| Star Wars: Clone Wars | |
|---|---|
 Volume One art, featuring (counterclockwise from middle): heroesAnakin Skywalker,Yoda,Obi-Wan Kenobi, andMace Windu; and villainsAsajj Ventress,Durge, andCount Dooku | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Star Wars byGeorge Lucas |
| Developed by | Genndy Tartakovsky |
| Story by |
|
| Directed by | Genndy Tartakovsky |
| Voices of | |
| Theme music composer | John Williams |
| Composers |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3[1] |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Brian A. Miller |
| Producers |
|
| Running time |
|
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Cartoon Network |
| Release | November 7, 2003 (2003-11-07) – March 25, 2005 (2005-03-25) |
| Related | |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars Star Wars Forces of Destiny | |
Star Wars: Clone Wars is an Americananimated television series developed and directed byGenndy Tartakovsky and produced byLucasfilm andCartoon Network Studios forCartoon Network. Set in theStar Wars universe, specifically between theStar Wars prequel trilogy filmsAttack of the Clones andRevenge of the Sith, it is amongst the first of many works to explore theClone Wars. The show follows the actions of various prequel trilogy characters, notablyJedi andclone troopers, in their war against thedroid armies of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and theSith.
The series aired onCartoon Network for three seasons totalling 25 episodes from November 7, 2003, to March 25, 2005, and was the firstStar Wars television series sinceEwoks (1985–1986). The first two seasons ofClone Wars, released on DVD asVolume One were produced in episodes ranging from two to three minutes, while the third season consists of five 12-minute episodes and was released on DVD asVolume Two. The two volumes were released on DVD by20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.[2] Since its release, the series has received critical acclaim and won multiple awards, including thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program for both volumes. Its success led to it being spun off as theCGI seriesThe Clone Wars in 2008. As of 2025 the show is currently available to be streamed onDisney+.[3]
The series begins shortly afterAttack of the Clones, as the failingGalactic Republic and theJedi are under siege from the Separatist Confederacy of Independent Systems and theSith. As the war rages on, more planets start slipping from Republic control.
The main storyline of Volume One features the Jedi KnightObi-Wan Kenobi leading an assault on the planetMuunilinst. This is the home of the Intergalactic Banking Clan,[4] benefactors of the Separatists wishing to break away from the Republic. The Banking Clan has hired a bounty hunter namedDurge to command their droid armies on the battlefield. Obi-Wan's apprentice,Anakin Skywalker, is personally appointed to lead the space forces in the battle by Supreme ChancellorPalpatine.[5] Meanwhile, Separatist leaderCount Dooku takes the Force-sensitiveAsajj Ventress as his Sith apprentice and sends her to kill Anakin.[4] OnYavin 4, Anakin manages to defeat Ventress in alightsaber duel by drawing on his anger.[2]
Surrounding this storyline are various battles focusing on other Jedi and their wartime exploits. MasterMace Windu faces a droid army unarmed[4] onDantooine, MasterYoda travels to the ice world Ilum to save Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee, the amphibiousKit Fisto leads an aquatic regiment of clone troopers on the waterworldMon Cala,[5] and a group of stranded Jedi encounter the dreaded Jedi hunterGeneral Grievous[2] on Hypori.
Volume Two picks up right where Volume One ended, with Obi-Wan sending his team ofARC troopers to Hypori to rescue the Jedi from Grievous. The Republic is now desperate and, after much consideration, the Jedi Council decides to promote Anakin to the rank of Jedi Knight.[2] The series then jumps ahead to nearly the end of the war, when Anakin has become a much more powerful Jedi.
Anakin and Obi-Wan are assigned to search for Grievous on the planet Nelvaan, but instead end up liberating a group of Nelvaanians who had been enslaved and mutated by the Separatist Techno Union. While rescuing the Nelvaan warriors, Anakin sees a cryptic vision of his eventual transformation into Darth Vader.[2] Meanwhile, Grievous leads an assault onCoruscant and, despite the best efforts of Yoda, Mace Windu,Shaak Ti, and others, he kidnaps Palpatine. Anakin and Obi-Wan then set out to rescue the Chancellor over Coruscant mere minutes before, and leading directly into, the beginning ofRevenge of the Sith.[2]
Several attempts were made to maintain continuity within the overall saga, most notably bridgingAttack of the Clones toRevenge of the Sith. Anakin appears with his new lightsaber (as inEpisode III) after his previous one was destroyed in the previous film.[6] In "Chapter 21",C-3PO makes his first appearance in gold plating[7] and Anakin is knighted.[8] He sends his Padawan braid toPadmé, who stores it with the necklace he gave her inThe Phantom Menace.[a] In "Chapter 22", Anakin appears with the facial scar he has inRevenge of the Sith,[10] and it is implied that Anakin and Padmé may have conceived theSkywalker twins onNaboo.[11]
The series is notable for introducing one ofRevenge of the Sith's villains, General Grievous[2] (in "Chapter 20"), although some of his personality traits had yet to be finalized.[12] According to Genndy Tartakovsky,George Lucas initially pitched Grievous to him and his crew as "this ruthless, totally capable Jedi killer," but later developed him into "one of those oldB-serial villains who does something bad ... twirls his mustache and then he runs off."[12] The character was given a severe cough inRevenge of the Sith, intended to emphasize his organic nature and the flaws of his cyborgprosthetics. His depiction inClone Wars lacked a cough until the concluding episode, when Mace Windu Force-crushes the chestplate housing Grievous's internal organs. This was intended to create continuity with the film and was mentioned inits novelization.[13][7][14] However, theCGIThe Clone Wars series (2008–2014, 2020) depicts Grievous as already being in this weakened state.[15]
Volume Two shares aspects of its storyline with the novelLabyrinth of Evil, which was created at the same time. Both the cartoon and book climax with the Jedi chasing Grievous on Coruscant to save Palpatine. The book features a different final duel between Windu and Grievous, but Shaak Ti acts as Palpatine's primary guardian in both titles.[16][17] In the series, Anakin and Obi-Wan investigate a possible base for Grievous on Nelvaan before being called back to Coruscant. The novel depicts the Jedi duo pursuing Count Dooku on Tythe. While fleeing to Coruscant, Dooku stops at Nelvaan to leave a false trail.[17][18][b] While the final season ofThe Clone Wars references Shaak Ti being sent to guard Palpatine, it depicts Anakin and Obi-Wan in yet a different location just beforeRevenge of the Sith.[16][c]
Clone Wars served as apilot for the CGIThe Clone Wars.[21][d] The character designer for the latter series attempted to translate aspects of the character designs from the 2D series to 3D.[23] It was originally reported that the 2008 series would not supersede the continuity of the 2003 series,[24] but followingDisney's acquisition ofLucasfilm, in 2014, it was announced that the CGIThe Clone Wars would officially be considered canon, while the 2003 series and most other spin-off works would not.[25][21][c]
Genndy Tartakovsky claimed that Lucasfilm conceived of the series as a way to sell more action figures because theprequel trilogy figures were underselling.[27] It was produced and directed by Tartakovsky, the creator ofDexter's Laboratory andSamurai Jack,[21] and employs a similar animation style to the latter. According to Tartakovsky, the series was developed in two weeks, created by a small crew,[28] and "it was stressful because I had to translate this world I've loved since I was a kid into something completely different."[27] Originally, Lucas wanted each episode to be one minute long, which Tartakovsky resisted because it was equivalent to making a "commercial." Eventually, the team was able to convince Lucas to give 3-5 minutes duration after he learned that Tartakovsky was involved as both he and his son were fans ofSamurai Jack.[29]
Tartakovsky stated that he deliberately animatedC-3PO with moveable expressive eyes to pay homage to his animated appearances in theStar Wars Holiday Special andDroids.[30] Additionally, the planet Nelvaan's name was a nod toNelvana, the production company that produced all previousStar Wars animated series.[31] In "Chapter 21", aDulok appears, which is a species that was introduced inEwoks. According to art directorPaul Rudish, the Banking Clan planet of Muunilinst was designed to look like aU.S. dollar bill.[32]
Although the show was largely animated in digital 2D, the motion of the spaceships wascel-shaded 3D animation.[33]
The series originally ran onCartoon Network. In addition to being shown on television, the episodes were simultaneously released online on theStar Wars and Cartoon Network websites. It was heavily advertised by the channel and was originally shown immediately before their popular Friday-night programming block, 'Fridays'.
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 10 | November 7, 2003 (2003-11-07) | November 20, 2003 (2003-11-20) | |
| 2 | 10 | March 26, 2004 (2004-03-26) | April 8, 2004 (2004-04-08) | |
| 3 | 5 | March 22, 2005 (2005-03-22) | March 26, 2005 (2005-03-26) | |
The first season consisted of 10 episodes, lasting three minutes each. Along with the second season, it was released on DVD asVolume One.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Chapter 1" | November 7, 2003 (2003-11-07) | 101 |
Following the battle ofGeonosis fromAttack of the Clones, the Clone Wars rage across the galaxy. Obi-Wan Kenobi is given the task of leading the assault on Muunilinst while Anakin Skywalker gets command over the space forces. Anakin bids farewell to his secret wife, SenatorPadmé Amidala. | ||||
| 2 | 2 | "Chapter 2" | November 10, 2003 (2003-11-10) | 102 |
Obi-Wan'sARC troopers are shot down over the capital of Muunilinst as the assault on the Intergalactic Banking Clan's planet begins. | ||||
| 3 | 3 | "Chapter 3" | November 11, 2003 (2003-11-11) | 103 |
Pinned down by droid enemy fire, the ARC troopers must make use of their specialist training to reach their target. | ||||
| 4 | 4 | "Chapter 4" | November 12, 2003 (2003-11-12) | 104 |
| 5 | 5 | "Chapter 5" | November 13, 2003 (2003-11-13) | 105 |
OnMon Calamari,Kit Fisto and his Scuba Troopers defends the Calamari council against Manta Droid sub fighters army of theQuarren Isolation league. Mon Calamari Knights riding giant Keelkanas provide the Republic forces with back up.[5] | ||||
| 6 | 6 | "Chapter 6" | November 14, 2003 (2003-11-14) | 106 |
Count Dooku arrives onRattatak to witness the gladiator fights at the "Cauldron".Asajj Ventress beats every opponent in the arena and claims to be aSith. | ||||
| 7 | 7 | "Chapter 7" | November 17, 2003 (2003-11-17) | 107 |
Dooku submits Ventress to a test with alightsaber before sending her on her way to find and eliminate Anakin. | ||||
| 8 | 8 | "Chapter 8" | November 18, 2003 (2003-11-18) | 108 |
General Kenobi and his troopers mount up on speeder bikes to take on Durge and the droid forces from the Intergalactic Banking Clan. | ||||
| 9 | 9 | "Chapter 9" | November 19, 2003 (2003-11-19) | 109 |
General Kenobi and the ARC Troopers capture the Banking Clan's headquarters but Durge remains in pursuit, displaying almost unstoppable regenerative powers. | ||||
| 10 | 10 | "Chapter 10" | November 20, 2003 (2003-11-20) | 110 |
Anakin proves himself to be the best star fighter in the galaxy battling Geonosian fighters above Muunilinst.[35] | ||||
The second season consisted of 10 episodes, lasting three minutes each. Along with the first season, it was released on DVD asVolume One.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date [36] | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Chapter 11" | March 26, 2004 (2004-03-26)[1][36] | 201 |
Anakin chases a mysterious rogue pilot (Ventress) piloting aGeonosian fanblade starfighter and against Obi-Wan's orders, pursues her into hyperspace. | ||||
| 12 | 2 | "Chapter 12" | March 29, 2004 (2004-03-29) | 202 |
YoungPaxi Sylo looks on as GeneralMace Windu battles Separatist droids backed up by enormous seismic tanks onDantooine. | ||||
| 13 | 3 | "Chapter 13" | March 30, 2004 (2004-03-30) | 203 |
Having lost his lightsaber, Master Windu must take on a battalion of Super Battle Droids hand to hand. | ||||
| 14 | 4 | "Chapter 14" | March 31, 2004 (2004-03-31) | 204 |
The sacredJedi Temple onIlum is attacked by Chameleon droids just asLuminara Unduli's padawan,Barriss Offee is completing her training. | ||||
| 15 | 5 | "Chapter 15" | April 1, 2004 (2004-04-01) | 205 |
MasterYoda, traveling aboard Senator Amidala's ship, persuadesCaptain Typho to take a detour to Ilum in order to mount a rescue operation. | ||||
| 16 | 6 | "Chapter 16" | April 2, 2004 (2004-04-02) | 206 |
Padmé, worrying about Master Yoda's whereabouts, is attacked by Chameleon Droids. Luckily she hasC-3PO to use as a decoy. | ||||
| 17 | 7 | "Chapter 17" | April 5, 2004 (2004-04-05) | 207 |
Anakin has followed Ventress toYavin 4. Although a clone squadron has been sent after them by Obi-Wan in a Republic carrier, they prove to be no match for the Sith hopeful. | ||||
| 18 | 8 | "Chapter 18" | April 6, 2004 (2004-04-06) | 208 |
| 19 | 9 | "Chapter 19" | April 7, 2004 (2004-04-07) | 209 |
Driven to the edge by Ventress, Anakin almost gives in to the Dark Side in a final bid to defeat her. | ||||
| 20 | 10 | "Chapter 20" | April 8, 2004 (2004-04-08) | 210 |
The Republic has won the battle of Muunilinst, but news arrives of a new droid general hunting down Jedi on the planet Hypori. There, a group of Jedi consisting ofKi-Adi Mundi,Shaak Ti,Aayla Secura, K'Kruhk, Tarr Seirr, Daakman Barrek and Sha'a Gi are driven into a corner by the formidableGeneral Grievous. | ||||
The third and final season consisted of five episodes, lasting 12 minutes each. These episodes were released on DVD asVolume Two.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | "Chapter 21" | March 21, 2005 (2005-03-21) | 301 |
Captain Fordo and his ARC troopers rescue Ki-Adi-Mundi, Aayla Secura and Shaak Ti from General Grievous. The Jedi council grants Anakin the title of Jedi Knight, after which Senator Amidala allows him the use ofR2-D2 as co-pilot for his Jedi Interceptor starship. | ||||
| 22 | 2 | "Chapter 22" | March 22, 2005 (2005-03-22) | 302 |
Closer to the end of the war, Anakin has become battle-scarred and leads the third army of the Republic alongside Obi-Wan. They blow up a shield generator and capture a fortress. Meanwhile, Separatist forces move in on Outer Rim planets such asKashyyyk, Orto and Bal'demnic. Anakin visits Padmé on Naboo, but as Darth Sidious launches his final operation, he and Obi-Wan are sent to Nelvaan, where Anakin disrupts a young native's rite of passage by defeating a giant Horax. | ||||
| 23 | 3 | "Chapter 23" | March 23, 2005 (2005-03-23) | 303 |
Coruscant is attacked by Separatist forces. Windu takes to the air while Yoda rides his Kybuck to defend the city. Meanwhile, Saesee Tinn leads his troops into battle just above the planet's atmosphere. On Nelvaan, Obi-Wan volunteers Anakin to take the trial of fire, in which Anakin is labelled by the Nelvaanians as "Holt Kazed" ("Ghost Hand"). | ||||
| 24 | 4 | "Chapter 24" | March 24, 2005 (2005-03-24) | 304 |
Jedi Shaak Ti, Roron Corobb and Foul Moudama fight to keep Supreme Chancellor Palpatine out of General Grievous's mechanical claws. Anakin finds a hidden laboratory where the Techno Union is conducting mutation experiments on Nelvaan warriors. | ||||
| 25 | 5 | "Chapter 25" | March 25, 2005 (2005-03-25) | 305 |
Shaak Ti takes a desperate stand against Grievous's Magnaguards. Anakin, surrounded by mutated Nelvaan Warriors, must destroy the geothermal crystal powering the siphon generator. Master Windu hurries to face General Grievous, who abducts Palpatine. When Anakin and Obi-Wan learn of this, they set out on a dangerous rescue mission, leading to the opening ofRevenge of the Sith. | ||||
As of 2019, thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes lists four out of five critics as giving season 1 a positive review.[37] In 2009,Clone Wars was ranked 21 onIGN'sTop 100 Animated Series list.[38]
Various articles have been written about the series since its 2021 release onDisney+. ComicBook.com writes that it "is worth a watch for any fan of magnificent animation".[39]SyFy Wire's Phil Pirrello rated the series as the bestStar Wars television production ever produced, writing that Genndy Tartakovsky "gaveStar Wars its most dynamic visuals ever as he tackled all the Clone Wars action and conflict Lucas left out of his big-screen prequels." Pirrello continues: "[W]hatClone Wars lacks in intricate storytelling it more than makes up for with stunning animation and stirring action scenes. The mini-episodes are bare bones by design, as Tartakovsky employs a pure visual storytelling execution ... The franchise has only taken such a bold stylistic risk this one time."[40]Collider's Liam Gaughan calls the series "ahead of its time" and says it "better utilized the environments, planets, and tech designs [than] the prequels" as well as "side characters better suited for a brief adventure", concluding that it is "a striking piece of standalone animation that doesn't require comprehensive knowledge of the universe" and "a groundbreaking work of art".[41] Elijah Beahm ofThe Escapist states that the series "took effectively everything people loved and hated about the prequel films – and made itwork."[42]
In a list of "Best Animated Star Wars Moments",/Film credits the series with marking "the arrival of a new era for animated storytelling that seriously expanded the canon of the galaxy far, far away", specifically praising the dialogue-free scenes of Mace Windu fighting battle droids without a lightsaber (calling it "a dream seeing the legend in action") and Anakin's premonitory hallucination of Vader's helmet on a cave wall (drawing a parallel toLuke's vision onDagobah inThe Empire Strikes Back).[43]
| Award | Type | Season(s) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturn Award for "Best Television Presentation" in the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA | Nominated | 1 and 2 | 2004 |
| Emmy Award for "Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour or More)"[44] | Won | 1 and 2 | 2004 |
| Emmy Award for "Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour or More)"[45] | Won | 3 | 2005 |
| Emmy Award to background key designer Justin Thompson for "Outstanding Individual in Animation"[45] | Won | 3 | 2005 |
| Annie Award for "Best Animated Television Production" | Won | 3 | 2006 |
Both volumes were released on DVD by20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, making it one of the fewCartoon Network original shows not to have their home releases released throughWarner Home Video. Both volumes were released onDisney+ on April 2, 2021.[46]
| Title | Release date | Chapters | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | |||
| Star Wars: Clone Wars – Volume One | March 22, 2005 | May 9, 2005 | 1–20 | |
This release contains all 20 of the show's 3-minute episodes, edited together into one continuous feature with English subtitles and an optional commentary track. Extras include art galleries, behind-the-scenes information, and the featurette "Bridging the Saga: FromClone Wars toRevenge of the Sith", aRevenge of the Sith teaser trailer, as well as interviews with George Lucas, Genndy Tartakovsky, and the production crew. The disc also features a glimpse ofStar Wars: Clone Wars – Volume Two, anEpisode III game trailer, and a playable level of theXbox gameStar Wars: Republic Commando. | ||||
| Star Wars: Clone Wars – Volume Two | December 6, 2005 | December 5, 2005 | 21–25 | |
This release contains all five of the show's 12-minute episodes, edited together into one continuous feature with English subtitles and an optional commentary track. Extras include aRevenge of the Sith trailer, art galleries, trailers for theStar Wars gamesBattlefront II andEmpire at War, an Xbox demo with two levels fromBattlefront II, and theLego short filmRevenge of the Brick. Also included is the featurette "Connecting the Dots", which highlights the creative process that Tartakovsky and his team used to linkClone Wars toRevenge of the Sith. | ||||
A series ofHasbro action figures was released between 2003 and 2005, including fourWalmart-exclusive "Commemorative DVD Collection" 3-packs (which did not include a DVD).[47] Between 2004 and 2007,Dark Horse Comics published a ten-volume comic series titledClone Wars – Adventures, which utilized the style of the 2D animated series and depicts original stories set during the era.[48][49] In 2021, more toys were released to promote the series, as part ofStar Wars: The Vintage Collection.[50]
Elements of the series, including the regenerative villain Durge,[f] are mentioned in the 2005 novelization ofRevenge of the Sith.[52] According to the (now-defunct)Star Wars Databank, Durge has a vendetta againstMandalorians and extends this to the clones ofJango Fett.[51] Durge was considered for inclusion inThe Clone Wars, but was dropped in favor of the new bounty-hunter characterCad Bane.[53] Durge also appears in a 2021 issue of the canonMarvel comic book seriesDoctor Aphra, as part of theWar of the Bounty Hunterscrossover event, set betweenThe Empire Strikes Back andReturn of the Jedi.[54][55] The 2023 video gameJedi: Survivor features Rayvis, a member of Durge's species, the Gen'Dai.[56]
Nelvaan has been mentioned in canonreference books.[57] Versions of the medieval-style Jedi knighting ceremony have appeared in canon works such asStar Wars Rebels andJedi: Fallen Order.[8] A 2022Comic Book Resources (CBR) article opines that certain elements of the series which do not conflict with more recent works "are good enough to deserve canon status", such as the duel between Anakin and Ventress, the introduction of Grievous, and the knighting ceremony.[16] The 2022 Clone Wars novelBrotherhood establishes a new origin for Ventress, whichCBR interprets as definitively demoting the series to non-canon status, calling the implication "a shame".[58] The book's author, Mike Chen, explains that he viewed Ventress and Skywalker's duel fromClone Wars as "kind of canon", like animated Republicpropaganda of Anakin's encounters with Dooku's agents (as referenced in the novel).[59] A 2022 issue ofObi-Wan references Mace Windu's battle on Dantooine.
Clone Wars: Adventures ran from 2004 to 2007 and features art based on the series (2003–2005). The volumes are numbered 1–10 and not individually titled.[60]
Speculative fiction portal
Television portal
Cartoon Network portal
Animation portal
United States portal
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
