Sam Witwer on the game-changing finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Shortly after Disney acquired Lucasfilm, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was brought to an abrupt end, but thankfully it was announced in 2018 that the animated series would be brought back for a seventh and final season of 12-episodes. As someone who didn't warm up to Star Wars: Rebels or Star Wars: Resistance, it's been a real treat to get a little more from The Clone Wars, and according to Sam Witwer, it seems that the best has been saved for last.

Sam Witwer has voiced Darth Maul across a variety of STAR WARS projects for over a decade, including Rebels and SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, and the actor spoke with io9 about just how blown away he is by the final episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Dave [Filoni, Clone Wars’ executive producer] is not just finishing The Clone Wars, he’s also been showrunner of The Mandalorian. So he’s bringing with him into these last four episodes a lot more cinematic language than has ever been used on Clone Wars. A lot more experience, a lot more crazy cinematic tricks. I really cannot wait for people to see it.

"The finale, that script, was the best Clone Wars script that I ever read," Witwer continued. "I think Dave has done a really very very cool thing. When I say script I don’t mean—when I’m talking about the finale, I’m talking about the last four episodes because it’s really meant to be seen as a movie. These Clone Wars arcs that go on for three to four episodes, they could also be cut together as movies and they work as one story, but this one really is meant to be seen in its entirety together, more so than anything else we’ve ever done. I’m very very excited for the audience to see it, because it’s consequential, it changes the way you think about certain things in Star Wars, changes the way you think about certain characters, and shows some really interesting core mythology stuff. I’m thrilled, and I’m shocked."

The final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is also special to Sam Witwer because it brings the George Lucas-era of STAR WARS to an end. "What may be my most favorite thing about this, what we’re doing is, Clone Wars is the last George Lucas-produced Star Wars," Witwer said. "To be able to finish George’s story is tremendously meaningful to all of us, so that’s really the big deal right there."

The seventh and final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars streams Fridays on Disney+.