KEEPING UP WITH THE CLONES
RETURNED, THE CLONE WARS HAS
Technically, we’ve known how the clone wars ends for years – y’know, the republic turns into the empire, anakin skywalker becomes Darth vader, and order 66 wipes out the Jedi. But the end of The Clone Wars – the animated series set during the long-running skirmish between republic and separatist forces – remains something of a mystery, seeing as the show was cancelled in 2013 following Disney’s lucasfilm buyout.
We’ll soon be getting closure, however, as the much-loved series is getting an unlikely reprieve via 12 new episodes on soon-to-launch streaming service Disney+. longstanding showrunner Dave Filoni (also a veteran of Star Wars: Rebels) is back at the helm to pick up stories that have been gestating for years – including the siege of Mandalore, a critical skirmish that takes place in the last days of the clone wars.
“[The siege] is a big deal,” Filoni told the Clone Wars panel at star wars celebration. “it’s the story i’ve thought most about probably over the last decade. some things that exist in the story are things that George [lucas] and i discussed before he sold the company and we moved on, so it’s been very important to me to keep the Dna of what we were doing alive.”
The new episodes will also pick up the story of anakin skywalker’s Padawan ahsoka tano, who left the Jedi order in apparent disgrace at the end of season five. when we catch up with her she’s disillusioned and hanging out in the wretched hive of scum and villainy that is level 1313, deep in coruscant’s underbelly.
“The big question was, ‘how does this person who was raised in this [Jedi] temple react to everyday life?’” said Filoni. “what does it mean now she’s on the outside? how does she rectify who she was trained and raised to be with leaving the Jedi order and feeling somewhat betrayed by them. so i came up with this story that was relevant to who she was, who she could potentially become and who she really needs to be.”
However the clone wars ultimately conclude, we know that ahsoka will survive order 66 and live to fight another day in Star Wars:
Rebels. But before she gets there, she will have another duel with the reincarnated Darth Maul – a fight that used an actual sith lord as a consultant.
“I wanted this to be an epic lightsaber fight,” Filoni revealed. “we haven’t done too many of those in The Clone Wars over the years, so this one i felt had to be among the best, if not the best. the best way to have a really great lightsaber fight is to go talk to somebody who has done lightsaber fighting, so i said to ray [Park, the actor and martial arts star who played Maul in The Phantom Menace], ‘why don’t we just suit you up in a mo-cap suit and have you be Darth Maul again? so when you see Maul fighting, it’s really going to be Maul fighting.’ there’s just something unique about the way ray moves, it’s a skill, it’s an art, it’s truly him.” not bad for a guy obi-wan kenobi sliced in two…
The Clone Wars will stream on Disney+ in the US, date TBC.