The story
Set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, the series follows the galaxy-wide war between the Republic and the Separatists. Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, joined by Anakin's spirited new apprentice Ahsoka Tano, lead armies of clone troopers against Count Dooku's droid forces, in stand-alone adventures and longer story arcs that grow steadily darker as the conflict drags on.
Why it matters
The Clone Wars was rescued by streaming twice. Netflix's Lost Missions deal brought Star Wars content to that platform for the first time, and Disney+ later commissioned a final season to tie up its unfinished stories. Demand surged with that seventh season, lifting it to the top of US audience-demand rankings for science fiction.
How it was rescued
Lucasfilm announced in March 2013 that the Cartoon Network series would end with its fifth season, shortly after Disney bought the company. A sixth season, The Lost Missions, was then released exclusively on Netflix in the US and Canada on 7 March 2014. In July 2018 Disney+ announced a final seventh season, which premiered on 21 February 2020.
Filed under: Cancelled, then revived online
Notable facts
- The series was originally planned to run to 300 episodes. (source)
- Netflix executive Sean Carey called the show "a hidden gem that Disney brought to our attention". (source)
- The Disney+ revival was announced at San Diego Comic-Con on 19 July 2018, with the hashtag #CloneWarsSaved. (source)