Genndy Tartakovsky’s animated series “Clone Wars” allowed fans to witness the Jedi at the height of their power and experience a new aspect of the franchise. The debut of General Grievous was a turning point in the history of Star Wars. And, in his first appearance, he killed a character resembling Shaggy from Scooby-Doo.
Here’s General Grievous’ first encounter with Sha’a Gi.
Gennady Borisoivch Tartakovsky is a Russian-American animator, writer, producer, and director. He created many classic Cartoon Network shows like Dexter`s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, The Powerpuff Girls, and the Adult Swim series Primal and Unicorn: Warriors Eternal. In the early 1990s, Craig McCracken was hired as art director for Hanna-Barbera’s show 2 Stupid Dogs and recommended that Rob Renzetti and Tartakovsky be hired too. This was a major turning point in Tartakovsky’s career.
Star Wars: Clone Wars is an animated television series chronicling the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios, the series originally aired from 2003 to 2005 and served as a bridge between the films Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. It was intended to function as a bridge between the two movies. The series consists of 25 chapters. Seasons 1 and 2 (Volume I) consist of 3-minute episodes, and Season 3 (Volume II) consists of 12 15-minute episodes. The success of Star Wars: Clone Wars led to a theatrical film named Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Tartakovsky’s vision of the Jedi in the show is unique. Instead of showing the Jedi as gods among men, he shows them as flawed and human. They’re true human warriors, men and women who wield incredible power but are flesh and blood. One character that perfectly reflects this is Sha’a Gi.
The Battle of Hypori, the 20th and final installment of the first half of Clone Wars, is not only one of the miniseries’ best moments, it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before. Following the outbreak of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, Gi and his Jedi Master Daakman Barrek continued their espionage efforts discovering a Confederacy of Independent Systems droid factory operating on the planet Hypori. Barrek summoned a Republic strike force to destroy the factory, but the reinforcements were killed by an orbital mine, causing the entire force to crash onto the planet’s surface. Gi and Barrek joined forces with several Jedi survivors. Surrounded by a droid army, Sha’a Gi’s master was killed by the droid army’s leader, a terrifying cyborg named General Grievous.
Director George Lucas asked Lucasfilm’s art department to design a “droid general,” stating that the character needed to be reminiscent of Darth Vader from the original trilogy, rather than a copy of the famous Sith Lord. Lucas also advised the crew that Grievous must be visually cyborg, rejecting an earlier design that depicted his mask with robotic photoreceptors. The creator wanted to foreshadow “what Anakin is going to become, which is a half man, half robot”. Unlike Vader, whose appearance is black, Grievous’s look is white. Unlike many Star Wars villains, he uses multiple lightsabers and moves inhumanly.
General Grievous’ only line of dialogue in Chapter 20 is an icy threat. It’s not a witty remark about the situation like many Jedi Generals (looking at you Obi-Wan). “You are surrounded and your army is destroyed,” he says. “Make your peace with the Force now. This is your last time. But please know that I, General Grievous, am not entirely without mercy either. I give you the death of a warrior. Get ready!”
The remaining Jedi take shelter in the wreckage of a crashed Acclamator-class attack ship, waiting for Grievous to engage them. Gi, overwhelmed by fear and the loss of his master, panics and runs out into the open. He’s immediately killed by Grievous. In any other version of Star Wars, he would be shown stalwart and unmoving, Facing the enemy with cool defiance. But the first Jedi killed onscreen by the General is a scared dude who panics at the sight of his shiny metal body. Not unlike the cartoon hippie from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
This is not a casual joke based on his appearance. The poor Padawan with an unfortunate record of being the first to be killed by General Grievous on screen. He screams in fear and anger as he steps out of the shadows, but he freezes as General Grievous rises and crushes him under his heels. There’s one frame he’s there and gone the next.
Tartakovsky himself mentioned the easter egg in the Clone Wars DVD commentary. He intended this character to be an homage to one of his favorite animated shows.
Tartakovsy originally wanted the Jedi to have a high-pitched voice similar to Shaggy’s. However, Tartakovsky didn’t like the voice and found it “too goofy”. Tartakovsky loved Hanna-Barbera cartoons and got his big break working for the studio. Plus, the studio produced his early Cartoon Network hit Dexter’s Laboratory.
Although Gi was called “Padawan” in the original credits, he was later given the gag name Sha’a Gi. It is rivaled only in absurdity by Ima-Ghan Di (pronounced like “I’mma gon’ die”).
Sha’a Gi is my favorite Easter Egg in Star Wars movies and shows. This is a great example of everything the franchise should be. One of the Jedi Knights only exists as a gag about a Hanna-Barbera cartoon series. That’s unbelievable. It’s cool. It’s incredibly stupid. It’s Star Wars.
