Clone Wars Rewatch: 5 thoughts on The Clone Wars movie

3. Screen time for villains

As just mentioned, The Clone Wars featured many beloved heroes from the Star Wars films. Just as importantly, it spends time displaying and explaining a number of incredible villains, from the purely evil to the conflicted gray adversaries.

Count Dooku (with Christopher Lee reprising the role) gets to be the puppet master behind the scenes, bringing a sinister plot to bear. Then when the plot begins to unravel he confronts Anakin Skywalker himself, with his sneering arrogance and polished swordplay on display. We see Jabba the Hutt, the droid armies, and briefly Darth Sidious as well.

We are also introduced to Asajj Ventress, Dooku’s apprentice. She first appeared in the Clone Wars microseries and gets center-stage in The Clone Wars movie and subsequent show. Her attire is menacing and unique, her paired lightsabers brilliant, her wicked confidence and flawed execution all parts of a great villain.

The Clone Wars movie also introduces a unique storytelling move that the show will utilize frequently, showing us the Separatist commanders behind the faceless droid armies. In the film we meet Whorm Loathsom, a Kerkodian representing the “Retail Caucus.” The movies introduce the most powerful members of the Separatist brain trust, such as Nute Gunray or Wat Tambor. In The Clone Wars we see lesser members who are important parts of the Separatist war machine.

Finally, we get to know Ziro the Hutt. This colorful character will become a recurring character, and shows up another side to the Hutts than we see from Jabba in the live-action films. He is zany, flamboyant and somewhat wimpy — very different than the villains we see leading the Separatists, but no less interesting. We also see how Jabba is a “big deal” and not simply a local crime boss, and how his own family is motivated to get him out of the way.