Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi - What is Order 66?

Hype is in the air for Star Wars fans following the release of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, which sets to reacquaint Warsies with the now recluse Jedi Master following the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. If you've been watching the show, you might want to know what Order 66 is in Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Picking up Obi-Wan's story 10 years after he failed to avoid Anakin Skywalker's turn to the Dark side, Kenobi has to deal with the Inquisitors, a special branch of the Empire designated to hunt down the remaining Jedi that survived Order 66. 

If you're a hardcore Warsie, you're probably very familiar with the term and the implications it has on the entire Star Wars canon. If you're a new fan or forgot what Order 66 actually is, don't worry, we've got you covered.

Order 66 in Star Wars explained

Order 66, also known as Clone Protocol 66 was a plan set in motion by Emperor Palpatine to designate all Jedi and allies as traitors to the Galactic Republic. 

The way Palpatine managed to pull it off was thanks to a behavioural modification chip implemented in every clone trooper while they were being developed at Kamino. Despite a few renegades clone trooper squads managing to avoid being essentially brainwashed, the vast majority of soldiers turned on the Jedi almost immediately.

Unaware of Count Dooku's true identity as a Sith, the Kamonians implemented the chip thinking it was simply the last resource measure against rogue Jedis. Later, during the events of Revenge of the Sith, multiple Jedi members become wary of Palpatine, then known as Chancellor, and decide to confront him.

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Palpatine, who had already revealed his true identity as the Emperor to Anakin, disposed of four Jedi swiftly, ultimately playing the fool against Mace Windu in order to seduce Skywalker to the Dark side, successfully turning him into Darth Vader while framing the incident as a coup attempt by the Jedi Order.

Order 66 is perhaps the most defining Star Wars moment of all time outside Vader's confession to Luke during Empire Strikes Back. As a result, the aftermath of such a cataclysmic event can not only be seen in the original films, but also in things such as comic books, video games, novels, and of course, TV shows.

Obi-Wan's story is tightly correlated with Order 66 as he ultimately feels responsible for Anakin's faith and to some extent, the galaxy as a whole. It'll be interesting to see how the series continues to explore his personality as the plot inevitably leads to the events of Episode IV: A New Hope.

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Featured image courtesy of Disney.