The hit television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars from Lucasfilm Animation is set to make its triumphant return next week with the first installment of an all-new batch of episodes on Disney’s streaming service Disney+, and the platform is helping Star Wars fans prepare for the release with a playlist of the show’s twenty essential episodes.
Considering Star Wars: The Clone Wars already ran for 121 episodes across six seasons, plus a theatrically released feature film which launched the series back in 2008, it’s likely Disney+’s list will not adhere exactly to many fans’ opinions as to which individual chapters should be considered “essential,” but it’s interesting to see a collection like this from an official source regardless.
Here’s the list of The Clone Wars 20 Essential Episodes, along with their official descriptions and links to play the episodes on Disney+:
1 – “Ambush” (season 1, episode 1) – Jedi Master Yoda and three clone troopers face off against Count Dooku’s dreaded assassin Ventress and her droid army to prove the Jedi are strong enough to protect a strategic planet and forge a treaty for the Republic.
2 – “Rookies” (season 1, episode 5) – Alone on a distant outpost, Clone officers Rex and Cody must inspire their rookie unit to believe in themselves as they fight off a Droid Commando invasion.
3 – “Landing at Point Rain” (season 2, episode 5) – Anakin, Ahsoka, and Ki-Adi-Mundi lead a landing party to destroy a droid factory on Geonosis. They must stop it before it becomes active.
4 – “Weapons Factory” (season 2, episode 6) – Luminara and Anakin act as decoys to divert new enemy super-tanks, while Padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka attempt to destroy a separatist droid factory. Are the Padawans up to the challenge?
5 – “Legacy of Terror” (season 2, episode 7) – When Luminara goes missing, Obi-Wan and Ki-Adi-Mundi lead a platoon of clones in search of her. When the search leads to a mysterious lair, the Jedi are faced with a horde of undead warriors.
6 – “Brain Invaders” (season 2, episode 8) – When Geonosian brain worms take control of their supply ship, Ahsoka and Barriss must battle to stop the vessel from unleashing the deadly plague upon the galaxy.
7 – “The Mandalore Plot” (season 2, episode 12) – While investigating rumors of conspiracy surrounding Duchess Satine of Mandalore, Obi-Wan uncovers the truth about the mysterious “Mandalore Plot.”
8 – “Voyage of Temptation” (season 2, episode 13) – As the Jedi and their clones defend Duchess Satine from assassination attempts, Anakin discovers that Obi-Wan and the Duchess have a history together.
9 – “ARC Troopers” (season 3, episode 2) – When the Republic learns of an impending Separatist attack on Kamino, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi hurry to the planet’s defense.
10 – “Brothers” (season 4, episode 21) – Savage Opress continues his quest to find his long-long brother, the Sith Lord Darth Maul, who has somehow escaped death.
11 – “Revenge” (season 4, episode 22) – Savage and Darth Maul unite to seek revenge against Obi-Wan, causing the Jedi to team up with a surprising ally.
12 – “The Gathering” (season 5, episode 6) – Jedi younglings undergo a rite of passage: the construction of their lightsabers.
13 – “Revival” (season 5, episode 1) – As the Sith brothers Maul and Savage forcibly recruit pirates to their cause, they are pursued by Obi-Wan Kenobi.
14 – “Eminence” (season 5, episode 14) – Savage and Maul forge an alliance with the Death Watch that targets their common foe: Obi-Wan Kenobi.
15 – “Shades of Reason” (season 5, episode 15) – Backed by the criminal underworld, the Sith and Death Watch launch an attack on Mandalore.
16 – “The Lawless” (season 5, episode 16) – Using Duchess Satine as bait, Darth Maul lures Obi-Wan into a trap.
17 – “Sabotage” (season 5, episode 17) – Anakin and Ahsoka investigate a deadly bombing at the Jedi Temple.
18 – “The Jedi Who Knew Too Much” (season 5, episode 18) – Accused of an unthinkable crime, Ahsoka finds herself running out of allies and alternatives.
19 – “To Catch a Jedi” (season 5, episode 19) – The fugitive Ahsoka escapes to the criminal depths of Coruscant.
20 – “The Wrong Jedi” (season 5, episode 20) – On trial for murder, Ahsoka is expelled from the Jedi Order.
Interestingly, this list of 20 Essential Episodes does not include any installments from the show’s sixth season. Are these meant to represent the best episodes to watch in order to prepare oneself for the specific plots and storylines of the upcoming seventh season, or simply the best in quality overall? We’ll find out when Star Wars: The Clone Wars returns Friday, February 21 on Disney+.
