As one of Star Wars‘ most popular and beloved eras, the Clone Wars have been incredibly fleshed out in animation, novels, comics, and more, but there are always more stories to tell. Ever since bits and pieces of this galactic conflict were shown in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, audiences have been eager for a glimpse at as many Clone Wars battles as possible. The animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars is regarded as one of Star Wars’ best TV shows, but after Ahsoka brought this war back to live-action, people have been wanting more.
Of course, there’s no purpose in simply redoing what already exists in the animated series in live-action, especially when there are plenty of untold stories. To simply recreate moments from The Clone Wars on a scale bigger than what Ahsoka accomplished would, in a way, invalidate the animation medium, which is certainly not the desired purpose of telling more Clone Wars stories in live-action. Here is a list of 10 different untold stories and battles from the Clone Wars that could be put into live-action, feeding this desire for live-action stories while avoiding remakes of existing content.
10 Captain Rex & R2-D2’s “Top Gun” Adventure On Ryloth’s Moons
This Duo Would Be An Iconic Pairing
Captain Rex and R2-D2’s adventure on the moons of Ryloth is one of the lost stories from The Clone Wars that would have made it into the animated show had it not been canceled. Described as a Top Gun kind of story, this journey would have seen Rex piloting a fighter with R2 as his astromech, a result of R2 insulting another astromech during an argument between clone infantry soldiers and clone pilots. Unfortunately, however, Rex and R2 would be shot down over Ryloth’s moons, leaving them stranded until they could figure out a way back on their own.
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Seeing as Top Gun has had its own revival as of late with 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, having a Star Wars adventure based on this franchise would be an absolute delight, especially with characters as beloved as Rex and R2. The pair already have a dynamic established, thanks to Rex’s many adventures at Jedi General Anakin Skywalker’s side, and it can certainly be chaotic at times. Bringing this particular story to live-action would allow R2 to make a return, while also allowing Rex to star in a live-action story for the first time.
Captain Rex made his live-action debut in
Ahsoka
, but only for two brief appearances in flashbacks.
9 Yoda & The Bad Batch On Kashyyyk
It’s Even Been Referenced In Star Wars Canon
Another one of the unmade The Clone Wars stories takes place on Kashyyyk, the homeworld of the Wookiees, and follows Yoda and Clone Force 99. This Jedi general would have been paired with the experimental clone unit to help the Wookiees fight a key battle, something that Chewbacca would also have played a big role in. The purpose of this story was to explain why Yoda says he has good relations with the Wookiees in Revenge of the Sith, and despite not being made, The Bad Batch sees Clone Force 99 reference this mission when returning to Kashyyyk.
There’s already heightened interest in live-action appearances by the Bad Batch, given how beloved they’ve become thanks to Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and perhaps no dynamic would be more fascinating than Yoda and these unruly clones. Of course, it would also be thrilling to see Chewbacca, especially if Joonas Suotamo were to reprise the role yet again. Viewers have been asking for more of Kashyyyk in live-action ever since it was first glimpsed in Revenge of the Sith, and there’s no better time than the present.
8 The Battle Of Sarrish & A Difficult Loss For The Republic
The Battle Where Gregor Went Missing In Action
There aren’t many pivotal battles from The Clone Wars that haven’t already been seen in animation, but the Battle of Sarrish is certainly one of them. Not much is known about this battle, other than the fact that it ended up being a devastating loss for the Galactic Republic – one that was severe enough to be considered one of the worst Republic defeats during the entirety of the galactic conflict. It was in this battle that Clone Commander Gregor led his men just before his shuttle was shot down, and he barely survived after being stranded on Abafar.
It’s not often that the Republic’s losses are explored in stories like The Clone Wars, which would make this a fascinating focus. Given how pivotal it was to the greater conflict, it’s certainly worth seeing. Shining some light on Gregor and his clones would also provide viewers with a chance to see Clone Commandos in live-action, who have long since been a beloved type of clone trooper. It would no doubt be a darker exploration of the Clone Wars, but for many viewers, this is something they have already been craving.
7 The First Battle Of Felucia (Before The Republic’s Retreat)
How This Key Loss Came To Be
The Battle of Sarrish, however, was not the Republic’s only big loss. The First Battle of Felucia saw the Republic forced to retreat, a scene that was glimpsed in The Clone Wars, as it ultimately led to Ahsoka Tano being assigned to the Jedi Archives at the Coruscant Jedi Temple. This is only a small fraction of the fight, though, and it would have taken a variety of interesting factors to ultimately lead to the Republic retreating. As the first battle to take place on Felucia, it’s important to understand what exactly happened there, and what lessons were learned.
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This is especially true in the context of Revenge of the Sith. Jedi General Aayla Secura is famously killed on Felucia during Order 66, and at that point, her presence on the planet would have been the Republic’s third excursion to that world. Felucia was clearly key to its entire sector, as Obi-Wan Kenobi notes that retreating from the First Battle of Felucia led to a loss of control in that sector, and that means Felucia overall played a key role in the Clone Wars. This influence could have very well begun during this conflict.
It’s also possible that Clone Force 99 was present at this battle, given the fact that Tech references a mission or battle on Felucia in
The Bad Batch
‘s premiere.
6 The Mission To Cato Neimoidia
As Depicted In The Brotherhood Novel
The mission to Cato Neimoidia has been iconic ever since it was dropped casually in dialogue between Anakin and Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith, and though that story has since been told in Mike Chen’s novel Brotherhood, it would still be a thrill to see in live-action. Taking place just after Anakin is given Jedi Knighthood, this mission covers a perfect amount of both political tension and thrilling action. Even better is Anakin yet again coming to his master’s rescue, just for things to quickly go much differently than planned.
Because this has long since been such an iconic reference from the prequel trilogy, it would be incredible to witness it in live-action, if only in bits and pieces. This is especially true because of Asajj Ventress’ participation in the matter. As a fan-favorite antagonist of the Clone Wars era, Ventress certainly deserves a live-action debut, and this would present a perfect opportunity for her to do so. This would also give Anakin and Obi-Wan yet another fight to lead together, even if many of their other Clone Wars conflicts also saw them at the front lines.
5 The Devastating Battle Of Hypori
When The Republic Forces Were Crushed By Grievous
There are a few reasons why the devastating Battle of Hypori stands out so much, but the most notable is the fact that this battle led to the devastation of Republic forces on this world, and thus a major demoralization of two separate clone battalions. The Battle of Hypori took place just after Christophsis, a very notable Clone Wars conflict, and saw both the 442nd and the 212th crushed under General Grievous’ forces. Many clone troopers, and several Jedi, were killed in the conflict, all of which occurred around the time Obi-Wan took leadership of the 212th.
The Battle of Hypori was shown in the
Star Wars: Clone Wars
microseries, but is no longer considered canon.
This would be a key event to explore, as it ultimately led to Obi-Wan gaining trust among his men as he attempted to recover their morale following this devastating Republic loss. It also has more Star Wars significance; this battle was first mentioned in Star Wars canon in Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno, where the husk of a ship that crashed into the planet during the battle still stood as a reminder of what had happened. This rich history would certainly be rewarded even more if the battle were to come to life, despite its devastation.
4 How Anakin Skywalker Got His Iconic Scar
Where Did It Come From (In Canon)?
The backstory of how Anakin got the iconic scar over his eye has been sought out ever since it was first seen in Revenge of the Sith. In the Star Wars Legends continuity, it was Ventress who dealt Anakin this scar, though Legends is no longer considered canon. Star Wars has yet to tell this story in the new continuation of canon, which means that there is a rich opportunity to show this event on screen in a live-action retelling of the story.
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If Star Wars decides to keep the same, or a similar, story for Anakin’s scar, then this would be another opportunity to bring Ventress to live-action. Star Wars could even take inspiration from Anakin and Ventress’ iconic duel in the Star Wars: Clone Wars 2003 microseries, which was also categorized as Legends in 2014. Either way, this is clearly a story that deserves to be told, or at least retold, and audiences would no doubt be thrilled to see this moment come to life, especially with the scar being such an iconic part of Anakin’s look.
3 … & How Notable Clones Got Their Scars
Cody, Wrecker, Howzer, & More
Anakin, however, isn’t the only notable Clone Wars figure with a missing scar backstory. Commander Cody has, arguably, an even more iconic scar than Anakin’s own, and yet a backstory as to how it happened has never been provided. Wrecker of Clone Force 99 also has a scar that runs along the side of his head, which, similarly to Commander Wolffe, has caused his eye to whiteout, and Captain Howzer has a long scar over his cheek and jaw. These are just a few of the many clones who have gotten such scars without stories to match.
Given how beloved the clones are, with the praise for The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch serving as evidence of such, it would certainly be worth exploring these stories in live-action with the clones. This is especially true should these stories interweave into other significant Clone Wars moments, or involve other major characters from this era. These scars may have originated as simple character designs, but if anyone can make stories out of that, it’s Star Wars.
2 Boba Fett & Cad Bane’s First Showdown
Giving Boba His Iconic Dented Helmet
One of the most devastating results of the lost stories from The Clone Wars following its cancelation was a team-up between Cad Bane and Boba Fett, two of the Star Wars galaxy’s greatest bounty hunters. This storyline would have eventually led into a showdown between the legendary Duros bounty hunter and the son of Jango Fett, which would have left Cad Bane dead and Boba with his iconic dented helmet. While elements of this story have changed in canon, with Cad Bane surviving, there’s still evidence that this showdown occurred.
For one, Boba’s helmet is, of course, still dented, and Cad Bane has metal plating on his head where he had taken the lethal shot in this unfinished The Clone Wars arc. Boba and Cad Bane also reference their history in The Book of Boba Fett, when they have another showdown in Mos Espa. Because of this added context, it would be even more thrilling to see the first showdown in live-action, with Boba nearly killing Cad Bane and earning that iconic dent in his helmet. It could even enhance the damaged legacy of The Book of Boba Fett.
1 The Crystal Crisis On Utapau
Anakin & Obi-Wan’s Discussion About Ahsoka Leaving The Jedi Order
One of the final unmade stories from The Clone Wars was known as the Crystal Crisis arc, which would have taken place on Utapau and followed Obi-Wan and Anakin. With Grievous and the Separatists out to get a massive kyber crystal, it was up to Obi-Wan and Anakin to keep the crystal safe, a story that would have spanned four total episodes. While this entire story would certainly be worth seeing, especially with the creativity of Anakin avoiding Grievous due to their exchange in Revenge of the Sith, there’s one particular moment that certainly deserves a live-action spotlight.
In one of these episodes, Obi-Wan and Anakin discuss Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order, a conversation that’s mostly composed of Anakin angrily ruminating over how things happened while Obi-Wan insists it was Ahsoka’s own decision. Anakin, however, spins it on Obi-Wan, asking how his former master would feel if Anakin ever failed him in such a way. Obi-Wan insists that such a failure from Anakin will never happen, and viewers are left with the heaviness of knowing that this catastrophic failure will soon come into being. This Star Wars moment is highly significant, and truly ought to be seen.