Star Wars Attack Of The Clones: The 10 Most Important Things It Introduced To Canon
May 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, the sequel to the financially successful but critically panned Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Episode II ultimately went the same way, where it was a box office success but garnered a mixed reception.
Nevertheless, it was an essential film in the prequel trilogy. It firmly established vital elements for the original films and introduced new concepts to the Star Wars canon. These still have a significant impact on the franchise 20 years later.
Early in the movie, Senator Padme Amidala was the target of multiple assassination attempts, but the Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi were able to protect her. After the assassin Zam Wesell was killed, Obi-Wan was sent to investigate Wesell's partner, a bounty hunter. This hunter, Jango Fett, was revealed to be the best bounty hunter in the galaxy at the time.
While hints to Boba Fett's past were present in the expanded universe, his father Jango's introduction provided a look into Boba's youth. Comic books further delved into Jango and his Mandalorian roots, and his connection with Boba was even hinted at during The Book of Boba Fett. Even if Jango did not last long, he was one of the best characters to debut in Episode II.
When Anakin and Obi-Wan chased Wesell down, they cornered her into a seedy nightclub full of unscrupulous individuals. One person accosted Obi-Wan and offered him illicit substances called Death Sticks. Obi-Wan promptly used a Jedi mind trick and convinced the dealer not to sell him Death Sticks, go home, and rethink his life.
While Death Sticks did not appear in future films, they were still part of one of the funniest scenes of Episode II, made even better by the dealer, Elan Sleazebaggano. The non-canon Star Wars Legends provided more information on these drugs, including how they weakened a person's connection with the Force and could be injected, digested, or inhaled.
After the failed assassination, Anakin and Obi-Wan were summoned by the Jedi Council to plan their next moves. One of the council members, Shaak Ti, is a Togruta, a new alien species introduced in Episode II. Togrutas hail from the planet Shili, located in the Expansion Region of the galaxy.
Even though Togrutas appeared in various printed media, they were never as plentiful as other humanoid aliens like Twi'leks or Zabraks on screen. However, the few that did appear made a lasting impact, as Shaak Ti was not the only Togruta that appeared in Star Wars. Ahsoka Tano, famous for her appearances in The Clone Wars, Rebels, and the Disney+ shows, is also a Togruta.
In his investigation to find Jango, Obi-Wan traveled to the planet Kamino, one of the new planets introduced in Episode II. Kamino is a planet covered entirely by water with elevated cities, and the Kaminoans were a mysterious, isolated species. Their ethereal appearance and beautiful cities hid a more sinister and ugly secret.
Kamino is unique, as no other oceanic world of this magnitude was created for the franchise. Its sleek design is also distinctive and fits the prequel trilogy's cleaner and elegant design aesthetic. Kamino later returned in The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, and even The Book of Boba Fett, as it is the homeworld of the bounty hunter-turned-crime lord.
Before Obi-Wan reached Kamino, he was warned by his friend Dexter Jettster that the Kaminoans were cloners. Obi-Wan was later informed that these clones the Kaminoans made were not just any clones; they were for an army in the service of the Republic. For viewers, it was made clear that these clones were the predecessors of the Empire's Stormtroopers.
The Clone Galactic Army was the first indicator of how bad things have gotten, as Episode II provided the first hints of the Republic turning into the Empire. The Clones were later thrust into the spotlight in various animated shows, often with so much development and character beyond their simplistic origins.
When Anakin returned to Tatooine to search for his mother, his previous owner Watto revealed that he sold Shmi to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars, who freed and married her. Anakin was directed to a very familiar moisture farm, where he met Cliegg, his son Owen, and girlfriend Beru. Through Cliegg and Shmi's marriage, Owen became Anakin's stepbrother.
Episode II was the first canonical mention of the Lars surname. Before this, Luke Skywalker's familial relationships were unclear, with the official novelization of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi even stating that Owen was the brother of Obi-Wan. The Lars are set to return in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi show on Disney+.
When the Republic discovered the full extent of Count Dooku's schemes, Jedi Master Mace Windu led a rescue party to the planet Geonosis to save Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padme. The timing could not have been more perfect as the three were about to be executed by Battle Droids. Mace made his grand entrance with his unconventional lightsaber, colored purple, held at Jango's throat.
Outside of the films, there were lightsabers of many colors beyond the usual blue, red, and green. However, Episode II was the first to deviate from the norm by adding purple, and popularizing color variety, later seen with Ahsoka's white lightsabers and Rey's yellow lightsaber. The meaning of the purple blade was eventually given, symbolizing a Jedi who balances the light and dark side.
In Episode I, B1 Battle Droids were the footsoldiers of the Trade Federation. They were effective in mass numbers but were quickly cut down by the Jedi. In Episode II, not only did the B1's return, new B2 Super Battle Droids were introduced and were first sent against Mace.
Super Battle Droids were the heavier troops of Episode II and provided more trouble for the Jedi. They went to appear in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and The Clone Wars as recurring soldiers of the Separatists. They even appeared in The Mandalorian decades later as part of Din Djarin's flashbacks to his family's death during the war.
As the Battle of Geonosis and one of the best action scenes in Attack of the Clones raged on, Dooku and his allies saw that retreat was necessary. Before escaping, Geonosian leader Poggle the Lesser confided with Dooku about their ultimate weapon and how its plans were to be given to Dooku's master. The schematics revealed it to be in the shape of a small moon with a concave dish.
Of course, the iconography of the Death Star needs no explanation, and its inclusion in Episode II helped contribute to the symbolism and the seeds of the Empire being planted. Outside of on-screen appearances, the Death Star was alluded to in other works such as Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel and Rebels.
Just before Dooku could escape, he was confronted by Obi-Wan and Anakin. Both fought admirably against the former Jedi but were quickly defeated. The only one who had a chance of beating him was his former master, Yoda. Thus, the final battle of Episode II was decided by Yoda's skills with a lightsaber.
Yoda's duel with Dooku gave Episode II a bombastic and memorable conclusion and showed just how skilled Yoda was in the Force. Yoda took up his lightsaber again in Episode III and The Clone Wars before losing it in his battle against Palpatine. The lightsaber eventually fell into Luke's hands and was offered to the Mandalorian foundling Grogu as a gift in The Book of Boba Fett.