The Star Wars Movie You Never Knew Existed

We all have our favorite Star Wars movies, but it wouldn’t be a lie to suggest that since the prequel trilogy began in 1999, almost every entry in the franchise has been divisive among fans – although the real problems started in 2017 with The Last Jedi. But while the sequels continue to disappoint, the prequels have become more appreciated in recent years, which is probably largely due to the hit animated show Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

The show was created by George Lucas and takes place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. It premiered in 2008, and though it went on a hiatus in 2014, it was resurrected on Disney+ in 2020 for its seventh and final season. But there are still a number of fans who haven’t seen it, and if you’re one of them then you won’t know that the final season includes what might just be the best Star Wars movie in the entire franchise!

We’re going to break down the final four episodes of The Clone Wars Season 7, which together form the Star Wars movie you never knew existed…

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the last four episodes of The Clone Wars. If you haven’t seen them, check them out on Disney+ and then be sure to come back and find out why they make the best Star Wars movie!

“Old Friends Not Forgotten”

“Old Friends Not Forgotten” is the first of an epic four-part finale. And from this episode onwards, everything is different. Instead of the signature yellow title card, we get a blood-red one, and we finally get the iconic Star Wars theme. Like every episode, this opens with a narration – the show’s equivalent to the movies’ text crawls. However, this is the last time you’ll hear it, the first bit of evidence that all four episodes should be viewed as a single ‘film’.

This episode is thrilling from the get-go, as we finally approach Revenge of the Sith (though bear in mind that this show is taking place ‘off-screen’ while the events of that film unfold). Darth Maul has overthrown Mandalore and civil war has erupted. Meanwhile, Ahsoka Tano – Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan, who has enlisted the help of Mandalorian Bo-Katan – travels to the planet with a company of Clone Troopers to arrest the disgraced Sith Lord.

There are some great moments in “Old Friends Not Forgotten”, and while the action is yet to get underway, this episode is more interested in laying some thick atmosphere that even a lightsaber couldn’t cut through! But perhaps the most memorable thing about the first ‘episode’ in this ‘Clone Wars movie’ is the overhaul in CGI – there has been a huge upgrade in quality, providing more evidence that the creators want you to experience something truly cinematic.

“The Phantom Apprentice”

“The Phantom Apprentice” picks up immediately where “Old Friends Not Forgotten” left us, with Ahsoka having been lured into Darth Maul’s trap. However, we learn that the trap was meant for Anakin Skywalker as Maul intends to kill his old master’s new apprentice (very jealous indeed). But Ahsoka refuses to believe that Anakin is a Sith apprentice, and the two draw their lightsabers ready for what should be considered the best duel in the entire Star Wars franchise.

But it’s not just the fact that we finally get to see Ahsoka Tano, who is in many ways the star of The Clone Wars, face off against an iconic Star Wars villain – the choreography is also spectacular, and the sequences even use motion-capture performances, with actor Ray Park reprising his role as Darth Maul! Everything else too, from the music to Maul’s grave warnings about Darth Sidious and Anakin’s fate, are chilling and really add to the atmosphere.

Ultimately, there are no victims in this duel. Ahsoka ends up saving Maul from falling to his death, and he is then incarcerated by Rex and his unit who intend to take him to Coruscant. This episode really sets the stage for the ending, and it’s largely down to the dialogue. Once again, Maul shines, and while he is indeed a very bad guy (oh, but we love him!), he is nothing compared to the galactic threat that is unfolding all around them.

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“Shattered”

“Shattered” places us officially in Revenge of the Sith territory. In this episode, Maul is transported through Mandalore as Ahsoka and her company of Clone Troopers prepare to transport him to Coruscant, the home of the Republic. The music in this scene is strangely futuristic for Star Wars, but it works so incredibly well. It’s poignant and really hints at the tragedy that’s about to strike so many characters – and the galaxy as a whole.

During hyperspace, Ahsoka and Rex have an equally deep-and-meaningful conversation, which is really a way of the show drawing comparisons between the Jedi and the clones, who were created for the sole purpose of war. The Jedi are no different, and Ahsoka finally understands this, before ‘sensing’ Anakin’s fall to the dark side, which is actually an archive recording from Revenge of the Sith, cementing The Clone Wars as absolute canon alongside the films.

And then the Emperor executes Order 66, leading Rex and the other clones to turn on Ahsoka. Being an incredibly skilled Jedi, Ahsoka gets the better of them, however, to create a distraction so that she can remove Rex’s chip, she frees Maul, who unleashes his wrath on the clones (who are now the enemy, so don’t feel too bad)! The penultimate episode is a thrill-ride, and the fact that it overlaps with the final chapter in the prequel trilogy makes it even more riveting.

“Victory and Death”

It has all led to this – seven seasons of The Clone Wars. Including the theatrical movie, that’s 134 episodes! And the long-awaited finale “Victory and Death” certainly delivers. Ahsoka and Rex fight their way through the ship, using a team of droids to help them. While Rex warns Ahsoka that the other clones intend to kill her, the Jedi tells him that she won’t kill them no matter what (although it’s clear they’re all pretty doomed anyway).

Ahsoka and Rex use non-lethals against the clones, while Maul makes his escape in an emergency shuttle. Out of control, the ship enters the atmosphere of a desolate moon and heads towards its surface ablaze. Ahsoka and Rex escape, and watch as the rest of the clones plummet towards their deaths. The music that follows is extremely emotional, but also allows the viewer to finally breathe, after an action-packed number of episodes.

Down on the surface, Ahsoka has made grave markers to honor all the dead clones. She stands before the wreckage of the ship where she drops her lightsaber to the ground, in the hope that the newly-formed Galactic Empire will presume her to be dead along with all the other Jedi. Some time later, Imperial Forces have gathered on the now-snowy moon, and Darth Vader appears, who picks up his former Padawan’s lightsaber and looks up to the stars, before turning away…

Even if you don’t agree that the final four episodes of The Clone Wars form a film in their own right, we think you will agree that the show is the greatest Star Wars entry. Filled with some of the best Star Wars characters, an unending sense of rising tension, remarkable animation and stories that have enriched the Star Wars universe, the show is yet to be bested – even the likes of Rebels, The Bad Batch and The Mandalorian don’t hold a lightsaber to it!