The Clone Wars animated series is a crucial entry in the epic space opera saga created by George Lucas. Several aspects of the Star Wars prequel trilogy were expanded upon in the series which gives viewers a better understanding of certain events that shaped the galaxy far, far away as we know it. However, not all of these choices were received well.
Lucas worked with Dave Filoni on the animated series and made several retcons to the overall storyline of the prequels. As a result, one change Lucas and Filoni made to the most terrifying and poignant moment from the prequels emerged as a controversial one. However, the retcon was necessary as it undid one critical mistake Lucas made, and here is what you need to know about it.
George Lucas and Dave Filoni retconned Order 66 in The Clone Wars
George Lucas created the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars with Dave Filoni serving as a supervising director. The series took place between the second and third installments of the prequel trilogy and made some bold creative choices. From the introduction of Ahsoka Tano to Darth Maul’s revival, the animated series essentially re-wrote some of the franchise’s lore.
One of the major retcons to the universe came in the show’s sixth season which revealed the Clone Troopers’ new. In the Revenge of the Sith, the Clones turned on the Jedi after the Emperor issued Order 66, which led to the Great Jedi Purge.
However, the animated series revealed that the Clones were fitted with inhibitor biochips that made it impossible to override the command. During an interview with Rebel Force Radio, Filoni discussed the retcon that introduced the chips responsible for the Clones following through with Order 66.
The clones had been engineered to be more docile.
Filoni made the above statement, reminding fans that the Kaminoans who created the Clones made the above implication in the Attack of the Clones.
As a result, Filoni felt that the idea of the Clones being controlled using chips implanted in their brains was simply an extension of the ideas Lucas had already planted in the second installment. Despite this, the change proved to be controversial (via /Film) among the fanbase.
George Lucas and Dave Filoni’s The Clone Wars retcon proved to be a masterstroke
The revelation recontextualizes the Order 66 event, especially since the third installment did not give such an implication. Instead, the third installment portrayed the Clones as soldiers who were simply following orders. However, that depiction was baffling since the Clones and the Jedi had grown accustomed to working alongside each other during the Clone Wars.
Lucas’ original depiction quickly became a mistake given the expanded nature of the relationship between Clones and Jedi. However, the revelation of the chips made the Clones sympathetic figures.
It was also about showing that not everything that Palpatine did was flawless, that there were near misses, that there were opportunities to stop it.
Filoni made the above statement in the same interview, underlining how the chips also provided the Jedi an avenue to avert the purge if only Obi-Wan had taken Count Dooku’s warnings seriously.
Ultimately, the Jedi trusting the Clones and the existence of the chips also points at the Jedi hubris which led to their eventual downfall, a consistent theme across the prequels. Hence, the Clones being slaves controlled via the inhibitor chips was a masterstroke from Lucas that added more layers to Order 66.
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