The 10 Most Important Battles In Star Wars' Clone Wars (& Why They Mattered So Much)

Many of the battles shown in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, particularly the Galactic Republic’s victories, played key roles in the Clone Wars, but some of the battles carried much more weight in the long-term than others. First mentioned all the way back in the original Star Wars (later retitled A New Hope) in 1977, the Clone Wars were a collection of conflicts fought between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, also known as the Separatists. This galaxy-wide conflict kicked off in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones on Geonosis and lasted for 3 years.

The Clone Wars TV show follows this war through the eyes of key figures such as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, and Captain Rex – which means that, naturally, these individuals were present at many of the battles on this list. It should be noted that, while some of these battles took place on a much smaller scale than others, they are pivotal not because of the size of their victory, but because of the role they ended up playing in the bigger picture of both the war and the galaxy. Here are the 10 most important Clone Wars battles.

10 The Battle Of Onderon

Saw Gerrera’s Origin Story

While the Battle of Onderon had little to do with the Republic’s own forces, the importance of this battle lies with a Republic-aligned insurgent: Saw Gerrera. Saw and his sister, Steela, were key leading figures in the resistance against Onderon’s Separatist leadership, who had displaced their own king in favor of ruling under the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Republic, recognizing the delicacy of the situation, not only provided these insurgents with weapons, supplies, and more, but they also tasked Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and Rex with training these ragtag fighters to successfully overpower the Separatists.

It was this experience Saw had training under the Jedi and their trusted clone captain that helped to shape him into the key fighter he became during the Dark Times and, later on, the Age of Rebellion. This battle also saw the tragic death of Saw’s sister, which was the biggest contributing factor to Saw’s extremism that he displayed from then on. Had the Battle of Onderon never happened, and the Republic had never subtly stepped in, then Saw Gerrera’s life would have been very different – and his key contributions to the Rebellion would have been nonexistent.

9 The Battle Of Rishi Moon

These Rookies Protected Kamino

Of all the planets in the galaxy, Kamino was perhaps the most in need of protection by the Republic during the war, with only Coruscant itself vying for that position. As the home of the clone army and its production, Kamino was a rich target for the Separatists, who hoped to decommission the clones entirely. That could have happened were it not for the bravery of the rookie clones stationed at the outpost on Rishi Moon, known collectively as the Domino Squad – which included the likes of Fives, Echo, Hevy, Cutup, and Droidbait.

Rishi Outpost came under siege by the Separatists as a part of a plot for them to launch a surprise attack on Kamino that would have devastated the planet. Cutup, Droidbait, and more clones sadly lost their lives in the early part of this conflict, but the arrival of Commander Cody and Captain Rex for an inspection provided Fives, Echo, and Hevy with the necessary backup to overpower the droids and retake the outpost. Hevy’s sacrifice killed the all-clear signal and alerted the Republic to the Separatists’ gathered fleet, thus saving Kamino from threat early on in the war.

8 The Battle Of Ryloth

This Massive Campaign Liberated The Planet Entirely

Also known as the Liberation of Ryloth, this campaign occurred early on in the Clone Wars and was composed of a large series of battles that various battalions participated in, from Obi-Wan’s 212th to Mace Windu’s 187th. There were heavy losses along with major victories, all of which culminated in both the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)’s and Ryloth’s shared victory, thanks to the help of Cham Syndulla and his freedom fighters. The importance of this battle, however, lies not only with the victory, but also with the significance it carried moving forward in the war.

The Battle of Ryloth proved the Republic’s ability to carry out a campaign of this size, as well as the GAR’s strength in pushing on even in the face of unfavorable outcomes. For example, General Ima-Gun Di, Captain Keeli, and the rest of their battalion all lost their lives on Ryloth, but their sacrifice allowed Cham Syndulla and his fighters to live – thus protecting the future of Ryloth in that battle and far beyond, with Syndulla still being an active force for Ryloth during the Age of Rebellion. Losing this battle would have been detrimental to the Republic.

7 The Siege Of Mandalore

Liberated Mandalore & Established Key Alliances

One of the most famous Clone Wars battles is the Siege of Mandalore, which was also one of the last battles ever fought during the war. Led by the newly-appointed Commander Rex, with the former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano at his side, the Siege of Mandalore saw the 332nd Company of the 501st Legion head to Mandalore to assist Bo-Katan Kryze and her allies in retaking the planet from the rule of Darth Maul and his Mandalorian sympathizers. While the Republic won this battle, the victory was far from being the most important part of this siege.

It was this conflict that forged an alliance between Ahsoka and Bo-Katan, one that would go on to last into the New Republic era decades later. Unfortunately, it also put Mandalore in an odd position, with the almost immediate rise of the Galactic Empire disrupting much of the work they sought to do after reclaiming their world from Maul. Most notably, however, it allowed Ahsoka and her forces to capture Maul, which led to all kinds of chaos once Order 66 was enacted on their way back to Coruscant. This battle is just as important as it is epic.

6 The Battle Of Anaxes

A Turning Point In The Outer Rim Sieges

Anaxes was a key location in the Outer Rim for the Republic, with a large portion of their ship production being housed there, in addition to various other factors that made it too important to lose. Admiral Trench of the Separatists, however, made it difficult for the Republic to succeed, causing this campaign to drag on for months. The only way it was brought to an end was because of Anakin’s faith in Rex’s theory that Trench had somehow composed an algorithm of plans that he and Echo, who was assumed dead at the time, had created together.

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With the help of Clone Force 99, Anakin and Rex were able to discover that not only was Rex’s theory right, but also that the algorithm was Echo himself, having been turned into a practical cyborg by the Separatist Wat Tambor and kept in stasis on Skako Minor. Echo was freed thanks to Clone Force 99 member Tech, and he soon after became a key part of the final battle that targeted Trench with his “algorithm” knowledge. This victory finally put an end to the grueling Anaxes campaign – and made Echo a new member of Clone Force 99.

5 The Battle Of Lola Sayu (The Citadel)

Wilhuff Tarkin’s Life Is Saved

The Battle of Lola Sayu, also known as the Citadel mission, was important for the success of one of its objectives: rescuing Captain Wilhuff Tarkin, who would go on to become one of the most influential members of the Galactic Empire. Tarkin was imprisoned with General Even Piell and his forces in the Separatist prison named the “Citadel” due to their discovery of the Nexus Route, a hyperspace lane that would prove pivotal to the Republic during the war. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and their forces were dispatched to the Citadel to rescue them.

This rescue, however, was not easily completed. It became quite dangerous and costly, the risk indicated by the fact they had to freeze themselves in carbonite to even enter the Citadel. Even Piell didn’t make it out of the prison, and it was also here that Echo was thought to have died before being used by Wat Tambor and the Separatists. Despite this, the Republic still saved Tarkin, which had an impact far beyond this one battle. If Tarkin had not been saved, then who knows what the galaxy would have looked like during the Imperial era.

4 The Battle Of Utapau

The End Of The Clone Wars

It would be impossible to discuss important Clone Wars battles and not include the one that ended the conflict once and for all. It was on Utapau that Obi-Wan and the 212th were able to engage General Grievous, who was on the run following Count Dooku’s death at Anakin’s hands over Coruscant. Grievous was the last major Separatist player left, and his death would finally lead to the ultimate decommission of the droid army. Obi-Wan and his forces were able to corner Grievous on this world, and the battle was fought quite quickly.

Simultaneously, however, a secret battle was being fought within the heart of the galaxy: Anakin’s attempt to resist Chancellor Palpatine’s manipulations. While Obi-Wan won his battle against Grievous and put an end of the Clone Wars, Anakin lost his own battle, and thus the end of one war started another. Shortly after Grievous’ death, Palpatine called for Order 66 to be enacted, and Commander Cody led the 212th to shoot down Obi-Wan, who thankfully survived. Had Order 66 never happened, this battle would have been perhaps the most important of the war, but this key victory didn’t last long.

3 The First Battle Of Geonosis

The Beginning Of The Clone Wars

Of course, there can be no end to a war if there isn’t a start to one. While the First Battle of Geonosis wasn’t necessarily a revolutionary one, it was something of a test to see how well the clone army could perform, especially under the Jedi’s leadership. It also kickstarted the next three years of fighting across the galaxy, with Dooku’s escape from the planet allowing him and his droid army to persist and serve the Confederacy of Independent Systems throughout the ensuing war.

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As the starting point of the entire conflict, the First Battle of Geonosis will always be one of its most important, especially because of how perfectly everything was orchestrated by Darth Sidious. Obi-Wan’s search for Jango Fett led him to Kamino and to discovering both the clone army and, thanks to Jango’s trip to Geonosis, the Separatists and their droid army hiding in the shadows of the planet. The First Battle of Geonosis proves how carefully planned this entire war was, and as the only battle to be portrayed entirely in live-action, it will always carry significant weight.

2 The Battle Of Kamino

The Homeworld Of The Clones Is Protected

As mentioned earlier, Kamino was a planet the Republic couldn’t afford to lose, because it was the home of the clone army’s production. The most key part of this production was Jango Fett’s pure genetic sample, which skyrocketed in value after Jango’s death on Geonosis. Without that sample, the Kaminoans would have no way of producing more clones, which is why it quickly became a target of the Separatists. When the war successfully made its way to Kamino, it was Asajj Ventress and Grievous who were tasked with stealing the heart of the Kaminoan cloning operation.

Despite the Separatists’ best efforts, the Jedi generals and their forces fought hard to defend the clones’ home, and the Republic was successful in keeping the Separatists from affecting their clone production. The importance of this victory rests with the what-if question of a scenario where the Republic didn’t win, and the clone army was forced to halt production in the middle of the war. It’s very likely that the Republic would have quickly fallen without more forces, which makes this victory so much more than just a simple tactical win against the Separatists.

1 The Second Battle Of Geonosis

Preventing The Expansion Of Droid Production

The only thing that was more important for the Republic than the preservation of their cloning operation was the prevention of their enemy’s droid production. The GAR’s return to Geonosis for their second campaign was even more massive and dangerous than their first, particularly because of the stakes of the entire campaign. The Separatists had built an even bigger droid foundry there, and if it weren’t for the GAR managing to pull out a victory during this tough campaign, then it’s likely that the Separatists’ droids would have overrun the Republic early on in the war.

Adding to the importance of this battle were several factors that contributed to it being a highly memorable campaign. Ahsoka and her fellow Padawan, Barriss Offee, nearly lost their lives by being trapped inside the droid foundry when it was blown to pieces, and there was even a mind-controlling worm infestation that gave the GAR some significant trouble as they wrapped up the campaign. Still, The Clone Wars makes it clear that this battle was absolutely essential to prolonging a potential Republic victory, as these droids would have severely outnumbered the GAR if they had been created and shipped out.

The animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars takes place between Episodes 2 and 3 of the Star Wars film saga. The fan-favorite series expands the story of the prequel trilogy through characters including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, and more fan-favorite jedi.

Cast

Matt Lanter , James Arnold Taylor , Ashley Eckstein , Dee Bradley Baker , Matthew Wood , Tom Kane , Catherine Taber , Terrence Carson , Corey Burton , Nika Futterman , Katee Sackhoff , Sam Witwer

Release Date

October 3, 2008

Seasons

7

Streaming Service(s)

Disney+

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