Broken Frontier

In the two-part season premiere of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, bounty hunter Cad Bane unlocked secrets hidden in a Jedi Holocron, gaining access to the names and locations of thousands of Force-sensitive children across the galaxy. Armed with information that could lead to the downfall of the Jedi Order, Bane begins tracking down toddlers to be used as test subjects by Sith Lord Darth Sidious. It’s up to Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano to capture the bounty hunter and ensure the survival of the Jedi.

What is most fascinating about this episide, titled “Children of the Force,” is that it shows the Jedi bending their own rules when necessary. When Anakin and Ahsoka track Bane to Naboo—where he hopes to snatch a potential Jedi from her crib—Ahsoka says that she has “a score to settle” with the bounty hunter. In most situations, this would be a major red flag, as the desire for revenge is not a Jedi trait. However, her master Anakin never bats an eye. Whether this is meant to foreshadow Anakin’s eventual turn to the Dark Side or the impossibility of absolute good in times of war is not made clear, but it’s encouraging to see this series toy with Star Wars’ typically clear distinction between good and evil.

Once in Jedi custody, Bane won’t reveal the location of the Holocron or the babies he’s already kidnapped. Having exhausted all other options, Mace, Anakin and Obi-Wan combine their powers to forcefully pry that information from him. Far more potent than the typical Jedi mind trick, this extreme mental probe could potentially destroy whatever mind it’s used against. But, as Anakin points out, they have no choice. From the way Bane reacts to the probe, military torture instantly comes to mind. Once again, The Clone Wars explores that moral gray area.

At the end of the episode, Anakin and Ahsoka track the two kidnapped babies to Mustafar, the lava planet where Anakin essentially completes his turn to the dark side of the Force in Revenge of the Sith. Given the important of this planet in the overall saga, one hopes Dave Filoni uses this location sparingly in The Clone Wars. After all, in many ways, this is the birthplace of Darth Vader. If shown too often, it loses that crucial narrative significance.

After Bane escapes capture early in the episode, Anakin looks out the window, holds his arms behind his back and silently walks away. This brief, subtle moment, intentionally reminiscent of Vader’s reaction to the Millennium Falcon’s escape in The Empire Strikes Back, is just one of many consistent reminders that this is a series made by and for Star Wars fans.