You Won’t Believe Which Star Wars Clone Trooper Secretly Nods to a Beloved Nickelodeon Cartoon!

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Titled “: The Clone Wars“, this animated show is renowned for its vast array of clone troopers. Key figures like Captain Rex and Commander Cody left a lasting impact across the entire series, yet numerous other clones made brief appearances in individual arcs or episodes alone. This allowed the creators to experiment with various clone trooper designs, frequently incorporating nods to other media for amusement. For instance, they paid tribute to Thor Odinson and Doctor Doom from Marvel Comics, as these characters were favorites among the creators of “The Clone Wars“.

In contrast to other references, those in “The Clone Wars” were more personally relevant. This was true for Appo, a Sergeant within Anakin Skywalker’s clone trooper division, the 501st Legion. Like many of his comrades, Appo personalized his armor, but he did so in a less ostentatious manner than most. His unique touch was the white triangle on the front of his helmet, which, when combined with the white ridge on the top of his helmet, formed an arrow pointing downwards. This design was a tribute to a character from another well-known animated series that concluded its run around the same time as “The Clone Wars” started: “Avatar: The Last Airbender.

There Are Some Surprising Connections Between The Clone Wars and The Last Airbender

In the script for “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” a character named Appo was introduced before “The Clone Wars” series, and was not intended as an homage to the “Avatar” character. However, the creators of “The Clone Wars” liked to reuse clone troopers, and included Appo in their series. They felt it necessary to distinguish him from other clones in the 501st Legion by altering his design and personality. It so happened that Appo’s name bore a resemblance to that of Appa, Aang’s pet flying bison from “Avatar.” To tie this in, designers added an arrow-shaped marking on Appo’s helmet, similar to the one found on Appa. This distinctive feature was not present in “Revenge of the Sith,” indicating that Appo may have removed it at some point after the events portrayed in “The Clone Wars.” It is possible that his original helmet was damaged in battle and he didn’t feel the need to replicate the marking on a new one.

In two ways, the connection to the show “Avatar” was significant in “The Clone Wars”. Firstly, Appo’s voice actor, Dee Bradley Baker, also lent his voice to various animal characters in “Avatar”. Secondly, the supervising director of “The Clone Wars”, Dave Filoni, had worked on “Avatar” before. His impressive work on the first season of “Avatar” caught the attention of George Lucas, who later hired Filoni for his upcoming animated series. At first, Filoni thought the call from Lucasfilm was a prank!

It was noted on the official Star Wars website, under the trivia section for “The General” episode of The Clone Wars, that a character named Appo was explicitly mentioned. Additionally, when Appo was introduced as a playable character in the mobile game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, it used the phrase “yip yip,” which is similar to the command used in Avatar for the flying bison, Appa. It’s possible that there could be more instances where Star Wars armor takes inspiration from Avatar, as Din Djarin from The Mandalorian, a series overseen by Filoni, has blue triangles on the back of his hands, which resemble the markings of the flying bison in Avatar.

Appo Debuted in One of The Clone Wars’ Darkest Storylines

The Clone Wars Episodes Including Appo Original Air Date
“Darkness on Umbara” October 28, 2011
“The General” November 4, 2011
“Plan of Dissent” November 11, 2011
“Carnage of Krell” November 18, 2011

Appo was scarcely featured throughout the Star Wars series, The Clone Wars. He made an appearance in just four episodes, which were part of the Umbara arc. In these episodes, the clone soldiers were sent to Umbara, a planet allied with the Separatists and perpetually shrouded in darkness. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi commanded the 501st Legion and the 212th Attack Battalion respectively, but when Chancellor Palpatine summoned them for urgent matters, command of the clones fell to Pong.

Pong is often disliked among fans of The Clone Wars, and for valid reasons. Unlike Anakin and Obi-Wan, he did not show respect towards the clones. He addressed them by their cold, impersonal CT-numbers instead of their nicknames, and he dismissed their suggestions and feedback, despite their strategies often being more effective than his own. Pong was eager to sacrifice his troops in battle, and he even considered executing those who disobeyed him. Pong eventually deceived the 501st Legion and the 212th Attack Battalion by making them believe that the Umbaran enemy soldiers had disguised themselves as clone troopers, causing them to fight each other.

In the last episode of the arc, it was unveiled that Pong’s actions weren’t just fueled by his antipathy towards the clones; there was something more sinister at play. He had succumbed to the dark side of the Force and sought to curry favor with the Sith by undermining the Galactic Republic’s operations on Umbara. When Rex discovered the truth, the clone troopers rebelled against Pong and locked him up. However, Pong’s most loyal clone, Dogma, became enraged and took advantage of Pong’s defenseless state to kill a helpless Jedi. This storyline delved into the struggle between the clone troopers’ loyalty to the Republic and their capacity for independent thought. Although they were engineered for obedience, unlike droids, they didn’t blindly adhere to commands.

Appo’s collaboration with Pong also hinted at the numerous Jedi who would later be killed by clone troopers under Order 66. Throughout this storyline, Appo played a crucial role, arranging the clone troopers into formations as per Pong’s instructions and using his holoprojector for communication with Rex. He served as a contrast to the more rebellious clones, although not quite as defiantly as Dogma. Loyalty was Appo’s strong suit; he was eager to serve, sometimes to the point of irritating Pong by disregarding waiting periods for orders. However, when the clones uncovered Pong’s betrayal, Appo swiftly turned against him, choosing his fellow clone brothers over the traitor.

Pong Krell Was Not the Only Jedi Whom Appo Betrayed

In the twilight of the Clone Wars, I found myself among a splinter group of my comrades from the 501st Legion, dubbed the 332nd Company. This unit stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ahsoka Tano during the siege on Mandalore. My longtime friend and commander, Rex, was part of this detachment, leaving me to take charge of the remaining members of our Legion.

When the sinister command from Emperor Palpatine, Order 66, was issued, I served faithfully by Anakin Skywalker’s side during Operation: Knightfall. We carried out a ruthless purge on the inhabitants of the Jedi Temple. After an enigmatic conversation with Bail Organa, I was felled by a young Padawan named Zett Jukassa. The other clones swiftly dispatched this threat, but the film left us guessing about the severity of my wounds – thus, my ultimate fate remains shrouded in mystery.

In the alternate continuity known as Legends, I survived the events of Revenge of the Sith and was promoted to the rank of Commander. Alongside the other surviving members of the 501st Legion, I continued to serve Anakin Skywalker – now Darth Vader – in the newly formed Galactic Empire.

In the novel ‘Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader’ by James Luceno, it is revealed that Vader and Commander Appo had an unexpected camaraderie. Appo was a dedicated and capable soldier, which gained him Vader’s respect. However, Appo’s tenure as a stormtrooper was brief, ending just months after the events of ‘Revenge of the Sith’. He met his demise at the hands of Jedi survivor Roan Shryne. As Vader moved the decapitated head of his late comrade aside, he lamented, “I had quite a liking for Commander Appo.” This emotional response from a Sith Lord towards one of his soldiers is perhaps the closest to genuine affection. Roan then engaged Vader in combat to buy time for his allies. As expected, Vader emerged victorious and avenged Appo. Although Appo didn’t play a significant role in ‘The Clone Wars’, he became one of the series’ most notable clone characters, largely due to the parallels with the cartoon ‘Avatar’. Given that both shows premiered around the same time, many fans have fond memories of both productions. If Appo survived Zett’s attack and returns in future Star Wars projects, it could be under the direction of Baker or Filoni once more.

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2025-05-02 21:51