I have a friend—an older guy who grew up with the original
star wars films. He hates the special editions and really hates the prequel trilogy. I only have to say the word “midichlorians”
and he starts ranting about how they totally invalidate the entire concept of
the force. He’s not an EU guy like I was growing up, but a few years ago I
showed him a little of the clone wars and soon he had watched the whole series.
In many ways the Clone Wars TV series was what we wanted out
of the prequels. Instead of a whinny, psychotic brat, Anakin Skywalker is
actually somewhat likable: a brave and heroic man who is too passionate for his
own good. The Clone Troopers actually
have personality, and the Jedi do more than sit in circles and talk. It had a
little of everything: Jedi, war, political intrigue, and more. It was an
amazing series that ended before its time.
The Clone wars drew deeply from Star Wars lore. It took fan
favorites such as the Mandalorians, Mace Windu,
Darth Maul and others who hadn’t received much attention in the movies and
fleshed them out, intermixing them with more established characters like Anakin and
Obi wan. The series is also notable for striking a remarkable balance between
adult sophistication and the needs of friendly family viewing. Its therefore
somewhat fitting that even though the Expanded Universe was declared non-cannon
by Disney, the Clone Wars was allowed to remain part of the cannon. Many
concepts first established in the EU were included in the Clone Wars, albeit
with slight tweaks. Wisely, Disney has continued to look to the EU for characters
and inspiration to fill the new cannon.
When I decided to rewatch the series, I decided to write a
review, but as I watched I found there was too much worth writing about for one
article. Therefore I would like to offer this multi-part analysis of the Clone
Wars. While some parts might seem unduly harsh, I hope this introduction will
make it clear that I am a passionate fan of the series, and am writing out of
love.
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