Although cloning is an established practice in Star Wars, clones are rarely seen outside of the Republic’s army - but why? The Kamino cloners who created the army were already well-known for their work by the time the army was commissioned. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s friend, Dex, was aware of their cloning business and indicated that they were particularly good cloners, indicating they had to have perfected cloning before the army. The Kaminoans turned out a clone troopers army of enormous size for the Republic, but there have to be many more clones that were not part of Sifo-Dyas’ commission.

Dex’s comment about the quality of Kamino’s work suggests there are multiple cloners to choose from, and Kamino’s reputation means that they must have done enough cloning work to establish themselves as the finest in the business. Despite this, few clones are ever seen outside of the Republic Army. The Empire and the Sith also continue cloning through The Mandalorian and the sequel trilogy, long after the Republic Army was gone. Though the cloning business may have taken a significant hit from the Clone Wars, it doesn’t seem the practice completely went away in these later years, given how easy it was for the Empire to collect scientists capable of cloning Emperor Palpatine.

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Yet, if cloning is a common practice, where are all the other clones? The answer could lie in how they're used. Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas and the Sith quickly turned to the Kamino cloners as a solution to their military needs, and the Kaminoans seem to have some experience in growing an army that would be obedient and efficient. Even in the sequels, Kyle Ren bitingly suggested a clone army might be easier for Snoke to control than his Stormtroopers. Clone armies are likely a common use for clones, though not armies the size of the Republic’s. Smaller clone armies could be used as planetary or private security forces. The Republic didn’t have a military before the clone army, but lesser governments and powerful individuals would have plenty of use for small-scale batches of clone soldiers.

The cloning operation on Kamino

The expansive Republic Army was only possible through the dark money the Sith secretly provided Sifo-Dyas to pay for the commission and later through the deep pockets of the Galactic Republic government. It’s unlikely anyone besides the Sith or the Republic would have the treasury to pay for a large army, so cloners probably earn their keep off of small commissions. Aside from security forces, wealthy individuals may hire cloners for more personal reasons, such as alternative means of raising a child, similar to Jango Fett’s request for serving as the clone troopers template. In this way, many people in the galaxy could be the product of cloning, though only those with considerable means would be able to afford this process, particularly on a large scale.

It may seem like the Republic Army and the Sith strandcasts are the only uses of cloning in Star Wars, but clones are probably scattered throughout the galaxy in various roles. The movies and shows have yet to deeply explore cloning beyond its immediate relationship with the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire and First Order. Given that other clones would be cast from different templates and far less numerous than Jango Fett’s clones, they could even appear in the story without acknowledgment. The Clone Wars may be long over, but the world of cloning still has a lot of story potential for Star Wars to explore in the future.

Next: Star Wars: Why Kamino Wasn't in the Jedi Archives