It’s now been a decade sinceStar Wars: The Clone Warsofficially introduced one of the franchise’s best retcons, and in retrospect, it stands as the perfect lesson for what all retcons inStar Warsshould look like. Many ofStar Wars’best retconsactually occur throughout the originalStar Warstrilogy, from Darth Vader being revealed as Luke Skywalker’s father to the twin sibling relationship between Luke and Princess Leia Organa.Star Warshas since completed a plethora of retcons, but none have matched the level of those first ones - aside from this retcon inThe Clone Wars.
Prior toThe Clone Wars, it was still clear inStar WarsLegendsthat the clone troopers were acting of their own will after Palpatine executedOrder 66, and that they made the choice to turn on their Jedi generals. This turned the clones into villains in an instant, which, in today’s world, is hard to imagine.The Clone Warsseason 6 has thankfully changed this with an incredible 4-episode arc that details the conspiracy of behavioralinhibitor chips in all the clones, which could make them follow specific orders without question. This retcon has absolutely transformedStar Wars.
The Clones' Inhibitor Chips Have Changed Star Wars For The Better
This Retcon Has Immensely Improved The Clone Wars Era
This retcon to the clone troopers does much more than absolve them of their villainous status inStar Wars.It adds a completely new layer of tragedy to the Clone Wars, and yet another frustratingly brilliant addition to Palpatine’s carefully crafted plansto establish hisGalactic Empire. Rather than having the clone troopers be secretly loyal to Palpatine all along, they are genuinely good men who are forced to act against their will, and who have to shoulder the burden of killing those they served faithfully because of it.
What Happened To The Clones In Star Wars After Order 66?
The clones in Star Wars were manipulated and mistreated by the Empire after the Republic’s dissolution and Order 66. What became of them afterwards?
This retcon only continues to get better and better the more thatStar Warsexpands the stories of the clones, as seen inStar Wars: The Bad Batch.The effects of the inhibitor chips wore off over time, and clones were truly forced to face their actionsand rethink their loyalty to an Empire that saw them as nothing more than military assets. This makes for such a better story than the alternative, which is why it’s no doubt one of the best retcons ever completed inStar Wars- and why the franchise could truly learn from it going forward.
Recent Retcons Have Felt Like Replacements, Not Improvements
There Seems To Be No Greater Impact
Whereas the inhibitor chips in the clone troopers felt like a major improvement to the overallStar Warsstory, many of their most recent retcons have felt like simple replacements of what came before. This is especially the case for elements of Legends that are reentering canon; characters such asGrand Admiral Thrawnare experiencing major changes to their stories that are otherwise quite unnecessary. There are no major benefits to be had from the retcons and changes, especially not in the way that the inhibitor chips once were.
One particular example also happens to stem fromThe Bad Batch, which opens with a scene depicting the events of Order 66 on the planet Kaller. It involves the Jedi Depa Billaba and her Padawan Caleb Dume, who grows up to become Kanan Jarrus inStar Wars Rebels. Despite having a canonical Order 66 story,their experience was almost entirely rewritten to includeClone Force 99in this series, which, while exciting, had no true purpose behind this change. It could have been any Jedi Master and Padawan, and the scene still would have had the same impact.
Star Wars Needs To Use Retcons More Purposefully Again
Old Stories Still Ought To Be Respected
As stated before, while these retcons can certainly make for some thrilling scenes and sequences, they ought to be used more sparingly again, and only implemented with a true purpose in mind. This is what the inhibitor chip retcon achieved forStar Wars, asit completely changed not just the Clone Wars themselves, but also Palpatine’s own manipulations- and the legacy of these clone troopers. This is a much closer match to the iconic retcons of the originalStar Warstrilogy, which led to the creation of the Skywalker saga as we know it today.
Star Wars' 5 Best Retcons (& The 5 Worst)
The Star Wars franchise is well-known for its retcons, but not all of them have landed; here are the 5 best and 5 worst retcons in all of Star Wars.
Star Wars, as such a storied franchise, has a responsibility to respect each story it’s told over the last few decades. Changing random elements of these stories with small retcons is no good way to respect what came before, even in the name of creative freedom.Creativity can still be used without creating retcons that seemingly have no greater impacton theStar Warsmythos. These kinds of changes ought to be avoided at all costs, and only those with a weight as heavy as the inhibitor chips carry inThe Clone Warsshould be implemented when the time comes.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Cast
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an animated series that explores the intense conflict between the Republic and the Separatists. Featuring a mix of loyalty shifts and alliances, it delves into complex mysteries of the Force and showcases pivotal moments for characters like Anakin Skywalker and Master Yoda.
