Republic Commando Wasn’t Solely A Cult Traditional–It Anticipated The Subsequent 20 Years Of Star Wars

Star Wars: Republic Commando is celebrating its 20-year anniversary at the moment, March 1, 2025. Beneath, we take a look at how its give attention to army fiction was an indication of issues to come back to the Star Wars galaxy .

While you boot up Star Wars: Republic Commando, the very first thing you see is the LucasArts emblem, fuzzy like a jammed radio sign. It sparkles with the audio of muttered orders, of droid converse. That is an thought taken from the unique Clone Wars cartoons (beginning in 2003), which additionally opens with a distorted broadcast, in that case of blaster hearth and blaring lightsabers. In tandem, these aesthetic prospers signify a flip away from the science fantasy mythicism of Star Wars correct and a flip towards a grittier, although nonetheless exaggerated, army fiction.

To be truthful, it’s not as if these impulses weren’t in Star Wars to start with. Although A New Hope attracts on the science fiction golden age idealism of Flash Gordan serials, it’s a worn down future. Our heroes are would-be guerrilla militants, piloting buckets of bolts. Their fascist enemies reserve any futurist slickness. The combat of rebels is scrappy, hidden in timber and sequestered in backwater planets.

Nonetheless, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker should not extraordinary troopers, however heroes (nomenclature utilized by a Star Wars online game up to date to Republic Commando: Battlefront 2). The unique trilogy, and to a big extent the prequels, take an analogous place to conflict as The Lord of the Rings. Epic battles usually take the forefront, and each franchises are undoubtedly involved with conflict. However the heroes should not boots-on-the-ground infantry and even army commanders precisely, however kings and prodigal kids. They save the world, whereas rebels and fascists alike die within the dust.

Republic Commando represents one thing extra mundane: the on a regular basis lifetime of a soldier at conflict. The sport’s apparent precept inspiration, exterior of Star Wars itself, is Halo. Like that FPS, Republic Commando goes to nice pains to make its titular characters particular boys, a reduce above the extraordinary clones who make up the remainder of the Galactic Republic’s military. But additionally, the commandos cannot rise up to something too earth-shattering or else intervene with the movies their recreation ties in with. In sensible phrases, the plot of Star Wars itself wouldn’t change if each one of many commandos died in a ditch. The impact is sort of a little bit of propaganda: You’re the heroes that protect the republic, though surely, you’re simply extra our bodies to line the long run Emperor’s checkbook.

The sport is conscious of this dynamic. Despite the fact that it was launched earlier than Episode III revealed the looming menace of Order 66, the clone troopers have been nonetheless destined to turn out to be the Empire’s stormtroopers. (Sure, I am conscious the Empire swaps to a extra customary army recruitment technique in its early days. To this criticism I’ve only one response: Shut up, nerd.) At recreation’s finish, the commandos undergo a mindless lack of their sniper, Sev, just for their Jedi commanders to get them organized to a brand new place, forcing the squad to depart their teammate behind. This isn’t the lack of some pawn with the identical visage and character as each one in every of his brothers. That is a person lack of somebody with a soul of his personal, nevertheless cliched or simplistic.

All of this neatly anticipates Dave Filoni’s The Clone Wars present, which grants complete platoons and battalions the identical consideration this recreation offered an elite squad. The sport’s commandos even seem in one episode, however in addition they are predecessors to lots of The Clone Wars’ unique characters, particularly The Unhealthy Batch, who have been first conceptualized earlier than the collection’ cancelation on Cartoon Community however re-appeared as a part of the collection’ revitalization on Disney+ after which on their very own spin-off present. Just like the commandos, the Unhealthy Batch are a squad of specialised personalities outlined by their talent in battle. The Unhealthy Batch should not the primary of such characters to seem in The Clone Wars, however are a small unit, outlined by their relationships to one another, in a approach that echoes Republic Commando.

However The Clone Wars’ sense of wartime tragedy is much more heightened. The Battle of Umbara arc follows Anakin Skywalker’s 501st clone battalion after he’s known as away on a particular mission. The overall who replaces him pushes the clones towards mindless losses for a secret agenda. The entire thing is the plight of the clones in miniature. They’re all dying for a trigger they’re incapable of really selecting, that calls for they flip in opposition to their mates and comrades with the flick of a swap.

The present’s last run on Disney+ pushes this to its logical conclusion, dramatizing Order 66 itself. Anakin’s apprentice, Ahsoka, watches her mates activate her and he or she saves her mentor, Captain Rex, however the remainder of the clones accompanying her die within the encounter. This may very well be the substance of a Metallic Gear Stable backstory, because it explores the identical points: obligation to your loyalties vs. the substance of your conscience, love on the battlefield or a bullet within the intestine. The plight of the clone is the plight of the idealized, fictional, unreal soldier.

Republic Commando is hardly a critical engagement with these themes, however it’s all there in uniformed shadows. Its affect is felt throughout the subsequent 20 years of Star Wars, from the generally strict army fiction of Clone Wars to the guerrilla warfare drama of Andor to Dave Filoni’s partial stewardship of the franchise (although I will imagine that Mandalorian film is going on when I’m within the theater watching it). All these examples share the identical types of useless ends. Regardless of how Republic Commandos dressed itself up in blaster hearth and Halo-style heroics, all that awaits its heroes is loss of life. That is as true for them as it’s for Captain Rex as it’s for Andor or Anakin Skywalker.