In a galaxy far, far away, there is an army of soldiers known as clone troopers. These troopers are clones of one man, Jango Fett, and were created to fight for the Republic in the Clone Wars. But what exactly are clone troopers? And what happened to them after the war? Today, we'll take a look at the history of clone troopers in Star Wars.
Source: starwars.com
What Are Clone Troopers?
Clone troopers are genetically modified humans that were created to serve in the Galactic Republic's Army during the Clone Wars. They were clones of Jango Fett, a Mandalorian bounty hunter, and were created on the planet Kamino.
The clone troopers were first requested by Sifo-Dyas, a Jedi who foresaw the need for an army to defend the Republic. However, before the cloning process could be completed, Sifo-Dyas was caught and finally killed by Count Dooku, a Sith Lord who then took control of the cloning project.
Under Dooku's orders, a biochip was implanted into each clone trooper that would force them to follow their orders without question.
Source: starwars.com
Role of Clone Troopers During Prequel Trilogy
The clone troopers made their debut in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002). In this film, they are used by the Galactic Republic against the Separatists - a group led by Dooku who wished to secede from the Republic.
While the clone troopers ultimately helped the Republic win the war, they were forced to obey Order 66. As we mentioned earlier, each clone had a biochip implanted in their brain that would force them to obey their orders, Order 66 included.
Source: starwars.com
This meant that they had no choice but to kill their Jedi commanders - even if those orders went against their own personal morality.
After Order 66 was issued at the end of Episode III: Revenge of The Sith (2005), the clone troopers became Palpatine's pawns.
With the Jedi wiped out, Palpatine was able to declare himself Emperor and rule with an iron fist. The clone troopers played a key role in his rise to power and ensured that he remained in control during his early years as Emperor.
Source: starwars.com
Fate of The Clone Troopers After Prequel Trilogy
The clone troopers served as stormtroopers - elite soldiers loyal to Emperor Palpatine - for several years after the end of the Clone Wars.
However, they were eventually replaced by regular human stormtroopers.
There are a few reasons for this:
Firstly, due to their accelerated aging process, most clones were too old to serve as stormtroopers.
Secondly, clone troopers were not designed to be robots who mindlessly obey orders. The colonists not only shared the same goals as the Republic, but also held these values close to their hearts, such as democracy and liberty. Since they did not share the Empire's values, they were harder to control.
Source: starwars.com
Final Words
Clone troopers were originally created to fight for the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars, but their ultimate purpose was revealed in Revenge of the Sith when Order 66 led to their rapid aging and replacement with stormtroopers. Eventually, some clones helped bring an end to the Empire, while others were left in poverty.
