The 9 Best 'Clone Wars' Storylines Ever

Over six seasons, “The Clone Wars” helped fill in those big blanks left by the "Star Wars" prequels, while introducing compelling new characters and fleshing out familiar ones. With "The Force Awakens" in theaters, let's revisit the best storylines from the show, now streaming on Netflix. 

Ahsoka from season 5 of 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars'

Season 5 Episode: “Sabotage” “The Jedi Who Knew Too Much” “To Catch a Jedi” “The Wrong Jedi” Although fans and critics did not find much to praise when Anakin’s apprentice was introduced in the 2008 feature film “Clone Wars,” Ahsoka Tano became the breakout fan favorite of the series during her five-season run. A testament to her popularity lies in the fact that Disney – gun shy about connecting its reimagined Star Wars brand to anything prequel-related - brought her back for their animated series, “Rebels.” In her last storyline in “The Clone Wars,” Ahsoka is framed for the murder of a man suspected of a terrorist attack inside the Jedi Temple. With both the Republic and Jedi Order against her, Ahsoka escapes to Coruscant’s seedy underbelly and allies herself with a bitter enemy to clear her name and discover the truth. This homage to man-on-the-run films like “The Fugitive” not only shows how much this character had grown, it also depicts the disturbing change in tone beginning to appear in the Republic, from the democracy of “The “Phantom Menace” to the Galactic Empire of the original trilogy. The conclusion to this story also helps spark Anakin’s growing dissatisfaction with the Jedi. Trivia: The final episode of this story arc was the first time in the series’ then five seasons in which the traditional exit music was replaced with a subdued orchestral score to mark the exit of the one of the most popular characters of “The Clone Wars.”

Darth Maul's Return

Season 4 Episodes: "Brothers” and “Revenge.”  Season 5 Episodes: “Revival,” “Eminence,” “Shades of Reason,” and “The Lawless” Kudos to the show's writers for resurrecting Darth Maul, the coolest thing to ever come out of the prequels -- but for some reason was unceremoniously killed off in "Phantom Menace." Or was he… This arc spins a twisted and action-packed web as Maul, discovered by Savage Opress as a pitiful half-man on a junkyard planet, is brought back from the brink of madness through Force magic. His mission? Wreak havoc on the galaxy and even the score with his "killer," Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

'The Manchurian Candidate,' Star Wars-style!

Season 6 Episodes: “The Unknown,” “Conspiracy,” “Fugitive,” and “Orders.” Even the best conspiracies can be exposed, as is the case with this four-episode storyline, which serves as an homage to conspiracy films such as “The Manchurian Candidate.” In the heat of battle against the Separatists, Clone Trooper Tup murders his Jedi commander. Considered defective, his body is shipped off to Kamino for further examination. Here, Clone Trooper Fives discovers a dark conspiracy lurking in Tup’s brain, which leads to a compelling conclusion that ripple effects across the series. This storyline shows how successful the series was in turning canon fodder, with designations instead of names, into real people who are more than just numbers. 

The Return of Qui-Gon Jinn

Season 5 Episodes: “Voices,” “Destiny,” and “Sacrifice.” The series' final story arc centers on Yoda's quest to discover how his former Padawan, Qui-Gon Jinn, is able to communicate from beyond the grave. While Jedi scientists are stumped and fear this to be a Sith attack on their leader, Yoda sets out to discover the truth. On his journey to Dagobah, and finally Moraband, the abandoned home world of the Sith, Yoda uncovers who is pulling the strings on the Clone Wars: Darth Sidious. A warning to older fans of the franchise: Midichlorians are mentioned here, but -- get over it. It’s been 16 years. To quote another Disney franchise, "let it go." Trivia: Liam Neeson returns to voice Jinn, and Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, provides the voice of Darth Bane.

The Nightsisters

Season 3 Episodes: “Nightsisters,” “Monster,” and “Witches of the Mist” Season 4 Episodes: “Massacre” and “Bounty.” After narrowly escaping death at the hands of her master, Count Dukoo, Sith assassin Asajj Ventress returns to her homeworld, where she plots revenge against Dukoo with the help of Mother Talzin, who rules an all-female society of lethal Force witches knows as the Nightsisters. Ventress' path crosses with Darth Maul's, resulting in one of the darkest -- and most satisfying -- storylines of the series. Kudos to George Lucas’ daughter, Katie, who wrote this storyline (and others) and provided a much-needed female voice in the “Star Wars” universe.

Mandalore

Season 2 Episodes: “The Mandalore Plot,” “Voyage of Temptation,” and “Duchess of Mandalore.”  Season 3 Episodes: “Corruption" and “The Academy.”  Season 5 Episodes: “Shades of Reason” and “The Lawless.” Here, we get out first glimpse of Boba Fett’s homeworld, Mandalore. This storyline also sheds some light on Kenobi’s backstory while introducing a new political entity in the galactic fray: a collection of neutral systems led by Mandalorian leader Duchess Satine that is determined to stay out of the galactic-wide conflict. Now a peaceful, prosperous society, Satine faces a conspiracy of her own when its revealed that a collection of Mandalorian warriors are determined to return Mandalore to its war-like past at any price, including the duchess’ life. This engaging run of eps sparks a series of events that culminate in Darth Maul’s conquest of the planet.

The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game

Season 3 Episodes: “Padawan Lost” and “Wookie Hunt.” While this is only a two-episode arc, it’s one of the best tips of the hat to the original trilogy. In the heat of battle, a distracted Ahsoka is captured by a reptilian-like species first introduced in "Empire Strikes Back" the form of bounty hunter Bossk. Ahsoka is deposited on a remote jungle planet where she is to serve as game for the Trandoshan’s hunt. Using her Jedi training, Ahsoka turns the tables on her captors with a little help from some Jedi younglings and a young Chewbacca – his one and only appearance in the show. These episodes are worth watching just to see those familiar faces from the original trilogy. 

The Chosen One

Season 3 Episodes: “Overlords,” “Altar of Mortis” and “Ghosts of Mortis.” For those looking for a more mystical, and less scientific, exploration of the Force, this storyline delivers. In an episode that harkens back to early “Star Trek,” Anakin, Obi Wan, and Ahsoka are mysteriously taken to a strange planet whose only inhabitants are three beings so powerful in the Force, that they cannot live in the physical realm for fear of tearing it apart. It is through this trio that Anakin confronts the prophecy that says he is "The Chosen One." Anakin's realizations spiral into Greek Tragedy for the Force trio, leading to Anakin's confrontation with the manifestation of his future. 

Darkness on Umbara

Season 4 Episodes: “Darkness On Umbara,” “The General,” “Plan of Dissent,” and “Carnage of Krell” "Clone Wars" established that Jedi and Sith aren't the only ones strong in the ways of the Force, which plays out in this four-parter that is an homage to "Mutiny on the Bounty." Here, during the heat of battle, clone troopers revolt against their hostile leader, Jedi General Pong Krell. Their mutiny comes at a fatal cost -- and also with the reveal of a more sinister plot at work.