The 5 most devastating moments in Star Wars animation

Ahsoka is premiering in just over a week on Disney+, and it seems like a good time to look back on some of the best of what Star Wars animation has to offer. After all, Ahsoka is one of the most impactful and dynamic characters to come out of the medium and straight into live-action. She has also been a part of some big moments in Star Wars. There are plenty of Star Wars animated shows, including Star Wars: Visions, The Bad Batch, Star Wars Rebels, and The Clone Wars, to name a few, so we’ll have to narrow it down to pinpoint the most devastating Star Wars moments in animation. These are the moments that fans will probably never forget, which had heavy implications on the canon and left fans in a pool of tears.

Here they are in no particular order:

1. Kanan Jarrus’s sacrifice

Rebels followed a close-knit group during the early stages of the Rebellion. One of them was Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus. Fans got to follow Kanan’s journey for four seasons as his connection to the Force and his Padawan, Ezra Bridger, grew stronger. Right at the peak of this journey, Kanan sacrificed himself to save the love of his life, Hera Syndulla, and the rest of the Ghost Crew members. Not only was this moment heartbreaking already, but Kanan had lost his eyesight earlier, regained it in his final moments, and could see Hera one last time. Fans lost one of their favorite characters and watching every member of the Ghost Crew having to cope with it was even harder.

2. The assassination of Duchess Satine Kryze:

The Clone Wars did an exceptional job filling in the timeline, and one of its achievements was the Mandalore plot. At the time, its leader was Duchess Satine Kryze, Bo Katan’s elder sister. Satine was a pacifist and had very different beliefs on the concept of war than the rest of Mandalore. She fought hard to keep Mandalore neutral. She and Obi-Wan had loved each other for years but decided not to be together. In Season 5, Darth Maul killed Satine before Obi-Wan’s eyes, taking revenge on Obi-Wan for leaving him with no legs. Maul took the life of his Master and his love, Satine. The loss nearly pushed Kenobi to the Dark Side.

3. Darth Maul’s death

Maul was misguided and used by Palpatine, just as Count Dooku and Anakin were. His obsession with Obi-Wan continued years after the fall of the Republic. It all led to an episode titled “Twin Suns” in Rebels Season 3. Maul and Kenobi came face to face, and Obi-Wan struck a lethal blow instantly. Maul died in Obi-Wan’s arms in one of Star Wars’s most poignant moments. Obi-Wan showed his arch-nemesis compassion in his final moments, and Maul finally accepted that he had been used by Palpatine all along. He died knowing whom Obi-Wan was protecting on Tatooine and hoped that he was the Chosen One who would avenge them all.

4. Ahsoka leaves the Jedi Order

At the end of The Clone Wars Season 5, Ahsoka made a life-changing decision when she left the Jedi Order. After being framed for bombing the Jedi Temple, Ahsoka was put on trial and, had it not been for Anakin’s efforts to prove her innocence, would likely have been executed. She felt betrayed by the Jedi, most of whom turned against her quickly. Afterward, even when she was asked to return to the Jedi Order, she decided not to. As she walked away from the Jedi, Anakin ran after her and tried to change her mind. The season and the episode ended as the sun set, and Anakin watched Ahsoka making her way down the steps of the Jedi Temple. It was quite symbolic that Ahsoka seemed to be following the sunlight on her way down, and Anakin stayed behind and watched her go as the shadows grew thicker around him.

5. The Clone Wars Season 7 finale

Whoever watched The Clone Wars knew what they were getting themselves into. Everyone knew they were in for a major heartbreak. The finale of the show was pure devastation. Ahsoka and Rex crashed along with a Venator Class Star Destroyer on an unknown planet, and together, they buried their friends and brothers who had died after the events of Order 66. Rex and Ahsoka were left alone with the burden of being survivors of a war they had lost. Ahsoka had been gifted two lightsabers by Anakin a few episodes earlier, and she left one there before walking away. The final devastating blow came when Darth Vader arrived on the planet, found her lightsaber, and ignited it. The war was over, and friends were now enemies. After seven seasons of a show about friendships and bonds, this was one of the most devastating endings in of all Star Wars.