#101 Season 5 Episode 1

“Strength in character can defeat strength in numbers.”

Fueled by vengeance and rage, the newly reunited brothers Savage Opress and Darth Maul spread terror and violence across the galaxy. As the Sith brothers forcibly recruit Hondo Ohnaka and his pirates, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Adi Gallia chase them down, leading to a deadly confrontation.

Revival Commentary, Preview and starwars.com Episode Guide. Clip 1, Clip 2.

Original Airdate: 29 September 2012

Writer: Chris Collins

Director: Steward Lee

Concept Art and Trivia

Palpatine’s character model has undergone some subtle changes, softening some of the more extreme angles of the earlier look, including changes to the hair, ears, nose, and hands. He is also wearing a new outfit—the same he wears in Episode III when kidnapped by General Grievous.

Likewise, Yoda has undergone a model upgrade. The new version has smaller hands, larger feet, smaller ears, and less stylized hair. The main motivation behind these character model changes is a complete upgrade of the facial rig to allow a better performance in the animation. Illustration by Kilian Plunkett.

In the prologue footage, there is a scene of Darth Maul and Savage Opress killing the female Twi’lek Jedi (Finn Ertay) and a male Nikto Jedi (as yet unnamed, but based on Master Di’s model) at an unidentified spaceport.

The warehouse supervisor was simply described in the script as having a “slight build with a frontier twang.” His final design is that of a Snaggletooth-type alien, in a blue jumpsuit with silver boots, the kind made famous by a vintage 1970s Kenner action figure that was included in a Sears exclusive cantina playset.

When talking to Obi-Wan Kenobi via hologram, Hondo Ohnaka says, “First you lose this system and Grievous comes in and destroys my entire stronghold, leaving me here to just rummage through the leftovers of my once great empire!” Though Hondo is prone to exaggeration, Grievous did indeed attack Florrum in a story which was shown later in season 5.

In the background of Hondo’s camp is a huge piece of superstructure with the Aurebesh words, “HONDO’S SALVAGE – PRICES SLASHED,” stenciled on it.

The pirates and the warehouse supervisor all initially mistake the Sith brothers as Jedi. This is to show that the average galactic citizen has no real knowledge of the Sith or that most have never met a Jedi.

The warehouse office where Maul and Savage find the credit chip coffer is a re-dress of black marketer Siddiq’s office on Mandalore, seen in the third season episode, “Corruption.”

Though the lead deputy droid never gets to complete his sentence, he declares to Maul, “You are trespassing on InterGalactic—,” possibly suggesting that the station or its offices may have been the property of the Banking Clan. The warehouse station is a modified re-use of the Quarzite station seen in the fourth season episode, “Bounty.”