Order 66 was a top secret order programmed into the clone troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. When Palpatine activated the order, it caused the clone troopers to violently turn against their Jedi commanders and attempt to kill them. This led to the devastating Jedi Purge, in which most Jedi were massacred by their own clone troopers. However, there have been some rare instances of individual clone troopers appearing to disobey or resist the order. This article will examine whether any clones definitively did not carry out Order 66.
What Was Order 66?
Order 66 stated that in the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, commanders were authorized to terminate them with lethal force. However, the Jedi had not actually betrayed the Republic. The order was secretly implanted by Palpatine without the Jedi’s knowledge as part of his plot to take over the galaxy. When he declared himself Emperor, he broadcast Order 66, causing clone troopers across the galaxy to turn on their generals.
The order overrode the clones’ loyalty and personal bonds with their Jedi commanders. The clones had been genetically modified to follow orders without question. Their programming made it nearly impossible for them to disobey a direct command from the Chancellor. As a result, the great majority of clones immediately complied when Order 66 was transmitted. They assassinated their Jedi generals and completed the purge.
Instances of Clones Disobeying Order 66
Despite the power of their programming, there is some evidence individual clones resisted or attempted to avoid executing Order 66 in a few rare cases:
Captain Rex
During the Battle of Mandalore, Captain Rex was serving under Ahsoka Tano, a former Jedi Padawan. When Order 66 was enacted, Rex resisted the compulsion thanks to his strong bond with Ahsoka. He was able to warn her about the trap and removed his inhibitor chip, freeing himself from control before he could turn on her. However, Rex appeared to be the only clone able to disobey the order on Mandalore.
The Martez Sisters
A platoon of clones was escorting fugitive Ahsoka Tano along with the Martez sisters when Order 66 came down. Rather than executing them, the clones locked Ahsoka and the sisters in the brig of a Venator-class Star Destroyer. However, it is unclear if the clones were directly avoiding the kill order or just keeping the prisoners contained until they could receive further instructions. The sisters did later escape.
Unidentified Clone Trooper
During a battle on Cato Neimoidia immediately after Order 66, a Jedi Padawan felt a clone preparing to shoot him from behind. However, the fatal shot never came. The Padawan escaped, hearing the trooper shout “Good soldiers follow orders!” This suggests the clone trooper was resisting his programming, but his ultimate actions are unknown.
Clone Deserters
In the early days of the Empire, there were reports of clone troopers deserting their posts and removing their chips. Some of these deserters may have deliberately fled to avoid executing Order 66. However, their motivations are not definitively known. Not all clone trooper desertions can be directly attributed to rejection of Order 66.
Analysis of Claims of Disobedience
While there are a few accounts like those outlined above indicating clones may have resisted or avoided executing Order 66, the evidence is inconclusive. Some key analysis points:
– The inhibitor chips almost universally compelled clones to follow Order 66 without hesitation. Disobeying was essentially impossible.
– Clones such as Rex who disobeyed had to undergo great effort to remove their chip first. The order could not simply be ignored through willpower alone.
– Clones who did resist showed extreme distress and were compelled to justify their actions to themselves as being consistent with duty. This underscores the power of their programming.
– Helping Jedi escape or capturing them alive still ultimately served Order 66’s aim of eliminating the Jedi from power. Clones may have seen these as strategic variations rather than defiance.
– Desertion motivated by rejection of Order 66 cannot be clearly separated from desertions spurred by other factors like fear of the Empire.
No Confirmed Cases of Willful Defiance
Crucially, there are no unambiguous documented cases of clones willfully choosing to defy Order 66 when they still had intact inhibitor chips. While there were a few anomalies, they can generally be explained as:
– Removing the chip before receiving the order
– Rationalizing alternate means of achieving the order’s goal
– Coping with the order through desertion
– Brief hesitation brought on by reinforced bonds with Jedi
As far as is known, no clone with an active inhibitor chip ever made the conscious decision to directly countermand or ignore Order 66. Their bio-engineered obedience to the Chancellor’s command was essentially absolute barring removal of the chip itself.
Reasons for Clone Compliance
Several key factors compelled nearly 100% conformity from clones when Order 66 was issued:
Inhibitor Chips
– The chips forcibly supplanted conscious thought and ensured reflexive compliance.
– They allowed no room for questioning orders from the Chancellor.
– Clones could not simply choose to resist the chips’ control at will.
Loyalty Programming
– Apart from the chips, clones were engineered to loyally follow Republic leadership without hesitation.
– They were trained to never question orders from ranking officials like the Chancellor.
– Their sense of duty made defiance nearly unthinkable.
Individual Bonds
– Though bonded to Jedi generals, their first loyalty was to the chain of command.
– Personal bonds only created momentary hesitations at most, easily overridden by programming.
Military Conditioning
– As soldiers, acting on orders and completing missions was paramount.
– They were conditioned not to think about wider context or implications when executing commands.
– Refusing orders was not in their mindset or training.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while there were a few potential anomalies, the evidence strongly indicates no clones successfully defied or ignored Order 66 while their inhibitor chips were still active. The chips, reinforced by loyalty programming and military training, compelled absolute obedience. Without removing his chip, no clone had the ability to directly countermand the order. Individual bonds only produced brief hesitations at best. Therefore, the unfortunate conclusion is that no clones with functioning inhibitor chips willfully chose to disobey the order to massacre their Jedi leaders when it was issued. They uniformly carried out their tragic mission once the command was given. The few clones who did avoid executing the order had either already removed their chips or found indirect ways to resist that did not require true defiance.
Summary of Key Points
Potential Cases of Defiance, Explained
– Captain Rex removed his chip first.
– The Martez sisters were contained alive rather than killed immediately.
– The unnamed clone on Cato Neimoidia only hesitated briefly before complying.
– Deserting clones were avoiding the Empire generally rather than Order 66 specifically.
No Confirmed Cases of Active Defiance
– Clones could not simply choose to ignore the order at will.
– Without removing his chip, no clone directly countermanded the order.
– At most, bonds created temporary hesitations quickly overridden.
Factors That Ensured Compliance
– Inhibitor chips forcibly compelled obedience.
– Loyalty programming left no room for doubt.
– Military conditioning made following orders automatic.
The Tragedy of Order 66
The clones were essentially slaves, engineered and programmed from birth to obey without question. When Order 66 was transmitted, they were forced against their will and better natures to massacre the Jedi they had fought beside. It was one of the great tragedies of Palpatine’s rise to power. The Jedi never saw it coming, trusting in the good faith of their troops. The clones had no choice but to serve as the instruments of their generals’ destruction. Though a handful may have resisted briefly, ultimately none could overcome their programming when it mattered most. The Jedi were left defenseless against the orchestrated betrayal. It marked the end of the Order and the Republic itself.
