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Order 66




It was rumored that Order 66 was a directive ingrained in the Clone Troopers during their training. This rumor was debunked by George Lucas , creator of the Star Wars universe, in an interview with Star Wars Insider , who stated that it was simply an order. Fans have expressed bafflement that the Jedi were unable to sense duplicity on the part of the thousands of troopers with which they had contact over the course of The Clone Wars .


REASONS FOR ORDER 66


The order was issued by Chancellor Palpatine , not long before he proclaimed himself Emperor at the end of the Clone Wars . It was justified as a military response to what was portrayed by the Emperor as a rebellion by the Jedi . After the attempted arrest of then- Chancellor Palpatine by Jedi Council members Mace Windu , Kit Fisto , Agen Kolar , and Saesee Tiin , Palpatine claimed that the Jedi had planned to overthrow the Galactic leadership and kill all the members of the Senate .

The true reasons the Emperor had were much more sinister—being the Sith Lord Darth Sidious , he had meticulously orchestrated his final move against the Jedi. The key to the order's success was the spreading out of the Jedi—keeping them away from the Core Worlds by assigning them to distant battlefields. The order, sent to Clone Trooper Commander s across the galaxy, dictated that all Jedi were to be killed. Thousands of troopers turned on their Jedi generals, beginning the Great Jedi Purge .

Palpatine was able to pull off this master stroke against heroes renowned for their ability to detect traps by utilizing the absolute devotion of his army to its Chancellor. As clones were incapable of deceit, most Jedi were not able to sense the deception in advance (only ) back the bloody ''lightsaber''...?"


EXECUTION OF ORDER 66


Order 66 began with Darth Vader 's march to the Jedi Temple with the 501st Clone Trooper Legion , led by Commander Appo . Vader and the 501st Clone Trooper Legion killed all the Jedi in the Temple, including the Younglings .

As his new apprentice led the assault on the Temple, Palpatine contacted clone commanders across the galaxy ordering them to carry out Order 66 -- exterminating the Jedi Order once and for all.

  • On Utapau , Commander Cody received Palpatine's command and ordered his men to shoot down his former friend, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi . A blast from an AT-TE hit the Jedi Master's Varactyl mount Boga who sensing the danger moved to protect the jedi. Together, they fell hundreds of feet into a lake far below. Though Boga was presumed to have been killed in the fall, Obi-Wan managed to survive and escape the planet. Part of Obi-Wan's success in escaping was the clones' inability to perform an extensive search; although Cody demanded that his body be found, his men thought that surviving the fall was impossible.


  • On Mygeeto , Commander Bacara received the same order. He and his soldiers immediately opened fire on Master Ki-Adi-Mundi . Ki-Adi managed to deflect the first few blaster bolts with his lightsaber, and cut down a soldier, but he was shot in the chest.


  • On Felucia , Commander Bly and his men opened fire on Jedi Knight Aayla Secura . She was shot in the back by Bly, then the other troops fired on her. The video game Star Wars Battlefront II hints that the clones made an attempt to ensure it was a quick death, as Aayla had been an exceptional leader to them. Elsewhere on the planet, the newly-Knighted Barriss Offee was killed by a single blast from an AT-ST .


  • On Kashyyyk , Luminara Unduli , former Jedi Master of the deceased Barriss Offee, was conversing with eight clone officers when the order came. Pulling blasters from concealed holsters, the clones quickly shot their general in her stomach, chest, and head. Shortly thereafter, Master Quinlan Vos , standing tall atop a clone turbo tank, was engulfed in a ball of flame as his tank was destroyed by another. However, Master Vos was not killed but badly wounded and managed to escape into the jungle wilderness of Kashyyyk.




  • Also on Kashyyyk, Commander Gree received the order to terminate Master Yoda . He and one of his men (a BARC trooper) tried to assassinate Yoda from behind, but the aged Jedi Master beheaded them both with a single backflip. With the help of the Wookiee s Chewbacca and Tarfful , Yoda managed to escape from the planet.


At the Jedi Temple, the Jedi were overpowered by clones. The clones used a surround-and-shoot tactic, knowing that Jedi could not deflect blaster bolts coming in from all directions at once.

Darth Vader had his own fair share of kills: Murdering Gate Master Jurokk , committing homicide on Whie Malreaux , Bene and Cin Drallig , stabbing Shaak Ti , fighting Cin Drallig's Padawan Serra Keto and winning, killing Archive Master Jocasta Nu , and finally cutting down all the unarmed Jedi Apprentices that were sent to hide in the Council Chambers. Countless others were also killed fighting Vader, as depicted in the novel and movie.

Bail Organa , while investigating the reason behind the attack on the Temple, witnessed Zett Jukassa attempting to escape. Jukassa killed a few clones and injured Commander Appo before being shot. Bail fled the scene amid laser blasts as the clones were supposed to ensure that there were no witnesses to any of the Jedi killings.

These events were played out across the galaxy; troopers turned against their Jedi generals, and the Sith Order rose again, this time in control of the galaxy and the Senate. Though the Jedi Order was almost completely destroyed, the Emperor's Jedi Purge would continue for years as, one by one, the surviving Jedi were hunted down and killed by Darth Vader and the Empire. The Dark Times—and the reign of the Galactic Empire—had begun.

However, it is known that at least one group of clone commandos did not carry out the order. The reason is suspected to be because the clones had served alongside the Jedi and they gave them a chance to escape. They were executed by Darth Vader for treason.

The following Jedi are known to have survived Order 66:

  • An'ya Kuro, The Dark Woman

  • Aqinos

  • A'Sharad Hett

  • Beldorian

  • Bol Chatak

  • Bultar Swan

  • Callista Ming

  • Choi

  • Corwin Shelvay

  • Dama Montalvo

  • Darrin Arkanian

  • Dass Jennir

  • Deran Nalual

  • Dorn Tavers

  • Drake Lo’ogan

  • Drun Cairnwick

  • Echuu Shen-Jon

  • Ekria

  • Empatojayos Brand

  • Ephaan Kenzon

  • Fy-Tor-Ana

  • Garen Muln

  • Geith

  • Gruu Dunrik

  • Halagad Ventor

  • Ikrit

  • Ilum

  • Iwo Kulka

  • Jambe Lu

  • Jastus Farr

  • Kai Hudorra

  • Kai Justiss

  • Kaoln

  • K'Kruhk

  • Klossi Anno

  • Koffi Arana

  • Lagan Ismaren

  • Ma'kis'shaalas

  • Nam Poorf

  • Neth Enasteri

  • Noirah Na

  • Obi-Wan Kenobi

  • Olee Starstone

  • Ood Bnar

  • Plett

  • Qid Proko

  • Quinlan Vos

  • Qu Rahn

  • Roan Shryne

  • Roblio Darté

  • Shadday Potkin

  • Siadem Forte

  • Sia-Len Wezz

  • Sinsor Khal

  • Taselda

  • Tholme

  • T'ra Saa

  • Tyneir Renz

  • Vergere

  • Vima Da Boda

  • Xavier Dade

  • Ydra Kilwallen Sibwarra

  • Ylenic It'kla

  • Yoda

  • Zonder



POSSIBLE HISTORICAL AND RELIGIOUS REFERENCES

The idea for Order 66 may have come from the 1944 Assassination plot on Hitler . The assassins had made arrangements after the assassination took place to implement Operation Valkyrie in Berlin which would turn the German troops against the Nazi regime. This however never happened due to the failure of the assassination attempt.

Order 66 may allude to other previous historical incidents. Among these are the Jewish Holocaust, and the Japanese-American internment during World War II, which was demanded by President Franklin Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 . Joseph Stalin 's Great Purge following his consolidation of power in the USSR in the '30s is also a possible reference point.

As for possible religious references, the number 666 is listed in Revelation 13:18 as the Mark Of The Beast , a sign of a servant of Satan that will come in the last days of the earth before (or shortly after) Christ's return. In fact, Order 66 and the 666 are more similar that it appears. In the modern Numerologic system(a=1..z=8), the numerical value of the word ''Order'' is 6. This makes 'Order 66' a symbolic equivalent of the number 666.

In addition, Order 66 has a great deal in common with the historical elimination of the Knights Templar order. Like Order 66, it was a command spread though secrecy and suddenly implemented. Virtually all of Templars in France were simultaneously arrested on October 13 (the unlucky Friday The 13th ), 1307. Many were tortured and sentenced to death. In most other countries, the Templars were forced to leave the order or join Other Orders . A few Templars escaped and lived in exile, mainly in Scotland. King Philip The Fair of France at this time also seized the Templar's treasury for himself, putting an end to the monanstic banking system. These events are largely seen as manipulated by Philip to gain greater powers. Like in ''Star Wars'', this began an era of Military Fiat .


TRIVIA

  • Order 66 is now also slang for mass layoffs in a workplace.

  • Order 66 is slang in the which many players believe ruined the game.



QUOTES

  • ''"Every single Jedi, including your friend Obi-Wan Kenobi, is now an enemy of the Republic. Do what must be done, Lord Vader. Do not hesitate, show no mercy."'' — Palpatine to Darth Vader

  • ''" Commander Cody , the time has come. Execute Order 66."'' — Palpatine to Commander Cody

  • ''"It will be done my lord."'' — Numerous clones to Palpatine



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