RJ Writing Ink

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 2 Review

Of all the Clone Troopers that we’ve met in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Captain Rex is by far my favorite. In the beginning, I saw him as just another one of many Clones, but as time went on, I think he became one of the best characters in the franchise. Now, the show’s final season seems to be cementing that notion for many others.

Despite being a badass soldier, though, Rex still deals with the same pain of loss that all soldiers feel. He’s lost many comrades during the show’s run, and will lose more in the future. So when he discovers evidence that his friend Echo may be alive, he’s ready to throw caution to the wind and rescue him. Everyone else, though, is skeptical about it, and that drives the plot to this next episode.

Being Anakin’s Wingman

Rex was with Anakin all the way up to the events of Revenge of the Sith, so I think it’s fair to say that he was like Anakin’s wingman. Almost every time Anakin wanted to leap into danger over most people’s objections, Rex stood by him; like a good friend and wingman would. Yet it takes a talk with Padme (who is showing subtle signs of her pregnancy) to make him realize that he taught Captain Rex that.

In the reversal of situations that we saw in this episode, I think fans got to see how much of an impact Anakin had on Rex. The young Jedi taught Captain Rex that sometimes you have to make your own decisions instead of following the rules. This episode, to me at least, helped to drive that point home. Which helps make it an important moment for Captain Rex.

Also, I love the fact that Anakin trusts Rex enough to cover for him while he talks to family. True wingman material!

Echo’s Alive

So, spoiler warning, but yes, Echo is alive. The last surviving member of Domino Squad, who we thought died at the Citadel, somehow survived. I never liked the Citadel Arc, partially because it’s where I thought Echo died. So you can imagine how happy I am to know that he’s still alive!

However, it appears his time as a prisoner has left him worse for wear. He’s more machine now than man, but thankfully not twisted or evil. According to the Star Wars Wiki, most of his body’s now cybernetic and capable of being hooked up to a computer, which is how the Separatists used his knowledge of the Clone’s tactics to beat them on Anaxes.

I doubt that Echo will ever be able to fight on the front lines again, but his return and transformation does lead to some interesting opportunities. Think about it: one of the most memorable Clones from a Squad of soldiers that we followed form the beginning. That’s grade-A material for future stories.

Rex Gets Echo Home

So, thanks to Anakin, Rex, and the Bad Batch, Echo’s been rescued. Now they need to get him home. Easier said than done, but they Anakin, so it’s pretty much assured.

As a whole, I think that this episode some of the “oomph” that “Bad Batch” had. It chose to forgo some of the action in favor of the more personal moments, but the action scenes were still decent. Next week, though, will likely be when everything hits the fan, and I can’t wait! Bottom line, go watch this on Disney+ if you haven’t already!

I Give “A Distant Echo” a 4/5

Also, “The Techno Union is Neutral” my foot! We saw you on Ryloth, Tambor! WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID!

Click here for some of my Star Wars stuff.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 7, Episode 1 Review

It feels like only yesterday when we learned about the cancellation of Star Wars: the Clone Wars. So many stories were left unfinished, and to be honest, that “Lost Episodes” season didn’t cut it for me. Six years later, and Dave Filoni gets to give his masterpiece the final season it deserves. After watching the first episode of the final season, I can only say one thing. It’s like we never left the Clone Army behind.

While Star Wars is often about the Jedi and their Sith enemies, longtime fans will remember that some of the best episodes of The Clone Wars focused on the actual soldiers. The long-awaited seventh season chooses to start off working with the latter perspective. When the Clone Army begins taking heavy losses on Anaxes, Rex begins to suspect that they’re using his own tactics against them. So, his friend Cody decides to call in an elite squad: Clone Squad 99, better known as the “Bad Batch“.

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge how this squad’s name pays tribute to CT-99, a deformed Clone Trooper that fans will remember died heroically protecting Kamino from a Separatist attack. It’s fitting, too, because the members of Bad Batch are all Clones with genetic defects. The difference here is that it’s for the better.

The Cavalry is Here!

From the moment they appeared on screen, I fell in love with Bad Batch. This quartet of misfit Clones is like GI Joe and the Ninja Turtles rolled into one, and each member is a super-soldier in and of themselves. There’s Wrecker, the muscle with superhuman strength who can lift a gunship. Tech, who I think has super-intelligence like Donatello. Crosshair, who’s a master sniper and man of few words. Finally, we have Hunter, the leader who possesses superhuman senses. Did I mention Hunter looks just like Rambo, because he does!

By far, seeing the Bad Batch squad in action was the highlight of the episode. I almost squealed when I saw them take down an entire platoon of droids on their own. However, high amounts of testosterone have a tendency to lead to tension. Squad 99 seems to look slightly down on other Clones, calling them all “Regs”, leading to them clashing with Rex and Cody’s group. Fortunately, the bond of camarederie between the Clone Army is too strong to break, and once the initial tension passes, the two groups work like a well-oiled machine.

Band of Brothers

A lot of praise for The Clone Wars has gone to the way they’ve humanized the Clone Troopers. Before, they were more or less generic soldiers. The show gave them all names, distinct personalities and bonds. The Clone Wars made the Clone Army human. Which only made it harder when we saw a Clone we got attached to die.

That loss is even greater for men like Rex and Cody. They’ve watched friends die in front of them. Of all those losses, though, I don’t any were as hard as that of the members of Domino Squad. Introduced all the way back in Season One, we had the pleasure of seeing this squad go from rookies to elite soldiers. Which only made it harder when they all died; or so we thought.

Rex realizes that the tactics the Droids are using were only known to him, Echo, and Fives, the two surviving members of Domino Squad. We thought Echo had died back in Season Three, but this episode changed all that. Not only is Echo alive, but the Separatists are using him to counter the Republic strategies. It’s not only a huge surprise to fans who didn’t know about this, but to Rex as well. One of his closest friends is alive, and he’s determined to bring him home.

So, in short, this was an explosive start to the final season of one of the best things Star Wars has ever seen. I loved it, and I only wish that the next episode was out already. If you need one reason to get Disney+, then do it so you can watch the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

I Give “Bad Batch” a 5/5. It’s like we never left

Click here for some of my Star Wars stuff.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Five of My Favorite Episodes from Star Wars: The Clone Wars

So, the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars starts on Disney+ tomorrow and I just realized that I never told you guys my favorite episodes from the show. That simply will not do. So, after giving it much thought, I put together a list of some of my personal favorite episodes from the hit show, along with an explanation as to why I liked them.

Rookies

Kicking off our list, we have this little gem from Season One of the show. We’re used to the sight of the Clone Troopers kicking droid butt on the battlefield, but they had to get their start somewhere. For the rookie clones that we would come to know as Domino Squad, that somewhere wound up being an outpost guarding the way to Kamino. When their base is captured by a unit of commando droids, the rookies of this squad team up with veteran soldiers Rex and Cody in a desperate attempt to retake the base before the Separatists can attack their home world.

This episode’s basically the plot of any inspiring war drama packed into the Star Wars brand. It sees a ragtag group of soldiers face down impossible odds to complete a mission that could change the outcome of the war. In addition, this episode saw Captain Rex’s first appearance since The Clone Wars movie and the appearance of Domino Squad. While most of the squad would die in this episode, the surviving two members would become recurring characters on the show until their eventual deaths. Though if what I hear about the upcoming “Bad Batch” story is true, that may not be the case.

Duel of the Droids

Can we all take a moment to appreciate Artoo-Detoo and how important he is to the franchise? After a battle against General Grevious seemingly ends in Artoo’s destruction, Anakin refuses to give up on his little droid buddy. Sure enough, his efforts are vindicated when it’s discovered Artoo’s alive, albeit held captive on a Separatist listening post by General Grevious. Taking only a squad of Clone Troopers and Ashoka, Anakin goes on a daring mission to rescue his little buddy before Grevious can uncover the intel he’s carrying on the Republic.

This episode remains a personal favorite of mine for several reasons. Firstly, it demonstrates the devotion that Anakin has towards those he cares about, something that many of his fellow Jedi fail to understand. Secondly, it sees Artoo face down a Separatist spy droid in an epic duel where he reminds us how he’s survived throughout the movies. Finally, there’s the fact that we Ashoka duel against General Grevious and survive! That alone is an accomplishment!

Landing at Point Rain

Even though it looked like the Republic took Geonosis during the climax of Attack of the Clones, season two of the show revealed that the native Geonosians managed to take it back. As a result, the Republic has to mount a deadly campaign to retake the planet. What should have been a simple task, though, becomes a nightmare that sees the Jedi and Clones be put through the ringer.

The show had already given us several noteworthy battles before, but to me, Landing at Point Rain brought a new level of carnage to the show. The sheer desperation that the protagonist’s faced was made all too evident, with them managing to make it through to the end nothing short of incredible. I had to remind myself at times that this was still a cartoon and not a full-blown war movie. In other words, I loved it!

Carnage of Krell

To this episode, I consider this episode to be one of the darkest moments in the entire show, and it’s all thanks to Pong Krell. After Anakin’s suddenly recalled back to Coruscant, his Clones find themselves under the command of Jedi Master Pong Krell. However, Krell proves to be the worst kind of leader: one willing to order his soldiers to die in droves while he refuses to fight. Following a horrific event where its discovered that Krell tricked the Clones into attacking each other, their rage finally boils over.

Before this episode, I had started to suspect that Krell was sabotaging the Republic. Once we got confirmation, I could remember feeling the sheer anger Rex and the other Clones felt. As a result, seeing them deal out justice to the traitorous fallen Jedi was absolutely cathartic. However, this was also the episode that made me remember what was to come at the end of the war. As Krell predicted, the Jedi would fall and the Republic was torn apart from the inside. Thankfully, he never lived to see it. #Don’tmesswiththe501st

The Lawless

Where do I even begin with this episode? After returning at the end of season four, Maul and his brother Savage Oppress proceeded to seize control of the Mandalorian Deathwatch, overthrew the government of Mandalore, and imprisoned Obi-Wan’s love, Satine Kryze. And Maul did all of this just so he could lure Kenobi to him and get revenge on him. As a result, a full-scale civil war erupts on Mandalore between Maul’s faction and those loyal to Mandalore itself.

This episode was basically the culimination to several ongoing plots throughout the show’s run, and Kenobi got put through the ringer during the whole ordeal. While he had enough reason to hate Maul for killing his Master, Obi-Wan’s hatred reached new levels when the former Sith killed Satine in front of him. Sadly, their rematch was not to be. Deciding that Maul had become too great a threat, Darth Sidious personally intervened to dispatch his former apprentice. The result was an epic lightsaber duel that reminded us all why Darth Sidious is the big bad of the Star Wars franchise. Thank the Force this story will be resolved in the final season!

Agree with my picks? What were your favorite episodes of the show? Let me know!

Click here for some of my Star Wars stuff.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Star Wars, The Mandalorian, Episode 6 Review

Remember how I said that The Mandalorian had a bit of Samurai Jack in its veins? After this week’s episode, I’m convinced that’s what they plan on doing the rest of the season. The standalone adventures are fun, but the show needs to move the plot forward. Instead, we get an entire episode devoted to the art of fanservice.

Not that kind of fanservice.

The Job

Mando’s in need of some money, so he turns to an old friend named Ran for a quick job. However, the job in question involves freeing an associate of his from a New Republic transport ship. Worse, it also involves working with a team of scoundrels, one of which is his ex, Xi’an.

It’s here where we get our first bit of fanservice. One of the criminals, a Devaronian called Burg, is played by none other than Clancy Brown. I love Clancy Brown; his deep and menacing voice is so much fun to listen to. Fans of DC and Nickelodeon know him as the voice of Lex Luthor in the DCAU, Mr. Krabs on Spongebob, and one of my favorite villains, Long Feng from Avatar: The Last Airbender. In Star Wars, he’s provided the voice for Savage Oppress in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Ryder Azadi in Star Wars: Rebels. He’s a Star Wars veteran, and it’s great to see him at work again.

After meeting the rest of the team, the group takes the Razor’s Crest and infiltrates the prison ship. All throughout the trip, though, the others get on Mando’s nerves. They try to get him to take off his helmet, one of them tries playing with Baby Yoda, and they’re basically jerks.

The Betrayal

In the end, the group makes short work of the droids guarding the prison before making it to the only person actually working there. This is where we get our next big piece of fanservice. The guard in question, Davan, is played by Matt Lanter. Fans will know him as the voice of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I credit that show with helping to make Anakin a likeable character, and Matt’s portrayal played a big part in that. Sadly, Matt’s time in the franchise gets cut short as Davan’s killed by Qi’Ran. However, he does set off a distress beacon alerting the New Republic. As a result, the team scrambles to get the prisoner out, who turns out to be Qi’Ran’s brother. The group then thanks Mando by locking him in the cell. Big mistake.

It doesn’t take too long for Mando to get out and take control of the ship, which he then rigs to separate his traitorous team. The episode then shifts into slasher flick meets Alien as the Mandalorian hunts down each member. It’s a good way to showcase his skills and see him pay back a couple of jerks. The moral of the story is: don’t mess with the Mandalorian.

Fanservice 3: the Final Act

So in the end, Mando gets the job done and brings the prisoner back to Ran, though he leaves the rest of the team to rot. Ran then tries to kill Mando, but Mando saw it coming so he left them a surprise. He took the tracking beacon from the ship with him and placed it on Ran’s station, thus siccing three New Republic X-Wings on them.

We now get our final major bit of fanservice, as each of the X-Wing pilots is played by directors for different episodes of the show. We have Dave Filoni himself living his dream of being in Star Wars playing Trapper Wolf, which is a badass name. There’s Rick Famuyiwa, the director of this very episode playing Jib Dogger. Finally, there’s Deborah Chow, who made the best episode of the show, playing Sash Ketter. They make short work of the station while Mando gets away.

Better than Last Week’s

There are only two episodes left in The Mandalorian this season, and in one week, The Rise of Skywalker comes out. In other words, now’s the time for the franchise to double down on quality content, because Star Wars fever’s high. I’ve even neglected to watch a Christmas special a day so I could prepare for Rise of Skywalker!

This episode wasn’t the best the show’s given us so far, but I think it’s still an improvement over the Tatooine episode. That marks a low in the show. That said, I may be giving “The Prisoner” some leeway because of the fanservice it gave us. Relying on fanservice too much, though, isn’t a good idea, as it detracts from the show’s plot.

Speaking of plot, I hope the final two episodes will actually continue the story of Baby Yoda and the people hunting him. These standalone episodes are fun, but they need to move the plot along.

I Give “Chapter 6: The Prisoner” a 3/5.

Click here to learn all there is about Star Wars with Wookiepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.

Click here to see more of my Star Wars Stuff.

My Top Seven Favorite Arcs Of Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Right when we thought Star Wars couldn’t get any better, we got Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Airing from 2008 to 2013 on Cartoon Network, The Clone Wars became an immense hit with fans, myself included. Even the people who hate the Prequels have to admit this show was good. As a bonus, it marked the debut of Dave Filoni in the Star Wars franchise. Ten years later, and people now consider him George Lucas’ apprentice and heir.

With The Rise of Skywalker out in a few weeks, and the final season of The Clone Wars coming to Disney+ in 2020, now is the to strike. Now is the time for me to look back on my favorite stories from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Two things, though: this will be about story arcs which span several episodes. I’ll be doing my favorite episodes of the show at a later date. Secondly, there’s going to be spoilers ahead. If you haven’t seen it, go watch it on Disney+.

The Malevolence Arc

The very first arc of The Clone Wars, The Malevolence Arc started the show with a bang. In this three episode story, the Jedi face down against General Grevious’ deadly new flagship, the titular Malevolence. Aside from absolutely massive, what made the Malevolence so terrifying was its twin Ion Cannons that could shut down any ship. In a tribute to the original trilogy, the firing sequence of said cannon’s copied the Death Star’s firing sequence.

What some people may not realize is that this arc and the Malevolence were based on the real-life battleship, the Bismarck. This Nazi warship had the potential to turn the tide of World War II in the Atlantic. As a result, the British threw everything they had into hunting it down. Like the Malevolence, the Bismarck was crippled by a small group of bombers before ultimately being sunk. However, seeing the Malevolence crash into a moon looks cooler.

The Zillo Beast

When the Republic tries to test its new droid-destroying bomb, they wake something up. That “something” is a nigh-invincible called the Zillo Beast, and its armor’s so thick not even lightsabers can cut through it. As a result of this revelation, Palpatine orders it captured and brought to Coruscant. Predictably, it gets loose and starts killing everything; which I called, by the way.

When I first saw the Zillo Beast in The Clone Wars, I knew where the show was going: a Kaiju story. However, with the plot and themes, I thought it was more like King Kong than Godzilla. The end result was still epic in scope though. Even if thousands of Coruscanti died as a result, it felt a little cathartic to see Palpatine/Darth Sidious genuinely afraid. I actually hoped the Zillo Beast ate him.

The Nightsisters Trilogy

As Dooku’s best assassin, Asajj Ventress, continued to grow in strength, Darth Sidious saw her as a threat to him. As such, he ordered Dooku to leave her to die to prove his loyalty. Unbeknownst to all, Ventress survived and returned to her homeworld of Dathomir. There, she plotted with her fellow Nightsisters to take revenge on Dooku. This, in turn, would lead to the birth of a powerful new enemy, and hinted at the return of an old one.

Dathomir and the Nightsisters were first introduced in the Expanded Universe content as a group of powerful dark side users. Seeing them get focus in The Clone Wars was an absolute joy to see. It also marked a big change to the show’s status quo, as Ventress went from outright villain to cool anti-hero and the introduction of recurring villain Savage Oppress, voiced by the great Clancy Brown. In the long run, it laid the foundations for the return of one of Star Wars best villains.

The Mortis Arc

On a mission to investigate a distress beacon, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ashoka wind up on the mysterious planet known as Mortis. There, they encounter a family of Force-users so powerful, they’re essentially the embodiment of the different aspects of the Force. The time that the three spend on Mortis with these three beings ends up changing how we view the Force itself.

Unlike much of The Clone Wars, which dealt with the war and its effects on the Star Wars Galaxy, the Mortis Arc’s unique. It deals with the spiritual aspects of Star Wars: the purpose of the Chosen One and the different aspects of the Force. It’s been years since these episodes, and I still don’t think we fully understand the ramifications of what happened.

Aside from dealing with the Force, this arc also saw cameos of deceased characters Qui-Gon Jinn and Shmi Skywalker. The show even got Liam Neeson and Pernilla August to reprise their roles.

The Mon Cala Arc

Season Four of The Clone Wars may have been its best overall, as it includes my last three picks on this list. In the three-part opening to Season Four, Anakin, Ashoka, and Padme travel to Mon Calamari to aid in its planets civil war over the planet’s throne. On one side is the Mon Cala and the young Prince Lee-Char against the Separatist-backed Quarren. However, Dooku has no plans on giving the planet to the Quarrens.

Aside from reminding me of the stories of The Lion King and Hamlet, I love this arc for several reasons. Firstly, the battle in the premiere episode involved thousands of characters and animals, and that’s an impressive feat of animation. Secondly, it gave us a look at Ackbar, the future Rebel Admiral that uttered this legendary phrase: “It’s a trap!” Seeing Ackbar fighting alongside the Jedi in his younger years was enough to make fans squeal with joy. Third and finally, and I didn’t learn this until years later, it served as my introduction to Adam McArthur. Providing the voice to Prince Lee-Char, Adam would go on to play the role of Marco Diaz in Star vs. The Forces of Evil.

Darkness on Umbara Arc

As The Clone Wars progressed, I noticed that the show was getting progressively darker and grittier, and I consider the Umbara Arc one of the darkest stories in the show. That is both metaphorically, and very literally. When the Republic launches an invasion of the darkened world of Umbara, Anakin’s recalled to Coruscant. Meanwhile, his Clone Troopers are placed under the command of Jedi Pong Krell, who proves to be a terrible leader! His strategies are so bad, that’s it’s almost like he’s trying to lose.

Underneath the Sci-Fi technology, I think that the Umbara Arc was the closest The Clone Wars got to a big budget war film. Whereas much of the show focused on the Jedi or leaders of both sides, this arc focused exclusively on the Clone Troopers. Characters like Captain Rex and Fives had done wonders for humanizing the Clone Troopers. However, seeing the Clones chafe under Krell’s seeming incompetence reinforced the idea that they were still people. I shared their frustration at Krell’s poor plans, and when Krell’s true alliegance came to light, I felt my rage boil over. In my eyes, making a viewer or reader feel great emotion is the sign of a great story, and Umbara was one.

Return of Maul Arc

After disappearing for the rest of Season Three and most of Season Four, the four part finale to Season saw us return to Savage Opress and Asajj Ventress. Left without a home and no one else to trust, both end up on the run from the Republic and Separatists. While Ventress eventually builds a new life as a bounty hunter, Savage goes searching for his lost brother. As a result, we see the return of one of Star Wars best villains, Darth Maul.

SAY WHAT?

When I first saw The Phantom Menace years ago, I thought that Darth Maul was one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen. Seeing Kenobi slice him in half remains one of my favorite moments from the Prequel Trilogy. So when The Clone Wars brought him back to get revenge on Obi-Wan, I went crazy with excitement. He was every bit as scary as I remembered him. Maul went on to become a recurring villain in The Clone Wars and its successor, Star Wars: Rebels. Thank you, Dave Filoni and everyone else!

May the Force Be With You

Without a doubt, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was one of the best things the franchise has ever given us. Every time a new episode came on, I’d stand in front of the TV and swing my old toy light saber to the opening credits and I had a blast. With the Skywalker Saga seemingly about to end, I’m glad I got to look back on this amazing addition to the Star Wars mythos. Now, though, I have to ask all of you: what was your favorite story from The Clone Wars? Let me know in the comments. May the Force be with you!

Click here for some of my Star Wars stuff.

Redeeming Qualities of the Star Wars Prequels

It’s no secret to Star Wars fans that the Prequel films are considered “controversial”. For the first generation of fans that grew up on the classic films, the Star Wars Prequels seemed like a letdown. Too much dialogue, not enough action, the characters could be bland at times, and of course, Jar Jar. I get that George Lucas created him to attract the younger audience, but did he have to act that dumb?

However, despite all the flak the prequels have gotten, the thing is that they’re actually good. Don’t get me wrong, if I wanted to watch self-centered grown-ups play politics, I’d watch Game of Thrones over the Galactic Senate. Once you eliminate all the flaws of the Star Wars Prequels, though, they’re good movies. Now before you execute Order 66 on me, I want to defend my position. So, here are my reasons why the Star Wars Prequels weren’t as bad as some people think.

They Had the Best Lightsaber Duels in the Films

While the lightsaber duels in the original film were undoubtedly great, I don’t think they hold a candle to what the Prequels gave us. Whereas the the lightsaber duels in the classic films were slower, the Prequels did the opposite. They were all about fast-paced acrobatics and incredible music. The level of choreography the actors put into the duels was so good, the fights looked like deadly dances.

Much of the Prequels lightsaber duels success stems from the improvements made to filming by the time The Phantom Menace came out. As a result, I think George Lucas and his team wanted to go all with the fights. Combined with the masterful score of John Williams, and you got some of the best sword fighting seen in a movie.

The one downside to all this was that it made the lightsaber duels in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi look lame in comparison.

It Opened Up a New Era of Star Wars

In the sixteen years between Jedi and the release of The Phantom Menace, Star Wars had not remained quiet. The franchise had been kept going through different media, from books to comics to even video games. However, almost all of this material took place during or after the events of the films. Everything before that was largely unknown.

The Prequels films changed all that. Suddenly, Star Wars was able to travel back to a time when the Old Republic and the Jedi still existed. When Obi-Wan was in his prime, and when Anakin was still a Jedi Knight. As a result of the Prequels, many unanswered questions about the franchise were finally solved such as:

• How did Anakin become a Jedi
• Why did the Jedi Order Fall?
• What were the Clone Wars?
• Who was Luke and Leia’s mother?

The Star Wars Prequels were like a breath of fresh air for the franchise. Now writers and studios had a new era from which to work with. As a result, we got some of the best characters in the entire franchise, as well as some of the best cartoons.

It Gave Us Two of the Best Star Wars Cartoons

Speaking of cartoons, two of the best Star Wars cartoons of all time were a direct result of the existence of the Prequels. The first one, despite no longer considered canon because of Disney, remains a cult hit with fans. The Force remains strong with Star Wars: Clone Wars.

Created by Genndy Tartakovsky, already famous for Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack, this micro-series had all the hallmarks of Tartakovsky. From the art style to the extended use of scenes with no dialogue, Star Wars: Clone Wars was some of the man’s best work. The micro-series would earn three Emmy awards during its run, and would serve as a major part of the Star Wars canon. The series’ so popular that even after Disney moved it out of the canon, fans have pushed for its return in some form.

Then we Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the show that brought the franchise to new heights. Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars was amazing, but The Clone Wars helped improved on it; it made Anakin’s personality far more likable. In addition, it introduced characters like Ashoka Tano and Captain Rex, who are now fan-favorites in the franchise. I look forward to the day Ashoka gets her own movie. Plus, it managed to bring Darth Maul back from the dead, and made him scarier than he already was.

It Shows Us the Original Jedi Order

Until the Prequel films came out, everything the fans knew about the original Jedi Order came from second-hand sources after it fell. While Luke eventually rebuilt the Jedi in the Expanded Universe timeline, what we knew of the original Order came in fragments. The Emperor was very thorough with wiping out knowledge about them.

With the release of The Phantom Menace, fans finally got to see what the Jedi were like before they fell. While they did indeed try to be the paragons of peace and justice that Obi-Wan said they were, there’s more to it. Viewers saw firsthand the flaws and failures of the Jedi Order firsthand. For all the good they try to do, the Jedi also prove to be very arrogant, rigid, and unwilling to change with the times. I think that the notion of detaching themselves from all emotions, even positive ones like love, is bantha poodoo. In a way, Anakin was right: the Jedi could be just as bad as the Sith. If Rey rebuilds the Jedi Order, I hope she fixes all their mistakes.

The Music

Half of the reason why Star Wars is so great is because of the music behind it. John Williams is a legend of cinematic scores, and the Star Wars films are some of his finest work. One song, though, stands out above all the others: Duel of the Fates.

First played in the climatic duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul, Duel of the Fates is nothing short of John William’s masterpiece. From the epic orchestra to the choir chanting in Sanskrit, this song is as epic as it comes. It’s one of the best songs from Star Wars, and widely considered one of the best things of the Star Wars Prequels. When you hear that music play, you know things are about to get epic.

As further proof, when this TV ad for Rise of Skywalker mixed “Imperial March” with “Duel of the Fates”, I went crazy with excitement.

The Prequels Legacy

Maybe the Star Wars Prequels were never as good as the classic trilogy. To be fair, though, could anything live up to the nostalgia and epicness of the classic films? When you get down to it, though, the Prequels aren’t as bad as some people may remember. When they’re at their best, they can hold their own against the rest of the franchise.

Moreover, it’s the legacy of the Prequels that makes them a good part of the franchise. They opened up a new era for Star Wars and brought it back into the public eye. If it wasn’t for the Prequels, Star Wars wouldn’t be the media juggernaut it is today. Not to mention, we got some really good characters out of it.

Click here for some of my Star Wars stuff.