Why did the clones paint their helmets orange?

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Ahsoka briefly teams up with Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan again in this final season
Anakin gives Ahsoka a troop, and they pledge their allegiance to Ahsoka with special suits
Ahsoka and her squadron of Clones go to fight in the Siege of Mandalore

Today I'm finishing up the 2020 Walmart exclusive set of The Black Series Phase IV figures based on the final four episodes of The Clone Wars season 7 by checking out the 332nd Ahsoka's Clone Trooper. The final season of The Clone Wars was excellent but the last four episodes were truly something to behold, both wrapping up the series and amazingly bridging the gap between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The final episodes cover Ahsoka's involvement in the Siege of Mandalore and Order 66 but she's not alone; Ahsoka is joined by the troopers of the 332nd Company, part of the 332nd Division. Under the command of Captain Rex, the troopers paint their helmets as a sign of respect and loyalty to Ahsoka Tano, who returns to joint them in ending Darth Maul's control of Mandalore. You might have a lot of Clone Troopers on your shelf but this one is sure to stand out! Let's check out the 332nd Ahsoka's Clone Trooper after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 1/18ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, swivel/ hinge knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed hips, ball jointed torso, swivel/hinge shoulders with lateral "butterfly" hinges, swivel/ hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed neck, and a double ball jointed head.

Accessories: DC-15A blaster, DC-15S blaster.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

Comparison:

* The body of the 332nd Ahsoka's Clone Trooper is the new Black Series Phase IV body that is used on the Phase I Clone Trooper. Other than having the Phase II helmet and the 501st paint applications on the shoulders and torso, this guy is the same figure.

The Positives:

* The new armor sculpt looks a lot better and it much more lively now that it's covered with the weathered blue stripes of the 501st. The little bits of color on the Clone Troopers really bring them to life and make them much more interesting, don't you think?

* The Phase II Clone Trooper helmet looks fantastic and the paintwork is spot on. As Captain Rex said, "The paint job's a little crude but we think it gets the idea across."

* The back of the figure looks fairly similar to the older Clone Trooper releases although all of the details are much crisper and sharper.

* Since this is a newly designed body for Phase IV of the Black Series the articulation is the biggest area where you'll really appreciate this new sculpt. The previous articulation system has completely been replaced. Now we have swivel/ hinge joints with a great range of motion, more solid feeling plastic, lateral shoulder joints, and a more articulated head and neck. This guy is a ton of fun to play around with and he's sturdy and well made. Nice work!

* Hasbro gave the Clone Trooper flexible shoulder pads, elbow pads, and knee pads. They look really cool and move with the articulation, keeping anything restrictive on the armor to a minimum.

* The Clone Trooper comes with the same two blasters almost every other previous Clone has come with: The DC-15A and the DC-15S. The DC-15A and the DC-15S are the same as the previous molds and still look just fine.

The 332nd Ahsoka's Clone Trooper is a Great and a 1/2 figure and I'm sure it's one lots of Black Series collectors would like to have but it's pretty darn hard to find. Walmart either didn't order these in decent quantities or Hasbro didn't ship what they should have as these were nowhere to be found. Since they're exclusives if you do manage to find them you also have to pay Hasbro's $5 dollar exclusive tax. Still, it's a cool figure and a neat, very episode specific nod to one of the best story lines of The Clone Wars.

If you're looking for more Clone Trooper reviews, I've got plenty! I've reviewed the 1/18th scale Black Series Clone Trooper Sergeant, and the 6 inch, Clone Trooper Captain , Clone Trooper Sergeant, the Amazon exclusive Phase 1 Clone Trooper Commander, Phase II Clone Trooper, Imperial Stormtrooper, and First Order Stormtrooper Officer four pack, Clone Trooper (Holiday Edition), the Black Series Phase IV Phase I Clone Trooper, and the Entertainment Earth 442nd Siege Battalion Clone Trooper, 212th Attack Battalion Utapau Trooper, Coruscant Guard ---(Phase II), and 501st Legion Clone Trooper 4 pack.

For more figures from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV check out the following:

Page 2

The Clone Wars Season 7 is coming this Friday, Feb. 21. It’ll be the beginning of the end, as it’s the start of the final season of the beloved series. It takes place before Revenge of the Sith and coincides with events that happen at the end of the movie, like Order 66 and Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side.

The trailer is very epic and does its job of getting fans hyped up for the final season, but it also shows Clones in special armor. Armor that sort of looks like Ahsoka Tano’s facial markings and colors. Even though the former Padawan has been away from the Order, the Clones still honor their commander. Spoilers and brief overview ahead for The Clone Wars Season 7.

Half of the 501st Legion with armor that honors their commander, Ahsoka Tano, ‘The Clone Wars’ Season 7 | Lucasfilm/Disney+

Ahsoka briefly teams up with Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan again in this final season

At the end of Season 5, Ahsoka, unfortunately, leaves the Jedi Order after being framed for bombing the Jedi Temple, getting expelled from the Order, and losing trust in the Jedi. It’s a very tough choice for her since she’s so attached to Anakin, but she knows it’s the right decision for her.

So, going into Season 7, Ahsoka was spending time in the underworld of Coruscant. In previous storyboards, she was helping out a mechanic, so that might be what fans see her do when the first episode premieres on Feb. 21. But in that time, Bo-Katan recruits Ahsoka to help her with issues back on Mandalore. Since Ahsoka was a friend to Satine (Bo-Katan’s late sister), she knows Ahsoka would help her. Maul has escaped Darth Sidious’ hold over him and is now in control of Mandalore again. Bo-Katan wishes to overthrow his rule of her home planet.

Ahsoka knows that defeating Maul is very important to Obi-Wan, and Anakin by extension. She brings this opportunity to them, and they set off on a mission, like old times. However, it doesn’t play out how they want it to since Yoda urgently calls Anakin and Obi-Wan back to the war to rescue Palpatine. This is the beginning of Revenge of the Sith when the two are breaking the Chancellor out from General Grievous’ clutches.

Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano in a hologram, contacting Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker about Maul | Lucasfilm/Disney+

Anakin gives Ahsoka a troop, and they pledge their allegiance to Ahsoka with special suits

As we know, Ahsoka isn’t on that mission with them because she still has a fight to win on Mandalore. But, Anakin won’t leave his former Padawan unprotected when he’s called off. She is going against Deathwatch and Maul, so she’ll need all of the help she can get. So, Anakin gives her a squadron of Clone troopers.

It’s not just any group of Clones either. It’s half of the 501st Legion, which is the troop Anakin and Ahsoka commanded regularly in the Clone Wars. And what makes it all the more special is the fact that they pledged their allegiance to Ahsoka by painting their armor. Their helmets are orange and have her facial markings, which also goes with her lekku since the rest of their armor is blue.

“The doors open and they all salute,” Dave Filoni said at the “Ahsoka’s Untold Stories” panel at Star Wars Celebration Europe in 2016. “It’s this moment and you see what was a little girl standing there and now she’s grown and she has command of this whole thing.” It’s a pretty grand gesture to honor their former commander coming back to lead them once more.

Captain Rex, a close companion to Ahsoka as well, is a part of this section of the 501st that are going with them to Mandalore. As Dave Filoni, Supervising Director for The Clone Wars said this all perfectly explains why neither Ahsoka or Rex is in Revenge of the Sith.

Ahsoka and her squadron of Clones go to fight in the Siege of Mandalore

Without giving too much more away, Ahsoka and Rex go to fight in the Siege of Mandalore. They fight against Maul’s battalion of Mandalorians, and as the trailers show, it’ll be an epic battle. Ahsoka even faces off against Maul, which adds more meaning to their meeting with the former Sith in Star Wars Rebels Season 2.

As we already know, the Jedi and the Republic lose in the end. Palpatine calls in Order 66, which is code for the Clones to slaughter the Jedi. Sidious takes over as Emperor of the new Galactic Empire, and the world of the original Star Wars movies starts to take form.

Fans get a little more insight into how the rebels came to be and how Ahsoka’s story lives on in Star Wars Rebels, but the finale of The Clone Wars will show another side to the final moments of the war and how Ahsoka and Rex escape.