Old Friends Not Forgotten

"The series finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars has begun!"

- StarWars.com

"Old Friends Not Forgotten" is the ninth episode of the seventh season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It is the hundred and thirtieth episode of the series overall. It was released on April 17, 2020 on Disney+.

Synopsis
The Outer Rim Sieges rage on. The Jedi Council has dispatched its Jedi Generals throughout the galaxy to respond to a massive Separatist attack led by General Grievous. On the planet Yerbana, Commander Cody and the 212th Attack Battalion struggle to hold a bridge leading into the city against entrenched Separatist artillery. With their air support compromised and the enemy's Tactical Droid nowhere in sight, Obi-Wan Kenobi orders the men to find cover until Anakin Skywalker arrives. Skywalker suddenly shows up behind them, having already won on his own battlefront, and nonchalantly assesses the situation. Though reluctant, Kenobi allows him to do things his own way.

Anakin walks into the open on the bridge and feigns a surrender, congratulating the droids and their unseen commander on their superior tactics. Meanwhile, R2-D2 prepares to pass on Anakin's orders to Captain Rex and his men, currently hanging on the underside of the bridge. Anakin stalls long enough for the Battle Droids to summon their Tactical droid to the front and report the Jedi's surrender. Now with a clear line of sight on the droid commander, Anakin Force pulls the droid in and beheads it, leaving the Droid Army leaderless. R2 passes on Skywalker's signal to Rex's group, who attack with jetpacks and thermal detonators, crippling the droids' artillery and breaking their lines. Cody and his men join the fight and drive the droids back while the Jedi look on; Anakin thanks Obi-Wan for looking helpless enough to convince the droids that his surrender was genuine.

Anakin is then contacted by Admiral Wullf Yularen, who has received a coded transmission on the secure frequency, codenamed Fulcrum. The channel was used mainly by Saw Gerrera in the siege at Onderon. Yularen tells them it isn't Gerrera and that the two Jedi should take this call in-person on the fleet. Returning to their Republic cruiser, Anakin askes Yularen what was so important, then sees the holograms of his former apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, and Mandalorian warrior, Lady Bo-Katan Kryze. Anakin hesitantly asks what Ahsoka has been up to. She tells him that they have little time and would like to make their request in person. The two of them propose a plan to capture renegade Sith Lord Darth Maul once and for all.

As Tano and Kryze arrive aboard the Republic cruiser, Anakin rationalizes Ahsoka's choice to leave the Jedi Order as part of the Force's will to bring Maul to justice, though Obi-Wan is skeptical. Greeted by an excited R2-D2, Ahsoka disembarks with Bo-Katan and shares her information with the Jedi. The pair have been working together over the past several weeks to track Maul down, using intel from the Pyke Syndicate on Oba Diah. Though Anakin asks what Ahsoka was doing there, she dismisses him and says that they pinpointed Maul's exact location to the capital city of Sundari on Mandalore. Since Bo-Katan does not have the numbers to lay siege to the city, she requests Republic aid in capturing Maul.

Obi-Wan is cautious, as a Republic invasion of a neutral world would violate their treaty with the Mandalorians. Bo-Katan pleads with him, asking if her sister Satine meant anything to him. Obi-Wan replies that she still does, but cannot allow his feelings to cloud his judgment. He must confer with the Jedi Council first. Bo-Katan departs the bridge in disgust, having told Tano that this was a waste of time, leaving Ahsoka and Anakin alone. Ahsoka notes that he and Kenobi haven't changed much, to which Anakin wittily replies, "Is that a bad thing?"

Anakin leads Ahsoka to the main hangar where he has a surprise for her. En route, Ahsoka is saluted by several clone troopers, despite that she is no longer a Jedi. Anakin tells her that the clones hold great respect for her, revealing Captain Rex and a company of clones with custom-painted helmets matching her facial markings in her honor. Rex welcomes Ahsoka back as a commander once more. Before Anakin can unveil his next surprise, alarms blare throughout the ship. Obi-Wan quickly arrives and tells them that Grievous has attacked Coruscant. Mace Windu requested that Anakin and Obi-Wan return to Coruscant immediately to save Chancellor Palpatine.

Ahsoka is deeply disappointed that the Jedi are choosing to mire in politics rather than helping the people of Mandalore. Obi-Wan argues with her that they cannot neglect the heart of the Republic; Ahsoka responds that people have lost faith in the Jedi for that very reason. Anakin interjects that he'll spare a division of the 501st Legion for the attack on Mandalore, promoting Rex to Commander so that Ahsoka can lead them as an advisor. Ahsoka accepts so long as Obi-Wan approves.

Obi-Wan gives his blessing on the mission and departs, warning that Maul refuses to die and would be best captured. Before leaving, Anakin returns Ahsoka's repaired lightsabers to her, now sporting blue blades. He hopes that, with luck, both of their missions will end soon. Though luck was something Obi-Wan taught never to believe in, Anakin taught her to know better; Ahsoka wishes her former master luck and they part ways.

Republic forces arrive over Mandalore and launch their invasion alongside the Mandalorians of Bo-Katan's resistance. Prime Minister Almec contacts the Republic and condemns the operation as a violation of their treaty. Bo-Katan informs him that Mandalore's time under Maul's rule is at an end. Almec says that she would be viewed as a public enemy, which she calmly accepts. Ahsoka marvels at the differences between Bo-Katan and her sister. On the ground, Almec orders Gar Saxon to prepare their troops for an attack while Rook Kast informs the Shadow Collective, though Saxon wonders how prepared they are for this battle.

The Mandalorian Super Commandos launch a counterattack as Republic gunships approach Sundari. Bo-Katan and her Mandalorians fly into battle alongside clone jetpack troopers. Rex apologizes for not bringing a jetpack for Ahsoka. She wryly replies that she doesn't need one and races Rex to the surface. Jumping from one gunship to the next, Ahsoka fights back Maul's forces; she leaps to a damaged gunship and helps the pilot eject before riding it down to Sundari's loading docks.

Ahsoka leaps off before it crashes and battles the Mandalorians with the support of Ursa Wren and the Nite Owls. Though unable to pinpoint Maul's position, Bo-Katan has her forces secure all entry points to the city.

As the battle progresses into the city, Saxon reports to Almec that their forces are quickly losing ground to the Republic. Almec instructs him to escape to the lower levels of the city where they will be met. Ahsoka, Bo-Katan, and Rex rendezvous and strategize for their next move. Bo-Katan will move to capture the palace while Ahsoka responds to a report from Captain Vaughn on Saxon's retreat.

Kast reports back to Almec that a group of clones pursued them into the lower levels and the Jedi commander will soon join them, precisely as Maul predicted. Just then, Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls arrive and capture the palace. She fights and subdues Almec, demanding to know Maul's location. Almec admits that Maul intentionally revealed his location on Mandalore to lure Kenobi in, except that the Republic sent Tano instead. Realizing the trap, Bo-Katan attempts to contact Ahsoka to no avail.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka meets with Captain Vaughn and his squad just outside the entrance to Sundari's lower levels. They proceed into the pipework with caution, being watched by Kast and her troops. Ahsoka becomes separated from her troops, who are killed off one by one. By the time she reaches them again, she finds only Vaughn barely alive, who apologizes to his commander with his dying breath. Ahsoka is then approached by Maul himself, most displeased to find her instead of Kenobi.

Cast
Starring
 * Tom Kane as Admiral Yularen / Narrator
 * Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano
 * Julian Holloway as Almec
 * Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker
 * Matthew Wood as Battle Droids
 * Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan
 * Dee Bradley Baker as Clone Troopers / Commander Rex
 * Ray Stevenson as Gar Saxon
 * Sam Witwer as Maul
 * James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * Vanessa Marshall as Rook Kast
 * Donald Faison as Tactical Droid
 * Sharmila Devar as Ursa Wren

Crew
Created by
 * George Lucas

Executive Producer and Supervising Director
 * Dave Filoni

Directed by
 * Saul Ruiz

Written by
 * Dave Filoni

Score by
 * Kevin Kiner

Original Star Wars Themes & Score by
 * John Williams

Producer
 * Caroline Kermel

Co-Producer
 * Carrie Beck

Associate Producer
 * Josh Rimes

Original Series Casting by
 * Lindsay Halper

Characters

 * Almec
 * Bacara Appears in hologram in newsreel
 * Bly
 * Depa Billaba Appears in hologram in newsreel
 * Caleb Dume Appears in hologram in newsreel
 * Cody
 * Saw Gerrera
 * Grievous
 * Jesse
 * Rook Kast
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * Bo-Katan Kryze
 * Satine Kryze
 * Plo Koon
 * Darth Maul
 * Ki-Adi-Mundi Appears in hologram in newsreel
 * Sheev Palpatine
 * R2-D2
 * Rex
 * Gar Saxon
 * Aayla Secura
 * Anakin Skywalker
 * Ahsoka Tano
 * Shaak Ti
 * Ursa Wren
 * Vaughn
 * Mace Windu
 * Yoda
 * Wullf Yularen

Locations

 * Coruscant
 * Mandalore
 * Sundari
 * Sundari Royal Palace
 * Yerbana

Groups

 * Grand Army of the Republic
 * 212th Attack Battalion
 * 501st Legion
 * 332nd Company
 * Confederacy of Independent Systems
 * Jedi Order
 * Nite Owls
 * Shadow Collective
 * Mandalorian Super Commandos

Behind the scenes
"Ahsoka enlists old friends to help her track down Maul."

- StarWars.com


 * This episode includes a new opening intro, featuring the "A LUCASFILM LIMITED Production" card, as seen in the theatrical versions of the Original Trilogy, a red variation of the logo similar to the one witnessed in "Brothers" and "Revenge", as well as the title of the episode, "Part I - Old Friends Not Forgotten", in lieu of the moral. This altered opening is accompanied by the original Star Wars theme by John Williams instead of the Clone Wars theme, prior to the opening newsreel. The closing credits play in silence.
 * This episode marks the last appearances of Anakin, R2, Grievous, Yularen, and Cody in the series.
 * It is the longest episode of the series overall, with a runtime of 26 minutes and 57 seconds.
 * Ray Stevenson (Gar Saxon) and Sharmila Devar (Ursa Wren) reprise their roles from Star Wars Rebels.