Clone Wars Week: Top Ten Clone Troopers

If you follow my blog regularly, you've probably noticed at least once that I am a big, big fan of clone troopers. I know a little over a hundred by name, and I'm hoping to be able to identify 200 of them by name by the time The Clone Wars ends (whenever that will be). The boys in white are my favorite Star Wars characters by far, and many times I find myself wishing that they really existed.

My siblings say I'm obsessed with the troopers, but don't listen to them! XD

Anyways, in keeping with Clone Wars Week, here are my Top Ten most favorite troopers from The Clone Wars!

#10. CT-21-0408, Echo: Echo is a very special guy who was part of a very special trooper squadron. He was given his name because he liked to echo every single order the squad was given, which more than kind of annoyed his other brothers. He also had a strange obsession with reading over the regulation manuals and following orders to the "t." Echo's best friend was Fives (more on him later), and both men had very decorative careers in the GAR. After escaping the Rishi Moon, Echo was transferred to Anakin's 501st Legion and then was given ARC Trooper training after the heroism he displayed during the Seige of Kamino. Unfortunately Echo was killed in an explosion on Lola Sayu after helping to rescue Jedi Master Even Piel from the Separatists. His death almost made me cry, especially when I heard Fives screaming out his brother's name. *sniffle*

#9. Tup: Tup is a rookie trooper who made his CW debut in the Season 4 "Umbara" story arc. When we first meet him, he's in a transport with the rest of his brothers and hanging on to the ceiling strap with both hands for dear life. He's a very sincere, thoughtful clone who just wants to do his best for the Republic. Tup was the one who finally managed to captured General Krell and correctly assessed that the General posed more of a threat to the Republic while he was still alive. The only thing about Tup that really boggles my mind is....how in the world does he fit that top-knot hairdo under his helmet?? Either way, I hope that Tup comes back in Season 5, otherwise I will not be pleased.

#8. CT-782, Hevy: Hevy is one of those kinds of guys who loves his guns, particularly his Z-9 Rotary, and he definitely knows how to use it. Hevy is the daredevil in Domino Squad, and he's also a natural leader. His hot temper and easily bored manner sometimes got him in trouble, but when it came down to it this guy would crash through a whole battalion of Seppies if such a charge would save his brothers. Hevy was the last Domino Squad member to die on the Rishi Moon (allowing the last two, Fives and Echo, to escape) when he comitted suicide by blowing up the Republic outpost the Seppie's had overrun. His sacrifice, like Echo's, almost made me cry, too, but he managed to save so many other lives by losing his own.

#7. CC-3636, Wolffe: The first thing most people notice when they see Commander Wolffe is the scar running down the right side of his face and his cybernetic right eye but, hey, that just makes him look even more epic! Wolffe is a no-nonsense, extremely blunt sort of soldier. He's constantly rolling his eyes, particularly at a certain jabbery golden protocol droid. But even though Wolffe is all-business oriented, he is also a great inspiration to his own men. Even though he lost most of his men to General Greivous, the Commander didn't let that get him down and, instead, stirred the rest of his men to action and to remember their fallen brothers. That in and of itself makes Wolffe a hero, at least in my eyes.

#6. Hardcase: This guy reminds me so much of Hevy that it's almost touching. Like Hevy, Hardcase is hot-tempered, a daredevil, a complainer, uses a Z-9 Rotary, and their names even start with the same first letter and have two syllables. Hardcase's best scene in all of CW would probably have to be when he's trying to figure out how to drive a captured Umbaran fighter. It's absolutely hillarious how similar that scene is to the one in Episode IV when Han attempts to talk to an Imperial radio operator while Luke is finding Princess Leia. And, also like Hevy, Hardcase commited suicide to blow up a Seppie supply ship, thereby cutting off the enemy's supplies and given the Republic a better grip on the planet Umbara. His quips are memorable, but nowhere near as memorable as his sacrifice for his brothers.

#5. CT-5597, Jesse: While Hardcase reminds me of Hevy, Jesse reminds me of Echo. While Jesse doesn't repeat orders or obsessively read regulation manuals, he is a very sensible guy who was willing to do what he knew was right, despite the consequences. Along with Fives and Hardcase, he used a stolen Umbaran fighter to destroy the Seppie's main supply ship (which was ultimately destroyed by Hardcase), and he even willingly faced down a firing squad for that action. Jesse also has a very cool-looking Republic emblem tattooed onto most of his face which looks really cool, even though it probably hurt like the dickens!

#4. Waxer: You really can't make a list of favorite clone troopers without including Waxer. This soldier probably shows the most obvious compassion streak I've ever seen. Along with his brother Boil, Waxer helped a little Twi'Lek girl find her family and kept her safe from the Seppies. His expression when the girl hugged him was so touching it was priceless. What's also touching is that he had a picture of the girl (Numa) painted onto the side of his helmet. Unfortunately, like so many other troopers, Waxer was killed before he could see Numa again. And what made his death even worse was that he was accidentally shot down by fellow clone troopers. It was a terrible way to die, but I do hope that Boil manages to survive the war.

#3. CC-2224, Cody: A lot of people don't like Commander Cody because he attempted to execute Order 66 on Kenobi in Episode III but, between you and me, I don't like Kenobi all that much! But, anyways, Cody is similar to Commander Wolffe in that both men are very this-is-what-we're-supposed-to-be-doing-so-let's-knuckle-down-and-do-it types. Cody is also an awesome strategist who was very loyal to the Republic and thought of Kenobi and Captain Rex as friends. After Order 66, the Commander trained stormtrooper recruits for the Empire, but he though they were stupid and nowhere near as good as his fellow Jango Fett clones. The scar near his right eye is very cool looking, too, and his Phase II armor is probably one of the most awesome looking ones I've seen.

#2. CT-27-5555, Fives: Fives has always struck me as the kind of soldier who really deserves the ARC Trooper position he was given. Not only is he inventive, loyal, and very focused, he's also much more autonomous than other troopers. He quickly recognized that General Krell didn't care about his troops, and he was willing to disobey the General's orders to do what he knew was right. After Echo's death on Lola Sayu, Fives is the last surviving member of Domino Squad, but he doesn't let his brothers' deaths weigh him down. He was the main individual who convinced Capain Rex to break away from Krell's destructive authority, and he was also willing to take all of the punishment for directly disobeying the General's orders. Fives is a very popular CW character, so I really hope they don't end up killing him!

#1. CT-7567, Rex: There is so much to say about Captain Rex! He's independant, he's patient, a good strategist, loyal, intelligent, funny, wise, the list just goes on and on. He didn't rat on a clone deserter who had a family, he stood up to General Krell and was very prepared to execute him for his crimes, he is loyal to Anakin and Ahsoka, he has never been afraid to stand up to a superior, he has awesome fighting moves, and he always listens to opinions from his men. Rex is an amazing leader and an invaluable member of the 501st. In fact, he's so awesome that he was awared a pair of Jaig Eyes for his heroic service in the military. Rex also has strong opinions and firmly believes that the clone troopers are just as human as any other humanoid in the galaxy. One of my favorite Captain Rex lines comes from the "Carnage of Krell" episode in Season 4: "I used to believe that being a good soldier meant doing everything they told you. That's how they engineered us. But we're not droids. We're not programmed. You have to learn to make your own decisions!" If that doesn't show independence and wisdom, I don't know what does. Captain Rex is definently my most favorite Star Wars character!



Whew! When your favorite characters are clone troopers, it's hard to pick your favorites. =D Which clones are your favorites?




 - Edessa, signing off

Clone Wars Week: Top Ten Clone Wars Villains

I've had a bad Internet connection for the past two days (on for five minutes, dies for ten, on for five minutes, dies for ten again, repeat inifinitely), so I hope this post gets through!

For today's post, I'd like to list my Top Ten most favorite Clone Wars villains!

#10. Chancellor Palpatine: The mastermind behind, well, everything. I must say, though, he seems a whole lot more slimy, threatening, and cool in the live-action movies, but he's still good in CW. The Season 5 trailer gave us a sneak peek of a 'saber brawl with Savage and Maul vs. Palpatine, plus content where Palpatine Force Chokes a couple of Mandalorians, so I think the writers of CW are going to progressively make him even more evil as the series continues. Ugly though he is, I don't think there would have been much of a Star Wars story without him.

# 9. Count Dooku: I've never really been much of a Count Dooku fan, even though he was played by the amazing Christopher Lee in the Prequels. He always just seems so stuck up and proud to me, but his curved lightsaber is awesome as is his continually calm manner. Usually I imagine Sith as the always angry say-the-wrong-thing-and-I-will-crush-your-puny-little-trachea kinds of people, and while Dooku definitely does that sometimes he is also calm and collected in a very sinister sort of way. Besides his Sith name, Tyrannus, is pretty awesome, if you ask me.

#8. Pre Vizsla: This guy reminds me a lot of Dred Priest and Isabet Reau, two Death Watch members who trained clone commandos on Kamino (according to the uber awesome Republic Commando series). Those two were sadists in every sense of the word (forcing young clones to engage in fight clubs is definitely sadistic), and Vizla is a lot like them. Case in point, the Season 4 episode A Friend in Need showed Vizla tricking Lux Bonteri into trusting him and then almost completely wiped out a whole settlement of enslaved villagers. If that isn't sadistic, I don't know what is. He would definitely be closer to number one on my list if he had been a true Mandalorian instead of Death Watch. DW may have cool armor and weapons but, honestly, the real Mandos are just a gazillion times better.

#7. Savage Opress: Zabraks are one of my favorite species, so bonus points for Savage in that area. He has some awesome moves, he managed to break away from the control of both Ventress and Dooku (and managed to escape them alive), and he's like Death with a double-bladed lightsaber. Plus I feel so sorry for him because of his Nightbrother upbringing and because he was forced to kill his younger brother, Feral. The only problem is that he's very dependent on other people and doesn't take charge himself. If he's not following Mother Talzin, he's following his other brother Maul. That, and he's basically an uncontrollable, brutal monster with anger management issues. Maybe someone needs to cut down on his sugar intake.... XD

#6. Asajj Ventress: A Dathomirian who became a Jedi Padawan but then embraced the Dark Side and became Dooku's personal assassin, until he tried to have her killed and she turned bounty hunter. She's a good lightsaber combatant, her background is intriguing, and I love the quips she and Kenobi throw at each other during their deuls. However, since her turn to a bounty hunter career and the fact that she saved Kenobi from Savage and Maul in the Season 4 finale, she seems to have become more of a good guy than anything. I guess we'll see if she remains a hunter or if she goes back to the Dark Side in Season 5.

#5. Cad Bane: Bane is probably one of the coolest bounty hunters out there. This guy is inventive, hard to kill, hard to outsmart, and is always one step ahead. With help, he managed to escape from the Republic's highest security prison, broke Ziro the Hutt out of another secure Republic prison, and looks awesome while he's doing it. Plus he survived the Box, which is a feat in and of itself. And who doesn't just love his hat, his jet boots, and how he looks and acts uncannily like Clint Eastwood from A Fistful of Dollars?

#4. General Grievous: A Kaleesh warlord who became a cyborg and now leads the Separatist armed forces as the Supreme Commander. He can weild four lightsabers simultaneously, or a few lightsabers and a blaster, or basically anything else. I tend to feel sorry for him because of his breathing troubles, but it doesn't seem to faze him too much. His droid shell is also extremely awesome (and frightening), and while he does retreat quite often, he's still very cunning and knows when to run and when to fight. And Grievous has the best pet on the planet...a cybernetically enhanced roggwart named Gor.

#3. The Son: Whether this guy is human or not is beyond me, but The Son is an embodiment of the Dark Side of the Force. He is purely, completely evil and kept in constant check by his Father. In fact, he loves no one except his sister, The Daughter, even though she is an embodiment of the Light Side. The Son has an epic black costume, he can shapeshift, he briefly turned Anakin to the Dark Side by showing him his future as Darth Vader, and he also kidnapped and briefly turned Ahsoka to the Dark Side. With the death of The Daughter and the weakening of The Father, The Son grew stronger and stronger, though he was eventually killed. Plus, he's incredibly cute. *nods* =D

#2. Pong Krell: If there's one character in all of mass media that makes me really, really, REALLY mad, it's Krell. This four-armed jerk was a secret Separatist agent who briefly took over Anakin's 501st Legion on Umbara and tried to destroy all of the clones there via subtle means. He sent them on suicidal missions, he talked flippantly about them when they died, he ordered the execution of two of them (Fives and Hardcase), refused to listen to anyone but himself, sent his men to kill each other unknowingly, and then killed many himself before being executed by Dogma. This guy is just downright evil and, while he's a good villain, he makes me so mad. Everytime I see his face, I want to scream, "Execute Order 66!" And, thankfully, the 501st did (though it wasn't called Order 66). Good riddance.

#1. Darth Maul: Now I know that there are many people who think that Lucasfilm made a huge mistake by having Darth Maul continue to live even after being vivisected by Kenobi in Episode 1, I still think it was a stroke of brilliance. This guy is awesome! Not only is he a Zabrak, but he is incredibly disciplined, he knows how to make a point (like when he killed all of those village children in the Season 4 finale to get Kenobi to come and find him), and he fights like a boss! And if you put Savage with him? Well, that's enough to give every Jedi nightmares. Sam Witwer (voice of both Starkiller and The Son) also does Maul's voice, and he does an epic job at it, too! Definitely villain #1 in my book!



Who are your favorite CW villains?




 - Edessa, signing off

Clone Wars Week: Top Ten Clone Wars Episodes

Continuing on with the theme of this week (everything Clone Wars), here is a list of my top ten most favorite Clone Wars episodes.

#10. Season 4 - "Revenge": This was the second part of the Season 4 finale, showing Darth Maul getting his sanity back and a new sense of purpose. The lightsaber battle of Ventress and Kenobi vs. Savage and Maul was frenzied and fast, with the Jedi and the ex-assassin barely making it out alive. It was also a good cliffhanger episode, leaving everyone (or at least me) sitting on the edge of their seats and yelling, "Don't let the Season be over now! I don't want to wait until September. That's impossible! Nooooooooooo!"

#9. Season 2 - "Brain Invaders": This was kind of one of those "dumb" episodes but, hey, it was still crazy fun to watch. One of the best scenes was just moments after Scythe released the Brain Invaders into the clones' sleeping area and you watch the infected troopers sit up in perfect zombie-ish unison. And then, after two infected clones murdered the craft's pilots, Scythe's droning of "We have the bridge" just gave me the willies! *shudder*

#8. Season 3 - "Ghosts of Mortis": Even though I'm not a huge fan of the "uber spiritual" CW episodes, the "Mortis" trilogy was still very good, with the last installment being my favorite. There are a lot of things that happened in this episode that are worth mentioning: Anakin finds out that he will become Darth Vader and briefly turns to the Dark Side before being "cured" by The Father, Ahsoka is turned to the Dark Side and almost dies, the Mortis Dagger comes heavily into play, and honestly The Son is pretty cute. *giggles* =D

#7. Season 3 - "Clone Cadets": The best episodes, in my opinion, are the ones that are totally devoted to the clone troopers. My siblings claim that I have a crush on every trooper in the GAR (even though I don't), but getting back on topic.... This episode was good because it brought back Domino Squad, the trooper squad that saw most of its members die on the Rishi moon. In "Clone Cadets" we get to see what Domino Squad was like when they were still in the last week or so of their training on Kamino. We watch them as they struggle with who they are, what roles they have in the group, and to trust one another as not only a team but as true brothers. I smile every time I see this episode. It's just that awesome.

#6. Season 3 - "ARC Troopers": This episode aired soon after "Clone Cadets" and showed us the Battle of Kamino, which happened a few months to a year after the events of "CC." Not only do two of my favorite troopers, Fives and Echo, really shine here, but the character of the deformed clone - 99 - is also greatly expanded. Watching the older, veteran troopers watch out for their still-in-training younger brothers was absolutely touching. And the ending will leave you both happy and sad at the same time.

#5. Season 1 - "Rookies": This is the episode where we are first introduced to Domino Squad, and it's one of the most popular CW episodes (if you can believe iTunes statistics). Overall this one was a very tragic episode because most of the clones in Domino Squad die in one gruesome manner or another, but it was also ended on a hopeful note as we see the two surviving members striding confidentally towards us. It's kind of like "ARC Troopers" in that it'll make you feel both happy and sad.

#4. Season 4 - "The Box": This was part three of a four-episode arc in which Obi-Wan goes undercover as an assassin to stop a group of mercenaries from kidnapping Chancellor Palpatine. All of the episodes in that arc were good, but this one was my favorite. Granted, I would have liked more shots of what happened in the Box and if they hadn't made it look so easy, but it was still very cool to see all of the tests the mercenaries had to go through in order to get the job.

#3. Season 3 - "Padawan Lost/Wookiee Hunt": I could decide which one of these I liked better, so they both tie for #3. Both of these episodes comprised the Season 3 finale, and it's awesome for many reasons. One, there are lots and lots of Trandoshans. Two, Chewbacca debuts on CW in these episodes. Three, Ahsoka learns to be a good leader through this time. And, four, it's a lot like watching a video version of The Most Dangerous Game (if you haven't read it, please do. It's a short story, and it's amazing!). So if you like Hunger Games/Battle Royale/Ender's Game-ish survival/death match stuff, then you would likely love both of these episodes.

#2. Season 2 - "Innocents of Ryloth": This is such an amazing episode! When the Republic sends forces to help free the world of Ryloth, two troopers - Waxer and Boil - encounter a little Twi'Lek girl who quickly befriends them. It's so touching to watch them keep her safe, to see Waxer holding her hand, and both of them hugging her comfortingly when she starts crying over her lost family. When they have to leave to continue waging war against the Seppies, their farewell to little Numa is so touching that I almost cry every time I see it. Sometimes I think that if Waxer had survived Umbara that he might have gotten married and would have been a wonderful father. Maybe - hopefully - Boil will still have that chance. *fingers crossed*

#1. Season 4 - The "Umbara" Arc: Yes, there are four episodes in the "Umbara" story arc, but they all feel like just one long, totally EPIC show that I just couldn't single one out. There is so much to love and cry and rage over in this arc (raging at the bad guy, not at the episodes themselves, I mean). There are battles, but interspersed in there are conversations between the troopers, the kinds of talks they have with each other when no one else is around. You get to see how they think of themselves, each other, the war, everything. These episodes also do an amazing job fleshing out different troopers' characters, showing us that they may have the same face and basic training, but they're all unique and special in their own ways. The end of the last episode is very satisfying (though Krell could have expanded more on his rather lame excuse, but I guess he doesn't have to if he doesn't want to), and there are twists and turns around every corner. I always feel sad and horrible when a clone dies, but when you see them die in "Umbara" you feel like standing along beside them, crying over fallen comrades, everything. Plus the cinematography is also extremely well done, arguably the best ever. There is more I could say, but you really just need to see it yourself. It's that mind-blowing.



What are your favorite CW episodes? Which Season has been your favorite so far?




 - Edessa, signing off

Season 5 Extended Trailer

What are your thoughts about this? Am I the only one who thinks that Season 5 is looking truly EPIC so far? =D

 - Edessa, signing off

Clone Wars Week: Top Ten Things I Want To See In Season 5

With Season 5 of The Clone Wars just around the corner, I'd like to introduce you to a very special week here at HNED.

Instead of writing according to my usual schedule, every post this week will be totally devoted to The Clone Wars. The posts will mainly be in "Top Ten" format, though I may include some other peices of news and such tidbits.

So, without further ado, here is the list of the Top Ten things I want to see in Season 5 of The Clone Wars...

10. Longer Story Arcs: Usually CW episodes are placed into trilogies, which is all well and good, but sometimes the stories they told would have been even better if they had devoted maybe four or five episodes to each story arc. Season 4 did introduce two four-episode-long arcs (Umbara and the Kenobi-undercover one), and I'm hoping that the Season 5 story arcs will not only be longer but that they'll also splice into each other as well.

9. Resolution For Darth Maul: Since the infamous Sith Lord returned "from the dead" in Season 4, I'm really excited to find out how it will end. Will Maul become disillusioned with the Sith and go into exile? Will he escape Darth Sidious's grasp and establish a Sith Academy on some distant planet (maybe Korriban or Dromund Kaas)? Will Savage kill him, or vice versa? Will Sidious kill him? Will Kenobi kill him "again?" Will he survive Season 5 and move onto 6, or does it all end here? There are a lot of possibilities, but I guess I trust the guys at Lucasfilm, Ltd., to make the right choice.

8. Stability For Ventress: After being denied the position of "official Sith apprentice" by Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress was almost assassinated by agents of Dooku. She went into hiding with the Nightsisters, but when they were destroyed she became a bounty hunter and was last seen escaping Maul and Savage in a mangled ship. She's been in an unstable position for so long that I'd like her to finally find her place in the galaxy. What that is, I have no idea, but I just want her to finally be comfortable in her own skin and sure of what she should be doing.

7. Confirmation: DO LUX AND AHSOKA ACTUALLY LIKE EACH OTHER AND GET INTO A RELATIONSHIP??? Speculation is all well and good, but right now I'd really, really, really like to know if they get together or not. If you want my opinion, I think they should, but that's just me.

6. Discovery: I know that Anakin kept his marriage a secret for about three-ish years, but I'd honestly like somebody to find out. What could be really cool would be a story arc in which someone find out about Anakin and Padme and threatens to expose the secret unless Anakin does something for him. Blackmail, basically. Or what would also be good would be if Ahsoka found out. That would be a great opportunity for us to see more of her character since she would have the option of either saying something and doing what the Jedi Order says is "right," or by staying silent. Either way, somebody besides Sidious and a handful of other in Episode III need to find out.

5. More Bounty Hunters: Dengar's not my favorite hunter, but definitely bring back Bossk, have a bunch of good Cad Bane episodes, and even bring in 4-LOM and Zuckuss. Bounty hunters are just too awesome to ignore.

4. More Underworld: While we're talking about bounty hunters and whatnot, I'd like to see more of the galaxy's underworld. I'm sure Lucasfilm is saving most of their ideas for both Star Wars 1313 and Star Wars: Underworld, but they could still give us even more of a taste of what the crime world is like.

3. More Boba Fett: Everybody knows that Boba Fett is awesome. I know it. You know it. And I know he's only about twelve or thirteen during the Clone Wars, but that's almost an adult in Mandalorian terms. What I'd really, really, REALLY like to see would be Boba wrenching control of Mandalore away from Duchess Satine and returning it back to the warrior world it used to be. I know from the trailers that Death Watch is planning on doing that, but wouldn't it be cool if Boba blasted Vizsla in the head and took charge, saying that his dad would have wanted him to? I know I would be totally geeking out if that happened. For a tween, this kid is pure AWESOME!!

2. Bring On The Commandos!: There were a few shots of Republic Commandos (or RCs) in the extended Season 5 trailer, but I hope they give the commandos lots of screen time. Not just that, but I hope that Filoni figured out a way to squeeze in Delta Squad and maybe even Omega Squad (Delta's better, though... =D). Sure, Delta Squad had a brief cameo in the Witches of the Mist episode, but that's not the same as giving them their own story arc. I want Delta Squad, and I want them now! Please???? =D

1. Clone Arcs: And I mean a lot of clone episodes. Umbara was AMAZING, arguably the best CW arc to-date. And it made me want more. Especially since we're coming up on Order 66 and the clone troopers have been fighting for about three years, we need to see more of them. And I don't just mean fighting (though Captain Rex does have some cool moves). I mean that I want to see more of their day-to-day life. I want to get into their thoughts and hear what they say only in the presence of their brothers. This is, after all, the Clone Wars. Let's see more of the boys in white, please!


And that's my list. What would you guys like to see in Season 5 of The Clone Wars? =)




 - Edessa, signing off