Order 66 was a top secret order identifying Jedi Knights as traitors to the Galactic Republic and calling for their immediate execution by clone troopers. This fateful order led to the Great Jedi Purge and was a major turning point in the Clone Wars. But what exactly was Order 66 and why was it so significant?
What was Order 66?
Order 66 was part of the contingency orders for the Grand Army of the Republic. These were a series of special protocols that could be enacted by the Supreme Chancellor giving specific commands to the clone troopers. Order 66 specifically stated:
In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander (Chancellor), GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) until a new command structure is established.
This meant that the Chancellor could issue an executive order declaring the Jedi as traitors. The clone troopers, having been bred to follow orders without question, would then turn against their Jedi generals and kill them. This would allow the Chancellor to take direct control of the clone army.
Why was Order 66 created?
Order 66 was secretly included in the clone troopers’ programming by the Sith Lords Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus. The Jedi were unaware that the clones had been given this command. Sidious, publicly known as Chancellor Palpatine, intended to use Order 66 to eliminate the Jedi so the Sith could take over the galaxy. The Jedi were the only real threat that could stand in the way of his plans. By branding them as traitors and enemies of the Republic, he gave the clone troopers justification to wipe them out.
In the early days of the Clone Wars, the Jedi led the clone army as generals, building strong bonds of loyalty with their troops. Order 66 turned this loyalty against them, catching the Jedi completely off guard when their own men suddenly turned on them.
When was Order 66 executed?
Order 66 was enacted by Chancellor Palpatine at the end of the Clone Wars in 19 BBY. With the war against the Separatists reaching its climax, Palpatine set his master plan into motion. He captured General Grievous on Utapau, eliminating the Separatist military leader. He then sent Anakin Skywalker to kill the Separatist leaders on Mustafar, wiping out the political leadership. This left the droid armies leaderless and allowed Palpatine to end the war.
With the Confederacy crumbling, Palpatine then triggered Order 66. Clone commanders received the message from Palpatine declaring the Jedi to be enemies of the Republic. Across the galaxy, clone troopers turned against their generals and executed them. The few Jedi who survived the initial ambush were hunted down afterwards. Only a small number of Jedi managed to escape, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.
Key events in the execution of Order 66
Here are some of the major events that happened as a direct result of Order 66:
The assault on the Jedi Temple
Anakin Skywalker, newly christened as Darth Vader, led the 501st Legion of clone troopers to attack the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The clones killed everyone inside, including younglings, bringing an end to the Jedi Order’s headquarters and sanctuary.
Deaths of Aayla Secura, Ki-Adi-Mundi and Plo Koon
Jedi Masters Aayla Secura, Ki-Adi-Mundi and Plo Koon were all betrayed and murdered by their own clone troopers on different planets across the galaxy.
Duel on Mustafar
Obi-Wan faced his former apprentice Anakin Skywalker, now the Sith Lord Darth Vader, on the planet Mustafar. After an epic lightsaber duel, Obi-Wan left Vader badly injured but alive.
Yoda vs Palpatine
Yoda confronted Emperor Palpatine in a lightsaber duel inside the Senate chamber on Coruscant. Neither could best the other and Yoda was forced to flee into exile.
Darth Vader’s attack on the Separatist leaders
Under Palpatine’s orders, Vader killed Nute Gunray and the other Separatist leaders on Mustafar, ending the leadership of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
Aftermath of Order 66
Order 66 had catastrophic consequences for the Jedi Order. In one fell swoop, almost all the Jedi were wiped out by the clone troopers. With the Jedi assassinated, Emperor Palpatine was able to dismantle the Republic and reorganize it into the Galactic Empire, with himself as Emperor. The Jedi were branded enemies of the state and any surviving Jedi were hunted across the galaxy during the Great Jedi Purge. The Sith now ruled the galaxy once again.
Rise of the Empire
Without the Jedi to stand in his way, Palpatine was able to transform the Republic into a totalitarian Empire with himself as Emperor. The Galactic Senate still technically existed but had no real power anymore.
Fall of the Jedi Order
The millennia-old Jedi Order was completely destroyed. Their temple ransacked and burned, and nearly all Jedi killed by the clone troopers. Only a few Jedi managed to survive in exile.
Anakin becomes Darth Vader
Seduced by the dark side and disillusioned with the Jedi, Anakin became Palpatine’s Sith apprentice Darth Vader and helped slaughter the Jedi.
Hunt for surviving Jedi
Vader and the Inquisitors tracked down and killed any Jedi who survived Order 66 across the galaxy, bringing the Jedi to the brink of extinction.
Could Order 66 have been prevented?
In hindsight, there were signs that Palpatine was manipulating the entire Clone Wars as part of his sinister plan. However, the Jedi were unable to piece together all the clues that may have led them to uncover Order 66 or Palpatine’s true identity as Darth Sidious.
Here are some ways the Jedi could potentially have avoided or mitigated Order 66:
- Detected Palpatine’s dark side powers – As Jedi Masters on the Council like Mace Windu and Yoda interacted regularly with Palpatine, they may have been able to detect his Force abilities.
- Uncovered the truth about Syfo-Dyas – By investigating the origins of the clone army ordered by the mysterious Jedi Master Syfo-Dyas, they may have realized it was Dooku pulling the strings.
- Questioned Palpatine’s growing political power – The Jedi could have been more wary of Palpatine’s expanding executive authority and erosion of civil liberties during the Clone Wars.
- Acted against Palpatine sooner – If Anakin had informed the Jedi Council about Palpatine revealing his Sith identity, they could have moved to arrest Palpatine before Order 66.
- Removed control chips from clones – Had the Jedi known about the mind control bio-chips in each clone trooper, they could have surgically removed them.
However, many of these scenarios would have been very difficult for the Jedi to achieve. Palpatine’s manipulation of both sides of the war was so effective that the Jedi were largely blind to the truth until it was too late. Their trust in the Chancellor and loyalty to the Republic also restrained them from acting until the very end. Palpatine’s grand plan accounted for so many variables that once Order 66 was in motion, it was nearly inevitable.
Conclusion
Order 66 was one of the most effective and devastating maneuvers in galactic history. With a single command, the Jedi were almost wiped out and the Sith succeeded in overthrowing the Republic. The countless Jedi who loyally led clone troopers into battle were betrayed and gunned down by the very men they commanded. Darth Sidious’ intricate schemes allowed this shocking order to be hidden in plain sight, until it was used to dismantle the Jedi Order and bring the Sith to power once again.