This whole season may as well be a Vincent Van Gogh painting, because from start to finish, it was nothing but true art! Season 6 is by far my favorite season in the whole show, mainly because of how they provided a lot of additional context for the prequels and even the OG trilogy era. Plus, with the creators finally maturing the themes by this point, there are no holds barred as they aren’t afraid to get into the nitty-gritty bits of Star Wars. 

The Characters

As I reviewed the characters in this show, I’ve mainly talked their growth, backgrounds, or exploration (especially Ahsoka lol). However, while this season still explores all of that, it takes those qualities and goes a step further. One good example is seeing the culmination of certain character arcs that have been built up until now, such as clone trooper Fives. When we first met him, he was the “shiny” of Domino Squad. Years later, he would fight in one of the Republics most traumatizing battles on Umbara, where he would fight against his general’s orders and defend what he believed was right for himself and his brothers. Now, as he watched one of his closest brothers shoot a Jedi, we see all of that independence and passion manifest as he investigates why. Not only does he almost uncover Sidious’ whole plan with the inhibitor chips, but said plan would’ve completely unraveled (or at least hindered the progress) if he wasn’t killed before he could prove it. Nevertheless, it was his efforts that helped Rex and Ahsoka to survive Order 66 and continue to impact the Star Wars story.

Watching character arcs like Fives come to a satisfying close, there’s one thing that this season does better: backgrounds! Now, I’m not talking about origin stories or anything like that, but more so in terms of backgrounds for “Revenge of the Sith.” For instance, ever since the time jump in between “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith,” we don’t really get any info on stuff like how Yoda knew the training to become a force ghost or the depths of Anakin and Padmé’s marriage. Thankfully, these questions get answered as we see Padmé try to do the right thing while Anakin gradually gets consumed by his anger and jealousy. It’s oddly fascinating but also sad how Padmé finally elaborates on how she sees their relationship, and how it’s made her more unhappy than how a true married couple should feel. And of course, it’s always satisfying to see more of Anakin’s Vader moments to add character depth and his eventual turn to the dark side. My favorite example, though, is the Yoda-centered arc at the end of the season. I honestly thought that Yoda didn’t need much, if any, exploration before watching this season many years ago. After all, the guy is about 900 years old, there couldn’t possibly be any more to learn or grow from, right? But that’s why, after rewatching it multiple times as an adult, it’s very interesting to see Yoda deny his darker half or temporarily succumb to temptations as he trains to become a force ghost. Plus, it’s twice as satisfying to see Yoda overcome those struggles and become wiser than 900 years of being a Jedi had ever done for him. 

The Dialogue

When talking about the overall dialogue of this season, the greatest feature (which I appreciate the most) is the sheer emotion you can hear in each character’s voice. You’d think you’d get used to the overall intensity after many rewatches, but much like Season 5, it’s just as heartbreaking every single time. For instance, think about the aforementioned investigation into the clone inhibitor chips. As Fives dove deeper into the conspiracy, he gradually grew from genuinely concerned to outraged, and unfortunately to borderline psychotic (although getting drugged by Nala Se didn’t help with that). But even if he wasn’t drugged, think about how devastatingly world-shattering that must’ve been for him. All his life, he was raised to believe he was fighting for a noble cause in a righteous system, only to watch his best friend die because of some massive and evil conspiracy. Oh, but that’s just the start. There’s also the moment when Padmé’s ex-boyfriend (Clovis) returns to the scene, drawing out Vader to the point where Anakin beats the absolute crap out of Clovis. Afterwards, Anakin and Padmé have a serious talk about their marriage, such as the emotional burden the secrecy has put on her. It honestly broke my heart hearing how unhappy Padmé was, and also when she said that they couldn’t truly enjoy their relationship like any other married couple would. Not that I wish they never got together or anything, but moments like these make me wonder if their relationship was truly worth it. 

Thankfully, though, not every line of dialogue has the potential to shatter your soul. As I’ve said in previous reviews, I always love any chance to explore more into the lore behind the Force and how it all works. For instance, when Qui-Gon talks about the differences between the Living and Cosmic Force, and existing in a place where there is no past or future, I get extremely fascinated. In addition, I also love whenever the dialogue centers around key elements on becoming a Force ghost, such as Yoda acknowledging his darker half or resisting tempting visions. In a way, it makes sense why these are important to become a Force ghost, when you truly acknowledge every part of yourself and accept reality as it is and not what you want it to be. And yet, at the same time, there’s just as much confusion as there is clarity. While this is a force beyond our comprehension, there’s just too much that’s unexplored and each piece we find is never enough. 

Thankfully, there is actually something that the dialogue provides answers for, and it’s mainly the prequel trilogy. What I mean by this is that most of the dialogue in these arcs tie nicely into “Revenge of the Sith,” or at least give satisfying context for the movie. For instance, the whole investigation into the clones’ inhibitor chips already foreshadowed Order 66, but Fives’ revelation about Palpatine completely confirms it for the audience. Even though it did little more than stir some doubt among the Jedi, it’s a nice nod to the fans watching the arc. However, my favorite example is when the Jedi re-open the investigation into Syfo-Dyas’ death. When I first watched this arc years ago, I completely forgot Dooku’s Sith name and if it ever served any importance in the story. After repeated watches since then, I absolutely love how they finally found out about it and how they linked it to the creation of the Clone army. This makes a whole lot more sense when watching ROTS, because by that point, the Jedi are already doubting the clones and catching on to a plot against them. It all comes to a satisfying full circle, and I’m all the more here for it!

The Story/Action

Surprisingly, there wasn’t as much action as there was in previous seasons, but that doesn’t automatically make it a bad thing. Sure, it may not be guys with laser swords fighting evil robots, but certain fight scenes do an excellent job reflecting a character’s state or ideals. For example, as Fives resists his persecutors while he investigates, he is at first forced to knock out a few of his brothers before getting increasingly violent over time. This demonstrates how reserved he is since his primary focus is finding out what happened to Tup, but after getting drugged and manipulated by Palpatine, he is not afraid to fight anyone who feels like a threat. Similarly, with Anakin and Clovis, I love how the tension starts building up every time Anakin sees his wife with her ex. It all explodes after he almost kills Clovis for kissing her, revealing his twisted, angry side that will lead to the destruction of the Jedi Order itself. 

Sometimes, though, you just need to admire the action sequences for what they are. The greatest example of this is undoubtedly when Anakin and Obi-Wan face Count Dooku on Oba Diah, the center of the Pykes and their spice trade. It doesn’t need saying at this point, but Dooku is one of the most skilled lightsaber duelists in the franchise, and this fight more than shows it! Every swing of his blade, every smooth stroke or acrobatic feat is so fluid and satisfying to watch, and also impressive considering his age. Not only that (and I never noticed this until I watched a YouTube video about the fight), but you can tell that Dooku was forcing Obi-Wan onto the offensive and Anakin mainly did defense, which is a sharp contrast to how the pair usually fight. Plus, with how high and refined Dooku views himself, it’s reflected in the way he fights them as he just beats them back as if he were fighting younglings! It’s honestly no wonder Sidious picked this guy as his replacement for Maul.

As much as I love talking about the action, though, I need to draw attention to the overall story. I know I just said this during the “dialogue” section, but I absolutely love and appreciate all the context this season gives us for ROTS. But this is especially good for me because, before I watched this season years ago, I never thought of key things they did here. For example, I never really thought of how Yoda knew how to train Obi-Wan to become a Force ghost, much less how he was able to communicate with Qui-Gon in the first place. Nor have I thought much of the state of Anakin and Padmé’s marriage by this point, the circumstances around Syfo-Dyas’ death, or even investigating Order 66. This season even provides new context outside of what I already knew from the movies, such as Palpatine taking control of the banks. I can’t believe I never thought of that since he becomes the ruler of the galaxy, of course he’s gonna want control over all the money. Considering the massive time jump in between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, it’s very satisfying to have the Clone Wars provide a smooth transition in between movies, especially when it accumulates into this season. Plus, one thing I love the most about shows like this are episodes with good backgrounds and/or origin stories. 

Conclusion

This season was an easy 10/10 (dare I say even 11/10) for me! Honestly, what more can I say about it that I haven’t already covered in this review? It was perfect from start to finish! However, in spite of that, I’m so glad we got a true ending to the series (which I’ll cover in my next and final review) almost a decade after this one. Say what you will about Disney, but at least Filoni’s final season has a lot more satisfying conclusions and easter eggs that transition into the movies and even Rebels.