Join Dave Filoni, Athena Portillo, Matthew Wood, Dee Bradley Baker, Ashley Eckstein, Matt Lanter and James Arnold Taylor for a look back at the beginning of Lucasfilm Animation and how Star Wars: The Clone Wars came to be.

Streamed to Twin Suns Stage.

Panel Recap

The Star Wars: The Clone Wars 15-Year Anniversary Panel looked back at the series’ origins, the creative environment under George Lucas, the legacy of the voice ensemble, and the show’s influence on modern live-action Star Wars storytelling.

Dave Filoni recalled receiving the initial call about the series while working on Avatar: The Last Airbender and assuming it was a prank because his coworkers knew he was such a Star Wars fan. Athena Portillo discussed helping establish Lucasfilm Animation Singapore and the production pipeline, while Matthew Wood noted that George Lucas originally intended to produce only a small number of episodes before staying involved throughout the run.

The panel explored the show’s production methods, including George Lucas staging animated sequences like live-action shoots with multiple virtual cameras. Filoni credited that training as a major reason he was later able to transition into live-action directing.

Ashley Eckstein, Dee Bradley Baker, Matt Lanter, and James Arnold Taylor discussed the ensemble recording process, Ahsoka Tano’s evolution, Anakin’s expanded heroic characterization, and the close collaborative environment of the series. The panel also honored Ian Abercrombie, the original voice of Chancellor Palpatine and Darth Sidious.

Filoni announced that a second season of Tales of the Jedi was officially in production and described the anthology format as a way to pass on what he had learned to a new generation of animation artists.