It’s been exactly seven months since Star Wars: The Clone Wars released its final episode, and we still aren’t over the fact that the beloved story is over. The seven season long animated series shows the untold stories of the Star Wars prequels, capturing the hearts of fans everywhere. There were happy moments, shocking moments, moments that angered you and moments that made you laugh, but most of all, the emotional moments made this series all the better. We’re breaking down the top 5 most heartbreaking moments in The Clone Wars.
5. Satine dying in Obi-Wan’s arms
Season 5, Episode 16, “The Lawless”
Our fifth favorite heartbreaking moment involves the beloved Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and the leader of Mandalore Duchess Satine Kryze. During The Clone Wars, we learn that Obi-Wan and Satine have a history together — they once loved one another. Obi-Wan goes as far as saying if Satine asked him to, he would’ve left the Jedi Order for her.
The news of conflict on Mandalore between the planet’s government, Death Watch — a terrorist splinter group of Mandalorians, and a criminal organization found by Darth Maul — the Shadow Collective, reached Obi-Wan and he managed to infiltrate the capital city of Mandalore to save Satine. In an attempt to escape, Satine and Obi-Wan were captured and brought to Maul. Due to the long and complicated history between the Sith and the Jedi, Maul declares he wants Kenobi to feel his pain before stabbing Satine with the Darksaber. In the arms of her lover, Satine uses her dying breath to express her eternal love to Obi-Wan.
“Remember, my dear Obi-Wan, I’ve loved you always… I always will.” -Satine Kryze’s final words to Obi-Wan Kenobi
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This moment is so sad because of the fact that we finally learn about Obi-Wan’s true feelings toward the Duchess. Before this moment, Star Wars fans never knew of Obi-Wan possessing any emotions of that nature, and now that we do, he loses her. Knowing the outcome of Revenge of the Sith, the viewer now sees that Obi-Wan has truly lost everyone he has ever loved.
4. 99 dying like the hero he is
Season 3, Episode 2, “ARC Troopers”
Coming in at number four, we have an incredibly moving moment that will pull at your heartstrings. One of the best things about The Clone Wars is that while it focuses on Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and the Jedi Order, it also shares the stories of the millions of clones that fans have come to love. A repeated theme within the series when it comes to the clones is that while they may look the same, they are all unique. One of the first clones we see who is truly unique is 99.
99 is a malformed clone who was deemed unfit to serve in the Grand Army of the Republic during The Clone Wars because his physical abilities were limited and his faster-than-normal rapid aging. He was instead assigned to work janitorial duties in the cloning facilities. 99 befriended the Domino Squad while they were still cadets, and later reunited with Echo and Fives when they came back to the facility. While there, an attack ensues and being the brave soul that he is, 99 joins the soldiers to help defend the city. He fought for his brothers, and during an act of heroism, 99 was shot and killed by a battle droid. Because of his sacrifice to help save the city, his brothers commended 99 as a true soldier.
“We lost a true soldier.”
“He really was one of us.” –Commander Cody and Captain Rex mourning 99
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This moment can break even the toughest hearts. It truly shows the viewers as well as the other clones that no matter how different one may seem, they can be the most caring, loyal, and brave of them all. 99 may have only been in three episodes, but his legacy and sacrifice lives on. Four seasons later, we see a motley crew of clones who are unique like 99, fighting in battles and defending The Republic. Their squad name? Clone Force 99.
3. 501st dying during Order 66
Season 7, Episode 12, “Victory and Death”
This was a huge moment within The Clone Wars. It was the moment Star Wars fans have been waiting for since the first season — Order 66. Instead of following the moments of Anakin during this infamous turn of events, we follow Ahsoka and the 501st Battalion whom we have grown to love throughout the series.
In the last days of The Clone Wars, Anakin splits up the 501st Battalion by sending a group of the soldiers to Mandalore with the 332nd Company to assist Ahsoka in liberating the planet from Maul’s rule. During their journey back to Coruscant, Palpatine declares Order 66. The clones then turn on Ahsoka. In a stressful moment, she gets the inhibitor chip out of Captain Rex’s head, returning him back to normal and the two try to escape while the men she considered her family were in full attack mode.
“You’re a good soldier, Rex. So is every one of those men down there. They may be willing to die, but I am not the one who is going to kill them.” -Ahsoka Tano talking to Captain Rex before facing the 501st during Order 66
After a long and intense battle, Ahsoka and Rex escape off of the falling Star Destroyer where the rest of the 332nd and 501st clones were. Later, Rex lands the Y-wing they escaped in near the Star Destroyer’s crash site, and in a beautifully heartbreaking moment, Ahsoka lays down her lightsabers by the makeshift graves the two made for each of the fallen clones.
We have always know what happened with the group of 501st clones that stayed with Anakin during Order 66: they stormed the Jedi Temple and killed those that lived there, including Jedi younglings, under the leadership of the new Sith Lord Darth Vader. However, this final moment with some of the most beloved clones in the series breaks your heart knowing that they were made to fight a battle they were designed to lose.
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2. Fives dying while trying to expose Palpatine
Season 6, Episode 4, “Orders”
Our number two pick is truly so important in the grand scheme of things. Without this happening, future stories within the galaxy could be extremely different. While season 7 of the series showed what happened during Order 66, the season before touched on the subject through the clone trooper, Fives.
During a military campaign, Tup — another clone trooper and close friend of Fives — killed a Jedi general, completely unaware of what he did. Fives accompanies his friend to Kamino to figure out what is happening. Fives quickly grows suspicious of the cloning facility and investigates on his own. Fives was sent to Coruscant to undergo further tests after telling Jedi Master Shaak Ti about the chip he discovered. Once on Coruscant, Palpatine reveals the truth behind Order 66 to the troubled clone before attacking him. In a moment of self-defense, Fives was framed as a potential assassin and went on the run. Anakin and Rex meet with Fives to get to the bottom of what’s going on, however Fives’s attempts to explain what he knows proves incoherent, and in a desperate attempt to get them to listen, Fives reaches for Rex’s blasters but before exposing the truth, he was shot by another clone.
“This…it’s…bigger than any of us…than anything…I could’ve imagined….I never meant to…I only wanted to do my duty.” – ARC Trooper Fives to Captain Rex before he dies
Rex and Ahsoka are able to survive Order 66 because of Fives. Rex was able to tell her to “find Fives” moments before trying to kill her. Looking through archives, Ahsoka finds a file on Fives and learns about the inhibitor chip, allowing her to save Rex. This moment is truly so sad. Fives was scared and agitated that no one was listening to him, and without being able to convince others of what he knows, he died in his brother’s arms.
1. Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order
Season 5, Episode 20, “The Wrong Jedi”
And finally, coming in at number one for our top five most heartbreaking moments is a monumental scene that changed the course of the Star Wars story as we know it — Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order.
Bariss — another Jedi padawan and friend of Ahoska— sets off a bomb in one of the Jedi temples due to her distain toward the Jedi Council and the war itself, and frames the beloved Togruta for the crime. Ahsoka was labeled a traitor and terrorist, however she was able to escape from imprisonment to set off in hopes of clearing her name. Her master, Anakin, never lost hope and ended up proving her innocence during her trial before the Council. Although her name was cleared, Ahsoka couldn’t dismiss the fact that the Jedi Council didn’t trust her, and this prompted her to leave.
“I’m sorry, Master, but I’m not coming back.” –Ahsoka Tano to Anakin Skywalker
The tearful goodbye is truly felt by the audience. Ahsoka doesn’t want to leave and Anakin doesn’t want her to. It’s gut-wrenching. This heart-shattering moment not only paves the way for her own path, it does the same for Anakin’s. Ahsoka giving up her found family she made within the Jedi Order is thought to be one of the contributing factors into why Anakin went to the dark side becoming Darth Vader.
These are just some of the most heartbreaking moments in The Clone Wars. There are several others that can shatter your heart just as easily. You can stream all seven seasons of the hit show on Disney+ now.
