Star Wars fans may be out of new movies for the time being, but there’s still some new content that is definitely worth checking out. The final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars has officially begun releasing its long-awaited final arc that will tell the story of the Siege of Mandalore. The four-part arc launched its first installment on April 17, and that first episode is proof enough that Star Wars fans need to watch the Siege of Mandalore.
Yes, even Star Wars fans who have never checked out The Clone Wars should absolutely head to Disney+ to catch the final chapter of the series. Read on for a spoiler-free explanation of why Star Wars fans need to watch the Siege of Mandalore!
You Don’t Need To Be A Clone Wars Expert
While the first episode of the Siege of Mandalore arc brings together some of the elements of The Clone Wars that are fan-favorites and the products of years of storytelling, I have to say that newcomers should be able to make sense of it. Familiar faces like Anakin and Obi-Wan are in the mix, a legendary bad guy has a part to play, and the dialogue can fill in the blanks without forcing viewers to pause the episode to try and figure out who this Ahsoka Tano is and why they should care about her.
Honestly, if you’ve seen the prequel trilogy, you probably know enough to pick up on where the Siege of Mandalore arc begins. The Siege of Mandalore works without encyclopedic knowledge of The Clone Wars (although keep on scrolling if you want some bonus info about what you’ve missed so far). Once you get a look at the animation of The Clone Wars in its final season, you might be perfectly willing to go along for the ride and figure out the characters as you go along. Speaking of the animation…
The Look Is Pure Star Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars may be an animated series, but it should not be confused with a show aimed at children. Clone Wars has elements that should appeal to Star Wars fans of all ages, and the Siege of Mandalore has the look of pure Star Wars. Honestly, I would say that the final season has looked more like live-action than I’ve seen out of any other animated series, and that already makes for amazing battle scenes.
Without getting into specifics, the clone troopers are out in full force in only the first episode of the Siege of Mandalore, and an arc with that title can only deliver more action. Scenes are scored with music that sounds like it could be pulled right off of the big screen, and the entire aesthetic of the series is the final days of the Republic before Revenge of the Sith.
The Siege Of Mandalore Will Fill In Some Star Wars Blanks
One of the many criticisms of the prequel trilogy is that Anakin’s turn in Revenge of the Sith happened way too quickly, and way too much happened off-screen between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The Clone Wars as a whole fills in those blanks, but the Siege of Mandalore will seemingly go into more detail of what happened in the larger galaxy in the final days of the Republic. We saw what happened with Anakin, Obi-Wan, and the others in Coruscant; what about elsewhere?
In many ways, the Siege of Mandalore will complete the story of the Star Wars saga in the prequel era. In fact, based on a few moments from the first episode, it’s safe to assume that The Clone Wars is very quickly catching up to Revenge of the Sith, and it’s entirely possible that the Siege of Mandalore will overlap with the events of Revenge of the Sith and show Order 66 from angles that didn’t make it into the movie.
The Siege Of Mandalore Is New Cinematic Star Wars Content
Obviously, an arc from the show called Star Wars: The Clone Wars is going to be new Star Wars content. Little is known about what the next Star Wars movie will be about or when precisely it will release now that the Skywalker Saga concluded. Season 2 of The Mandalorian is slated for a fall release, and may have finished production in time that it won’t be delayed like other high-profile series this year. The other Disney+ live-action series may still be a ways off.
So, if you want new Star Wars content, The Clone Wars with the Siege of Mandalore is the place to be. As a four-parter that will likely run for around two hours, the Siege of Mandalore arc should feel like a movie, and quite possibly one that stands up or surpasses the live-action films. movies. If you just need a break from the drama still surrounding the sequel trilogy, need a Star Wars fix, or are just bored in quarantine, a trip back to the prequel era in the galaxy far, far away is worth a half hour for the next several Fridays.
Now, if you’re a Star Wars fan still on the fence about checking out The Clone Wars’ Siege of Mandalore because you don’t know The Clone Wars, read on for a bonus crash course on recent Clone Wars Season 7 events! If you don’t want to be spoiled, feel free to skip this next section. LAST WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE CLONE WARS BEFORE SIEGE OF MANDALORE!
Spoiler-ific Clone Wars Crash Course
Ahsoka Tano (pictured above with Anakin Skywalker) is the former Jedi apprentice of Anakin between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. They became very close, but she left the Jedi Order after being framed for murder. Prior to the Siege of Mandalore, she and Anakin haven’t reunited since she left the Jedi.
In her early Season 7 arc, she worked with two sisters from the lower levels of Coruscant. She ultimately learned Darth Maul was active on Mandalore and was recruited by a Mandalorian by the name of Bo-Katan to help. Mandalore is not part of the Republic, but Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka helped the Mandalorians during the original run of The Clone Wars.
Anakin is still hiding his relationship with Padme, but he’s getting sloppy in keeping his secret and Padme was visibly showing her pregnancy in the first arc of Clone Wars Season 7. He and Obi-Wan are still working as a close team, but Revenge of the Sith is approaching. Obi-Wan has his suspicions but hasn't confronted Anakin about Padme.
The clone troopers formed very close bonds with their Jedi generals, with Rex in particular as a loyal officer to Anakin and friend of Ahsoka. That said, some of the clones (including Rex) started to figure out that there was something suspicious with the chips in their brains back before Clone Wars won its Disney+ revival. END CLONE WARS SPOILERS.
If you want to check out the Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Siege of Mandalore arc, the first episode is available streaming on Disney+ now, along with a whole lot of other Star Wars content. New episodes of Clone Wars release Fridays on Disney's streaming service.
For more viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future, check out our 2020 spring premiere schedule and our 2020 summer premiere guide.
