The impact that Star Wars: The Clone Wars has had on the Star Wars canon cannot get overstated. Not only did the show bring so many excellent original characters and ideas to screen, but it elevates many other aspects of Star Wars, not least of all the prequels. Certain prequel scenes in particular benefit hugely from a Clone Wars watchthrough.
These scenes could have gotten improved by a character's motivations being made more transparent or by giving direct backstory to what is happening, or even by showing the aftermath of the sequence. Either way, there are plenty made better by the show.
When Yoda Tells Obi-Wan He Must Train Under Qui-Gon Again
A surprising moment at the end of Revenge Of The Sith sees Yoda tell Obi-Wan he must commune with Qui-Gon, this being so Obi-Wan can learn the secret to live on in the Force after death. The Clone Wars gives a lot more context to it.
In season 6 of the show, Yoda goes on his journey in the Force and gets aided by the voice and spirit of Qui-Gon. It gets revealed that Qui-Gon learned how to live on after death but never completed his training. What Yoda tells Obi-Wan makes total sense after watching the animated series and also gets fans excited for the prospect of seeing Obi-Wan go on his own Yoda-esque journey in his Disney+ show and team up with his old Master once more.
When Anakin Returns To Padmé On Coruscant
When Anakin returns to Coruscant at the start of Revenge Of The Sith, he gets greeted by his wife, to whom he mentions that he thought the Outer Rim Sieges would never end. The Bad Batch and Siege of Mandalore arcs expand on this moment.
The Bad Batch arc especially does a fantastic job of adding substance to the moment as it sees Anakin and the Republic struggling with the sieges. Anakin gets forced to sneakily communicate with Padmé through hologram calls at set times. His relief when he hugs his wife feels far more substantial when it becomes easier to understand the distance they had from one another.
When The Jedi Ask Anakin To Spy On The Chancellor
The Jedi High Council allows Anakin a seat amongst them but does not grant him the rank of Master and instead asks him to spy on the Chancellor, which was close to a breaking point for him.
The Clone Wars showcases just how often the Jedi Council does things to make them untrustworthy in the eyes of Anakin and how often the Chancellor is there as a friend to the young Jedi. Some may see this as a simple yet frustrating task getting asked of Anakin, but The Clone Wars helps audiences see that it is, in fact, almost offensive and is as if they are using Anakin by doing so.
When Jango Fett Dies
The death of Jango Fett helped add a bit of tragic backstory to the character of Boba Fett, but The Clone Wars details how badly he took it and how desperate he became for revenge against Mace Windu.
The show sees Boba on the hunt for Windu, attempting to assassinate him multiple times with the help of fellow bounty hunters, including Aurra Sing and Bossk. The series also shows that Boba has a bit of a moral compass and does not just want to kill everything in his path, which helps make audiences feel even worse for him when his father, whom he adores, is beheaded by the Jedi Master.
When Obi-Wan And Anakin Rescue The Chancellor
One of Star Wars' best action sequences and opening scenes is the Battle of Coruscant that sees Anakin and Obi-Wan navigate through the battle-ridden space above Coruscant to try and rescue the Chancellor from General Grievous.
While The Clone Wars does not spend too much time improving this sequence, it does not need to. Season 7 sees the exact moment Anakin gets called to the battle, which happens to be the last time he ever sees Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex (as Anakin, that is). Watching the film's opening after the Siege of Mandalore gives it a new kind of weight and dread.
When Qui-Gon And Obi-Wan Fight Darth Maul
The Star Wars fandom still debates which is the best lightsaber battle in the saga, and the Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Maul fight is a top contender. It is an epic duel between three exceptional characters, made even better by Star Wars' animated shows.
There are two ways in which The Clone Wars accomplishes this. For one, the show showcases a lot of Obi-Wan's almost insecurities about training Anakin, not wanting to fail him or his Master, while also touching on the concept of Anakin being the Chosen One like Qui-Gon had predicted. Further, while The Phantom Menace seems to be the end of Maul and Obi-Wan's incredible rivalry, it turns out to be only the beginning. Knowing their history and the hell they put one another through over their lives makes their brief one-on-one and Obi-Wan's victory all the more powerful.
When Palpatine Lures Anakin
This is not one moment, but rather multiple — particularly in Revenge Of The Sith, as Palpatine's ultimate plans for the Jedi are almost ready — but all of those moments are improved by the background that The Clone Wars establishes.
While Anakin's trust in Palpatine over the Jedi Council may seem disproportionate in the prequel trilogy, The Clone Wars makes it totally understandable. Audiences see the Jedi betray the trust of Anakin time and time again, with Palpatine almost always there to tell him how great he is and how he deserves better.
When Anakin Betrays Mace Windu And The Jedi
A similar moment to all the times Palpatine attempts to seduce Anakin is when he finally succeeds, and Anakin falls to the Dark Side of the Force by betraying Mace Windu and siding with Palpatine.
The Clone Wars makes sure to make Windu even more unlikable and showcase more tension between him and Anakin, as well as showing the lack of trust the Council has for Anakin. On top of all that, though, The Clone Wars shows Anakin slowly becoming more and more susceptible to his darker tendencies, such as when he kills Admiral Trench in season 7. The show does a fantastic job at making Anakin's motivations more understandable, and the fall makes more sense, one of the many reasons it is a must-see for prequel fans.
When Obi-Wan And Anakin Duel
A highlight of both the prequel trilogy and The Clone Wars is the relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan, two of Star Wars' best characters and the best duo of the Star Wars prequel era overall.
The show really dives into their differences and overall relationship. Obi-Wan gets shown to know about Padmé while also struggling with the weight of being Anakin's Master. Then, Anakin, at times, loses trust in Obi-Wan. All-in-all, the two get shown to be brothers. As a result, the Battle of the Heroes is made even more painful for viewers. It was already a heartbreaking sequence, but the more fans get to know the two as a pairing, the harder it gets.
Order 66
One of the best things The Clone Wars gives to the canon is more story, background, and life to the prequel era characters who did not have any lines or important, prominent roles to play, particularly the Jedi and clones. As a result, Order 66 becomes entirely more painful.
The likes of Plo Koon become so beloved, while the clones receive so much attention in the show that every single one of their deaths hurt fans. Spending seven seasons with these characters, learning about them, falling in love with them, and then watching them die/watching them kill in such a brutal, cruel fashion is so emotionally affecting. On top of getting more invested in the characters, the Siege of Mandalore also presents an alternate view of Order 66, which fulfills the same job of shattering the hearts of fans.