Which is better Clone Wars or Rebels?
Hey guys and here is the latest from Planet M. Now like a lot of people I am a Star Wars fan and In my own opinion I tend to like all of the films in some aspect and for those who dislike the prequels I happen to like some parts of the prequels since they were basically made for my generation, but rather then get into that issue I would like to take a look at Star Wars as it is on TV. There have been two good Star Wars series that have been on television, Cartoon Network's Clone Wars and Disney XD's Rebels and Rebels is still running and I would like to see how the difference in channel and company ownership have shaped these two hidden gems differently.
Story:
Clone Wars:
Now for those who don't know the clone wars is an anthology series that contains many different stories from many different perspectives such as the Senators, Jedi and even the Clones in the clone army. Each episode follows the various battles in the clone wars and as time went on the fights got more intense and the storylines got darker one of my examples would be the Pong Krell Arc where the Clones are put to the test of what makes a good solider and the fall of Mandalore where a once peaceful planet has been thrown to the fires of war.
The stories ask the question of what the Jedi were doing was right and even took the middle ground by showing the separatist forces as people who see democracy in a different light. Of course like many other hit shows such as Steven Universe, Adventure Time and Ben 10 this was aired by Cartoon Network and due to their prime time slots and Adult Swim they are allowed more creative control on things like censorship.
Rebels:
Rebels was started by Disney when they were sold the rights to Star Wars from George Lucas, the story is set 14 years after Revenge of the Sith and follows a lone Rebel Cell as they go on adventures across the galaxy, with these rebels comes Kanan Jarrus a Jedi knight in hiding from the empire and Ezra Bridger his apprentice. The story follows these rebels and the story ultimately is the origin of the Rebel alliance, along with being a callback to Clone Wars and an homage the Original Trilogy to it as well, but that doesn't mean it hasn't become it's own thing as the show has brought in new additions to the Star Wars universe and its lore, such as the Inquisitors, the Bendu and new worlds like Lothal. It has also brought back some familiar faces.
The story is simple to follow it has its filler but, then the arcs that define the season such as Season 1 focuses on Kanan training Ezra in the ways of the Jedi while at the same time fighting against Jedi hunters known as the Inquisitors and helping the rebels in what way they can as they are seen as a beacon of hope in the galaxy. Disney XD are the ones in the drivers seat and I have to say they are doing a good job, some episodes are light hearted and episodic, but they go their own root with the episodes as it can start with a joke but when the situation gets serious it gets serious, much like the Clone Wars Rebels isn't afraid to get dark and show the fact that this is a war, people will get hurt or for that matter killed in battle.
Characters:
Clone Wars:
Clone wars had many likeable characters such as Captain Rex, Fives, Plo Koon and Ahsoka Tano. Now some of the characters are clones and that is one of the best parts f clone wars as t focuses on the actual clones, they give them different personalities and qualities that make them likeable showing that these characters aren't just expendable to the audience. Ahsoka was probabley the best choice to put with Anakin as we see more to his character and shows a better Master student relationship between these two.
It also makes the wound cut deeper when they have to face off against one another in Rebels.
Rebels:
Rebels has more character driven episodes, which allows for more character development such as with Ezra search for his parents and learning that the rebels have also become his family. Sabine's story Arc is different as she is seen by her people as a disgrace because she stood against the empire and it is quite interesting to see that people loose hope and the only one willing to stand up and fight is cast out (really shows you that family are usually the ones that can hurt you the most). Kanan's case is that he blames himself for his Master's death during Order 66 and we see his survivors guilt in season 1 and 2, also he he reacts to having to work with a clone trooper against the empire even though that clone had never killed his Jedi.
The main characters follow a family dynamic and Star Wars is no stranger to family in their stories and I like how Rebels is using it to its advantage as its mostly about these misfits from all different worlds (literally) who came together to help people, because they know what happens when evil is allowed to spread.
Animation:
Clone Wars: Clone Wars animation took a more streamline and textured stance, as they were making a universe of their own creation and it works for them as it feels that they are telling the story of their own original saga.
Rebels:
Rebels as I said feels like a call back to clone wars as the animation is similar, but is much more smooth and to the design of the live action counterparts from the films and it is quite interesting to see these characters in a new design, but the rest of the time it comes of as quite odd to why Anakin's Clone Wars attire is different in holographic projection.
Conclusion:
In conclusion I have to say that both Star Wars Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels are both good series with their own strengths and weaknesses, but I have to give the win to Clone Wars as it made better stories out of the Prequels and expanded on the Star Wars universe, but that doesn't mean Rebels doesn't stand a chance. And really this was hard as the Star Wars series such as the Films, TV Series and Comics are some of my favourite and its hard for me to day anything bad about them, but this is just my personal opinion, of you feel different about it then I'm glad, Thank you for reading and may the force be with you all.
