Clone Wars (Star Wars)

The Clone Wars are a galaxy-wide conflict that forms a major part of George Lucas's space opera/science fiction franchise Star Wars. The conflict is first mentioned in the film Star Wars (1977), but no details are given (except for the implication of clones being involved) and the wars themselves are not featured until Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), which shows the beginnings of the conflict, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), which shows its conclusion.

The 2D animated microseries Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003–2005) and 3D CGI animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2014) expand on the war and chronicle some of its major campaigns. Additional events and stories are detailed in a multimedia campaign that ran from 2002 to 2005, consisting of Star Wars literature and video games. Many of the events featured have parallels in history, politics, and mythology from which Lucas and other writers drew inspiration.

Within the Star Wars narrative, the Clone Wars begins when thousands of systems seceded from the Galactic Republic to form the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS). The first battle occurs on the CIS planet Geonosis, where the Republic's new clone army, led by Jedi generals, combats the Separatists' battle droids. War quickly spreads across the galaxy and eventually reaches the Republic's capital planet, Coruscant. The entire war is orchestrated by the Republic's chief executive, Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, who uses the Clone Wars to manipulate the Republic's Galactic Senate into granting him emergency powers, which he then uses to turn the Republic into the Empire.