Across the nine films of the Star Wars franchise, the expansive narrative has only covered a few decades. So much happens across these sixty years, with the largest events completely revolutionizing the galaxy. One of the most notable moments in the franchise comes when Emperor Palpatine calls for the execution of the Jedi. His Order 66 is an immediate change that kills millions and changes the galaxy forever.
The Star Wars prequels are not very well-respected by most fans. Thereare a few fun moments, but most of the trilogy struggles to be entertaining. Regardless of how enjoyable they are to watch, the prequels still provide a ton of interesting information about the overarching story.
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What Was Order 66?
Order 66 is a secretive commandinstituted by Emperor Palpatinethat labeled all members of the Jedi Order traitors to the Empire and marked them for death. As fans know, the gradual rise of Sheev Palpatine was a secretive plot by the Sith. Over the years, the Galactic Republic established the creation of a clone army. Order 66 is the moment they’ve been building toward. It led to the purge of the Jedi, leaving only a handful of practicing members of the order alive. The order is handed down in the climax ofRevenge of the Sith.
Clones and Jedi worked hand-in-hand for many years before the introduction of Order 66. The sudden turn is a massive surprise to most Jedi. Many were gunned down before they realized they were in danger. While clone troopers executed most ofthe working Jedi Knights, Anakin traveled to the Jedi Temple to deal with the younglings. Though the order ostensibly only targeted Jedi, many non-Jedi victims were caught in the crossfire. Former Jedi Ahsoka Tano and former Sith Darth Maul were both marked for death under the order. Order 66 carried multiple codicils, but most of them are unknown. It is clear that the possession of dark-side artifacts was made illegal under this rule’s ninth footnote. That seems like a lot of work for a single rule, but Order 66 has a bit of history behind it.
Did Order 66 Always Exist?
Forcing countless thinking beings to kill their former allies takes more than a single line. Those who paid close attention toAttack of the Clonesmight remember that the clone army was ordered into creation by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. Dyas had a vision of a terrible future conflict, but the project was swiftly taken over by the Sith. Under their guidance, a chip was placed in the brain of every clone soldier. That chip created a conditioned response that would activate when Palpatine gave the order. It’s not just an order, it’s a Jason Bourne-esque activation phrase that causes all clones to see Jedi as enemies.
Order 66 wasn’t part of the plan for the Kaminoans who created the clones or Sifo-Dyas who ordered them. The brain chips wereinstituted by Count Dooku, who arrived on Kamino in disguise to introduce the concept. The scientists who created the clones believed they were inserting a protocol for rogue Jedi. After an accidental activation, the Jedi very nearly discovered the hidden protocol, but the Sith managed to keep it under wraps until the moment of execution. Though it remained a secret, Yoda accurately predicted the risk of the Jedi losing the Clone Wars. He allowed it to continue, knowing that the cycle would continue and a Jedi would eventually win the day.
Did Any Troopers Disobey Order 66?
Resisting Order 66 required a great deal of willpower and invasive surgery. Few clones managed to escape the will of the Emperor. The best example is Commander Rex,the most iconic trooperin the franchise. Rex was aware of a premature activation of Order 66 in a teammate. His friend Tup inexplicably executed a Jedi he was meant to be defending. As a result, a fellow clone named Fives launched an investigation. Fives discovered the plot to use the clones to eliminate the Jedi. He even took the initiative, attempting to assassinate Palpatine before the plan could come to fruition. He tragically failed, leading to his death. Five’s demise gaveAhsoka Tano the foreknowledgeshe needed to deactivate Rex’s inhibitor chip, granting him his free will. This allowed Rex to resist Order 66. Few other clone troopers were so lucky.
Order 66 was a pretty clever plan overall.The Sith saw amassive increase in military might, slipped their will into the scheme, and consistently worked to keep their plan a secret. It took a lot of effort and the plan could have fallen apart at a couple of key junctures. Through a simple brainwashing scheme in a massive army program, the Sith became the dominant force in the universe. Order 66 makes use of a classic sci-fi concept to eliminate most of the heroes from the science fantasy story.
