075: SoraRabbit Watches: Star Wars The Clone Wars Season Three

At long last, it’s time to continue our journey through The Clone Wars! I didn’t intend for there to be such a long gap between installments, but other projects got in the way. I’m sure some of you gave up on me, but I promise I still intend to get through this entire series. (Including all the related projects: Rebels, Tales of the Jedi, Tales of the Empire, and the Bad Batch.) If you missed either of the other recaps, I have those listed below:

012: SoraRabbit Watches: Star Wars The Clone Wars Season One

031: SoraRabbit Watches: Star Wars The Clone Wars Season Two

Look at all those clones. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Although I get into greater detail in the first post, since it’s been so long here’s a quick rundown of what we’re doing here. The Clone Wars was a series that ran between 2008 and 2014, with a revival final season in 2020. This series bridges the approximately three year period between Episodes II and III in the prequel series. The show concerns itself with the eponymous Clone Wars, a conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Separatists. The show’s content is divided between war-time conflict and political conflict, showing the events that would eventually lead to the rise of Emperor Palpatine and the Empire. At this point, Palpatine (secretly the Sith Master Darth Sidious) is Chancellor of the Republic and playing both sides, directing his apprentice Count Dooku. (Darth Tyrannus.) The Jedi have all been appointed Generals of the Clone army and have to deal with the conflicting needs of being peacekeepers and warmongers.

Piell is a little badass. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

As a little side note before we really get going, I very much did get distracted from this series. As I sat down to start, I realized it had been three whole years since I watched Season Two! My original intention for this series of posts was to serve as nice, concise recaps of the series, season by season for those who need reminders or just want a somewhat short encapsulation of it. Since it has been about three years, I actually reread my first two posts to refresh my memory of what had happened in the series thus far so I wouldn’t have to rewatch everything. I feel like it actually did a good job of bringing me up to speed and reminding me of everything I’d seen before.

So, basically, I’m saying that I feel like I can call this series of posts a success since I was able to use it for its intended purpose in order to continue the series. I’m pretty proud of myself and felt like sharing that.

Oh, also in between my viewings of Seasons 2 and 3, I read hundreds of Marvel Star Wars comics, so I’m much better versed in the deeper lore than I was in my previous posts. Hopefully that will help enhance this post and those that follow.

Ziro’s weird. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

As I did with the previous posts, I’ll go into a summary and recap of the episodes in the season and then cover the characters and clones we met, and end with my thoughts on the season as a whole. Also note that when I reference the main installments of the movies, it’s as Episode I, Episode II, etc.

Season Three is subtitled “Secrets Revealed" and consisted of 22 episodes. In series numbering, Season Three is made up of Episodes 45 through 66.

One vital thing to mention here is that Clone Wars is an anthology series. As such, the production team decided to take a fluid approach to continuity. Everything does fit together, but at times it is out of order. It becomes most apparent this season as we jump back to see what led to certain key events in Seasons One and Two. We will see characters that died before while they were still alive, see the lead up to a vital Senate bill, and the before and after of Ziro the Hutt’s jailbreak. Also, Episode 2 takes place in between Episodes 7 and 4. So that stretch of episodes goes 7 - 2 - 4 - 8.

Already confused? I don’t blame you! I will do my best to explain where each of these out-of-order episodes fit in, but I warn you now, it does get baffling. There are good official episode lists posted online that put the episodes into chronological order. There are some who say that the series does make a lot more sense when watched in chronological order, but I chose to watch it in release order to get the full intended experience. (Maybe someday when I have time I’ll go back and rewatch chronologically. We’ll see.)

Domino Squad. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

The season starts with Episode 45. This is a prequel to one of my favorite episodes from Season One, Rookies. It depicts the clone rookies of Domino Squadron as they take their final tests to qualify as Clone Troopers. These clones are Echo, Fives, Hevy, Cutup, and Droidbait. The episode takes place on the clone training grounds on Planet Kamino and we get to see Master Shaak-Ti, the Jedi previously mentioned to be the trainer of the clones. We learn some interesting things here about clones. For one, the clones who can’t pass training are sent to work in maintenance. One such squad was Unit 99 (a designation that will return in The Bad Batch!) We also learn that Jango Fett’s DNA is degrading… now that he’s dead they can’t get new samples. Due to this, some of the clones come out wrong. We see one of these, a hunchbacked and deformed clone who the members of Domino Squad treat with affection and nickname “99”.

Domino Squad is not doing so well, but Shaak-Ti believes they can pull together. Another trainer, a former bounty hunter named Bric, is much more negative towards them. The members of Domino Squad aspire to become ARC Troopers. (Advanced Recon Commando… they’re the elites, like Captain Rex.)

I liked 99. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

After failing the test, Fives and Echo request a transfer, which Shaak-Ti refuses. But she allows them to retake the test. That night, Hevy tries to go AWOL, but 99 convinces him to stay. He is actually the one who gives Hevy his nickname, stating that he’s always carrying such a heavy burden.

Bric, who dislikes the squad, sabotages them but they pass anyway, working together as a cohesive team, helping each other, and coming up with a creative solution no one had thought of before. (Using the gun turrets to climb to the flag.) They are given medals for passing and allowed to become Clone Troopers. Afterwards, Hevy gives his medal to 99 to hold onto, saying this will give him a reason to come back to Kamino and see him.

I liked this episode a lot and feel like it was a good start to the season. 99 was a great character and the fact that Hevy dies shortly after these events makes his scene with 99 that much sadder. (Actually Droidbait and Cutup die too, leaving only Echo and Fives left of the Domino Squad.)

Anakin vs Asajj Ventress. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

The next episode jumps forward in time to after the events of the Season One episode “Rookies”. Echo and Fives are back on Kamino right as General Grievous and Asajj Ventress are staging a full-scale attack on the cloning facility. An interesting fact that hadn’t occurred to me is that the Clones consider Kamino their home world since they were created there. The clones have to break the news to 99 that Hevy was killed in action. 99 still carries his medal around everywhere.

Grievous attacks in space while Ventress uses the distraction to attack from the water. (How she got through the Republic blockade is not explained.) They use the parts blown off the transports to make assault crafts. Ob-Wan figures out this clever plan and sends Anakin after Ventress. Uncountable clone vats are destroyed in the attack and for reasons that are not elaborated on, it turns out the main reason for all this was to confiscate some clone DNA.

Obi Wan takes a ride. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

99 proves himself every bit the hero as the other clones, as he supports the troopers and saves some clone cadets. However, as he runs to get more explosives, he’s shot in the back by the Battle Droids and dies. Anakin battles Asajj and we even see Shaak-Ti in action. Echo and Fives show how much they’ve improved by leading the other clones and even the cadets in battle. Obi-Wan rides a weird paradactyl-thing. Anakin threatens to have Asajj executed. At the end of it all, the DNA samples are recovered, the bad guys get away, and 99 is still dead. Fives and Echo are praised by Captain Rex and given a field promotion to the coveted status of ARC Troopers. They all mourn 99, acknowledging him as a fallen brother.

I really liked this episode. I find the clone-centric episodes are always well done. I really like Echo and Fives and 99 dying was sad but made sense story-wise. Overall this was a great episode. Lots of action, high stakes, both wins and losses for the forces of good. The plot holes really didn’t take too much away from it.

Yup. It’s a Jar Jar episode. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 47 brings us back to the Twilek world of Ryloth, which was featured on a three-parter in Season One. This one is also out of order, coming just before the very first episode of the series. (Not the movie where Ahsoka was introduced, but the proper first episode where Yoda killed a tank by himself.) While the episode is about the blockade preventing supplies getting through to Ryloth, the main part of the episode takes place on Toydaria, where the weird little winged guys live like the one who owned Anakin and his mom. Bail Organa and our dear old pal Jar Jar Binks have to go ask the king if they can use the planet to stage supplies. The Trade Federation shows up to warn them that allowing this would break their neutrality and the Trade Federation will stop trading with them.

They still allow supplies to go through as long as it’s a secret and it all hinges on Jar Jar providing an “amusing” distraction while the ships take off. The supplies get there and everyone’s happy except the bad guys and me because I had to watch Jar Jar’s antics. Some clones died, the battle was not lost, and Jar Jar got to provide “comic relief”. What a success.

That’s all I’m going to say about this one. (Can you tell I don’t like Jar Jar episodes?)

I like Greedo. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Moving right along to Episode 48. As mentioned before, this one takes place after the ARC Trooper episode and before the eighth episode this season. Not sure why they felt the need to do that, but whatever. It won’t make more sense when we get to that episode.

In this episode, the Trade Federation has blockaded the planet Pantora to try and get them to sign a treaty with the Separatists. Senator Padme Amidala has befriended the planet’s young representative Senator Chuchi. The chairman’s daughters are kidnapped and Ahsoka is tasked with investigating. She visits the Trade Federation’s ship with Chuchi. One of the kidnappers turns out to be the infamous Bounty Hunter Greedo.

Jabba is not pleased. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

While hunting Greedo, the chairman goes to visit Jabba and his gross son Rotta. Ahsoka is able to Force lift Chuchi, do the Jedi Mind Trick on a guard, and take out several Battle Droids alone, so she’s really coming along in her training. Greedo is easily dispatched by a middle-aged politician, so sadly he’s not proving himself a better Bounty Hunter than he did in Episode IV. With Jabba’s assistance, Greedo admits to being hired by the Separatists and reveals the location of one daughter while Ahsoka saves the other one. There’s a shootout in a cantina and Greedo flees like a little bitch. (Damn it Greedo, you’re ruining my fond childhood memories.)

I liked this episode, even though Greedo was disappointing. It was nice seeing him anyway. Greedo has always been one of my favorites, mainly because when I was five I had a Greedo action figure that I loved. I treasured it until I was a teenager and his head came off. (The only one of my classic Star Wars figures to lose a head. So I guess he even sucks in action figure form.) Anyway, political intrigue is not the high point of the series for me, but it was cool to see Ahsoka’s progress. Also, I have to wonder whatever happened to Rotta in the original trilogy? So far he has not been shown or mentioned after Clone Wars. Does Jabba eat him at some point? Probably, yeah.

Another political episode. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

We return to Mandalore for the next two episodes! Obviously these episodes take place after the Mandalore trilogy in Season Two, as it follows up on the repercussions of Mandalore remaining neutral in the war. And I sure hope you like the word “corruption” because it’s uttered constantly throughout the two episodes. It becomes tiresome very quickly.

As a result of remaining neutral, Mandalore is having trouble getting supplies and need to rely on the black market and smugglers to keep their people fed. Their ruler, Duchess Satine, has invited Padme over to discuss the problems and explains that the ruling council has fallen to bickering and corruption. Smugglers put poison in the tea and people across the planet, mostly children, fall sick. There is some concern it’s a terroristic action by the Death Watch (the rebellious faction that base themselves on the moon, mentioned last season.) Satine doesn’t feel like this is them, however.

Poor kids. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

After investigating, they find that the tea was laced with a chemical called Slabin, which was meant to dilute the tea so that they could increase profits. Using too much causes sickness, especially in the old and young. The superintendent of the school spills the tea (pun intended) and they manage to catch the smugglers bringing unscheduled shipments and bribing the customs official. Satine has the warehouse burned down, the children get their antidotes, and the Duchess is losing faith in the integrity of her planet’s government. She requests a Jedi to work at the academy and help investigate the corruption. (I didn’t count how many times the word is used in this episode and the next, but it’s a lot.) Corruption.

These kids weren’t poisoned, but they do get arrested. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

The following episode continues with Ahsoka being assigned to the academy on Mandalore. She’s not allowed to have her light saber due to Master Obi-Wan’s hectic visit last season. She teaches a class on morality, which spurs some know-it-all kids (including the Duchess’s nephew) to do an investigation of their own on the food shortage. They see surplus food in a warehouse and a shady deal going down with black market thugs and a cloaked figure. I’m going to gloss over most of this because it was filled with padding and not all that interesting. Anyway, they get caught and arrested, Satine is kidnapped, and Ahsoka has to save them all. It turns out the cloaked figure was the Prime Minister himself. At the end of it all, the kids and Satine are set free, and the Prime Minister and lots of Mandalorian cops are arrested. Corruption!

Always nice to see Yoda. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 51 takes place before the ARC Troopers episode for some reason. (I really could find no reason for the placement.) This episode involves Ahsoka having Jedi visions. She was ordered to sit out Anakin’s next mission so that she can study, but keeps having intrusive visions of Padme being assassinated by Aurra Sing, the bounty hunter thought killed in Season Two. Master Yoda encourages her to trust in her visions but to remember that the future is always in motion and her actions can change it. Wanting to stop the assassination, Ahsoka decides to babysit Padme at a conference on Alderaan that she refuses to cancel. Because, you know, the terrorists will win or something.

Aurra is back! (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

The visions continue to guide (and mislead) Ahsoka, but she ends up foiling an attempt on Padme’s life, wrecking the bounty hunter’s aim so that Padme is hit on the shoulder instead of through the head. Padme gives a rousing speech through a droid duplicate, but Sing is not fooled. Ahsoka figures it out just in time to save the Senator again and then is shot in the arm and Padme has to save her in return. They take Aurra into custody. She reveals that Hondo (spiky alien pirate dude) pulled her from the wreckage of the ship last season. She won’t reveal who hired her, but they somehow figure out it’s Ziro the Hutt, who’s still incarcerated on Coruscant. (Huh?) They trick him into admitting his plot and his sentence is extended. He swears revenge as the episode ends. (Spoiler: he never does get revenge.)

This is where the anthology format really impacted the continuity of the show. If you recall, Season One ended with Ziro being freed from prison by Cad Bane and his crew. So yeah, I neglected to mention it in my first post, but that episode actually took place during this season. Ugh. It could have been anyone who hired her… why did it have to be Ziro? I mean, a few episodes from now all the Separatists decide Padme has to die. This would have fit perfectly there. Whatever, it’s weird.

Hey, I know these guys. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 52 is another setup episode. This one takes place after the previous episode and before the afore-mentioned jail-break of Ziro the Hutt. This episode involves Cad Bane kidnapping C-3PO and R2-D2 so he can get intel on how to free Ziro. (Doing those mental gymnastics now!)

Anyway, Padme is putting on an important diplomatic banquet and it all hinges on a fancy cake that requires being topped with a specific rare fruit. Anakin, mostly to get C-3PO to stop micromanaging and annoying everyone, sends the droids off on a mission to get the fruit. As it happens, Jabba has hired Cad Bane to capture C-3PO on that very same day. Bane’s assistant droid Todo tricks them into going to a maintenance bar, which is a droid boutique of sorts. R2-D2 leaps at the chance to get a glow-up and the second he’s distracted, C-3PO is taken and tortured with electricity.

Zappity. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

They soon realize that C-3PO actually doesn’t know anything pertinent to their mission, and the protocol droid accidentally lets slip that R2 would have all those maps and schematics. So they capture him too, zap him a bit, get the info they want, wipe their memories of the last few hours, and set them free. The confused droids fetch the fruit, the banquet is a success, and C-3PO thinks he’s a hero, going right back to annoying Anakin. No one thinks it’s odd that they’re missing hours of memories. Cad Bane delivers the info to Jabba, gets a briefcase of credits, and is promptly hired for the mission to go spring Ziro.

All in all, kind of a useless episode which could have been summarized in the opening narration, but I like the droids and Cad Bane, so it was okay. Also I love the idea that R2 is a bit vain and droids have their own spas. We need stuff like that in real life. I think my iPad could really use a massage. It works so hard.

The designs for Hutts are weird on this show. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 53 takes place right after the Season One finale where Ziro was freed. We get to see the holograms of the heads of the five Hutt families. It turns out they were so keen to get Ziro back because he has information on all their criminal activities in a hidden journal somewhere and they were afraid he’d hand over that information if he stayed locked up. They also can’t kill him because he claims to have a failsafe in place so that the info will be leaked as soon as he dies. Ziro is taken to Nal Hutta to face the Hutt Council in person. So that’s pretty cool— we actually get to see the Hutt home world. It’s essentially a gigantic noxious swamp, which is fitting. I wonder how Jabba deals with all that dry desert air.

It’s that Ziro guy again. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

The Hutts watch a Vegas-style show and the singer is Sy Snootles, the weird-looking singer from Episode VI from Jabba’s Palace. (The one with a mouth on a stalk.) This is before her time on the Max Rebo Band. She turns out to be Ziro’s ex-girlfriend and they declare their love for each other, even though he neglected her for years, ghosting her and breaking her (probably weird-shaped) heart. She helps him get away and they flee into the swamp.

Mama the Hutt. No, seriously. I’m not making a joke this time. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

The two visit Ziro’s mom, the aptly-named Mama the Hutt. She loans them a ship and shortly after they leave, Cad Bane comes by and roughs her up looking for her son. The pair fly to the Jungle planet Teth where Ziro’s dad is mummified because this is where he hid the journal. As soon as he gets it back, Sy takes the journal at blaster-point and shoots him dead. Turns out she was secretly hired by Jabba to trick Ziro into revealing the location of the diary.

Cad Bane is one of my favorites. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

While all this is going on, Obi-Wan is tasked with finding and arresting both Ziro and Cad Bane. To assist him on this is a Jedi named Quinlan Vos, who Obi-Wan thinks is “crazy”. Vos has psycometric powers, meaning that he can get psychic impressions off of objects, an ability that helps them to track Ziro. They meet up with Mama, have an extended battle with Cad Bane, and ultimately lose him. (He only stopped to fight them because the Separatists put a standing bounty on all Jedi.) They also find the body of Ziro and never find out who killed him.

This was a pretty good episode, although this one and the previous one were very confusing considering the second part of the trilogy appeared way back in Season One. I liked seeing Sy Snootles developed as a character, and the death of Ziro was a real surprise. That was a twist I honestly didn’t see coming. I figured they’d continue using him as a supporting character/antagonist, seeing as he has been around since the miniseries that kicked this all off. (Plus one episode did end with him swearing vengeance on Padme. What an odd plot thread to leave unresolved.)

Infiltration. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 54 begins a new story arc. The Senate is arguing that the war is going on longer than expected and they’ll need more Clone Troopers. However, the Republic is near bankruptcy as it is. The Trade Federation is proposing deregulating the banks, which is a thinly-veiled attempt to make more money off the whole thing. Padme is the main barrier to this new bill getting passed. Anakin refuses to talk to Chancellor Palpatine, saying the Jedi need to stay out of politics. Ahsoka is questioning why they’re even in the war and Padme decides to teach her about politics. She comes up with a plan to have Ahsoka use her Jedi influence to allow them to travel to the planet Raxus, behind enemy lines.

Once there, they meet with Padme’s old friend Senator Mina Bonteri, who happens to be a Separatist. Ahsoka takes an instant disliking to her son Lux, who in turn doesn’t trust her as his father was killed in a clone attack. Ahsoka, who has been looking at things in black and white, gets some perspective from the mother and son and ultimately realizes that although they are the enemy, they’re still people. She starts to see beyond the propaganda and so does Lux.

Good ol’ Palp. You can always trust him! (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Padme convinces Bonteri to broker peace talks on the Separatist Senate floor. She does this and the reactions are mixed. A hologram of Count Dooku calls for a vote and the motion passes. Returning to Coruscant, Padme reports to Palpatine about the peace talks and he’s as sinister as always, keeping it veiled in his creepy old uncle sort of charm. He agrees to hold a vote on the bill to see if the peace talks will go forward.

These guys are having a rough shift. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

During all this, Count Dooku has ordered Grievous to have his droids attack Coruscant. They disguise themselves as maintenance droids and cause major chaos, attacking a generator and slaughtering several workers. As the Senate prepares to vote, the generator explodes, plunging the Senate chambers and a large portion of the city into darkness. The Senate realizes correctly that the attack was caused by the Separatists and use this as leverage to pass the bill to deregulate the banks.

Anakin complains at Ahsoka for her unsanctioned trip to Raxus, but she learned that war is more complicated than she had thought, the enemy are human, and their side isn’t all just and honorable either.

Hehe. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

This episode was full of dull politics, but was important for Ahsoka’s growth. It also shows yet another Republic failure and Separatist victory, bringing the Empire one step closer to having control. This episode did very well at humanizing the enemy, showing how money is one of the motivations to keep the war going, and how the Republic continues to lose control of the situation. It’s nice to see that the Separatists aren’t just Count Dooku and Grievous and there are actual citizens and a Senate in place who are working towards their idea of lasting change against a governing body they believe no longer works. This was perspective that was sorely needed in this show to keep it from being just “good vs evil”. Also Padme very nearly ended the war but was stopped short by more corruption and the secret machinations of her own boss.

One important detail to note with this episode are the appearance changes. This episode marks a noticeable upgrade to the models for Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka which carry through for the rest of the series. The former two have been designed to look a bit more like their movie counterparts. Ahsoka has been slightly aged up and is taller. She has been given longer head tails and more defined montrals. (Those are the little horn-like appendages on top of her head. No, that’s not hair.) She looks more like a teenager and now has a full blouse instead of the small scrap of fabric she used to wear. She also sports shoto light sabers— two smaller duel light sabers with curved handles— although this is not remarked upon or mentioned in this season. (They spent an entire episode explaining how Cad Bane got a map and didn’t bother showing Ahsoka make new light sabers? Priorities, people!)

Wait, I thought this guy was dead. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Continuing from the previous episode, the Senate is in chaos, refusing to sit down and talk peace with the Separatists— who, bear in mind, don’t all know about the attack on Coruscant. Count Dooku calls to inform them that Padme’s friend Senator Bonteri has been assassinated off screen and he blames the Republic. Peace talks are officially off the table. The delegate from Kamino is working with the Banking Clan to fund 5 million more Clone Troopers at a terrible unfair interest rate since the banks have been deregulated. So, basically the war will go on indefinitely and the Republic will be even more in deficit. Padme desperately argues against this plan. Bail Organa and Padme’s Uncle Onaconda Farr are working to stop this new bill.

Uh, wait… wasn’t Farr dead? Yep, more chronological fun. In the Season Two episode The Senate Murders, Farr was murdered after they lobbied to stop this very bill. (Man this show gets confusing.)

Being a Senator involves a lot more high-speed chases than I would expect. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

After investigating more, they learn that the Banking Clan is working both sides, upping the interest rate so the Republic will go broke making more Clone Troopers while also funding 3 million more Battle Droids for the Seperatists. (“War is good for business.”: the 34th Rule of Acquisition. No, wait, that’s a different sci fi juggernaut.) Farr is attacked during a blackout and Senators are being threatened so they won’t vote against the bill. The attack doesn’t sway him, however.

Dooku sends hired goons to attack Padme and her driver is killed. There’s a lengthy chase scene through the city that does well to pad out the episode’s run-time. Afterwards, Padme talks with one of her handmaidens, Teckla. I only really mention her because she comes back later in the series and was actually shown in live action in Episode II. (She was not one of the badass handmaidens that went up against Darth Vader in the comics, however. Yeah, they come back between Episode V and VI. It’s a whole thing.) Padme talks with Teckla to see how the war is affecting the people of the galaxy, realizing that politicians are growing more separate from their constituents.

I think we can trust him. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Organa is attacked and injured before his big speech, so Padme has to fill in. She uses what she learned from Tekla to appeal to the Senate and changed some minds. Palpatine is pissed but can’t do anything without blowing his carefully-cultivated cover. He still has a plan, though, and we know from the Senate Murders episode that not only does Senator Farr die, but the bill passes anyway after all this. The fact that these two episodes aired after the conclusion just adds a layer of futility and pointlessness to this whole thing, although it does add some context. Just an odd choice, in my opinion.

Happy memories. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

And now we’re at Episode 56. From here on to the end of the season we do stick to chronological order, so no more confusion until a later post. (I did notice all of Season Four is in the right order, so that will be a little easier when we get there.) Chronologically, this arc takes place right after The Senate Murders from Season Two. This was the story arc I’d been waiting for. Back when I used to play the Star Wars mobile game, I learned a bit about the Nightsisters and Savage and I have been excited to finally see them. This is where the season gets really good. In my opinion, everything in Season Three before this could be considered filler.

Asajj Ventress wins a major battle and Darth Sidious worries she’s grown too powerful. He suspects Count Dooku is training her to kill his own master, because that’s something the Sith like to do. To eliminate the threat and ensure Dooku’s loyalty, Sidious orders him to have her killed. He’s clearly not comfortable with this and says that he relies on her, but doesn’t want to go against his master. Anakin shoots Asajj down and Dooku refuses to help her, telling her she’s no longer his apprentice. As she battles both Anakin and Obi-Wan (quite effectively, I might add) Dooku orders his own ship to fire on the ship she’s on. She escapes, as do the Jedi. Asajj is picked up by some pirates who she overpowers and flies their ship to her home world of Dathomir.

Nightsisters! (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Asajj is surrounded by Nightsisters who want to kill her, but their leader Mother Talzin appears and stops them. (She has a super creepy echo effect to her voice that makes it sound like she’s speaking in unison with a demon.) They do a ritual to heal her wounds and we get some of her backstory. They gave her up as an infant to protect their clan. Her master was killed and she was saved (and trained) by a Jedi. He was killed too and in anger she struck down his murderer. This gets Dooku’s attention and he pledges to train her as a Sith.

Fully healed and seething with rage, Asajj swears vengeance on Dooku for forsaking her. Mother Talzin assigns her greatest warriors to help her, gives her a poison dart to confuse him, and casts a spell to make the trio of assassins invisible. They infiltrate Dooku’s home, dart him, and trick him into thinking they’re Jedi. After an impressive battle, he feigns weakness before dispatching all three with Force Lightning. (Even drugged and caught off guard, Dooku was stronger than all three. It was a great fight.)

Back on Dathomir, Mother Talzin tells them that they didn’t really fail. Now that Dooku is vulnerable and under threat of attack, he’ll look for a new apprentice, who they can provide. Talzin promptly contacts him and suggests a male from her planet.

Savage and Feral. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 57 picks right up with Dooku meeting with the Nightsisters. (Asajj is not there, of course, as he believes her dead.) We learn the Nightsisters had an alliance with the Sith in the past but want to be solitary now. Mother Talzin references that she’s repaying an old favor and that they’ll be square after this. Talzin suggests that his next apprentice should be the same race as Darth Maul. She tells him she’ll find him a suitable male and he departs.

All the males live on the other side of the planet, and this is where Asajj goes to select the pawn they’ll place at Dooku’s side. (I didn’t realize Ventress was the same race as Darth Maul. Specifically, they’re considered Dathomirian Zabraks.) She tests the strongest of the males, who are under the impression she’s looking for a mate. Two of them are the young Feral and his older brother Savage. (Pronounced Sah-vahj.) Savage protects his brother, which Asajj sees as weakness. Still, they end up as the final two remaining. As Asajj is about to kill Feral, Savage intervenes, pleading with her to spare his brother. She bests Savage and selects him to be the apprentice.

Savage transformed. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Mother Talzin declares Savage Opress to be a perfect male specimen filled with powerful hate. They cast Dark Side spells on him which increase his strength and increase the size of his horns. They also make him obedient. Asajj orders him to kill his brother Feral, which he does without hesitation.

Mother Talzin presents Savage to Dooku, who approves of her selection. As a test, he sends Savage to the jungle planet of Devaron to seize a Jedi temple that the Republic is using as an outpost.

Savage easily defeats the clone guards and kills both the Jedi Halsey and his Padawan Knox. All within minutes. Dooku pledges to train him in the ways of the Dark Side and states that they’ll surpass Darth Sidious himself and rule the galaxy together.

Lots of zapping this season. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

In the following episode, Obi-Wan and Anakin are ordered to locate and defeat Master Halsey’s killer after seeing a holo of the massacre. Meanwhile Dooku has started Savage’s training and has given him his own red lightsaber. He teaches his apprentice that hatred is his connection to the Force.

The Jedi arrive on Dathomir trying to find out the identity of the killer. Mother Talzin claims to know nothing of the rogue male but after Anakin loses his cool, she reveals Savage’s name and directs them to Toydaria. During all this, Dooku had sent his new apprentice to Toydaria (which we saw on the Jar Jar episode) to kidnap the king and kill everyone who gets in his way.

Sith clash. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Savage fights his way to the king as the Jedi arrive. During the battle he snaps the king’s neck. Then he disables their ship and flies off with the king’s body. Dooku is pissed that Savage killed the king and attacks him with Force Lightning. He’s angered more as Savage begs for forgiveness, since Sith do no beg. Ventress arrives and Dooku orders him to kill her. He’s still under her thrall, though, so they both fight Dooku. They do well against him, but he’s still holding them both off with ease. Savage, tired of being called weak, Force Chokes them both, turning on Asajj.

The Jedi inflitrate Dooku’s flagship and battle with Savage while Asajj chases Dooku. He nearly kills her but she redirects his saber at the last moment and flees. Dooku orders his droids to kill Savage and escapes, as do the Jedi.

Savage returns to Mother Talzin, injured. She promises him more power and reveals he has a living brother— Darth Maul— in exile in the Outer Rim. Somehow he survived his apparent death in Episode I. She gives Savage a magic talisman and sends him off to find Maul.

I really liked this trilogy of episodes. The Nightsisters are intriguing, and we got to see how powerful the Sith really are. Dooku was especially formidable. He was able to take everything that was thrown at him at every turn. I can see why the Jedi fear the Sith. I really liked Savage and the fact that Darth Maul is still alive (which I knew from Solo) opens up some interesting story options in the future. All in all, this arc was a high point not just for the season, but for the series so far.

New evil guy. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 59 starts another three episode arc. A Jedi distress code comes from the Outer Rim and Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka go to investigate. They encounter a diamond-shaped structure and are pulled in. They find themselves on a weird planet named Mortis where there are no animals, the seasons are in flux, and the Force is very strong. They are soon approached by an ethereal woman who calls herself “Daughter”. She asks if Anakin is “the one”.

They get separated and while Anakin follows Daughter, the others meet her brother who calls himself “Son”. He is very threatening and asks if Anakin if the chosen one. This strikes a nerve with Obi-Wan, since that was the consensus of the Jedi Council way back in Episode I. Son is not a Sith, but he’s a Dark Side wielder, while his sister commands the Light.

Anakin meets with Father, who invites him to spend the night. In a dream/vision Anakin sees his deceased mother and has to relive the guilt of not being able to save her and giving in to his anger. She turns into a monster and tells him his destiny is not with Padme. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan sees the Force Ghost of his master Qui-Gon Jinn. Ahsoka sees her older self, who warns her that Anakin is dangerous to her and is planting seeds of the Dark Side in her. She cannot remain his student.

Father explains that Son is the one who posed as Anakin’s mother. Father represents balance between the Light and Dark. Their family is called the Force Wielders and few know of them. When they heard the Chosen One may have been found, they had to find out for sure, so they lured the Jedi to Mortis. They are locked away in Mortis to protect the universe because they’re too powerful and tempting for others to use.

Daughter and Son appear as giant bird creatures, each with one of his friends. Anakin’s test is to choose who he will save. He refuses to choose, instead tapping into the Force and lifting both birds, making them release his friends before flinging the creatures back. With clear anger he demands they drop to their knees. Father declares that only the Chosen One could tame both his children. He reveals that he’s dying and Anakin must replace him to keep his children in balance. If he leaves, his selfishness will haunt him and the entire galaxy. He leaves anyway and the Imperial March is heard as the ship flies off.

Evil Ahsoka. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 60 picks up immediately after the events of the previous episode. After appearing to Anakin in a dream, Son appears in the ship and kidnaps Ahsoka. Giving chase, Obi-Wan tries to keep Anakin calm, suggesting they speak with Father. Anakin refuses, giving in to his anger due to his attachment to Ahsoka. Son appears as a goblin and pretends to help Ahsoka before biting her, infecting her with darkness.

Son attacks Father with Force Lightning and Obi-Wan tries to convince Daughter to help stop her brother. She refuses to get involved, but leads him to a mystical blade saying whoever can wield it can stop her brother.

Anakin finds Ahsoka and she taunts him, telling him he has to join Son. She attacks him and he defends himself, not wanting to hurt her. Obi-Wan joins them and she fights them both. The Jedi’s battle feeds more power to Son.

Force energy transfer. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Daughter confronts her brother and they fight as well until they’re interrupted by Father. Ahsoka steals the blade, giving it to Son. He releases Ahsoka from his thrall and she’s left weakened and near death. Son tries to stab Father but Daughter leaps in the path of the blade. Before she dies, she’s moved by Anakin’s pleas to help Ahsoka. She transfers the rest of her life force into Ahsoka, purging the darkness (and memories of the last few hours) from her. Father says that now the balance is disrupted. The Sith— and Son— will grow in strength, but he’s still trapped in Mortis without their ship.

Qui-Gon makes an appearance. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 61 is the end of this arc. Ahsoka works to fix their ship and I didn’t realize she knew so much about mechanics. Anakin is too worried about Son’s power to leave. Father has resolved to kill his son if the Force wills it. Anakin has a vision of Qui-Gon Jinn, who tells him he will face his demons and bring balance to the universe.

This imagery is so cool. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Anakin goes to the Well of the Dark Side, which is reminiscent of Mustafar, the planet that Darth Vader eventually makes his home. It’s all lava and darkness. He confronts Son, who tells him he has the ability to show the future. Anakin sees wispy flashes of Emperor Palpatine, Padme, Obi-Wan, a Youngling, and the destruction of Alderaan. It all culminates in a smoky representation of Vader’s helmet. Son tells him that he can change the future and infects Anakin with darkness as Ahsoka was last episode.

Anakin returns to the ship, but acting on Obi-Wan’s suspicions, Ahsoka has disabled it. Father purges the memories of the vision, which breaks the Dark Side’s hold on Anakin. Father uses the blade to stab himself, which also takes Son’s power, since they’re bound together. Anakin then stabs Son in the back, killing him and ending the line of the Force Wielders. As he dies, Father warns Anakin to stay on his current path and beware of his heart.

The Jedi awaken on their ship and Mortis is gone/ They find that their experiences there had all taken place in a few minutes of real time.

This was an interesting arc, playing with the Chosen One prophecy and showing us more Force-sensitive lifeforms aside from the Jedi and Sith. It also shows that while Anakin’s path to the Dark Side was always a given, he did have a choice to walk a different path, had he been stronger.

This plan required carbonite. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 62 starts another three episode arc. Jedi Master Even Piell (one-eyed tan dude with Yoda ears) has been captured and taken to a Separatist prison called the Citadel. He has gotten vital intel that the Separatists are trying to torture out of him.

To get him back, Anakin and Obi-Wan form a team of clones including Commander Cody, Captain Rex, Echo, and Fives. R2-D2 is given command of a team of three reprogrammed Battle Droids. The plan is to freeze the organic team members in carbonite so the droids can fly them into the Citadel without being detected by their scanners. Anakin plans to leave Ahsoka behind because he considers the mission too dangerous for her. However, she smuggles herself aboard and claims Master Plo Koon gave her permission to come on the mission. (He didn’t.)

Piell is tortured. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Ahsoka proves herself useful right away as she climbs in the ventilation ducts to give them a way in. After losing a couple of clones, they manage to free Master Piell. But he only has half the coordinates the Republic needs. They have to save his Captain, who has the other half. (Each only memorized half in case they were captured.) The Citadel is run by the evil Commander Sobeck, who is fully aware of their presence and under pressure by Count Dooku to kill them all and get the coordinates. (Side note commentary here, I really, really disliked Sobeck’s voicework. He’s so grating and annoying. Reminds me of the bureaucrat inspector guy from Season Two. Just because you’re on a cartoon doesn’t mean you have to sound like a cartoon.)

Fighting their way through the Citadel, the surviving members of the team free the officers, including the one with the other half of the coordinates: Captain Wilhuff Tarkin. (Later Grand Moff of the Galactic Empire.)

Noooo! (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 63 continues the escape from the Citadel. They split into two groups and encounter much resistance in their efforts. There really isn’t too terribly much to say about this episode except Tarkin shows his cold, calculating mind, admires the Citadel’s design and intent, and underestimates Ahsoka due to her age. He also doesn’t think the Jedi are suited to war, something that Anakin agrees with, to a point.

On the way to the shuttle there’s a big battle and the shuttle is destroyed. Echo is caught in the explosion and killed. Fives is distraught, but still focused on the mission. They have to leave his body behind as they escape.

Tarkin before the Empire. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

In the final episode of the arc, the Jedi are sending cruisers to save the team since their shuttle was destroyed. They have to cross rough terrain to reach an island for the rendezvous. More pressure is put on Sobeck to stop their escape. Dooku needs to coordinates since they would allow the Separatists to attack Coruscant directly, which would end the war.

Tarkin mentions that he’s fallen into favor with the Chancellor, which foreshadows his later role in the Empire. On their way to the island the heroes have to battle droids, scale cliffs, kill hellhounds (creatures called Anoobas) and finally face Sobeck himself.

We don’t lose many Jedi. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Before they can escape there’s another full-scale battle in which Master Piell is gravely injured by the Anoobas. Before he dies, he passes on his part of the intel to Ahsoka, warning her to only repeat it to the Jedi Council directly. Sobeck attacks and is shot down by Fives. He almost kills Tarkin, but Ahsoka rescues him by giving Sobeck a lava cremation. They finally reach the extraction point.

Back on Coruscant, Tarkin explains he will reveal his part of the coordinates to Palpatine directly and insists Ahsoka do the same. She honors Piell’s dying wish to talk only with the Jedi, though, so Yoda will discuss the matter with Palpatine. Tarkin commends Anakin on his principals, which Obi-Wan observes with suspicion. (And the Imperial March plays again, as it tends to when foreshadowing Anakin’s fall.)

This was a really good arc. Lots of action and the stakes were high. It was great to see Tarkin while he was a part of the Republic. We lost a Jedi— Piell, while being an oddity in the Prequel movies was actually a cool character here. It was sad when he died. The loss of Echo was a real shock. After seeing him rise to his position as an ARC Trooper and then be taken away so suddenly and unexpectedly, it was jarring. And it clearly had an effect on Fives too.

Ahsoka makes new friends. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 65 is the start of the final two episode arc of the season. There’s a fierce battle on the planet Felucia as the Jedi interrupt the placement of droid reinforcements. Ahsoka ignores her instincts that she’s being watched and is captured in electro-nets by Trandoshan hunters. She’s transported, along with others, to a planet where the hunters plan to release and hunt them. Ahsoka, being a Jedi, is intended to be hunted by the leader’s son Dar so he can prove his skills.

Ahsoka evades the hunters and is found by three Jedi younglings— Kalifa, O-Mer, and Jinx— who have been hiding on this planet for a long time evading capture. To survive, Ahsoka needs to listen to the others and trust their experience. She’s warned to not overestimate her abilities, but doesn’t listen. She almost gets herself shot and is saved by the younglings, barely stopping one from killing a Trandoshan out of hatred.

Hunters. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Ahsoka’s presence among them inspires them and they decide to stop surviving and start fighting back. To save Khalifa, Ahsoka knocks Dar back and he’s impaled by a thorn. Before he dies, he shoots Khalifa. Ahsoka is forced to leave her dying friend behind but promises to protect the others.

While all this is going on, the battle on Felucia has ended and the Jedi have unsuccessfully searched for Ahsoka. Anakin once again shows that he can’t think clearly when it comes to her. Plo Koon tells him he must trust in her abilities.

CHEWIE! (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Episode 66 is the season finale. Ahsoka reunites with the other younglings and hatches a plan to attack the Trandoshan dropship— which always comes at a predictable time— and free the new prisoners they’re delivering. They plan to then use the dropship to escape.

During the attack, Ahsoka infiltrates the dropship to take care of the pilots while the other two fight on top of the ship. In a neat move, one of them Force throws the other into a Trandoshan to knock him off balance. During the fight they manage to crash the dropship, so there goes that plan. But on the bright side they get a new ally. The only prisoner aboard was a familiar Wookiee— Chewbacca!

Let the Wookiee win. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Luckily Ahsoka knows Shyriiwook. He wants to built a transmitter to contact his people. While gathering parts, they take a Trandoshan prisoner. They use him to call the other hunters into a trap. (Interestingly, the Trandoshan is too strong to be Jedi Mind Tricked until Chewbacca gives him a concussion.) At first Chewie’s transmitter doesn’t seem to work, but after they leave it gets a signal.

They steal a speeder and attack the main Trandoshan ship. They lose their advantage fast but before the Trandoshans can kill them, a ship full of Wookiees arrive to save them. Ahsoka has a showdown with Dar’s father Garnac, in which he ends up falling to his death.

Back at Coruscant, Anakin apologizes for not protecting her. Ahsoka tells him everything was fine because she used his teachings to survive. They bow to each other and Yoda— who played matchmaker in getting the student and teacher together— smiles at the results of his work.

Again, a fun arc. It was nice to see more Trandoshans, and a very welcome surprise to see Chewbacca. (We knew he was around somewhere since he appeared in Episode II.) This pair of episodes sped along to their conclusion, serving as a good ending to the season. We got to see how far Ahsoka’s come but see that she still struggles with patience and taking council from others. (Both traits likely learned from her Master.)

Sith stuff. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Thoughts: This season was all over the place, chronology-wise. Near the end of the season this tightened up and this is where the show really started to find its groove. The Nightsister and Mortis episodes were very well done and truly expanded the universe of the series. I’ve never been much a fan of the political episodes, but I do understand why they’re a part of the series. They’re just kind of a drag. In the second half of the season things started really picking up and it feels like the series is really hitting its stride now.

We learned several interesting things this season. Chief among those were that there are other Force-users aside from the Jedi and the Sith. We met the Nightsisters and the Force Wielders of Mortis. We learned that the genetic samples from Jango Fett have a finite amount of uses left— some batches of clones come out wrong, or “bad”. We learned that Darth Maul survived getting chopped in half in Episode I and is still alive in the Outer Rim somewhere. And finally we learned that Aurra Sing survived her apparent death last season… but anyone who’s seen Solo already knew she survived. Tobias Beckett was famous for being the one who eventually kills her.

Hmm… people do have a tendency to survive in Star Wars… think Boba Fett for a big example. Maybe Echo made it too? We didn’t see his body, just his helmet.

Voss seems really smug. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

The usual Jedi heroes were in attendance this season including appearances by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Mace Windu, Master Yoda, Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, and Adi Gallia.

New Jedi include Master Shaak Ti, who had previously been mentioned but makes her first animated appearance in the season opener. (She appeared in live action in Episode II.) Quinlan Vos also appears for the first time in animated form… he actually appeared in the background of a scene in Episode I when Qui-Gon Jinn first met a young Anakin on Tatooine. He was also mentioned in both Episode III and the Obi-Wan series. He was the Master of Aayla Secura, who appeared in Seasons One and Two. We were introduced and said goodbye to Master Halsey and Padawan Knox in a single scene. Also new to this series were Even Piell and Saesee Tiin, two Jedi who appeared in live action in Episodes I and II.

Padme Amidala, her uncle Onaconda Farr, Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, Jar-Jar Binks, C-3PO, and R2-D2 all showed up for appearances. And the biggest surprise was in the final episode of the season where we got an unexpected Chewbacca team-up.

Ahsoka is great. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

One important aspect of the series is the development and growth of Ahsoka Tano as a character. While she did not appear in any of the live action movies, she is a vital part of The Clone Wars and has gone on to appear in Rebels, The Mandalorian, and her own series Ahsoka. This was an important season for her as it showed her growing more skilled as a Jedi, using what she learned in previous seasons, and learning new lessons. This season she learned about war, the nuances of loyalties, and got her first hints that all may not be right with the Master she adores. She was warned on Mortis to separate herself from Anakin and told directly that he has planted the seeds of the Dark Side in her. She is shown to be very loyal to her Master, who has not taught her well enough about the dangers of attachment. Anakin has risked himself and others more than once to rescue her and this is forming dangerous attachments between them. Attachments, as we’ve been told many time, open a door in Jedi for the Dark Side to seep in.

Ahsoka was infected with the Dark Side and taken control of by Son on the planet Mortis. She was purified by Daughter, but it’s hard to say if any darkness was left behind. While she’s learning to control her impulsiveness and impatience, she is still showing a clear over-confidence in her abilities and power that she seems to have inherited from her teacher. (Along with the afore-mentioned attachment.) This confidence did serve her well while rallying the younglings against the Trandoshans, but her confidence is a weakness as well as a strength. It continues to get her into trouble. Still, although Anakin is not a traditional Jedi teacher, his lessons are interpreted and utilized well by his student.

Aside from the clones, Ahsoka is my favorite character in the series, and I find it fascinating to see her growth and refinement season after season. I really like her redesign this season… aging her up helps to reflect how far she’s come in the series.

Stabbity. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

While absent for all of Season Two, former Sith apprentice Asajj Ventress returned for a major story arc along with her former master Count Dooku. Sheev Palpatine appears in his duel identities as Chancellor of the Galactic Republic and the secret Sith Lord Darth Sidious. General Grievous, while not a vital part of the season, does appear in two episodes.

We also had return appearances from Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, Jabba the Hutt (and his kid Rotta/Stinky), and a pre-Empire Wilhuff Tarkin. (I know he’s a good guy at this point, but he’s cozy with Palpatine, so he counts on the villain side.) An interesting choice was bringing in Sy Snootles, a somewhat obscure yet memorable alien from Episode VI. We also got our first (and only) appearance of Greedo in the Clone Wars. It’s too bad they didn’t do more with him.

New villains include the Nightsisters led by Mother Talzin and Savage Opress. I guess you could also count Son, but he died in the same arc he was introduced in, so he’s no longer on the board.

RIP Charger. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

As always with this series, we met many Clone Troopers this season. Recurring clones included Captain Rex, Commander Cody, Commander Wolffe, Echo, Fives, Hevy, Cutup, Droidbait, and Broadside.

New clones were Commander Colt, 99, Keeli, Charger, Longshot, Comet, Sinker, Boost, and many more that were not named.

Clones we said goodbye to were numerous, as always, but the named ones were: 99, Keeli, Commander Colt, Charger, Longshot, and Echo.

Sounds like a party. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

As with previous seasons, every episode starts with a title screen showing a lesson. Lessons we learn this season are: A team only works well when they work together. Soldiers need to have skill and heart. Where there’s a will there’s a way. The challenge of hope is to overcome corruption. Those who enforce the law must obey the law. The future has many paths. Planning is vital to ensure your future. Love comes in all shapes and sizes. Fear is a great motivator. Truth is stronger than fear. Vengeance leads to destruction. Evil is born, not taught. Evil brings power but not loyalty. Hope is life. Adaption is the key to survival. Anything that can go wrong, will. Without honor, victory is hollow.

And more that don’t translate well to this list format.

Poor 99. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

This season explored the growing darkness in Anakin and posed the possibility that he could taint his Padawan. Although she has learned her lessons well from him, in Jedi standards he’s not a fit teacher, as he is showing attachment and lack of judgement where it comes to Ahsoka. There was also an interesting alternate interpretation of the old Jedi prophecy from Episode I— the Chosen One will bring balance to the Force. On Mortis he learned that Father believed this meant he should have remained on Mortis keeping his children in balance. Instead, all three of the Force Wielders have died, likely leaving a vacuum of power in the universe.

I pointed out in my post for Season Two that many of the important characters were absent or had less of a focus in that season. This season turns that around by focusing much more on Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress, and Anakin Skywalker. As a result, the Clones didn’t have as much focus this season, mainly just appearing in the first two episodes and in supporting roles throughout. That said, we did see some good Clone action in the Citadel episodes, along with the jarring loss of Echo. Fives is proving to be an effective soldier and I hope he continues to appear.

This season struck a decent balance between war and politics and told some interesting stories with deep implications for the future and nods to later Star Wars stories. Although the flashback episodes were confusing to put into the timeline in my head, I do understand why they felt the need to go back and add more context to earlier episodes. The longer story arcs were nice, especially the trilogies: the Witches of Dathomir, Mortis, and the Citadel. The long arcs are where Clone Wars really excels, giving them more time for action and character development alongside discussing the moral and philosophical impacts of war.

RIP Echo. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)

Thank you for reading my latest recap of the Clone Wars! As I mentioned before, I didn’t mean for this series to get put so far on the back burner, so I do intend on coming back next year with Season Four and possibly more than that, time permitting. I really liked this season and I’m eager to see what comes next. I hope you’re all still enjoying the recaps. Thanks again, I appreciate you all, and I’ll be back soon with another post!

Another season down! (Credit: LucasFilm Animation, Disney)