Choose what is right, not what is easy.
When an EMP bomb used to prevent the Separatist takeover of Malastare inadvertently awakens the last surviving Zillo Beast, a prehistoric apex predator from Malastare's past, Anakin and Mace Windu find themselves caught between their duty as Jedi to preserve all life and the threat of losing a trade deal between the Republic and the Dugs if they intervene in efforts to exterminate the creature.
Tropes:
- Admiring the Abomination: Palpatine openly expresses awe at the Zillo Beast.
- Anachronic Order: This two-parter episode takes place before the Geonosis arc (2:04-08).
- Call-Forward: Anakin and Mace's stances on the Zillo Beast - Anakin initially agrees with the Dugs that it's too dangerous to be left alive, whereas Mace insists that killing it is "not the Jedi way" and it must be preserved - are the exact opposite of their stances towards Palpatine/Darth Sidious in Revenge of the Sith. Notably, Palpatine himself is in favour of destroying the creature until the value of its hide is pointed out to him.
- Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: Mace Windu warns the Dugs that bombing the Zillo Beast will only enrage it. Naturally, they don't listen and Mace is proven right when the creature climbs out of the pit and goes on the rampage.
- EMP: The Zillo Beast is awoken by an experimental bomb that unleashes one of these. The episode even provides the page picture.
- Fantastic Nuke: The electro-proton bomb is this. While its intended use is to generate an EMP that's only fatal to droids, that's only the second phase of its detonation; the first phase generates a massive fireball and a shockwave, obliterating every droid within a 100-meter radius before the EMP itself kicks in. The episode even opens with a brief discussion about the ethics of using it and the risk of unintended effects, similar to the discussions before and during the Project Manhattan test.
- For Science!/Just Think of the Potential!: Anakin and Doctor Boll use this to convince Palpatine to take the Zillo Beast alive, since if they can reverse-engineer the secrets of its impenetrable hide to manufacture infantry and starship armour, the Republic will gain a massive military advantage.
- Forgot About His Powers: Attack of the Clones established in the arena fight on Geonosis that Jedi can dominate creatures with the Force, as seen when Anakin controls the Reek. None of the Jedi here try anything like that.
- Freudian Excuse: According to Doge Urus, predation by Zillo Beasts nearly drove the Dugs to extinction, hence why he's so adamant this last survivor be exterminated.
- Homage: To classic monster movies, especially Godzilla.
- Hypocritical Humor: Of course Anakin is sure his plan worked! But maybe Windu should go first.
- Kaiju: The Zillo Beast is an obvious homage to these.
- Kryptonite Factor: Malastare fuel is highly toxic to Zillo Beasts, so the Dugs dump it into the pit in the hope of poisoning the creature. Unfortunately, they only succeed in enraging the Beast enough for it to climb out and go on the rampage.
- Last of His Kind: The Zillo Beast is the last of its species, hence why Mace Windu is so adamant it be kept alive.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!":
- Everyone in the immediate vicinity reacts this way when the extremely pissed-off Zillo Beast climbs out of its pit and goes on the rampage.
- Mace Windu and his clone troopers react this way when they discover the hill they are climbing is actually the Zillo Beast's back.
- Million Mook March: The encroaching droid army in the beginning is incredibly massive, looking like something straight out of Lord of the Rings.
- No One Gets Left Behind: After the EMP bomb inadvertently creates a sinkhole that swallows a large number of clone troopers, Anakin and Mace immediately dispatch rescue efforts to look for survivors.
- Non-Malicious Monster: The Zillo Beast. It had been living peacefully beneath the surface of Malastare until it was awoken by the Republic's Fantastic Nuke, only became aggressive to defend itself upon being attacked by Windu, Anakin, and the Clone Troopers, and clearly just wants to be left alone. Indeed, Windu points all of this out to Doge Urus when the latter insists that the Beast isn't an innocent lifeform but an evil and destructive monster.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: Doge Urus, since he constantly threatens to scrap the trade deal between Malastare and the Republic if the Jedi protect the Zillo Beast.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Anakin has this reaction when he discovers the Zillo Beast's hide can't be damaged by even his lightsaber.
- This is also Anakin and Mace's reaction when they learn Palpatine has ordered the Zillo Beast be brought to Coruscant for study.
- Take a Third Option: Anakin suggests this to appease both Mace, who wants to preserve the Zillo Beast in accordance with the Jedi code, and Palpatine, who favors destroying it rather than lose the trade deal with the Dugs. Anakin proposes crippling the Beast with stun cannons. In its comatose state, they can pass it off as dead to appease the Dugs and then transport it to a new home before it regains consciousness.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Doge Urus is following a prophecy that the Dug species will be destroyed when the last Zillo Beast returns. In his mind, he doesn't have time for the Jedi's concerns about destroying innocent life.
- Whole-Plot Reference:
- The whole episode is a homage to classic monster movies.
- The Zillo Beast's name is a reference to Godzilla. The tanks the clones use are also an obvious reference to the Maser tanks used in the movies.
- The clone pilot Goji is a reference to Godzilla's Japanese name, Gojira, and he has a Godzilla-esque design on his helmet. His co-pilot Rod is similarly a reference to Rodan, down to a similar helmet painting featuring two red pterosaur-inspired creatures.
