Well, here we are: a month of binging and reviewing my favorite Star Wars show and we’ve finally reached the end. It’s been amazing to revisit every episode and all of my favorite arcs, but rewatching a true finale that’s been denied us for over a decade has been just as rewarding. Some people may have varying opinions about this final season, but I personally feel like it’s a satisfying conclusion and transition into other Star Wars projects. 

The Characters

It almost feels unreal revisiting these characters, since they’re trying to connect the older vibe of past seasons with a more modern take. Nevertheless, Filoni and the rest of the team did the show justice by closing many popular characters’ arcs. Rex, for example, almost has an existential crisis as he reflects on his brothers’ deaths and even questioning what he’s fighting for. We also get to see what Ahsoka does for herself after leaving the Jedi, and how her desire to help others leads to her future alliance with Bo Katan. Finally, Maul’s insight, power, and intellect grows to the point where he not only discovers Sidious’ real plan, but also orchestrates a whole war on Mandalore as part of his solution. The cherry on top for all of this is how they all respond to Order 66: Ahsoka desperately tries to show mercy, Rex forces himself to be fine with killing them, and Maul destroys the whole ship just for his own survival. All of these characters come full circle, and the finale perfectly transitions into where we see them in shows like “Tales of the Jedi” or “Rebels.” 

However, before we go any further, we need to acknowledge the gundark in the room: The Bad Batch. It felt a bit strange revisiting Clone Force 99 at this point in time, mainly due to how recent the finale of their spinoff show was, and how my views of them have changed because of it. It almost felt like there was a sharp contrast between the different shows’ portrayals of them, like they seemed more rebellious and jerky (especially Crosshair) than I remembered. But of course, it didn’t take long to realize this is pretty much how they always are. In all seriousness though, I absolutely love their characters and how they’re almost like a black-ops X-Men squad. Not only are their powers and abilities unique, but their personalities are perfectly reflected by them, such as the strong brute being the reckless meathead or the sharpshooter being a stoic loner. Also, I find it incredibly insane how Dee Bradley Baker is able to change the voice and personality for each character. I’ve seen an interview about his voice acting and I still don’t know how he can transition so naturally, because they sound so distinct and lively that you’d easily forget one guy voiced this many characters at once. 

The Dialogue

Much like the characters, the dialogue feels slightly different compared to other seasons. While the previous seasons had a large amount of maturity (even in the first season), I can tell that the dialogue in this season sounds a lot more mature than all of them combined. I’ve also noticed that the show’s sense of humor is either scarce or doesn’t hit the same as preceding seasons, but I don’t wanna seem like I’m hating on something just because it’s new and different. After all, I believe there’s a good reason for this: the timing. By now, we’re at the point in the timeline where we’re about to enter (and eventually fully enter) “Revenge of the Sith,” so of course things will sound twice as serious. For example, while this doesn’t directly connect with the movie, I still love the one speech that Rafa Martez gave to Ahsoka during their imprisonment by the Pykes. You can hear the combination of sorrow and deadness in her voice as she reveals how their parents got killed in the crossfires of the Jedi, and how they just seemingly gave a heartless response and took off. People may have their negative opinions on the Martez sisters, but I’m always grateful to hear common citizens or otherwise non-central characters talk about how they’ve been effected by the Jedi. It also helps Ahsoka realize more about the Jedi and her opinions on the sisters’ senses of morality, which I believe helps her continue to realize things aren’t as black and white even when she’s outside the Jedi. Nevertheless, she shows her undying compassion by arguing what the Martez sisters could do with the spice, and also why she would rather stun the clones than kill them. Even when all the clones turn against her, all her years spent around Anakin and his own compassion continue to shine through her. 

However, and I believe I speak for the whole fanbase, but none of that compares to the poetry presented in the final four episodes. A major contribution to this art is from Darth Maul, and Sam Witwer’s unique portrayal of the character. I’ve mentioned in other reviews about how Maul has a perfect blend of “sanity” and insanity, and Maul does this here but his voice sounds a lot softer and close to cracking with intense emotions. Half the time, Maul almost appears sympathetic as he tries to win Ahsoka’s trust, but his anger and madness build up and explode with fiery passion. A good example (and one of my favorite scenes) is the scene in the throne room: “Too late? For what? The Republic to fall? It already has, you just can’t see it! There is no law! No justice! No order! Except for the one that will replace it!” This outburst, combined with how he goes into great yet vague detail on Sidious’ plan, portrays how the revelation almost broke him and how the Dark Side continues driving him down a path that he believes is best for him. But in reality, he’s only spiraling himself further into the psychotic prison he’s made for himself. 

The Story/Action

I’ve read some reddit posts about how fans wish they got stories like Cad Bane vs Boba Fett or the Bad Batch accompanying Yoda on Kashyyyk, and while I do agree, the stories we got shouldn’t be shrugged off so easily. As previously mentioned, the Bad Batch arc helps Rex reflect on himself but also helps him find some sense of healing by rescuing a brother believed to be long dead. While this could be seen as a “somehow Palpatine returned” moment, Echo deserves a good comeback after all the crap his squad went through; but seeing the horrific circumstances of his condition make any doubts of his return disappear. Moving on, though, we need to address what might very well be the least popular arc among fans: the Martez sisters. I definitely wasn’t a huge fan of these episodes either, because the Martez sisters weren’t interesting and I thought they could’ve done a better story for Ahsoka’s post-Jedi life. But I had a change of heart after rewatching these episodes, because I always appreciate episodes that step away from the battlefield and explore the lives of common citizens. However, I love how this forces Ahsoka to truly look at what the people on the lower levels go through, and how she shouldn’t judge others based on how they live or conduct themselves. 

With that being said, though, I have to agree with everyone who says the last four episodes are the best parts of this whole season. There are so many satisfying conclusions to stories in past seasons, callbacks to earlier elements, and shifts into the era of Star Wars we know and love. The Mandalore arc, for instance, helped explain a lot for me when I first watched it in college. I never read the “Son of Dathomir” comics or even knew they existed at that point, so it was very confusing how Maul went through being electrocuted by Palpatine to stranded on Malachor in “Rebels.” So hearing him explain how his Mandalorian followers freed him, along with seeing what happens to him and how he escapes into the galaxy, really cleared things up. Plus, it also explains Ahsoka’s reaction to seeing Maul in “Rebels” and how they seem to know each other so well, despite never meeting until this season. Aside from that, I love how the whole conflict helped lay the foundation for Ahsoka and Bo’s alliance in “The Mandalorian,” because even though they’ve met before (albeit in not-so-great circumstances), it wouldn’t make a lot of sense why they’d stay in contact without this context. But when Order 66 is given, I absolutely loved how they not only brought back Ahsoka’s old astromech, but we finally get to see how Rex got his chip removed. We got a vague explanation in “Rebels,” but we were left guessing how he did it until we see Ahsoka struggle to find it until she used the Force. 

As good as the story was, let’s shift gears and talk about what any good Star Wars fan loves about the franchise: the action. First of all, I’m always glad to see when any action or fight scenes in any franchise not only look amazing, but also carry a sense of purpose. For example, when the Bad Batch is introduced, we get an equal amount of time focused on each member as they show off their skills in each battle. This would add onto the glimpses we got into their personalities and characteristics, allowing the audience to become more familiar with them. However, I’m honestly beating around the bush a little bit, because the best part about the action was in the four-part finale! I am absolutely astounded because in the duel between Ahsoka and Maul, they not only did motion capture for the fight scene, but they actually brought back Ray Park for Maul’s part! No wonder each exchange between the combatants felt so fluid and natural, and all around satisfying to watch! Later on, I absolutely loved how Maul absolutely massacred the clones in that hallway scene, and even sent goosebumps down my spine as I rewatched it for this review. But I also loved how Ahsoka made Rex use stun blasts on the clones instead of live rounds, because it really shows her true character in spite of their heartbreaking betrayal against her. It’s just a shame that the clones never accepted her mercy before their unceremonious deaths when the ship crashed. Finally, I love how they ended it with Darth Vader examining the wreckage years later. As he carefully scans across the ship and picks up Ahsoka’s lightsaber, you can just feel that so much is being said in the silence. Plus, with that calm but chilling music, the whole scene tugs on your heartstrings.

Conclusion

All around, I give this season a 9.5/10! I hate not giving it a perfect 10/10, but it still doesn’t beat Season 6 for me. Plus, I agree it could’ve been better but it was still a great season all the same. Man, I’ve gotta be honest, I was worried that all that binging would turn into a chore and ruin the experience. But who am I kidding? I will always be down to rewatch this series over and over for the rest of my life! Even when I do get tired and want a break, I’ll still rewatch it all over again.