Order 66 was the moment the Jedi fell - and here's the complete timeline of all Star Wars mediums that have shown it. Darth Sidious envisioned the Clone Wars as the ultimate Jedi trap, in that simply by taking part in the war at all, the Jedi lost. The Clone Wars tipped the galaxy towards the dark side, with emotions like fear and anger clouding the Force, and the Jedi found themselves unable to look to the Force for guidance as a result.

The most sensitive Jedi had long foreseen this. Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas foresaw the Clone Wars, and indeed he commissioned the clone army to give the Jedi the support he believed they needed; but Darth Sidious learned of Sifo-Dyas' actions, and he corrupted them, manipulating the Kaminoans into implanting inhibitor chips in the clones in order to control them. The chips were programmed with a number of orders that the clones would be unable to disobey, the most prominent being Order 66 - a command that would turn the clones on the Jedi themselves. Ally would become enemy in an instant, and most of the Jedi were cut down by their clone troopers.

Related: Every Jedi Alive During The Bad Batch (& Where They Are)

The greatest Jedi, such as Master Yoda, had sensed the coming storm; but their visions had been blurred and indistinct, clouded by the dark side, and they trusted the clones implicitly. In the end, Order 66 was the final revenge of the Sith - a key moment in galactic history, one that Star Wars has circled back to many times. Here are all the times Order 66 has been explored in canon.

Order 66 In Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith

anakin younglings

The main story is told in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, with Anakin Skywalker betraying the Jedi and receiving the name Darth Vader. Immediately afterwards, Palpatine carefully and deliberately pressured Anakin to see just how far he had fallen. "When the Jedi learn what has transpired here, they will kill us, along with all the Senators," he observed, twisting the knife to ensure Anakin knows he has passed the point of no return. "Every single Jedi, including your friend Obi-Wan Kenobi, is now an enemy of the Republic. You understand that, don't you?" When Anakin signified his understanding, Darth Sidious commanded Anakin to kill all the Jedi at the temple. This serves as Darth Vader's baptism of blood, for the Sith Lord knows that will force his new apprentice to kill friends and former allies, and ultimately to slaughter the Jedi Younglings.

When Anakin had departed, Sidious issued Order 66 by holo-transmission. He prioritized Commander Cody in order to have Obi-Wan Kenobi killed, before personally ordering the execution of some specific Jedi - beings he either feared or hated. According to Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Order 66 was then transmitted on the clone troopers' communication networks, ensuring every trooper heard the command.

The clone troopers turned upon the Jedi almost simultaneously, and this is the key to Order 66's effectiveness. There was no warning, meaning precious few Jedi survived beyond a few moments; those who did suddenly found themselves battered by the Force, overwhelmed by a wave of violence and death, sensing the loss of so many friends and loved ones. Overcome by the horror of it all, they were easy prey, and only the most powerful and the most lucky survived. Several Jedi chose to prioritize protecting their Padawans, commanding their apprentices to run.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith shows Order 66 being carried out across the galaxy:

  • On Utapau, Commander Cody ordered clone troopers to open fire on Obi-Wan Kenobi - ironically just after he'd given the Jedi back his lightsaber.
  • On Mygeeto, clone troopers turned on Ki-Adi-Mundi and cut him down.
  • On Felucia, Aayla Secura was shot in the back.
  • On Cato Neimoidia, Plo Koon's ship was shot out of the sky.
  • On Saleucami, Stass Allie was leading two clone troopers on speeder bikes; they fell back, and then shot her down.
  • But as swiftly as the clones carried out Order 66, they were not quick enough. Yoda sensed the disturbance in the Force on Kashyyyk, and he defended himself from the two clone troopers who attempted to kill him.
  • On Coruscant, Bail Organa pulled up at the burning Jedi Temple in time to see a ten-year-old Jedi, Zett Jukassa, killed by clone troopers; as a witness to Order 66, he barely escaped with his life.

Related: When Bad Batch Takes Place In The Star Wars Timeline

Order 66 In Star Wars TV Shows

The clones betraying Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars The Clone Wars

Order 66 has only been shown twice in Star Wars animations, although it has been discussed on many other occasions. Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7's final episodes are concurrent with Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, and the last two episodes - "Shattered" and "Victory and Death" - show the clone troopers attempt to kill Ahsoka Tano. In truth, Ahsoka survived Order 66 because Commander Rex resisted his conditioning long enough to put her on the alert; she then figured out what was going on and had the inhibitor chip removed, restoring him to his right mind. Tragically, Ahsoka was unable to do the same for any of the other clones accompanying her, even those who had earlier painted their helmets in a demonstration of loyalty to her.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 1, episode 1 revisited Order 66, with the Bad Batch on a mission to Kaller when the order was issued. With the exception of Crosshair, Clone Force 99's mutations protected them, and they watched in increasing confusion as the clone troopers turned upon Jedi General Depa Billaba. Hunter chose to allow Depa's Padawan, Caleb Dume, to escape.

Order 66 In Star Wars Video Games

Star Wars Jaro Tapal Sacrifice

A flashback scene in Jedi: Fallen Order shows the death of Jedi Master Jaro Tapal on a ship over the planet Bracca. This powerful Master sensed a disturbance in the Force just as his clone troopers received Order 66, and swiftly deduced the clones had betrayed the Jedi all across the galaxy. Tapal was one of the Masters who chose to sacrifice himself for his Padawan, creating a distraction to allow Cal Kestis to escape their vessel in an escape pod. He overloaded the ship's reactors in order to mask Cal's survival.

Order 66 In Star Wars Comics

Caleb Dume Order 66 Star Wars

Curiously enough, as important an event as Order 66 may be in Star Wars lore, it's only been directly seen once in canon in the comics - namely in Greg Weisman's Kanan series. This tells the story of how Jedi Padawan Caleb Dume escaped Order 66 on the planet Kaller, with Master Depa Billaba sacrificing herself on his behalf. This account is actually contradicted by the opening episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which shows an alternate version of this in which Caleb was helped by Clone Force 99. Lucasfilm's current approach to canon appears to be what can be described as the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" approach; that "many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view," and thus you can choose which version you prefer.

Charles Soule's Darth Vader #1 shows what can logically be seen as the ultimate end of Order 66; the ceremonial destruction of the Jedi lightsabers, which Palpatine had incinerated in a furnace. As powerful a symbol as this may have been, oddly enough it was probably something of a mistake; some years later Galen Erso would realize the kyber crystals in those lightsabers could have been weaponized.

More: Bad Batch's Omega: Jango Fett's First Female Clone Explained