The Star Wars Story That Made The Prequels Worth It

2. Exploring The Jedi's Downfall

Star Wars Dark Disciple
Disney

While the overall plot of Dark Disciple makes for one of the most compelling Star Wars stories published as of late, the themes the book broaches distinguishes it as genuinely intelligent use of the Clone Wars IP.

At the end of Attack of the Clones, Yoda prophesies that "the shroud of the dark side has fallen", before we're treated to a hefty dose of foreshadowing featuring shots of the Clone Army with the Imperial March playing overhead. The implication here is that the Jedi are aware they're being manipulated, and yet they're powerless to stop it. There is also the added implication in Revenge of the Sith that the the Order has been corrupted by years of conflict, fighting not as the "guardians of peace and justice", but instead as soldiers in a war with no end.

The point is that they've been changed by war, but - as with most aspects of the prequels - it's barely discussed in detail. We're told that the Jedi have been compromised as a result of the conflict, but it scarcely manifests across either Episode II or III. Dark Disciple, on the other hand, devotes its entire story to the Order's lowest point - sanctioning assassination by manipulating a former ally of the Sith.

Exacerbating the Jedi's folly is the fact their scheme - as anyone can probably guess - ultimately fails. They dabble in the darkness only to emerge even more tainted, and with nothing to show for it.

Dark Disciple thus serves a vital purpose in the chronology of the Rise of the Empire. By examining the corrupting influence of war, Golden manages to make the stakes of Revenge of the Sith - and in particular the Jedi's restlessness to end the conflict as soon as possible - even more palpable. They've exhausted all other options, and have been brought to the brink with no other recourse but to look inward and ask why the war with the Separatists hasn't concluded. Yes, you can gather this from Revenge of the Sith, but the point isn't conveyed half as well without the added context and discussion Dark Disciple provides.

Advertisement
Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.