Star Wars: The Clone Wars carved out its place as probably the most compelling chapters within the galaxy far, distant, increasing the emotional and political layers between Assault of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
It’s full of Jedi drama, clone trooper tales, and the sluggish collapse of the Republic. However one main determine stays principally within the shadows… Darth Sidious.
Because it seems, that wasn’t an accident.
With pleasure constructing for Maul – Shadow Lord, Dave Filoni opened up about why Sidious solely pops up in a handful of key moments throughout The Clone Wars and even later in Star Wars Rebels. And the reasoning is a mixture of sensible limitations and artistic restraint.
“There’s at all times a technical cause like making the [cloth simulation] on his cloak, making that look good and plausible wasn’t one thing we may do in early seasons,” Filoni revealed on the Star Wars YouTube channel. “Sidious was going to largely stay a hologram.”
That explains why we frequently see Sidious as a flickering blue presence as a substitute of totally getting into the motion. Early animation tech simply couldn’t fairly promote the flowing menace of his signature robes.
However the larger cause comes right down to storytelling philosophy.
Filoni knew precisely whose playground he was getting into. Sidious is the central villain of George Lucas’ prequel trilogy, and The Clone Wars sits proper in the course of that rigorously constructed arc. Pushing too far into Sidious’ story risked messing with what already labored.
“I didn’t really feel that it was essentially vital to inform an excessive amount of story about Sidious within the Clone Wars, provided that’s George’s important villain in his movies,” Filoni commented.
“So, you at all times need to watch out once you’re utilizing these characters which can be vital to the storyline of the movies that you just’re not altering issues, that you just’re not altering who they’re.”
As a substitute, the sequence focuses on the ripple results of Sidious’ plan somewhat than the person himself. We see the battle he engineered, the pawns he manipulates, and the chaos he thrives on, with out consistently pulling again the curtain. When he does seem, like his brutal showdown with Maul and Savage, it packs a more durable punch.
That method additionally retains Sidious aligned together with his core identification as a puppet grasp who operates from the shadows. Overexposing him may have chipped away at that mystique.
Now, with Maul – Shadow Lord set after Revenge of the Sith, followers are about to revisit that darkish nook of the saga from a distinct angle.
The sequence drops on Disney+ on April 6, and it seems to be prefer it’ll discover what occurs when certainly one of Sidious’ former apprentices is left to carve out his personal path in a galaxy underneath Imperial rule.
Sidious could not dominate display screen time in The Clone Wars, however his presence is in every single place, and that is likely to be what makes him really feel so highly effective.
