20 years ago, 'Star Wars: Republic Commando' made us care about the clones long before 'The Clone Wars' and 'The Bad Batch'

It's March 2005, and before Revenge of the Sith's release in theaters and several other major Star Wars video game launches, Republic Commando has just hit the shelves. It looks and plays unlike any other Star Wars first-person shooter before it, and while the initial reception isn't glowing, it's destined to impact countless future stories.

Two full decades* later, it's hard to argue against LucasArts' tactical FPS being one of the most unique and best Star Wars games ever made. From the immersive action to its darker, boots-on-the-ground tone, it's the rare sort of Star Wars story that brought fans of George Lucas' galaxy far, far away closer to the nameless grunts dying on the frontlines. They may have only been pawns in the centuries-long chess match between the light and dark sides of the Force, but away from the Jedi and the Sith, every gunfight can be the last, and even the Republic's finest clone troopers were just humans at the end of the day.

After their explosive introduction in Attack of the Clones as personality-less replicas of the Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett, the 2D Clone Wars animated series didn't make a case about why clone troopers mattered more than droids. Sure, that one squad with ARC troopers was rad, but why should we care about them beyond their cool armor? Dave Filoni and George Lucas' 3D show, far more ambitious in its scope and depth, would 'fix' that issue years later, but we often forget that Republic Commando was the first piece of Star Wars media that treated the clones with respect.

Begun, the Clone War has

The game kicks off during the Battle of Geonosis, but not before we witness a montage that details Delta Squad's creation, early life, and training on Kamino. We could've just been thrown right into the heat of battle, yet director Tim Longo (who would shepherd Halo 5 a decade later), the team of writers, and the powers that be at LucasArts decided to hit the ground walking instead of running.

It's a short but impactful sequence that juxtaposes nicely against the rest of the game, which is noisy and utterly relentless; a few moments of quiet before a galaxy-wide war that these soldiers weren't meant to survive to help set the tone.

For all its 2000s era video game trappings, the debut of the clone commandos was gritty and sobering. Without the Jedi saving the day at the last minute or John Williams' rousing musical themes adding classical wonder to the action, the clashes between the Republic and the CIS — especially those happening away from the frontlines — suddenly felt heavier and more dangerous.

Composer Jesse Harlin was fully aware Republic Commando needed to sound different: "The entire goal was to present a very dark and military take on the Star Wars universe," he explained to MusicOnFilm back in 2006. "These weren't guys who knew anything about galactic politics or the Force. These were just soldiers with a very dangerous, very thankless job to do." Needless to say, both the devs and Harlin succeeded in giving the game an identity of its own, with the track 'Vode An' being embraced by Star Wars fans and later official works as an essential part of the on-screen Mandalorian culture.

The lost sequel

Even without getting into the 'meat and potatoes' of the competently-made first-person shooter that successfully merged Star Wars with Rainbow Six elements, fans soon were obsessed with the lore surrounding the clone commandos and their role in the larger war that culminated with the birth of the Galactic Empire. The fact that its ending was left wide open also encouraged further chatter. Later in 2005, an Order 66-centric sequel of sorts was released for mobile phones, but… well, it bears very little resemblance to the console and PC shooter that preceded it.

With plans for a follow-up titled Imperial Commando binned at LucasArts even before the first game had released, the only continuation of the story left for fans was Karen Traviss' five notable novels: Hard Contact, Triple Zero, True Colors, Order 66, and Imperial Commando: 501st. It's safe to say there was an audience for more stories starring these clones, yet LucasArts was refocusing its strategy around (and after) the time of Republic Commando's release. Regular soldiers were pushed aside (this also included Battlefront 3's cancellation), while 'power fantasy' characters like Starkiller were brought to the forefront again.

With George Lucas' six-episode movie saga wrapped up in 2005 and the animated show that was announced soon after, following the Jedi and all-new clone characters, fans had to accept that Delta Squad's on-screen adventures were 'one and done' unless something big changed. Well, as we all know, Disney took over Lucas' empire in late 2012, and one of the first creative swings the 'new Lucasfilm' took under its umbrella was to explicitly declare the vast majority of the novels, comics, shows, and video games non-canon, giving them a clean slate outside the six original movies. But as a great man once said, "No one's ever really gone."

Reshaping the canon

Delta Squad seemed done for after the canon reset, but the focus on clones had returned. It was The Clone Wars that kept much of its soul alive with several clone troopers, such as Rex, Fives, 99, and Echo (among many others) getting just as much screen time as the Jedi generals who led them into battle.

Even during the uneven first season, the focus was often put on the wins and losses these soldiers created, often sacrificing their lives for the good of the Republic in the process. Throughout its run, the show covered serious subjects around the clones' loyalty, freedom, and even their humanity, adding a surprising amount of maturity to a series that everyone, fans included, had first registered as a lighter affair.

The four iconic clone commandos from the game – Boss, Scorch, Fixer, and Sev – were recovered for the season 3 episode 'Witches of the Mist' (2011) with a brief appearance. This allowed them to join the movie/TV canon before the aforementioned reset, which only kept the six original movies and The Clone Wars in the fresh new Star Wars timeline. Later, other Legends characters were (and continue to be) incorporated into the current canon, but their 'early' presence in the show highlighted how much they meant for fans and creatives alike. 'Missing in Action' (season 5) would also introduce Captain Gregor, an ex-commando suffering from amnesia.

2017's Battlefront 2 (EA/DICE) would eventually receive a content update introducing clone commandos (though not Delta Squad) following fan requests, with Lucasfilm and the developers admitting they would be a good fit for the large-scale online shooter. More importantly, The Clone Wars' seventh and final season (2020) presented a squad of genetically enhanced clones nicknamed 'the Bad Batch', who would later get their own beloved show. They were certainly more colorful characters than Delta Squad, but the influences were clear for those who were around in 2005. Watch out for Scorch and other commandos' many appearances as the show advances, too.

In a way, The Bad Batch became the culmination of everything that had been built around the seemingly simple concept of the elite clone troopers. Away from the constraints of the Skywalker Saga, but progressing right next to it, LucasArts and Lucasfilm managed to make us truly care about the Republic's cannon fodder just as much as the fall of the Jedi and the reign of the Empire. Nowadays, non-gamer fans will attribute this entire narrative to Dave Filoni and Lucasfilm Animation's top creatives, but Republic Commando was the genesis of this fascinating branch of Star Wars storytelling in the same way Dark Forces is key to understanding much of the current post-Empire chronology.

Star Wars: Republic Commando and its Aspyr-developed remaster are currently available to purchase on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.