Great Jedi Purge
Encyclopedia
The Great Jedi Purge, or Order 66, is a major event in the Star Wars
storyline. It is officially documented as a plot element in the 2005 film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
, and is further referenced in the Star Wars Expanded Universe
. In the film, the Jedi
are nearly exterminated by the order of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious
, with only Obi-Wan Kenobi
, Quinlan Vos, Shaak Ti, General Rahm Kota, Kazdan Peratus, A'Sharad Hett, K'Kruhk, T'ra Saa, Tholme, Jax Pavan, Corwin Shelvay and Yoda
known to survive.
reads:
, which had been conceived as part of a scheme by Chancellor Palpatine
to eliminate the Jedi and establish himself as the Emperor of the galaxy
.
At some point between the noted events of Episodes II
and III, members of the Jedi council began to suspect Chancellor
Palpatine
was tied to Sidious and Count Dooku
's Separatist army. In Revenge of the Sith, Jedi Master Mace Windu
openly states to the Jedi Council
that he no longer trusts the Chancellor; Obi-Wan Kenobi
expresses similar misgivings.
Anakin Skywalker, the "Chosen One" of Jedi prophecy
, finds out that Palpatine is actually Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith for whom the Jedi have been searching for more than a decade. Anakin reveals this information to Windu, who then leads a small team of fellow Jedi Masters—Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto—to apprehend Sidious. In the ensuing lightsaber duel, Sidious quickly and almost effortlessly kills Windu's companions; Kolar, being the first killed by Sidious is effectively the first victim of the Great Jedi Purge, followed, in one move, by Tiin, and then, after a few moments of combat, Fisto.
Windu engages Palpatine in a furious battle, finally disarming him. As Windu reasserts Palpatine's arrest, Anakin suddenly enters the room while Palpatine pleads for his own life. Palpatine had long been nurturing the young Jedi's desire for power and had recently roused Anakin's fear for the safety of his pregnant wife, Padmé Amidala
. Before Windu can strike down the Chancellor after fending off a sneak attack by the Sith, Anakin severs Windu's hand with his lightsaber. Sidious then springs to life and blasts Windu with a torrent of Force lightning, which throws him out the window to his death.
It was mentioned by George Lucas in the Revenge of the Sith DVD commentary that Anakin thought he was doing the right thing saving Palpatine's life when he cut off Windu's hand with his lightsaber. However, Anakin did not think that Palpatine would kill Windu, and as a result of Windu's death Anakin believed that he had gone too far to be forgiven. To save his life, he had no other choice but to join with Palpatine.
Though Anakin expresses deep remorse for aiding in the death of Windu, Darth Sidious gives Anakin the Sith name
Darth Vader
, and orders him to exterminate the Jedi. He sends his new apprentice to the Jedi Temple along with the 501st Clone Trooper Legion
to kill all of the Jedi there. Palpatine says that if Vader carries out his commands, he will be strong enough in the dark side to save Padmé, and so Vader complies without a second thought, even exterminating the many children under the Temple's protection. While the newly turned Dark Lord is completing this task, Palpatine instructs the clone troopers to carry out Order 66 (see above).
Among the most notable Jedi killed at the very beginning of the purge are Ki-Adi-Mundi
, Plo Koon, Aayla Secura, Barriss Offee, Luminara Unduli, Stass Allie, and Traavis. Many of the temple guards are also killed while defending it from Clone Troopers.
Returning to Coruscant
, Masters Yoda
and Obi-Wan Kenobi enter the Temple long enough to re-encode a secret retreat signal being broadcast by the in-house communications ordering all Jedi to return to the Jedi Temple, deciding to warn all surviving Jedi about the treachery and to take precautions. During a special Senate session, Palpatine declares the Jedi traitors. He then reorganizes the Republic
into the Galactic Empire
, declaring himself Emperor of the Galaxy.
. They both then attempt to kill the Sith Lords, with Yoda engaging Sidious in combat, and Obi-Wan fighting Vader. Yoda fights Sidious to a draw and is forced to flee at the last moment and escapes; whereas Kenobi defeats and mortally wounds his former apprentice, leaving him to die; however, Vader is rescued by the Emperor and fitted with the black life-support suit he wears for the remainder of his life. Realizing they are in no position to oppose the Empire for the time being, Kenobi and Yoda go into hiding. Additionally, they decide that Luke
and Leia, the children of Anakin and Padmé (who had died giving birth to them), would need to be raised separately and in hiding to protect them from Sidious and Vader. Bail Organa volunteers to adopt Leia with his wife on Alderaan. By Yoda's decision, Luke would be raised by Anakin's stepbrother, Owen Lars, on Tatooine
, while Kenobi watches over him from a distance. Yoda, for his part, chooses exile
on an uninhabited planet in the Dagobah
System.
indicates that other Jedi also survive the initial stages of the Purge, though few of these Jedi live to see the fall of the Empire. In some instances, clone troopers that had developed individual self-identity played a key role in the Jedis' survival.
According to Timothy Zahn
's The Hand of Thrawn Duology
, Palpatine begins killing Jedi before the Great Jedi Purge occurs. Shortly after the Battle of Naboo (depicted in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
), the Jedi Council approved the "Outbound Flight Project." A group of Jedi masters would travel to the edge of the galaxy
and attempt to use the Force to punch through the hyperspace turbulence surrounding the galaxy, thereby allowing them to attempt contact with life in other galaxies.
The ship is intercepted on Palpatine's command and all hope of contacting life outside the galaxy ended. It is noted that the Chiss, one of whom would become Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn
, were involved in the interception of this ship. Further details of the Outbound Flight Project were elaborated upon in Zahn's Survivor's Quest
and Outbound Flight
novels.
One of those Jedi Masters killed by Thrawn is Jorus C'Baoth. His clone, which serves the Empire, is subject to fits of insanity
and eventually betrays Thrawn in the Heir to the Empire
series.
In the Coruscant Nights
series, Jedi Knight Jax Pavan survives the Purge and goes into hiding in the seedier districts of Coruscant, where he begins operating as a private investigator.
X-Wing
Rogue Squadron
pilot Corran Horn discovers a museum chronicling members of the Jedi Order whom Palpatine had killed, filled with destroyed statues of former Jedi on Coruscant.
In the strategy game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
, after crashlanding on the planet of Krant, Princess Leia Organa
and C-3PO
, along with a small group of rebels, discover a Jedi who survived the purge, Echuu Shen-Jon. He helps them win many victories on Krant, then travels with them to the Geddes asteroid
s to reclaim a Jedi artifact. When they land there, they are helped by a small army of Wookiees. In this mission, Shen-Jon dies at Darth Vader's hand, sacrificing himself so Leia and the other Rebels could escape. It is revealed in the expansion that he exiled himself to Krant after briefly succumbing to the Dark Side and killing Sev, Rance Taan, a CIS general who had killed Shen-Jon's padawan, though at the cost of the lives of many clone trooper
and Wookiees.
In the New Jedi Order series, Vergere is revealed as a Jedi Knight from before the Empire. She was sent on a mission to investigate the living planet Zonama Sekot, where she encounters the Yuuzhan Vong
. Considering them to be a threat, Vergere convinces them to take her as an advisor and jester of sorts to their Warmaster, Tsavong Lah. The Great Jedi Purge takes place after she leaves with the Yuuzhan Vong. Her connections to the Old Jedi Order prove important in the training of Jacen Solo
and allow her to provide Luke Skywalker
with a small view of the old order. Before she can finish completely instructing them, she dies protecting Jacen from Tsavong Lah's forces.
In the Dark Times
series by Mick Harrison, it is revealed that a never-before mentioned member of the Jedi Order, Dass Jennir, also survived and took refuge on the planets of the Nosaurians and helped them fight off Storm Troopers before helping his Nosaurian friend Bomo Greenbark find his kidnapped wife and child. Once in Dark Times, Jennir mentioned something about him escaping alive because his clone troopers intended to kill him did not receive the order to execute Order 66.
In the video game Star Wars Battlefront II, some Jedi survive the purge and were killed by Stormtroopers on Naboo.
In the 2008 video game The Force Unleashed, it is revealed that several Jedi, including Jedi Master Shaak Ti, had survived the initial purge, only to be later killed by Vader's apprentice Galen Marek. However, in a deleted scene from Revenge Of The Sith, Shaak Ti was killed by General Grievous
and another deleted scene that depicts her slain by Lord Vader in the temple. These scenes are, however, not canon as it depicts Anakin's first face to face meeting with General Grevious, which in the film happens later on the bridge of the CIS ship. The exact number of Jedi who ultimately survive both the Great Purge and Vader is not known.
In the Dark Empire II comic book, a pre-Order 66 Jedi, Kam Solusar, is depicted.
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
storyline. It is officially documented as a plot element in the 2005 film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
, and is further referenced in the Star Wars Expanded Universe
Star Wars Expanded Universe
The Star Wars Expanded Universe encompasses all of the officially licensed, fictional background of the Star Wars universe, outside of the six feature films produced by George Lucas. The expanded universe includes books, comic books, video games, spin-off films like Star Wars: The Clone Wars,...
. In the film, the Jedi
Jedi
The Jedi are characters in the Star Wars universe and the series's main protagonists. The Jedi use a power called the Force and weapons called lightsabers, which emit a controlled energy flow in the shape of a sword, in order to serve and protect the Republic and the galaxy at large from conflict...
are nearly exterminated by the order of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious
Palpatine
Palpatine is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Star Wars saga, portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in the feature films.Palpatine first appeared as the unnamed Emperor of the Galactic Empire in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back...
, with only Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is one of several primary characters in the Star Wars series. Along with Darth Vader, R2-D2, and C-3PO, he is one of the few major characters to appear in all six Star Wars films...
, Quinlan Vos, Shaak Ti, General Rahm Kota, Kazdan Peratus, A'Sharad Hett, K'Kruhk, T'ra Saa, Tholme, Jax Pavan, Corwin Shelvay and Yoda
Yoda
Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the second and third original films, as well as all three prequel trilogy films. A renowned Jedi master, Yoda made his first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where he is responsible for...
known to survive.
Order 66
The text of Order 66 as given in Chapter Twenty of the novel Star Wars Republic Commando: True ColorsStar Wars Republic Commando: True Colors
Star Wars Republic Commando: True Colors is the third novel in the Republic Commando series, written by Karen Traviss. It is a sequel to Hard Contact and Triple Zero and continues the story of Omega Squad's actions during the Clone Wars....
reads:
In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander (Chancellor), GAR [Grand Army of the Republic] commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) until a new command structure is established.
Depiction
The Purge begins shortly before the end of the Clone WarsClone Wars (Star Wars)
The Clone Wars are a series of fictional intragalactic battles in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. The conflict is first mentioned in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , but no details are given , and the wars themselves are not featured until the series' fifth and sixth...
, which had been conceived as part of a scheme by Chancellor Palpatine
Palpatine
Palpatine is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Star Wars saga, portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in the feature films.Palpatine first appeared as the unnamed Emperor of the Galactic Empire in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back...
to eliminate the Jedi and establish himself as the Emperor of the galaxy
Star Wars Galaxy
Star Wars Galaxy may mean:* Star Wars Galaxies, a Star Wars themed MMORPG platform for Microsoft Windows* Star Wars galaxy, the fictional galaxy where the setting of the Star Wars saga occurs...
.
At some point between the noted events of Episodes II
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology...
and III, members of the Jedi council began to suspect Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
Palpatine
Palpatine
Palpatine is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Star Wars saga, portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in the feature films.Palpatine first appeared as the unnamed Emperor of the Galactic Empire in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back...
was tied to Sidious and Count Dooku
Count Dooku
Count Dooku is a fictional character from the Star Wars universe. Dooku is one of the main antagonists of both Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and the events of the Clone Wars and is a supporting villain in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Count Dooku plays a substantial role...
's Separatist army. In Revenge of the Sith, Jedi Master Mace Windu
Mace Windu
Mace Windu is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, most famously portrayed by actor Samuel L. Jackson in the prequel films. However, Windu has also been voiced by other actors in assorted video game and animated projects....
openly states to the Jedi Council
Jedi Council
The Jedi High Council is a fictional institution from the Star Wars film series. The Jedi Council are the strongest members of the Jedi Order, and are elected to lead the Jedi.-History:...
that he no longer trusts the Chancellor; Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is one of several primary characters in the Star Wars series. Along with Darth Vader, R2-D2, and C-3PO, he is one of the few major characters to appear in all six Star Wars films...
expresses similar misgivings.
Anakin Skywalker, the "Chosen One" of Jedi prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
, finds out that Palpatine is actually Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith for whom the Jedi have been searching for more than a decade. Anakin reveals this information to Windu, who then leads a small team of fellow Jedi Masters—Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto—to apprehend Sidious. In the ensuing lightsaber duel, Sidious quickly and almost effortlessly kills Windu's companions; Kolar, being the first killed by Sidious is effectively the first victim of the Great Jedi Purge, followed, in one move, by Tiin, and then, after a few moments of combat, Fisto.
Windu engages Palpatine in a furious battle, finally disarming him. As Windu reasserts Palpatine's arrest, Anakin suddenly enters the room while Palpatine pleads for his own life. Palpatine had long been nurturing the young Jedi's desire for power and had recently roused Anakin's fear for the safety of his pregnant wife, Padmé Amidala
Padmé Amidala
Padmé Amidala is a fictional character in the Star Wars science fiction franchise. She first appeared on film in the 1999 feature film, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, as the young queen of the planet Naboo. In subsequent prequel trilogy films, Padmé represents Naboo in the Galactic Senate...
. Before Windu can strike down the Chancellor after fending off a sneak attack by the Sith, Anakin severs Windu's hand with his lightsaber. Sidious then springs to life and blasts Windu with a torrent of Force lightning, which throws him out the window to his death.
It was mentioned by George Lucas in the Revenge of the Sith DVD commentary that Anakin thought he was doing the right thing saving Palpatine's life when he cut off Windu's hand with his lightsaber. However, Anakin did not think that Palpatine would kill Windu, and as a result of Windu's death Anakin believed that he had gone too far to be forgiven. To save his life, he had no other choice but to join with Palpatine.
Though Anakin expresses deep remorse for aiding in the death of Windu, Darth Sidious gives Anakin the Sith name
Darth
In the fictional Star Wars universe, Darth is the traditional title of a Sith Lord or Master, the first part of the new name they take on. One backronym is that is a condensed version of 'Dark Lord of the Sith'....
Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
, and orders him to exterminate the Jedi. He sends his new apprentice to the Jedi Temple along with the 501st Clone Trooper Legion
501st Legion (Star Wars)
The 501st Legion is a Clone Trooper unit from the Star Wars movies and Expanded Universe. They served under Darth Vader, and were considered to be the best soldiers in the galaxy...
to kill all of the Jedi there. Palpatine says that if Vader carries out his commands, he will be strong enough in the dark side to save Padmé, and so Vader complies without a second thought, even exterminating the many children under the Temple's protection. While the newly turned Dark Lord is completing this task, Palpatine instructs the clone troopers to carry out Order 66 (see above).
Among the most notable Jedi killed at the very beginning of the purge are Ki-Adi-Mundi
Ki-Adi-Mundi
Ki-Adi-Mundi is a fictional character from the Star Wars universe. He was portrayed by actor Silas Carson in each of the films of the Star Wars prequel trilogy...
, Plo Koon, Aayla Secura, Barriss Offee, Luminara Unduli, Stass Allie, and Traavis. Many of the temple guards are also killed while defending it from Clone Troopers.
Returning to Coruscant
Coruscant
Coruscant is a planet in the fictional Star Wars universe. It first appeared onscreen in the 1997 Special Edition of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, but was first mentioned in Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel Heir to the Empire...
, Masters Yoda
Yoda
Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the second and third original films, as well as all three prequel trilogy films. A renowned Jedi master, Yoda made his first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where he is responsible for...
and Obi-Wan Kenobi enter the Temple long enough to re-encode a secret retreat signal being broadcast by the in-house communications ordering all Jedi to return to the Jedi Temple, deciding to warn all surviving Jedi about the treachery and to take precautions. During a special Senate session, Palpatine declares the Jedi traitors. He then reorganizes the Republic
Galactic Republic (Star Wars)
The Galactic Republic is the name of the interplanetary State used in the fictional Star Wars universe prior to the establishment of the Galactic Empire. The form of this government, created by the Senate, was introduced in the Prequel Trilogy. By the time of the original Star Wars trilogy, it is...
into the Galactic Empire
Galactic Empire (Star Wars)
The Galactic Empire is one of the main factions in the fictional universe of Star Wars. It is a galaxy-spanning regime established by the series' lead villain, Palpatine, to replace the Galactic Republic in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The Galactic Empire is introduced in Star Wars...
, declaring himself Emperor of the Galaxy.
Survivors
Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi survive the initial purge and are picked up by Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan, who has secretly remained loyal to the Jedi, aboard his diplomatic cruiser Tantive IVTantive IV
The Tantive IV is a fictional spaceship in the Star Wars film series. It was used by Bail Organa in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and by Leia Organa in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, and was the first vessel audiences saw when Star Wars premiered in 1977...
. They both then attempt to kill the Sith Lords, with Yoda engaging Sidious in combat, and Obi-Wan fighting Vader. Yoda fights Sidious to a draw and is forced to flee at the last moment and escapes; whereas Kenobi defeats and mortally wounds his former apprentice, leaving him to die; however, Vader is rescued by the Emperor and fitted with the black life-support suit he wears for the remainder of his life. Realizing they are in no position to oppose the Empire for the time being, Kenobi and Yoda go into hiding. Additionally, they decide that Luke
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
and Leia, the children of Anakin and Padmé (who had died giving birth to them), would need to be raised separately and in hiding to protect them from Sidious and Vader. Bail Organa volunteers to adopt Leia with his wife on Alderaan. By Yoda's decision, Luke would be raised by Anakin's stepbrother, Owen Lars, on Tatooine
Tatooine
Tatooine is a fictional planet and setting for many key scenes in the Star Wars saga, appearing in every Star Wars film except The Empire Strikes Back, although it is mentioned at the end of the movie...
, while Kenobi watches over him from a distance. Yoda, for his part, chooses exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
on an uninhabited planet in the Dagobah
Dagobah
Dagobah is a fictional planet in the Star Wars films, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. It also makes an appearance in a deleted scene from Revenge of the Sith....
System.
Expanded Universe
The Expanded UniverseStar Wars Expanded Universe
The Star Wars Expanded Universe encompasses all of the officially licensed, fictional background of the Star Wars universe, outside of the six feature films produced by George Lucas. The expanded universe includes books, comic books, video games, spin-off films like Star Wars: The Clone Wars,...
indicates that other Jedi also survive the initial stages of the Purge, though few of these Jedi live to see the fall of the Empire. In some instances, clone troopers that had developed individual self-identity played a key role in the Jedis' survival.
According to Timothy Zahn
Timothy Zahn
Timothy Zahn is a writer of science fiction short stories and novels. His novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo award. He is the author of nine Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, including seven novels featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn: the Thrawn Trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn duology, Outbound...
's The Hand of Thrawn Duology
The Hand of Thrawn duology
The Hand of Thrawn are a pair of novels set in the Star Wars Expanded Universe galaxy, which were written by famed Star Wars author Timothy Zahn...
, Palpatine begins killing Jedi before the Great Jedi Purge occurs. Shortly after the Battle of Naboo (depicted in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms...
), the Jedi Council approved the "Outbound Flight Project." A group of Jedi masters would travel to the edge of the galaxy
Star Wars Galaxy
Star Wars Galaxy may mean:* Star Wars Galaxies, a Star Wars themed MMORPG platform for Microsoft Windows* Star Wars galaxy, the fictional galaxy where the setting of the Star Wars saga occurs...
and attempt to use the Force to punch through the hyperspace turbulence surrounding the galaxy, thereby allowing them to attempt contact with life in other galaxies.
The ship is intercepted on Palpatine's command and all hope of contacting life outside the galaxy ended. It is noted that the Chiss, one of whom would become Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn
Grand Admiral Thrawn
Grand Admiral Thrawn is a fictional character and major antagonist from the Star Wars galaxy. He first appeared in Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy, published between 1992 and 1994...
, were involved in the interception of this ship. Further details of the Outbound Flight Project were elaborated upon in Zahn's Survivor's Quest
Survivor's Quest
Survivor's Quest is a 2004 novel set in the Star Wars galaxy. The book was written by Timothy Zahn, and is the eighth, and, chronologically, the final book in his eight-book Thrawn series.-Setting:...
and Outbound Flight
Outbound Flight
Outbound Flight is a novel set in the Star Wars galaxy that was released on January 31, 2006. It is written by Timothy Zahn, bestselling author of the popular Thrawn Trilogy, to which this novel is a prequel. The book was released by Del Rey, first in hardcover, then in paperback in January 2007...
novels.
One of those Jedi Masters killed by Thrawn is Jorus C'Baoth. His clone, which serves the Empire, is subject to fits of insanity
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
and eventually betrays Thrawn in the Heir to the Empire
Heir to the Empire
Heir to the Empire is the first book in a trilogy of novels known as The Thrawn Trilogy, all written by Timothy Zahn.-Description:The book is set five years after the events of Return of the Jedi...
series.
In the Coruscant Nights
Coruscant Nights
Coruscant Nights is a series of novels encompassing three paperbacks written by Michael Reaves. The series is set in the Star Wars universe a year after Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The books do not form a trilogy, but rather are three stand-alone paperbacks following the same group...
series, Jedi Knight Jax Pavan survives the Purge and goes into hiding in the seedier districts of Coruscant, where he begins operating as a private investigator.
X-Wing
X-wing
X-wings are fictional starfighters from the original Star Wars trilogy and the expanded universe. They are depicted as the primary interceptor and dogfighter of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic...
Rogue Squadron
Rogue Squadron
Rogue Squadron is a starfighter squadron in the Star Wars science fiction saga. Many of the pilots that will join Rogue Squadron are initially members of Red Squadron, the X-Wing attack force that Luke Skywalker joins during the Battle of Yavin in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope...
pilot Corran Horn discovers a museum chronicling members of the Jedi Order whom Palpatine had killed, filled with destroyed statues of former Jedi on Coruscant.
In the strategy game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds is a real-time strategy computer game set in the Star Wars universe.Players have a choice of factions and campaigns. The factions in the original game include the Wookiees, Royal Naboo, the Trade Federation, the Empire, the Rebels, and the Gungans...
, after crashlanding on the planet of Krant, Princess Leia Organa
Princess Leia Organa
Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe...
and C-3PO
C-3PO
C-3PO is a robot character from the Star Wars universe who appears in both the original Star Wars films and the prequel trilogy. He is also a major character in the television show Droids, and appears frequently in the series' "Expanded Universe" of novels, comic books, and video games...
, along with a small group of rebels, discover a Jedi who survived the purge, Echuu Shen-Jon. He helps them win many victories on Krant, then travels with them to the Geddes asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
s to reclaim a Jedi artifact. When they land there, they are helped by a small army of Wookiees. In this mission, Shen-Jon dies at Darth Vader's hand, sacrificing himself so Leia and the other Rebels could escape. It is revealed in the expansion that he exiled himself to Krant after briefly succumbing to the Dark Side and killing Sev, Rance Taan, a CIS general who had killed Shen-Jon's padawan, though at the cost of the lives of many clone trooper
Clone trooper
The clone troopers of the Army of the Republic are soldiers in the fictional Star Wars universe, cloned from Jango Fett, a Mandalorian bounty hunter. They first appeared in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and returned in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith where they were played...
and Wookiees.
In the New Jedi Order series, Vergere is revealed as a Jedi Knight from before the Empire. She was sent on a mission to investigate the living planet Zonama Sekot, where she encounters the Yuuzhan Vong
Yuuzhan Vong
The Yuuzhan Vong are a group of fictional characters from the Star Wars Expanded Universe. They rise as a threat to the New Republic in the New Jedi Order series of novels....
. Considering them to be a threat, Vergere convinces them to take her as an advisor and jester of sorts to their Warmaster, Tsavong Lah. The Great Jedi Purge takes place after she leaves with the Yuuzhan Vong. Her connections to the Old Jedi Order prove important in the training of Jacen Solo
Jacen Solo
Jacen Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo and the nephew of Luke Skywalker, he is a major character in several Star Wars novels, particularly the Legacy of the Force series. He replaced Lumiya as the main antagonist of the...
and allow her to provide Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
with a small view of the old order. Before she can finish completely instructing them, she dies protecting Jacen from Tsavong Lah's forces.
In the Dark Times
Star Wars: Dark Times
Dark Times is a 2006, eighteen issue comic book mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics. It is part of their 30th anniversary retooling of its long-running Star Wars series of comics, replacing Star Wars: Republic....
series by Mick Harrison, it is revealed that a never-before mentioned member of the Jedi Order, Dass Jennir, also survived and took refuge on the planets of the Nosaurians and helped them fight off Storm Troopers before helping his Nosaurian friend Bomo Greenbark find his kidnapped wife and child. Once in Dark Times, Jennir mentioned something about him escaping alive because his clone troopers intended to kill him did not receive the order to execute Order 66.
In the video game Star Wars Battlefront II, some Jedi survive the purge and were killed by Stormtroopers on Naboo.
In the 2008 video game The Force Unleashed, it is revealed that several Jedi, including Jedi Master Shaak Ti, had survived the initial purge, only to be later killed by Vader's apprentice Galen Marek. However, in a deleted scene from Revenge Of The Sith, Shaak Ti was killed by General Grievous
General Grievous
General Grievous is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, an antagonist in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He was voiced by Matthew Wood...
and another deleted scene that depicts her slain by Lord Vader in the temple. These scenes are, however, not canon as it depicts Anakin's first face to face meeting with General Grevious, which in the film happens later on the bridge of the CIS ship. The exact number of Jedi who ultimately survive both the Great Purge and Vader is not known.
In the Dark Empire II comic book, a pre-Order 66 Jedi, Kam Solusar, is depicted.