Star Wars: The Clone Wars' 3-Part Sequel Deserves Kudos For Leaving The Jedi Behind

Published Sep 28, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT El is a Junior TV Features Editor for ScreenRant, with previous experience as The Mary Sue's UK and Weekend Editor. She holds a Bachelor's in International Media and Entertainment Management, as well as an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing. There is little she loves more than discussing her favorite TV shows with fellow fans. One day, she hopes to publish an original fantasy novel. It was a risk for Star Wars: The Clone Wars' three-season sequel to move away from the Jedi, but it paid off. Star Wars: The Clone Wars is one of the most important stories in Star Wars canon. Set between Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, it provided invaluable context around the Jedi Order's downfall, the Separatists' politics, Palpatine's orchestrated rise to power, and Order 66. It fixed and addressed many of the prequel trilogy's biggest issues and mistakes, including Darth Maul's untimely death and Anakin's relationship with Padmé Amidala. The Jedi and the Separatists weren't the only major players during the Clone Wars, however. The clone troopers' story is arguably even more tragic than the Jedi's. The Jedi were destroyed in part because of their own hubris. They entered the conflict willingly. The clones had no choice. They were purposefully bred for war; their bodily and mental autonomy was stolen from them when Palpatine ordered the insertion of the inhibitor chips. They were pawns in one man's tyrannical game, forced to turn on and kill those they once considered comrades, friends. When Star Wars: The Clone Wars ended with season 7, chronicling Ahsoka Tano's experience of Order 66 on Mandalore, there wasn't much time left to deal with the consequences. Ahsoka thankfully escaped with Captain Rex, and they were forced to bury those they had once fought alongside, but little was known about the clones' fate after Order 66 and the Empire's rise to power. That all changed in 2021, however, when Disney+ launched one of the franchise's all-time best shows: Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Star Wars: The Bad Batch Was The Perfect Clone Wars Sequel Star Wars: The Bad Batch was the perfect Clone Wars sequel, a deep dive into the clones' lives under the Empire's reign, told through the eyes of the few troopers (largely) unaffected by Palpatine's inhibitor chips. After the galactic storytelling of The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch's smaller-scale narrative was a welcome reprieve, a chance for the audience to get to know new-ish characters on a more intimate level. While Clone Force 99 was first introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7, it wasn't until The Bad Batch that they were really shown as individual personalities beyond their unique abilities; very few clones during The Clone Wars had a chance to distinguish themselves so clearly. They weren't just excellent soldiers. They were people, too, devastated by the deaths of the Jedi, their brothers' turn, and the Empire's plans to abandon the clones to their own fates. This was evident from the show's very first episode, as Order 66 was shown from Clone Force 99's perspective, rather than the Jedi's. While Depa Billaba's death and her Padawan Caleb Dume's grief and fear were devastating, Hunter, Tech, Crosshair, Echo, and Wrecker's confusion was palpable. Their dynamic was the heart of the show, especially once Kamino's young female clone Omega came into the picture. They became a true family unit, bonded by their shared trauma and their desire to protect Omega and other innocents from the Empire. Through Clone Force 99's focused story, Star Wars explained Palpatine's sequel trilogy revival and the creation of the stormtrooper program, all while showcasing dozens of new planets, revisiting iconic characters, and introducing new fan favorites. Star Wars: The Bad Batch was a triumph of emotional, character-driven storytelling, giving a long-overlooked group of characters the attention they've always deserved. Star Wars Doesn't Need The Jedi To Tell Compelling Stories Much like The Mandalorian before it and Andor after, The Bad Batch proved Star Wars doesn't need the Jedi to tell compelling, galaxy-defining stories. The Jedi are central to the franchise and always will be. Still, their presence also restricts Star Wars' storytelling, especially in eras that have already been so thoroughly explored. Even when characters like Caleb Dume (known as Kanan Jarrus in Star Wars Rebels) and the resurrected Asajj Ventress were included in The Bad Batch, they never overshadowed Clone Force 99. While it looked like Omega could be Force-sensitive due to her increased M-count, Star Wars made the right call not confirming her abilities. Instead, the epilogue revealed her desire to become a Rebel Alliance pilot. While this could theoretically put her in touch with someone like Luke Skywalker, who might sense her potential (this feels more plausible now that Star Wars Rebels' Sabine Wren has been confirmed as a Jedi trainee in Ahsoka, despite her previous inability to wield the Force), it also doesn't matter. The Bad Batch is a Jedi-less story, and it's all the better for it. Star Wars hasn't had it easy lately; telling stories without the Jedi, introducing new characters, conflicts, and eras is arguably the best way forward. The galaxy far, far away needs to expand its horizons. Star Wars: The Bad Batch may be a direct sequel to Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but it was wholly its own thing, a true testament to the power of character-based, emotional, small-scale storytelling. Star Wars: The Bad Batch is streaming on Disney+ Release Date 2021 - 2024-00-00 Showrunner Dave Filoni Directors Brad Rau, Steward Lee, Nathaniel Villanueva, Saul Ruiz Writers Jennifer Corbett, Dave Filoni, Matt Michnovetz, Tamara Becher, Amanda Rose Munoz, Gursimran Sandhu, Christian Taylor, Damani Johnson Franchise(s) Star Wars Creator(s) Dave Filoni, Jennifer Corbett