SALT LAKE CITY — Returned, “The Clone Wars” has.
Lucasfilm announced the return of “The Clone Wars” animated show during a special panel event at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con Thursday, reviving a show that ended abruptly in 2013.
The SDCC panel dropped a trailer for the new season in a surprise announcement. The “Star Wars” Twitter account later showed the trailer, which showed the epic clone troopers, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka.
“It’s an anniversary. It’s 10 years. And you guys deserve something for being so great. A present, if you will,” “Star Wars” animation head Dave Filoni said. “We got together and we thought, if there is one thing we could give you what would it be? So here you go.”
The series followed “Star Wars” legends Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker during The Clone Wars, a major battle between the Republic’s clone trooper army and the Separatists droid army. The show introduced new characters such as Ahsoka Tano and revived old favorites like Darth Maul.
The show, which launched in 2008 and celebrated its 10-year anniversary at SDCC, ended abruptly in 2013 after five seasons.
The show’s sixth season aired on Netflix without much fanfare.
Fans have tweeted the hashtag #SaveCloneWars for years since the show ended. Filoni, who worked on “Clone Wars,” tweeted back “#CloneWarsSaved” thanks to the revival, Entertainment Weekly reported.
The new “Clone Wars” show will likely debut on Disney’s streaming service, which is set to launch next year and take all Disney-related content away from Netflix, according to Uproxx.
Disney CEO Bob Iger previously promised the new streaming service would arrive with a few “Star Wars” projects, according to Engadget. Some projects have already been announced, including a live-action series from Jon Favreau and an animated show depicting the years between “Return of the Jedi” and “The Force Awakens.”