Spoilers ahead for the penultimate episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, called “Shattered,” and light spoilers for Star Wars Rebels.
Only one episode is left before Star Wars: The Clone Wars finally completes the story it was always meant to tell, but there are still some blanks that the saga needs to fill in before the final credits roll on the show. Sure, the saga continues beyond the end of the Star Wars prequel era with another eight movies and three TV shows (and counting), but some questions can really only be answered by The Clone Wars.
With “Shattered,” The Clone Wars journeyed deep into Revenge of the Sith territory with the execution of Order 66 and Ahsoka’s near-death at the blasters of the clones she’d trusted and befriended. The episode ended with Ahsoka and Rex in very real danger and very outnumbered, but since we already know they survive, there are a lot of questions beyond the cliffhanger worth pondering.
So, with the series finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars only days away, read on for some questions that still need to be answered!
1. Could The Clones Have Resisted Order 66?
In “Shattered,” even loyal Rex couldn’t overcome the influence of the control chip that directed him to turn on and kill Ahsoka and any Jedi in his path. That said, he tearfully resisted long enough to tell Ahsoka to dig into what happened to Fives and for her to stand a fighting chance of surviving. Basically, Rex did an admirable job of trying not to follow the order, but he wound up trying to kill Ahsoka just like all the clones in Revenge of the Sith tried (and generally succeeded) in killing the Jedi generals.
But would it have been possible to fully resist Order 66? The Grand Army of the Republic was a vast fighting force, and Rex surely wasn’t the only clone trooper who formed strong bonds with the Jedi around them. Fives also proved that control chips can be damaged. Are there clones in the galaxy far, far away who were able to resist Order 66, or at least hold off for a little while? On that note…
2. Did Other Jedi Survive Order 66?
Every Star Wars fan undoubtedly knows that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda survived Order 66 and went on to play pivotal parts in the Rebellion via their support of Luke. Star Wars Rebels fans also know that the young Jedi who got a cameo in Clone Wars Season 7 was Caleb Dume, a.k.a. the padawan who would survive Order 66 and go on to become Kanan Jarrus. But if Ahsoka and Caleb, who were younger and less experienced, could survive, couldn’t more Jedi have survived as well?
None of the TV shows or movies confirmed any other major surviving Jedi than Obi-Wan, Yoda, Caleb/Kanan, and Ahsoka (who was technically not even a Jedi at the time of Order 66). Supplementary canon material may suggest some other possible survivors, but the Clone Wars series finale is a prime opportunity to show any Jedi who didn’t perish in the first wave of Order 66. Of course, Rebels did also reveal Inquisitors who may have hunted down those survivors, but hey, at least that would mean they didn’t die at the ends of the clones’ blasters!
3. Did Ahsoka Want To Return To The Jedi?
Ahsoka has been clear throughout Season 7 that she left the Jedi Order behind, and even explicitly stated that she was helping in the Siege of Mandalore and working to apprehend Maul as a citizen of the Republic rather than a Jedi. That said, when speaking with members of the Jedi Council via hologram, she dropped a tantalizing (if tragic, knowing what’s to come) hint that she might be looking to return. When Yoda asked if she would be returning to Coruscant as a Jedi, she said: “No. Not yet.”
Considering the Jedi Order itself wasn’t far off from being destroyed in Order 66 at the time, Ahsoka’s hint that she might want to return to the Jedi won’t come to anything, and Rebels proved that she doesn’t go on to resume the Jedi life like another Order 66 survivor does. Still, did she really want to retake a place with the Jedi? And does that explain Ahsoka’s voice cameo in Rise of Skywalker? Even if returning isn’t an option courtesy of Order 66, an answer about Ahsoka’s plan would be welcome.
4. Did Ahsoka And Maul Already Meet For The Last Time In Clone Wars?
Ahsoka and Maul battled it out on Mandalore for what will undoubtedly go down as one of the most epic lightsaber duels in Star Wars animation history -- if not Star Wars as a whole, and they briefly reunited in “Shattered” when Ahsoka freed him to serve as a distraction while being hunted by the clone troopers. Under normal circumstances, their parting in “Shattered” might have felt like the last in The Clone Wars, but there are reasons to doubt.
In a future encounter, Maul says this to Ahsoka: “Running away again, Lady Tano?” While Ahsoka was technically trying to run away from clone troopers in this episode, it may not quite qualify as something that would prompt such a comment from Maul. Was this parting Clone Wars’ explanation for what happens later but has already been released on the small screen, or will Ahsoka and Maul meet again in the Clone Wars finale?
5. Will Ahsoka Find Out Obi-Wan Is Alive?
Obi-Wan of course survives Order 66 and his duel with Anakin, but few people actually know that he lived and went into exile on Tatooine to watch over Luke. With Ahsoka surviving and likely not having too many allies, will she find out that Obi-Wan survived? She could surely be trusted to keep his secret, and knowing that her friend hadn’t been killed would surely come as a relief. She'll also work with Bail Organa with the Rebellion down the line. Will she learn that Obi-Wan is alive?
Unless Clone Wars somehow manages to put Ahsoka in contact with Obi-Wan, Yoda, or Bail before they separate in Revenge of the Sith, it’s hard to imagine Ahsoka finding out any time too soon. If the series ends on a flash-forward, however, she could conceivably find out, if not reunite with him. It would be interesting if Ahsoka could somehow show up on the live-action Obi-Wan show! She’ll already have Clone Wars, Rebels, The Mandalorian, and even Forces of Destiny to her name.
6. How Does Rex Get To Wolffe And Gregor?
Delving into Star Wars Rebels territory, Rex turns up alive along with two of his fellow former clone troopers: Wolffe and Gregor. All three clones had removed their control chips at one point, and Rex claimed that they hadn’t turned on their Jedi. Wolffe and Gregor were nowhere to be seen in “Shattered,” however, so it stands to reason they’re not on the same ship as Rex and Ahsoka, and Order 66 has already been initiated.
So, how does Rex get to Wolffe and Gregor in the finale, and was he actually part of why they had their chips removed? Or did they have their chips removed independently, and the three clones met up later? Both Wolffe and Gregor seemed to have suffered some unintended effects from the removal of their chips, so it’s possible their removals were a little less refined than Rex’s, although they had all gone through enough trauma that they couldn’t be blamed if they were a little edgy after a couple decades.
7. Were Rex And Ahsoka Lying In Star Wars Rebels?
In Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka sends the Ghost crew on a mission to find an old friend, although she neglects to mention that he’s a clone who had served in the Grand Army of the Republic, which was honestly kind of a cruel thing to do to Kanan. She didn’t share a whole lot of details, and Rex was firm that he had his chip removed and hadn’t turned on his Jedi. “Shattered” obviously showed that Rex turned on Ahsoka and didn’t have his chip removed until after the Emperor executed Order 66.
So, was this a Star Wars retcon, and fans shouldn’t worry about a few scenes from an episode of Rebels back before Clone Wars Season 7 seemed like a possibility? Or is the explanation as simple as Rex and Ahsoka lying to the Ghost team? Getting Kanan at least to work with clones who had turned on the Jedi would have been a chore. Lying might have been easier. So, were they lying and they’ll come to some agreement in the Clone Wars finale, or should Rebels fans just come up with their own explanation?
Fortunately, the wait for the finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is almost over. Less fortunately, Clone Wars won’t be coming back this time, although there is always Rebels and then The Mandalorian and even Star Wars Resistance following in the saga timeline to keep Star Wars TV fans busy. See how The Clone Wars end with the finale on Monday, May 4 on Disney+.
