For the first two episodes of the Siege of Mandalore arc of The Clone Wars, I have been pointing out some easter eggs, tie-ins, and other parallels to Star Wars material, as there seem to be plenty of them.
I’m continuing that today by looking at just a few of the many parallels in the third episode, “Shattered.”
1. “I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi”
In Revenge of the Sith, there is a meeting between some of the Jedi, talking about the war effort. Mace Windu, Yoda, Ki-Adi Mundi, Aayla Secura, and Anakin Skywalker receive a briefing from Commander Cody, informing them that Obi-Wan Kenobi had made contact with General Grievous. Windu sends Anakin to inform the Chancellor of this, and then tells the others “I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi.”
In this episode of The Clone Wars, we hear Windu say this again, and we hear the conversation proceed – after which Ahsoka Tano briefs the Jedi about her success in capturing Maul. It’s pretty cool to see this exact scene, which we’ve seen before, in animation here to help us know when this takes place, but also to add context to Ahsoka’s conversation with them. Rex even tells her that Anakin was there when he made contact, which would have fit perfectly with the context.
2. Keepers of the peace, not soldiers
As Ahsoka speaks with Rex on their way back to Coruscant, she explains how, “As a Jedi, we were trained to be keepers of the peace, not soldiers. But all I’ve been since I was a padawan is a soldier.” It is an emotional moment and there is certainly a ton of truth to what Ahsoka is saying, but there’s also a connection here – because this isn’t the first time we’ve heard that line.
In Attack of the Clones, Mace Windu tells Chancellor Palpatine that they are keepers of the peace, not soldiers. So this is a callback to a line we’ve heard before, although it is a very appropriate line to use here, and it is a very appropriate line for Ahsoka to use. The Jedi did lose their way by becoming soldiers, and Ahsoka sees that as much as anyone.
3. Anakin’s fall
This one is pretty obvious, but it’s worth pointing out nonetheless because it’s a major moment in the episode. After Ahsoka and Rex talk, Ahsoka is left alone on the bridge, when she suddenly senses something terrible happening (and Maul does too). As this happens, we hear some of the dialogue from Revenge of the Sith, from Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, and Samuel L. Jackson, as Anakin finally and ultimately turns to the dark side of the Force.
And then, as Ahsoka reels from this, we hear Anakin – this time, it’s Matt Lanter doing the voice – saying, “What have I done?”
4. “I feel like something terrible has happened”
After sensing this happens, Ahsoka runs to meet Rex and says, “Rex, it’s Anakin. I feel like something terrible has happened.” You might be sensing a theme here, but this too seems to be a reference to a line from another Star Wars scene. In A New Hope, as Obi-Wan Kenobi senses the destruction of Alderaan, he says, “I fear something terrible has happened.”
So that’s not exactly the same, but with how many other callbacks are present in this episode, I’m guessing that’s an intentional reference.
5. Order 66
This one is another obvious one, but Order 66 is given in this episode. That is something we first saw in Revenge of the Sith, and have since seen in other material, like Jedi: Fallen Order. Captain Rex is given the Order from Darth Sidious, which makes all Jedi enemies of the Republic.
And as the clones turn on Ahsoka, she rushes forward and tackles Rex before igniting her lightsabers and fending off the attacks. During this, Kevin Kiner’s rendition of “Anakin’s Dark Deeds” plays, which is the musical score John Williams composed that played while Anakin killed the Separatist Council in ROTS.
6. “You survived”
When Ahsoka frees Maul, he exclaims with a bit of surprise, “You survived!” You might remember that line, because it’s the same thing Darth Sidious says to Yoda when the Jedi Master arrives at the Senate building to face the Emperor.
7. Fives
One of the important elements of the episode is the inhibitor chip in the clones’ heads, which causes them to follow Order 66. Rex heroically tries to fight this off, and he does so just long enough to give Ahsoka the information that winds up saving them both: Find Fives! Ahsoka does this, searching the database to learn about him.
We as viewers already know about Fives, however. In season six of the show, Tup’s inhibitor chip malfunctioned, causing him to kill Jedi Master Tiplar. There was an investigation launched and tests run on Kamino, and Fives grew increasingly suspicious, eventually coming to learn of the presence of the inhibitor chip. He was able to trace this nefarious plot all the way to Chancellor Palpatine, and tried to alert Anakin and Rex about it, but was killed before he was successful. But here, we realize that Fives actually did make an impact, and it was Fives’s discovery that helps Ahsoka and Rex know what’s going on.
8. 8108?
To access some of this information about Fives, Ahsoka needs to use Anakin’s personal code, 8108. Now, this is just speculation, but many Star Wars fans have pointed out a potential significance to this number. The Clone Wars premiered on August 10, 2008 – making the date 08/10/08. It’s not a far stretch to think that this number – 8108 – is a hidden hint to that premiere date of the show. Again, nothing definitive here, but seems quite plausible.
9. Sith in the hallway
I suppose if you see a Sith in the hallway, you’d better run. In this episode, Maul makes his way down a hallway with relative ease, using the Force to fend off attacks by the clone troopers. But if you remember, in Rogue One, another Sith – Darth Vader – has a similar sequence, where he makes his way down a hallway with relative ease, using both his lightsaber and the Force to fend off attacks by the fleeing Rebels.
10. “I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me”
Another callback to Rogue One happens when Ahsoka attempts to find Rex’s inhibitor chip, as she uses the Force to locate it and repeats over and over, “I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me.” The line is then repeated over and over by Rex as well in unison with Ahsoka as she tries to find the chip. This line, though, was first used by Chirrut Imwe in Rogue One as he repeated that saying over and over.
11. “Hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights”
As the episode ends, Rex tells Ahsoka about the extent of Order 66: “Ahsoka, it’s all of us. The entire Grand Army of the Republic has been ordered to hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights.” That line is a callback to what Obi-Wan Kenobi told Luke Skywalker in A New Hope, when he mentioned that Darth Vader helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights.
Star Wars Thoughts 