Happy April Fools! In the Star Wars galaxy, things can get pretty serious. They are at war, after all. But more often than you'd think, the characters in the center of the action tend to goof off and cause shenanigans. And we love to see it!
So here are 5 funny examples from Star Wars animation that let loose and made us laugh.
1. Ezra and Zeb steal a Tie fighter
I, for one, think the whole Rebels series is hilarious, but there's no way I could leave out this iconic moment. In Star Wars Rebels' fourth episode, "Fighter Flight," Ezra and Zeb won't stop arguing, so Hera sends them off on a "supply run" which is more of a wild goose chase. She orders them to come back with meiloorun fruit, knowing there is none on the planet. This eventually leads to them miraculously finding meilooruns, but having to steal them from stormtroopers. And they steal a whole Tie fighter while they're at it. They contact Kanan and Hera and break the news. Kanan is livid, and Zeb remarks he's taking it better than he thought. Kanan orders them to get rid of it, and they both whine like children, asking, "Do we have to?" After Kanan furiously ends the call, they happily agree that it went well. This whole episode is filled with laughs as they haphazardly manage to steal a tie fighter and act hilariously immature in the process.
2. Master Yoda messes with Ventress
In the first episode of The Clone Wars, "Ambush," Jedi Master Yoda is on a secret mission to forge a treaty with the King of the system of Toydaria when Count Dooku ambushes his ship. Yoda and his clone troopers battle against Count Dooku's apprentice, Asajj Ventress, and a droid army for the right to align with Toydaria. Yoda rises to the challenge and isn't defeated by their numbers. The king tells Dooku he has decided to align with the republic because of this. Dooku refuses to accept this and orders Ventress to kill him. But as she is about to decapitate the king, in a turn of events, her lightsabers are stopped. Yoda arrives and uses the force to stop her in her tracks. And while Yoda defeats her easily, he mockingly tells her, "Strong you are, with the dark side, young one. But not that strong." He easily manipulates her sabers, deactivating them and using the Force to pull them out of her very hands. This lighthearted turn is funny as Ventress is schooled in the force with her own sabers.
3. Wrecker starts a food fight
In The Bad Batch, we don't have a lack of wacky moments. Although I could account for the whole show, one of the best was in the very first episode, "Aftermath." In the episode, the Batch meets Omega for the first time. She is enamored with them, and when in the cafeteria, she chooses to sit with them. Shortly after, the Batch is mocked as inferior by regular clones that pass by their table. Omega throws some food at the clone in retaliation. At first, Hunter gets the angry clone to calm down and keep moving. But right after, Wrecker instigates a fight by throwing his whole food tray at the clone. A brawl of the Batch versus the entire mess hall follows. This scene is both funny and chaotic. Wrecker is eager for a fight, Echo jumps on the table, and Crosshair tries to ignore everything and continues eating. It's hilarious to watch and was a great way to introduce the unique personalities of the Batch.
4. Rex explains stormtroopers bad aim
Further in Rebels timeline, one of the funniest moments of the show occurs with the return of Captain Rex. With Rex now a part of the Rebellion, he helps with the Ghost crew's missions. One in particular where he and Kanan Jarris must work together undercover disguised as stormtroopers. Eventually, they are found out and have to fight. They both use blasters to fight other troopers, and Kanan remarks that Rex shoots just as badly as they do. Rex angrily exclaims that it's the helmet, and he can't see. Ripping it off, he chucks the helmet at the troopers, nailing them with it! This is both funny at the moment and with the fact that Troopers' poor aim has been a running joke in the fandom for many years. We've all seen them shoot everywhere but their enemies right in front of them. And it makes this joke even funnier as we finally get an explanation from no less than the infamous soldier, Captain Rex.
5. Anakin fakes a surrender
Any fan of The Clone Wars knows of Anakin Skywalker's outside-the-box plans. And even at the end of the show, there is no exception. In the ninth episode of Season 7, "Old Friends Not Forgotten," we see another example of this. We start with Obi-Wan's battalion climbing an uphill battle, pinned by the Separatists. And Anakin jumps in to help. It amusingly seems he couldn't care less about the blasts surrounding him and puts his classic overconfidence on display. When he assures his master he has a foolproof plan, he steps into action. Strolling up to the enemy, Anakin admits to defeat and surrenders, a nice callback to The Clone Wars theatrical film when Obi-Wan pulled the same stunt.
Anakin gives a dramatic speech about how superior the Separatists are to them and how he didn't stand a chance. But he cuts off this speech by destroying the tactical droid as soon as it arrives. Revealing it was all a trap, Rex and his men ambush the Separatists, coming in via jetpack, throwing bombs and laser blasts everywhere. This unseriousness in battle is amusing to watch, and the instant chaos of the ambush just adds to the entertainment. Honestly, I think this was the perfect way to reintroduce Anakin in the last season, just as funny and crazy as he always is.
These are just a few of the many different moments in Star Wars animation that can leave a smile on your face. As tragic as some points may be, it's nice that, at times, you can watch these complex characters make you laugh. Whether it's on the first time or the tenth rewatch, it's definitely worth enjoying.