Lucasfilm If you haven't watched Star Wars: The Clone Wars but consider yourself a fan of the Star Wars franchise, get on it now. Especially because it's returning as part of Disney's upcoming streaming service and celebrates its 10th anniversary Wednesday. The fact that the show, which wrapped up in 2014, merited a 10th anniversary Comic-Con panel underscores its importance to Star Wars fans. Over the course of six seasons, it evolved from a computer animated kiddie tie-in -- serving as a bridge between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith -- to a core part of the franchise, spawning successor shows and fan favorite characters. If you need proof, look no further than the surprise cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which featured a key character who couldn't have appeared if not for developments in The Clone Wars. Even though Clone Wars kicked off a decade ago with a weak movie (it holds a 35 rating on CNET sister site Metacritic) and got abruptly cancelled after five seasons, the series left an unmistakable mark on the franchise. Lucasfilm The show's supervising director, Dave Filoni, went on to create another CG show in Rebels -- which just won a Saturn Award -- the animated Forces of Destiny, and the upcoming Resistance. He's also been promoted to oversee the development of all future Lucasfilm Animation projects. The Clone Wars depicted the massive conflict between the forces of the Galactic Republic, led by Chancellor Palpatine (Ian Abercrombie), and the Confederacy of Independent Systems (better known as the Separatists), led by Count Dooku (Corey Burton). The wrinkle was that Palpatine and Dooku were secretly Sith Lords (Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus) who worked together to orchestrate the war to destabilize the galaxy, solidify Palpatine's power and leave the Jedi vulnerable. While the show largely focused on core characters like Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), it often branched out to focus on random clone troopers or a myriad of other characters caught up in the conflict. So how did The Clone Wars go from badly received movie to the greatest thing to come from the prequel era? Let's look at a few of those elements. Lucasfilm Ahsoka The movie introduced audiences to Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein), Anakin Skywalker's Padawan, and it was hard to know what to make of this new teenager. She was well designed and used a cool reverse grip for her lightsaber. But then there were those cringeworthy nicknames: Ahsoka called Anakin "SkyGuy" and he called her "Snips." (From her snippy attitude and undeveloped lekku/head tails.) As the seasons progressed, and we got more episodes focused on Ahsoka, she emerged as a serious fan favorite and became the heart of the show -- ultimately making an epic return in Rebels. Some of her greatest moments include teaming up with Chewbacca to escape Trandoshan hunters in the final two-parter of Season 2, smoothly taking out four Mandalorians to escape captivity in the fourth season's A Friend in Need, and her fateful decision to become a free agent after being framed for bombing the Jedi Temple in the closing arc of Season 5. Lucasfilm Anakin He's the Man Who Would Be Vader, and his descent into darkness seems like it happens quite quickly in the prequels, so it benefits greatly from the more deliberate pace of a TV show. Even though Anakin is presented as one of The Clone Wars' heroes, the six seasons are cleverly sprinkled with moments that reveal his pride, temper, and ends-justify-the-means mentality. He even employs the infamous Force Choke on a few occasions, but isn't quite as callous or casual about it as he is in this glorious moment. Anakin has some standout moments in the third season's Mortis trilogy, the Citadel prison three-parter from the same season (where he meets someone he'll get to know well as Vader), and during the final arc of Season 5. Lucasfilm Ventress Dogging the Jedi at every turn in the show's early days is Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman), Count Dooku's apprentice. But she evolved beyond that villainous henchwoman role in Season 3, when Dooku tried to kill her at the behest of his own master, Darth Sidious. From this point, her adventures gradually revive her sense of compassion and force her into some surprising alliances. Her slightly flirtatious exchanges with Obi-Wan Kenobi are always fun too. She has plenty of great moments, but her darkly intimate moment with Clone Commander Colt in Season 3's ARC Troopers -- which was censored in initial airings -- is among the best. Ventress' striking look was based on early concept art idea for the character that ultimately became Dooku, as seen in The Art of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Lucasfilm Clones, but far from identical When you have a whole war named after you, you'd better be good. Thankfully, the clone troopers, created from the genetic template of ill-fated bounty hunter Jango Fett, more than met this criteria. Expertly voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, they each display distinct personalities and individual quirks. The clones also form strong bonds with their Jedi generals, adding to the drama when Order 66, which forces them to slaughter the Jedi via an implanted bio-chip, is given in Revenge of the Sith. Some of the show's best episode arcs focus on the clones, including the third season two-part premiere Clone Cadets and ARC Troopers; Season 4's Umbara four-parter; and Season 6's heartbreaking Orders. "The artistry and sophistication of the series was like nothing else out there," Baker said of the show. "This was in large part due to George Lucas' direct involvement, working with director Dave Filoni and the incredible team at Lucas Animation." "The Clone Wars was in fact the best Star Wars since the Original Trilogy. What a thrill to be part of such a groundbreaking series!" Lucasfilm Conflict isn't black and white We know the Clone Wars are based on Darth Sidious' deception, so a gray morality hangs over the series as a whole. On the face of it, the Republic is the heroic side and the Separatists are the villains, but the show often reminds us that things aren't simple. This is best characterized by Lux Bonteri, a Separatist who befriends Ahsoka after she joins Sen. Padme Amidala on a diplomatic mission in the Season 3 episode Heroes on Both Sides (a phrase seen in the opening crawl of Revenge of the Sith). Lux ultimately turns on the Separatists and joins Saw Gerrera's rebels on Onderon. Of course, Saw goes on to become the slightly unhinged radical freedom fighter we see in Rogue One. We also find the Jedi acting in questionable ways, from the overt actions in the fourth season's Umbara four-parter to decisions made by the Council in the latter part of the series. Lucasfilm Scum and villainy The bounty hunters seen on the bridge of Vader's Super Star Destroyer in The Empire Strikes Back are supercool, but we don't see much of them in the movies. Only Boba Fett has truly memorable moments (until his unfortunate/delicious trip into the Sarlacc). The Clone Wars addresses this group by bringing back some of the Original Trilogy hunters (like Bossk and Dengar) and adding a few prequel faces (such as Aurra Sing) and new ones (including Cad Bane). These guys start showing up in Season 2's Bounty Hunters, an amazing homage to Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, and add a new dimension whenever they appear. It's also fun to see a very angry Boba, who appears several times. Lucasfilm Deep explorations of the Force The Clone Wars doesn't shy away from the franchise's high-concept elements, a fact that becomes clear in Season 3's Mortis arc. Ahsoka, Anakin and Obi-Wan find themselves in an ethereal realm and encounter three gods who can wield the Force in amazing ways ... which include offering the characters glimpses of their futures. The final arc of the sixth season sends us on an epic journey with Yoda, where he sees a bleak vision of the future, learns how Qui-Gon Jinn (voiced by Liam Neeson) became a Force ghost and encounters Darth Bane (played by Mark Hamill! ). Lucasfilm Battle of the Sith The Clone Wars rocked the boat when it revealed that Darth Maul survived being bisected by Obi-Wan in The Phantom Menace, but his presence brings up the threat level considerably in Seasons 4 and 5 as he builds up a criminal empire. In one scene, we see Maul (Sam Witwer) leading a group of Mandalorians, and it's hard not to see it as a Sith Lord leading an army of Boba Fetts -- that image alone should immediately convince any Star Wars fan of the need to watch this show. Lucasfilm He even takes on his brother Savage Opress (Clancy Brown), whose name looks sillier on paper than it sounds in the show, as his apprentice, and essentially declares himself a rival Sith to his former master, Sidious. Bad idea. This hubris earns him Sidious' attention and the Dark Lord risks direct action in the Season 5 episode The Lawless, where Sidious takes on Maul and Savage in one of the greatest lightsaber battles in the franchise. Lucasfilm Jar Jar The computer-generated Jar Jar Binks is among the most controversial Star Wars characters -- bringing out some of the fandom's most toxic elements -- but that didn't stop him from engaging in high jinks in some of the show's lighter episodes, played by original actor Ahmed Best. The character makes far more sense in a CGI animated series and manages to help save the day on several occasions, despite his ineptitude. Lucasfilm Legacy Countless fan voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced when The Clone Wars was canceled after Season 5, but the untold stories managed to survive in one form or another. Netflix grabbed season 6 (which includes some of the show's best episodes); Maul's story continued in the Son of Dathomir comic series; and Ventress' arc reached its conclusion in the novel Dark Disciple. We've even been treated to unaired arcs, Crystal Crisis on Utapau and The Bad Batch, which were revealed at Star Wars Celebration conventions and made available online. Their unfinished forms even give us a nice sense of how episodes came together. Lucasfilm The follow-up show, Rebels, is set years later, in the era of the Galactic Empire, but it picks up on several dangling plot threads from The Clone Wars and offers some incredible emotional payoff, especially with its Season 2 finale. And now we know that the show will be returning with 12 new episodes on Disney's untitled streaming service sometime in 2019. For those who haven't watched the show, check out The Clone Wars on Netflix or Amazon, or pick up a Blu-ray/DVD and get ready for one of the greatest Star Wars experiences out there ahead of its return. Now playing: Watch this: Your guide to Star Wars lightsaber colors First published July 15, 6 a.m. PT. Star Wars isn't built for a Marvel-style cinematic universe: Solo had the most disappointing box office opening of any Star Wars movie yet. Is Star Wars really ready for the Marvel treatment? Star Wars at 40: Join us in celebrating the many ways the Force-filled sci-fi saga has impacted our lives.<doc-sep>Now playing: Watch this: Star Wars: The Clone Wars returns Miss the adventures of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano and Obi-Wan Kenobi? Star Wars: The Clone Wars is coming back for 12 brand new episodes for Disney's upcoming streaming service. At Thursday's San Diego Comic-Con Star Wars: Clone Wars panel celebrating the show's 10-year anniversary, supervising director Dave Filoni revealed the award-winning animated series is returning after being cancelled in 2013. This standing ovation came after the crowd just learned The Clone Wars is coming back. #CloneWarsSaved #sdcc18 #StarWars pic.twitter.com/7mNS1N2kNG — Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) July 19, 2018 The trailer for the new season dropped on Thursday, showing Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Clone Trooper Rex and a nice surprise return for Ahsoka Tano. Fans last saw her more recently on Disney's other animated series, Star Wars Rebels, during a later time in the Star Wars saga. It looks like fans will finally get to see the first time Tano works with Skywalker since her departure from the Jedi Order, as The Clone Wars ended right after she walked away. "I'm so excited the secret is out because it is a secret that Filoni had to keep for the past couple of months," Ashley Eckstein (the voice of Ahsoka Tano) said Friday. "It's been dream come true. Clone Wars coming back is something I thought wasn't gonna happen. It was literally such a memorable chapter of my life." A new graphic featuring the hashtag #CloneWarsSaved was also revealed during Thursday's panel. Filoni mentioned before the announcement that he's received countless requests from fans to save The Clone Wars -- even though at the time the show was cancelled it was out of his hands. Actor James Arnold Taylor (the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi) was also elated by the news. He tweeted a video on Thursday saying "I'm excited to see your reactions. It's so exciting to see so many people excited about this because you all did it. Thanks for getting the folks at Lucasfilm and Disney to save The Clone Wars." The new series will see the return of beloved characters, but there are also plenty of storylines still to tell for this revival, with Filoni mentioning on the panel that an entire binder of unused ideas exists and throughout the panel he showed sketches that depicted these so far unmade adventures. These include the Siege of Mandalore, which will involve Tano, and the adventures of a "bad batch" of Clones (which fans can see in a story reel format on Star Wars' website). "Any opportunity to put the final pieces of the story in place is meaningful as a storyteller," Filoni was quote as saying on the official Star Wars site Thursday. "I'm happy for the opportunity to define these things and the end of this part of the Clone Wars." The new Clone Wars is set to return on Disney's untitled streaming service sometime in 2019. First published, July 19, 1:19 p.m. PT. Update, July 20 at 2:38 p.m. PT: Adds reaction from voice actors Ashley Eckstein and James Arnold Taylor.<doc-sep>
Star Wars has recently been on the receiving end of some toxic backlash from fans, causing the franchise to feel the true power of the Dark Side of the Force. Yet one section of the Star Wars universe received nothing but applause at Comic-Con, and it’s already led to a massive wave of support from fandom across the world. It was the news that The Clone Wars, after nearly five long years, has finally been saved. The Clone Wars series began in 2008 with the release of a less-than-impressive feature film pilot, with some instantly questioning if an animated series could deliver. However, the television series which followed ran for six seasons, garnering both critical acclaim and massive fan support for its intelligent storytelling and complex characters. The first five seasons aired on Cartoon Network but, with the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm, the show’s future appeared to be in trouble. The condensed sixth (and final) season, consisting primarily of short stories to tie up loose ends, aired on Netflix and the show ended… Since then, as Dave Filoni – the show’s creator and producer – pointed out, barely a week would go by when people wouldn’t ask him to save The Clone Wars and bring it back to complete the story. Now, in a move which took many by surprise, a new trailer has aired and a new season of the much-beloved show is returning to the screens to wrap up its unfinished business. It’s the best news that the fan community could have hoped for, with the trailer acknowledging the desire for the show’s return. Despite being set during the disappointing prequel trilogy of the Star Wars films, The Clone Wars told an in-depth story of that period of time that the fans wanted to see. Whilst introducing new characters like Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano and delving deeply into the rich mythos of the franchise, it also furthered the descent to the Dark Side of Anakin Skywalker and filled in much of the backstory of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Beyond that, the show’s real gift was to explore the individuality of the seemingly-identical clone troopers like Rex, Cody, Fives, Echo and others. After The Clone Wars’ original run ended, Star Wars: Rebels served as a distant sequel series that took place shortly before the events of the original film, A New Hope. A success in its own right, one of that show’s highlights was the return of Ahsoka and the clone troopers to the Star Wars universe, allowing their stories to continue. Yet for years there has been a gap in their history, which the new season of The Clone Wars looks set to fill in. With the recent levels of criticism aimed at the current trilogy and the box office disappointment of Solo: A Star Wars Story, some have wondered if the franchise needed saving. However, the reaction to news of The Clone Wars’ return has been overwhelmingly positive. For the show that succeeded against all odds, it’s once again surprised everyone and looks set to prove that Star Wars can save itself.