Warning! This story arc recap page contains unmarked spoilers! Read at your own peril!
List of episodes in this story arc
Plot summary
This is the finale of The Clone Wars.Shortly after the events of her own story arc, Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan Kryze approach the Republic in hopes of conducting a joint operation to hunt down and kill the renegade Sith Lord Maul, who has seized control of the planet Mandalore. This decision brings Ahsoka into contact with her former master Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Unfortunately, this brief reunion is interrupted by an attack upon Coruscant, forcing Kenobi and Skywalker to go to the rescue of the Chancellor. Leaving the newly-promoted Commander Rex, along with a division consisting of half the 501st Legion, to aid Ahsoka and the Mandalorians in stopping Maul, Skywalker and Tano part ways.
Arriving at Mandalore, Ahsoka and the arriving clones find it under the rule of the Shadow Collective with the Jedi coming face-to-face with Darth Maul but everyone meets Bo-Katan and her group who aid them in pressing the attack on Mandalore's current oppressive government. Following a meeting with Kenobi, Ahsoka and her troops agree to capture Maul to find out more about Chancellor Palpatine's true identity and motives. The Republic army helps out any Mandalorian civilians while pushing back Maul and Commander Saxon's forces as Ahsoka engages Maul who declares that Skywalker will fall to the Dark Side and he will kill him before that happens to become Sidious' apprentice once again. Disbelieving Maul, Ahsoka defeats and captures him while Saxon and his troops are also defeated.
Ahsoka and her accompanying clone army depart Mandalore but while in hyperspace, Ahsoka feels a massive disturbance in the Force just as the clones and Rex aboard are ordered to execute Order 66. Taking advice from a resisting Rex to find Fives' files, Ahsoka frees Maul as a distraction and activates three astromech droids to read a report on him before finding Rex's message about the clones' inhibitor chip responsible for responding to Order 66. Finding Rex, she knocks him out and relieves him of his inhibitor chip.
All the remaining clones onboard the Venator starcruiser hunt both Ahsoka and Rex for defying Order 66 with clone Commander Jesse demoting Rex to captain. While Rex and Ahsoka fend off the clones, Maul escapes on a shuttle Ahsoka intended to leave on with Rex. As the Star Destroyer ship drops out of hyperdrive and crashes into a moon, the duo escape on a star fighter as the clones on the ship perish in the crash. Ahsoka buries the clones on the moon and leaves one of her lightsabers there before leaving with Rex.
Years pass and some soldiers of the Galactic Empire scout the moon with Anakin, now as Darth Vader, finding the ship's wreckage along with Ahsoka's lightsaber. He leaves with the weapon in hand, with his back facing a clone trooper's cracked helmet, ending the Clone Wars and the series as a whole.
Tropes:
- The Bad Guy Wins: The arc ends in the ultimate triumph of the Sith - Palpatine assumes complete dictatorial control of the galaxy, Anakin Skywalker is corrupted into Darth Vader, and the Jedi are wiped out and/or driven into hiding.
- The Cameo: Aayla Secura, Plo Koon, General Grievous, and Darth Sidious have small appearances in the story arc, but only Sidious has a true impact upon the arc.
- Continuity Nod: This story arc features a lot of them, mostly to the events of Revenge of the Sith.
- Downer Ending: Order 66 is enacted and the Republic falls.
- Foregone Conclusion: Mostly because they appear in media chronologically set after The Clone Wars, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Ahsoka, Rex, Maul, Bo-Katan, Palpatine, Ursa, and Gar Saxon cannot die.
- Grand Finale: This is the final story arc of the series.
- Killed Offscreen:
- Since this arc takes place simultaneously with Revenge of the Sith, many major characters (Count Dooku, General Grievous, Mace Windu, Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, the Separatist leadership) meet their demises offscreen.
- This is used to dramatic effect in the story: Ahsoka tells Obi-Wan that Maul mentioned Darth Sidious, a name Kenobi last heard from Count Dooku when he was captured on Geonosis during Attack of the Clones. Unfortunately, Anakin killed him aboard the Invisible Hand, meaning they can't find out any more about Sidious from Dooku. Viewers paying attention will note that Palpatine, who is Sidious, goaded Anakin to do this in Revenge of the Sith.
- Mythology Gag: The reference to Shaak Ti being sent to protect Palpatine alludes to Legends' Clone Wars micro-series, which had an entire story arc based around the Battle of Coruscant and Shaak Ti's (doomed) efforts to defend the Chancellor.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: The Clone Wars' status quo of a galactic war comes to an end in this story arc, which presents the Clone Wars coming to their violent conclusion with the fall of the Republic and the destruction of the Jedi.
- Simultaneous Arcs: This story arc takes place concurrently with the events of Revenge of the Sith.
- Small Role, Big Impact: In "Old Friends Not Forgotten", Palpatine, in his benevolent Chancellor persona, is kidnapped by General Grievous and Obi-Wan and Anakin are forced to rescue him. In his Sith persona of Darth Sidious, Palpatine appears in "Shattered" long enough to have the 332nd execute Order 66.
- Special Edition Title: None of these episodes use the "Clone Wars Theme" or open with an epigraph. Each one has its own opening music, starting with the "Star Wars Main Theme".
