Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew episode 4Skeleton Crew episode 4 features a dark parallel to the prequel trilogy, one that shows just how horrific the Clone Wars actually were. Arriving on the similar yet war-torn planet of At Achrann, the kids from At Attin encounter two rival clans known as the Troik and the Hattan. To that end, it’s hard not to see a key element of the Troik’s warriors as an indictment of the Jedi Order.
Previously in Skeleton Crew episode 3, Jude Law’s Jod Na Nawood took Wim, KB, Fern, and Neel to his old contact Khy’mm, an owl-like astronomer who gave them coordinates to a system that could be their lost homeworld of At Attin. To that end, Skeleton Crew episode 4 brings the crew of The Onyx Cinder to At Achrann, another “Jewel of the Old Republic” with its dark parallels to The Clone Wars.
At Achrann Shows The Horror Of Child Soldiers
Troik Children Are Treated As Adult Warriors In Skeleton Crew Episode 4
Shortly after landing on At Achrann, the kids encounter a pair of child warriors belonging to the Troik clan. One of these child soldiers is named Hayna, the daughter of the Troik’s leading general. It’s from her that the At Attin kids learn that this world (which looks so much like their own) has long been at war. Likewise, the children of the Troik are viewed the same as the clan’s adult warriors, and as such are called upon to fight the rival Hattans.
This revelation explains Hayna’s skill with a blaster, as well as why her father demands that the At Attin kids prove their bravery before he’ll agree to help them find At Attin. However, the kids have a hard time reconciling with the idea of fighting and always being at war, especially Neel. After all, At Attin is a far more prosperous world that has never experienced war nor conflict (at least in the kids’ lifetime). Regardless, it’s a very dark concept that the Troik force their own kids to fight in their wars.
At Achrann’s Child Soldiers Remind Me So Much Of The Jedi
Padawans During The Clone Wars
What makes this idea in Skeleton Crew episode 4 even darker is when you start thinking about The Clone Wars. After all, recruiting and putting children on the front lines is basically what the Jedi did with their Padawans after the Jedi Order agreed to serve as generals in the Republic’s war with the Separatists. Padawans became commanders leading troops into battle, and apprentices’ trials were accelerated so more Jedi Knights would be ready to lead even more forces into battle during the three-year conflict.
“It’s hard not to see the dark parallel once it’s been made between the events of the Clone Wars and those happening decades later during the New Republic Era between the Troik and the Hattan…”
A prime example is Ahsoka Tano, who started her training as a Padawan and led troops into battle with Anakin Skywalker at the age of fourteen. That’s right around the same age Hayna looks to be in Skeleton Crew episode 4. As such, it’s hard not to see the dark parallel once it’s been made between the events of the Clone Wars and those happening decades later during the New Republic Era between the Troik and the Hattan.
Star Wars Is Finally Acknowledging The Darkness Of The Clone Wars
The Beginning Of The End For The Jedi Order
The Troik’s child soldiers certainly feel like a chilling and intentional comparison to the Clone Wars. However, it’s only the latest for the Star Wars franchise that’s been made recently. After all, 2023’s Ahsoka featured an adult Tano struggling with the trauma of what she suffered in her youth, as seen during the flashbacks to the Clone Wars during Ahsoka’s encounter with her old master in the Force vergence known as the World Between Worlds.
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In Ahsoka’s mind, she felt as though she had only ever been trained to be nothing more than a soldier, a product of the time she was trained in and the widespread galactic conflict that had gripped the galaxy. However, Skywalker’s spirit eventually shows Ahsoka that she’s always been more than that, and there also seems to be hope for Hayna who’s shown genuinely responding to Neel’s sentiments and considers doing things differently when she one day inherits leadership of the Troik from her father. As such, this further supports the idea the parallel to the Clone Wars was intentionally made in this new Star Wars series.
New episodes of Skeleton Crew release Tuesday nights on Disney+.
Set in the Star Wars universe, Skeleton Crew follows four young adventurers as they become lost in the galaxy while searching for their home planet. The series chronicles their exploration and encounters with diverse worlds and characters, presenting themes of friendship, discovery, and the quest for belonging.
- Release Date
- December 2, 2024
- Character(s)
- Jod Na Nawood , Wim , Fern , KB , Neel , Wendle , Fara , SM-33
- Seasons
- 1
- Writers
- Jon Watts , Christopher Ford
- Directors
- Jon Watts , Daniel Kwan , David Lowery , Daniel Scheinert , Jake Schreier
- Showrunner
- Jon Watts , Christopher Ford
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Upcoming Star Wars Movies |
Release Date |
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The Mandalorian & Grogu |
May 22, 2026 |