Star Wars prequels’ foremost downside has been mounted by The Clone Wars

So far, Star Wars – or the Skywalker Saga not less than – has largely been concerning the life decisions of Anakin Skywalker, and the way inconceivable expectations and repressed anger led to a fall from grace that resulted within the dying of billions.

But whereas the prequels had been alleged to concentrate on Anakin’s story, they largely informed us about what made him flip to the Dark Side as a substitute of really displaying it to us. Then got here Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season seven has lately landed within the US, and the animated present has truly taken the time to correctly make us perceive younger Skywalker, increasing each on his legendary exploits and the way the conflict despatched him on a darkish path.

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The first time we heard about Anakin Skywalker was all the best way again within the authentic Star Wars. Ben Kenobi tells Luke about his father, who was not a navigator on a spice freighter, however a valiant Jedi knight who fought within the Clone Wars, “the best star pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior.”

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The Clone Wars offers us an actual have a look at that Anakin Skywalker, who did not simply hate sand, however is as expert with a lightsaber and as sensible as the best Jedi masters. His 501st Legion of clone troopers was one of the best within the Grand Army of the Republic, and when the present focuses on these troopers, like the most recent “Bad Batch arc” from the latest season, we see how well-oiled Skywalker retains his troops.

He is sort of unparalleled as a army chief, and a fearless Jedi. Likewise, episodes specializing in the titular clones, just like the “Darkness on Umbara” set of episodes present us how a lot the clones have grown used to Anakin’s management, and the way totally different a commander he’s in comparison with different Jedi, inspiring loyalty by truly caring about these he fights alongside with.

But as expert or revered as Anakin Skywalker was, he was nonetheless a child who was informed to repress all emotions he had concerning the mom he left behind as a slave as a result of “fear is the path to the Dark Side”. This is the Star Wars equal of “boys don’t cry”.

Disney

In the prequels, Anakin’s flip to the Dark Side got here out within the type of whining at Padmé. In The Clone Wars, we see how Anakin at all times harbored quite a lot of anger, which comes out when he is preventing or coping with fighters from the other aspect of the conflict and criminals.

Yet as a result of we see how expert and profitable he’s as a basic within the military, his actions are merely deemed a bit out of the norm, or rash. One of one of the best issues about The Clone Wars is how usually they present Anakin struggling to maintain his feelings at bay, and the way usually he resorts to fixing conditions violently – like killing a Death Watch sympathizer in chilly blood after he threatens to explode a ship in “Voyage of Temptation,” or Force-choking King Poggle the Lesser throughout an interrogation.

When speaking behind his again, Mace Windu and even Yoda discuss how they take into account Anakin to be unstable and never absolutely in charge of his feelings, however they nonetheless had been compelled to depend on Anakin as a consequence of how efficient he was in battle.

The factor about Anakin’s function in The Clone Wars is that he does resort to excessive and violent strategies, however he does it out of a robust sense of justice and loyalty to his comrades.

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The finest examples come from Anakin’s relationship to his grasp, Obi-Wan, and his padawan, Ahsoka Tano. The Clone Wars continuously reveals Anakin saving Obi-Wan’s life, but in addition asking for recommendation and listening to his grasp.

When Kenobi fakes his personal dying to infiltrate a gang in ‘Deception’ (with out telling his apprentice), Anakin loses his management and goes on a rampage, beating and practically torturing everybody in his path to avenge his grasp. Similarly, Skywalker is fast to let his feelings drive him to just about kill each Asajj Ventress and Barriss Offee when making an attempt to clear Ahsoka’s title after…