Star Wars Finally Doubles Down on a Groundbreaking Decision
The galaxy has room for everyone.
Star Wars’ animated series have expanded the saga in so many ways, chief of which has been a more nuanced depiction of clone troopers. Across seven great seasons, The Clone Wars strived to humanize a corps of identical men, recontextualizing their role in the Jedi Purge and offering them autonomy and personality. Spin-offs like The Bad Batch took this further by introducing soldiers who totally diverged from the classic clone look. Though these clones were regarded as defective, they still had plenty of value to the Empire and each other.
The Bad Batch was seminal in its depiction of clones, but the most surprising update to clone canon came in the novel Queen’s Hope. Written by longtime Star Wars author E.K. Johnston, it explores Senator Padmé Amidala’s shifting role in the galaxy, along with her marriage to Jedi Anakin Skywalker. As it takes place during the Clone Wars, Johnston also had the opportunity to showcase a new side to the clones. She did so by introducing Sister, a trans clone trooper. She only appears briefly in the novel, but a short conversation with Anakin reveals much about how trans characters fit into the Star Wars galaxy.
Sister receives her name from her fellow clone troopers: “It’s how my brothers tell everyone I belong,” she says to Anakin in Queen’s Hope. Though she worries the Jedi may not share that attitude, Anakin doesn’t hesitate to affirm her identity. Their interaction is primarily designed to contrast Anakin with the evil Sith lord he becomes, but Sister is a character with plenty of potential to grow, and Star Wars may finally be acknowledging that.
There are millions of clone troopers in the Star Wars universe, which leaves room for all kinds of people and stories.
Since The Bad Batch ended in 2024, there haven’t been any concrete plans to continue the story of the clones on-screen. Comic books are coming, however, and an upcoming reference book, Star Wars: The Secrets of the Clone Troopers, is pulling the curtain back on the clones’ inner world. The book is written from the perspective of clone commander Rex, a major protagonist in The Clone Wars and one of the few clones to survive the Purge, the Empire’s reign, and the Galactic Rebellion. Few understand clone trooper history better, so his records naturally include a mention of Sister, along with the first official art of the character.
It’s nice to see Star Wars reaffirm the character’s existence, despite the backlash Sister will inevitably receive from the fandom’s most toxic corners (Secrets of the Clone Troopers is already getting review-bombed). It’s only been two years since Sister was introduced, but her appearance in a reference book feels like a conscious choice. Could this be a prelude to, say, a comic book role? If Lucasfilm ever announces plans for a new clone-centric series, it would make sense to center it on another unique batch of soldiers. The clones have become one of Star Wars’ greatest storylines, and Sister’s introduction proves there’s still plenty more to explore. The saga shouldn’t squander the opportunity.
