Animated series Jedi, Sith, and Force wielding characters, and it ran for seven seasons, allowing Dave Filoni and his crew to flesh out those characters and their powerful abilities within the Force, as well as taking a look at how it truly affected the galaxy. The Clone Wars took place during a time when the Jedi and their council were still active and the Force was a known power in the universe, and the balance of power was often decided by the Jedi or Sith involved in the situation.
In Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3, the three episodes known as The Mortis Arc reveal the true power that the Force holds in the universe. Three Force beings, known simply as the Father, the Son and the Daughter reside on Mortis, with each embodying different qualities of the Force: the Light, the Dark, and Balance. Through much of this arc, it can be seen how the Force affects not only its wielders, but also the galaxy that surrounds them. Unlike the movies that purposely draw a distinct line between good and evil, Mortis Arc shows the importance of Balance. This arc also gives fans a basis to the fact that the Force is akin to a religion, which was mentioned way back in the original Star Wars, but never fully explored on screen.
The Clone Wars also often goes further in the use of the Force among Jedi and Sith, showing what their true capabilities are, with feats of strength and focus that Luke Skywalker was never able to complete in the original trilogy, and what Rey only touches upon in the sequels. Even the most average Jedi is able to manipulate the Force to illustrate epic feats, such as leaping from high buildings, and taking out massive amounts of trained enemies. Fans are treated to glimpses of this in Star Wars movies, but against enemies that are inherently weak, such as Empire era stormtroopers and Separatist battle droids. In <Clone Wars, Force powers are often used to defeat living enemies (Mandalorians, for example), and dark side followers (Asajj Ventress, Darth Maul, etc.) with more skill and training than the average trooper or droid.
Because of their control of the Force, the Jedi in The Clone Wars are respected and trusted among the Republic’s ers, and called upon by the senate to settle disputes or looked to for answers involving politics. In the Clone Wars era, Jedi were trained for years under a Jedi Knight, as to where the Jedi on the big screen are trained in a matter of days or months and are then left to their own devices to complete their training. The films gloss over Jedi training, often making it look easy. Even Rey’s training with Luke is completed in a matter of days, and her training with Leia is broken down as a day at the Force gym. In reality, Jedi training is a long, arduous journey, and this is seen most aptly with Ahsoka Tano across The Clone Wars, often training with other masters, rather than just Anakin Skywalker.
Even the dark side is given more time to be fully realized in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, with full arcs that follow its wielders and allow fans to explore their motives. Darth Maul is powered by a lust for revenge against Obi-Wan Kenobi. Dooku desires power, and trains Asajj Ventress, who seeks to prove herself to both her Master and the Night Sisters. These characters are explored in depth, allowing a full understanding of their use of the Force and how anger and hate affect the way in which they wield it. The films, again, having such a black and white view of the galaxy, do not fully explore the motive behind the dark side. The most iconic character in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith. The Clone Wars gives credence to Anakin’s fall, and shows how his use of the Force changed throughout years of fighting in a war-torn galaxy.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars capitalizes on what fans imagined the Force could do when they first saw the original and prequel trilogies, and the sequel trilogy used that success to further push the envelope. However, with the way in which the animated series so expertly uses the Jedi-Padawan relationship to illustrate the intricacies of the Force, the battle scenes in which Force powers can bring down armies, and the show of the religious aspects on Mortis, Star Wars: The Clone Wars is still the master when it comes to the best show of the Force.
