"Heroes on Both Sides" represents the tenth installment within the third season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated television program. Its original broadcast occurred on November 19, 2010.
"As the Senate engages in intense debate over a legislative proposal aimed at easing governmental restrictions on the Banking Clan's operations to finance the ongoing conflict, Padmé and Ahsoka undertake a clandestine journey to the Confederacy of Independent Systems' capital. Amidala seeks to establish a peaceful resolution with the Separatists, while Ahsoka gains her initial exposure to the Confederacy's populace. Padmé's close associate, Mina Bonteri, takes the lead in promoting the peace initiative, successfully persuading the Separatist Congress to pursue peace.
Simultaneously, on Coruscant, Senators Lott Dod and Gume Saam collaborate with Nix Card, a representative of the Banking Clan, and Count Dooku to ensure the banking deregulation becomes a reality. Acting upon Dooku's orders, General Grievous orchestrates an attack on Coruscant's central power distribution network, executed by Separatist demolition droids. The ensuing chaos and widespread panic extend to the Senate, leading to a forceful rejection of the Separatist peace proposal and, instead, a vote in favor of deregulating the Banking Clan."
As the clone army suffers increasing losses in combat and the Separatists make advancements, certain members of the Senate advocate for increased funding for additional troops and the relaxation of banking regulations. These issues create division within the Senate as war funds dwindle and such measures could potentially prolong the conflict. Senator Amidala suggests initiating negotiations with the Separatists, and Senator Bail Organa proposes a temporary suspension of all further pro-war considerations until the matter is resolved. This proposal is met with disapproval from the self-serving Senate representatives of the Trade Federation, the Techno Union, and the InterGalactic Banking Clan. These three representatives—Lott Dod, Gume Saam, and Nix Card—suggest orchestrating an attack on Coruscant to expedite the decision-making process in favor of pro-war funding.
Padmé implores Anakin, who, along with his Padawan, Ahsoka, has been observing the discussion, to convince the Jedi Council to discuss with Chancellor Palpatine the possibility of halting further war efforts, a suggestion Anakin dismisses. Ahsoka, conversely, struggles to comprehend the potential benefits of negotiating with the Separatists, assuming that they are all malevolent warmongers. Disappointed by his pro-war stance, Padmé opts to seek assistance from Ahsoka rather than Anakin.
Within her office, Padmé informs Ahsoka of her intention to visit Mina Bonteri, an old friend and mentor who has aligned herself with the Separatists. The plan faces difficulties due to Bonteri's residence behind enemy lines on Raxus Secundus, but Padmé cleverly proposes utilizing Ahsoka's status as a Jedi to secretly enter enemy territory and meet with Bonteri. They embark on their journey in disguise, land on Raxus, and rendezvous with Bonteri, who guides them through the droid controls. Padmé and Bonteri exchange warm greetings, but Ahsoka, with her inherent distrust of the Separatists, remains less than enthusiastic, even when Bonteri's son Lux attempts to extend a friendly welcome.
During her conversation with Bonteri, Ahsoka's perspectives begin to soften as Bonteri patiently explains that certain Separatists may have had valid reasons for leaving the Republic and recounts the loss of her husband in the war on Aargonar a year prior. While taking a stroll in the garden to process her confusion, Ahsoka encounters Lux, and they delve into discussions about the ambiguous nature of "good" and "evil" in the war and the extent of their knowledge (or lack thereof) regarding the opposing side. Padmé and Bonteri, as friends, concur on a proposal to encourage the Senate and the Separatist Parliament to initiate mutual peace negotiations, aiming for a peaceful resolution. The Separatist Council generally approves of this proposition, although some dissenting votes are cast, including those from the Corporate Alliance.
However, while Count Dooku publicly supports the decision, he secretly instructs General Grievous to deploy a group of droids disguised as sanitary units on Coruscant to carry out acts of sabotage. These droids infiltrate the Senate District power generator and detonate themselves, causing a massive power outage just as Padmé calls for a Senate vote on the Separatists' peace proposal. This clandestine attack significantly alters the Senate's stance, leading to the passage of the bill for de-regulating the banks. Despite receiving a reprimand from her master for her unauthorized and perilous actions, Ahsoka emerges from these events with a more nuanced understanding of both sides involved in the war.
An error initially identified Raxus as Raxus Prime within the episode guide, which was subsequently corrected.
This particular episode signifies the initial appearance of revised designs for numerous characters. Anakin and Obi-Wan are seen wearing reduced clone armor, Anakin's hair is longer, and Obi-Wan's hair color has been modified to more accurately reflect his live-action portrayals. Ahsoka and Senator Chuchi debut new attire and feature "aged-up" character models, providing them with a more adolescent aesthetic; in Ahsoka's instance, this encompasses elongated head-tails and more pronounced montrals. Moreover, this episode marks the introduction of Ahsoka's shoto lightsaber.
The title, "Heroes on Both Sides," serves as a reference to the opening crawl of the Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith film, which stated "There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere." The definitive title was determined during the episode's production phase; its original title was "Banking Conspiracy."