Star Wars never used to be cohesive. Before Disney bought LucasFilm, it was a Wild West of different writers jumping at the chance to expand on throwaway lines from the movies, usually without much oversight. Just look at how diverse the Clone Wars were before Episode 2. In some stories, both sides were Clones, in one, a deceased Jedi master was resurrected through cloning and attempted to enslave others as he rebuilt the order, and in many, the Clone Wars did not directly lead into the Empire. Who knew identical soldiers could be so varied?

It’s no surprise then that Order 66, one of the most pivotal moments in Star Wars, was also mired in different interpretations before settling on a true, canon version of events. In Disney’s universe, the Clones were secretly implanted with a chip that Palpatine could activate at any moment to gain control over them, turning the Republic’s army against the Jedi. But the original Battlefront 2 had a different idea.

Before The Clone Wars

In the game’s campaign, we follow the 501st Battalion through the Clone Wars, Order 66, and the rise of the Empire. They’re Anakin Skywalker’s personal troop, and through a diary narrated by Temuera Morrison himself, we get an insight into the mindset of some of the most trusted Clones in the Republic’s army.

The success of the mission on Mygeeto was something of a revelation for the men of the 501st. Suddenly, we realised that the Jedi could be fooled. And if they could be fooled, they could be killed.

The Clones were fully aware of the plan to slaughter the Jedi in Order 66, something we even carried out ourselves in the game during Operation: Knightfall, the siege of the Jedi Temple. It completely reframes the relationship between Clones and Jedi, and puts the movies and shows like The Clone Wars into a drastically different light. Those jovial moments and bonds between friends suddenly have a morbid undertone.

They gained the Jedi’s trust and became, in many cases, their closest confidants. Seeing Commander Cody, a fan-favourite, turn on Obi-Wan Kenobi was a gut-wrenching moment that hammered home that Order 66 was far more than just wholesale slaughter. It was steeped in personal betrayal, twisting the Jedi’s good-hearted nature and naivety against them.

Order 66's Powerful Historical Message

The Empire is built on Nazi iconography, with its soldiers even taking the name ‘Stormtrooper’, and the Clones are no different. Turning on the Jedi just because their leader said to and committing such an atrocity, following orders to the letter, perfectly builds on the World War 2 allegory. Even those you think you can trust may succumb to the overwhelming shadow of fascism and turn on you. It’s a far more compelling threat than flipping a switch, a sci-fi cliche that undercuts so much of what made Order 66 as poignant as it was.

Palpatine himself is a mirror to Adolf Hitler, rising to power through the proper channels, following democratic protocol only to seize control in plain sight by using people’s trust in the system against them. The Clones helped him in that goal much as the SS did Hitler. Only in real life, there wasn’t a magical button to make people bend to his whim.

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Star Wars used to be biting with its message. It wasn’t about cameos and shiny keys, it was a warning to younger generations about how easy it is for fascism to take root in our societies and turn our neighbours against us. The prequels show us a charismatic and friendly leader in Palpatine, offering a shoulder to those around him and hope for those struggling to find it. But all of it was a lie, and the Clones perfectly captured that as they too wormed their way into the lives of Jedi only to stab them in the back.

They were Palpatine’s hand on the battlefield, spreading his influence and deceit directly. To strip that away through such a palatable alternative buries the warning of Order 66 under a painfully simple mind control trope, muddying the message that even those you look up to and believe in can be corrupted. That’s what makes the Clones such an ominous force, ringing true to our own history, and it’s what makes that scene in Episode 3 so powerful.

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Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection

Shooter Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 59/100 Critics Rec: 41% Released March 14, 2024 ESRB T For Teen Due To Violence Developer(s) Aspyr Publisher(s) Aspyr Engine Pandemic's Zero engine Franchise Star Wars
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The Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection bundles both of the classic titles from the early 2000s together, making them playable on modern platforms. Adding new characters, maps, and a 64-player online mode, the iconic Star Wars games are arguably better than ever.

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