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The Clone Wars Episode Guide: Bounty Hunters

Episode No.: 39 (Season 2, Episode 17)
Original Air Date: April 2nd, 2010
Production No.: 219 (Season 2, Episode 19)

Written by Carl Ellsworth
Supervising Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg
Directed by Steward Lee
In memory of Akira Kurosawa

Key Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Sugi, Embo, Rumi Paramita, Seripas, Casiss, Dilanni, Hondo Ohnaka
Key Locales: Felucia

Cast:
James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and pirate trooper
Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker and Muk Muk monkey
Anna Graves as Sugi and Rumi
Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano and village child
Jim Cummings as Hondo Ohnaka
Greg Baldwin as Casiss, Seripas and Gwarm
Stephen Stanton as Dilanni and pirate scout
Dave Filoni as Embo
Tom Kane as narrator

Full Synopsis:
“Courage makes heroes, but trust builds friendship.”

Newsreel:
The death toll rises! As the battles intensify, and threaten a growing number of Republic worlds, planets are left to survive on their own. While the Jedi struggle to fight a war
on many fronts, a series of medical stations have been established as a lifeline for those in need, but the facilities are easy prey for Separatist attacks. After losing contact with
the medical station orbiting Felucia,
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano are sent to investigate….

ACT I

A Jedi shuttle pops out of hyperspace high above the florid world of Felucia, and immediately stumbles upon an automated vulture droid deployment station. The orbiting holder blossoms, revealing six vulture droids that immediately scramble and pursue the Jedi craft. Aboard, Anakin Skywalker jinks and jukes the vessel to avoid enemy fire, but a lucky blast cripples the shuttle. It plunges through the atmosphere, and its crew is forced to eject. Their spheroid survival capsules bounce through the Felucian wilderness, coming to rest in the thick of the alien jungle.

Avoiding a herd of jungle rancors, the three Jedi set aside their bickering and wander to a nearby spice farming village. It appears abandoned, until a closer look reveals that is valuable nysillin crop is ready to be harvested and all the supplies are still present. Anakin snoops in the barn, finding a rugged starship that seems out of place. Investigating one of the homes, Ahsoka and Anakin find Felucians cowering in the cellar. The Jedi are soon surrounded by heavily armed bounty hunters.

The hunters are lead by a lithe Zabrak female named Sugi, who orders the Jedi to drop their weapons. Accompanying her is the fearsome Embo, a Kyuzo with a heavy bowcaster, a rifle-toting female Frenk named Rumi Paramita, and a silent, armored hulk named Seripas. When Obi-Wan enters, blade extended, it turns into a more even standoff, which is interrupted by the pleas of Casiss, the Felucian village elder.

The Jedi discover that the Felucians have hired these bounty hunters as protection against pirates. The brigands routinely raid the village, demanding tribute. Defenseless, the Felucians have turned to mercenary protection. Cassis hopes with the Jedi bolstering their ranks, they can drive off the pirates for good.

Kenobi’s first priority is securing transport off Felucia and reporting to the Republic the status of the missing Felucian medical station. He fears if the Jedi linger here, they may draw the attention of the Separatists, bringing far more worse trouble down upon the heads of the farmers.

The pirates suddenly arrive and confront the villagers. Obi-Wan and Anakin are surprised to see a familiar face: these are the Weequay pirates they previously faced on Florrum, led by the oily Hondo Ohnaka.

ACT II

Hondo acts all chummy with the Jedi, but he’s here to collect the nysillin. He offers to buy off the bounty hunters if they step aside, but Sugi will not renege on her deal. Kenobi tries to buy transit off Felucia from Hondo, but the Weequay has no interest in Republic credits. He makes his demands clear, ordering Cassis to harvest the crop so he can collect it the next day. The Weequay pirates then leave the village.

Kenobi and the Jedi begin studying the tactical layout of the village, advising the Felucians and their bounty-hunter protectors. One particularly pessimistic farmer, Dilanni, frets that four hunters will not be enough. Anakin realizes the best option is to train the villagers to defend themselves.

The next morning, the Felucians harvest the nysillin and place the bushels in the barn, while Anakin instructs a group of villagers in the use of improvised pole-arms. Ahsoka helps others master the slingshot. It’s a long process — the villagers have much to learn. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and Sugi discuss tactics, and the use of the barn as a fallback position.

The well-armored Serapis clears some vegetation, but is suddenly pinned by a falling tree. Ahsoka rushes to his aid to discover that Seripas in truth a tiny, frail alien piloting an armored suit.

ACT III

With practice, the villagers get better. A pirate scout spots this activity. Sugi sees the spy, and dispatches Embo. The hunter destroys the pirate’s speeder bike, avoids enemy fire, and kills the Weequay. Kenobi realizes that when the scout fails to report to Hondo, the pirates will return in force. The farmers get into position while the Jedi activate an energy fence around the village.

Hondo’s pirates show up riding speeder bikes, while Hondo himself is aboard an armored repulsortank. The battle erupts, first as the bikers strafe the village. Embo leaps atop one of the bikes, commandeering it. Felucians riding atop tee-muss beasts charge the bikers, knocking them off their mounts with their polearms. Felucians use their tractors to push over weakened trees atop other bikers.

Serapis’s armored suit is blasted by an incoming pirate, forcing the tiny alien to abandon it. Even still, Serapis leaps atop a speeding bike and batters a Weequay pirate, tripping the bike’s brakes and sending the pirate tumbling away.

From atop the bluff, Hondo opens fire with the repulsortank. The explosive blasts knocks out Embo, the hunters’ most formidable warrior. With heavy fire raining down on them, the Jedi, hunters and villagers retreat to the barn. Anakin Force-leaps atop the bluff and lands on the tank. Hondo holds him off with an electro-staff, while the pirate chief’s monkey lizard distracts the Jedi. Skywalker kicks Hondo off the cliff, but the tenacious Weequay clings to the ledge. The other pirates see their leader in trouble and retreat.

Hondo pleads for help. Anakin pulls Hondo up, but the treacherous Weequay shoves the Jedi into the path of the tank’s heavy cannon. Hondo’s loyal monkey lizard opens fire, forcing Anakin to leap to safety. This gives Hondo the time he needs to escape. His pirate forces pick him up aboard their retreating flying saucer.

With the pirates gone, Casiss thanks the Jedi for their efforts. Anakin deflects the praise, telling the Felucians that they have saved themselves. Sugi offers Kenobi and his companions a ride off Felucia.

Trivia & Details

• In the script, some of Embo’s dialogue was presented as English. His first words to Anakin were “You’re outmanned, laserblade.” This prompts Anakin’s reply, “It’s not always about the numbers.”
• The episode begins with an unusual title card, specifically mentioning Akira Kurosawa, an influential film director greatly admired by George Lucas. The original Star Wars was very much inspired by the works of Kurosawa, particularly the 1958 movie The Hidden Fortress . Another Clone Wars episode, “Lightsaber Lost,” is a nod to Kurosawa’s work — the 1949 film, Stray Dog. “Bounty Hunters” is the clearest tribute yet to Kurosawa, and his legendary movie The Seven Samurai. Its tale of a beleaguered village hiring mercenaries for protection against brigands has inspired a host of movies — most famously the American remake, The Magnificent Seven, as well as comedies like ¡Three Amigos! and A Bug’s Life. An early storyline in the Star Wars Marvel Comics series in 1978-1979 has a similar story, with Han Solo leading a group of hired guns to protect a village threatened by bandits.
• The Aurebesh text on the escape capsule reads: “CAUTION – Explosive Extrusion”
• If Sugi’s blaster pistol looks familiar, it’s no accident. It’s the same type of weapon brandished by Boba Fett in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.

Memorable Quotes

• “Why do you even ask for my opinion? We never do things my way.”
• “We crashed the ship your way.” — Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi

“Well there’s one thing I learned where I grew up: if you want to know what a farmer’s up to, look in the barn.” — Anakin Skywalker

“Don’t look! I’m — I’m having a… a suit malfunction!” — Seripas

“You know what I always say… speak softly, and drive a big tank.” — Hondo Ohnaka

“This effort… is no longer… profitable!” — Hondo Ohnaka, retreating with dignity

Just as a FYI, to avoid old posts becoming one with the Force, this post has been republished so it can be a blue glowy thing, it was Originally posted 2023-06-17 12:00:10.