Top Ten Coolest Clones in The Clone Wars

Top Ten Coolest Clones from The Clone Wars TV Series

The Clone Wars is coming back on Friday!  In anticipation, let’s give a little love to the clones.  Everyone loves Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan, but are we forgetting who the real stars of the show are?  It is called The Clone Wars, not The Jedi Wars.  We have had plenty of clone-centric episodes in this series, and many of the clones have stood out and become fan favorites themselves.
Warning: This post does contain spoilers including certain character deaths from The Clone Wars TV series.

10. 99

The clone known as 99 was thought to be defective and was regulated to maintenance work on Kamino.  While he was there, he became familiar with the members of Domino Squad and even talked Hevy out of leaving the Grand Army of the Republic.  When push came to shove, 99 showed that he was more valuable than anyone thought he could be.  When Kamino was attacked, 99 used his knowledge of the armory to help the other clones stay equipped throughout the battle.  Giving his life in the defense of Kamino, 99 gained the respect of the other clones he fought beside.
What sets him apart? Considered a “bad batcher”, 99 looked very different compared to the other clones.  He stood much shorter, was hunched over, and appeared to have aged further.
What episodes is he in? You can see 99 in the Season 3 episodes “Clone Cadets” and “Arc Troopers”.

9. Boba Fett

This one may come as a bit of a surprise, but Boba was as much a clone as any of the others.  In The Clone Wars we get to see him post watching his father die and pre bounty hunter in armor.  He was basically a kid who had a lot of pent up anger toward the Jedi, specifically Mace Windu.  In the show he pretended he was a clone cadet to get close to Windu to try and kill him.  His plan (Or was it Aurra Sing’s plan?) eventually failed and he was captured.  I have a feeling he won’t be in prison too long, and we will see a return of Boba Fett.  Is he still too young to fit into that armor?
What sets him apart? Boba Fett was still young so he looked like the young clone cadets much more than the older troopers.  He was distinctive because of his longer hair, looking much like he did in Attack of the Clones.
What episodes is he in? You can see Boba Fett in the Season 2 episodes “Death Trap”, “R2 Come Home”, and “Lethal Trackdown”.

8. Cut Lawquane

With an army as big as the clone army there are bound to be deserters.  Cut Lawquane deserted shortly after the Battle of Geonosis when a transport he was on was shot down.  He soon married and settled down, but it wasn’t long until the war found him again.  While on a mission to track down General Grievous, Captain Rex was severely injured.  The other clones brought Rex to a local farm to recover and it just happened to be Lawquane’s farm.  Rex initially saw Cut as a coward but soon learned that Cut’s choice to leave the army was a choice to not kill for a living.  This opened questions in Rex’s mind about loyalty and free will, themes that have been revisited in the current season.  Rex and Cut eventually had to fight along-side of each other to repel an attack on the farm.  Having a new-found respect for Cut, Rex decided not to report him as a deserter and let him live in peace with his family.
What sets him apart? Cut Lawquane no longer wore the armor of a clone which made him very distinctive.  He also had a receding hairline and longer, reddish hair.
What episodes is he in? You can see Cut Lawquane in the Season 2 episode “Deserter”.

7. Hevy

The Clone Wars has introduced us to many clones, but no group of clones stand out more than Domino Squad.  Season 1 episode “Rookies” was a fan favorite and introduced us to the squad of rookie clones who had been stationed at a listening post on the Rishi moon.  Hevy was the aggressive clone of the group and loved big weapons.  When an invading fleet came and the listening post was attacked by Separatist commando droids the clones were forced to escape their post.  In their attempt to reclaim the station Hevy was trapped inside.  He decided to sacrifice himself and destroy the station, destroying the invading droids as well as getting the attention of the Republic.  The other clones in the squad like Echo and Fives may have gone on to great things, but it was Hevy who allowed for them to escape the moon alive.  Oh, and Rex and Cody were there too, so he pretty much saved their lives as well.
What sets him apart? Hevy was on his first off-world assignment so he hadn’t done any customizing of his armor yet.  He still had the basic Jango Fett haircut but did sport a couple tattoos that came from either side of the back of his neck and ended at his cheekbones.
What episodes is he in? Hevy was in the Season 1 episode “Rookies” and the Season 3 prequel episode “Clone Cadets”.

6. Waxer

There are some moments in The Clone Wars that remind us that the clones are more than warriors, they are also human and have emotions.  More than one of those moments included the clone, Waxer.  Waxer along with his buddy Boil were a part of Ghost Company under the command of Obi-Wan Kenobi during the liberation of the planet of Ryloth.  When they were separated from the other clones they ran into an orphan Twilek girl named Numa.  Boil wanted to leave her behind, but Waxer had compassion on the girl and did not want her to be killed by the droids.  Because of his kindness, Numa helped the clones find hidden, secret passages which led to the success of the mission on Ryloth.  Waxer and Boil also were present at a battle on Geonosis where Kenobi’s transport was shot down, they fearlessly ran across the battlefield without cover to bring Kenobi back to safety.  Sadly, Waxer had one of the most tragic deaths ever depicted on The Clone Wars. During the events on Umbara, because of treachery by a fallen Jedi, the clones were tricked into firing on each other.  Waxer was mortally wounded.  Upon learning that he had possibly killed some of his brothers, he shed a tear as he died.  I may have shed a tear too.  Ok, I did.
What sets him apart? Waxer had a completely shaved head with a bit of hair beneath his lower lip.  He kept track of his droid kills with markings on his helmet and shoulder guard.  He also added a cartoon illustration of Numa on his helmet to honor her.
What episodes is he in? Waxer’s major appearances are in the Season 1 episode “Innocents of Ryloth”, the Season 2 episode “Landing at Point Rain”, and the Season 4 episode “Carnage of Krell”.

5. Echo

Echo and Fives were the only two members of Domino Squad to survive the events at the Rishi moon (see #7).  After the listening station was destroyed, the two clones were inducted into the 501^st Legion.  Eventually, they were both involved in the defense of the planet Kamino (see #10) and because of their actions there they we made ARC troopers (becoming an ARC trooper meant you got the cool armor).  We had been following these clones since Season 1 and it was great to see them get to this level.  Then, The Citadel story arc came, and it was time for another Domino to fall.  Echo and Fives were both part of a team sent to the Citadel prison to free Jedi Master Even Piell and Captain Tarkin.  When trying to escape the prison, the group was pinned down by heavy fire from a laser canon.  Echo tried to make a run for the shuttle to give the group a chance for escape, but the shuttle was destroyed killing Echo in the process.  Many fans were not happy to see Echo go out this way, as he had become a fan favorite.  I guess not all clones can die in a heroic fashion. Here is what Dave Filoni had to say about it.
What sets him apart? Echo didn’t show his individuality with tattoos or a haircut.  His armor did have a unique marking, a hand print in rishi eel blood given to him by Captain Rex while they were on the Rishi moon.  This may be my favorite clone armor marking.
What episodes is he in? Echo can be seen in the Season 1 episode “Rookies” and the Season 3 episodes “Clone Cadets”, “ARC Troopers”, “The Citadel”, and “Counterattack”.

4. Hardcase

Hardcase was a member of the 501^st Legion.  He was an aggressive clone who preferred a Z-6 rotary cannon to a normal blaster.  He claimed that he was hyperactive because there was a leak in his cloning tank.  Hardcase was part of the group of 501^st clones that went looking for General Grievous’s escape pod that landed on the planet Saleucami.  He was instrumental in making sure Captain Rex survived after being shot by sniper fire.  Later in the war, Hardcase was with the 501^st when they attacked the planet Umbara.  During the battle, along with clones Jesse and Fives, Hardcase disobeyed orders from Jedi General Krell and flew Umbaran starfighters up to destroy a Separatist supply ship.  The plan was to fly inside the ship and take out the main reactor a la little Anakin.  Once in the ship, Hardcase’s starfighter was damaged, and he ordered the other clones to fly to safety.  He manually ejected the missle tube from his fighter and maneuvered it into the reactor area.  Throwing the missile into the reactor, he said “Live to fight another day, boys.  Live to fight another day.”  The ship exploded, killing him, but allowing the rest of the 501^st to continue their attack on the capital city of Umbara.
What sets him apart? Hardcase had a shaved head and a tattoo that ran from the back of his head, over the top of his head, and over his right eye.  He also had a tattoo pattern on his chin.
What episodes is he in? You can see Hardcase in the Season 2 episode “The Deserter” and the Season 4 episodes “Darkness on Umbara”, “The General”, and “Plan of Dissent”.

3. Fives

Fives was the last surviving member of Domino Squad.  He was involved in the events at the Rishi moon and the defense of Kamino.  Because of his heroics on Kamino he, along with squad-mate Echo, was given ARC Trooper status.  As the war raged on, Fives was temporarily assigned to the 501^st to help with the attack on Umbara.  During this battle, the Jedi General Krell made numerous tactical blunders and Fives was the loudest voice in questioning his command.  Fives, along with clones Jesse and Hardcase, directly disobeyed orders from Krell, and even though their actions were successful, Fives and Jesse were to be executed as punishment.  The other clones did not carry out the execution though, and it was soon discovered that Fives was right about Krell the whole time.  The Jedi was under the influence of the Dark Side and was purposely sending the clones to their deaths.
What sets him apart? Fives wore the armor of the elite ARC Troopers and had a small “5” tattoo on the right side of his forehead.
What episodes is he in? Fives has been in 10 episodes of The Clone Wars so far, “Rookies” from Season 1, “Clone Cadets”, “ARC Troopers”, and the Citadel story arc from Season 3, and the Umbara/Krell story arc from Season 4.

2. Cody

Clone Commander Cody is one of the clones we knew very well before The Clone Wars show started.  He was in Revenge of the Sith and had appeared in novels and comics.  In The Clone Wars, he is the Clone Commander mostly seen with Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Cody was with Obi-Wan at the liberation of Ryloth, at Point Rain, tracking Grievous on Saleucami, and transporting Duchess Satine on the Coronet.  He was also with Captain Rex at the Rishi moon and at the defense of Kamino.  These are just a handful of adventures he has been a part of in The Clone Wars.  Cody was a loyal commander for Kenobi, but unfortunately his loyalty to the Republic and following orders meant more to him.  As we saw in Revenge of the Sith, when Order 66 went down Cody didn’t hesitate in shooting Kenobi in the back.
What sets him apart? Cody had customized armor with orange markings.  His visor and shoulder antenna were a couple things that made his armor unique.  He didn’t have tattoos or a special haircut but did have some scaring around his left eye.
What episodes is he in? If my count is correct, Cody has appeared in 19 episodes of The Clone Wars.  Some of his more memorable appearances were in the Season 1 episodes “Rookies” and  “The Hidden Enemy”, Season 2 episodes “Legacy of Terror” and “Voyage of Temptation”, the Season 3 Citadel story arc, and a whole bunch of others.

1. Rex

Without a doubt, Rex is the clone we’re supposed to root for in The Clone Wars.  He is almost as important a character as Obi-Wan, Anakin, or Ahsoka.  He is brave, loyal, heroic, compassionate, and, aside from the weird cat ears, he has pretty cool armor.  He has survived run-ins with Asajj Ventress, commando droids, a dark Jedi general, and even a rishi eel.  He is a dead-eye with a blaster and even survived a sniper shot to the chest.  He is a clone’s clone and is everything you could want in a hero character.  The most intriguing thing about Rex though is that we don’t know his fate.  Will he turn on the Jedi during Order 66?  Will he survive the war?  Will he stay true to his friends and refuse to follow Order 66 then start a life of his own?  My guess is we will find out in Season 7… or 8.
What sets him apart? Rex had extremely short cropped hair that is dyed blond.  His armor had markings in 501^st blue.  Some unique aspects of his armor are the pauldron on his left shoulder and the rangefinder on his helmet.  He preferred to carry twin DC-17 hand blasters.
What episodes is he in? Rex is in 40 episodes of The Clone Wars.  Most recently he was featured in the Season 4 Umbara/General Krell story arc.

Honorable Mentions

Keeli – Such a wasted clone design.  Keeli was a dual blaster wielding clone who went down fighting.
Gree –  Another Ep 3 clone. Gree had a double mohawk hair design and kicked Argyus’s butt.
Wolffe – Cybernetic eye, awesome scar, great armor design.
Boil – Waxer’s buddy. Sweet mustache.
Jesse – Most normal clone name. Best clone tattoo by far, the Republic cog tattooed across his face.

Who are your favorite clones?  Let us know in the comments below.

– Aaron Goins

References: StarWars.com, Wookieepedia

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