Order 66is among the most important moments intheStar Warstimeline, andStar Wars: The Clone Warsenhanced that story and fixed the clone troopers inStar Warswith the inhibitor chip retcon. In the original trilogy, it was evident the Jedi had once been much greater than they were during the Dark Times. Obi-Wan Kenobi also referenced the Clone Wars, although the details were sparse. In the prequels, we saw the Jedi Order in its glory and the beginnings of the Clone Wars with the Battle of Geonosis inStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones.
InStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, we also witnessed the tail end of the Clone Wars, as well as some of the horrors of Order 66 for the very first time. Yet, it wasn’t untilThe Clone Warsthat we really got to see all that the Clone Wars entailed and the smaller details of Palpatine’s scheme with the clone troopers.Perhaps the single most crucial aspect of Palpatine’s plot with the clone troopers was the creation of the inhibitor chips, which served as the perfect Order 66 retcon.
The Clones' Motivations For Order 66 Were Originally Unknown
Order 66 Was A Gruesome Event, And The Clones' Involvement Was Shocking
Although the prequel trilogy, specificallyRevenge of the Sith, didn’t show the bond between the Jedi and the clone troopers to nearly the extent thatThe Clone Warseventually did, it was still jarring to see the clones turn on the Jedi and massacre them during Order 66. This wasn’t just due to the violent nature of this attack (although that was horrifying enough). It was also becausethe clones and the Jedi had previously been comrades in the Clone Wars, which made this a shocking and unexpected betrayal, exactly as Palpatine intended.
InRevenge of the Sith, Palpatine is shown contacting various clones and saying,“Execute Order 66,“and the clones immediately comply. At the time, this made it seem as though the clones were acting with agency. In fact, it was easy to interpret this as something the clone troopers had known was eventually coming, and they were only waiting for the call. This obviously made the clone troopers seem so much more insidious, butThe Clone Warsrevealed that there was much more happening beneath the surface—and it was out of the clones' control.
The Clone Warsrevealed that there was much more happening beneath the surface—and it was out of the clones' control.
The Clone Wars Provided The Perfect Retcon
The Inhibitor Chips Made So Much Sense—And Made The Clones Forgivable
As the title ofThe Clone Warssuggests, this show was a deep-dive into the Clone Wars era, and it therefore primarily took place betweenAttack of the ClonesandRevenge of the Sith(with the final season having some overlap with the latter). With seven total seasons,The Clone Warsoffered so much more time and space forStar Warsto unpack all that transpired during this time. While that in part involved interpersonal relationships, such as with Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker, it also covered significant ground regarding Palpatine’s plot to take down the Jedi and the Republic.
Perhaps the single biggest reveal regarding Palpatine’s plans with the clone troopers was the existence of the inhibitor chip, which Palpatine had implanted in each clone. This chip was ultimately Palpatine’s secret weapon, as, just with the words,“Execute Order 66,“Palpatine could completely take over the minds of the clones and have them kill Jedi against their own will, even if they were Jedi the clones cared about. What really drove home the power of the inhibitor chips inThe Clone Warswas the fact that Captain Rex turned on Ahsoka, whom he absolutely adored.
This proved the clones were not in control of themselves during Order 66, which was a brilliant retcon. ThroughoutThe Clone Wars, the clones became so much more humanized, which only made it all the more difficult to understand how and why they would help to massacre the Jedi, from younglings all the way to the Jedi they served under in the Republic Army. By introducing this retcon with the inhibitor chips,Star Warsmade the clone troopers forgivable, and that has allowed their role to become so much bigger inStar Warsmovies and TV shows.
By introducing this retcon with the inhibitor chips,Star Warsmade the clone troopers forgivable.
Star Wars Expanded This Story So Much More In Recent Years
The inhibitor chip retcon inThe Clone Warsimproved the story of the clone troopers in the prequel trilogy, but because these heinous acts were committed against their will,it also meant that the clones were redeemable. This opened up countless story possibilities, whichStar Warshas since taken advantage of. InStar Warsshows specifically, the clone troopers' stories have continued on, revealing what happened to them after the Republic they’d served had fallen.Star Wars: The Bad Batchwas easily the most focused on this, as that show centered on Clone Force 99.
The Bad Batchwasn’t solely about the members of Clone Force 99, though. It was also a look into how the Empire treated the clones and what the fallout of Order 66 looked like, both for clones like Hunter, Wrecker, Echo, and Tech, who weren’t affected by the order, and for clones who had been fully brainwashed by their inhibitor chips. Shows likeStar Wars RebelsandObi-Wan Kenobialso explored these questions.
InRebels, Captain Rex worked alongside Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger, leading to tensions on both sides as Kanan was one ofthe Jedi survivors of Order 66. This led to a profound conversation between Kanan and Rex, which came as close to closure for Order 66 asStar Warswill likely get. InObi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan passed a neglected clone asking for money on the street, reflecting how the Empire had abandoned the clones. Clearly,this retcon to Order 66 made the clones central figures inStar Warsagain, and that work may not be over yet.
The Door Remains Open For Further Explorations Of This Story
One Surprising Story Is Left To Be Told
AlthoughStar Warsshows have given so much more attention and humanity to the clones, not all clone trooper stories have been told. Surprisingly,we still haven’t seen the story of a clone trooper who was fully brainwashed by their inhibitor chip from their perspective. Although that may be a dark road to go down, it would be fascinating to see the experience of Order 66 and the early days of the Empire from a brainwashed clone, especially if that clone were to eventually learn the truth.
In fact, this story could even be done with one of the most beloved clones inStar Wars, Commander Cody. This would make particular sense, as it could begin with Cody receiving the order as he does inRevenge of the Sithand then attacking Obi-Wan Kenobi, with whom he’d been close. Whether this story is ever explored or not, though,Star Wars: The Clone Warsintroducing the inhibitor chip retcon completely changed the clone troopers' story inStar Wars, and it was all for the better.
