One Star Wars Retcon Makes The Clone Wars Movie More Important To The Empire Than I Ever Expected

The Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) movie introduced many new things and characters to the Star Wars franchise. Although the movie was not well received when it was first released, its importance should not be undervalued. The movie’s plot, about the kidnapping of Jabba the Hutt’s son and eventual rescue by Anakin Skywalker, includes one small intricacy that would eventually shape the Empire’s tremendous power.

The Galactic Empire‘s reach was extensive at its height of power during the Dark Times. The Empire was able to maintain its power because of its interconnectivity via trade routes and space lanes. These routes allowed the Empire to reign openly with its space travel and enhance their oppressive reign. The acquisition of these routes is discussed in Dr. Chris Kempshall’s book Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, and it makes a Star Wars: The Clone Wars retcon very important for the creation of the Empire.

Palpatine Acquired Trade Routes From The Hutts In The Clone Wars Movie

This Move Would Be Important For Both The Republic and The Empire

In the 2008 movie, a Separatist plot spearheaded by Count Dooku was an attempt by the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems to gain favor with the Hutts so that they could use their trade routes. Palpatine encouraged the Jedi to take action to save Jabba’s son and, in return, gain use of the Hutt routes for the Galactic Republic. After the successful mission, Jabba agreed that the Republic could use its trade routes freely to move clone troopers. Chris Kempshall discusses this in his book.

These (routes) were hugely useful to Republic fleets during the conflict as they granted them new pathways into contested territory that circumvented Separatist blockades.

This move by the Republic would become vital for its war effort. Now, they were able to move troops through Hutt territories and gain access to the Outer Rim planets embroiled in the clone war. This territory would become an intricate part of the war and Republic overall. However, it’s now known that this was all part of Palpatine’s larger plan to form the Imperial Empire. By gaining access to Hutt space, the Empire would have the same critical area the Republic did to direct trade and troop movements throughout the galaxy.

Purchase Dr. Chris Kempshall’s The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire Here

The Hutt Trade Routes Became Key To The Empire’s Expansion

The Empire Was Allowed Access To Unreachable and Independent Systems In The Outer Rim

The Hutt trade routes are vital because they are part of a massive border between the Middle and Outer Rims. When looking at a Star Wars galaxy map, it can be seen that Hutt space is located east of the Core Worlds (e.g. Coruscant), providing easy access from the Imperial homeworld to the Outer Rim. This ease of access would allow the Empire to conquer many Outer Rim worlds into subjugation. Planets like Ryloth and Lothal would soon be under Imperial occupation as the Empire’s power continued to expand.

There were other benefits for the Empire arising from the activities and actions undertaken during the previous war… Along the Outer Rim there were a number of worlds and systems who had remained untouched or inaccessible to the Republic and had fiercely guarded their independent status.

Although the Empire could never attain complete control of the Outer Rim, its access to the border allowed them unrestricted access. Palpatine’s goal was always to acquire as much power as possible. In order to do this, he created a war that he played both sides of from the beginning. He then attained emergency powers and was given total control of the war against the Separatist Alliance. Once the Republic fell, he was then able to unleash his wrath upon systems that decided to stay out of the war.

The Clone Wars Were About Preparing The Galaxy For The Empire

By Tormenting The Galaxy With War, The Empire Was Able To Emerge With Providence

With a galaxy dealing with so much death, destruction, turmoil, and corruption during the Clone Wars, Palpatine was paving the way for a new government to come into the fold with the people’s will. By making the people of the Republic suffer through such a brutal conflict, it would allow a new regime to come in almost unopposed to stop the war. This is why when Palpatine declares a new government, he is met mostly with applause. The simple fact is, after three years of terrible war, people were ready for it to be over.

For one of the primary purposes of this war was to brutalize the population of the galaxy… To achieve this the population, both of the Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems, had to be made to suffer the realities of a war raging around them.

By creating a situation in which, towards the end, both sides were desperate for the fighting to stop, Palpatine was allowed to create a new government with no restrictions. The guise of providing security and order would have been welcomed by many after the conflict. Of course, there were senators opposed to the creation of the new Empire, but to the people of the Republic, it would not matter how the war ended or the cost, even though the price would become too high.

This moment in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) was when the Republic was given access to Hutt’s trade routes, which paved the way for Palpatine’s coup. With his trade routes to access the Outer Rim under his control, Palpatine expanded the Empire to many more planets than the Republic’s control while also inflicting his wrath on neutral planets like Mandalore. All this was preceded by a galaxy so engulfed in a terrible war that the people were ready for it to end in any way, even a dictatorship.