Season 3, Episode 12
Season 3, Episode 13
Season 3, Episode 14

As mentioned above, Asajj Ventress hails from the planet Dathomir, where she was raised in the Force-sensitive clan of the Nightsisters. These witches first appear in the Witches and Monsters arc of season 3, episodes 12-14, where they are not the only residents of Dathomir whom the Republic should fear. The Nightsisters, led by Mother Talzin, conduct a series of tests on their fellow Dathomirians, the Zabraks — Maul’s species. 

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At the end of their trials, the witches claim a Zabrak named Savage Opress, whom they plan to use against Count Dooku after his abandonment of Ventress. Jedi Masters Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi have their work cut out for them in this new Master and Apprentice pairing of Ventress and Savage. As evidenced in this arc, Mother Talzin and her Nightsisters alone represent formidable opponents for the Jedi, but with the addition of a trained Sith and her new apprentice, Anakin and Obi-Wan find themselves in a bit too deep. 

Secrets of Mortis

Season 3, Episode 15
Season 3, Episode 16
Season 3, Episode 17

The secrets that the planet Mortis hides from the rest of the galaxy are impossible to understate. Mortis holds so much knowledge about the Force, including the secret to balancing dark and light. Appearing in season 3, episodes 15–17, Mortis lures Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan with whispers of the Force that they have never felt before. There, they meet the Father, the Son, and the Daughter, three extremely powerful Force users who must work constantly to maintain balance. 

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As their exploration continues, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka are separated, each forced to view a future that they simply cannot allow to come to pass. With Force visions abounding, each Jedi is pushed to their limit by this mysterious planet, each learning new things about the galaxy as they move forward. With all that this arc reveals, we are sure it will be one of your favorites from The Clone Wars. 

Young Jedi

Season 5, Episode 6
Season 5, Episode 7
Season 5, Episode 8
Season 5, Episode 9

If you’re looking for a bit more cuteness in The Clone Wars to offset all the Force lore and the tragedy of warfare, turn to season 5, episodes 6–9, where Ahsoka and Yoda lead a group of Younglings — including a Wookiee named Gungi — to find Kyber crystals for their first lightsabers. Besides the fun of watching these Younglings on their first true mission, we also get some interesting Kyber crystal lore in the first episode of this arc.

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As the Younglings gather their crystals and construct their first sabers, they suddenly find themselves under attack by a group of pirates, and their first mission turns into something much darker than expected. As the arc continues, the danger deepens even further when General Grievous arrives, forcing Ahsoka and the Younglings to team up with the pirates to defeat a common enemy.

Yoda

Season 6, Episode 10
Season 6, Episode 11
Season 6, Episode 12
Season 6, Episode 13

Later in the show, during the season released by Netflix in 2014, we see Yoda go on a spiritual journey of his own, much like that of the Younglings searching for their first Kyber crystals. In season 6, episodes 10–13, it seems that Yoda — a Grand Master Jedi and the single most experienced Force user in the galaxy — isn’t sure what to do next in the eternal battle that is the Clone Wars. 

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During this arc, Yoda follows the voice of the dead Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn, across the galaxy in order to find the truth. Could it be possible that Qui-Gon has somehow figured out how to retain himself in the Force after death? Or could the voice be a simple but devastating trick of the dark side? That is the question that Yoda feels he must answer by himself, away from the influence and ever-watchful eyes of the Council. This arc proves that in times of tragedy and conflict, even the most powerful and steady Jedi can wander from the path of the Force.

The Change in Jedi Philosophy

If there is one thing The Clone Wars intends to do for viewers, it is provide context for the events of the Prequel Trilogy. How did Palpatine remain hidden from the Jedi as he trained to become the greatest and most powerful Sith Lord in the galaxy's history? How did the Jedi, a group of peaceful caretakers of the galaxy, become generals in a war that raged for years? What happens when the Jedi Council makes a decision that seems heavily manipulated by outside politics?

It would be difficult to answer all of these questions without the context of The Clone Wars. As you move through each season of the show, you’ll notice that themes, arcs, and circumstances become darker and darker, eventually landing us in the events we already know from Revenge of the Sith. It is extremely interesting to chart the fall of the Jedi during this time through the massive changes in their philosophy.

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The philosophical questions raised and explored in this show are one of the reasons it is so much fun to explore, even as an adult. Of course, we all enjoy Star Wars content, and there’s no denying that The Clone Wars originally debuted as a children’s cartoon. However, these heavier, more complex plot points explore what war does to a person’s psyche, especially when that person has spent their entire life striving for peace.

In the end, we know that the Jedi must fall under the new Empire’s reign. The Jedi — and specifically the Jedi Council— allowed themselves to become far too intertwined with the Republic. Rather than peaceful monks, they became politically driven soldiers, and in the end, they were blind to their own mistakes. The fall of the Jedi and the Republic is primarily due to Palpatine’s actions behind the scenes, of course. Still, some blame must also fall on the Jedi and the Masters that led them astray. 

The Jedi simply strayed much too far from the guidelines of their own philosophy, and Darth Sidious struck at the opportunity with no mercy at all.

The Clone Wars Watch Order

Release order

The Clone Wars was famously not released in chronological order, which is a move that scares off some viewers right away. If it’s not in chronological order, how does a viewer avoid being spoiled for later episodes? Well, the reason George Lucas gave for his chosen release order of the show — specifically the earlier seasons — is that he wanted to give fans a look into this era of Star Wars through the perspectives of many different characters. Therefore, we might focus on Ahsoka’s situation in one part of the galaxy, then hop back in time to see what Yoda has been up to on Coruscant.

We say all of that to say this: Even though the show did not come out in perfect chronological order, it still makes sense as a through-line of storytelling. Episodes do not spoil their later counterparts. Just sit back, relax with a glass of Alderaanian wine and a bowl of Gormaanda’s glowblue noodles, and enjoy The Clone Wars.

Chronological order

All right, now that you know you don’t have to watch The Clone Wars in chronological order, it’s time for the bigger question: should you anyway? That question is a little harder to answer. It ultimately comes down to your preferences and how you want to take in the story. That is especially true after your first full viewing of The Clone Wars in its intended release order.

If you decide to watch the series in chronological order, you can find a complete list of episodes on the official Star Wars website.

Conclusion

We here at Youtini hope you’ve found your footing with The Clone Wars now, and if you haven’t jumped into the show just yet, what are you waiting for? Join in on the fun! If you have watched the show and are looking for some more Clone Wars-era content, we’ve got you covered with our Canon timeline and Legends timeline to show you all the books that will fill your Clone Wars cravings.

If you’re looking to read more about specific characters from The Clone Wars, go check out our character collections on Ahsoka, Anakin, Ventress, Maul, Obi-Wan, Padmé, and more!