Star Wars is usually considered science fantasy more than science fiction, as the fantasy elements of the stories are often more important than the science. However, the science does creep in from time to time and one of the places it does is with cloning. Clones are a very large part of the Star Wars mythos; after all, there was a war revolving around them, with an entire TV show chronicling it.
Clones have always been a part of the stories, whether it be in Canon or in Legends. They’ve played a role in all manner of events, changing the galaxy.
10 Luuke Skywalker Gets A Worse Rep Than He Deserves
When talking about the old Legends continuity, people that have never read any of it like to point at Luuke Skywalker as one of the ridiculous parts of it, using him as a target for derision and a reason that it’s good the old EU was de-canonized. However, anyone who read Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy would know that he’s not a terrible character at all.
He’s barely a character, more of an obstacle, but he’s rather important to the development of Mara Jade, one of the EU’s most important characters. His name, one of the main sources of derision, was only Luuke because Zahn didn’t want to type “the clone Luke” constantly.
9 The Voxyn Were Bio-Engineered Jedi Killing Clones
Not all clones are sentient beings. In Legends, an extra-galactic race called the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy twenty-five years after the Battle of Endor. The Jedi were one of their main enemies and to battle them the Yuuzhan Vong created the voxyn- a combination of the vornskr, a Force-sensitive animal, and fero xyn, a creature from their home galaxy.
However, they were only able to create one, a female, and no males. So, they cloned her and sent the voxyn out. Four meters long and a meter tall, these eight-legged creatures had acid for blood, could emit high-pitched sonic attacks, and their claws and teeth carried bacteria that infected non-lethal wounds. The voxyn would have been the end of the Jedi if it wasn’t for the Solo kids and other young Jedi going on a dangerous mission to end them, one that cost young Anakin Solo his life.
8 Snoke Was An Important Character But A Huge Disappointment
Snoke was one of many squandered characters from the Sequel Trilogy. Fans didn’t know anything about his origin after his appearance in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson let everyone know how he felt about their Snoke theories in a viral tweet and in the unceremonious way he killed the character off.
It was revealed in The Rise of Skywalker that Snoke was a clone, controlled by Emperor Palpatine. Snoke was the face of the First Order, doing Palpatine’s bidding, working to retake the galaxy and get revenge against the Skywalkers.
7 Commander Bacara Led The Nova Corps And Killed Ki-Adi-Mundi
Clone troopers were some of the greatest soldiers in the history of the galaxy and among their number, the Galactic Marines were the best of the best. Of that group, the Nova Corps was the cream of the crop and a big part of that was because of their commander, Bacara. Bacara served under Ki-Adi-Mundi and was known for his aggressive tactics.
The Nova Corps was always in the thick of the fighting and Bacara’s command got them through many battles. Engaged in the Battle of Mygeeto when Order 66 came through, Bacara and company killed their Jedi general and then continued their battle against the Separatist forces, taking the planet.
6 Commander Cody Was Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Second In Command
Obi-Wan Kenobi was one of the greatest Generals of the Clone Wars. While he helped his apprentice Anakin Skywalker command the 501st, he had his own GAR detachment, the 7th Sky Corps. Commanding the Corps was Commander Cody, one of the best clone tacticians in the entire army.
Kenobi trusted Cody to an extent that most Jedi would never dream of, letting the clone have complete command over the group when he was away without any Jedi oversight. Cody was respected by Jedi and clones alike but his failure to kill Obi-Wan Kenobi would be his most important action- it would lead to the freedom of the galaxy one day.
5 Darman Skirata Fell In Love With His Jedi Commander And They A Child
Legends was full of illustrious clones and the best came from Karen Traviss’s Republic Commando novels. The books chronicled the trials and tribulations of three clone black ops squads- Omega, Delta, and the Nulls, their trainers Kal Skirata and Walon Vau, and their Jedi generals Etain Tur-Maken and Jusik Bardan. While he wasn’t the most skilled clone, Darman was the most important.
Kal Skirata looked out for all of his clones, adopting them, and making them Mandalorians. Because of Skirata’s treatment of them as actual men, Darman ended up falling in love with Etain and the two had a child. Their happiness was short-lived, as Order 66 struck and Etain was killed protecting clones from an attacking Jedi Padawan. The fact Darman fell in love, though, says volumes about him and the unfairness of the lives of the clones.
4 Commander Rex Was One Of The Greatest Soldiers Of The Clone Wars
ARC troopers are the best of the clone troopers and among that number, Commander Rex is one of the most skilled. Rex was the clone commander of the 501st, working closely with Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano. Rex proved his mettle throughout the Clone Wars.
His last act as a member of the GAR was to help Ahsoka Tano break Darth Maul and the Death Watch’s control of Mandalore. After the battle, Rex was able to resist Order 66 long enough for Tano to remove his bio-chip. He helped her escape and would eventually join the Rebel Alliance, working with nascent group to battle the Empire.
3 Joruus C’baoth Was A Cloned Jedi Master
The Thrawn Trilogy is one of the most important pieces of Star Wars media ever. Thirty years ago, Star Wars was pretty much dead but these three novels brought it back. It’s safe to say its success played a huge factor in the resurgence of Star Wars, reminding everyone why they loved it.
While most think of Thrawn when they think of the trilogy’s villains, Joruus C’baoth was nearly as important. A Jedi Master cloned by Palpatine to guard his treasure trove, he would become an integral part of Thrawn’s campaign, clone Luke Skywalker, and give the young Jedi one of his most challenging battles.
2 Boba Fett Is One Of The Most Popular Star Wars Characters Of Them All
Jango Fett had one price for allowing his DNA to be used for the clone army- a son. Boba would be a completely unaltered clone- no artificial aging, no enhancements. Boba’s young life would be defined by the tragedy of his father’s death and it would spur him on to become the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunter.
Boba Fett’s great skill as a bounty hunter would make him one of the feared beings in the galaxy, with even Darth Vader respecting his prowess. He’s also one of the most popular Star Wars characters, with his recent return being a fan favorite moment of The Mandalorian, with him getting an upcoming show of his own.
1 Emperor Palpatine Only Survived Return Of The Jedi Because Of Clones
Emperor Palpatine is the greatest villain in the Star Wars Saga. While everyone thought he was dead after Return of the Jedi, JJ Abrams decided to bring him back in The Rise of Skywalker, a choice that few seemed very happy about.
Palpatine’s survival in Canon also showed just how creatively bankrupt Lucasfilm could be, as they copied the old EU. Palpatine was able to send his spirit into a clone body, ensuring his survival. So, he was technically a clone in his last appearance in Star Wars.
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