Is Star Wars Zero Company Canon? Clone Wars Timeline Explained
Yes, it is canon. Set in 19 BBY during the late Clone Wars. How permadeath stays canon, where it sits on the timeline, what to watch first, and how your choices interact with official lore.
Core question: Does Star Wars Zero Company count as Clone Wars canon? Yes. The game is set in the last stretch of the Clone Wars (around 19 BBY), runs in the background of the war rather than rewriting the big battles, and funnels every playthrough into the same canonical ending even if who lives or dies mid-campaign differs. Your run is your war story. The galaxy's history after the credits is the same.
1What "Canon" Means in This Game
- 1The campaign setup is fixed.
Hawks is framed as the scapegoat after a disaster tied to Krell's command. That starting point does not change regardless of your customization choices.
- 2Your mid-campaign experience is player-shaped.
Who dies, who you bring on missions, how you build your squad, and your custom operators are all your own. These do not break canon because the ending funnels back.
- 3The ending is shared across all playthroughs.
Every run wraps up at the same canonical endpoint. Permadeath does not create alternate timelines. It creates your personal version of the war story.
2Where It Sits on the Clone Wars Timeline
- 1Late Clone Wars, after the Jedi Temple hangar bombing.
The campaign spans the rest of the war and then Order 66 plus the early Empire in the second half. In-game news references the Battle of Coruscant to anchor you in the timeline.
- 2Expect Umbara and Pong Krell context, not a remake.
Hawks is the scapegoat after a disaster tied to Krell's command. The game expects you to know that history. It does not retell those episodes.
- 3Order 66 is in the campaign, not a post-credits tease.
Players report being caught off-guard even when they knew the year. If Trick is on the squad when the chips fire, the scene hits harder. That choice is player-side flavor, not a timeline fork.
3How the Game Stays Canon While Being an XCOM-like
- 1Hawks is customizable (species, gender) but the plot beats do not change.
Community treats default human male as the "poster" version. Your Hawks is still the same officer who got burned after the Antine and Krell fallout. Cosmetics do not alter the story.
- 2Named story operators are the lore spine.
Trick, Tel-Rea, Cly, Luco, Jae, and others carry the canonical story. Custom recruits fill seats and banter at the Den but are not required to exist in the official squad photo.
- 3Full clone squads unlock later and in NG+.
Fun themed run, but players call stacking multiple extra clones on the Order 66 mission "not canon." Nothing special happens. The script does not rewrite itself for six Tricks.
- 4Cameos are short and off-screen adventure style.
Anakin, Rex (post-66 contact), Gorga the Hutt, and references stitch the game to The Clone Wars and the Jedi games. They root you in the era without recasting the movies.
| Your Goal | Who to Bring on Late-War Missions |
|---|---|
| Want the "this is the Clone Wars" feeling | Trick plus Tel-Rea on the late-war mission. |
| Want a clean headcanon squad photo | Do not stack extra clones on the Order 66 mission in NG+. |
| Want the emotional Order 66 hit | Bring Trick on the squad when the chips fire. |
| Want to dodge the Order 66 scene | Leave Trick off the squad for that mission. |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming permadeath means "not canon." Mid-run deaths are your campaign. The ending is shared across all playthroughs.
- Skipping Umbara and then being confused why Trick hates Luco. The game expects that history. Watch TCW S4 E7-E10 first.
- Treating every custom clone as official GAR continuity. They are mechanical and thematic. The story does not audit your roster.
- Expecting the game to replace The Clone Wars. Players call it a love letter and a playable extra season, not a retcon. It sits beside the show.
- Spoiling yourself on Order 66 timing. If you want the shock the subreddit keeps talking about, stay off titles that name the mission.
4Play It as Canon: Quick Checklist
- 1Set difficulty however you want.
Canon is story-locked, not ironman-locked. You do not need permadeath on for the story to count.
- 2Watch or rewatch Umbara (S4 E7-E10) if you have not.
That arc gives you the Trick vs Luco context the game assumes you have.
- 3Use story operators as the "real" company.
Treat custom recruits as expendable or extra flavor, not as official GAR continuity.
- 4When news mentions Coruscant or the war tipping, assume you are in 19 BBY endgame.
The in-game chatter is your timeline anchor.
- 5After Order 66, treat the remaining campaign as early Imperial era jobs.
Rex contact, fugitive status. Same continuity, new flag.