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The first season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, an American 3D action animated television series created by George Lucas, premiered on Cartoon Network on October 3, 2008, and concluded on March 20, 2009. The series was produced by Lucasfilm Animation and Lucasfilm Ltd., and it is preceded by the theatrical film of the same name. Set in the Star Wars universe between Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the season follows Jedi Knights, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the newly introduced Ahsoka Tano, along with clone troopers and other allies, as they battle Separatist forces during the galactic conflict known as the Clone Wars.


ShowrunnerDave Filoni
StarringMatt Lanter
Ashley Eckstein
James Arnold Taylor
Dee Bradley Baker
Matthew Wood
Tom Kane
No. of episodes22
Original networkCartoon Network
Quick facts Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Showrunner ...
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Season 1
ShowrunnerDave Filoni
StarringMatt Lanter
Ashley Eckstein
James Arnold Taylor
Dee Bradley Baker
Matthew Wood
Tom Kane
No. of episodes22
Release
Original networkCartoon Network
Original releaseOctober 3, 2008 (2008-10-03) –
March 20, 2009 (2009-03-20)
Season chronology
Next →
Season 2
List of episodes
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The series was developed to expand on the prequel trilogy’s characters and planets, with Lucas working alongside director Dave Filoni and writer Henry Gilroy. Before its television debut, several early episodes were compiled into a feature film of the same name released theatrically in August 2008. The first episodes, "Ambush," premiered on Cartoon Network to nearly four million viewers, becoming the network's most-watched series debut at the time. While some later episodes saw a dip in ratings, the season finale, "Hostage Crisis," attracted around three million viewers.

The series received mixed reviews, with critics praising the animation style and action sequences, but noting uneven writing and themes. The episode “Lair of Grievous” won a Golden Reel Award for sound editing, and composer Kevin Kiner received an Annie Award nomination for his musical work on the show. The full season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in November 2009. It later became available for streaming on ITunes, Amazon and Disney+. Due to the show's popularity, it was preserved as part of the franchise canon following Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012.

Development

Concept and creation

George Lucas conceived an animated Star Wars series during the production of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), aiming to flesh out the adventures of Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, as well as explore the characters and planets introduced in the prequel trilogy. Despite initially planning to end the story with Episode III, he decided to move forward with an in-house animated series.[1][2]

In August 2005, Lucas confirmed that two Star Wars-themed television projects were underway: an animated series and a live-action series.[3] In February 2006, Steve Sansweet detailed that the animated series would use CG, 3-dimensional animation, similar to Toy Story, and would be set during the Clone Wars period between the prequels.[4] In March 2007, at the William S. Paley Television Festival, Lucas confirmed that the series would be 3D animated and consist of 100 episodes, describing it as a "test" for a larger project. He said it would capture the ambiance of the live-action films and push the boundaries of television animation.[5]

Lucas explained that the tone would vary, with some episodes being more comedic, though it would avoid "Saturday morning" humor. The series would be episodic rather than serialized, allowing it to explore stories beyond the central Skywalker narrative.[5] He teased episodes focused on side characters like the Clone Troopers, including one centered entirely on Jedi Kit Fisto, a minor character from the prequel films.[5] At the time, Lucas noted his team was producing the first 100 episodes without a network deal, though he was confident one would be secured.[5]

In late August of that year, Catherine Winder described the series as being produced in a way "akin to an anthology series", she explained, this format allows each 22-minute episode to stand on its own, enabling viewers to jump in at any point and quickly get oriented. While some episodes are action-driven, many focus on personal, character-based stories, offering deeper insight into both familiar and lesser-known characters from the Star Wars universe and it follows the "goal and spirit" of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977).[6]

Lucas made the unusual decision to wait until nearly the end of production on the first season before pitching the series to television networks in early 2007.[1] Initially, none showed interest. Fox Broadcasting Company, which distributed the prequel films, declined. Cartoon Network, which had previously aired Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003–2005), was also unenthusiastic.[1] However, interest shifted after Lucas chose to release a theatrical film of the same name.[1] Around the same time, Stuart Snyder, president of Cartoon Network flew to San Francisco to screen several episodes, calling it a "game-changing" series.[7] The film, released in August 2008,[8] combined several episodes as a prelude to the series. Its main story came from a three-episode arc, "Castle of Deception", "Castle of Doom" and "Castle of Salvation", while the opening sequence, "The New Padawan", introduced Ahsoka Tano.[9]

Production

Filoni initially proposed a series centered on a group of recurring characters traveling aboard a spaceship similar to the Millennium Falcon, including a Jedi apprentice named Ashla, and her Jedi Master.[note 1] Working with Henry Gilroy, Filoni discussed these early ideas and introduced characters like Rotta and his father, Ziro,[11] aiming to create a story that wouldn’t interfere with existing continuity, featuring only occasional appearances by film characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.[11] However, Lucas rejected this approach, insisting the series focus on film characters.[11] As a result, Ashla was reimagined as Ahsoka, Anakin's Padawan, and characters like Rotta and Ziro were integrated into the film.[11]

Although the concept of a young female Padawan was originally meant for Obi-Wan, Lucas reassigned her to Anakin to break their repetitive dynamic and emphasize his growth from apprentice to equal.[12] Filoni and Gilroy developed Ahsoka as a blend of "Anakin’s brashness and Obi-Wan’s measured judgment," reflecting the shift from Republic to Empire. Filoni explained, "Ahsoka is between them, looking back at what was, looking forward to what might be".[12] Lucas also intended Ahsoka to help mature Anakin, who was portrayed as a "wild child" with a strained relationship with Obi-Wan after Attack of the Clones. Drawing from his experience as a father, Lucas felt a teenage girl would be just as challenging for Anakin to mentor as a boy.[13]

The season also introduced two new types of droids: the tactical droid and the commando droid. The first one was developed to present a more efficient villain, with its voice partially inspired by the robot Lucifer from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series.[14] The second one, a hybrid of the standard and super battle droids, was designed with a human-like silhouette and posed a greater threat to clone soldiers and Jedi due to its superior intelligence and speed.[15]

Each episode begins with a moral theme, called "The Jedi cookie", followed by a brief recap.[6] The stories emphasize "cause and effect," aiming to teach valuable lessons through characters' choices. Winder noted the show is crafted for a family audience, offering meaningful content.[6] The first episode, "Ambush", reintroduced Yoda with an exaggerated, stylized appearance with the trooper, contrasting with his serious portrayal in the prequel films.[16] The episode features a poignant scene between Yoda and his troopers, echoing Luke Skywalker's training on Dagobah in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980), where the Jedi eases their self-doubts by praising their traits.[17] Despite the negative reception of Jar Jar Binks in the prequels, he appears in the episode "Bombad Jedi", as Lucas wanted him during the war period. The episode is framed as a fairy tale, with Padmé as the princess in distress, C-3PO as the servant, and the sea monster Kwazel Maw replacing a dragon.[18] The episode "Jedi Crash" further develops Aayla Secura, who first appeared in Star Wars: Republic comics and briefly in the prequels. For Filoni, it was an opportunity to portray her as Ahsoka’s older sister and was initially planned to have a rough voice and American accent, but a French accent was chosen instead, helping to define her personality.[19]

The episode arc of "Defenders of Peace", inspired by Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954), introduces a pacifist perspective through the Lurmen people.[20] The following episode, "Trespass", draws inspiration from the American frontier conquest, where pioneers are threatened by indigenous people superior in numbers.[21] The final arc, consisting of episodes 19-21 ("Storm Over Ryloth", "Innocents of Ryloth" and "Liberty on Ryloth"), is set on the planet Ryloth and depicts the consequences of war. Originally, in the first episode of the arc, Anakin was meant to participate in the battle between the Republic and the Separatists over Ryloth. However, Lucas suggested leaving Anakin on the cruiser’s bridge to help build his confidence in Ahsoka.[22]

Soundtracks

The sound design was created by Ben Burtt, with a team from Skywalker Sound: David Acord, Juan Peralta, and Matthew Wood. All three had previously worked on the prequel films, ensuring it sounds like Star Wars.[23] Peralta notes, "The entire crew considers each episode a mini-feature, and we are used to doing film-quality work".[23] Acord creates new sounds using "real-world items", like "vibrating back massagers on a vinyl record", for the Malevolence arc (episodes 2–3).[23] Wood edits the sounds together, including the dialogue, while Peralta mixes the sound with the music.[23]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guest stars

Broadcast and ratings

Stuart Snyder, president of Cartoon Network, built an "action-adventure block" around the series, aligns with the network’s core audience. Snyder views the series as a "mini movie" with broad appeal, engaging kids, particularly boys aged 6 to 14, as well as their parents who grew up with the franchise.[7] On October 3, 2008, Cartoon Network premiered a one-hour presentation of the first two episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, beginning with "Ambush," at 9 p.m.[24] in the U.S., becoming Cartoon Network’s most-watched series debut with total of 3.96 million viewers.[8][note 2]

The premiere dominated its time slot across all major kids' networks, delivering the highest ratings ever for a Cartoon Network original series debut. It attracted 1.8 million viewers aged 2–11, 1.4 million aged 6–11, and 1.2 million viewers aged 9–14.[25] Compared to the same time slot in 2007, these numbers marked huge increases: 125% for ages 2–11, 120% for 6–11, and 91% for 9–14. Boys, in particular, drove the surge, with viewership jumping by roughly 150% across all demographics.[27]

Despite its strong start, the rest of the episodes experienced a dip, hitting a low point with episode nine, "Cloak of Darkness," which drew just 1.95 million viewers.[28] However, the following episodes such as "Blue Shadow Virus" attracted 2.94 million viewers,[29] and "Liberty on Ryloth” garnered 3.01 million.[30] The season finale, "Hostage Crisis," aired on March 20, 2009,[31] and marked a high point with 3.29 million viewers.[32]

Continuity

The announcement of the animated feature film and the series sparked debate over their place in the Star Wars canon. The debate centered on their timeline and conflicts with existing continuity. Writer Henry Gilroy explained that Lucasfilm followed a tiered canon system,[note 3] and to accommodate the series, continuity expert Leland Chee introduced "T-canon," a new tier specifically for television content.[33]

In 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm and overhauled the Star Wars canon. To create a more consistent storyline, nearly all pre-2014 content, except the six original films was rebranded as Star Wars Legends, a separate timeline where the sequel trilogy does not exist. According to IGN, The Clone Wars was one of the few pre-Disney projects retained in the official canon, due to its popularity and narrative significance.[34]

Reception

The season was better received than the theatrical film, due in part to the length of the episodes allowing for more action and suspense and a shift towards a more adult audience than the feature film.[35][36] Barry Garron of The Hollywood Reporter noted its "as close to 3-D as you can without wearing those dorky glasses," praising its ability to "reflect the style, attitude, ideals and spirit of the six Star Wars films."[37] Chicago Tribune noted the series' better pacing compared to the prequel films, but criticized the series' worlds as being bland and lifeless despite the " technically impressive" 3D animation.[38]

Similarly, Den of Geek called the animation "fluid and impressive," particularly in lightsaber duels and space battles.[39] However, Martin Hoyle of the Financial Times criticized the character designs as "rehashed Thunderbirds with a dash of Japanese anime," finding the humans unnervingly artificial.[40]

Critics were divided on the show's writing. Eric Goldman of IGN acknowledged its "taut and involving" episodes like "Rookies," which showcased the Clone Troopers' perspectives, but lamented the "wacky, silly" Battle Droids and Jar Jar Binks' return as low points.[41] Tony Patterson od Slate dismissed the series as "pinball on a cosmic scale," arguing it prioritized sensation over substance, with Patterson calling it "expendable" storytelling.[42] Conversely, SciFiNow noted a "clear rise in quality" as the season progressed, praising its darker themes and character development for the Clone Troopers.[43]

While some critics, like Rafe Telsch of CinemaBlend, declared the series a "horrific blight" that marked the death of Star Wars for older fans,[44] others saw merit in its appeal to younger audiences with Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times argued the shift to animation was a "natural outcome" of Lucas' digital-focused filmmaking, though he found Ahsoka Tano's character polarizing.[45] Over time, the series gained a cult following, with Den of Geek noting its "surprisingly effective character moments" and deeper exploration of the Clone Troopers' humanity.[39]

At the 2009 Golden Reel Awards, episode “Lair of Grievous” won the award for Best Sound Editing in Television Animation. The sound editing was led by Matthew Wood and David Acord. The award recognized the sound effects, foley, dialogue, and ADR for the animated television series.[46] Later that year, Kevin Kiner received a nomination for his musical work on the show, particularly for the episode "Rising Malevolence," at Annie Awards for Music in a Television Production.[47] Additionally, the series scoured a nomination for Best Animated Film and Saturn Award for Best Network Television Series at the 2009 Saturn Awards.[48][49]

Media

Three rows of DVD box sets in black and red.
DVD box sets of the complete season in the United States.

The series was first made available for streaming on iTunes the day after each episode aired, beginning Saturday, October 4, 2008. Episodes were also released a week later on the Cartoon Network and Star Wars websites. Lucasfilm also released a free 30-minute behind-the-scenes special on iTunes.[50] Later, the series became available on Amazon and Disney+.[51][52]

The first home media release came in March 2009 with A Galaxy Divided, a DVD featuring the first four episodes.[53] The Walmart edition featured episode six as a bonus.[54] In Septembe of that year, Clone Commandos, was released with episodes 5 and 19–21.[55] The full season was then released on DVD and Blu-ray in November 2009.[56]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Complete Season 1
Set details[56] Special features[56]
  • 22 episodes
  • DVD: 4-disc set
  • Blu-ray: 3-disc set
  • Widescreen presentation
  • Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
  • Audio: 5.1 DTS (English, Spanish, French)
  • Seven Director's Cut Episodes;
    • "Rising Malevolence"
    • "Shadow of Malevolence"
    • "Lair of Grievous"
    • "Rookies"
    • "Storm Over Ryloth"
    • "Innocents of Ryloth"
    • "Liberty on Ryloth"
  • Episodic featurettes;
    • behind-the-scenes for every episode with Director Dave Filoni and his team
  • 64-page production journal contains sketches, artist notes, and concept art for each episode
  • Hidden and never-before-seen content
  • Blu-ray Exclusive:
    • Jedi Temple Archives – an extensive digital database with – test footage, early concept art, 3-D character/ turnarounds, and early animation
Release dates
Region 1[56] Region 4[57]
November 3, 2009 December 9, 2009

Notes

  1. [1]
    This later inspired Star Wars Rebels.[10]
  2. [2]
    The previous record was held by Ben 10: Alien Force, which debuted on April 18, 2008, with 2.9 million viewers.[25] However, The Clone Wars' record was surpassed on September 13, 2009, by the television film, Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, which drew 6.1 million viewers.[26]
  3. [3]
    For more in depth definition, see Star Wars in other media#Holocron database and canonicity

References

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