Kenobi v. Grevious

Revenge of the Sith

Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars animated micro-series, not to be confused with the George Lucas and Dave Filoni helmed The Clone Wars of 2008, (you know, the one with Snips), is part of the large library of Star Wars ‘legends’ material.

And for the most part, that’s a good thing. Tartakovsky’s animation style was beautifully unique but the stories at times stretched the lore to the edge of plausibility. It was often style over substance and so within the safe confines of legends is probably the right place to house the series.

However, one scene from Tartakovsky’s work stays with me and I remember the first time I watched it like it was merely yesterday. The series had the honour of presenting General Grevious to audiences for the first time and it was one of the most dramatic character introductions ever put to screen.

The year was 2004. Cartoon Network was the channel. I’d come home from school to watch the final episode of the second season. Six Jedi had found themselves surrounded by Super Battle Droids, led by General Grevious. The Jedi had hunkered down in the wreckage of a fallen starfighter. Grevious offers them a chance to surrender. The Jedi refuse the invitation. Mencacing mechanical footsteps follow.

Scruffy-haired Sha’A Gi loses his composure, runs out into the clearing and is flattened by Grevious, who lands into view. Drawing his lightsabers, the Jedi are sucked into a tussle with this monstrous cyborg. Grevious is terrifying – and unbeatable.

It’s an introduction which our canonical Kaleeshan General never quite lives up to.

The closest we get to the sheer terror of ‘legends’ Grevious is when Obi-Wan Kenobi gatecrashes his meeting with fellow Separatists. Kenobi says “hello there” to a quad saber wielding Grevious, advancing in an unrelenting fashion with all four blades spinning lethally.

It’s an epic moment, albeit a brief visual, and makes for #30 on the list.

Kenobi can’t fight Grevious in a conventional manner. This is the first time we see a non-force-sensitive take part in a lightsaber fight, and likely the first time that Kenobi has faced a four-armed opponent. As an audience, we’re learning on the fly with Obi-Wan.

Kenobi swiftly adapts, removing two of Grevious’ hands and forcing the General to attempt an escape.

But Kenobi’s not about to let him slip away for the second time in the movie. The fight eventually turns into a brawl, Kenobi’s on the back foot. He’s lost his lightsaber and is unsurprisingly losing the fist-fight.

But this is not Tartakovsky’s Grevious. This one is beatable and picking up an E-11 blaster, Kenobi fires into the heart of the cyborg. He finds only of the only organic pieces left of the Kaleesh warrior and brings the fight to a fiery close.

Uncivilised, but most definitely effective.