Star Wars: The Jedi Knew About Clone Army Conspiracy, But Covered It Up

Summary:

• The fall of the Jedi was the culmination of the prequel trilogy and one of the most important moments in Star Wars
• However, the disaster was entirely preventable, as the conspiracy was discovered well in advance
• Yet, in an act of outrageous negligence, the Order not only ignored the looming threat, but covered it up

The mystery behind the fall of the Jedi Order has captivated Star Wars fans since the release of the first film almost fifty years ago in 1977, so when the prequels were announced, they couldn't wait to see it.

Although the prequel trilogy as a whole was quite flawed, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is widely considered to be the best of them all, not least because Order 66 and the Jedi Purge did not disappoint as an intense and dramatic moment.

However, while the fall of the Order was undoubtedly tragic, the fact that the Jedi practically doomed themselves through their own negligence is, for some reason, often overlooked by fans of the franchise.

The Truth Was Known Well In Advance

First, in Episode II, when Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers that Jango Fett was hired by a man named Tyranus to become the "template" for the Republic clone army, he continues his investigation, which leads him to the planet Geonosis.

After Kenobi is ambushed and thrown into a prison cell, he receives a surprise visit from Count Dooku, a former member of the Jedi Order now allied with the Separatists, who practically reveals to him that the Republic is actually run by a Sith Lord in disguise.

Of course, the Jedi doesn't believe Dooku, but it should also be noted that he didn't know at the time that the Count and Tyranus were actually the same person.

Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker eventually learn the truth in episode 10 of season 6 of The Clone Wars animated series, and after his secret is revealed, Dooku mentions that he told Obi-Wan everything he needed to know many years ago.

But this is where things get really interesting, because after learning of this absolutely massive red flag that the clone army was ordered by one of the separatist leaders, the Jedi Council decides to... cover it all up.

The Jedi Recklessly Chose To Ignore The Threat

Sure, they make a valid point about how this shocking news could cause civil unrest and how the clones have already proven themselves to be valuable allies, but when Mace Windu questions the wisdom of such a decision, Yoda states that it is "the only path."

But as any Star Wars fan knows, the decision to turn a blind eye to the looming threat without any sort of contingency plan didn't really work out for them in the end.

It could be argued that politics is always complicated, and informing the Senate would have only caused more trouble, but Dooku had already revealed that the Republic had been taken over by an enigmatic Sith Lord.

The Order blatantly ignored this crucial information, simply because it came from a servant of the Dark Side, without even considering it, which ultimately proved to be their undoing.

To be fair, this isn't necessarily a glaring plot hole that was only kept because the Jedi had to be destroyed one way or another, the aftermath of which we witnessed in the original trilogy.

All of this only highlights the negligence of the Jedi Order, which, like the Republic they served, has become stagnant over the years, absolutely certain of the righteousness of its ways.