Star Wars: The Clone Wars was the last piece of Star Wars media with George Lucas' direct involvement. While it had a rough start, things turned around by the third season. It quickly took its place as one of the better Star Wars continuations, and garnered a lot of love from fans and newcomers alike. The final televised season premiered a mere month before the announcement of the Disney buyout, and the series was cancelled shortly thereafter. While it did get a final season on Netflix, the show had been planned to run for another season or two beyond that. There were a lot of plot threads left unaddressed, although some would later be resolved in comics, novels, and Rebels, the next animated series.
Fans were disappointed that they would never see some promised concepts, like the Bad Batch and the Siege of Mandalore. Rebels had been disappointing for some, and Resistance didn't look to be much better. Then, came San Diego Comic-Con International 2018; specifically, the Star Wars Animation panel. A trailer focused on -- could it be -- clone trooper helmets? Clone war machines then showed up; and then, just when we all were too scared to dream: Anakin Skywalker, Captain Rex, "Binary Sunset" swelling in the background. THE CLONE WARS! Then we see Ahsoka again and it's time to pop the champagne and celebrate. The Clone Wars is back and everything is looking just a bit sunnier. It's also the perfect time for a bit of a retrospective on the series, looking at the toughest, baddest, and most dangerous characters in The Clone Wars.
25 HONDO OHNAKA
Hondo Ohnaka is one of the many recurring antagonists of The Clone Wars, and one of the more popular characters. He even survived the series and made it clear through to Rebels. While obviously not the most physically powerful or bloodthirsty character in the series, he's immensely clever.
He outwits multiple characters across the series, including Ahsoka, Anakin, and even Obi-Wan. He might not be able to take anyone else on this list in a fight, but there's something to be said for always getting out of any situation, no matter how dire.
24 AURRA SING
Aurra Sing was first seen way back in The Phantom Menace as a background character at the podrace on Tatooine. She would later be developed in multiple Expanded Universe comics, detailing her as a former Jedi apprentice who betrayed her master and the Jedi Order to become a bounty hunter.
In The Clone Wars, she's no longer a Jedi apprentice, but she's still a bounty hunter, and one of the most dangerous ones. She aids Boba Fett in his quest for revenge against Mace Windu, and is central to his formative years as a bounty hunter.
23 ECHO
One of the focus clone characters of The Clone Wars, Echo is one of the key figures at the Battle of Kamino, and the unfinished Bad Batch arc. His survival of the attack on the Rishi moon led to him being recruited into the elite 501st Legion, Anakin Skywalker's personal command. Due to his actions on Kamino, he is promoted to ARC Trooper, the elite commandos of the clone army.
The leader of the Bad Batch, Hunter appears in the Season 7 trailer. This provoked a lot of speculation that the Bad Batch arc would be fully animated, seeing the return of Echo and his heroism at the Battle of Anaxes.
22 FIVES
Another survivor of the attack on the Rishi moon, Fives and Echo are birds of a feather. First joining the 501st Legion, and later being promoted to ARC Trooper, Fives became one of the top troopers in the 501st.
But more than his skill in combat, it was his knowledge that made Fives dangerous. He discovered the conspiracy behind Order 66, Darth Sidious' ultimate plan to annihilate the Jedi. Although he failed to warn the Jedi and stop the Jedi Purge, he did save a few of his clone brothers, notably Captain Rex, from executing the Jedi by making them aware of the conspiracy.
21 WILHUFF TARKIN
Tarkin is one of the most feared villains in Star Wars. Going all the way back to A New Hope, his skeletal face and commanding demeanor, even to the point of commanding Darth Vader, immediately cemented him as a classic. In The Clone Wars, he's a bit younger, a bit hungrier, and not quite a villain yet.
He has a brilliant tactical mind, able to hold his own with Jedi commanders. But his ambition is what makes him truly dangerous. His distaste for the Jedi and loyalty to Palpatine led to him leading the charge to expel Ahsoka Tano from the Order, and of course he would eventually become one of the most powerful men in the Empire.
20 BO-KATAN
Bo-Katan Kryze is a Mandalorian, sister to the Duchess Satine, second in command of the Death Watch, and later the leader of the Mandalorains. In The Clone Wars, she's one of the more dangerous Mandalorians, holding her own against Ahsoka Tano.
When Darth Maul conquered the Mandalorian clans and Mandalore, Bo-Katan chose to rebel against Maul, leading loyal Mandalorians in a civil war against him. She will appear in Season 7 alongside Ahsoka in the Siege of Mandalore, the planned finale of the series.
19 REX
Rex is the "main" clone of The Clone Wars. He acts as the second-in-command of the 501st Legion, under Anakin Skywalker. As a clone, he is a skilled combatant, with a programmed head for tactics. He also inspires the loyalty of the clone following him.
He's no slouch in a fight, either, packing dual blasters and the various advantages clone trooper armor brings. As a clone commander, he also has greater experience and training than his rank and file brothers.
18 AHSOKA TANO
It might be a bit controversial to put Force users below non-Force users, and one of the main characters of the series so low, but who's going to stop us (besides our editors)? Ahsoka Tano is Anakin's Jedi Padawan, and one of the main characters of The Clone Wars.
A reasonably skilled Jedi, her lack of experience often gets her in trouble she can't handle more often than not. She eventually grows into a talented not-exactly-a-Jedi in Rebels, but in The Clone Wars, she's still lower on the totem pole.
17 BARRISS OFFEE
Ahsoka's fellow Padawan, Barriss Offee fought alongside her master, Luminara Unduli, in the Clone Wars. She was present for the first Battle of Geonosis, and several subsequent major engagements. She distinguished herself in all these conflicts.
Unfortunately, she would later fall to the dark side, bombing the Jedi Temple and framing Ahsoka in order to protest the Jedi's involvement in the war. She nearly killed Ahsoka, and did alright against Anakin, although Anakin easily overpowered her. As with most characters on the bottom end of this list, it's less her physical prowess and more her crafty schemes that make her dangerous.
16 PRE VISZLA
Pre Viszla, another Mandalorian, is the leader of the Death Watch. He leads a more traditionalist sect of the Mandalorians in an attempt to overthrow the pacifistic Duchess Satine. His main claim to fame is an ancient lightsaber, the Darksaber, symbol of his rule over the Death Watch.
Viszla was a skilled warrior, and his skills with the Darksaber rivaled many of the Force users who will appear later on this list. He held his own against Obi-Wan Kenobi, and nearly managed to defeat Darth Maul.
15 GENERAL GRIEVOUS
General Grievous is the cyborg commander of the Confederacy of Independent Systems' droid army. He was first seen in the original Clone Wars animated series by Genndy Tartakovsky, and he would go on to appear in Revenge of the Sith.
His The Clone Wars personality was more akin to the tricky, cunning characterization of Revenge, rather than the terrifying engine of destruction of his first appearance. Even still, he was still a hugely deadly opponent to all but the most skilled Jedi.
14 CAD BANE
Cad Bane is probably the most dangerous non-Force user in The Clone Wars. He's got a wide array of weaponry, he's cunning as all heck, and most of all, he's smart. In fact, he's smart enough to run circles around the Jedi, outwitting Anakin Skywalker multiple times throughout the war.
His rocket boots allow him to keep up with a Jedi's leaps, his breathing tubes allow him to survive being Force choked, and his flamethrower can't be deflected by a lightsaber. Plus he's got a really cool hat.
13 PLO KOON
Plo Koon is by far one of the coolest looking aliens to ever grace Star Wars. Is that like a breathing mask or something? And he's got that weird head too, what's going on there? Anyway, Plo Koon is the first Jedi Master to grace our list, and one of the Jedi Council.
As such, he's a powerful Jedi, and widely acclaimed as one of the best pilots in the Order. He also served as an early tutor for Ahsoka, bringing her into the Order as a toddler, and helping to raise her.
12 KIT FISTO
Kit Fisto is another Jedi Master and member of the Jedi Council, and is right there with Plo Koon in the "cool alien" category. Like Plo Koon, he fought in and survived the first Battle of Geonosis.
His greatest feat in the Clone Wars was likely fighting and nearly defeating General Grievous, driving him off after defeating him in a lightsaber battle. While not a Clone Wars event, he also managed to survive slightly longer against Darth Sidious in Revenge of the Sith.
11 SAVAGE OPRESS
Savage Opress has the absolute funniest name in Star Wars. But he's also a powerful Iridonian warrior on top of his silly name. The brother of Darth Maul, Savage was gifted with incredible strength by Mother Talzin, leader of the Nightsisters of Dathomir.
While's got a lot of raw physical strength and Force power, enough to hold his own against both Anakin and Obi-Wan, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. He's also more of a follower, first serving Dooku, then later his brother Maul, with little ambition of his own.
10 ASAJJ VENTRESS
Asajj Ventress, like Savage, Maul, and Talzin, is a native of the planet Dathomir. She has prodigious natural Force talent, honed further by Count Dooku's teaching. Able to stand on even ground with Dooku, Obi-Wan, and Anakin, she is easily one of the more dangerous commanders of the Confederacy.
Like Savage, however, she is more of a follower than a leader. When she is betrayed by Dooku on Sidious' orders, she returns to Dathomir, and later becomes a bounty hunter.
9 MAUL
Darth Maul captured the hearts and minds of kids everywhere in The Phantom Menace, where he met an ignominious end. He made his triumphant (canon) return in The Clone Wars, complete with a new cybernetic lower half.
A powerful Sith Lord before his "death," he only grew stronger as time went on. He crafted a large criminal empire, and as of Solo, seems to be one of the main crime lords in the galaxy. He's also set to appear in The Clone Wars Season 7, in the Siege of Mandalore finale arc.
8 OBI-WAN KENOBI
Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the all time classic Star Wars heroes. A skilled Jedi, he's able to face, and often overcome, any number of threats. His repeated clashes with General Grievous in The Clone Wars usually end up with Kenobi on top.
He also overcomes Maul multiple times, although he never quite comes close to the finality of their dual on Naboo, at least not in Clone Wars. He would later join the Jedi Council, and take his place as one of the greatest Jedi in the Order.
7 COUNT DOOKU
Count Dooku is the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. A former Jedi, Dooku is an incredibly skilled duelist, able to easily overcome all but the most skilled Jedi with a lightsaber alone.
On top of that, he's also the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus, and has access to powerful dark side Force powers, rivaling Yoda and Darth Sidious for power. Although he serves Sidious, he has grand ambitions of his own, fitting for a Sith, and commands the vast droid army of the Confederacy.
6 MOTHER TALZIN
Mother Talzin is the leader of a powerful cult of Force users, the Nightsisters of Dathomir. Her Force abilities are far different from those of the Jedi or Sith, more closely resembling sorcery and outright magic than the usual telekinesis and lightning usually on display.
Talzin is immensely dangerous, threatening Dooku, the Jedi, and even Darth Sidious himself. She could even possess and torment other powerful Force users from across the galaxy. Her incredibly power was limited to Dathomir, however.