Battle of Arantara

The battle for the astronomical object Arantara was fought in 22 BBY, during the opening assaults of the galaxy-wide Clone Wars between the Confederacy of Independent Systems and Galactic Republic. Clone Captain Rex and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker of the elite 501st Legion took part in the battle.

During the battle, Rex fought with merit and led his troops to the frontline without Skywalker, but he was wounded and knocked unconscious. Rex's armor was damaged in the battle as well. Skywalker arrived and saved the life of his captain. Hidden behind cover in a rocky terrain, the clone awoke to Skywalker standing over him. The Jedi apologized for not leading his soldiers into the fray; Skywalker told Rex that a real leader always leads at the front.

The Battle of Arantara became one of the many battles in which Rex fought with excellence. Skywalker and Rex continued to work together as leaders of the 501st and soon developed a mutual respect, even forming a friendship, despite their differences: while Rex acted by-the-book, Skywalker was far more brash. Becoming far less rigid over time, Rex would come to admire and emulate some of Skywalker's mannerisms.

During a battle on the Expansion Region planet Mimban, Rex remembered Skywalker's lesson about leading from the front, using the example to fight battle droids alone while his clone troopers evacuated. After he was saved from B1-series units by Junior Representative Jar Jar Binks, Rex explained his philosophy, noting that a friend had given him the lesson.

The Battle of Arantara appeared in "501 Plus One," a comic story printed in Age of Republic Special 1, which was published on January 16, 2019. "501 Plus One" was written by Marc Guggenheim and illustrated by Caspar Wijngaard. The capitalization of the battle's name was later confirmed in The Star Wars Book, a 2020 reference book written by Pablo Hidalgo, Cole Horton, and Dan Zehr.

• The Star Wars Book
• Star Wars: Timelines