Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an American 3D animated television series created by George Lucas and produced by Lucasfilm Animation. Set between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), it follows Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker (voiced by Matt Lanter), Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), and Anakin’s Padawan, Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) as they lead the Galactic Republic’s clone army (Dee Bradley Baker) against the Separatist Alliance, commanded by Count Dooku (Corey Burton) during the Clone Wars.

The series originated from Lucas's desire to explore the untold stories of the Clone Wars era including characters and planets briefly mentioned in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Development began as early as 2004, with Lucas working closely with supervising director Dave Filoni. The creative team drew inspiration from various sources, including the original Star Wars trilogy, Japanese anime, and the concept art of Ralph McQuarrie. The series was preceded by an animated theatrical film of the same name in August 2008, originally intended to serve as its first episodes. It officially premiered on October 3, 2008, on Cartoon Network and ran for five seasons before its initial cancellation in 2013.

Following its cancellation in 2013, a project titled The Clone Wars Legacy adapted unfinished story arcs into other formats such as comics and novels. The series was later revived with a sixth season on Netflix in 2014 and a seventh and final season on Disney+ in 2020, which concluded with the critically acclaimed "Siege of Mandalore" arc, set parallel to the events of Revenge of the Sith. Although plans for an eighth season were ultimately scrapped, the series was followed by several sequels, including Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018), as well as the spin-offs The Bad Batch (2021–2024) and Ahsoka (2023–present).

The Clone Wars was a ratings success for Cartoon Network. While viewership fluctuated across seasons, the series consistently performed well, showing significant year-over-year growth. In its later years, the series experienced a surge in demand on streaming platforms, coinciding with the debut of The Mandalorian (2019–2023), and the release of its seventh season, becoming the most in-demand sci-fi series in the United States. It also received critical acclaim and garnered numerous awards and nominations, including Daytime Emmy Awards and the Annie Awards.