#89 Season 5 Episode 2

“Fear is a malleable weapon.”

Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and Rex travel to Onderon, a world under Separatist control. There, they will train a group of insurgent rebels — including Lux Bonteri — to help take back the capital city of Iziz from the rule of a duplicitous king.

A War on Two Fronts Commentary, Preview, Bonus clip and starwars.com Episode Guide.

Original Airdate: 6 October 2012

Writer: Chris Collins

Director: Dave Filoni

Concept Art and Trivia

Though airing after “Revival,” the Onderon story arc was originally placed before the events of that episode, as can be seen by a number of production clues. The older Yoda model makes an appearance, and Adi Gallia can be seen sitting on the Jedi Council despite her death. Perhaps it’s Stass Allie?

Onderon is a planet from the Star Wars Expanded Universe. It first appeared in the 1993 Tales of the Jedi comic series set thousands of years in the distant past. In that story, there was an ongoing civil war between the city-dwellers and outcasts living among the beasts of the jungle.

Among the native creatures seen in the Onderonian jungle are dalgos, rupings, pikobis, tee-musses, and fambaas.

When Rex is in his rebel disguise, the “jaig eyes” that ordinarily decorate his helmet are now on his chest plate. Art by Wayne Lo.

The insurgency that Anakin Skywalker creates will grow in the later years to become the Rebel Alliance. One can easily find examples in history of insurgents equipped by a ruling power to fight a proxy war that would later become a source of direct conflict to said ruling power.

The look of the Onderonian rebels are very much inspired by the look of the commandos in Return of the Jedi, which were developed by Nilo Rodis-Jamero and Aggie Guerard Rodgers.

Anakin’s critique of Steela’s sharpshooting is a direct quote of something he later says as Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back: “Impressive. Most impressive.”

Obi-Wan’s reminder to Anakin of their mandate on Onderon is also an echo of dialogue from the feature films. “We can only protect them. We cannot fight this war for them,” is very similar to how Qui-Gon Jinn described his role as protector to Queen Amidala during the Battle of Naboo.

Among the mishmash of items on the rebel hunter cart are Trandoshan axes, a bantha skull, an eopie saddle, a Wookiee bowcaster, a dewback skin rug, and gundark ears on a ring. The cart itself is a modified Mandalorian transport. Art by Will Nichols.