Warning: spoilers ahead for the latest episode of The Clone Wars’ Siege of Mandalore four-parter, called “Phantom Apprentice,” and all four seasons of Star Wars Rebels.
Only two episodes are left before Star Wars: The Clone Wars comes to a close, and the end of the Siege of Mandalore will complete the saga of the prequel era. The Clone Wars is now officially in Revenge of the Sith territory, which means Star Wars fans know the big picture of what comes next in the galaxy far, far away. As for some of the Clone Wars characters whose fates were never resolved in the movies, fans can turn to Star Wars Rebels for answers.
Even though Star Wars Rebels doesn’t pick up until around 15 years after Revenge of the Sith in the Star Wars timeline, there are enough characters present and stories told to confirm some twists that have to happen before the end of The Clone Wars.
We all know that Anakin will turn to the dark side, the Jedi will fall as the Empire rises, Obi-Wan will have the high ground, and the twins will be born thanks to Revenge of the Sith. Read on for some Clone Wars finale twists that we already know thanks to Star Wars Rebels!
Major Characters Survive
The events of the Siege of Mandalore (not to mention Revenge of the Sith) are not the safest for the people on the front lines. Order 66 confirms that a whole lot of Jedi are going to die, and the states of Mandalore and the Mandalorians in Rebels prove that things probably aren’t going to go well on that planet when the Empire rises. Thanks to Rebels, we know some big characters who survive the events of Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith and still have parts to play in the saga.
Ahsoka of course survives, and she goes on to become an agent for the Rebellion going by the name “Fulcrum.” Maul also survives, although he will finally meet his permanent doom on Rebels. Rex survives all the way through the Battle of Endor circa Return of the Jedi, and Bo-Katan has a part to play in Rebels that just so happens to involve the Darksaber.
Ahsoka Doesn’t Learn About Darth Vader
Maul’s plan to lure Ahsoka to Mandalore and set a plot in motion that would prevent the fall of the Jedi Order and rise of the Empire almost worked, but Ahsoka couldn’t fathom Maul’s claim that he’d seen a future in which Anakin turned to the dark side. The tragedy is that Ahsoka might have been able to prevent Anakin from becoming Darth Vader if she’d worked with Maul, although the upside is that Clone Wars delivered a lightsaber duel that rivals anything in Star Wars live-action.
Based on Rebels, Ahsoka won’t learn about Anakin’s turn to the dark side before the end of The Clone Wars. For a long time, all Ahsoka knew was that the last time she’d seen Anakin was when he was rushing off to save Palpatine. It wasn’t until the Rebels Season 2 finale (with another truly epic lightsaber duel) that Ahsoka learned Darth Vader truly had been Anakin Skywalker.
The Fight With Maul Isn’t Over
After the epic lightsaber duel between Maul and Ahsoka in “Phantom Apprentice” ended with Maul unconscious and in custody of clone troopers and Mandalorians, Ahsoka was left exhausted and unnerved but triumphant. This wasn’t the end of Maul vs. Ahsoka, however, and not just because they’re going to meet again in Star Wars Rebels. When they do meet again and battle one last time in Rebels, Maul dropped an interesting line that didn’t make a whole lot of sense at the time: “Running away again, Lady Tano?”
Ahsoka didn’t run away from Maul in “Phantom Apprentice,” and I doubt he’s referring to her departing the Jedi Order. All signs point toward one last Clone Wars meeting and possibly a confrontation between Ahsoka and Maul. Whether Maul escapes due to his own machinations or he simply is able to escape the clones after Order 66 is implemented remains to be seen.
Ahsoka Gets Her Lightsabers Back
Although Ahsoka did defeat Maul in their “Phantom Apprentice” duel, it wasn’t until after she lost both of her lightsabers. In fact, without her quick reflexes and skills with the Force (as well as Maul giving her one last chance to believe that Anakin will turn), Ahsoka likely would have died. Her newly reacquired blue lightsabers are gone.
Or are they? When Ahsoka turns up in Rebels, she’s armed with two white lightsabers, symbolizing her neutrality in the Force. Unless Ahsoka very conveniently finds two other spare lightsabers lying around and/or a couple of loose kyber crystals, she likely gets her lightsabers back by the end of Clone Wars and will rework them into their Rebels forms. Even if she doesn't get those specific sabers back after her duel with Maul, Ahsoka will get some lightsabers back in her possession by the time Rebels rolls around.
Rex And Co. Remove Their Chips
Only three clone troopers appear in Star Wars Rebels: Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor. By that point, they had retired into exile, and Order 66 survivor Kanan had a pretty extreme reaction when he realized he was facing clones for the first time in many years. Rex and Co. weren’t immediate threats to Kanan or Ezra, however, because Rex revealed that they had removed the chips that forced the rest of the Grand Army of the Republic to implement Order 66.
As of the end of the first half of the Siege of Mandalore arc, Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor all still have their chips, and they don’t even seem to be considering removing them just yet. Rex confirmed on Rebels that they never turned on their Jedi generals, which means they removed their chips before Order 66 rather than after in horror at what they’d done. So, Rex and Co. should be removing their chips in the final two episodes of The Clone Wars.
The Clones Really Should Have Killed Caleb Dume
For Star Wars fans who never checked out Rebels, the appearance of a young Padawan via hologram at the side of Jedi Master Depa Billaba on The Clone Wars might not have meant much except another doomed young Jedi. For Rebels fans, though, that young Padawan was none other than Caleb Dume, who would survive Order 66 despite the best efforts of some clones who would have spared the Empire a lot of trouble down the line if they’d just killed him then and there.
That’s because young Caleb Dume grows up to become Kanan Jarrus, an unconventional Jedi knight who helped do a lot of damage to the Empire in the final years leading up to Rogue One and A New Hope. The boy who got a brief cameo in The Clone Wars will survive and become a central figure in Star Wars Rebels. I’m hoping he makes a reappearance in a Clone Wars version of Order 66, but only time will tell how much the last two episodes will cross into Revenge of the Sith territory.
The final episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars will release Fridays on Disney+ to fill in the blanks from the reveals on Rebels. If you need some additional content from the galaxy far, far away to pass the time during the wait for the end, the full Clone Wars series to date is available streaming on Disney+, as well as all four seasons of Star Wars Rebels.
