With the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm, many wondered what would become of the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars after the abrupt announcement of its cancellation. Today, the answer to that question comes with a confirmation that the sixth and final season of the series will air on Netflix, beginning next month. USA Today confirms the news, and also points out that all five previously aired seasons, as well as the feature film, will be available via the streaming service.
While this is the first Star Wars property to appear on Netflix, it won’t be the last: beginning in 2016, Netflix will be the exclusive streaming home for first-run, live action and animated films from Lucasfilm, as well as other Disney-owned studios. But in the meantime, the network is squarely focused on delivering the final 14 episodes of The Clone Wars, dubbed “The Lost Missions.”
One of the key storylines of the final season will involve Jedi master Yoda, who will receive a visit from a familiar face during the season premiere: the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson, reprising his role from The Phantom Menace).
“Without giving too much away, on one level you wonder why when Obi-Wan gets killed in (the original Star Wars film), he’s the one who vanishes,” says director Dave Filoni. “And then we see Yoda vanish when he dies (in Return of the Jedi). And yet in the prequels, none of the Jedi do that — why is that?”
“We were always very careful about what we did with Yoda,” Filoni continued, acknowledging that letting the Jedi master take center stage is a departure for the series. “We never wanted to overuse him or put him in too many situations just because we had him, but we really felt that we finally had a story and a reason for him to be in it that was good enough to warrant bringing the little guy out.”
Star Wars: The Clone Wars will be available on the Netflix streaming service beginning on March 7. In the meantime, enjoy a first look with this clip from the season premiere.
disney lucasfilm netflix star wars star wars: the clone wars