#zygerria

first of all: Anakin is NOT HAPPY that Ahsoka is coming along. Like at all. He outright refuses at first:

and then only relents after Obi-Wan, Rex, and Ahsoka all chime in to convince him it's the best course of action:

and even then, only agrees reluctantly, and clearly hates it. Ahsoka is the one trying to lighten the mood instead of vice-versa:

compare to the show where he dismisses her concerns and discomfort about being the one who has to play the slave:

AHSOKA: Remind me again why I'm the one playing the part of the slave? ANAKIN: I tried it once, I wasn't very good at it. Besides, the role of the Master comes easily to me

cue me from the sidelines screaming he wouldn't fucking say that!!!

Also, the second that things go even slightly sour, he sends Ahsoka packing:

Later, it's Ahsoka's idea to put on the more revealing outfit and play the part of a captured princess. And her acting is good!!! Anakin compliments her on it instead of cringing!!! (idk why i hate that moment so much in the episode lmao, maybe because it's just so tonally wrong for what's going on, like a weird bad attempt at lightening the mood??)

The comic also has one of my favorite Obi-Wan and Anakin moments:

Obi-Wan acknowledging that he was dismissive of Anakin's trauma in the past and apologizing for it is such a needed resolution to this arc that I have no idea why it wasn't included in the show lol. There's not even a moment to compare it to in the show because Anakin and Obi-Wan don't even talk afterwards!!!! ZERO DEBRIEF on how this affected either of them!!! For a plotline that is so profoundly relevant to the foundation of these character's relationship with each other and the world at large you'd think there would be something.

And lastly, we have another of my favorite moments, this time between Anakin and Ahsoka:

Like. This makes me want to scream!!!! They had plans for the future!!!! They were going to end slavery together!!!!! Nobody touch me!!!!!!

versus this fuckass moment from the show where Ahsoka is like "what doesn't kill u makes u stronger 😎🙏🏼" to a man whose people just endured a week of the worst torture in the galaxy lmao:

ROSHTI: Ahsoka, you have done a great deed for your people today. AHSOKA: You're sad? ROSHTI: Well, you and the Jedi have done your best, but I do not think our people will recover from this horror anytime soon. AHSOKA: I understand, but in the end, surviving this will only strengthen the people.

cue me screaming she wouldn't fucking say that!!!! as the guards drag me away

Like, Ahsoka has compassion and empathy and would not look at this moment as blip in these people's lives. This experience is so profoundly moving to her that she tells Anakin she wants to dedicate herself to ending the institution that caused all this suffering!!!!

Anyway, in conclusion, the comic book arc is just. So much better in every way. I have no idea why they made the changes they made. I don't even think the comic is tonally much darker than the show at all, and it handles the sensitive subject matter with much more grace and care than the show did

also, it has this really precious panel of Ahsoka copying Obi-Wan's bridge stance <3 thanks for coming to my ted talk

"And what about us?" Slick laughed bitterly. "Am I free? Are you?"

"It doesn't matter," Rex shot back, though the words felt wrong as they left him. Didn't it matter? "Look, the Jedi care about us. We're more free than we would be under Separatist rule. They want us dead, remember?"

"Free to get killed the moment we make a choice?" Slick growled back.

"You didn't get killed," Rex dismissed him, "we just imprisoned you," but Slick was shaking his head before Rex had even finished speaking.

"But that's not what you believe, is it...." he spoke darkly. "You've seen clones court-marshalled for less..."

Rex balled his fist for a moment. The truth was, he had no idea what'd happened to Slick, the real Slick, and he had never even bothered to wonder. He'd always assumed Slick had just been imprisoned, but now, after everything he'd seen....

"It doesn't matter," Rex repeated firmly, and this time he meant it. "Yes, you made your choice, but your choice put others at risk. Clones died because of the weaknesses you created, the info you sold. Your choice took away all of theirs, it put us all in danger. You could have talked to General Skywalker, you could've talked to us. There were better ways to address this, other ways, but you made your choice."

"And what about my choice?"

Another figure stepped out from behind one of Umbara's twisted purple-glowing trees. He bore a similar face to Cut and Rex, a similar stature, but his hair was longer, his smile warmer, and his face older than Slick's. He was wearing the same green civvies he'd worn when Rex had first met him

Cut Lawquane, the deserter.

[...]

"I don't get it, Priory," Jumpstart was telling one of the other clones as they turned into the hallway "why marry, why-"

"Well, see, Jumpy" teased another clone next to jumpstart "when two natborns love each ot- ow!" he yelped as Jumpstart gave him a swift jab in the ribs.

"I know that, Harbinger" Jumpstart sighed, "but-"

"I could draw you a diagram," Craft suggested, grinning.

[...]

"Yeah," Jumpstart, or apparently just 'Jumpy' now, agreed, "and who knows, maybe you can impress the ladies with your heroics and-"

Suddenly, without warning, harbinger's gun let out a high pitched whine, then a sort of buzz, and harbinger jumped, throwing the gun aside.

"Argh!" he yelped, "defective piece of- why is it always me!?"

"You okay?" Priory asked, though he was laughing.

"Man down, man down!" Jumpstart joked.

The other clones laughed, even Harbinger, though he didn't take Jumpstart's comment in stride. He leapt at jumpstart, trying to put him in some sort of hold. Jumpstart grinned as he fought off his comrade in arms. He made some sort of joke, but Ahsoka no longer heard it. Behind her, there was a loud creaking, followed by a massive, ear-splitting bang.

Ahsoka turned around, rushing through the door to the hallway to see what'd happened. except there was no hallway. In front of Ahsoka was horrible battlefield. They were on a launch pad of sorts, but it was in the worst state Ahsoka had ever seen. Twisted metal left and right, large, smouldering gaps in the floor and ceiling. Piles of steel and rubble where smoking, and Ahsoka could see an arm sticking out. Another explosion went off, filling the air with dark smoke. Behind her, Ahsoka could still hear Jumpstart.

[...]

"Jump-" Craft protested, alarmed, but he couldn't even get the word out before Jumpstart interrupted him.

"No. Listen to me, craft." He said firmly. "I've known it since the day the war began, and you know it too. Listen, I want to live..." he said, and suddenly his voice sounded just a tad strained and rough. "I want to live, I really, really do. Remember Priory and his silly plans?" he smiled at the words, though it felt bittersweet. "I want to make plans... I want a life, not... not this. But here we are, so kriff the Jedi, kriff the republic. If I die, I'll die for my brothers."

"How about you don't die at all." Craft retorted.