Welcome back,
Rebelscum fans! Today we’ll be breaking down the timeline, canon status, and Legends connections of Genndy Tartakovski’s incredible 2D animated microseries
Star Wars: Clone Wars. Make sure to check out the “
Expand Your Mind” base article that explains the show’s history, why it was a novelty, how it helped Dave Filoni launch
The Clone Wars computer animated series, and of course all the best merchandise you should be looking for. Stay tuned this week for more
Clone Wars articles and Bobby’s videos breaking down the best collector’s items.
Despite being approved by George Lucas himself and produced by Lucasfilm,
Star Wars: Clone Wars is unfortunately non-canon. The canon status of the Star Wars shows can get confusing, but
Clone Wars, Droids, and
Ewoks are considered Legends material. Pretty much every other series is part of the official timeline, including
The Clone Wars, Rebels, Resistance, The Mandalorian, The Bad Batch, and the upcoming Visions,
The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Kenobi, Lando, The Acolyte, and
Ahsoka.
A good rule of thumb is that story is always the most important thing, and you shouldn't dismiss a bit of
Star Wars material just because it's no longer canon. Not only did
Clone Wars foreshadow many of the elements that would be integral to what Dave Filoni did with
The Clone Wars, but it's the perfect series to binge in between watching
Attack of the Clones and
Revenge of the Sith. The series begins only months after
Attack of the Clones ends (22 B.B.Y in the Star Wars timeline) and ends directly before the opening moments of
Revenge of the Sith (19 B.B.Y.).
Canon ConnectionsDave Filoni’s
The Clone Wars series is beloved among fans, but it was hardly the first time that Lucasfilm tried out stories within that era. Between the release of
Attack of the Clones in 2002 and
Revenge of the Sith in 2005, Lucasfilm developed an ambitious multimedia project that bridged the gap between the films.
The
Clone Wars microseries was only part of the project, as additional books, comics, games, and figures made up a comprehensive timeline that chronicled the entire conflict. These stories are all considered part of Legends now, but many are worth checking out if you’re interested in seeing a different interpretation of the same era.
Here are some of the highlights:
Books
- Shatterpoint (2003): This fascinating exploration of Mace Windu’s secret history explores the Jedi Master’s return to his homeworld of Haruun Kal to confront his former padawan Depa Billaba, who has been tempted by the dark side.
- Legacy of the Jedi (2003): A four-part YA novel, Legacy of the Jedi follows four sets of master-apprentice relationships: Yoda and Dooku, Dooku and Qui-Gon, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan and Anakin. The final story takes place in the midst of the Clone Wars when the pair form an unlikely partnership with one of Dooku’s rivals.
- Yoda: Dark Rendezvous (2004): Yoda gets to have his rematch with Dooku when his former apprentice makes an interesting proposal to potentially end the war.
- The Cestus Deception (2004): Obi-Wan teams with Kit Fisto in a mission to stop the production of battle droids that forces the Jedi to question Chancellor Palpatine’s motivations.
- Jedi Trial (2004): My personal favorite from this era, this gripping war story follows Anakin’s alliance with non-Clone Republic forces to protect a critical outpost.
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- MedStar I: Battle Surgeons and MedStar II: Jedi Healer (2004): This duology follows Barriss Offee in a much different interpretation than the dark side twist that occurred in The Clone Wars.
- Boba Fett (2002-2004): The six-part YA series follows Boba Fett’s perspective throughout the events of Attack of the Clones and his subsequent rise to prominence throughout the war.
- Labyrinth of Evil (2005): One of the greatest Legends books of all-time, Labyrinth of Evil packs a ton of important events in the lead up to Revenge of the Sith, including the Battle of Cato Neimoidia, Anakin’s Jedi trials, the invasion of Coruscant, and the hunt for Darth Sidious’s true identity.
- Republic Commando series (2004-2009): Karen Traviss’s breakthrough series of novels explored the Clone perspective for the first time, developing a unique group of characters who engage in secret missions throughout the war. The series led into the 2009 novel Imperial Commando: 501st.
- Republic (1998-2013): Seriously one of the most underrated Star Wars comic series of all-time, Republic was first launched ahead of The Phantom Menace and followed all the key developments within the prequel era up to and beyond Revenge of the Sith (it was rebranded as Dark Times in 2006). Characters like Ventress, Durge, Quinlan Vos, and the popular Clone Commander Alpha were all breakouts.
- Clone Wars Adventures (2004-2007): Using the same animation style as the microseries, these standalone adventures explored various events that tied into the series. One of my favorites is a spotlight issue featuring Dexter Jettster!
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2002): The first Clone Wars era game followed Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Mace Windu on a series of 16 missions during the early war effort after the Battle of Geonosis.
- Republic Commando (2005): The Delta Squad characters from Traviss’s novel series took the lead roles in this grittier take on the era.
- Star Wars: Battlefront (2004) and Battlefront II (2005): Two of the most beloved Star Wars combat games featured many Clone Wars era locations and conflicts.
- Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter (2002): The sequel to Star Wars: Starfighter allows players to command a series of Jedi pilots as they wage conflict against Count Dooku.
Are you fans of this era of Clone Wars content? Do you have a favorite book, comic, game, or storyline? Is there any specific moment you want to see join the canon? Let us know in the
forums, and as always, may the Force be with you!
