10 Greatest Star Wars: The Clone Wars Episodes That Changed Everything
4. Sacrifice
The original finale to The Clone Wars, Sacrifice ended the series' sixth season through the spiritual quest of Master Yoda, as he searches for answers on the ancient Sith homeworld of Moraband. Naturally, Yoda is challenged by the illusions and tricks of the Sith, hoping to lead the Grand Master down a dark path.
While the episode is notable for Extended Universe fans for re-introducing Darth Bane - played fantastically by a guest starring Mark Hamill - Sacrifice also serves the future of the Star Wars timeline. Between providing explanation for how Yoda is able to retain his identity as a Force Ghost, as well as the future being revealed to him through an echo of Return of the Jedi, this season finale brought a bittersweet end to the series.
In many ways, Sacrifice acted as a companion to Ghosts of Mortis, showing that, while the future is inevitable, the darkest moments are not the definitive end. For this first time in the series, Sacrifice subverts the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker and instead looks to the unknown path to peace. Despite it not being the most climatic finale for the series, it was the most thematically conclusive.