Remembering ‘The Lawless,’ 10 years later

Though The Clone Wars ran for seven seasons total, there are several episodes among the many that stand out as the most heartbreaking. “The Lawless” just might be tied as one of the saddest events of the entire series.

The episode, part of the series’ fifth season, premiered on February 2, 2013. That’s right: It’s been a decade since we first saw Obi-Wan Kenobi in Mandalorian armor. Since we learned Bo-Katan and Satine were sisters. Since both characters lost a woman they loved to the evil hands of a power-hungry, revenge-seeking Maul.

This was the first episode the darksaber changed hands on-screen — the death of Pre Viszla granted Maul the long-standing right to wield the blade and rule Mandalore, though he had little interest in either of these things long-term.

All he wanted was to hurt the man who hurt him first. All he wanted was to take away something from Obi-Wan Kenobi he knew the man may never recover from losing.

This episode of The Clone Wars is haunting, deadly, and galaxy-changing. By the end of the episode, Satine and Savage are dead. Darth Sidious is prepared to acquire a new apprentice and shun Maul as if he never existed (again).

Obi-Wan and Satine say goodbye for the last time. Mandalore is now under the control of one of the most dangerous crime syndicates. War is looming, though they don’t know it yet.

Basically, everything is terrible and if you don’t leave this episode absolutely shattered, I have a few questions for you (one: do you even have a soul?).

And to think Mandalore’s story in this show could have ended there. It could have, but it didn’t. Ten years ago, no one could have imagined we would actually see the ending.

The ending was so much more painful than this one. But at least we got to witness it for ourselves.

All episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars are available to stream exclusively on Disney+.

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