Full Series The Clone Wars Chronological Order (TCW Episodes & Viewing Orders)

Yeah, I listed production order first originally since it seemed that might have been a better indicator of chronological order (once you factored in the alternating production schedules of two different animation studios working on the show). I've since revised my list to display the airing orders first, as it makes it a little easier to locate the episodes across multiple DVD sets this way .

The reason The New Padawan was 118 was because it was an afterthought- the series was supposed to open with the Castle Trilogy with Ahsoka already Anakin's padawan, but when they decided to make them into a movie (after much of Season 1 had already started production), Lucas decided to make a prequel showing how Ahsoka became his padawan to help turn things into movie-length.

What remains unclear is if The Hidden Enemy was actually planned before or after The New Padawan. It might have originally been a two-parter with The New Padawan, or The Hidden Enemy simply used models being created for TNP.

Here's my version currently (I intend to integrate the other spin-off material in soon):

Television Episodes
Web Comics
Comic Books

(story arc titles are unofficial designations)
(Airing ###/Production ###)
Christophsis Arc
-216/217: Cat and Mouse
-WEB/116: Shadowed
-116/201: The Hidden Enemy
-TCW/118: The New Padawan
-TCW/101: Castle of Doom
-TCW/103: Castle of Deception
-TCW/104: Castle of Salvation
Droid & Ambush Duologies (overlapping stories)
-WEB/106: The Fall of Falleen
-106/102: Downfall of a Droid
-WEB/107: Discount
-WEB/118: Covetous
-303/224: Supply Lines
-WEB/101: Prelude
-107/106: Duel of the Droids
-101/108: Ambush
Malevolence Trilogy
-WEB/103: Procedure
-COMVOL1: Shipyards of Doom
-WEB/102: Shakedown
-102/107: Rising Malevolence
-103/109: Shadow of Malevolence
-WEB/104: Agenda
-104/111: Destroy Malevolence
Clone Trilogy, Part I
-301/301: Clone Cadets
Nute Trilogy
-WEB/108: Departure
-108/105: Bombad Jedi
-WEB/109: Transfer
-109/110: Cloak of Darkness
-WEB/110: The Dreams of General Grievous
-110/112: Lair of Grievous
Clone Trilogy, Part II
-WEB/105: Mouse Hunt
-105/114: Rookies
Ryloth Trilogy
-WEB/119: Curfew
-119/115: Storm Over Ryloth
-120/117: Innocents of Ryloth
-WEB/120: The Ballad of Cham Syndulla
-121/119: Liberty on Ryloth
Dooku Duology
-WEB/111: Bait
-111/116: Dooku Captured
-WEB/112: Switch
-112/120: The Gungan General
Maridun Duology
-WEB/113: Headgames
-113/122: Jedi Crash
-WEB/114: Neighbors
-114/124: Defenders of Peace
Virus Duology
-WEB/117: The Valley
-117/126: Blue Shadow Virus
-118/202: Mystery of a Thousand Moons
Stand Alone
-WEB/115: Cold Snap
-115/125: Trespass
Mandalorian Trilogy
-212/213: The Mandalore Plot
-213/121: Voyage of Temptation
-214/216: Duchess of Mandalore
Geonosis Arc
-204/205: Senate Spy
-205/207: Landing at Point Rain
-206/208: Weapons Factory
-207/209: Legacy of Terror
-208/212: Brain Invaders
Stand Alones
-304/225: Sphere of Influence
Holocron Arc
-217/219: Bounty Hunters
-20

 

Her presence can't be ascertained from the episode- and her choice of wardrobe, as mentioned above, doesn't indicate anything as they were just reusing an existing model for her background cameo.

 

I'm rather hoping that's in our future.

As for Supply Lines and Ryloth, the gap is for a few reasons- Cham needs time for his harsh attitude towards the Republic to sink in (as well as time for his resistance to gain momentum), there needs to be time for the Separists to establish their blockade following the defeat of the Republic forces in Supply Lines, as well as round up the population, etc. The Republic also needs time to mount to the counter-attack (a situation likely hampered by the fleet losses incured by the Malevolence attacks).

Additionally Ahsoka needs time to develop her skills- particularly her flying skills (as Anakin is not too hot on her flying in Droid Duo/Malevolence). Otherwise it seems out of place that she's given a squadron to command so early in her training, among other details.

And, with Supply Lines linked to Ambush, which itself is established as being pre-Malevolence and pre/concurrent-with Droid Duo via webcomics and such, there's a certain amount of episodes that have to transpire between the two Ryloth stories. The Nute Trilogy is also implied to happen in that spanse as well, so it gets pushed back even further.

Ironically, Ambush was originally going to take place post-Malevolence before it got bumped up to be the debut episode at the last moment- but of course they had no idea back then that those events would be tied into Ryloth 2 years later. If they had stuck to that original placement, the webcomic wouldn't have been altered to reflect that and we might have had some more leighway in closing that gap a little when they eventully did decide to link it to Ryloth.

 

Perhaps they've both recovered and, not wanting to push Ahsoka after such an ordeal, Ahsoka is just back at the temple studying while Rex, "just a clone", is back in action?

But you're right- it's not perfect from a Rex POV, but it is smoother from an Ahsoka POV. I use "Ahsoka absences" in a more general way as it's bumpier for a viewing order without trying to smooth them over at least a little. But I don't think any solution here will be perfect in that regards.

Sphere/BH can go in any order in relation to each other. If you put it after Bounty Hunters, it's a "oh, look, it's those awesome bounty hunters in the background" response, but if you have Sphere first, then it plays up their initially hostile/threatening nature in BH since it's now "oh, it's those bounty hunters from Jabba's court!" (assuming one remembers them).

It also has the benefit of not interrupting the Felucia plotline, so that facet of the Holocron arc can flow together in it's entirety. So, that's why I favor that approach.

Because Aurra is already with Bane in Invitation Only. If you have it after Assassin, then that means Aurra escapes the temple, leaves Coruscant, hooks up with Bane to join his team, then goes back to Coruscant for Hostage Crisis.

Having Invitation Only first means that now Aurra is free to hook up with Bane after her recovery with Hondo, carry out her assassination attempt, get caught and brought in on Coruscant, escape and meet up with Bane on the planet (this line of events makes even more sense if Aurra's escape is linked to TODO's resurrection/escape as well).

In other words, it has her bouncing around a lot less and provides for a smoother reading/viewing experience.

As to the placement of the Mando trilogy, I use it to extend the time between Trespass and Sphere, to give Ahsoka time to become good friends with Chuchi, since Geonosis isn't enough by itself (especially since she's pretty busy during/around the Geonosis storyline).

And, since the Mando trilogy has to happen before Corruption, that seems like a good place for that friendship to be established off-screen while Anakin and Obi-Wan and doing the Mando thing.

It's also vaguely in the same neighborhood to the Corruption duology (without being too close to each other or being on opposite ends of the list), so that, IMO, fits Ahsoka being unaware of the Mando events of Anakin and Obi-Wan from the trilogy at the start of Corruption.

And, having it post-Ryloth fits the second best option for the Mando Trilogy's placement in relation to the Ryloth and Nute Trilogies (in regards to the senators participating in the neutral systems gathering with Satine).

(the best option would still be before Christophsis, IMO, but damn that episode guide . And I also still feel placing it right after Christophsis feels out of place in regards to Ahsoka's presence, so far as a viewing order goes, even if one can insert an explanation in there to smooth it over a little, as you have)

 

Well, as I said, you are right that Rex's presence throws a kink into "explaining Ahsoka's absence" theory and perhaps I'll try to revisit that concept with a better solution. However, it strikes me that Ahsoka's absence is more notable than Rex's- that her absences are picked up on more quickly, which is why I try to focus on smoothing over that perception, so far as a viewing order is concerned.

You also have a good point that perhaps other TCW EU material could be used to explain those absences- however, while I do think most people are interested in seeing how everything fits together, the series by itself should be able to flow as a viewing order without relying on those other sources.

So, I wouldn't want to necessarily rely on an EU source to be the sole reason that explains what would otherwise come across as an incongruous viewing issue with the series, unless it was absolutely necessary.

And, for those reasons, is why I avoid placing the Mando trilogy in that post-Christophsis/pre-Ryloth slot. While we might be able to arbitrarily explain Ahsoka's absence through an EU source or fan theory, as a viewing of the series, the editor in me just feels it's wrong to have Ahsoka vanish right after she's introduced.

As it stands, since we can't have it pre-Christophsis, and I have my viewing order issues with post-C/pre-R, and I find having it between Supply Lines & Ryloth works even less, that leaves me with a post-Ryloth and we have to consider Orn and Farr as participating based on their experiences in Ryloth and Nute trilogies.

It's the lesser of the available evils, IMO. However, I can perfectly understand taking an alternate approach. If the episode guides didn't say Cat & Mouse was first, I'd move Mando trilogy pre-Christophsis in a heartbeat.

Actually, I think it does have to happen after Trespass, as she does seem new to things in Trespass and not standing on her own, but finds herself after the events of Trespass. Plus, I believe the Jedi are introduced to her then as well, are they not?

It would seem a stretch if Ahsoka, who should (early on) either be in the temple or with Anakin, was close friends with a senator Anakin had never met. Not impossible, but the episodes would seem to clearly suggest Trespass is the "start" of Chuchi's involvement with our heroes.

BH & SOI don't have to be back to back or close to each other, but putting them like that doesn't cause any problems at all.

It allows BH to function as part of the Holocron arc (allowing the Felucia plot thread to develop more clearly within a viewing order), while SOI acts as a nice thematic transition from the Separatist battles of the Geonosis arc, into the underworld/Bane-centric episodes of BH and Holocron episodes.

I could place SOI before the Boba trilogy (since Bossk's presence locks it in as pre-Boba), but the Coruscant in SOI doesn't seem to be a post-Zillo attack Coruscant (the limited Coruscant moments in the Boba trilogy don't give us hints one way or the other), so having it earlier side-steps that from feeling out of place.

 

I'll look that order over tonight and let you know if I spot any issues. Though, I believe the timespan between Christophsis and Droid/Malevolence has been said to not be too much, so inserting so many stories between feels a little strange. I don't think there's enough evidence or need to expand that timeframe, either- so it would strike me as not conductive towards deducing what the "actual" episode order is.

But that doesn't mean it couldn't work , like I said, I'll take a closer look later.

It's not Tatooine- apparently some aurabesh in it identifies the planet as Keyorin (known as "The Hunters World", which would fit the plot).

However, you're right- I forgot Bane goes to Tatooine at the end of Plans. Yeah, I think I'll move it to be after Plans then- he's already in the Outer Rim (and, looking at the Atlas, it looks like the Tiellust Run circles around to more or less connects the two, even if they're almost on opposite ends of the map), good catch.