The highly acclaimed animated Star Wars series, The Clone Wars is without a doubt one of the best Star Wars shows period, not just in the animation category. From its intriguing storylines, exhilarating action, sleek animation, or, more specifically, its spectacular treatment of characters, The Clone Wars is pure Star Wars fun. Whether it’s brand-new or already beloved Star Wars characters, the show’s creator, Dave Filoni, presents a character masterclass, demonstrating satisfying and heartbreaking arcs and ultimately delivering engaging and deeply layered characters that instantly make fans fall head-over-heels for these characters.
Sadly, in 2014, The Clone Wars got canceled, meaning many character arcs were left unfinished. Thankfully, Disney corrected their mistake and green-lit one final season of the show, which was by far one of the best the series had to offer. It finally gave these much-loved characters some closure in their completed arcs, even if most were heartbreaking. The beloved series has gone on to produce several spinoffs as well, including Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and the new live-action series Ahsoka, which has brought these characters into a brand new era of Star Wars. With seven seasons, 133 episodes, and many memorable characters, here are the best characters in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Updated January 20, 2024: This article has been updated with even more of the best characters from Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
12 Plo Koon
As the series was set during the height of Jedi power, The Clone Wars saw a huge array of Jedi, new and old. From the likes of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Yoda, Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, Luminara Unduli, and, of course, Plo Koon. Plo Koon was a personal favorite of The Clone Wars creator Dave Filoni (he reportedly dressed up as him for his midnight screening of Revenge of the Sith), so he made sure to give him extra attention. In the series, Plo Koon demonstrates his vast wisdom, compassion for others, impeccable skills as a Jedi, and tactics as a Commander.
His design helps make Plo Koon stand out from the rest, and the brilliant voice work from James Arnold Taylor, a series regular, only accentuates fans’ love for the character. Plo Koon’s compassion for others, mostly with Clone Troopers and little ‘Soka, (his nickname for Ahsoka Tano as he was the Jedi that discovered her and brought her to the Jedi temple) made Plo Koon stand out from a crowd full of great Jedi characters, making him one of the series’ most memorable and beloved Jedi and making his death in Revenge of the Sith much more heartbreaking.
11 Savage Opress
One of the most feared warriors in the galaxy, Savage Opress was an original character in The Clone Wars. Handpicked by the Nightsisters, he was transformed into a powerful soldier. Most famously, though, Savage is a Nightbrother from the planet of Dathomir and a sibling to the one and only Darth Maul. He was responsible for finding Maul after his apparent demise and recovering his body so the Nightsisters could nurse him back to full health.
The two join forces in order to enact revenge on the Jedi and, specifically, Obi-Wan Kenobi. It took a fight with The Emperor himself to end Savage’s reign of tyranny after he feared that their power would outgrow his own. While he started out as a way to bring Maul back into the Star Wars canon, Savage quickly grew into his own as a character and stood apart from his brother. The Maul plot-line is widely considered one of the highlights of The Clone Wars, and a lot of that is due to Savage. Through his character, audiences were introduced more to the world of Dathomir and witchcraft in the Star Wars universe.
10 Hondo Ohnaka
The most notorious pirate in the Galaxy, Hondo Ohnaka, would do anything for a big payday. He and his gang operate in the Outer Rim of the galaxy, where they robbed and stole from whoever they could. His biggest claim to fame lies in the kidnapping of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Count Dooku. Yes, that’s right, this lowly pirate managed to capture three of the most powerful force users and intended to use them as ransom. While there’s no doubt that he’d betray friend or foe to see a means to an end, he’s had noble intentions a few times in his storied career.
There was a time when he kidnapped a group of Jedi younglings in an attempt to sell them to the highest bidder and ended up on their side by the end of the episode to do the right thing, and more importantly to him, to save his skin. There’s truly nothing that he wouldn’t do for a price, and it’s all part of what makes Hondo so great. He’s an infamous criminal wanted from end-to-end of the Galaxy, but his charm makes him so likable, no matter how bad he may be. He was so popular that not only did he return in Star Wars: Rebels, but he is the centerpiece animatronic for Star Wars: Smugglers Run at various Disney theme parks.
9 Fives
Dave Filloni truly did something special with The Clone Wars and its characters; more specifically, making audiences inherently care for the Clones throughout the course of the show, including Commander Cody, Echo, the rest of The Bad Batch, and of course, Captain Rex. But no Clone should be more praised than the brave Arc Trooper, Fives. Putting others before himself many a time, Fives not only became an instantly admired character, but an incredibly important character that broke all our hearts.
Without Fives, fans and the show’s heroes would never have learned of the secret inhibitor chip embedded in every Clone, as well as Palpatine’s galaxy-shaking plan. It was fascinating to see Order 66 discovered by a clone and brought about one of the best arcs in the entire series. Likewise, without Fives’ heart-wrenching sacrifice, Captain Rex and Ahsoka Tano would never have survived Order 66. We salute you Fives!
8 Asajj Ventress
Asajj Ventress is one of the most unique characters in all of Star Wars and one deserving of a lot more appreciation. She originated in the original 2D Clone Wars animated series, reusing concept art for a character in Attack of the Clones, and then made her leap into the 3D Clone Wars, where she was given far greater depth. Her journey mirrored that of Anakin Skywalker, only she yearned to be considered a true Sith, not a Jedi.
She was never allowed due to their Rule of Two, but it was something that always ate her up inside and fueled her hatred. Her master, Count Dooku, was ordered to kill her due to the Emperor’s fear of her power, and he obliged, setting forward the best part about her character. While she has battled with great Jedi like Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker, her most important duel was with her own master. She’s more of an anti-hero in Star Wars as she dedicated her life to destroying Dooku after embracing her Nightsister roots. This path has even led her to work with the previously mentioned Jedi and turn her back on the Sith. She’s a fascinating character who goes through a lot of changes during The Clone Wars, showcasing her natural progression from the dark side back to the light.
7 Bo-Katan Kryze
Before she became a pivotal character in The Mandalorian, Bo-Katan was one of the most important characters in The Clone Wars. Trapped in an endless fight to protect the future of Mandalore, Bo-Katan started out as a loyal member of the Death Watch, an extremist Mandalorian terrorist group. They didn’t approve of Mandalore’s pacifism and wanted to restore the warrior reputation they once had. After a takeover from Darth Maul gave her a crisis in confidence, Bo-Katan and other loyalists created the Mandalorian Resistance to fight for the betterment of their people.
Bo-Katan is one of the most layered characters in all of The Clone Wars and someone who’s suffered a lot of loss throughout the universe. She has remained allegiant to Mandalore the entire time and has gained the trust of people like Ahsoka Tano and Obi-Wan Kenobi. She’s gone from a follower to a leader, to an outcast and everything in between. Regardless, she persists and does what she can to make up for her dark past and make tomorrow a brighter day for all Mandalorians.
6 Cad Bane
A ruthless Durosian bounty hunter, Cad Bane became an instant fan-favorite due to his cowboy-inspired style, intimidating voice, and fearless recourse in his actions. Voiced by Corey Burton, Cad Bane is quite possibly one of the best and deadliest bounty hunters in Star Wars history, showing great intellect, being able to adapt instantly in any surroundings, and for the right price, Bane will take any job. Cad Bane proves his worth in many memorable and simply imposing moments throughout the show, as he holds the Senate hostage, steals Holocrons from the Jedi temple, and even goes toe-to-toe with a few Jedi; most notably, Obi Wan Kenobi.
Casual audiences were introduced to the chilling bounty hunter in The Book of Boba Fett, but the character is at his best in The Clone Wars. Continually, one of the best parts of the series is a character who raises tensions just by entering a room and easily a standout character in the series.
5 Darth Maul
It’s safe to say that the Sith Lord, Darth Maul, was already a beloved character, but somehow, Dave Filloni managed to make fans adore the Dathomirian even more. His arc throughout the course of the show was irreverently riveting and arguably one of the best character arcs in the show, as Maul turned the entire galaxy upside down to find and destroy Obi-Wan Kenobi. Voiced by Sam Witwer, who brought a much-welcomed gravitas to the character, Darth Maul and his aforementioned brother Savage Oppress had many groundbreaking and memorable moments, most notably for their battle against Asajj Ventress and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
On his own, Maul fought against Pre Vizsla to take the dark saber and rule over Mandalore; Maul killed Obi-Wan’s love, Satine, as he was forced to watch in horror, and in the final season, Maul and Ahsoka had one of the best lightsaber fights in the show. Given a vision of the future, Maul saw what was about to happen with Anakin’s fall to the dark side. In a strange twist of fate, Maul was trying to save the galaxy from the Empire before it could even get started with Order 66. Maul was already a well-established character, but Filloni’s impeccable character treatment led to more iconic moments and a deeper, more well-rounded, and very evil character that fans absolutely adore.
4 Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan was already a household name and a beloved Jedi far before The Clone Wars series ever came about. However, the show dove head-first into Kenobi’s character, giving the Jedi a lot of depth, with intriguing arcs and rivalries, as well as some truly heart-wrenching moments. One arc, in particular, gives a lot of new depth to the character with the introduction of Duchess Satine. The two fell in love years ago, but never acted on it until it was too late. Obi-Wan even told her that he would’ve been willing to leave the order for her, but the two never got the chance to be with each other after her tragic death.
Kenobi is quite possibly one of the purest, most kind-hearted, and most skilled Jedi there ever was, and no matter what the poor soul goes through, he is never tempted by the Dark Side. Despite the Council’s flaws, Kenobi will always represent what the Jedi should be. Likewise, the great Jedi Master is equally responsible for many brilliant lightsaber battles throughout all seven seasons of the show.
3 Anakin Skywalker
Upon their release, the prequel trilogy wasn’t very highly received, and audiences weren’t big fans of Anakin Skywalker‘s character. Thankfully, in the years since, people have come around to loving Hayden Christensen in the role and appreciate Anakin more. Much of that concerns how The Clone Wars handled him and “fixed” the character. In the films, Anakin goes through the worst periods of his life, and the audience isn’t able to fully grasp what he’s supposed to be like normally. The Clone Wars showcases Anakin at the best point in his life when things are going well, and it allows everyone to see him as the good guy he truly is.
It also helps to see his relationship with Ahsoka develop, as it highlights how skilled Anakin is as a Jedi and a General in the war. As the main character of the entire saga, The Clone Wars, making him more likable and interesting, does wonders for the entire saga. It makes the tragedy of his character hurt even more, knowing how joyful and optimistic he once was and the relationships he threw away. He may not have been a Clone Wars original character and one of the most well-known in all cinema, but the way the series handled his character helped audiences fall in love with him.
2 Captain Rex
As previously mentioned, Filoni did an impeccable job of making fans fall in love with many Clone characters, and none are more memorable or beloved than the great Captain Rex. Sporting iconic Clone armor, an obedient (for the most part), militarized demeanor, a pair of dual-wielding blaster pistols, and a heart of gold, Captain Rex is now, rightfully, one of the best characters in Star Wars history. Captain Rex is at the center of many of the show’s best episodes, and moments such as the Umbara Arc, and the moment when Rex grows from an obedient soldier to a free-thinking fighter in order to help his friend Ahsoka survive the devastating order 66.
1 Ahsoka Tano
Making waves almost instantly, it’s no surprise that the utterly fantastic Ahsoka Tano is at the top of our list, considering that many, if not all Star Wars fans can agree that Ahsoka is one of the best characters in Star Wars. Ahsoka is at the forefront of the series and is responsible and at the center of many of the show’s most pivotal moments and brilliant dynamics that lead to her being painted as the gold standard of what and who a Jedi should be. While fans might have hated her at first, they quickly came around to her, and now it is hard to imagine the franchise without her.
As Anakin’s Padawan, she was there by his side throughout it all; the two were inseparable. It wasn’t until she was wrongfully framed for murder and left the Jedi Order that they drifted apart. Upon learning what her former master had become, she had blamed herself for leaving him and not being there when he needed her. She would never operate as an official Jedi again, but Ahsoka never stopped fighting for what was right. It’s brought her face to face with some of the most evil in the galaxy, like Darth Maul in the now-famous Siege of Mandalore. It is fitting that the final episodes of The Clone Wars are centered on her and Rex, as they were the two original characters created for the series.
Ahsoka’s growth throughout The Clone Wars turned her into the best character of the series by far, as she got to experience the highs and lows of being a Jedi. Her persistence made her a fan favorite and one that people have enjoyed watching even in her own live-action series, Ahsoka, which debuted last year. With the second season in production now, Ahsoka continues to be one of the best and most important characters in all of Star Wars.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
