History NightmareFuel / StarWarsTheCloneWars

* The Bad Batch story arc goes out of its way to establish that, out of all the {{corrupt|CorporateExecutive}} [[MegaCorp Mega-Corps]] allied with the Separatists, the [[MadScientist Techno Union]] is probably the most horrific of them all, as they're willing to experiment on living beings among other forms of oppression.

[[AC:"[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS7E4UnfinishedBusiness Unfinished Business]]"]]
* Although Anakin's encounter with Trench is a case of PayEvilUntoEvil, his claim that he no longer has the "weakness" of being noble is a chilling reminder of the Sith Lord he's going to be in only a few months. Just to drive it home, the background score during this scene? '''The Emperor's Theme'''.

** Which makes one wonder how Order 66 will affect the clones on Mandalore. Sure, Ahsoka, Bo-Katan, Ursa and Rex all survive, but just seeing one's allies betray and open fire on the heroes on top of having to deal with Maul and his Mandalorian fanatics is just terrifying.

* Maul's entire speech is honestly terrifying. He claims that justice is pointless, and that it is defined by the system that is in power, a system that he knows will very soon be corrupted and transformed by Sidious. He bitterly and despairingly warns Ahsoka that the Republic has already fallen, that the Jedi have already lost to Sidious and that they can't do anything to stop Sidious' victory. It's not just the speech itself, but the way he presents it. Maul, a savage and powerful warrior and cunning tactician who showed almost no fear throughout most of the series, is ''utterly terrified'' of the horrors that Sidious will soon unleash on the galaxy. Even his offer to Ahsoka to join him is portrayed as much more genuine, in stark contrast to his offer to Ezra where is clearly trying to manipulate and corrupt Ezra, because he is ''just that desperate.'' And the worst thing about Maul's speech? Everything that he is claiming about the imminent and absolute triumph of evil is '''absolutely correct.'''

** Rex is contacted by [[BigBad Palpatine himself]], and he finally receives the infamous order, this time, in [[Creator/IanMcDiarmid Ian [=McDiarmid's=]]] original voice via an archival recording from ''Revenge Of The Sith''. [[HopeSpot However]], most previous sources such as ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' and ''Literature/StarWarsAhsoka'' built up the idea that Rex had already removed his chip and disobeyed the order. But as it turns out, that was very much [[NotHisSled not the case]].

* While not surprising considering how the prequels play out, the fact the cruiser and non clones begin to look like how they are when [[Film/ANewHope the Republic]] [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack turns]] [[Film/ReturnoftheJedi into]] [[TheEmpire The Empire]].
* The scene where the clones come to execute Maul is absolutely terrifying from his perspective; these troopers are Sidious' special guard, and he knows he's about to be either gunned down while completely unable to defend himself or taken to his former master, which ended ''very'' painfully for him last time. It doesn't help that you can hear him breathing faster and see him start to shake with panic. Had Ahsoka showed up even a couple seconds later, the clones would have shot Maul dead while he was still strapped into his coffin-like cell, unable to move or even use the force. As powerful as he is, he's ''completely'' helpless in this situation.
* During Maul's rampage through the ''Venator''-class Cruiser, he begins to rip pieces of metal off the walls to use as shields and weapons. We also get to see Maul straight-up ''decapitate'' two troopers with them (which, [[GoryDiscretionShot while offscreen]], would likely be a far more painful and bloody death than Maul's usual lightsaber decapitations), and a third has his arm sliced off after the blast doors begin sealing up and he uses the Force to pull the unfortunate clone towards him. It's a terrifying CallForward to Vader's rampage in ''Film/RogueOne'', but with Maul's brutality exceeding even Vader's. And he did all this ''without a lightsaber.''

* A good chunk of the action earlier on the episode is engineered by the goofy but effective antics of Ahsoka's droids, most of which aren't too different from Chopper's antics in ''Rebels'' (heck, one of the droids, CH-33P, is a Chopper {{Expy}} itself) or any of the stuff that the D-Squad does within ''The Clone Wars''. Even despite R7's HeroicSacrifice, the antics of G-G and CH-33P continue for a while. But unlike Chopper or the D-squad, G-G and CH-33P do ''not'' have PlotArmor on their side, and they are soon found by the clones and ''[[KillTheCutie executed on the spot]]''.

* A good chunk of the action earlier on the episode is engineered by the goofy but effective antics of Ahsoka's droids, most of which aren't too different from Chopper's antics in ''Rebels'' (heck, one of the droids, CH-33P, is a Chopper {{Expy}} itself) or any of the stuff that the D-Squad does within ''The Clone Wars''. Even despite R-3's HeroicSacrifice, the antics of G-G and CH-33P continue for a while. But unlike Chopper or the D-squad, G-G and CH-33P do ''not'' have PlotArmor on their side, and they are soon found by the clones and ''[[KillTheCutie executed on the spot]]''.

[[AC:"[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS7E4UnfinishedBusiness Unfinished Business]]"]]:

* The scene where the clones come to execute Maul is absolutely terrifying from his perspective; these troopers are Sidious' special guard, and he knows he's about to be either gunned down while completely unable to defend himself or taken to his former master, which ended ''very'' painfully for him last time. It doesn't help that you can hear him breathing faster and see him start to shake with panic.

* While not surprising considering how the prequels play out, the fact the cruiser and non clones begin to look like how they are when [[Film/ANewHope the Republic]] [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack turns]] [[Film/ReturnoftheJedi into]] ''The Empire''.

* While not surprising considering how the prequels play out, the fact the cruiser and non clones begin to look like how they are when [[Film/ANewHope the republic]] [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack turns]][[Film/ReturnoftheJedi into]] [[The Empire]].

* "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS7E4UnfinishedBusiness Unfinished Business]]":
** Although Anakin's encounter with Trench is a case of PayEvilUntoEvil, his claim that he no longer has the "weakness" of being noble is a chilling reminder of the Sith Lord he's going to be in only a few months. Just to drive it home, the background score during this scene? '''The Emperor's Theme'''.
** Trench's planet-buster bomb. Not only is the idea bad enough, but the fact that ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels Rebels]]'' confirmed that Anaxes was reduced to an AsteroidThicket sometime during the 15 years that pass between the series adds that extra dash of nightmarish implications regarding what may or may not have been done with that bomb... It also goes to show that planet-killers were around ''long'' before the [[KillSat Death Star]].

* Asajj Ventress reveals to Quinlan Vos that the Nightsister RiteOfPassage involves the Sisters going into an oily lake deep in the Nightsister Fortress first seen in "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS4E19Massacre Massacre]]". What Asajj is lucky to not have to do because she joined late is going in deeper to claim a piece of an ancient creature known as [[EldritchAbomination the Sleeper]]. Before Asajj and Quinlan see the whole creature, other Nightsisters only got vague but conflicting descriptions of it; the only thing they could agree on is that it is terrifying. Talia's sister got too paralyzed with fear and is eaten by the Sleeper.

** Ahsoka runs in to tell him that something's going on with Anakin. And as if to put an end to any hope that Rex might be pulling a ruse, he drops his helmet. And all the clones around her cock their blasters. All Rex can do is briefly tell the other clones not to shoot her and drop a cryptic reference to what he learned about Fives before he shoots at her. A shootout ensues, and Ahsoka Force-pushes Rex, causing him to hit his head on the holoprojector. She tries to get his attention, and given his head injury, it serves as a brief HopeSpot that his chip might have been deactivated... until [[RedHerring Rex still shoots at her]]. More clones rush in, and all Ahsoka can do is escape in the ensuing chaos.
* During Maul's rampage through the Venator Cruiser, he begins to rip pieces of metal off the walls to use as shields and weapons. We also get to see Maul straight-up ''decapitate'' two troopers with them (which, [[GoryDiscretionShot while offscreen]], would likely be a far more painful and bloody death than Maul's usual lightsaber decapitations), and a third has his arm sliced off after the blast doors begin sealing up and he uses the Force to pull the unfortunate clone towards him. It's a terrifying CallForward to Vader's rampage in ''Film/RogueOne'', but with Maul's brutality exceeding even Vader's. And he did all this ''without a lightsaber.''

** First, the scene once again cuts back to Maul closing his eyes and concentrating, but then, we hear exactly what he's listening to: ''the events of Film/RevengeOfTheSith''. Specifically, the duel in Palpatine's office. Ahsoka starts to hear it too, and she finally realizes that something is wrong with Anakin...

[[folder:Subsequent Stories]]
[[AC:''Comicbook/DarthMaulSonOfDathomir'']]
* Issue 3 gives us General Grievous' bare-handed CurbStompBattle against several Mandalorian warriors after Count Dooku releases him from his cell. Due it to not being restricted by TV-PG rating, one warrior actually bleeds on him, making you wonder what Grievous did to him (if it did get animated, it most likely would have been a SoundOnlyDeath). Yeah, Grievous doesn't need lightsabers to be dangerous.
* In Issue 4, Mother Talzin possesses Count Dooku. Not only does he gain her voice, he also gets {{Sickly Green|Glow}} GlowingEyesOfDoom.
* Also from Issue 4, Mother Talzin's death. No, not Grievous impaling her, but rather her corpse slowly crumbling into dust and the absorbed living Force seeping out of her body. Also, [[NightmareFace her face as she's decaying]]. [[https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/images/open-uri20150608-27674-1w8lkop_1c1a80d5.jpeg?region=0%2C0%2C1877%2C2160 And following this section, we now have concept art to demonstrate what it would have looked like had it been animated]].

[[AC:"Crystal Crisis on Utapau"]]
* At the end of this story arc, Yoda reveals that the ancient Sith used superweapons powered by giant kyber crystals like the one that the Separatists tried to buy from the Sugi. Couple that with the [[HellIsThatNoise familiar sound effect]] given by the crystal's energy discharge and the utter destruction that just one can cause, it's an omen for things to come.
* The incomplete animation may slightly put it into NightmareRetardant territory, but that's just it; the animation is only incomplete and some of the grislier scenes would've been more detailed had it been finished. In the third reel, we are given a first demonstration of what a giant kyber crystal is capable of when it has absorbed enough laser energy and then intensifies and releases that energy on a Sugi warrior (to put in perspective, [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill he's being shot with only a fraction of the Death Star's power]]). A kyber-powered shockwave disintegrates everything it touches, so had the animation been completed, the Sugi warrior would have been visibly disintegrated on-screen by the laser.

[[AC:''Literature/DarkDisciple'']]
* Asajj Ventress reveals to Quinlan Vos that the Nightsister RiteOfPassage involves the Sisters going into an oily lake deep in the Nightsister Fortress first seen in "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS4E19Massacre Massacre]]". What Asajj is lucky to not have to do because she joined late is going in deeper to claim a piece of an ancient creature known as [[EldritchAbomination the Sleeper]]. Before Asajj and Quinlan see the whole creature, other Nightsisters only got vague but conflicting descriptions of it; the only thing they could agree on is that it is terrifying. Talia's sister got too paralyzed with fear and is eaten by the Sleeper.
[[/folder]]

* Most of the earlier parts of the episode have an extreme sense of dread hanging over them, which is fitting for what happens later. This is especially true for the scene where the imprisoned Maul is escorted onto the Venator and Ahsoka stands wistfully at the bridge of the ship, which are ''completely silent''. The frequent cuts to Maul closing his eyes and concentrating on ''something'' do not help one bit. The silence is broken by a brief chat between Ahsoka and Rex; and then another trooper comes in and tells Rex to go back and [[TemptingFate listen to the new orders]]... And then things go south ''very'' quick.
** First, the scene once again cuts back to Maul closing his eyes and concentrating, but then, we hear exactly what he's listening to: ''the events of Film/RevengeOfTheSith''. Specifically, the duel in Palpatine's office. Ahsoka starts to hear it too, and she finally realizes that something is wrong with Anakin.
** Rex is contacted by Palpatine, and he finally receives the infamous message itself, this time, in [[Creator/IanMcDiarmid Ian [=McDiarmid's=]]] original voice via an archival recording from ''Revenge Of The Sith''. However, most previous sources such as ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' and ''Literature/StarWarsAhsoka'' built up the idea that Rex had already removed his chip and disobeyed the order. But as it turns out, that was very much [[NotHisSled not the case]].

** Rex is contacted by Palpatine, and he finally receives the infamous message itself, this time, in [[Creator/IanMcDiarmid Ian [=McDiarmid's=]]] original voice via an archival recording from ''Revenge Of The Sith''. However, most previous sources such as ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' and ''Literature/StarWarsAhsoka'' built up the idea that Rex had already removed his chip and disobeyed the order. But as it turns out, that was very much [[NotHisSled ''not'' the case]].

* Hearing the dreaded Order 66 being executed by Sidious, and this time, in Ian McDiarmid's original voice via an archival recording from ''Revenge Of The Sith''.
* During Maul's rampage through the Venator Cruiser he was held captive in, he begins to rip pieces of the walls to use as weapons. We also get to see Maul straight-up ''decapitate'' two troopers with them, and a third has his arm sliced off after the blast doors begin sealing up and he uses the Force to pull this unfortunate Clone towards him. It's a terrifying call-back to ''Rogue One''[='=]s infamous hallway scene, with Maul's brutality exceeding even Darth Vader's. And he did all this ''without a lightsaber.''

* During Maul's rampage through the Venator Cruiser he was held captive in, he begins to rip pieces of the walls to use as weapons. We also get to see Maul straight-up ''decapitate'' two troopers with them, and a third has his arm sliced off after the blast doors begin sealing up and he uses the Force to pull this unfortunate Clone towards him. It's a terrifying call-back to when "Rogue One", with Maul's brutality exceeding even Darth Vader's. And he did all this ''without a lightsaber.''

* During Maul's rampage through the Venator Cruiser he was held captive in, he begins to rip pieces of the walls to use as weapons. We also get to see Maul straight-up ''decapitate'' two troopers with them, and a third has his arm sliced off after the blast doors begin sealing up and he uses the Force to pull this unfortunate Clone towards him. It's a terrifying Callback to when "Rogue One", with Maul's brutality exceeding even Darth Vader's. And he did all this ''without a lightsaber.''

* During Maul's rampage through the Venator Cruiser he was held captive in, he begins to rip pieces of the walls to use as weapons. We also get to see Maul straight-up ''decapitate'' two troopers with them, and a third has his arm sliced off after the blast doors begin sealing up and he uses the Force to pull this unfortunate Clone towards him.

* Hearing the dreaded Order 66 being executed by Sidious, and this time, in Ian McDiarmind’s original voice via archival recording from ''Revenge Of The Sith''.

* Hearing the dreaded Order 66 being executed by Sidious, and this time, in Ian McDiarmand’s original recording from ''Revenge Of The Sith''.

* Maul's entire speech is honestly terrifying. He claims that justice is pointless, and that it is defined by the system that is in power, a system that he knows will very soon be corrupted and transformed by Sidious. He bitterly and despairingly warns Ahsoka that the Republic has already fallen, that the Jedi have already lost to Sidious and that they can't do anything to stop Sidious' victory. It's not just the speech itself, but the way he presents it. Maul, a savage and powerful warrior and cunning tactician who showed almost no fear through most of the series, is ''utterly terrified'' of the horrors that Sidious will soon unleash on the galaxy. Even his offer to Ahsoka to join him is portrayed as genuine, with none of the malice and intent to corrupt or betray that he would later try to manipulate Ezra with in ''Rebels'', because he is ''just that desperate.'' And the worst thing about Maul's speech? Everything that he is claiming about the imminent and absolute triumph of evil is '''absolutely correct.'''

* The fact that when Ashoka mentions Darth Sidious, Maul becomes twitchy and clearly fearful in his body language. Even separated by hundreds of light years, the mere mention of his former master's name is still sufficient to terrify Maul.
-->'''Ashoka''': Darth Sidious is behind all this?