The Final Arc of ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Is Coming With The Siege of Mandalore; Here’s What You Should Know If You Aren’t Caught Up
One of the biggest Star Wars announcements in recent years was the return of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The show was canceled back in 2013 and wasn’t able to finish out its intended arcs and goal, which essentially was to connect the series to Revenge of the Sith. While fans know what happens thanks to Episode III and Ahsoka and Rex showing up later in Star Wars Rebels, there wasn’t any closure for the Clone Wars era. Season 7, which is currently airing on Disney+, sets out to tie it all up.
What if you’re a few episodes or seasons behind? Or maybe you’re just curious about how this series connects to Revenge of the Sith but don’t follow the show? It’s understandable since it’s a pretty long series. No need to worry though; below are some helpful tidbits to hopefully catch you up, if you’re curious how this season ends. The first episode of the final arc premieres Friday, April 17, so here’s what you need to know to be ready. [Spoiler alert: Spoilers ahead for The Clone Wars Season 7 thus far, and mild spoilers for what’s to come.].
Ahsoka left the Jedi Order in Season 5 because of trust and her different path
Starting with the basics, Ahsoka Tano is Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan who came onto the scene in 2008 during the film The Clone Wars. She was a bit snippy, which explains Anakin’s nickname for her: “Snips.” But since then, Ahsoka went through one of the best character developments in all of Star Wars.
The now-fan-favorite was framed in Season 5 by another Padawan, Barriss Offee, for bombing the Jedi Temple. Unfortunately for Ahsoka, the Jedi Council didn’t stand behind her and instead banned her from the Order. She went on trial in front of the Chancellor as a civilian and not a Jedi. Even though Ahsoka was welcome back into the Order after her name was cleared, she made an emotional decision to leave the Jedi because she no longer trusted them or herself.
The last four episodes of The Clone Wars Season 7 have dealt with where Ahsoka is now. She’s still struggling with where she wants to go in life, but it involves being a good person and a selfless path.
How does Maul connect to Mandalore and Bo-Katan?
The last episode, “Together Again,” showed Ahsoka teaming up with Bo-Katan, a former member of the Mandalorian terrorist group Death Watch. In Season 5, Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla struck a “deal” with Maul, former Sith apprentice to Darth Sidious/Palpatine. Maul and his brother Savage Opress wanted to gain power and wealth so that they could rule the galaxy, as that’s what Maul felt he was owed for his suffering. Pre Vizsla wanted to control Mandalore, which he thought he had the right to.
They teamed up and Maul started The Shadow Collective, which was a group of criminals who overthrew the pacifist Mandalorian government run by Duchess Satine. However, Maul killed Vizsla and took over Death Watch and the Darksaber. Bo-Katan and others from Death Watch left the group, and now want to fight Maul back to gain control of Mandalore again.
Bo-Katan is on Oba Diah because the Pykes are a part of the Collective. Bo-Katan recruits Ahsoka to help her defeat Maul and the Mandalorians still loyal to him: Mauldalorians. While we didn’t see it in Episode 8, Episode 9 will show Ahsoka reaching out to Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi for backup. This leads to the Siege of Mandalore.
Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Padmé took a back seat this season because we know how their stories end
Obi-Wan and Anakin, who were main characters in previous seasons, took a backseat in Season 7 on purpose. And originally Padmé, who also had a bigger role in the past, wasn’t even going to be in this season. Their smaller roles are due to the fact that these final 12 episodes focus more on Ahsoka and Rex. Supervising director and executive producer Dave Filoni said that, for him, “in the end, The Clone Wars… is about Ahsoka and Rex.”
He also pointed out to io9 that audiences have already seen this part of the story from those characters’ points of view in Revenge of the Sith.
“There were certain choices to make in this because, well, I wanted to represent the major characters of the film—in Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padmé,” Filoni said. “[And] I didn’t want to do anything in these last episodes that would interrupt or contradict what happens with them in [Revenge of the Sith].”
There are a lot of great reunions coming up
In addition to Anakin giving Ahsoka her own squad of Clone Troopers, with painted armor to resemble Ahsoka’s Togrutan facial markings, there’s a lot of reunions coming up. When speaking to Showbiz Cheat Sheet in March, Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka, said that this final arc is going to deliver a lot of emotional moments, both good and bad.
“Oh, my gosh, the scenes with Ahsoka and Darth Maul and the scenes with Ahsoka and Captain Rex are just incredible,” Eckstein said. “The reuniting of these characters is just chilling. I mean, I got goosebumps when I read these scenes. So I know these episodes deliver on what the fans are hoping for.”
Ahsoka and Anakin’s relationship was so, so close. So much so, that her leaving definitely affected the trajectory of his turn to the Dark Side, which is still to come as well. So, Eckstein also warned that their reunion is “emotional, to a whole new level.”
Basically, there are a lot of moving parts and still a lot that needs to happen in the final four episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The hype is only just beginning, and hopefully, the final part to this final season delivers. Judging by that TV spot, it definitely will.
