The Essential Clone Wars Episodes Every Star Wars Fan Should Watch

I’ve made an argument for why you should watch The Clone Wars, but actually watching it is another thing. With 121 episodes, many of them filler, some of them oddly out of order, there’s a certain art to getting the best out of your Clone Wars experience. Here’s my list of the essential episodes you should be watching, neatly sorted into chronological order and cut down to only 65 episodes and a movie.

The Clone Wars theatrical release

The movie tells the story of Ahsoka becoming an unwilling Anakin’s padawan — while the plot itself is nothing groundbreaking, it’s a good start to the relationship between the two. It’s the only one that’s not on Netflix, so it’s worth hunting down first.

S3E01: Clone Cadets

The first episode of season 3, Clone Cadets introduces a handful of the clones that we follow through the series, all the way through to Season 6. Seeing as they all essentially look the same, it’s good to get a feel for them early.

S1E05: Rookies

Oh look, here are those clones again.

S1E09: Cloak of Darkness

As we’re skipping the underwhelming first episode, this is a good one to introduce Dooku and his apprentice, Asajj Ventress.

S1E12: Lair of Grievous

Another one that focuses on the baddies, you won’t find many of the recurring main characters here, but the dark side machinations are still interesting.

S1E19: Storm over Ryloth
S1E20: Innocents of Ryloth
S1E21: Liberty on Ryloth

This three-parter is both the start of some deeper character development for Ahsoka and a bit more adventure for the clones. One of the characters in this arc is also pretty important if you’re planning on watching Rebels later.

S2E01: Holocron Heist
S2E02: Cargo of Doom
S2E03: Children of the Force

Another three-parter that introduces bounty hunter Cad Bane and further builds on the relationship between Ahsoka and Anakin.

S2E18: The Zillo Beast
S2E19: The Zillo Beast Strikes Back

Some people love the Zillo Beast episodes, some people hate them. For me, they’re memorable enough to be worth an inclusion.

S2E05: Landing at Point Rain
S2E06: Weapons Factory

This two-parter introduces padawan Barriss Offee — who eventually becomes Ahsoka’s friend. It also provides a broader view of the Clone Wars themselves, and includes a little about the relationships between Jedi and their padawans.

S2E07: Legacy of Terror
S2E08: Brain Invaders

Another two-parter that leads on from Weapons Factory, this arc is about brain-invading zombie worms. Other than that, it’s worth watching for the moments between Ahsoka and Barriss.

S2E12: The Mandalore Plot
S2E13: Voyage of Temptation
S2E14: Duchess of Mandalore

The Mandalore arc introduces Obi Wan’s ex-girlfriend, Satine, who happens to be the Duchess of Mandalore — yes, that place with the armour where Boba Fett comes from. Except for some reason they’re pacifists. A good start to the developing Mandalore storyline throughout the series.

S2E20: Death Trap
S2E21: R2 Come Home
S2E22: Lethal Trackdown

These episodes follow young Boba Fett as he sets out to get revenge on Mace Windu — the Jedi who killed his father. Featuring other bounty hunters from the Star Wars canon such as Bossk from Empire Strikes Back and Aurra Sing, the bald, pale bounty hunter with a short cameo in The Phantom Menace.

S3E02: ARC Troopers

This episode continues the story of the clones from Clone Cadets and Rookies — well, some of them, at least.

S1E22: Hostage Crisis
S3E09: Hunt for Ziro

While this Hutt subplot is a little odd (though more so when watched in its original order) it’s also more screentime for Cad Bane, and a look at Quinlan Vos, one of the more entertaining members of the Jedi order.

S3E10: Heroes on Both Side
S3E11: Pursuit of Peace

This two-parter is a heavily political one, where Padmé tries to broker peace between the Senate and the Separatists. While it might not appeal to everyone, it’s an interesting depiction of grey morality in a universe that loves its blacks and whites.

S3E12: Nightsisters
S3E13: Monster
S3E14: Witches of the Mist

A three-parter that expands on Asajj Ventress, Dooku being a dick and gives us a peek at Darth Maul’s people and home planet.

S3E18: The Citadel
S3E19: Counter Attack
S3E20: Citadel Rescue

Anakin and Tarkin become bros in one of the series’ few nods to the original trilogy. Things also get pretty intense during this high-stakes prison break in/out arc.

S4E07: Darkness on Umbara
S4E08: The General
S4E09: Plan of Dissent
S4E10: Carnage of Krell

A series of clone-centric episodes that have some very illuminating things to say about the state of the Jedi Order. Again, an indicator of the darker direction the series takes.

S4E15: Deception
S4E16: Friends and Enemies
S4E17: The Box
S4E18: Crisis on Naboo

Obi Wan goes undercover with a group of bounty hunters. A lot of it is just him showing off, but the culmination of the arc is a surprisingly intense moment born of Palpatine’s plotting.

S4E19: Massacre
E4E20: Bounty

Two episodes that continue Asajj Ventress’s increasingly interesting plotline, as she leaves the dark side behind to form her own morality.

S4E21: Brothers
S4E22: Revenge

A very surprising return from a film character who really deserved more screen time.

S5E02: A War on Two Fronts
S5E03: Front Runners
S5E04: The Soft War
S5E05: Tipping Points

Ahsoka is sent to train a group of insurgent rebels. Wait, is that really something that’s okay for the Jedi to do? Well, apparently yes…

S5E01: Revival
S5E14: Eminence
S5E15: Shades of Reason
S5E16: The Lawless

Darth Maul and his brother have some really crazy plans for the world of Mandalore, deciding to capitalise on all that Sith training he has to build a criminal empire. Things get really crazy as the Mandalore plotline winds up.

S5E17: Sabotage
S5E18: The Jedi Who Knew Too Much
S5E19: To Catch a Jedi
S5E20: The Wrong Jedi

These four episodes are the culmination of Ahsoka’s storyline in The Clone Wars, and a really powerful ending to the series (nevermind that there are episodes after it)
The sixth season was produced just for Netflix, and mainly consists of tying up previously unclear plot points:

S6E01: The Unknown
S6E02: Conspiracy
S6E03: Fugitive
S6E04: Orders

“Wait, so if the clones are so loyal to the Jedi, why did Order 66 happen?”

S6E10: The Lost One

“What happened to that Master Sifo-Dyas guy anyway?”

S6E11: Voices
S6E12: Destiny
S6E13: Sacrifice

“Why are there so many Force ghosts in the original trilogy but none in the prequels?”

Think I got some of these wrong? Let us know in the comments, I know you will anyway.


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