Star Warshas always been fairly consistent in its television series, something which (at least according to fans) cannot be said about their movies. Genndy Tartakovsky’sStar Wars: Clone Warswas praised for its portrayal of the fan-favorite villain, General Grievous, whileStar Wars: The Clone Warswas praised for its darker tone, characterization, and animation.Star Wars: Rebelswas also met with great acclaim.
Star Warshas no shortage of live-action television for those who perhaps aren’t that well-versed with animation.The MandolorianstartedStar Wars’live-action series, which hasled toThe Book of Boba FettandObi-Wan Kenobi.AndStar Warshas shown no signs of stopping, with a TV show based on the character Ahsoka fromThe Clone Warsanimated series on the horizon.
Knowing thatStar Warswon’t stop making new shows until it becomes the unprofitable thing to do, the question becomes whether the next series should be animated in 3-D likeThe Clone Wars, Rebels,orThe Bad Batch? However, before even that question can be answered, what should the new series be about?
Here’s why the nextStar Warsshow should be about theOld Republicand animated in 3-D like many of its predecessors.
The Animation in Clone Wars & Rebels is Amazing
It’s easy to see how one might be turned away from either of these series. Biases against animation aside, the 3-D art style can take some getting used to. But once one has learned to embrace it, the animated choreography is nothing short of amazing. Characters move quickly yet strategically, and it is just a pleasure to watch. BothRebelsandClone Warsexecute this perfectly, with even brief lightsaber exchanges being so interesting that they warrant a rewind.
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Perhaps one of the most beloved fights occurs between fallenSith Lord Darth Mauland Anakin Skywalker’s former apprentice, Ahsoka Tano. Just the sheer fluidity of their combat is enough to inspire awe. And the choreography is nothing to scoff at as the two opponents transition stages throughout their battle. It all boils into an epic conclusion as Darth Maul disarms Ahsoka above Mandalore, only to be captured. Having foreseen Anakin’s turn to the dark side, Darth Maul is hauled away, begging Ahsoka to let him kill Anakin.
The moment is haunting, with the visuals of the night sky of Mandalore providing a perfect backdrop to Maul’s defeat. While there is nothing but money preventing this from occurring in live-action, the smooth animation allowed this scene to truly flourish.
Fans Have Wanted to See The Old Republic for a Long Time
Fans who are especially intimate with theLegends(pre-Disney buyout) continuity are undoubtedly familiar with theera of theOld Republic. It’s the era inStar Warswhere everything seemed much more violent, with the Sith more closely resembling soldiers than conniving and sneaky masterminds.The Old Republicis perhaps most strongly associated with the video gameStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republicand its sequel, as well as an MMORPG,Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Perhaps because of its strong ties to video games where players have absolute freedom,TheOld Republicfeels like an era based entirely around the proverbial “rule of cool,” with characters like Darth Nihilus, who exists as a ghost barely tethered to the physical world, and Darth Revan, a complex Jedi Knight, turned Sith, turned Jedi again.
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For all of its iterations in books, comics, and video games,TheOld Republichas never been seen in its true scope either in television or film. That is why an animated series would be a great additionto theStar Warscanon. The animation would allow for the scenery to be sculpted with much more creative freedom and fluidity in how the characters interact with it. It would also allow for more amazing lightsaber battles like inClone WarsandRebels,which would truly give justice to the more action-packed expectations ofTheOld Republic.
The Lightsaber Choreography Would be Better in an Animated Medium
As stated previously,TheOld Republicis most associated with incredible action sequences. However, training actors is expensive and time-consuming. This, along with the fact that lightsaber choreography has a history of looking absolutely stunning in animation, should be sufficient reason for anOld Republicseries to be animated. Even books that take place in the Old Republic,such asRevan,seem to place a stronger emphasis on force abilities, which are less subtle than in the original trilogy or even prequel trilogy.
An animated series also means that the action can be less restrained, as there are no actual actors or stunt doubles who are risking their physical health for the sake of a scene. It would also be befitting ofTheOld Republicsince the action sequences seem to make up most of their place in the collective consciousness.
