Review: “Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 7” ends series on high note

Courtesy+of+Disney

Courtesy of Disney

Andrew Wellmann

The seventh and final season of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” has finally given the beloved Disney show a proper end.

The final season was everything the Star Wars fanbase hoped for, and more. It continues the journey of showing the steady buildup to the events surrounding “Revenge of the Sith,” the third episodic film in the overall Skywalker saga. It also does a great job of depicting the fallout from main character Anakin Skywalker, voiced by Matt Lanter, and his descent into the Dark Side of the Force.

One main highlight of the show centers on a group of clone troopers called the Bad Batch. Their story arc effectively illustrates the overall relationship that these soldiers for the Galactic Republic share with each other. Some of the new characters in the show include the Martez sisters, who exist to show more of the everyday life of civilians stuck in the war-torn universe.

The series has always done a great job of introducing new worlds and never before seen droids and clone troopers, while also taking the viewer to planets that have been mentioned but never seen and setting up for future events in the Star Wars story. In this particular season, it also effectively depicts Skywalker struggling with the Dark Side, showing him becoming gradually more aggressive at times.

One of the best things about season seven is the return of two fan favorites: Darth Maul and Ashoka Tano, voiced by Sam Witwer and Ashley Eckstein respectively. Ashoka and Maul, who come from the warring Jedi and Sith factions, both get the right amount of screen time, allowing the viewers to really enjoy their presence in the show.

The writers also provide many heartfelt moments throughout the show. One of the best moments is seeing Skywalker light up when he sees Ashoka for the first time in the new season. This little moment shows how much he cares for her.

The final four episodes of the season are arguably some of the best in the series. Featuring the siege of Mandalore, the show’s mastery of pacing, tone, and stunning animation all combine together to provide a near perfect finale. The intense duel between Maul and Tano is one of the highlights of the extensive finale. Tano’s subsequent escape from the clones after Emperor Palpatine/Sith lord Darth Sidious, voiced by Ian McDiarmid from the films, executes Order 66 dictating the elimination of all Jedi, is also one of the memorable scenes from the final episodes.

There is not a single thing done wrong with the four-part ending, as it simply shows Star Wars at its absolute best.

The show is not without its faults, though. The story arc of the Martez sisters feels painfully average and unnecessary. There’s also the feeling that the show rushed its ending. Had the writers added a few more episodes, they could have shown more of the political and societal fallout from Order 66 as well as Skywalker’s fall into the Dark Side.

The final season of “The Clone Wars” holds its own with its previous two seasons in terms of pure entertainment. In particular, it is a perfectly executed, satisfying and emotional ending to a beloved show.

To watch “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” click here.