The Fate of Captain Rex and his Appearance in Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 5

One of my favorite aspects of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the exploration and characterization of the clones, done wonderfully by the talented Dee Bradley Baker. The main clone in the series is Captain Rex, leader of Anakin Skywalker's 501st Legion.

It is interesting that we have gotten a a lot of clips from Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Season Five, yet we haven't gotten any with Captain Rex yet. The lack of Rex has me not only wondering about his role in Season Five but also about his ultimate fate.

So far StarWars.com has the following video clips posted:

1) The Clone Wars Season 5 Teaser (0:35)
2) Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 5 Trailer (2:21)
3) Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 5 Sneak Peek 1 (1:19)
4) Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 5 Sneak Peek 2 (2:05)
5) Battle of Onderon: TCW Season 5 Clip (1:56)
6) Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 5 Trailer (3:26)

We see most of the series regulars, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, Padme, Palpatine, Yoda, Mace, R2, Maul, Opress, Ventress, and Dooku in the various clips along with a mixture of recurring characters and new characters.

We also see a couple new clones in Coruscant Guard Clone Captain Thorn and Republic Commando Gregor.

There are three figures noticeably absent from the trailers, C-3P0, General Grievous and Captain Rex.

The one caveat is that there is a clone speaking during the latest S5 Trailer from the Onderon arc who says, "Steela is a born leader." This could be Rex but it might not be.

Where is Captain Rex and will we be seeing much of him this Season?  One of the highlights of TCW Season 4 was the Umbara arc which featured a heavy dose of Rex, hopefully we see the evolution of Rex's character continue.

With Rex I think we are seeing a very broad story arc, when we are first introduced to Rex he is a superb soldier and mentor to Ahsoka and confidant to Anakin.  We see the seeds of doubt and deeper philosophical thinking planted in Rex by his interaction with Cut Lawquane and his family.  We see Rex's story take another turn on Umbara where we see betrayal by the Jedi, dogmatic thinking by younger clones and Fives constantly watering the doubt that Cut Lawquane planted.

I think Rex is a highly honorable individual with a personal code that keeps him loyal to the Republic, by the end of the war however, I think we will be seeing a character who is faced with a significant decision point.

I think in The Clone Wars you can count on two characters to stay relatively pure, Ahsoka and Rex. I think this means that whether it is before Order 66 or after we will see Rex break with the Republic/Imperial military.  The tragedies of the fall of Anakin, death of Padme and failure of Obi-Wan and Yoda are heavy emotional weights that punctuate the end of the Clone Wars.  Rex ending his story arc as simply a cog in the Imperial machine or gunning down a Jedi would be another tragic end for a fan favorite character.

While we know the majority of clones remain loyal to their programming and training and follow orders as the Republic becomes the Empire, it makes sense that some clones would not.  Given the way the series has developed Fives and Rex are these clones to tell that story with.