The Star Wars franchise has recently seen a downturn in its fortunes, with most of the new-age shows like The Acolyte, failing to impress audiences. However, one Star Wars show that has always remained close to the hearts of the fans is The Clone Wars animated series.
During an interview, showrunner Dave Filoni was asked about the distinction between the animated series and the live-action movies. However, Filoni’s response provided the perfect explanation for why The Clone Wars will always remain superior to most of the new age entries in the space opera franchise.
Dave Filoni Revealed the Main Difference Between Live-action Star Wars and The Clone Wars
Dave Filoni served as the primary showrunner for Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Created by George Lucas, the series ran for seven seasons and gained a cult following among the fans. Despite the addition of several other shows from The Mandalorian to The Acolyte, the animated series remains a fan-favorite.
During an interview with ScreenSlam, Filoni was asked about what differentiated the animated series from its live-action counterparts. In response, Filoni stated that there was a stylistic difference between the two entities.
We were able to stylize things more. You know, we were able to push the visual look of things. You see it most notably in the human characters.
The showrunner explained that the animation medium allowed The Clone Wars to steer away from a sense of photorealism associated with the franchise’s films.
Since Filoni drew inspiration from anime for the series’ visual style, it is understandable why he wanted to break away from the franchise’s tradition of photorealistic depiction of the characters in the galaxy far, far away.
Dave Filoni Talked About Merging The Clone Wars Animation Style With Traditional Star Wars Visuals
In the same interview, Filoni also touched upon crafting the unique visual style and overall aesthetics of the animated series. The showrunner stated that while he wanted to try something new, the creative team also strived to keep some of the traditional visual aspects of the franchise.
I wanted to kind of hit in the middle with our Clone Wars and (to) tie it into the tradition of Star Wars.
Filoni made the above statement, underlining the efforts to create a unique look while maintaining the balance between the new and traditional visual styles.
He cited the example of the animated show’s backgrounds, which were inspired by Ralph McQuarrie paintings from the original trilogy. From Filoni’s words, it is evident that there was an attempt to create something unique yet reminiscent of the Star Wars visual style with The Clone Wars.
In contrast, some of the newer Star Wars shows such as The Mandalorian and The Acolyte have been greatly criticized for their visual style, which does not resemble the franchise’s aesthetics. Hence, Filoni’s words prove that The Clone Wars will remain superior to its successors.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is streaming on Disney+.
