Star Wars: If You Haven’t Seen ‘Clone Wars’ Or ‘Rebels’ Yet, Now’s the Time
We’re between Star Wars shows, so it’s the perfect time to catch up on The Clone Wars and Rebels if you haven’t yet.
If you haven’t yet watched the animated additions to the Star Wars canon, I get it. There’s a lot of it, and it doesn’t start that great. The Clone Wars is hard to get into at first and easy to fall off of; obviously targeted toward a much younger audience in its earliest episodes.
But once you get through (or skip over, no judgment here) those early growing pains, the animated Star Wars series’ include some of the best stories in the galaxy. And now, some of the most important. If you’ve been putting these shows off, put them at the top of your to-watch list. Here’s why.
Ahsoka
Courtesy of Disney+
Ahsoka Tano is shaping up to be one of the most prominent characters in the live-action Star Wars shows. After appearing on The Mandalorian, she came back to join Luke Skywalker and Din Djarin in The Book of Boba Fett, and soon she will be staring in her own show.
Ahsoka’s first appearances are in from The Clone Wars as Anakin Skywalker‘s Padawan. And I’m going to be honest with you, she starts off about as annoying as you’d think a kid her age would. But Ahsoka quickly grows into a fan favorite character for a reason.
She has one of the most compelling story arcs in the canon, and if you’re skipping The Clone Wars, you’re honestly missing out. She also has an important story and relationships to other characters, so unlike some other quick cameos, knowing her story will help the overall live action experience make sense. Speaking of helping the live action shows make sense…
Mandalore, The Mand’alor, & the Mandalorians
Courtesy of Disney+
If you haven’t seen The Clone Wars and Rebels and you haven’t done and exhaustive amount of research, you’re missing out on 75% of the actual story of Mandalore and the Darksaber. Did Bo-Katan claim the Darksaber without earning it in battle? Yes. Was there in-fighting between Mandalorians before the Empire decimated the planet? Yes.
But the cliff-notes version doesn’t do this story justice. It’s wild, and complex, and will pull at your heartstrings. As Din and Grogu (and presumably Boba Fett and Bo-Katan) dive back into the story of Mandalore, this history is going to become more and more important. You’ll want to how all of what’s going on, why the Darksaber is so important, and what Bo-Katan’s role was in everything.
Also Darth Maul shows up. That’s right. He’s still around for The Clone Wars and Rebels. How? You’ll have to watch.
The Entire Rebels Cast
Courtesy of Disney+
Ahsoka is gearing up to be the Star Wars: Rebels live action reunion tour. With casting announcements or rumors for Sabine Wren, Grand Admiral Thrawn, and Ezra, it’s only a matter of time before we hear about casting choices for Hera Syndulla, Zeb, or Kallus. If you’re not familiar with these characters, some of them are rebels and some imperials from Rebels.
Close friends and associates of Ahsoka, the upcoming Disney+ series is almost guaranteed to be full of references to their work together thorough the Galactic Civil War. Letting those references go un-recognized probably won’t make the show less enjoyable. But seeing all of the winks and nods to fans will definitely heighten our enjoyment.
Extra Time With Underutilized Characters
Not to be confused with Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars, which is also very very good, courtesy of Disney+
While watching the prequels do you ever think, “Padme deserves more than this,” or “How do they not know Senator Sheev ‘Menacing T. Badperson’ Palpatine is evil?” The Clone Wars has the hours of additional material you seek. Every character gets more screen time. Characters you never gave a moment’s thought to get full character arcs.
Previously almost-nameless clones have entire storylines. These shows take a galaxy that was previously centered pretty tightly around a handful of Skywalkers and opens it up exponentially. Of course, there are still Skywalkers. Anakin is a main character in The Clone Wars and there are a few cameos in Rebels. But it’s a big galaxy, and we see a lot more of it through these shows.
Have you seen the animated Star Wars shows? Which is your favorite? If you haven’t seen them yet, will you be catching up before Kenobi comes out? How about Ahsoka? Let us know in the comments!
May The Force Be With You Adventurers!
