Review: 'The Clone Wars' Final Season Embraces Yoda and the Dark Side

Marich 7 is a bittersweet day for Star Wars fans, as while the animated series ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ returns for a sixth season, it does so for the last time.

For five years the series ran on the Cartoon Network; the run ended however, when Netflix, as they so often do now, picked up the show for one more arc. The sixth and final season, complete with 13 episodes, drops en masse on the streaming service on Friday, March 7, as the last piece of ‘Star Wars’ entertainment ahead of the forthcoming feature film(s).

There is plenty for fans to watch, as the sixth season comes with the prior five, totaling 121 episodes for one’s binging pleasure. For the uninitiated or unsure, ‘The Clone Wars’ series takes place between the films Episode II (‘Attack of the Clones’) and Episode III (‘Revenge of the Sith’).

The sixth season, dubbed ‘The Lost Missions,’ looks to fill in some missing pieces in the sort of known storyline, while decidedly turning darker, and rightfully so.

If the first four episodes are any indication (and let’s hope they are, as they were screened to critics ahead of time), the final season is plenty satisfying while still staying focused and disciplined. The season opens simply enough, as the Jedi undertakes a cold case; they are investigating the disappearance and subsequent death of a colleague.

While the first episode features all the familiar characters – Obi-Wan, Anakin, Mace Windu, Count Dooku, and Darth Sidious – and culminates in a thrilling lightsaber battle, it’s the latter episodes centered solely on Yoda that are more daring and interesting.

Plagued by revelations, Yoda travels inward as well as across the galaxy, visiting one place in particular that alludes to a feature film, and conversing with the fallen Jedi Qui Gon Jinn (voiced by a very welcome Liam Neeson, reprising his role).

Just as Luke Skywalker was tested in ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ so too is Yoda, and what keeps this more introspective story fascinating is both the stunning visuals and the embrace of the dark, scary, and weird. Terrors abound, reality is obscured, and there is even one scene that looks like something ripped out of a Tim Burton movie, as ‘The Clones Wars’ keeps things very self-contained across nearly three full episodes.

It’s Yoda’s quest, and it’s promising for the remainder of a series, as this season looks to take its time to wrap up storylines. There is too plenty of allusions and nod and winks to the entire franchise of please, which are sure to elicit audible musings and comforting grins in equal measure. As its on Netflix, the series looks to tend towards the dark and cherish its final run (Netflix will be airing the director’s cuts of the series, no less).

Where ‘The Clone Wars’ continues to excel is still with the gorgeous, vibrant animations and expansive locales that are afforded by not being restricted to a live-action format. The bigger the screen the better for ‘The Clone Wars,’ as some of the settings are most lush and enchanting.

I suppose one could jump right into the sixth season, having not watched the earlier installments, as the show still takes care to balance the acute knowledge of hardcore fans with the moderate understanding of casual viewers. It can get a little too jargon-filled and expository, but never does the pace slow or the plot wander for too long before we’re snapped back into a beautiful and strange world that compels attention.

Season 6 of ‘The Clone Wars’ will debut on Netflix on March 7, as well as the previous five seasons. You can watch the trailer below.