"Storm Over Ryloth" represents the nineteenth installment of Season One within the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated television program. As the nineteenth episode in the overarching narrative, it initiates a story arc that unfolds across three episodes.
Aboard a Lucrehulk-class Battleship, accompanied by a pair of Munificent-class frigates positioned above Ryloth, Neimoidian Captain Mar Tuuk receives instructions from Emir Wat Tambor. Tambor emphasizes the Republic's inability to successfully invade Ryloth. Mar Tuuk confidently assures Emir Tambor that their blockade is impenetrable and that the Republic forces are destined for an unpleasant surprise upon their arrival. The Republic cruisers Resolute, Defender, and Redeemer subsequently enter the system. Ahsoka Tano embarks in her fighter, informing her new droid companion, R7-A7, that this mission marks her inaugural command of a squadron. Anakin Skywalker intervenes to offer words of encouragement, after which Ahsoka leads her squadron away from the Resolute. Her squadron confirms their readiness, and upon receiving orders from Anakin and Admiral Yularen, she spearheads an assault on the Separatist blockade, leading Axe, Slammer, Kickback, Tucker, and Swoop.
Having successfully breached the Separatist formation to reach the lead vessel, Ahsoka and her team advance further. However, the situation escalates as four additional Munificent-class frigates emerge from hyperspace, reinforcing the blockade. Despite orders from both Admiral Yularen and Anakin to retreat, Ahsoka remains steadfast in her determination to press forward. Tucker's V-19 Torrent starfighter is destroyed by approaching vulture droids, and Ahsoka finally complies with the orders to turn back. Nevertheless, the Vulture droids initiate a series of kamikaze attacks, colliding with the Resolute. One such droid targets the cruiser's bridge, resulting in severe injuries to Admiral Yularen. Following the loss of Axe, Ahsoka and the surviving members of her squadron manage to return to the Resolute. The Redeemer sustains irreparable damage and disintegrates, while the Defender and the Resolute successfully jump to hyperspace.
In the hangar, Anakin conducts a roll call to ascertain the number of pilots lost and subsequently reprimands Ahsoka for her disobedience. Despite having learned this trait from Anakin himself, Ahsoka accepts responsibility and expresses deep remorse for the loss of her comrades. Anakin attempts to comfort her, attributing the situation to a trap and emphasizing the harsh realities of war. Captain Rex informs Anakin that Jedi General Mace Windu requires a progress report, prompting Anakin to depart from the hangar.
In a separate scene, Tambor commends Tuuk on his achievements but cautions him against underestimating the Jedi. Tuuk then instructs a droid to retrieve all available archival information pertaining to Skywalker, seeking to gain a deeper understanding of his adversary.
Anakin reports the casualties to Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan advises Anakin to allow his Padawan time to recover while emphasizing the necessity of her assistance in completing the mission. With time running out and despite the loss of nearly half of his forces, Obi-Wan and Mace grant Anakin one planetary rotation to break through the blockade, failing which the invasion will be postponed. Anakin underscores the urgency of the situation, highlighting the plight of the Twi'lek people and the imperative to proceed with the invasion.
Ahsoka sits beside an unconscious Admiral Yularen, expressing her sorrow and apologizing for her failure. Rex then summons her to Anakin, whom she finds in the hangar bay, collaborating with R2-D2 to repair her starfighter. Anakin informs her of the need to continue their assault on the blockade. Ahsoka, still affected by her previous setback, expresses doubts about her readiness. Anakin receives a communication from the Defender and directs Ahsoka to return to her quarters to regain her composure. Meanwhile, Tuuk, anticipating a counterattack by Skywalker, orders his droids to return to their battle stations.
Alarms blare aboard the Resolute, prompting Ahsoka to leave her quarters and observe clone troopers rushing to their posts. A clone informs Ahsoka that the Defender is undergoing evacuation for an unspecified reason. Upon reaching the hangar, she witnesses the transfer of all personnel and equipment from the Defender to the Resolute. Anakin credits Ahsoka with inspiring his latest strategy: he proposes to pilot the Defender alone into the lead battleship, eliminating the enemy commander and thereby leaving only easily-defeated battle droids in command. Ahsoka deems the plan reckless, but Anakin entrusts her with commanding the remaining forces while he remains vulnerable in an escape pod after destroying the Defender. Anakin departs on a shuttle, and Ahsoka assumes command of the Resolute as "Commander Ahsoka."
Ahsoka reports to the bridge of the Resolute. Anakin confirms his readiness to proceed. Rex and the Resolute's clone navigation officer await instructions. Tambor informs Captain Tuuk, based on information from Count Dooku, that the Republic forces are too depleted to launch an effective counterattack and that any such attempt would be suicidal. However, Tuuk remains convinced that Anakin is coming and relishes the opportunity to gain renown for defeating such a formidable warrior. Ahsoka briefs Rex and the navigation officer on the plan, and they express skepticism about their chances of success. The navigation officer inadvertently remarks that they typically rely on Anakin's leadership, which, while not intended as an insult, underscores the magnitude of Ahsoka's responsibility.
The Defender emerges from hyperspace, and Anakin hails Captain Tuuk, offering to surrender himself and his vessel in exchange for the safe passage of food and medical supplies to the people of Ryloth. Ahsoka outlines the battle plan following Anakin's collision with the battleship. Her intention is to maneuver the Resolute away from the frigates, using it as a shield to deploy fighters that would then engage and defeat the remaining ships. The navigation officer expresses doubt and suggests taking more time to devise a better strategy. Ahsoka asserts that these are her orders and that Anakin is relying on her, but then corrects herself, stating that he is relying on them. Admiral Yularen returns to the bridge and lends his support to Ahsoka, bolstering her confidence.
A battle droid informs Captain Tuuk that scans of the Defender indicate significant damage, with all power diverted to the forward shields, and that only one life-form is aboard. Tuuk recognizes Anakin's deception, and the Resolute emerges from hyperspace. Anakin pilots the Defender directly toward the Separatist flagship. Ahsoka departs to command the fighter squadron, leaving Rex and Admiral Yularen in charge of the Resolute.
Anakin abandons the Defender with R2-D2 and enters an escape pod. Captain Tuuk orders all cannons to target the Defender, but it is already too close, and he evacuates the ship. The Defender breaches the central sphere of the battleship. The Resolute assumes its designated position, and Ahsoka leads a squadron of Y-wing starfighters toward the blockade. The battle droids, lacking leadership and coordination, manage to initiate a rudimentary attack on the Resolute, but the Republic Y-wings and V-19 Torrents swiftly dismantle the remaining ships in the blockade. Subsequently, three Acclamator-class transgalactic military assault ships carrying Obi-Wan, Mace Windu, and their troops emerge from hyperspace. Obi-Wan contacts Ahsoka, humorously commenting on the condition of Anakin's invasion fleet, and Rex dispatches a shuttle to retrieve Anakin's escape pod.
Henry Gilroy's script for this episode drew inspiration, in part, from both the Allied Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of Midway.
The tactic of ramming the damaged Defender, manned by a minimal crew who evacuated in a small lifecraft moments before impact, into the enemy flagship is strongly reminiscent of the fireships employed by the English with considerable success against the Spanish Armada.
The scope integrated into Captain Tuuk's data goggles was partially inspired by the mechanical monocle worn by a Ko-Dan fleet officer in the film The Last Starfighter. Originally, the narrative intended for Tuuk to perish aboard his ship, but he was spared due to his perceived potential for further development.
In a brief sequence depicting three V-19 Torrent fighters flying from the Defender to the Resolute, and again when the Resolute inclines its hull toward the Separatist blockade, the bridge of the Resolute lacks its characteristic red coloring, which identifies it as Anakin's flagship.
An error in the episode shows the Defender with both of its command towers intact immediately after a scene depicting the ship with the starboard tower destroyed.
The scene featuring a droid starfighter crashing into the bridge of Anakin's flagship mirrors a similar scene from Return of the Jedi, in which an A-wing starfighter crashes into the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer Executor (which also served as Anakin/Vader's flagship). The line "It's too late!" spoken by Admiral Yularen is also audibly present in the scene.