A galaxy far, far away has been around for a long, long time. In just a few years, Star Wars will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, currently encoming 12 movies and many live-action and animated television shows. 4192c

Over that time the franchise has amassed a glittering array of stars who’ve walked the Tatooine sands, swung a lightsaber, or piloted an X-Wing. Sadly, the steady age of time means many of them are no longer with us. So, here are the prominent Star Wars actors who have died.

James Earl Jones (Darth Vader) 586r2e

Darth Vader is the most iconic character in Star Wars, and James Earl Jones’ vocal performance is responsible for most of that fame. From the moment Vader strides onto the screen in A New Hope his deep bass voice defines him as a terrifying and intimidating figure.

Jones periodically returned to the franchise to voice Vader across movies, TV shows, and video games. He gave his final performance as Vader in the 2022 Disney Plus show Obi-Wan Kenobi, albeit with a boost from AI.

But, of course, Jones wasn’t just Darth Vader. His credits include Mufasa in The Lion King (both the animated and live action versions), Field of Dreams, The Hunt for Red October, Coming to America, and Doctor Strangelove. He also had a glittering career on stage, was a Korean War veteran, and used his fame to fight for social justice.

Jones died at age 93 on Sept. 9 2024 of undisclosed causes, but his voice will live on forever.

Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa) 4z4i

Carrie Fisher surely needs no introduction to Star Wars fans. Princess Leia became an instant cultural icon when A New Hope hit screens in 1977 and went on to become a pivotal character in the Original Trilogy. Fisher reprised the role three decades later for The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, with Lucasfilm assembling a posthumous performance in The Rise of Skywalker from unused footage.

Outside of Star Wars, Fisher was a critically acclaimed author and script doctor. Her books Postcards from the Edge, Wishful Drinking, and The Princess Diarist are excellent reads and she was an uncredited script doctor on many major Hollywood movies, including Sister Act, The Wedding Singer, and Hook. She even worked on The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones screenplays to punch up the dialogue.

Beyond Star Wars, Fisher gave memorable performances in The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally, Hannah and her Sisters and picked up two Emmy nominations for her guest roles on 30 Rock and Catastrophe.

On Dec. 23, 2016, Fisher suffered a medical emergency while on board a flight from London to Los Angeles. On landing, she was rushed to intensive care, though never regained consciousness and died on Dec. 27, 2016.

Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi) 5i4570

Alec Guinness was famously dismissive of Star Wars and was unhappy in his later years that, after a long career, all people wanted to talk about was Obi-Wan Kenobi. He said, “Apart from the money, I regret having embarked on the film,” dismissed George Lucas’ dialogue as “lamentable,” and even claimed, “It’s not an acting job.”

Guinness had a point. Long before he ever ignited a lightsaber he was renowned for his performances in Ealing comedies Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Lavender Hill Mob, and The Ladykillers. In 1957 he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Bridge on the River Kwai and picked up a writing nomination in 1958 for adapting the novel The Horse’s Mouth.

Presumably to his surprise, he also acquired an Oscar nomination as Best ing Actor for A New Hope, Regardless of whether he liked it or not, Obi-Wan remains the role he’s most strongly identified with (that whirring sound you hear is him spinning furiously in his grave). Guinness died at age 86 in August 2000 after being diagnosed with prostate and liver cancer.

Christopher Lee (Count Dooku) 26ub

Christopher Lee was a screen icon long before Star Wars debuted, making a name for himself as Count Dracula in numerous Hammer Horror movies. It was likely with these in mind that Lucas chose Lee as Attack of the Clones‘ villain Count Dooku. Predictably, Lee delivered the goods, going so far as to perform the lightsaber battles himself (though a stunt double was used for some longer shots.)

Dooku was a big part of Lee’s late-career renaissance, as the movies released concurrently with his performance as Saruman in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Lee would reprise the role of Dooku in Revenge of the Sith and provide his voice for the 2008 The Clone Wars movie.

Lee died at age 93 in June 2015 after being itted to hospital for respiratory problems and heart failure.

Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin) 239q

Like Christopher Lee (whom he was close friends with) Peter Cushing had a memorable career in Hammer Horror long before Star Wars, notably playing Baron Frankenstein and Van Helsing in multiple movies. Cushing was George Lucas’ first choice for Grand Moff Tarkin, believing that A New Hope needed a lead villain whose face was visible (as opposed to the masked Darth Vader).

Cushing adored A New Hope, with his only regret that Tarkin being killed in the Death Star explosion meant he couldn’t return for the sequels. Cushing died in August 1994 at the age of 81, though Tarkin was (controversially) digitally resurrected for 2016’s Rogue One.

Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) 2e513t

We may have never seen Peter Mayhew’s face in any Star Wars movie, but we certainly felt his presence. Mayhew was 7’3 tall, making him the ideal actor to play Chewbacca, something George Lucas instantly recognized when he met him. Aside from playing Chewie on film, Mayhew regularly appeared as the character in hospital appearances for sick children and was a constant presence at fan events.

Mayhew reprised the role for The Force Awakens, though retired from the role for health reasons and was replaced by Joonas Suotama (Mayhew was the “Chewbacca consultant” for The Last Jedi). Mayhew died of a heart attack in April 2019 at age 74.

David Prowse (Darth Vader) 203l30

David Prowse was the man under Darth Vader’s armor throughout the original trilogy, with his imposing stature and movement key to bringing the villain to life. Prowse was famously under the impression that he’d also be voicing Vader during A New Hope, though his strong West Country accent led him to be dubbed “Darth Farmer” by the cast.

Prowse was key to bringing Vader to life in the original trilogy, though in later years had a long-running feud with Lucasfilm over residual payments. He died in November 2020 aged 85 of an unspecified illness, with George Lucas releasing a statement that he was “essential for the character.”

Kenny Baker (R2-D2) 6e5r3r

Kenny Baker began his showbiz career in 1951 when he was approached on the street by a woman inviting him to a “theatrical troupe of dwarfs and midgets.” He went on to specialize in ice skating and ice shows, as well as leading the successful comedy act the Mini-Tones.

But it was with Star Wars that he made his name as everyone’s favorite beeping trashcan R2-D2. Baker played the role in both the original and prequel trilogies, as well as playing the Ewok that steals the speeder biker in Return of the Jedi. Baker was set to reprise the role once more for The Force Awakens, but his physical health meant he ended up as a consultant.

Baker died in August 2016 after suffering a long lung illness.

Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) 6f1i5m

Boba Fett may have minimal screen time in the original trilogy, but it’s easy to see why Star Wars fans latched onto this competent and ruthless masked bounty hunter. Jeremy Bulloch was the man inside the Boba Fett costume during the original trilogy, though the voice was provided by Jason Wingreen (who was himself overdubbed with Temuera Morrison in later releases).

Bulloch also appeared in two other minor roles: as the Imperial officer who grabs Leia when she tells Luke that Vader is setting a trap in The Empire Strikes Back and in Revenge of the Sith as Captain Colton, the Alderaanian pilot who flies Obi-Wan, Bail Organa, and Yoda to Coruscant.

Bulloch battled Parkinson’s disease for several years and died in hospital in December 2020, aged 75.

Sebastian Shaw (Anakin Skywalker) 2l4c6j

Sebastian Shaw’s time in Star Wars can be measured in seconds, though every one of them counts. Shaw plays the dying Anakin Skywalker in the closing scenes of Return of the Jedi, finally revealing the sad and injured old man under the imposing armor. Prior to this, Shaw had a long career on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Lucas cast him on the basis of that experience.

Shaw also appeared as a Force Ghost in the final scene of the movie, though his performance was controversially erased in the 2004 release and replaced with Hayden Christensen.

Post-release, Shaw was surprised and delighted by the attention his brief performance received and was inundated with fan mail and autograph requests. Shaw died of natural causes in Dec. 1994 at the age of 89.

Ray Stevenson (Gar Saxon / Baylan Skoll) 1h47p

Ray Stevenson’s Baylan Skoll was arguably the single best thing about Disney Plus’ Ahsoka. Baylan is a mysterious fallen Jedi turned mercenary, though, over the first season, we gradually learned he had greater aspirations to end the cycle of war and peace at the heart of Star Wars. Sadly we will never get to see Stevenson complete Baylan’s story, as he died of a heart condition on May 21, 2023.

But Ahsoka wasn’t Stevenson’s first Star Wars role. In Rebels and The Clone Wars, he voiced Gar Saxon, a Mandalorian super commando who became the Imperial Viceroy of Mandalore during the reign of the Galactic Empire.

Aside from Star Wars, Stevenson was known for playing Frank Castle in The Punisher: War Zone, as the Asgardian Volstagg in the MCU’s Thor movies, and as Titus Pullo in Rome.

Carl Weathers (Greef Karga) 3xe4b

“MANDO!” Carl Weathers’ The Mandalorian hero Greef Karga was one of the most charismatic and energetic characters in the show, with an arc taking him from the leader of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild to the High Magistrate of Nevarro. Throughout he was a staunch ally to Din Djarin and Grogu, participating in most of their major battles.

Weathers adored the role, describing it as “one of the greatest things that’s happened in all of the years that I’ve been in entertainment”, and was rightly nominated for an Emmy. He went on to direct two episodes of the show, both of which can be ranked amongst its best.

And, of course, Weathers was already a full-on icon for his roles in the Rocky franchise, Predator, Toy Story and Arrested Development (amongst many more). Beyond all that, he was also an NFL linebacker, playing for the Oakland Raiders in the early 1970s. What a life.

Weathers died on Feb. 1, 2024 at the age of 76 from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Other notable deaths 316xc

We must also tip our hat to some other Star Wars luminaries. Several Ewok actors in Return of the Jedi have died: Paul Grant at age 56 in March 2023, Gary Friedkin at age 70 in Dec. 2022, Jack Purvis at age 60 in Nov. 1997, and Felix Silla at age 84 in April 2021.

Two X-Wing pilots have also left us: Red Leader actor Drewe Henley died at age 75 in Feb. 2016 and Porkins’ actor William Hootkins died at age 57 in 2005. Phil Brown played Owen Lars in A New Hope and died aged 89 in Feb. 2006, with Beru Lars actor Shelagh Fraser dying aged 79 in Aug. 2000.

The original voice of Boba Fett, Jason Wingreen, died at age 95 on Dec. 25 2015. Alex McCrindle, who played General Dodonna in A New Hope died at age 78 in April 1990. John Hollis played Lobot in The Empire Strikes Back and died aged 77 in 2005. Clive Revill voiced Emperor Palpatine in the theatrical release of The Empire Strikes Back, and died at age 94 on Mar. 11, 2025.

Eddie Byrne made his final film appearance before his death as General Willard in A New Hope and died aged 70 in Aug. 1981. Larry Ward voiced Greedo in A New Hope and Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi and died at age 63 in 2007. Finally, Declan Mulholland, whose performance as a human version of Jabba the Hutt was cut from A New Hope entirely, died in June 1999 at the age of 66.

The premiere episode of Ahsoka once again featured the Dathomirian loyalist known as Morgan Elsbeth, confirming that she is indeed working to bring back Grand iral Thrawn in a last-ditch effort to resurrect the Empire. Elsbeth also claims to be a member of the Nightsisters, an organization that has played a key role in the political upheavals of the galaxy far, far away since before Palpatine’s rise to power.

The Nightsisters of Dathomir are a mystical group of Force-wielding individuals mostly associated with the dark side. Though there’s no record of their real origins, a lot of people think the Daughters of Dathomir first learned about the Force through an exiled Jedi known as Allya, but the Order denies having ever trained a person by that name. Whatever their roots, the Dathomirians are an essential part of the Skywalker Saga timeline, with their influence pervading the narrative from Episode I — The Phantom Menace (through Darth Maul) to the most recent Ahsoka series on Disney Plus.

But who are the Nightsisters of Dathomir and what is their power?

A brief history of the Witches of Dathomir 38r55

The Nightsisters, as the name suggests, were a female group of powerful Force-wielders who lived on the planet Dathomir. By tapping into the green magical essence that flowed from the depths of Dathomir, the Nightsisters were capable of performing incredible feats like physical transformation, object apparition, and even resurrection. It was actually the Nightsister coven that healed the broken body of Darth Maul and not only allowed him to exact vengeance on Obi-Wan Kenobi but also to continue to disturb the power dynamic of the galaxy through the Clone Wars.

Asajj Ventress, Dooku’s apprentice, was yet another Dathomirian who became entangled with the dark side of the Force, so even though the community itself rejects the notion of affiliating with either of the Jedi or the Sith, the way they wield this so-called “magick” mostly dallies with immoral and unconventional methods. The Jedi search for enlightenment and fight in the name of peace and justice, while the Sith are out to gain power. The Dathomirians, meanwhile, fought solely for the survival of their clans and the Nightsister coven, so committing atrocious acts in the name of that code wasn’t something they interpreted as leaning towards the dark side of the Force.

The Nightsisters presided over a matriarchal society and used the male of their clan, known as the Nightbrothers, mostly for breeding purposes. Beyond that, the Nighrbrothers were ferocious warriors who served as bodyguards — the policing force — of Dathomir. Darth Maul and his brother Savage Opress were Nightbrothers, but their paths led them to avoid the cruel treatment the rest of their kin received at the hands of the Nightsisters.

After Dooku betrays Ventress, she seeks the help of her Dathomirian sisters, and together they decide to take on the Sith. Dooku, meanwhile, grows weary of their meddling and dispatches General Grievous to destroy their society completely. And just as the Mandalorians were eradicated for fear of becoming a thorn in Emperor Palpatine’s side, so were the Dathomirians subjected to the same genocide, losing many of their numbers in the ensuing massacre.

Few Nightsisters are still living in the post-Imperial era, and not all of them are inherently villainous. While Elsbeth may have thrown in her lot with Grand iral Thrawn and the small possibility of the Empire’s resurrection, someone like Merrin from Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor is still fighting the good fight.

Unlike her Nightsister kin, Morgan was loyal to the Emperor and became a crucial figure in the formation of Palpatine’s massive armada. After the fall of the tyrannical regime, Elsbeth continued to rule her domain with an iron fist, until Ahsoka Tano and Din Djarin ousted her in the second season of The Mandalorian.

It’s currently unclear what Elsbeth’s endgame is, but Ahsoka Tano would do well not to underestimate her. She may not be able to give her much of a fight — as many Nightsisters were substantially weaker than a trained Jedi Knight or Sith Lord — but she can still make a whole lot of trouble through that particular, mystical channeling of the Living Force.

Does the coven of witches in The Acolyte have any connection to the Nightsisters of Dathomir? 2i1k1n

Over the years, Star Wars has introduced fans to many kinds of Force-s across the galaxy. One of these made their debut in The Acolyte as the “coven of witches” on Brendok. While the all-female Force wielders who refer to this energy as the “thread” share many similarities with the Nightsisters of Dathomir, it’s clear that they’re of a completely different cloth.

For one thing, the Nighsisters refer to their art as magick, while the coven of witches refers to it as the thread. What’s more, the Nightsisters have historically proven themselves to be more aligned with the dark side of the Force, while the witches of Brendok like to believe that they’ve found a balance in the Force, neither leaning towards the dark side and nor particularly embodying the light.

Dave Filoni’s latest for the Star Wars franchise, The Bad Batch debuted its third and last season this February. With March nearing its end, the season is now past midway, prepping to air the ninth episode.

A sequel to the hit 12-year-long series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch brought together a squad of elite clone troopers with genetic mutations to the front. The show’s first two seasons aired in 2021 and 2023, respectively, garnering global attention for its impressive worldbuilding. Season 3 of The Bad Batch followed soon after, making a grand premiere on Disney Plus on Feb. 21, 2024.

Officially announced as the last season, The Bad Batch season 3 has fans hooked on the events as the Bad Batch squad tries to reunite with Omega and free themselves from the Empire. Meanwhile, Omega faces her own challenges inside a remote Imperial science lab. The ongoing season is set to run for 15 episodes, unlike its predecessors which ran for 16 episodes each.

The eighth episode of season 3 premiered on March 20, 2024, where Fennec Shand secretly betrays the Batch. Here’s a quick refresher to what happened last in the series:

Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3 episode 8 recap 656b3b

The Bad Batch season 3 episode 8, titled “Bad Territory” opens on Pabu Island’s Archium where Omega grumbles about having to lay low, unable to help Echo and Rex. Soon, a liberator and pirate named Phee Genoa s the Wrecker, reporting that several class-one bounty hunters have been retrieving M-count targets for the Empire.

After that, Hunter and Wrecker go to a far-off planet to track down Fennec Shand, a violent bounty hunter Kaminoans hired to kidnap Omega. However, she discloses that while she knows another bounty hunter who pursues M-count targets, she is not personally involved in these hunts. She then offers to give the knowledge in exchange for aiding in the apprehension of Sylar Saris, her current target.

After they overthrow Saris, Shand breaks her end of the bargain. She its that she doesn’t know anything about the M-count but will after delivering Saris to her customers. Hunter and Wrecker choose to put their trust in Shand and bide their time until he s them again, having no other choice. Meanwhile, Omega and Crosshair are on Pabu where Omega helps him overcome his handicap by teaching him meditative techniques.

The Bad Batch season 3 episode 9 release date and time 596h3i

New episodes of The Bad Batch arrive exclusively on Disney Plus every Wednesday. This means The Bad Batch season 3 episode 9 will hit the Disney Plus screen on March 27, 2024. The ninth episode is titled “The Harbinger” and will have a runtime of around 30 minutes, as usual. The episode will be made available as a single release before episodes 10 and 11 are released concurrently one week later.

As for the release time, fans can expect to catch the Bad Batch’s meeting with the next bounty hunter at 12:00 am PT, 03:00 am ET, or 07:00 am GMT, depending on where you are based.

Star Wars continues to have its grip on pop culture with an endless supply of television series. But Disney Plus’ The Acolyte is taking a different route.

Telling the hero’s journey is a time-honored tradition in Star Wars canon, but veering off the beaten path is just as acceptable. The show seems to be more in line with Andor than Ahsoka, and that is a good thing. Taking place a century before the events of the Star Wars prequels, The Acolyte features Amandla Stenberg as a character hunting down Jedi during the time of the High Republic. You know, just Sith things. Showrunner Leslye Headland teased The Hollywood Reporter that the structure of the show would vary from what we have seen from the franchise in the past.

“One thing to know about the show is that we’ve been talking about it as a mystery-thriller. It is a serialized story, so each episode gives you more information about the story. We were obviously influenced by samurai films and wuxia films, but also films like Rashomon, where you see one story and then you see it done a different way. So, what separates [Star Wars: The Acolyte] from some of the other Star Wars series is that it’s told in that particular way.”

This change is an exciting prospect for those experiencing Star Wars fatigue. But some yearn for familiar touchstones, as many fans noted when watching the trailer.

Is that Plo Koon in The Acolyte trailer? 6z176k

Fans of the highly regarded animated series, The Clone Wars, were quick to point out a familiar figure in the trailer. In one frame, there appears to be the visage of the celebrated Jedi Master, Plo Koon. A Kel Dor hailing from the planet Dorin, the species is easy to spot because of the breathing mask they wear over their mouth and eyes. Without the breathing apparatus, Kel Dors are unable to survive oxygen-rich environments.

The most famous Kel Dor is Plo Koon, famous for — among many things — being the Jedi who discovered Ahsoka in her youth. He is seen briefly in the Star Wars prequels but has more of a presence in the animated series. He holds a special place in fans’ hearts because of his sense of morality and was sadly one of the many Jedi assassinated during Order 66. Viewers rallied at the potential that we would be able to see this icon again.

At this time, we can only theorize about the return of a fan-favorite. But if the discourse is understood, Plo Koon could appear in The Acolyte. Fans widely accept that the Jedi master was in his late 300s upon his death. If The Acolyte is placed about 100 years before Order 66, his appearance could be possible. However, this does throw into question just how big this galaxy is anyway. (At least in Dune, Paul only stays on one planet.)

There have been so many cameos in the modern era of Star Wars that it seems impossible Jedi are always running into each other. There are other planets besides Tatooine, people. But who are we to take away hope from fans who just want to see a Dave Filoni hallmark? If this is Plo Koon, we welcome him with open arms.

A lot has been said about Ahsoka and its main star Rosario Dawson, but few people have stopped to wonder just why her take on the titular Clone Wars character is different from what they’re familiar with in Ashley Eckstein’s performance.

The new show by Dave Filoni has, alas, ed the ever-growing list of Disney Star Wars projects to receive a mixed reaction from the fandom. While many were thrilled to see Snips in her own proper outing and even enjoyed the cameo appearance of characters like Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker, others thought that the overall plot was a bare-minimum excuse of a narrative, simply there to justify the fanservice-y return of these characters to the small screen.

Moreover, many were quick to point out that Dawson couldn’t capture the energy of Eckstein, who lent Ahsoka her voice in animated format for over a decade. While those are all valid criticisms, at least at first glance, one comedian well-versed in Star Wars lore has come forward to explain why it makes sense for this version of Ahsoka to be worn and world-weary.

As Troy Bond reasons, the Ahsoka we see in the new series is almost 50 years old, so she’s hardly the child-soldier we knew from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. What may initially come off as a “wooden portrayal” is simply Ahsoka showing her years, resembling a character like Qui-Gon in wisdom as opposed to young lively souls like Sabine or Ezra.

As one fan further expanded on this point, Ahsoka has been jumping from conflict to conflict since she was a small kid. That kind of experience is bound to wear even the best of us down.

Then again, the mere mention of Ahsoka in live-action was always bound to open a can of worms, so some Star Wars fans are arguing whether or not Dawson’s portrayal actually reflects someone who’s “beaten down” and not someone who’s simply unsure of what they should do with the role.

Besides, for some reason that only the most die-hard Star Wars fans can articulate, you can’t really go comparing Ahsoka to someone like Qui-Gon.

My biggest personal gripe with Ahsoka was its shabby, makeshift narrative, and I’m sure that we would overlook any possible shortcomings on Dawson’s part if Filoni somehow managed to get the story right in the second season, confirmed to be in production as of January 2024.

Ahsoka might be scratching an itch many fans of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars have been feeling since the series wrapped in 2020, but many of us are still feeling the sting of our missing favorites. Ahsoka’s first nemesis Asajj Ventress lives rent-free in many fans’ minds, but the bald baddie will never get the chance for a live-action adaptation.

At least not in the current canon. Though it never happened on screen, the Sith assassin met her end in a climactic clash years before Ahsoka began her search for Ezra Bridger.

What happened to Asajj Ventress? 4m1x15

By the end of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Ventress is a practicing bounty hunter in the outer rim worlds. Her skills with a saber, connection to the force, and natural Dathomarian talents make her more than capable of competing with the best of the worst. The former assassin is quickly dubbed, “The Bald Banshee,” and gains a reputation for only working solo.  

Her fierce reputation was enough to keep most rival hunters away, but her only long-term partner, Quinlan Vos wasn’t the average thug. A longtime friend of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vos was the first of his kind: a Jedi assassin.  Though it went against the Order’s primary beliefs, the Jedi Council felt that Count Dooku presented enough of a threat to warrant a break from tradition. Vos intended to familiarize himself with Dooku’s style through Ventress and find a way to use her intimate knowledge of Dooku’s fighting style to assassinate the Separatist leader.

Vos playfully tailed Ventress for weeks, sometimes interfering with her hunt, sometimes helping. He proved himself to be reliable and trustworthy, and against her better judgment, Ventress became fond of her new friend. Though it went against her nature, the duo agreed to a temporary alliance. Though Vos was skilled at hiding his Jedi abilities, Ventress quickly began to notice his true nature.  

While Ventress began to suspect Vos of being force-sensitive, the Jedi was falling in love with her. His feelings came to a head after a mission gone awry, and Vos itted his affiliations with the Jedi Order. Ventress was well aware of his connections and cautioned him against assassination. It went against many of the Jedi’s ideals, and she felt Vos was too soft for cold-blooded murder. Despite her reservations, Ventress longed for revenge against her former master, and agreed to help Vos if he left the Order and allowed her to train him in the dark side.

During their training, Ventress realized that she reciprocated the former Jedi’s feelings. The duo became more than master and apprentice, and Ventress came to trust him completely. She took Vos to her home world of Dathomir where she pushed him to embrace the dark side of the force using Night Sister tricks. When Vos finally managed to kill in cold blood, she knew he was ready.  

Despite multiple attempts on Dooku’s life, the duo was destined to fail. Their feelings for one another caused their first attempt to fail, and Ventress was forced to abandon Vos to Dooku’s dark machinations. She spent her life’s saving in an attempt to save Vos, but when she found him in prison, he was a shell of his former self. Where Ventress had failed to open Vos to all that the dark side had to offer, Dooku had been successful. The Sith lord twisted Vos’s mind, manipulating him into hating Ventress for leaving him behind. She attacked his former teacher, refusing to listen to her words of reason.

Badly injured and forced to retreat, Ventress took the news of Vos’s fate to the Jedi council with help from Obi-Wan Kenobi. Though the Jedi were skeptical of her intentions, Ventress convinced them of her story. Kenobi believed his former rival and quickly offered to help her save his friend.  

Obi-Wan tapped Anakin Skywalker to their assault, and the trio broke into Dooku’s palace. They found Quinlan in a worse state than Ventress had last seen. He was badly beaten and starved, and while he pleaded with her to forgive him for his assault and claimed to have seen through Dooku’s tricks, she felt anger under the surface. Though Kenobi couldn’t sense the darkness within, Ventress believed that the only way Vos could ever be free of the dark side was through death.

Kenobi returned Vos to the Jedi order, but Ventress couldn’t trust her former paramour. Though Vos’s return to the Jedi Order meant the two could never romantically reconcile, the two still met in secret. Ventress’s concerns were validated when the Jedi Council began to suspect Vos of sending information back to Dooku. In a bid to force Vos to reveal his true nature, the Council renewed Vos’s mission to assassinate Count Dooku.

Though she had tried to fight her feelings, Ventress still loved Vos. Unable to let him go to his death, she ed his mission and the pair traveled together. Their plan failed, and when Dooku loosed a flurry of dark lighting at Quinlan, Ventress took the blow. Quinlan stayed with Ventress as Dooku escaped. In the end, Ventress was right: . It was death that brought Quinlan Vos back from the dark side, just not his own. As she faded into death, the light side of the force carried her away, and with it, it cleansed Vos of Dooku’s influence.

The Ahsoka series on Disney Plus reminds everyone why they adore its titular protagonist and her journey through the Star Wars canon timeline. That being said, how old was Snips during each of those appearances, and is she weathered and wise enough to truly manifest the galaxy far, far away’s Gandalf?

How old is Ahsoka in each Star Wars series? 4716e

So far, Ahsoka Tano has appeared in 6 different Star Wars projects through the years. Her first chronological appearance was in Tales of the Jedi, which depicted a child version of the character in her native homeworld.

Ahsoka was born on the planet Shili in 36 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) and was accepted into the Jedi Order three years after that, in 33 BBY. Years later, in 22 BBY, at the height of the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker accepts Ahsoka as his Padawan. That makes the character 14 years of age when The Clone Wars animated series begins.

After fighting three years against the Separatists, Ahsoka leaves the Jedi Order at the age of 17 (the year 19 BBY), and a short while after that, the Siege of Mandalore arc from Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7 takes place. The next time we see Ahsoka (in Tales of the Jedi) is the year after that at the age of 18. Ahsoka and Bail Organa decide to form a rebel network, with the former working in the shadows to undermine Palpatine’s rule.

Ahsoka is 32 during the events of Star Wars Rebels, which takes place in 4 BBY. The animated show’s epilogue takes place one year after the events of Return of the Jedi in 5 ABY, and it is here that we first see Ahsoka the White, come to reunite with Sabine and go on a hunt for Ezra Bridger. Ahsoka is 41 in this scene.

The character’s live-action version then appears in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, and subsequently Ahsoka, all taking place in 9 ABY, which makes her, as of this moment, 45.

She’s absolutely rocking that wizened look, if we dare say.

Ah, the War of the Stars. …Wait, do we call it that? No? Fine. Star Wars! Is it not the best sci fi opera of all time? Does the mere sound it it not elicit joy and nostalgia for childhood? For some, no. For many, many others in a galaxy very nearby (this one), it does.

Over the decades, a scrappy film by a scrappy young filmmaker named George Lucas has ballooned into an institution just as important as the American Constitution (to some people, anyway). First, there were three movies. Then, there were six. Then Disney bought Lucasfilm and all of a sudden it was hard to keep track of all of them!

Not to worry, intrepid reader. We have done all of the hard work for you, so you can now know exactly how many Star Wars films there are, and when they came out. This useful knowledge will probably not impress the person you are trying to romantically pursue, but it will come in handy if you make a bet with someone. Anyway, let’s dig in. Here are all the Star Wars movies ever made, conveniently in the order they were released.

Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV) – 1977 19yk

Here it is. The one that started it all. Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV) introduced us to all the greats: Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO — the list goes on and on. It was an audacious film that changed the way we looked at movies forever. Didn’t hurt that it had an incredible script, either.

Truly a classic film.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V) – 1980 3h5j4s

The follow up to A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back delved deeper into the Star Wars universe and introduced new planets and new storylines. Han and Leia fell in love and (spoiler lol) Luke finds out that Lord Vader is actually his father!

While that whole storyline would eventually force the writing into a corner, it was so fresh and invigorating. Stellar movie.

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Episode VI) – 1983 733a3h

The epic conclusion to the Luke Skywalker storyline, Return of the Jedi tied up a lot of loose ends and introduced even more new worlds and characters, notably Jabba the Hutt and the theatrical debut of Boba Fett (he first appeared in the 1978 Holiday Special).

This marked the end of an era, and we wouldn’t get another movie for 16 years. What a fitting conclusion it was, though.

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Episode I) – 1999 6e3q5h

By the time The Phantom Menace dropped in 1999, the generation that grew up on Star Wars now had kids of their own. This movie, well, it divided people. It’s hard to describe the kind of hype that surrounded this. The expectations were incredible.

When it came out, all those adult fans grumbled about how it was “too much politics” and “not enough action.” The thing is, it’s for the kids. The kids loved it.

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (Episode II) – 2002 e556o

Arguably the best and most action-heavy of the prequels, Attack of the Clones returned to the pure joy of lightsaber fights and really cool looking robots. It didn’t take itself too seriously, and perhaps that’s why it worked so well.

However, it still was full of stiff green screen action that didn’t seem to have the same soul as the originals. If you ask my nephews, though, who were around seven at the time it came out, they would tell you it “totally ruled.”

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (Episode III) – 2005 3t3f5f

when I said Darth Vader being Luke’s father kind of forced the writing into a corner? Revenge of the Sith is the epitome of that. Here’s an easy one: in A New Hope, Ben Kenobi tells Luke that his father “wanted him to have” his lightsaber.

In this movie, Ben and Anakin’s last fight is one of hatred and dismemberment. There was no “give my son my lightsaber” moment. Also, Vader would have reacted differently when they met on the death star so many years later, don’t you think? Still a pretty good final battle though.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Episode VII) – 2015 44p1

Alright, now we’re in the Disney era. Disney bought the Star Wars studio Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion and boy were they going to milk it for all it was worth. They started pumping out Star Wars movies like a dairy farm pumps out milk.

The Force Awakens was fine. It wasn’t spectacular, and it probably didn’t need a sequel two years later, but that’s a different story.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — 2016 91j6v

Rogue One was incredible. Someway, somehow Disney made the best Star Wars film of the new era. It checked all the boxes for what makes a Star Wars movie great, and without all the bloat. It had stakes, great characters, an awesome script and really effective visual effects.

For a moment there, it seemed like Disney was going to pull this thing off! Oh, how wrong we were.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Episode VIII) – 2017 3u655k

The follow-up to a so-so movie, The Last Jedi was another perfectly serviceable film, but got into the area of diminishing returns. Fans maybe thought they wanted a Star Wars film a year, but this is when things started to go south and everyone started to realize maybe that’s not the best idea.

Plots at this point just felt rehashed with new characters. There was no Empire but there was… Something something force? Who knows. It was kind of a mess. The worst was yet to come.

Solo: A Star Wars Story – 2018 26k2p

This was pretty much the nail in the coffin of the yearly releases. Solo was simply a bad film. It was the first Star Wars movie to be universally panned. No one really liked it, and it bombed harder than an anvil on a clay pot.

In a different timeline, this movie did incredibly well, and got seven spinoffs, and Disney could milk its cash cow for more and more money. Alas, not the case in our timeline.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX) – 2019 5j3a2i

Does anyone the plot of this one? Was this the one where Rey was actually Palpatine’s granddaughter, and Kylo becomes Ben, and then they kiss for some reason? A Proust novel is less convoluted than the plot of this movie.

Disney wisely hit pause on the Star Wars films and we haven’t had one since. Unfortunately, there are new movies in the pipeline, but fortunately, Disney is taking its time with those. Hopefully, the mouse house can learn from its mistakes and the next movie will actually be something new and exciting for the fanbase. Regardless, the kids will love it, and you know what? Maybe that’s all that matters.

The answer is 11, by the way. There are 11 Star Wars movies.

Star Wars has given us some pretty incredible MCs over its half-a-century-long run. But the series is made of so much more than Jedi Knights and alien warlords. Some of the best characters in the franchise help carry the narrative, and yet, these venerated sidekicks will never get their own series — or maybe they shouldn’t have gotten their own series — but that doesn’t mean they can’t carry a story. These ten sidekicks come in many different shapes and sizes and vary in on-screen time as well as contribution to the overall story, but don’t discount all they do. If Star Wars ever made a spin-off like Teen Titans, these are the folks we think would make the most solid team, from most to least helpful.

1. Chewbacca bmu

There are few partnerships as recognizable as Han Solo and Chewbacca in the world of cinema. The duo has been together through most of Star Wars’ history, and for good reason. The sardonic and fast-talking Han wouldn’t have lived very long without this hulking friend, and while their friendship is closer to a partnership, there’s no denying that Han takes point in this legendary team. Even with Solo heading the party, it’s easy to see who does all the real work; Chewie flies, fights, and repairs, and I’m willing to bet somewhere on the Millennium Falcon that there is a giant-sized “kiss the cook” apron somewhere.

With Wookies living several centuries longer than humans, we always knew their team-up would come to an end with Han’s death, but seeing the final adventures of Han Solo and Chewbacca during The Force Awakens really marked the end of an era. We just have to have hope that the Wookie finds some sense of peace traveling the galaxy with Rey in the future.

2. Chopper 1j302n

Since her live-action debut in Star Wars: Ahsoka, Hera Syndulla is finally getting the respect she deserves. The Twi’lek pilot has been working her perfectly toned buns off for peace since before Luke and Leia were twinkles in their father’s eye. There’s no doubt she’s one of the galaxy’s greatest pilots, but where would she be without the help of her loyal — and homicidal — co-pilot and sidekick, Chopper. The Astro-droid helped her find her wings and has been running diagnostics for her since she was just a teenager on Ryloth. He can do everything, from flying a ship and delivering mild electric shocks to annoying bystanders, to murdering an entire starship full of stormtroopers. There’s no way Chop didn’t lend a metal appendage to help raise her son Jacen, making him one of the best sidekicks in the ‘verse.

3. Obi-Wan Kenobi 112s6w

The first time Ewan McGregor graced us with his immeasurably attractive take on Obi-Wan Kenobi, he was little more than a spunky sass machine. He might have been close to earning his position of Jedi Knight at 25, but what is a padawan but a glorified sidekick? Obi-Wan does whatever is needed of him – guarding ships, amplifying transmission signals, and keeping his thoughts on the here and now. Obi-Wan might have taken a several-year-long break from playing sidekick during the events of the Clone Wars, but he falls back into a semblance of the role when he emerges to meet Luke after decades of hiding. He might not provide much comic relief, but there’s no denying Obi-Wan’s ing role for Luke. Long after his death, Obi-Wan is still providing advice for his pseudo-godson, making him an unconventional but necessary sidekick.

4. C-3PO 1d6s60

Sometimes it feels like C-3P0 and R2D2 are like siblings — or perhaps a long-married couple — rather than a leading man and their sidekick. Make no mistake, R2D2 runs most of their lives when it comes to things that matter. 3P0 might run dinner parties, but when it comes to the brunt of Star Wars, he’s just trying to stay on the ride. The poor guy doesn’t even the first half of his life after having his memory erased post-Clone Wars, and yet, he’s still in the thick of it every time. Beyond his droid best friend, 3PO acts as staff for four generations of Skywalker women, starting with Anakin’s mother and ending with Rey Skywalker. His unwavering loyalty, undeniable skill at complaining, and quantifiable usefulness make 3PO one of the best sidekicks of all time.

5. Finn 3gc13

There might have been ridiculous controversy around John Boyega’s involvement with The Force Awakens but there is no denying Finn’s enduring status as an amazing sidekick in the film and its resulting trilogy. He easily balances humor, heroics, and even gut-punching fear throughout his adventure with Rey, but let’s be honest, most of us were more excited about his reunion with Poe Dameron. While he certainly has the chops to be a leading man, Finn’s deep loyalty to his favorite people means he’ll always put aside his own desires to help them out of a bind. After overcoming a lifetime of indoctrination, his comion, sense of humor, and loyalty mark Finn as one of the best sidekicks in the series, even if he deserves to be a leading man.

6. Captain Rex 733t6i

Look, it must suck knowing that you were created for exactly one purpose and only that purpose, but Captain Rex handles the burden with style. The Clone commando served under Anakin from day one and defied genetic manipulation, indoctrination, and a whole world of other “ations” to rise as the ultimate sidekick. This man’s loyalty to Ahsoka Tano ran so deep that he was able to fight off the effects of a mind control chip just to give her a fighting chance. When the war was over and his duty fulfilled, the old codger came out of retirement to stick it to the Empire. Long after his clone brothers disappeared, Rex was still fighting the good fight, sidekickin’ it with Jedi. He even made it to the Battle of Endor somewhere around 60 years old and served under his former general’s progeny, Leia Organa.

7. Boba Fett 3p4v70

If The Book of Boba Fett taught us anything, it’s that some characters make better side characters. Boba Fett has been one of the most enigmatic and badass characters in Star Wars since he first showed up in 1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special. It was the quiet and cool way the bounty hunter presented himself that made fans fawn, and over the years it seemed that the more Disney tried to utilize the character, the more fans disliked him. Over the years he’s filled tertiary roles for Darth Vader, Jabba the Hutt, Jango Fett, Din Djarin, and Aura Singh, giving him one of the most well-rounded resumes of any sidekick in the series.

8. Hondo Onahka 5r14z

If Hondo Ohnaka ever saw this list, there’s no doubt in my mind that he would assume that Ezra Bridger was his sidekick. Heck, his ego is big enough he probably would have claimed that he even taught Anakin Skywalker a thing or two. Throughout the Clone Wars, the Weequay leaped from team to team to suit his self-interests in an on-again-off-again flirtation with morality. But let’s face it, the aging pirate never would have made it through his golden years if it hadn’t been for Bridger. Every time he makes an appearance in Star Wars: Rebels, it’s all but guaranteed that shenanigans will ensue, and someone is going to prison. Sure, Hondo has his own sidekicks, but in the hierarchy of heists, even Melch knows that his best bet for survival means Hondo playing second fiddle.  

9. General Grievous 5o1l3h

Unlike the villains Darth Maul and Asajj Ventress, General Grievous never quite managed to break out from under his master’s heel. Maybe that was because the man-turned-robot realized he didn’t have what it took to stand on his own, or maybe it was because he never reached the status of Sith apprentice. Whatever the reason, there’s no denying Grevious’ skills. Heck, the lightsaber-wielding menace has one of the scariest Jedi takedowns of all time, and he walked away from fights with Obi-Wan Kenobi on multiple occasions. Loyalty means a lot in the world of sidekicks and that is one thing grievous has in droves for his masters. Despite all his skills — and his laundry list of murdered Jedi – Grievous never tried to branch out on his own, making him the best sidekick villain in the Galactic Empire.

10. Sabé, Cordé, and Amidala’s handmaidens 422y1u

Okay, I know that this is a group and not just one person, but we can’t discount how incredibly brave these girls were throughout The Phantom Menace. The entire premise of the film hinged on the misdirection performed by Pé Amidala and her intrepid handmaidens. Pé’s body doubles — Sabé (Keira Knightley) specifically — weren’t exactly wearing body armor when they dressed as the Queen or used their bodies as human shields. At just 14 it’s hard to think these gals fully understood what they were getting into, but if Cordé’s death in episode 2 was any indication, it was a job they were more than willing to do.

Star Wars fans love debating hypothetical fights between Jedi and Sith. Who would win in a duel, Ahsoka or Anakin Skywalker? How would Dave Filoni’s favorite Jedi, Plo Koon, fare against Mace Windu? Could Luke Skywalker have taken down a Sith Revan?

Every fan comes out in droves when debating these types of what-if duels. However, one fun match-up goes somewhat under the radar: Anakin Skywalker vs. Darth Vader. Obviously, the two are the same character, but are also completely different characters and radically different fighters.

Anakin Skywalker was a hero of the Grand Republic, a renowned general, and one of the greatest duelists in the Jedi Order, probably only behind Mace Windu, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi — though the argument can be made that Anakin was still the superior fighter than his master, albeit much less patient. So, how would this young Jedi champion fare against his older, more evil self? Let’s get into it.

Anakin Skywalker vs. Darth Vader: Is this a case of youth vs. experience? 3m733e

The most notable edge Anakin Skywalker has in a fight with Darth Vader is speed and agility. However, this advantage might be less pronounced now.

When fans are introduced to Darth Vader in 1977, it’s apparent that the evil and tyrannical ruler isn’t the fastest or most agile fighter. The in-universe explanation is, of course, because of what happened on Mustafar. (In reality, it was 1977; come on, George Lucas could only do so much.)

As the Star Wars canon has progressed since the franchise’s birth, Vader has been shown to be much more agile and less hindered by his mechanical body. In Rebels, the character can easily keep up with Ahsoka’s speedier style. In Rogue One, he twirls his crimson saber fluidly and with the utmost finesse as he slaughters a hallway filled with rebel scum. So, while a young Anakin would certainly be faster than his older and more robotic self, it’s not an advantage that would automatically win him the fight. 

One advantage Vader has over his younger self is patience. Ignoring the production limitations of the time, it can be argued that Vader fought a much more patient bout against his old master in New Hope. After all, he had already lost two fights to Obi-Wan before they met on the Death Star. By this point, Vader no longer shows a reckless and offensive mindset. Should this version of Vader go up against someone like Anakin, who is always thinking attack, attack, attack, then the former’s patience might pay off against his wilder and younger self.

However, another point to consider is just how much more battle-ready Anakin Skywalker is compared to Darth Vader. After the fall of the Republic and the end of the Clone Wars, there weren’t too many foes that Vader could genuinely test his mettle against. While Vader was a terrifying force, he wasn’t actually called upon unless absolutely necessary. And even then, rarely would he be encountering any more Jedi; those days were long gone. On the other hand, Anakin Skywalker is a young man polishing his skills every day during the Clone Wars. He frequently clashes with opponents like Asajj Ventress and Count Dooku and spends time sparring with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Yes, Vader is the more experienced duelist, but Anakin is a hundred times more active.

Anakin Skywalker vs. Darth Vader: Anakin wins … most of the time t6n16

Simply put, there aren’t many opponents who can stand up to a prime Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi is an outlier in this regard. There aren’t too many other duelists who can take on Anakin at his peak.

Anakin was the greatest Jedi of his time. One of the main reasons his fall was so tragic was that he was the Order’s most revered champion. Even decades after his death, Baylan Skoll still re how praised Anakin was. This version of the character is close to unbeatable, even for someone like Darth Vader.

Anakin Skywalker would likely emerge victorious in some World-Between-Worlds scenario where the two characters meet up and clash. However, it can’t be understated that Vader is a crafty bastard and could use his younger self’s ego against him. In short, this is Anakin’s fight to lose. If he allows his frustration to fester and cloud his mind, then Vader takes it. However, if he approaches the duel with Obi-Wan’s teachings at heart — which is a tall order, to be fair — then Anakin takes this fight 100%.

“War! The Republic is crumbling under attacks by the ruthless Sith Lord, Count Dooku. There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere,” the opening crawl of Revenge of the Sith reads. This intro does a good job of touching on the complexity of the Clone Wars. However, the intricacies surrounding the conflict, primarily the Separatist reasoning for rebellion, were only partially explored during the prequel films.

The Clone Wars is arguably the most pivotal event portrayed in the Star Wars franchise. First mentioned in New Hope, the titular conflict completely transformed the galaxy and ushered in the ultimate reign of tyranny and terror that we see in the original trilogy.

As significant as the Clone Wars is to the Star Wars mythos, fans have only truly experienced it through the side of the Republic. While Dave Filoni’s animated series does give episodic glimpses into the Separatist cause, the show still mainly follows characters like Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano. Granted, a cartoon geared toward children featuring space wizards, laser swords, and clumsy robots shouldn’t be expected to dive deep into the intricacies of galactic-wide politics. (I would totally take a class that teaches Star Wars politics, nonetheless.)

So, for those fans who wish to dig deeper into the causes of the Clone Wars and understand the Separatist reasoning for rebelling, we’ve got you covered.

What exactly was the Separatist movement? 4r5a2x

The Clone Wars was a massive war that spanned the galaxy between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Republic, of course, was led by the Galactic Senate, Jedi Order, and Clone Army. As Star Wars: The Clone Wars showed fans, the Jedi and the Clone Army were a well-oiled machine, operating in perfect sync and with maximum efficiency. However, the senate was a different story.

When viewers are first introduced to the Galactic Senate, it’s immediately made apparent that this governing system has seen better days; the democratic union struggles greatly with its own size and severely multi-level bureaucracy. 

The opening crawl of The Phantom Menace reads: “Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute.” Corruption and corporate interests plague the Republic and easily stall the Senate from implementing any real change. It’s also evident that while the Republic is able to maintain safety and prosperity in the Core Worlds, the Mid and Outer Rims are a completely different tale. Look no further than Naboo. The Phantom Menace story showed just how inept the Senate was at keeping the corrupt Trade Federation at bay and helping out a planet in need. The people of Naboo were forced to take matters into their own hands without any real help from the Republic.

This type of inefficiency helped trigger many planets to look at the Republic with disdain. Their mindset was a relatively straightforward one: Why should so many worlds have to pay taxes and go by the rules of a government that is so easily hindered and corrupted by outside forces? This type of sentiment led to the forming of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The opening crawl in Attack of the Clones reads: “There is unrest in the Galactic Senate. Several thousand solar systems have declared their intentions to leave the Republic.”

The Confederacy of Independent Systems was a multi-layered association 40549

The CIS was a coalition of countless systems that wished for greater self-governance and aspired to pull away from what they perceived to be a compromised Galactic Republic. Count Dooku flat out states this to Obi-Wan Kenobi in Attack of the Clones, and directly tells the Jedi Knight that the Republic is under the sway of a Sith Lord. Fans know this isn’t a lie. So, on paper and from that perspective, the CIS is not necessarily wrong in their view of the Republic.

This mentality is somewhat explored in Filoni’s The Clone Wars, specifically in season 3, episode 10: “Heroes on Both Sides.” When Ahsoka Tano is baffled that Pe is friends with an a prominent Separatist leader, the Senator responds: “The Separatists used to be part of the Republic. I was close to many of the Senators who left.”

During this episode, viewers see that the Separatists are not just an army of mindless droids; it is a force compromised of many political figures who truly believe they are in the right. In fact, they have their own governing body, a parliament with Count Dooku as its head. It’s even shown that not all Separatist leaders wish for bloodshed. Mina Bonteri, a Separatist Senator, states in the episode: “How many lives on both sides have to end before we see the futility. Surely there’s room in the galaxy for Confederate and Republic planets to co-exist.”

While characters like Bonteri were surely plentiful in the Separatist cause, the rebellion was inevitably overshadowed by its other factions. The CIS were ed and supplied by greedy corporations like the Trade Federation and the Techno Union who only cared about their profit margins. And, with remorseless leaders like Asajj Ventress and General Grievous leading the ruthless droid armies, sympathy wasn’t exactly superabundant for the Separatist cause. And unfortunately, as fans know, the Separatists, just like the Republic, were manipulated by Darth Sidious from afar. Both sides were mere pawns in the Sith’s master plot.

Overall, the Clone Wars conflict had some very interesting political layers. While the havoc and chaos caused by the Separatists cannot be understated, their movement and ideology is incredibly fascinating and reminds fans just how multi-faceted and complex the world of Star Wars truly is.

Star Wars: Ahsoka has finally aired its final episode, and Dave Filoni’s live-action directorial debut has left more questions than answers. The vacancy left by the late Ray Stevenson is weighing heavily on fans after the cliffhanger ending, and the rise of the spooky space witches of Dathomir has excited even the most unenthusiastic viewers – it’s impossible to deny the potential in an undead army. As Filoni works tirelessly to establish a link between the much-reviled sequel trilogy and the current canon, it seems he just can’t help but inject some of his signature Force concepts into his latest project. In the final episode of the season, Ahsoka’s Mortis owl, Morai made her live-action debut leading fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series to wonder just when the Ahsoka will finally acknowledge the Force elephants in the room, the mysterious otherworldly gods of Mortis known as ‘The Ones’.

What episodes cover Mortis in Star Wars: The Clone Wars i1m6w

During season three (episodes 15-17) of The Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent to investigate a transmission intercepted from deep in the outer rim, one which contains a Jedi distress code that hasn’t been used in 2000 years. Right away, Mortis breaks the bounds of reality, with both Anakin’s ship and a massive Star Destroyer seemingly occupying the same space – but unable to see one another. Before the Jedi can try to work out the mess, Mortis appears, and rather than a typical planet, the world appears as a diamond-shaped ship, and sucks the trio into its depths.

Rather than a ship, Mortiz appears as a world. The interior is a simulacrum of life, covered in plants with an atmosphere and sky. During the day, the planet is verdant and beautiful, but when the sun falls, it becomes a showdown land devoid of life. The only inhabitants of the world are the Son, the Daughter, and the Father, three immortal humanoid creatures representing the light side, dark side, and balance in the force. The trio has a slew of Force abilities never seen before, from Shapeshifting and immortality to an upgraded form of mental manipulation, and the ability to corrupt force wielders.

Who is the Father in Star Wars? 2m5k1p

The Father, a tempered if not out-of-touch elderly man, reveals to Anakin that he believes him to be the chosen one. The Father believes that Anakin will replace him and that only he can maintain the balance in the Force. He created the Mortis Dagger to control – and ultimately kill his children, if necessary – a decision that would ultimately lead to his doom.

The Father represents balance in the Force. It is only by his will that his children are trapped in the ethereal world of Mortis. It’s never explained If the Mortis inhabitants are the originators of the Force, but they have abilities mortal Force wielders could only dream of. He can stop lightsaber blades with his bare hands, strip his children of their bestial forms, teleport, alter memories, and grant immortality to himself and his children. The Father ultimately kills himself so that Anakin can destroy his Son.

There are fan theories that Anakin did in fact take his place after his death, and that he will shepherd the balance of the Force for the next myriad.

Who is the the Son in Star Wars? 1kq73

The Son, a petulant and power hungry, red-eyed man, orchestrated the Jedi’s trip to Mortis in a bid to escape his father’s control. He is willing to do whatever is necessary and is more than willing to corrupt Ahsoka to use her as a weapon against Anakin. He uses the Padawan, manipulating her until she steals the Dagger of Mortis, then sucks out the remainder of her life force without remorse. Though he is unsuccessful in escaping Mortis, he does eventually win some semblance of freedom after Anakin destroys him.  

The powerful Force claimed that he was both Sith and not Sith simultaneously, and he was unable to stop himself from being manipulative, selfish, and deceptive because of his strong connection to the dark side. After years of violence brought about by the Clone Wars and the darkness sown by the Sith, the Son’s power grew immensely, but despite this, he was unable to overpower his father on his own. Using the Mortis Dagger, he attempted to kill his father, but the Daughter took the blow instead. In a final attempt to stop his son, the Father turned the blade on himself rendering the Son mortal and allowing Anakin to kill him and return balance to the force through annihilation.  

Who is the Daughter in Star Wars? 5j3p10

The Daughter is a wise but aloof young woman dedicated to following her father’s orders. As the light side of the Force, it is in her nature to be selfless, comionate, and humble. Though she and her brother were opposites, she showed him nothing but comion and lobbied for her Father to show him the same. Despite his violence against the Jedi and her Father, the Daughter refused to take up arms against him, but she did reveal the location of her brother’s only weakness, the Mortis Dagger, to Obi-Wan. After suffering a mortal blow while saving her father, the Daughter gives up what little life she has left to resurrect Ahsoka.

Just like her brother, the Daughter could shapeshift, appearing as a white and green griffin. She was more adept than her brother with the telekinetic aspects of the force and had a special connection with Morai. The owl-like bird follows Ahsoka Tano after her trip through the World Between Worlds, leading fans to believe that the Jedi is now the incarnation of the light side of the force in the Daughter’s stead.