Anakin and Obi-Wan standing on a ship in Star Wars The Clone Wars season 7
By
Lewis Glazebrook
Published 25 minutes ago
Lewis is a Lead Writer for Screen Rant and has written for the site since 2022. This has allowed Lewis to explore a vast array of films, TV shows, books, comic books, and games from across the mainstream world of pop culture, reflecting his lifelong love of all media and typifying his experience in the world of fiction storytelling. To top this off, Lewis graduated from Northumbria University with First Class Honours in Film & TV Studies, truly exemplifying his experience in the medium.
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Fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars will have a lot to look forward to in 2026. In general, 2026 is a big year for the Star Wars franchise. Not only will the year host the first of several upcoming Star Wars movies, but it will also continue the franchise's small-screen efforts.
Star Wars' TV shows have mostly been highly rated, with 2026 hoping to continue that. Interestingly, the Star Wars TV shows releasing in 2026 all have a common link. Going beyond that, the story of The Mandalorian and Grogu shares that same connection.
In some way or another, most major Star Wars properties of 2026 are connected to the timeline of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, making 2026 a big year for fans of the show.
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Premieres In 2026
Darth Maul looking angry in Clone Wars Season 7
The first show with perhaps the strongest connection to Star Wars: The Clone Wars is Maul: Shadow Lord. In many ways, Maul: Shadow Lord is a sequel to The Clone Wars. The show is set to premiere in 2026 using the same animation style as The Clone Wars, focusing on Maul shortly after the conclusion of the latter series.
After Maul's escape during Order 66, he goes on to become the crime lord of Crimson Dawn, as shown in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Maul: Shadow Lord is set to explore how he gets to this point, continuing the legacy of The Clone Wars in several ways. For one, Maul was reintroduced in The Clone Wars after being "killed" in The Phantom Menace.
Most of Maul's storylines from then on were highlighted in The Clone Wars, leading to the show and the character often being linked together in the minds of audiences. In 2026, Maul: Shadow Lord will only continue that by detailing the next steps in Maul's story with the same animation style that repopularized him as a Star Wars villain.
The Mandalorian & Grogu Is Bringing Back A Peculiar Clone Wars Character
Rotta the Hutt throws his fists into the air in victory at the center of a fighting ring.
As already alluded to, The Mandalorian and Grogu will also be released in 2026. The film will be the first in the franchise since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, and is set to release worldwide on May 22, 2026. Despite being set in Star Wars' New Republic era, long after The Clone Wars, the film has one major link to the TV show.
This comes in the form of Jeremy Allen White's character: Rotta the Hutt. Rotta the Hutt was the central plot device of 2008's Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the theatrically released movie which consisted of the first four episodes of the show. Rotta the Hutt essentially began The Clone Wars, with the film's plot surrounding Anakin and Ahsoka's quest to return him to his father, Jabba.
At this point, it is unclear what role Rotta the Hutt will play in The Mandalorian and Grogu. However, he is glimpsed in the film's first teaser trailer as the ringleader of a colosseum. How this ties to The Mandalorian and Grogu's wider story remains to be seen.
Nonetheless, Rotta will play some kind of role in the film, tying it back to Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This, as well as the potential appearance of other Clone Wars characters like Bo-Katan Kryze, makes The Mandalorian and Grogu yet another 2026 Star Wars project that is continuing the animated show's legacy.
Ahsoka Season 2 Is Also Set To Come Out In 2026
Ahsoka looking serious and wielding white lightsabers in Ahsoka season 1, episode 2
Another Star Wars project set for release in 2026 is Ahsoka season 2. Ahsoka season 2's story is set to pick up where season 1 left off, with Ahsoka and Sabine trapped in another galaxy, following the trailer of the fallen Jedi Baylan Skoll. Via this quest, Ahsoka is reinforcing how important The Clone Wars is to the Star Wars stories of 2026.
Like Rotta the Hutt, Ahsoka Tano was first introduced to the franchise via Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Ahsoka's popularity only grew as the show continued, to the point where she is now classed as one of the greatest characters in the entire franchise. Ahsoka season 2 will only continue that, with its story elements also tying back to The Clone Wars.
Teases from Ahsoka season 1's ending implied that Baylan Skoll's quest surrounds the Mortis Gods of Star Wars, the living manifestations of the light side, dark side, and balance in the Force. These gods were first introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3, with Ahsoka season 1 showing giant statues of the Mortis beings on Peridea.
How exactly that links to Baylan Skoll's plan remains to be seen, but Ahsoka season 2 will only further explore these mysteries. In doing so, some of the biggest, most wide-reaching Star Wars concepts will return to the franchise in 2026, which were first introduced via The Clone Wars.
Clone Wars Continues To Dictate The Future Of Star Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars' main cast of characters.
Evidently, Star Wars: The Clone Wars continues to dictate the future of the franchise, primarily in TV, but on film, as well. The two main upcoming Star Wars TV shows in 2026 would not exist without The Clone Wars, thanks to Maul's resurrection and Ahsoka's debut being part of the original show.
While The Mandalorian and Grogu would likely still be a reality without The Clone Wars, the film's decision to use characters from the latter series just goes to show how important it is to the wider franchise. The future of Star Wars is being dictated by The Clone Wars, with 2026 proving as much and setting the stage for an exciting year for fans of the show.
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-PG Animation Science Fiction Action Adventure Release Date 2008 - 2020-00-00 Network Cartoon Network, Netflix, Disney+ Showrunner Dave Filoni Directors Brian Kalin O'Connell, Steward Lee, Giancarlo Volpe, Bosco Ng, Danny Keller, Rob Coleman, Justin Ridge, Nathaniel Villanueva, Saul Ruiz, Jesse Yeh, Duwayne Dunham, Atsushi Takeuchi, Robert Dalva, Walter Murch Writers Katie Lucas, Christian Taylor, Brent V. Friedman, Matt Michnovetz, Drew Z. Greenberg, Steven Melching, Chris Collins, Charles Murray, Eoghan Mahony, Bonnie Mark, Craig W. Van Sickle, Daniel Arkin, Jose Molina, Steven Long Mitchell, Cameron Litvack, George Krstic, Carl Ellsworth, Craig Titley, Julie Siege, Jonathan W. Rinzler, Ben Edlund, Douglas Petrie, Kevin D. Campbell, Kevin RubioCast
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Tom Kane
Narrator / Yoda / Medical Droid / Yularen / Kraken (voice)
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Matt Lanter
Anakin Skywalker (voice)
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