 Across the hollow void of space, two titanic forces clash in an epic battle of wits and wills. On one side is the infamous Admiral Trench — a master strategist with the full might of the Separatist fleet at his malevolent disposal. On the other is Anakin Skywalker, tasked with delivering vital troops and supplies to the beleaguered planet below. Armed with only his cunning and an untried stealth starship, Anakin faces nearly impossible odds and an undefeated foe — and the brash young Jedi wouldn’t have it any other way. The headstrong hero of the Republic thrives in this dangerous game of Cat and Mouse, an all-new episode of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT Friday, March 26 on Cartoon Network.
Bothan spies at Lucasfilm have provided FILMEDGE with this high-res animation still and a suspenseful video preview below.
Illuminating a different aspect of Anakin's tactical bravado and bold heroism during the Clone Wars era, voice actor Matt Lanter points out the unique opportunity THE CLONE WARS series enjoys in its timeline within the larger STAR WARS saga:
“Right now, we are portraying Anakin as the hero that old Ben described in the original movie — a brave warrior and a great pilot,” says Matt Lanter (Sorority Row, 90210), the voice of Anakin. “I like getting to play the confidence in him — the cockiness. He literally thinks he always has the best plan, and can get his way out of any situation — and the cool thing is that most of the time he can. Yes, we definitely see some flashes of what’s to come. He has a temper, and he likes a good fight. But Anakin has a good heart and good intentions, and I try to bring that honesty to the character. He’s different from the Anakin we saw in the films; he is more likeable and swashbuckling at this point. I just try to bring out that confident Anakin – and I love that characteristic because it’s so much fun for me to play.”
The most crucial aspect of this period in Anakin's life and career as a Jedi is his growing recognition of the powers found within the dark side of the Force. While George Lucas covered Anakin's impatient rise and tragic self-made fall as a Jedi Knight during Episodes II and III of the prequel trilogy, THE CLONE WARS allows fans to witness Skywalker's slow surrender to his own impulses of possessive greed and pride. Fans know where Anakin ends up by REVENGE OF THE SITH, but now they get the chance to watch how Anakin makes that transition in much more detail, further deepening our understanding of his character. Naturally such illumination can also change our perceptions of Anakin in the feature films we've already seen, which is true evidence that Lucas' STAR WARS universe continues to live, thrive and evolve year after year. Lanter points out this opportunity for comparison from inside the character:
“At this point in the series, I would say he’s still a hero — but we are seeing more and more flashes of the dark side, and more of the temper which foreshadows what’s to come,” says Lanter. “Anakin wants to do what he believes is just and fair, but I feel like the entire Star Wars universe has shades of gray. The Republic isn’t necessarily always right and fair, and that’s why Anakin falls in the end. He doesn’t like to follow rules if he feels it doesn’t make sense to do so. For now, that turns out well, and he saves the day. Sometimes, it doesn’t turn out so well…”
Join FILMEDGE in watching Anakin fulfill the best and worst promises of his destiny in Cat and Mouse, an all-new action-packed episode of THE CLONE WARS airing this Friday, March 26th at 9pm ET/PT only on the Cartoon Network. Preview this thrilling episode as Anakin dares to test the thin line between battle victory and self-destruction:
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