Crowns are inherited, kingdoms are earned.
Prince Lee-Char and Padawan Ahsoka Tano, in hiding in the oceans of Mon Cala, are hunted by the Separatists as the only ones uncaptured by the occupation forces led by Riff Tamson. While the sadistic Karkarodon general tortures his captives, Ahsoka and Lee-Char have to come up with a plan to save the planet, assisted by the growing doubts of Quarren leader Nossor Ri.
Tropes:
- Awesome Moment of Crowning: This episode ends with Lee-Char's coronation, at a ceremony attended by both Mon Calamari and Quarren, as well as the Jedi.
- Badass in Distress: At the start of this episode, Anakin, Padmé, Kit, and Jar Jar have all been captured by the Separatist forces, and are all placed in torture devices.
- Chekhov's Skill: During the initial attack two episodes ago, the Quarren were shown to have the ability to spray a cloud of ink much like real squid. Here, Nossor Ri puts that ability to good use to provide cover to save Lee-Char.
- Defiant Captive: Padmé is not happy about being a prisoner, and struggles against being placed in a rack.
- Electric Torture: Anakin and Kit are imprisoned inside groups of electric eels clamped together that shock them if they try to break out.
- Exact Words: After Tamson proclaims himself the new ruler of Mon Calamari, Nossor Ri protests that that wasn't the arrangement agreed upon with Count Dooku. Tamson retorts that Count Dooku had made two separate arrangements - one with Nossor Ri, and one with Tamson himself. The reveal of this double-dealing is what finally causes Nossor Ri to realise just how much he's been manipulated by the Separatists, although he doesn't fully turn against them until later.
- Family-Unfriendly Death: Riff Tamson is blown to bits by his own bomb, complete with a shot of his lifeless head sinking into the depths. While his receives a Gory Discretion Shot, immediately before this he had subjected several Mon Cala and Gungan soldiers to the same fate, and those were shown on-screen, complete with visible chunks floating in the water in the aftermath.
- Heel–Face Turn: Nossor Ri and the Quarren turn against the Separatists after realizing how they've been played, something Lee-Char counts on in his plan to free the planet, knowing Ri is not evil and was a good friend of his father. Ri actually saves Lee-Char directly from his execution.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Quite literally. Riff Tamson is killed when Lee-Char sticks him with one of his own dagger-bombs and shoots it.
- Meaningful Echo: When Ahsoka assures Anakin that Lee-Char's impending execution is "all part of the plan", Anakin replies "I knew you were going to say that", echoing Ahsoka's comment to him at the start of the arc.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: After being treated like dirt by Dooku and Tamson, realising they have no intention of honouring their previous pledges to the Quarren, and realising Lee-Char is earnest in his desire to bridge the divides between the Quarren and Mon Cala, Nossor Ri turns on the Separatists and his fellow Quarren free the captive Mon Cala, Gungans, and clones to start a counterattack.
- One-Word Title: "Prisoners".
- Public Execution: Tamson attempts to publicly execute Lee-Char in order to break the captive Mon Calamari's spirit by making a show of killing the leader that has served as the main embodiment of their will to resist his forces, but the Quarren take the opportunity to turn against the Separatists there thanks to Lee-Char's earlier urging. Oh, and the execution doesn't involve a blade or blaster, but being mauled by Karkarodons.
- Shout-Out:
- When presented with how they'll be tortured, Kit comments to Anakin "Ah, eels. Very dangerous." This references Sallah's similar comment about asps in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
- The Shark Man Riff Tamson is killed when he's stuck with a bomb that's set off by being shot, much like the climax of Jaws.
- Super Spit: Jar Jar reveals that Gungans can spit globs of the same mucus that waterproofs their bodies when he uses it to seal Padmé's cracked helmet, saving her life.
- Shown Their Work: When Tamson's disembodied head is shown following his Family-Unfriendly Death, the whites of his eyes are visible; this is eerily similar to what's seen in great white sharks (which Tamson's species seems to be based off of) when attacking prey; they roll their eyes back in order to protect them from injury.
- Took a Level in Badass: Lee-Char, who was inexperienced and unsure at the beginning of the arc, takes on Riff Tamson and kills him with one of his own bombs.
- Use Your Head: Ackbar headbutts off the head of an aqua droid.
- Villain Respect: Tamson says he respects how difficult Lee-Char was to capture "as a hunter to his prey". Lee-Char replies that he neither needs nor wants Tamson's respect.
- With My Hands Tied: When the counterattack begins, Ahsoka takes down the aqua droids holding her prisoner while her hands are locked in cuffs.
- Would Hit a Girl: Tamson bites a hole in Padmé's helmet to let water flood it in a bid to force Anakin and Kit to tell him where Lee-Char is. When he gets the information from another source, he's quite content to let her drown just to spite the Jedi.Anakin Skywalker: Tamson, you have to help her!Riff Tamson: No, I don't.
- You Killed My Father: Riff Tamson is revealed to be the murderer of Lee-Char's father, the former king, something Lee-Char comes to suspect before the Karkarodon admits to it.Riff Tamson: I killed your father without pity or mercy!Lee-Char: Then I'll return the favour!
