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The Clone Wars: Interpreting Key Scenes About Attachment in Seasons 1 & 6

In which Anakin goes full damsel-in-distress, and Ahsoka and Yoda repeatedly save his bacon

Attachment—every Star Wars fan’s favorite stress-free topic, right?? Well, I’m pleased to offer you a measured post that analyzes the thoughtful and generous-hearted explanation of attachment provided by The Clone Wars in the season one episode "Jedi Crash" (S1.13) and the season six episode "Sacrifice" (S6.13). "Jedi Crash," chock full of teachable moments as it is, both demonstrates and has characters explain a particular nuance of the Jedi’s in-universe beliefs about attachment, while the more mature and subtle "Sacrifice" shows Yoda implement this belief without explicitly addressing attachment as a topic.

So, what nuance does the pair of episodes explore? The Jedi are not in the business of sacrificing lives. Not the few, not the one, even for the many. Not if there is any other good and just path left open to them—no matter how difficult that path may be. Which is actually to say, the only life a Jedi is truly prepared to sacrifice is their own.

This refusal to sacrifice others relates to the Jedi Order’s beliefs about attachment because characters who Jedi personally care about are regularly in peril throughout The Clone Wars and other parts of canon, and sometimes as the “few” rather than the “many.” "Jedi Crash" and "Sacrifice" show how Jedi navigate having personal relationships and upholding their commitment to saving as many lives as possible.

It takes until the season six episode for the show to fully explore this topic, as it’s a bit bleak in the context of a pending genocide committed by a Jedi (Anakin) who both fails to grasp the concept of personal sacrifice and who falls for the trap of a false dilemma in the context of attachment. Please read the following definition, as false dilemmas also play a role in a test Yoda faces in "Sacrifice."

Definition: False dilemma "A false dilemma, also referred to as false dichotomy or false binary, is an informal fallacy based on a premise that erroneously limits what options are available. The source of the fallacy lies not in an invalid form of inference but in a false premise."

I’m going to spend most of my time on the more complex and beautiful "Sacrifice" (S6.13), but "Jedi Crash" (S1.13) still has interesting things to say and provides an important foundation for both this essay and "Sacrifice" itself.

Season 1: Young Ahsoka Grapples With the Meaning of Attachment

Fans who take it upon themselves to explain the Jedi Order’s canon approach to attachment often nod to a series of conversations between Ahsoka and Aayla in S1.13, or what I think of as the Intro to Attachment episode. I’ve seen some fans make their task harder by leaving out a crucial implication of the following statement, spoken by Aayla: "Don't lose a thousand lives just to save one." What are fans missing about this statement in the context of "Jedi Crash"?

Nothing about it says a Jedi's first goal shouldn't be saving 1,001 lives in this hypothetical scenario. Save both the one life and the thousand. Just don't lose a thousand to save one. It's a shame that some fans out there in the attachment trenches don't seem to have picked up on this distinction, because I instead see folks using the following as an example: Jedi should be willing to sacrifice one life to save the thousand. That's not the first step!

Step one: aim to save all lives. Step two: if forced to choose by circumstance, prioritize the many over the few, even if the few includes those a Jedi loves.

In the opening scenes of "Jedi Crash," Ahsoka saves Anakin's life by going back for him when he would otherwise have died in the explosion of Aayla's Venator, and she then contributes to saving a group of lives that were simultaneously on the line as Anakin's hung in the balance. The narrative doesn't criticize her decision to return for Anakin, as step one—"aim to save all lives"—is an option at the time and the correct path to take.

It is only when prioritizing Anakin's wellbeing would condemn many other people that the show, via Aayla, criticizes Ahsoka's choices. After Ahsoka rescues an injured Anakin, she doesn't want to leave his side to provide some of the help I mentioned in the above paragraph; she also doesn't want to divert power from Anakin's life support to the smaller ship the group is escaping on. Without that diverted power, the ship would have crashed into a star—and everyone aboard would have died. Because Ahsoka is simply an overwrought teenager and not actually evil or foolish, Aayla manages to talk sense into her and Ahsoka helps the ship avoid the star and land on an unidentified planet.

This is not her last brush with attachment in the episode; Ahsoka doesn’t wish to leave a still-injured Anakin behind—to be guarded by Rex—when Aayla orders the bulk of the group to search for assistance, even though Ahsoka staying with Anakin would rob the group of her skills at a time when they’re in serious need of help.

Aayla again gets through to Ahsoka, and they proceed to have their conversation about attachment while on the road; this conservation includes Aayla’s key line, "Don't lose a thousand lives just to save one."

How does a still-learning Ahsoka reply to this line? She says, in a doubtful tone, "Maybe, but that doesn't mean that I can't try to save his life."

Ahsoka, you’re right, that doesn’t mean you can’t try to save his life, but you’ve got to apply some parameters so you don’t condemn a bunch of other people instead—meaning you also need to listen to Aayla.

Crucially, we later see that by setting aside her obsessive worry for Anakin and taking "step two" as I outline it above ("if forced to choose by circumstance, prioritize the many over the few") on the planet the escape ship lands on, Ahsoka actually accomplishes "step one": everyone lives! Anakin survives—the one life—because they find a village that's home to a medic, and Ahsoka helps save their GAR contingent and the villagers (as of the next episode)—the thousand.

Ahsoka: "You were right all along, Master Secura." Aayla: "About what?" Ahsoka: "If I had stayed with Anakin, we probably wouldn't have found this village in time to save him [from his injuries]."

Season 6: The Morality of Sacrifice

Season six's "Sacrifice" (S6.13) isn’t overtly about attachment, but it provides a case study for the “save all lives whenever possible including people you personally care about” model laid out by "Jedi Crash" without belaboring the point. By which I mean, there’s no heavy-handed dialogue.

Like the season two episode I analyzed in my first meta post, “Sacrifice” is saying three things at once, but unlike in “Lightsaber Lost,” these narrative strands are closely intertwined.

The literal plot: Yoda faces and passes a test so he can learn to be a force ghost.

The dramatically ironic metaphor: the time of the Jedi in a galaxy far, far away and in the galaxy we call home is drawing to a close (one week after The Clone Wars’ fifth season ended in March 2013, Lucasfilm announced the show was being cancelled; the show's sixth and then-final season was released in March 2014).

The morality tale for all ages, but particularly older audiences: We can’t control the advent of certain painful and inevitable endings, but we can control how we respond to them. The choices we make, the way we live, even the way we die—they matter. (Anakin is going to fall.) (And someday, Anakin is also going to return to the light.)

I will only be analyzing small portions of the first and third points, but wanted to lay out all three, if simply to show just how much this remarkable episode has to say.

“Sacrifice” concludes a three-part arc in which Yoda must pass a series of tests proving him ready to learn the secrets of Jedi-style immortality from the deceased Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who says he lives on, ghost-like, as part of the living force. "Sacrifice" contains Yoda’s final and most dangerous test.

In the episode’s climactic scene, Yoda faces the cloaked master Sith in a vision, and believes he has a chance to either discover Sidious’ true identity (i.e., that he’s Palpatine) or defeat him and thus help end the war for the good of the galaxy. He can’t do so, however, while also focusing on keeping a now-unconscious Anakin from falling to his death. If Yoda prioritizes Anakin’s life in this moment—by taking the time and energy to place him somewhere safe—instead of immediately pursuing Sidious, does that mean Yoda is attached to Anakin? Or is saving Anakin’s life part of an ethical path forward Yoda must discover? Let’s find out as we face Yoda’s test alongside him!

Long stretches of this episode have little or no dialogue, and understanding “Sacrifice” often depends on interpreting characters’ facial expressions and actions, and analyzing symbolism. This makes the episode hard to summarize, and the act of summarizing risks becoming an act of interpretation. As I want us all to start on the same footing, I’m going to provide direct quotes from the canon starwars.com summary alongside screencaps, rather than write an overview myself. I also just like the official summary: it’s very evocative, and likely draws from the script.

Summary

In this episode, Yoda travels to the "Valley of the Dark Lords" on the abandoned Sith world of Moraband. He tussles with some Sith spirits, and then…

'In the dark tomb on Moraband, Yoda enters a large chamber where the ancient Sith would sacrifice Jedi. The five Priestesses emerge before him and warn Yoda that the next trial is not of their doing — it is instead created from the absolute darkness of this place, and it is not under their control.'

'On Coruscant, in a ceremonial chamber lined with statues, Sidious leads Dooku to a sacrificial altar basin. Sidious knows that Yoda is on Moraband. The Dark Lord explains that the strong Force-bond between Yoda and Dooku can be exploited to reach out through a ripple in the Force. 'Producing a knife, Sidious cuts Dooku's hand, allowing a single drop of blood to fall into the water-filled basin. He and Dooku together zap the water with their Force lightning, while Sidious recites an ancient Sith incantation in the Balc tongue. Sidious dips his face toward the basin. He now wields the power of dark illusion, and will lead Yoda into a trap.'

'In the Moraband execution chamber, Yoda sees the withered form of Sifo-Dyas chained by lightning shackles to stone pillars. He begs to be released, offering in exchange the identity of the Sith Lord. Sifo-Dyas' mad eyes shine red and yellow. Yoda refuses the offer. Sifo-Dyas suddenly transforms into a cackling Sidious, and Yoda is surrounded by chains of energy. 'The Jedi Master suddenly awakens in the hold of a gunship, flanked by clone troopers of the 501st and Anakin Skywalker. Yoda is disoriented; he is in the midst of a mission. Anakin explains that a rogue shuttle slipped past the Coruscant security grid, and has been tracked to the industrial sector.'

Summary of the summary: They believe Dooku is on the shuttle, and traveling to meet the Sith Master. At last they can discover who is behind the war! Yoda orders the 501st to pursue, and they follow the shuttle to an abandoned building in a Coruscant industrial district. ‘The Sith must not be allowed to escape. They must be executed.’ Anakin duels Dooku while Yoda pursues Sidious. Anakin ends up injuring and then beheading Dooku, just as he will in the future.

I'm now going to flip the order of the screenshots (plus the one gif I could find) and the quotes from the official summary as we take a detailed walk through the episode's climactic sequence. Putting them in this order really adds an element of dread.

'Sidious flees to a catwalk extending from the tower, and Yoda gives chase. The Dark Lord lights his blade, the two Masters engage in a whirling duel. Anakin rushes out to help Yoda, but runs headlong into a Force grip wielded by Sidious.'

'Sidious blasts Anakin with Force lightning, sending the young Jedi crashing to the catwalk in a heap.'

'He then blasts Yoda, who blocks the lightning with the Force. The discharge of energy rattles the catwalk.'

'Sidious uses his lightsaber to cut the support beams of the catwalk.'

'The structure starts to collapse.'

'As it cants forward, Anakin's unconscious body slides towards a deadly fall.'

'Yoda halts his pursuit of the Dark Lord to catch Anakin with the Force.'

'Sidious cackles at Yoda's predicament. Sidious tells Yoda to let Anakin fall, and thus thwart all of the Dark Lord's plans. Yoda refuses.'

Palpatine: "Can you save him? Why not let him go? Let him die, and you can stop all that I will do."

Close Reading and Analysis

Palpatine taunts Yoda with the choice before him—though it isn't a true choice, of course. This is a vision controlled by a Sith, and Palpatine’s goal as the vision’s mastermind is to weaken Yoda by undermining his moral code and drawing him to the dark side. Regardless, the vision feels real to Yoda, and he’s been presented with two options: save Anakin, or let Anakin die so he can “stop all that [Palpatine] will do.”

The choice serves two storytelling purposes: as presented by Palpatine, it represents temptation and a test for Yoda, while the broader narrative presents it as a teachable moment for the audience. Is it right to prioritize the life of a single person in this moment, when Yoda thinks there’s a chance he could stop the Sith?

Yoda: "No! Sacrifice all I am ready to do. The future is not yours yet. Tempted I will not be."

We get our answer when Yoda says “No!” and lets himself be hit by Palpatine’s force lightning without defending himself, so he can instead focus on moving Anakin to safety; only when Anakin is safe does Yoda go after Palpatine.

When Palpatine taunts Yoda about the choice he needs to make, he actually establishes a false dilemma, “an informal fallacy based on a premise that erroneously limits what options are available." Yoda begins to pass his test by finding a third way forward. He has one other good and just path left open to him, and he takes it—and the path proves difficult indeed.

'Yoda hurls his lightsaber at the remaining struts of the catwalk, collapsing it, sending he and Sidious tumbling to their certain doom. Yoda grapples with Sidious as they fall, the Dark Lord cackling all the while.'

This third path allows Yoda to first save Anakin—in a matter of seconds—and then pursue the Sith, but the circumstances of his showdown with Palpatine are now more dangerous than they might otherwise have been, given that in the leadup, Yoda took a full blast of Force lightening without attempting to block it, and the catwalk sustained further structural damage.

My post’s introduction covers Yoda’s choices in broad strokes: “The Jedi are not in the business of sacrificing lives. Not the few, not the one, even for the many. Not if there is any other good and just path left open to them.”

There are still nuances to unpack, however, so let’s turn to a crucial moment of dialogue from the episode:

Palpatine: "Can you save him? Why not let him go? Let him die, and you can stop all that I will do." Yoda: "No! Sacrifice all I am ready to do. The future is not yours yet. Tempted I will not be."

I want to touch on one part of this exchange: The writers chose to have Yoda say he is ready to sacrifice “all” when we’ve established he is quite unwilling to sacrifice Anakin.

This dialogue suggests Yoda has set firm limits around the concept and ethics of sacrifice. He is both willing to sacrifice whatever meets his definition of “all” and clear Anakin isn't part of this “all”—given that he almost literally holds Anakin’s life in his hands during this scene and could therefore easily sacrifice Anakin. Instead, Yoda chooses to focus on keeping Anakin from falling.

So how does Yoda define “all”? Heartbreakingly, he exemplifies another point I made earlier: “… the only life a Jedi is truly prepared to sacrifice is their own.” This episode signals over and over again that it is about both sacrifice and choice—and the ethics thereof. Yoda can make the choice to sacrifice himself to defeat the Sith, but it would be unethical and un-Jedi to sacrifice Anakin, a young person in his care, and yes, someone he personally cares about.

This means it isn’t a sign of attachment that Yoda takes the time to save Anakin. It is instead a sign of boundless love, generosity, and sacrifice. It is the action of a true Jedi.

Even the Sith Master himself confirms this when he leaves the vision and says to Dooku, "We have failed to break Master Yoda. He is strong. We will need more time if we are to defeat him and the Jedi."

I have to take a moment to note one of the great uses of symbolism in this episode: Palpatine engineers Anakin's literal fall that Yoda protects him from in the previous sequence, and it presages Anakin’s later fall to the dark side. Except Anakin will of course go on to make choices that are meaningfully the opposite of Yoda’s when Palpatine tempts Anakin and presents him with a false dilemma in Revenge of the Sith.

Conclusion

And with that note, it’s time to start wrapping up this very long post. Ultimately, there are three key things I really like about the way “Jedi Crash” and “Sacrifice” present the Jedi’s beliefs about attachment: they canonically and clearly make space for Jedi to have warm, healthy personal relationships, and go so far as to say it would be a dark act for Yoda to sacrifice Anakin; they counter some of fandom’s most cruel headcanons about Yoda (I’m not getting into that here); and they provide a useful framework to evaluate Anakin’s choices in Revenge of the Sith.

In the film, Anakin had a third and more difficult path available to him that he chose not to take. Rather than choosing between Padme’s survival or the Jedi and the Republic—the two sides of his false dilemma—he should have tried to simultaneously save Padme’s life, the Jedi Order, and democracy.

Given that Anakin himself is responsible for Padme’s death and the fall of the temple, his choices have enough impact on key events to determine whether or not this third path results in a brighter future—one where many more people survive, Padme and at least some Jedi among them. This third path, this brighter future, must be in reach from a narrative standpoint for Anakin’s test to be a true one. But while Yoda and Luke pass similar tests (Luke a few decades in the future), Anakin fails his, and so Padme, the Jedi, and democracy die—due in part to Anakin’s inability to master the nuanced beliefs about attachment and self-sacrifice laid out by “Jedi Crash” and “Sacrifice.” Side note: Jedi first aim to save as many lives as possible, and so no true Jedi would have argued against saving Padme’s life regardless of her relationship with Anakin.

Back to "Sacrifice," as Yoda awakens from his Sith-led vision...

'The serene Priestess welcomes him. He has passed this challenge... As the Priestess disappears in a glow of light, Yoda sees the future, including the moment of his death and his own last words. '... soon, Yoda stands beneath the great tree at the Jedi Temple. Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi approach Yoda, so he can report to the Jedi Council. But Yoda cannot say much of his journey. He senses the war's end approaching, and knows there is no victory to be had in the Clone Wars. But another path to victory lies ahead for the Jedi, a path that is unknown to the Sith.'

At this point perhaps a year before the genocide of the Jedi, Master Yoda's learning-to-become-a-ghost journey and a vision of his death — "There is another Skywalker" — combine to give him good reason to believe some hope remains for at least a few Jedi and their allies.

Here's what Yoda says to Mace and Obi-Wan, and it's crucial that they're the only other characters in this scene: “Yes, open to us a path remains that unknown to the Sith is. Through this path, victory we may yet find. Not victory in the Clone Wars, but victory for all time.”

These three Jedi, the leaders of their people, can choose a narrow, barely there third path on behalf of the Order, and they must take it — no matter how agonizing it proves to be. No matter how much they must sacrifice to walk it. (And in the meantime, they’re not shirking other major duties: they’re still fighting for the best possible present and future for the Order and the galaxy, still leading the Clone Wars and trying to find out Sidious’ identity.)

As the episode “Sacrifice” draws to a close, it visually highlights a three-petaled flower that symbolically blooms as a sign of new hope for the Jedi who will soon travel this third path. Each petal represents one of the Skywalkers who will finally see the Sith defeated and democracy restored to the galaxy: Leia, Luke, and Anakin/Vader, in the moments he returns to the light.

They will one day anchor the end of the pathway, each connected to the others (through biological and sometimes chosen relationships) as the petals are connected in the flower, and that’s plenty of symbolism to be getting on with, but then! The flower ends up being an even stronger sign of hope and connection, as the three petals are also a metaphor for Yoda, Mace and Obi-Wan.

These three Jedi anchor the beginning of the pathway with hope clutched in their hands, each connected to the others by shared culture, shared experiences, friendship, and respect. And in the final days of the war and during Order 66, they go a step beyond connected: they are united by the bravery they each demonstrate, the sacrifices they each make, and the impact they each have on the galaxy.

And so, this lovely episode closes on a scene of sacrifice, hope, and human connection.

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