Best Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes

Watch out for clankers as we run down our list of the best Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes.

The Star Wars franchise may be one of the most popular and beloved in all of  cinema, but many fans still argue and debate over the quality of George Lucas’ prequel trilogy. From midi-chlorians to stale dialogue, it's hard to love the three films - even when it features some of the saga’s best moments. The introduction of animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, however, recontextualised and redeemed the entire prequel trilogy.

Debuting in 2008, the show ran for seven seasons and followed Anakin, Obi-Wan, new Padawan Ahsoka Tano, various clone troopers and more in the years set between Episodes II and III. The show had a rough first season but quickly grew into an award-winning hit. Lucas juggles a lot of different themes, topics and characters in his trilogy but The Clone Wars uses the show’s long-form format to explore these aspects in detail.  

Fans were able to see more of Anakin’s inner conflict, witness the fabled Siege of Mandalore and finally find out exactly how Order 66 was devised. While some story arcs remain unmemorable, the show features some of Star Wars’ best lightsaber fights and character moments in the entire franchise.

To give the show the credit it deserves, here is our ranking of the best Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes. 

By Gavin Spoors