Do You Need to Watch The Clone Wars Before Star Wars Zero Company?

By Jaymo | Today at 12:36pm

If you want to play Star Wars Zero Company but have not watched The Clone Wars, you might be wondering if you should watch the series first.

The good news is that you do not need to. Zero Company tells its own story and introduces a new group of characters, so you will not be completely lost if you have not seen the animated series.

The game follows Zero Company, a group led by Hawks, a former Republic officer. The story takes place during the final years of the Clone Wars, though, so knowing a little about that period of Star Wars will help put some of the characters and events into context.

Is Star Wars Zero Company Connected to The Clone Wars?

Yes. Zero Company is not adapting a story from The Clone Wars, but the two are still connected. The game is set around 20 BBY, near the end of the Clone Wars and between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. You will play as Hawks and the rest of Zero Company as they investigate a new threat, and on the other side, the Galactic Republic and Separatist Alliance are still at war.

So even if Hawks and the rest of Zero Company are new characters, the game will also feature some familiar faces. Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex are both connected to the story, and Zero Company also draws from events seen in The Clone Wars, including the well-known Umbara arc.

So even if you do not need to know the entire history of the Clone Wars to understand what is happening, fans of the show will probably recognize quite a few things.

Will You Be Lost if You Have Not Watched the Clone Wars?

Probably not. Zero Company has been designed as its own story, with Hawks and the rest of the squad introducing players to the game’s characters, conflicts, and setting. In theory, the game should give you enough context needed around the story, so you do not feel lost. However, there might be some easter eggs or hints here and there to things that you will only notice if you watched Clone Wars.

You will definitely not need to remember hundreds of episodes of The Clone Wars just to understand why you are fighting a particular battle in the game.

The bigger advantage of watching the show is simply context. Knowing what the Clone Wars are, understanding the relationship between the Republic and the Separatists, and being familiar with characters such as Anakin and Rex will make everything feel more familiar. It can also make some returning characters and references more interesting when they appear.

What Should You Watch Before Zero Company?

If you do not know much about Star Wars at all, I would recommend watching Attack of the Clones first. That is where the Clone Wars begin, and it gives you the basic context you need for the conflict that Zero Company takes place in. From there, you could watch The Clone Wars if you want a much better understanding of the era. But you do not have to watch all seven seasons just to play Zero Company. The show contains a huge number of different stories and characters, and plenty of episodes are not particularly relevant to the game’s story.

If you are specifically trying to prepare for Zero Company, the most useful material is the stuff covering the Clone Wars, its big factions, and some of the characters connected to the game.

And if you end up enjoying the show, then obviously there is nothing stopping you from watching the whole thing. For example, here is a recommended list of episodes that are related to specific squad members:

S2 E12-14 (Cly Kullervo)
S4 E7-10 (Luco Bronc)
S5 E14-16 (Cly Kullervo)
S6 E1-4 (Trick)
Optional: S7 E9-12

What About Revenge of the Sith?

Revenge of the Sith is also worth watching if you are interested in the setting. Zero Company takes place near the end of the Clone Wars, shortly before the events of Episode III. That means the game is taking place during one of the most important periods in the Star Wars timeline.

But you do not need to have seen Revenge of the Sith to understand Zero Company. It is just that knowing where the Clone Wars ultimately lead gives the game’s setting some additional context. There is also a certain appeal to playing a game set during this period while knowing that the galaxy is getting closer and closer to the events of Episode III.

What About Andor?

Andor is also worth mentioning, although for a completely different reason. It is not set during the Clone Wars and therefore will not give you much useful information about the game’s specific timeline. However, the developers have discussed Andor as an inspiration for the tone they are aiming for with Zero Company.

And that makes sense when you look at the game’s premise.

Zero Company is not about playing as a traditional Jedi hero. You are commanding a group of unconventional characters, including mercenaries, former soldiers, droids, and other specialists operating in the shadows of a much larger war. So if you are interested in seeing the kind of more grounded, espionage-focused Star Wars tone that Zero Company is going for, Andor is a much better comparison than a prerequisite.

So, Should You Watch The Clone Wars Before Zero Company?

Even if you have never watched The Clone Wars, you can safely start Zero Company without it. The game has its own characters and story, and you should not need an encyclopedic knowledge of Star Wars to follow the campaign.

However, if you are interested in getting more context and you want to be able to notice little easter eggs or things like that, then watching Attack of the Clones, followed by some of The Clone Wars, is a good way to get familiar with everything.

So the recommendation is pretty simple: