Star Wars Inside Intel: The Creation of the Clone Army

Star Wars Inside Intel is a StarWars.com feature where Lucasfilm Story Group member Emily Shkoukani, whose job is to know as much about a galaxy far, far away as possible, explores obscure facts about Star Wars lore and continuity. In this installment, Emily dives into the creation of the clone army in preparation for Lucasfilm Animation’s upcoming Star Wars: The Bad Batch series on Disney+.

Since Star Wars: Attack of the Clones premiered in 2002, fans have been teased that the circumstances surrounding the creation of the clone army were mysterious. Not only had the clones been manufactured some 10 years before Obi-Wan Kenobi discovered the cloning facility, but the existence of the cloning planet Kamino had somehow been erased from the Jedi Archives. The prime minister of Kamino, Lama Su, claimed that a Jedi by the name of Sifo-Dyas was the person who requested the clones for the Republic, but Sifo-Dyas’ storyline is also riddled with mystery. Let’s break down everything we know about this mystery to get the full picture of how the clone army was created…

Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas was known for his sometimes-crippling visions of the future. At some point before the Trade Federation’s invasion of Naboo, Sifo-Dyas foresaw great conflict in the Republic. He suggested to the Jedi Council that an army would be needed for the Republic to handle a coming war. The other masters on the Council expressed concern for their fellow Jedi and encouraged Sifo-Dyas not to act on fear of his vision. However, his ludicrous suggestion of creating an army would get him removed from the Council.

Despite the Council’s advice, Sifo-Dyas took it upon himself to commission an army for the Republic. Sifo-Dyas personally contacted Prime Minister Lama Su of Kamino and requested a clone army be created, pretending that it was a request of the Galactic Senate.

With the details of the army being fleshed out, Sifo-Dyas returned to his usual Jedi duties. At the behest of Chancellor Finis Valorum, Sifo-Dyas and Valorum’s aid, Silman, were tasked with a secret mission to deal with the Pyke Syndicate on Oba Diah.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, Darth Sidious plotted for a way to “steal” this army Sifo-Dyas had commissioned. How he came to find out about the creation is unknown -- but he’s a Sith Lord and master manipulator, so I don’t doubt his abilities. In collusion with Sidious, Count Dooku paid the Pykes to have Sifo-Dyas killed. And so, the Pykes did as they were paid and blasted the Jedi’s shuttle out of the sky near Oba Diah. Sifo-Dyas died in the crash and his body was handed over to Dooku, who took it to Felucia and claimed Sifo-Dyas’ death as a result of the local conflict. Dooku then assumed Sifo-Dyas’ identity to continue the relationship with the Kaminoans and secure the clones for Sidious. Using the name Tyranus, he hired Jango Fett as the template for the clones and ensured that they were all equipped with inhibitor chips -- small devices implanted into almost every clone that would eventually cause them to turn on the Jedi in the Clone Wars.

And that is how the clone army was created. Of course, during the Clone Wars, the Jedi would come within arms-reach of the truth of the clone army creation, only for the answers to be thwarted by Count Dooku. (He was quite committed to the whole “Sith Lord” thing.)

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