During the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi visited Utapau to investigate the death of Jedi Master Tu-Anh. Utapau had long been neutral in the war, its surface shared by Pau’ans, Utai and Amani immigrants. The Jedi’s investigation revealed a Separatist plot to acquire a massive kyber crystal, which could be used as a devastating weapon.

Near the end of the war, General Grievous forced the Pau’ans to accept a Separatist outpost on Utapau. Grievous hid the members of the Separatist Council on the planet before relocating them to the Mustafar system.

Obi-Wan tracked Grievous to Utapau and arrived with hopes of capturing or eliminating the Separatist warlord and ending the war. Aware that Grievous’s spies were listening, Pau’an administrator Tion Medon claimed there was no Separatist presence on his world, but then quietly told the Jedi where Grievous could be found.

While clone troopers in orbit prepared to assault Utapau, Obi-Wan confronted Grievous to prevent him from escaping. After a lengthy duel, he killed the Separatist warlord with a shot from a blaster pistol.

Meanwhile, Commander Cody’s forces stormed the Separatist hideout, destroying the droids that had guarded Grievous and the Separatist Council.

The end of the Clone Wars was seemingly at hand. But then Cody received Order 66, instructing him to fire on his Jedi General. A cannon blast killed Obi-Wan’s varactyl mount and knocked the Jedi into the water far below. Obi-Wan would barely escape the planet with his life.