Maybe it’s because of Ahsoka, or maybe it’s because of the upcoming Outlaws, but I’ve been on a bit of a kick re-watching my favorite episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars lately. In an anthology show like that, there’s so many zany escapades, crazy plotlines, and amazing characters spread across the 133 episodes that it’s difficult to narrow it down to just my Top 10 Favorite…but that’s exactly what I’ve decided to do this week anyway! So I compiled the episodes that I either think are basically perfect, or so good that I could watch a hundred times over and not get bored!
Let’s jump right into it!
10) Bounty Hunters (S2 E17)
Whether as a villain or as a reluctant anti-hero, Hondo is always an amazing treat to watch, and in this Seven Samurai homage, he’s in top form! But even putting Hondo and his eminent quotability aside, there’s a lot to love about this episode. It heavily features bounty hunters (as if the title alone wasn’t a clue), and I’ve always been a big fan of morally gray characters like them. Embo, in particular, is a highlight, as is the honorable Sugi. There’s quite a bit of fun action (and some classic Clone Wars kid-friendly neck-snapping), and a tightly written and compelling single-episode story. In the grand scheme of things, this episode isn’t heavily focused on plot or character growth, but it absolutely represents the pinnacle of fun that Clone Wars nails so well.
9) Lethal Trackdown (S2 E22)
While some of the emotional weight of this arc is rushed, the suspense and action is palpable in this Season Two finale, the end to the Boba’s Revenge arc. Aurra Sing is near the top of my list of favorite minor characters in all of Star Wars, and she’s still as creepily menacing here as always. Her final showdown with Ahsoka is great (beginning with a speeder chase and ending in a dramatic ship crash). Hondo is here too with her usual quips and charm, and he has a touching moment with the young and bitter Boba (as does Plo Koon, who is as effortlessly cool as he always is). This episode also marks a growing point for Ashoka becoming more competent and independent, and there’s even a follow-up in Season Three when Aurra comes back for revenge!
8) Innocents of Ryloth (S1 E20)
While there were glimmers of greatness throughout the first season of this show, this was the episode to first prove that The Clone Wars had that spark of something special within it. Two clones get separated from the rest of their group, and end up finding a young girl who escaped the enslavement of her family. It’s heavy stuff (especially when the young girl breaks down crying), and it’s treated with more weight and sincerity than is common in a “kids show” like this. But the solemn tone is balanced with a heroic counterattack as the protagonist take down the villains and rescue the prisoners, including the girl’s parents. Then, when you get hit with the reveal that the cute nickname the little girl was calling the two clones all this time actually translates to Brother? Perfect!
7) A Necessary Bond (S5 E9)
A pulse-pounding chase sequence, a genuinely threatening General Grievous appearance, and Hondo’s best scene in the whole show? What’s not to love? This might be a pretty oddball pick for this list in the grand scheme of things, but I’ve always had a fondness for this episode (and the entire Youngling arc). As mentioned, there’s a lengthy chase sequence at the beginning which is a lot of tense fun, and is excellent scored to boot. Ahsoka’s showdown with Grievous near the end is very nicely choreographed too, and it’s refreshing to see a terrifying Grievous again. And, that ending bit where the perennially shifty Hondo does something actually selfless because the equally as selfless youngling Katooni inspired him? What a great end to his role in this show, since this is his last appearance! I love his little head nod as he walks off!
6) The Lawless (S5 E16)
It doesn’t reach the emotional highs or the exquisite level of character writing that the subsequent arc does, but this conclusion to the Darth Maul saga is certainly the highest level of “epicness” in all of Season Five. As if the included screenshot below doesn’t paint an appropriate picture, Mandalore has fallen into anarchy as a war is tearing the planet apart, with Obi-Wan and the revenge-seeking Darth Maul caught in the middle. Satine’s death is beautiful and horrifying in equal measure, the frantic escapades to escape from the civil war keep you on the edge of your seat, and the unexpected arrival of Darth Sidious treats viewers to the lightsaber duel they never knew they wanted when the lord of the Sith squares off against Maul and Savage. It’s an episode that leaves you breathless, and also one with profound impact on the series moving forward (Maul’s character progression, officially introducing Bo Katan, etc.).
5) Altar of Mortis (S3 E16)
I’m of the half of the fanbase that totally loves the Mortis arc (and all those naysayers out there are just silly), and this middle portion is my favorite bit of the storyline. The Mortis arc is really good at balancing the weird and the unexpected with more grounded character development for our core trio (Ashoka, Anakin, and Obi-Wan), and this episode is no exception. What really appeals to me about this episode is getting to see Evil Ahsoka, which is not only a novel concept, but also raises interesting questions about how much of her new personality is manipulated and how much may be her genuine but repressed feelings (such as disliking her Snips nickname, and feeling like Anakin isn’t proud of her). Regardless of those questions to ponder over, Evil Ahsoka facing off against Anakin and Obi-wan is a treat, Anakin has some cool Force-vision scenes with The Son, and the ending (Ahsoka freaking dies and gets resurrected) is a pretty goosebumps-inducing scene with the usage of that classic John Williams score.
4) Brain Invaders (S2 E8)
I’ve mentioned several times before that I absolutely love when something non-horror dips into the horror genre for a bit, because you always end up with memorable standout stuff like this! Pushing the boundary of what could even remotely constitute a “kids show” (not that Clone Wars isn’t already infamous for toeing the line), Ahsoka and her new friend Barriss have to face off against a ship filled with mind-controlled clones being piloted by worms that burrow up their noses! And it only gets worse when Barriss is controlled too, leading to some tense standoffs and classic Horror cinematography and jump scares! It’s an episode that really pushes Ahsoka to her limit, which I always love to see. Plus, we get Anakin dipping more and more into the Dark Side as he interrogates a prisoner to find out how to stop the brainworms. Cue the subtle Imperial March leitmotif!
3) The Phantom Apprentice (S7 E10)
An episode with production values so high they’ll make your head spin, this is a jam-packed thrill ride from start to finish that just doesn’t let up. The Siege of Mandalore is in full swing, and there’s gunshots and explosions and crazy fighting on all sides. Not that there aren’t some good slower moments here too, with the highlight of the episode definitely being the final ten minutes. Ahsoka and Maul confront each other in one of the best written, shot, and acted scenes in the entire show, and they come within a hairsbreadth of teaming up before Maul reveals that Anakin is destined to fall to evil and must be destroyed. Unwilling to turn her back on her former master, Ahsoka and Maul engage in the single best lightsaber battle in all of Star Wars (made even better by a mo-capped performance from the inimitable Ray Park)! It’s stunning!
While I like the two next episodes more than this one (for more personal reasons), this episode is most likely the actual best one in the show, and certainly the crown jewel of Clone Wars. Season Seven wasn’t a total win, but this episode alone (and the whole last arc itself) justifies its existence without a doubt!
2) The Jedi Who Knew Too Much (S5 E18)
If my old U.I.C.S. article about Barriss from this blog’s freshman year didn’t make it obvious, I absolutely love this arc and everything about it (and, if I’m being honest, I could’ve included all four episodes on this list without feeling guilty about it). Regardless, I narrowed my choices down to just two, and settled on this one to talk about first.
Best watched in one sitting like a movie, this second part of the Sabotage arc is nevertheless stellar even viewed alone in its execution of a traditional thriller storyline set in the Star Wars universe. Framed for a horrific crime she didn’t commit, Ahsoka is forced to run from her own allies trying to hunt her down, all while she tries to find the true culprit. There’s some impeccable action of Ahsoka versus the whole world, a few nice quiet conversations before the action ramps up, and more Dark Side Anakin as he angrily refuses to follow orders and protests Ahsoka’s innocence. The episode caps off with a brilliant parallel to the infamous storm drain scene in The Fugitive, with some amazing acting for Anakin and Ahsoka courtesy of Matt Lanter and Ashley Eckstein.
And then there’s Barriss, of course! Need I say more?
1) The Wrong Jedi (S5 E20)
Still the best ending to this show even with respect to Seasons Six and Seven (unexpected additional entries separated by multiple years from this OG ending), “The Wrong Jedi” is everything that’s perfect about Star Wars distilled into a single twenty-four minute finale. It’s my favorite single episode of any television show that I’ve ever seen, and I’m not inclined to believe that that will ever change. It’s just perfect, every single second of it.
We’ve got Ahsoka on trial for the crimes she didn’t commit, prosecuted by Tarkin and defended by Padme. We have Anakin going on a vengeful crusade in the lower levels to search for the truth, rather aggressively dragging clues out of a surprisingly vulnerable Asajj Ventress. We get the immaculate scene of Anakin confronting Barriss in her room, only for her to launch into a desperate attack that leads into a tightly paced and incredibly exciting final showdown to cap off the best season of the Clone Wars. Then we get the heartbreaking revelation of Ahsoka deciding not to rejoin the Jedi Order that she was just wrongfully expelled from, her having realized that her own path lies elsewhere.
And, of course, the ending. One day I’ll do a deeper dive article into this ending (and maybe just Ahsoka’s character in general). Trying to summarize it now would do it a disservice. So instead, I’ll just call it three things: it’s beautiful, it’s heart-wrenching, and it’s perfect.
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
(Side note: be prepared for some fun spooky shenanigans on the blog for the rest of this month! I’m not the hugest Horror fan, but I definitely appreciate it from time to time, so I figured October 2023 is as good a time as any to lean into it!)
The Contrarian Corner 