Poggle the Lesser was one of the earliest and most ardent supporters of the Separatist cause. A decade before the Clone Wars, the Geonosian hives manufactured the battle droids used by the Trade Federation in its invasion of Naboo. Later, Poggle hosted a meeting of Separatist conspirators on Geonosis, and pledged his people’s armies to Count Dooku.
After Poggle’s drones captured Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Naboo Senator Padmé Amidala, the Archduke sentenced the intruders to death for espionage. Standing in an arena filled with excited Geonosians, Poggle ordered the executions to begin.
Jedi and clones intervened, with the skirmish in the arena becoming the first battle of the Clone Wars. In his underground war room, Poggle gave the Geonosians’ plans for the ultimate weapon – a battle station with a planet-killing superlaser – to Dooku for safekeeping.
With war spreading throughout the galaxy, the Republic couldn’t afford to maintain an occupation of Geonosis. Once the troops moved on, Poggle quickly restarted his droid foundries and built new weapons for the Separatists.
That provoked a second Republic invasion of Geonosis. Poggle and his tactical droid TX-21 fought back with droids and drones and sent out artillery-resistant “supertanks” to combat the Republic attackers.
Poggle’s super-tanks briefly turned the tide, but Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee destroyed his weapons factory, ruining the Archduke’s hopes of repelling the Republic attack.
With the Geonosian defenses in ruins, Poggle fled across the desert and took refuge in the Progate Temple, but was tracked to this bolthole by Jedi Master Luminara Unduli.
When Luminara vanished, Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi searched for her in the catacombs beneath the Progate Temple. There, they discovered the true ruler of Geonosis -- Queen Karina the Great.
The Jedi and clones defeated Karina and her Geonosian zombies, and Poggle was taken into custody yet again. But the Archduke had his revenge, as Geonosian brain worms infested a medical frigate carrying Ahsoka, Barriss, and a company of clones.
Learning that his Padawan was in danger, Anakin subjected Poggle to a brutal interrogation. Not bothering with mind tricks or worrying about the Jedi code, he throttled the Geonosian leader until Poggle revealed a way to stop the worms.
Poggle soon returned to his chair on the Separatist Council. But the Republic was winning the war. As Republic forces pushed the Separatist armies into the Outer Rim, Poggle and the other Separatist leaders sought refuge on Utapau, then Mustafar.
Mustafar was Poggle’s final hiding place. With the Clone Wars over, Darth Sidious sent Anakin – now pledged to the Sith as Darth Vader – to the lava world to kill the Separatist leaders. The fallen Jedi did so gladly, ending Poggle’s life.
