Star Wars: The Clone Wars Ending EXPLAINED

So that's why they changed Ahsoka's lightsabers...

By Ewan Paterson /

Lucasfilm

And with that, Star Wars: The Clone Wars has finally ended. After twelve years, seven seasons and 133 episodes, George Lucas and Dave Filoni's animated experiment finally wrapped up its story on Monday, revealing how Ahsoka Tano, Captain Rex and Maul survived Order 66.

Advertisement

It's beautiful, tense and suitably tragic, cementing the relationship between Jedi and clone, but also master and apprentice. In that way, the final Clone Wars episode - fittingly titled "Victory and Death" - finds a whole other kind of salience, not just in realising the potential of the Prequels (as the entire series had admittedly done before), but in adding a whole other wrinkle to the character of Anakin Skywalker after his turn to the dark side.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

Advertisement

Before I get into the intricacies of The Clone Wars' series finale, it's worth providing a little context. The previous three episodes take place around the Siege of Mandalore, which occur parallel to the events of Revenge of the Sith. Ahsoka - still no longer a Jedi - had led her own detachment of the 501st alongside Rex and Death Watch exile Bo Katan to remove Maul from the planet, following the events of Season 5 where the dark lord assassinated Duchess Satine. However, Maul was hoping to lure his old rival Obi-Wan Kenobi to the planet, as well as Anakin, who he had sensed will become Darth Sidious' new apprentice, so Ahsoka's presence disrupts his plans.

Lucasfilm

After spurning an offer to join Maul to vanquish Sidious, Tano captures him and proceeds to leave Mandalore... only for Order 66 to happen, and for her clones to turn against her - including Rex. It's here she discovers the special chip that contained Lord Sidious' secret order, and, after separating Rex from his fellow clones (as well as releasing Maul as a distraction), she's able to remove the chip and work with him to escape their vessel.

Advertisement

What follows is incredibly emotional. We see Ahsoka and Rex come to terms with the fact their friends - including Jesse - are now out to kill them, but even so, Tano refuses to take any of their lives. It's an important element, and one that distinguishes Ahsoka from the other Jedi. In many ways, it goes to show that she's actually the best of them.

[Article continues on next page...]

Advertisement