Easily the most tragic moment inStar Wars: The Clone Warsis the death of ARC trooper Fives just after the clone’s discovery of theinhibitor chips, but this theory completely rewrites his devastating death.The Clone Warsseason 6 kicked off with a thrilling 4-episode arc that followed Fives as he investigated the reasoning behind the clone trooper Tup’s motivations for randomly killing a Jedi general in combat. While Fives did find out the truth about the inhibitor chips, the knowledge instantly made him a target, and he died in Captain Rex’s arms.
One of the biggest tragedies about Fives' death, however, is the fact that it was another clone who made the kill: the Coruscant Guard’s Commander Fox. Operating on orders from Chancellor Palpatine, Fox and his men pursued Fives to the place where he was rendezvousing with Anakin and Rex to tell them what he had learned.Fox shot Fives in the chest rather than stunning him in a heartbreaking act of friendly firewhen Fives reached for a weapon to defend himself. This theory, however, suggests that it wasn’t Fox who made this decision, but someone, or something, else.
Order 66 Wasn’t The Only Order In The Inhibitor Chips
There Were Many Others In Star Wars Legends
It’s important to first understand that the inhibitor chips were so much bigger than justOrder 66. While that order certainly led to tragedy, it was far from the only one that was programmed into the clones' chips.Star WarsLegendsdetails some of these orders, including an Order 65 that mandated the clones to turn on the chancellor rather than the Jedi. All of these orders, according to Legends, were created as contingencies during the Clone Wars that would have protected theGalactic Republicin various situations.
Every Order Palpatine Had In Star Wars Legends (Besides 66)
While Order 66 was essential to Palpatine’s coup, it was actually only one of over 150 contingency orders for the Grand Army of the Republic.
While canon has yet to confirm many of these same orders,the number 66 alone implies that Order 66 is simply one of many, many other commands that can be given. These orders could likely have ranged in scale; Order 66 is a massive, grand-scale kind of assault, but there may have been more that were focused on concentrated, specific situations. There could have been orders for clone troopers to go after a single, specific target, or perhaps even complete secret tasks that would have protected people of high power, especially Kaminoans.
Whatever these orders were, they were clearly all added in for a purpose. It would have been useless to create all these different orders without the intention of them being used, even if many of them did act as contingencies for emergency situations. Given how many different orders were created for these inhibitor chips, it stands to reason thatthose who were aware of them would have wanted to use them as much as possible, which may have been the case.
The Coruscant Guard’s Inhibitor Chips Could Have Been Activated More Often
They Were Close To The Republic’s Highest Ranks
The Coruscant Guard, who were also known as shocktroopers, had a reputation for being uptight and no-nonsense, more so than their infantry brothers. Much of this was because of the nature of their work, seeing as Coruscant was the most populated planet in the galaxy at that point. The Coruscant Guard was responsible for keeping the Republic’s highest-ranking officials safe, in addition to keeping the streets of the city at bay. While this could be enough to explain their behavior, this theory suggests there may have been another, more tragic reason.
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In the fanfiction “Dominoes” bymeridianpony, there’s a heartbreaking moment when Commander Fox, in addition to the Coruscant Guard’s other commanders and troopers, reveals that he has no memory of missions he’s completed for the chancellor, and that the blank stretch in his memory could last from a few hours to many, many days. It’s implied thatthis memory loss is a result of Fox’s chip being activated, thus giving him no memory of what he was forced to do at Palpatine’s behest. Fox’s distress over not knowing what he’s done is devastating.
Unfortunately, this could certainly be a reality inStar Warscanon. The Coruscant Guard was always close enough for Palpatine to access, and he would have had knowledge of what all the different orders were.If Palpatine needed help pulling more strings around Coruscant, he could have used the shocktroopers to his advantage, activating these smaller orders that would force them to comply with whatever he asked. This could have been the game Palpatine was playing with these poor clone troopers for years during the war - and during one key moment.
Fives' Death May Have Been A Result Of Fox’s Chip Being Activated
Fox May Not Have Been Able To Control His Actions
One of the biggest questions surrounding the nature of Fives' death is why Fox shot to kill rather than to stun, the latter of which would have incapacitated Fives enough to get the situation under control. It could be, however, that Fox wasn’t the one who got to make that decision. Given the fact that the Coruscant Guard was catching up with Fives after the clone’s meeting with Palpatine, where Fives learned all about Palpatine’s true intentions,it’s possible that Palpatine activated an order within their chips that ordered Fox to kill Fivesrather than incapacitate him.
What Happened To The Clones In Star Wars After Order 66?
The clones in Star Wars were manipulated and mistreated by the Empire after the Republic’s dissolution and Order 66. What became of them afterwards?
This would add another harrowing layer of tragedy to Fives' death, especially if the use of such smaller-scale orders had a similar effect on Fox and the rest of the Guard as it does in “Dominoes.” Fox would be forced to reckon with the fact he had killed one of his own brothers, even if the two never served together during the war. One day,he might even have had to reckon with the fact he eliminated his brothers' biggest chance at being saved from the inhibitor chips, should he have ever been told why exactly he and his troopers were in pursuit of Fives.
As heartbreaking as the reality of this would be, it would also completely enrich the story of the Clone Wars. Palpatine essentially soft-launching the inhibitor chips by giving the Coruscant Guard orders all the time would add yet another layer of cruelty to Palpatine’s master plan. As the galaxy’s greatest mastermind, even if it was ultimately for worse and not for better, this sounds like an opportunity Palpatine would not have been able to pass up. It makes total sense that Palpatine would be the one truly responsible for Fives’The Clone Warsdeath, especially because of what he knew.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Cast
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an animated series that explores the intense conflict between the Republic and the Separatists. Featuring a mix of loyalty shifts and alliances, it delves into complex mysteries of the Force and showcases pivotal moments for characters like Anakin Skywalker and Master Yoda.
