Characterization is one of the areas The Clone Wars come out
strongest. Even compared to the movies, the series is full of characters with
complex feelings and motives.
Perhaps The Clone War’s greatest triumph was writing a
likeable Anakin Skywalker. The Anakin from the movies was a petulant, whinny
and psychotic brat who people somehow still considered a good man. The Anakin
from the Clone Wars is an intelligent, heroic warrior who is too passionate for
his own good. . Anakin has lost so much in his life that he can’t tolerate the
thought of losing anyone ever again. We can see how his passion and complete
loyalty to his friends over duty will eventually lead an otherwise good man
down a dark path Changing a character’s
personality is easy however. What makes The Clone Wars version of Anakin so
impressive is it somehow syncs with the Anakin in the movies--if not in his
actions than in his backstory and underlying motivations. Writing like this is
not an accident—it’s the mark of considerable skill.
Another shining example is the Clones. Despite all of them
having the same voice actor, many of the Clones come off as completely unique. This
is a product both of subtle differences in design, as well as excellent acting
and writing. While the clones in the movies come off as bland, we see in the TV
series that they are individuals, albeit individuals with significant genetic
programing and mental conditioning. But despite their enforced similarities the
cloners have not been able to drive out basic human desires and failings. Some
of them are impetuous or have a rebellious streak; others are blind believers
in authority, while still others are traitors and deserters. Perhaps the most
standout clone is Captain Rex, who serves under Anakin. His devotion to duty is
tempered by a very developed sense of morality which eventually leads him to
rebel against a Jedi general who is purposely leading his soldiers to slaughter.
Rex has become a fan favorite, appearing in Star Wars Rebels fighting for the
rebellion and although it has not been officially confirmed it has been hinted
that he is the white bearded rebel commando who appears in Return of the Jedi.
If we are discussing failures in characterization there are
not many. Bobba Fett’s arc was rather unimpressive—he comes off as little more
than an angry kid. Admiral Yulan never seemed like much more than an upper
class British guy in a uniform, and Mace Windu just seemed pissed off at the
universe. A few of these could be called flaws but I suspect a lot of it was
they just didn’t have the time to flesh out some of the characters as much as I
would have liked.
Characterization is one of the strongest points of The Clone
Wars. In an era were Star Wars was characterized by clunky dialogue, and
unlikeable characters The Clone Wars reversed this trend, making the Clone Wars
era likeable to many fans. While Lucas had a hand in this series he was not the
primary writer and I dare say that was probably for the best. The writers of
this series with their love of Star Wars and knowledge of the Expanded universe
were able to do more for these characters than Lucas did—Even JarJar came off
as slightly less abrasive--though not so much that his episodes are not groan
inducing. It’s very hard to take other peoples characters and do justice to
them, let alone surpass the creator, and this is a major factor in The Clone
War’s success.
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