Even after 20 years, the legacy ofStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithcontinues to change for the better thanks to otherStar Warsstories, but one scene in particular has only become even more devastating in hindsight. As a tragedy,Revenge of the Sithis full of heartbreaking moments, but it’s universally agreed that theOrder 66sequence is the toughest one to get through. So many Jedi, including younglings, meet their untimely demise without any explanation as to why.
At the time thatRevenge of the Sithoriginally came out, this scene instantly villainized the clones, who seemingly betrayed the Jedi with no hesitation. Over time, however, nuance has been added to this moment, adding even more layers of tragedy to it in the process.Star Warsanimated TV shows, namelyStar Wars: The Clone WarsandStar Wars: The Bad Batch, have especially added new context that makes this scene a difficult rewatch 20 years later.
Order 66 Went From A Betrayal To A Complete Tragedy
The Clones Couldn’t Control Their Actions
Rather than Order 66 being an act of betrayal by the clone troopers towards their Jedi generals,The Clone Warsintroduced the idea that it was an uncontrollable act of tragedy.The Clone Warsseason 6 begins with a fantastic arc that followsARC trooper Fivesof the501st Legionas he discovers the inhibitor chips planted in the heads of every single clone.These inhibitor chips force the clones to follow any given order, including terminating the Jedi.
What Happened To The Clones In Star Wars After Order 66?
The clones in Star Wars were manipulated and mistreated by the Empire after the Republic’s dissolution and Order 66. What became of them afterwards?
In a devastating scene of its own right, however,Fives is killed before he can convince anyone of the truth, even Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex, and thus Order 66 loses all chance of being prevented. Rewatching this sequence inRevenge of the Sithwith the knowledge that it was nearly prevented makes it even more difficult in hindsight. There is, sadly, another newer layer that also makes the legacy of this Order 66 scene utterly heartbreaking.
They Felt Guilty Of Something That Wasn’t Their Fault
Because the introduction of the inhibitor chips was so new when it was introduced inThe Clone Wars, we didn’t learn what life after Order 66 and the activation of the chips looked like for clones untilThe Bad Batch. During the course of seasons 1 and 2, we saw howthe effects of the inhibitor chips wore off over time, forcing the clones to face what they had been forced to do. Captain Howzer andCommander Codywere the prime examples of this phenomenon, the latter of whom still thought he had killed Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Star Wars: Everything We Know About Commander Cody’s Fate After Order 66
Commander Cody was one of the most key figures during the Clone Wars, until Order 66 changed everything. What happened to him after this tragedy?
It’s bad enough that the clone troopers had to commit such horrifying acts without being able to control them. To have to face their actions years later, and be hated even more by the galaxy because of it, is downright tragic. There are so many heartbreaking elements that create the overall tragedy that isRevenge of the Sith, but after 20 years, I’ve found that Order 66 is definitely the hardest to revisit with all the brand-new context we now have.
