An ardent Star Wars enthusiast sheds light on the reasons behind the divided opinions surrounding The Clone Wars series, particularly focusing on the grievances regarding deviations from the established Star Wars canon.
Set in the timeline between Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, the animated series introduced new narratives expanding the scope of the Clone Wars conflict. Praised for its visual appeal, intricate storytelling, and character evolution, The Clone Wars garnered acclaim, securing four Emmy awards and unveiling beloved characters like the Jedi apprentice Ahsoka Tano and the revival of Darth Maul. While embraced by many, the series clashed with the pre-existing Star Wars Expanded Universe canon.
A recent discussion on Reddit by user Prestigious_Hunt_392 delves into the reasons why certain dedicated fans harbor reservations towards The Clone Wars series. During its runtime from 2008 to 2014, the Star Wars Expanded Universe encompassing books, comics, and games held sway as the official canon. However, The Clone Wars retroactively altered numerous plotlines and character demises from this established EU material. Notably, characters such as Adi Gallia and Even Piell, previously deceased in the EU, were resurrected in the show. Backstories of characters like Asajj Ventress and Quinlan Vos underwent modifications, alongside revisions to planetary details like Dathomir and Mandalore. Prestigious_Hunt_392 argues that these conflicting alterations undermined the contributions of EU authors that fans had cherished.
Conversely, advocates of the series defend these adjustments. Reddit user RunDNA posits that Star Wars literature and comics have always occupied a tenuous position in the canon hierarchy, with primary films and series reigning supreme. The user argues that supplementary media primarily serves financial interests rather than narrative coherence, making it susceptible to being overwritten by films or shows, deemed as superior canon. Consequently, fans are urged not to form strong attachments to storylines or character demises from comics or books, as they are prone to revision. The user also contends that dissenters of The Clone Wars contradicting literature fail to acknowledge the inherent lack of canonical stability in these EU materials.
This discourse underscores the intricacies of transposing an extensive fictional universe across diverse mediums. Perhaps framing The Clone Wars as a stylized animated reinterpretation, distinct from canonical debates, could have averted some criticisms. Nevertheless, Star Wars faces the challenge of striking a balance between captivating mainstream audiences with thrilling narratives while retaining the loyalty of hardcore fans invested in the minutiae of the franchise. Despite The Clone Wars' commercial success and critical acclaim on its own terms, backlash appears almost inevitable from fans with conflicting expectations for this beloved creative universe. The ongoing dialogue surrounding canon alterations will only escalate as Star Wars continuously weaves interconnected narratives through films, streaming series, books, comics, and video games in the foreseeable future.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars can be streamed on Disney Plus.
Source: Prestigious_Hunt_392/ Reddit