66
The fall of the Jedi
Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith
Writer: George Lucas
Director: George Lucas
Yes.
Yes, I did it.
The 66th reason we love Star Wars is, in fact, the Order 66 sequence in Revenge of the Sith. Absolutely. Look, I tried not to put it here. It’s too predictable, right? Plus, the sequence is pretty damn powerful, so I argued with myself on this one. Put it higher, don’t go for the joke. Yet, here we are. Be honest, though, if I didn’t put Order 66 at number 66, you’d never forgive me. I couldn’t forgive myself. I might never be allowed to write another book again. You have to take the shots life gives you.
So, yes, Order 66 is at number 66. Let’s do this.
While passing on his father’s lightsaber to Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan gave him, and us, the scoop on the vaunted Jedi Knights. “For over a thousand generations,” he laments, “the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic, before the dark times, before the Empire.” From those words, the imaginations of Star Wars fans ran wild. How could the Jedi Order have fallen? How did the Jedi Order fall? We know they fall, and we’ve been promised that it has something to do with Darth Vader. George Lucas finally gave us the answer in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith. Whether or not you take to that movie might very well depend on how you feel about the Order 66 sequence itself. It is the literal destruction of the Jedi. (Or the bulk of the Jedi. Put a pin in that thought.) It answers the question of how it happened and that might be the problem for some. Sometimes the answers you receive aren’t the same as the ones you thought of.
It is fair, though, to question the Order 66 sequence to some degree. I’d be lying to you if I said it immediately grabbed me. I had spent my entire Star Wars fan existence to that point building up this image of Darth Vader racing around the galaxy, pointing out Jedi to the Emperor while they took turns destroying them. I’m sure I wasn’t alone.
“There’s one, Emperor,” exclaimed Vader.
“Wipe them out, Darth!” laughed the Emperor.
Actually. You know, I’m glad ten-year-old me didn’t get to write the destruction of the Jedi. Let’s keep that moment in the hands of the man who created the lore of the Jedi. There is always room for questions and doubts in Star Wars; just don’t let it dominate your movie watching destiny. Like a lot of things in George’s prequels, if you’re willing to take a breath and dig a little deeper, you just might find something more enlightening, fulfilling, and important than you could have ever hoped. So, it is with the Order 66 sequence. None of the questions can take away the emotional pull of the sequence. It is not just the fall of the Jedi, it’s the fall of peace, the shield of the Old Republic is being pulled away. It is the very core of Revenge of the Sith and it is built on wonderful small moments. Each adding pain and insight into the annihilation of the Jedi Order.
Following the death of Mace Windu and the fall of Anakin Skywalker, the Order 66 sequence begins with the first act of Darth Vader: marching in front of the 501st Battalion straight into the Jedi Temple. It’s a symbolic return to the institution that made Anakin, and, in some ways, broke him. It’s also one of the greatest shots in Star Wars. The clone troopers march in step while the cowled face of a fallen Jedi walks into a new life of evil. Stunning in its directness. (Bonus points to Rian Johnson for paying homage to this shot as Kylo Ren marches into the base on Crait in The Last Jedi.) That is an awe-inspiring moment on its own, but we’re just getting started.
The order to wipe out the Jedi is actually given to Commander Cody on Utapau seconds after sharing a moment with old friend and battle mate Obi-Wan Kenobi. Here, we get to feel what the betrayal means. The Jedi became generals of the clone armies, something that was at odds with the code of the Jedi, but it didn’t change the connection that was built over the course of the war. The Jedi and clones fought and died together. However, thanks to an inhibitor chip implanted in the brains of the clones, the relationships were flawed from the start. The clones were always supposed to kill the Jedi. This a powerful and tragic betrayal. The clones fire on Kenobi and he falls to his presumed death. We don’t get to feel it up close, though. George saves that for what’s coming.
On the inclement planet of Mygeeto, the venerable Ki-Adi Mundi charges into battle, but the stomp of the clones’ boots stops. Ki-Adi turns, and actor Silas Carson captures the intimate feel of this betrayal. This skilled Jedi doesn’t have a chance. Not just because he is caught unaware and outnumbered, but because his mind cannot believe that the ones so close to him, could bring about his death.
By the time Aayla Secura’s death on Felucia takes place, the music of maestro John Williams has taken over. His score soars over the treachery but is heavy with sadness. Yoda clutches his heart and so do we. Before we can recover, the deaths of Plo Koon and Stass Allie drive home the point that none of the Jedi had a chance. Plo Koon discovered Ahsoka Tano and was part of the Order’s backbone. In a flash, he dies unceremoniously, scattered among the debris on Cato Neimodia. Stass Allie dies in a similar fashion. The death is mounting.
The sequence ends on two different notes. On Kashyyyk, Yoda senses what’s happening and decapitates his would-be killers and heads to safety on the shoulders of Chewbacca and under the protection of Chief Tarful. It’s the moment of respite in a dark time. It’s short-lived. Darth Vader is about to take his darkest step. While the clones of the 501st run through the Jedi Temple, killing Jedi Knights, Darth Vader walks into a room of only Jedi Younglings—the children training at the Temple.
For many, Darth Vader killing Younglings doesn’t sit right. It’s not so much the act itself, but, perhaps, it’s the fact we were always told Vader helped the Emperor hunt down and kill the Jedi. That does happen, though. Later on. Many Jedi survived, and Vader does go out into the galaxy to hunt them down for the glory of his master. Marvel Comics and novels are covering this ground. Like that or not, it’s part of the story. At this moment, Darth Vader has a choice.
One Youngling, Sors Bandeam, steps forward and places all of his trust in the man he still believes is Anakin. “Master Skywalker, there’s too many of them. What are we going to do?” With a crack, Vader’s lightsaber is out and actor Ross Beadman, all of six years old, gives the best flinch in Star Wars. Order 66 will not spare him nor his friends. Yes, it’s horrible, but that’s what George Lucas intended.
Beyond George Lucas deciding to show us the most brutal choice Vader could make, I’ve always seen this—George hasn’t told me what he meant exactly—as a young, sandy-haired boy not unlike the podracing, droid-building youngster we first met in The Phantom Menace, staring up at what that boy became. It is Darth Vader’s first test at destroying everything he once was. As the sequence ends, Darth Vader takes his first step at killing his past. Lil’ Ani Skywalker does not survive Darth Vader.
Order 66 shows us a lot. The pain of betrayal. The cost of war. And, in many ways, it illustrates that the death of the Jedi Order, that powerful institution of heroes that were once the peacekeepers of the galaxy, came from within, destroyed by the clone troopers they agreed to lead into battle. Order 66 is the sequence Revenge of the Sith is built upon. It is the answer we never really wanted, but most definitely needed.