Could Star Wars: The Clone Wars Feature a Darth Vader Appearance?

Star Wars: The Clone Wars has lived up to the promise of its final season on Disney+, by filling in some crucial events in the Skywalker Saga, by expanding upon happened during the pivotal events of Revenge of the Sith. Specifically, we’re learning how Palpatine’s rise, Anakin Skywalker’s fall, and the Jedi’s doom all affected major character from The Clone Wars, like Darth Maul, Ahsoka Tano, and the Clone Troopers like Rex. However, with two more episodes of Clone Wars left, there’s still time to expand one more key piece of the Skywalker Saga story: Darth Vader‘s first appearance to those Anakin used to call friends.

A new piece of Star Wars fashion being sold over at Box Lunch (h/t Star Wars News) is a jersey tank top that goes by the product title of, “Our Universe Star Wars: The Clone Wars Darth Vader Jersey Tank Top”.

Now, if you think that’s just a arbitrary product title, here’s the tagline for the tank top, as listed on the Box Lunch site:

“Show your true allegiance to the dark side of the Force in this athletic jersey tank! Darth Vader makes a statement in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, just like this tank will in your closet. Features graphics inspired by his armor on the front and “VADER” text above “77” on the back, signifying the year the Sith Lord made his first appearance in A New Hope.”

With franchises like Star Wars, that have massive merchandising branches, these kinds of leaks are pretty common (as fans well know). This mention of Vader and Clone Wars is pretty conspicuous, as the series only hinted at Vader during a vision Anakin Skywalker has in the Clone Wars “Mortis” arc. But given that there are two episodes of the series left to premiere on Disney+, and how the previous “Siege of Mandalore” arc syncs up to events of Revenge of the Sith, it would be no surprise if Clone Wars ends with a Vader cameo.

In Star Wars Rebels‘ two-part “Twilight of the Apprentice / A World Between Worlds” episodes, Ahsoka Tano and her former Jedi master Anakin / Vader finally meet and duel. While it is the first time the pair duel, Ahsoka’s dialogue, and overall behavior earlier in the Rebels story arcs, suggests she’s indeed seen Anakin in Vader form before. With that already established, it’s almost obligatory that the final arc of Clone Wars reveal to us the first time Ahsoka and/or others first see Anakin as Vader. The power of that moment will be as deep with longtime Clone Wars fans as Obi-Wan Kenobi’s duel with Anakin was in Revenge of the Sith. And like that film, Clone Wars has Ahsoka to be the torch of hope that keeps Anakin’s heroic legacy alive, until his son and daughter come along to fulfill their destinies.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is now streaming on Disney+.