Ghosts of Mortis

"He who seeks to control fate shall never find peace."

- Moral

"Ghosts of Mortis" is the seventeenth episode of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series' third season. It aired on February 11, 2011.

Official description
"The Jedi remain stranded on Mortis, and the Son, aligned with the dark side of the Force, renews his efforts to convert Anakin as the Jedi prepare for a decisive confrontation. Anakin is stunned by images of his dark future. The Son promises him the power to avert this destiny.

''The Father recognizes that the Son has broken the rules of time. He wipes Anakin's memory of these future visions, and steals the Mortis Dagger to end the conflict. The Father impales himself, thus preventing the Son from stealing his power. The Son, stunned by this, is run through by Anakin. With all three Force wielders destroyed, the imbalance in The Force disappears on Mortis. The three Jedi are transplanted back to the galaxy proper, apparently at the moment that they disappeared.''"

Plot summary
While Ahsoka attempts to repair the damaged shuttle for their escape from Mortis, Anakin and Obi-Wan contemplate whether this is the right course of action, with Son, corrupted by the Dark Side, still being at large. Anakin decides to return to Father and seek his help since he has doubts that Son can be held prisoner on this planet permanently, and meets with him outside the crypt where Father has just buried Daughter, the Dagger of Mortis laid upon her chest. Father is now determined to eliminate Son and the danger he poses to the universe, but refuses to accept Anakin’s offer of aid, since Son would easily use Anakin’s power to tip the balance of the Force, wreaking havoc in the galaxy. He tells Anakin that the Force will now decide over their fates and to look inside himself for the answer for what is to be done.

When he leaves the crypt, Anakin encounters a ghostly apparition of his first Jedi mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn. Still doubtful about what to do with Son, Anakin seeks Qui-Gon’s advice, but just like Father, Qui-Gon advises him to look into himself for the true answer, and tells him to go to a certain place, the Well of the Dark Side, to face his most personal challenge. In the meantime, Obi-Wan prepares to look for Anakin when he is met by Father, who tells him of Anakin’s destination but tells him not to interfere. Obi-Wan protests, however, and departs for the Well.

Anakin descends into the Well, which lies hidden in the fiery bowels of Mortis, where he is met by Son. Son attempts to draw him to his side by revealing terrible visions of the future. Fearful, Anakin refuses to confront the images and is overwhelmed by anguish. Son offers to help him change his future and prevent what Anakin has seen, and Anakin chooses to go with him. When Obi-Wan arrives a short time later, he finds Anakin poisoned by the Dark Side and in Son’s company, who then depart, leaving Obi-Wan behind. Obi-Wan contacts Ahsoka, instructing her to disable the shuttle (just right after she has managed to repair it), but before she can go about the task, Anakin arrives. Just in time, Ahsoka manages to sabotage the power systems, get away and recover Obi-Wan. Worried that the two will join forces with Father, Son departs to prevent this, enters his sister’s tomb and recovers the Dagger.

Left alone, Anakin is confronted and questioned by Father. Anakin maintains that he will cause great suffering in the future. Father erases Anakin’s memory of his future to break the hold of the Dark Side on him, and the two are rejoined by Obi-Wan and Ahsoka at the monastery. Son arrives soon afterwards, and Father pleads with him one last time to let go of his plans. When Son refuses to give up, Anakin attacks him, shortly followed by his friends, but Son proves too powerful for them. In order to strip his son of the Force which he has bestowed upon him, Father takes the Dagger and turns it upon himself. Shaken by remorse, Son recovers and makes peace with his father, just before he is run through by Anakin’s lightsaber. With his dying breath, Father proclaims Anakin the Chosen One since he has brought balance back to this world and promises that he will do it again, but warns him to beware his inner self or else he will bring doom to the galaxy. With that, Father's body vanishes.

With the death of Father, the Force which has permeated Mortis dissipates, and a falling crystal shatters on the tip of the monastery’s tower, enveloping the three Jedi with a blinding flash. When they come to, they find themselves back in space inside the shuttle and being contacted by Rex. They are confused to learn that only a moment has passed since they lost contact with their cruiser, but recover sufficiently enough to complete their rendezvous.

Cast

 * Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker
 * Lloyd Sherr as the Father
 * James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * Sam Witwer as the Son
 * Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano
 * Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn
 * Dee Bradley Baker as the clone troopers
 * Tom Kane as the Narrator
 * Ian Abercrombie as Darth Sidious
 * Catherine Taber as Padmé Amidala

Behind the scenes


The Sith Lords Darth Revan and Darth Bane were slated to make appearances as advisors to the Son, but were cut late in production. Darth Bane appeared in the later episode Sacrifice, but with an entirely redone character design, which is his current canonical appearance.