Star Wars: The Clone Wars is continuing to explore every last nook and cranny of the Star Wars universe, that there wasn’t time to highlight in the films. The latest aspect to fall under the magnifying glass? The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it character “Papanoida” that was played in Revenge of the Sith by none other than George Lucas himself. Lucas is not voicing the character that borrows his likeness.
Clone Wars‘ upcoming episode “Sphere of Influence” upgrades the character with a full backstory, bringing him to the forefront when Papanoida’s family is kidnapped and held for ransom. The three children in the story are modeled after Lucas’ own children, Jett, Amanda, and Katie, though none of the real-life Lucas siblings lend their voices to the production either. “Sphere of Influence” takes viewers into the underbelly of Coruscant, where Papanoida gets revved up into a blaster-shooting action hero, Han Solo style.
I’m curious to see how fans will react to this one. Fun tribute to Star Wars’ creator, or self-serving waste of a half hour? Decide for yourself when “Sphere of Influence” airs this Friday night, October 1st, on Cartoon Network. Here’s a quick glimpse at Papanoida in action: