Is The Star Wars Animated Series Canon

| May 16, 2020 |

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This Star Wars: The Clone Wars article contains spoilers.

The Clone Wars covers 1 of the most important moments in Star Wars history. It not only follows the exploits of Jedi heroes like Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master Yoda, and Ahsoka Tano but bridges the gap between the Age of the Republic and the Rise of the Empire. Past the cease of the series, the Separatists and the Jedi accept been destroyed and the Democracy has become the first Galactic Empire. Emperor Palpatine and the Sith now dominion the galaxy.

For an animated series conceived with younger viewers in heed, The Clone Wars features ane of the darkest endings in the saga. Ahsoka's former clone comrades accept turned on her during Lodge 66 and merely she and Rex escape the deadly crash landing that makes up the prove's climax. After being captured during the Siege of Mandalore, Maul escapes to parts unknown, while Anakin is irrevocably changed into Darth Vader. While nosotros never come across Palpatine in the finale, nosotros know he at present sits on his throne as the absolute ruler of the Empire. The bad guys accept won and the proficient guys have fallen.

Fans who've already watched Revenge of the Sith , which chronicles Anakin'south fall to the dark side and the destruction of the Jedi Guild, ever knew where things were headed. But when The Clone Wars first ended in 2013 and then once again in 2014, it seemed that the testify would never reach the events of Order 66. Yet, in 2020, the show'south new lease on life allowed season 7 to explore Order 66 and Revenge of the Sith from a different perspective — and in some ways, Ahsoka's version of the story is even more heartbreaking than what nosotros saw in the 2005 picture show.

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Unlike the protagonists of Revenge of the Sith , Anakin's former Jedi apprentice spends season 7 watching the decay of the Republic and the Jedi Order from the ground level. She not only meets those abased and victimized past the Jedi during the state of war only likewise watches clones die for nothing during Order 66. While Anakin and Obi-Wan are shouting nearly the morality of the Jedi on Mustafar, Ahsoka is really in the thick of it, seeing immediate the devastation caused by the Republic at the finish of the war.

Information technology'south non surprising that, by the concluding scene of the series, Ahsoka has decided to throw downwardly her lightsaber and renounce the Jedi for good. While we know that she'll eventually bring together the fight against the Empire in Rebels , at this moment, she's done having organized religion in the perceived forcefulness for good. In the finish, the Jedi and the Republic injure the galaxy only as much every bit the Separatists did. Information technology'due south why so many people cheer as Palpatine establishes himself every bit Emperor of the galaxy in Revenge of the Sith . A tired and wartorn galaxy is ready to accept "peace" whatsoever way it can get it.

With The Clone Wars finale so closely continued to Revenge of the Sith , it should exist pretty clear how the blithe serial fits into Star Wars canon, right? While Disney has indeed deemed The Clone Wars an official part of the saga's catechism that bridges the gap between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith , this can be a little disruptive for those who started watching the blithe series before Disney bought Lucasfilm and the rights to Star Wars in 2012.

You encounter The Clone Wars first debuted in 2008 and was created by George Lucas himself, with Dave Filoni taking on showrunner duties. Premiering iv years before Disney took over and rebooted much of the Expanded Universe, The Clone Wars technically began existence as part of the original canon of Clone Wars stories earlier being grandfathered into the current Disney canon.

While the pre-Disney The Clone Wars didn't really go out of its way to make directly connections with Clone Wars books like The Cestus Deception by Steven Barnes, Jedi Trial by David Sherman and Dan Cragg, and Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover; or comics like Nighttime Horse's excellent Commonwealth series; it did characteristic at least one element of the 2003 Clone Wars micro-series in dark side assassinator Asajj Ventress. Even if we didn't actually see the events of fan-favorite stories like the MedStar books starring Jedi healer Barriss Offee unfold on the testify, it was understood that The Clone Wars was still a role of this larger storyline.

But when the canon was rebooted to brand style for a new era of Star Wars movies, it left the show's place in the official continuity in question. Disney later alleged that all of the movies and The Clone Wars would remain canon. Only the balance of the Clone Wars stories released up to that point weren't and so lucky. The Clone Wars micro-serial, the novels, and the Dark Horse comics were erased from the timeline (with the exception of Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir ), leaving the animated series as the but truthful relate of this era.

Every bit we examined in an before commodity, The Clone Wars season vii fifty-fifty eliminates the possibility that the 2003 micro-series could remain in continuity through a bit of headcanon. With the episode "Old Friends Not Forgotten" showing the canon version of what Anakin and Obi-Wan were upwards to correct earlier the commencement of Revenge of the Sith , there's basically no way that the micro-serial fits into the official continuity anymore. Poor Durge never got a second lease on life, either.

If yous've kept up with The Clone Wars since 2008 or tuned in for the start time with season 7, you lot can balance easy: the animated series is indeed considered canon — and it'due south a vital part of the saga, as well. But don't let that stop yous from loving the non-canon Clone Wars stories that are now considered part of the "Legends" timeline. The smashing matter about a adept story is that you lot can enjoy information technology no matter what's catechism and what isn't.