There were moments in ‘Ghosts of Mortis’ that were tremendous. And it makes you really think about the nature of Anakin’s future.
This episode is the last in the Mortis arc and picks up where the last episode leaves off, with Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka needing to flee the planet before the Son can manipulate his way off of Mortis to the eternal ruin of the galaxy.
But the Son sees the future of Anakin and feels that he can be easily swayed by the Dark Side. Anakin seeks out the Son to kill him, but finds the well of the Dark Side and the Son shows him his future in the single most powerful moment in the Mortis saga. Through the swirling mists of the dark side of the Force, the Son shows Anakin his future, and it’s a future we’re all familiar with.
Watching the heroic Anakin that we know and love from The Clone Wars wrestling with his dark, certain future is heart breaking. We see him doing all of the worst things in his fall and it culminates with the destruction of Alderaan and it’s almost certainly
Though we know him to be lying (as is the way of the Dark Side) the Son tells Anakin that his future is not set in stone and if he turns against Obi-Wan and Ahsoka then he can be spared all of the pain he will cause in his future. It proves once and for all that a willingness to turn evil for the greater good is ingrained in Anakin’s DNA and makes his fall in Revenge of the Sith all the more heartbreaking.
It’s quite apparent that the show is maturing and the themes and topics they’re willing to tackle is growing with them. I was told before hand that this episode would play to all of my interests as a fan of the saga and it was true. My favorite story from the beginning has always been the rise and fall and redemption Anakin Skywalker and this arc has been one that adds so much nuance to it that I’ve been so delighted and impressed.
For some people Star Wars is about the space battles. For others it’s the Imperials. For others it’s lightsaber duels and others still it’s the love stories and Han Solo. But for me Star Wars is a tragedy. The tragedy of Anakin Skywalker and how he became whole again because of the love of his son. And this arc of episodes added shading and nuance to that story arc in a way that made me incredibly pleased.
If this is the level of writing and maturity we’re going to be getting on this show moving forward, I’d like to be the first to congratulate the cast and crew of The Clone Wars. You’ve taken it to the next level.