IGN: You're introducing the Episode III Clone Trooper armor in this season. When the show began, we thought it might run five years, but now it sounds like it's going beyond that. So how do you parcel out time, knowing that with something like the armor, it makes people say, "We're getting closer!"?
Filoni: It's true. It's probably one of the more difficult things. I just try to logically think, Season 1, Season 2, Season 3… We've had three seasons pretty much where they've worn the Phase 1 armor and it just seemed natural. Because I don't know how long we're going to go, but I say well six [seasons], six is a pretty good number. So maybe I'll start to balance it that way. It just felt right. You just kind of gauge it that way. I wanted to get a nice little change for Rex in there, so I gave him a specialized helmet. That has a little backstory. I create this backstory for Dee [Bradley Baker] where I was telling him that Rex doesn't believe that the new armor is really that good. He sees it as more prefabricated, where the original armor… You know how classic stuff, the craftsmanship is a little better? So Rex cut his old helmet up and he welded together parts of the new helmet and his armor is a hodgepodge of old gear and new gear. So it's kind of like his character. He's like this veteran now and he's got little kill marks all over his armor. I think Rex is becoming something of a little legend. He's such a long term survivor of the Clone War. But it was time for a new look and it makes Season 4 shine I think, to be the definitive moment – like, oh, now they're all in Phase 2 armor.
IGN: So how cool was it for you guys, even for just a glimpse, to get to put Darth Vader on the show during the Mortis storyline last season?
Filoni: You know, it's always one of those things you wonder about… Wow, should we really do that? Are we really going to do that? And then you just go for it. Joel [Aron] really wanted to do it and it just makes it that much more Star Wars. When you hear Vader's breathing and you see him… It was awesome. Jessie, the guy overseas who lit the shot and did the effects, he must have done umpteen takes of that, because it meant so much to him. Everyone wanted to get that, what is it, eight frames that it's on for? But everyone wanted to get those eight frames just perfect and yeah… He's the icon! Everybody knows Darth Vader and I think it's important to have that moment in the show, because you really start to get, "Oh yeah, that is Anakin." And that's something that I think is sometimes hard for people. That is the same guy. And we're headed that way! It's gonna get bad! But what can you do?
IGN: Now I'm a big fan of the show, but I have to admit, sometimes I had a hard time getting my head around the timeline early last season.
Filoni: Oh sure!
IGN: Going forward, will you be jumping around more or…?
Filoni: I have tried to be very linear since the episode "Heroes on Both Sides." The second half of Season 3 all happens in a linear fashion and I've been pretty dead set on working that way going forward. I am pretty insistent that we should stay that way. My master has a great interest in prequels and sequels…
IGN: [Laughs] What?!
Filoni: [Laughs] But I try to say no and I think the writers, we all agree. Because I want everybody to be on the same page. I want to take people on this journey of some of these characters that are on now, like Rex and Ashoka and Ventress and Savage, and really see how they evolve. And I think you need to keep moving in a linear fashion to do that. We tell arcs and they're not implicitly connected, but you get a better sense of where they are. And I have a massive timeline that explains where all the other episodes sit. So one day we'll release that and you can sit down and figure that out and I'm sure that will be the day that someone finds a continuity error, but you know… Then we'll fix it and we'll be fine! But there is a big chart that explains where "Clone Cadets" relates to "Rookies" and "ARC Troopers." Because those episodes don't really happen so concurrently, as you notice, because the Domino Squad leaves Kamino and then a whole bunch of stuff happens and then they're on the Rishi moon and then a whole bunch more happens and then you have "ARC Troopers." So that's all worked out and one day we'll share it with you.
IGN: I want to know how Aurra Sing…
Filoni: …gets out of jail?
IGN: Yeah, because she's with Cad Bane's crew in "Hostage Crisis!"
Filoni: Again, I always think that's a great place for a comic book. It's one of those things that… Cad Bane needed her. He knew that he needed her specifically for the job of sniping at that distance and that nobody else would do, and so he is involved in a breakout of Aurra Sing. So believe me, I have sat down and thought of this and all these connections. I have a really fun story with Todo 360, where he got blown up in the Jedi temple and then he actually appears in a later story. But the reason for that I came up with is Anakin actually asked to reassemble Todo, to see if they can download any information from him that would reveal more about Cad Bane and his whereabouts and as soon as he brings Todo back online, Bane becomes aware of it and it's a whole thing… So even when we don't shoot the story, I try to come up with these little stories that say, "Okay, well that is logically where that would happen." We're just not going to do episodes about it. So there you go: For you, right now, you have the continuity peace of mind! [Laughs]
IGN: [Laughs] Thank you! Now before I let you go, I have to ask about something glimpsed in the Season 4 previews, which is Gungans vs. Grievous.
Filoni: Gungans vs. Grievous! Dangerous and disturbing, these developments are.
IGN: Was that a pretty interesting one to tackle?
Filoni: It was very interesting to tackle. That's going to be an interesting moment for the fans. It will be interesting to see what they think, I'll just say that… Gungans vs. Grievous. The rain makes it really cool. That was Joel's idea. It's going to be devastating.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Season 4 premieres Friday, September 16th on Cartoon Network at 8pm ET/PT.
