We rank the 50 most memorable Star Wars deaths ever
By Ryan Wrenn
46. All The Jedi
When Did They Die: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Who Were They: The Galactic Republic’s noble, Force-wielding knighthood
How Did They Die: Various; directly or indirectly as a result of Palpatine’s rise to power
Man, the bottom of this list is feeling pretty heavy, right? So far we got three utter tragedies and one unfortunately named starfighter pilot. But no list of Star Wars deaths is complete without mentioning the…ugh…genocide of the Jedi.
Palpatine’s Order 66, as it’s known, was sent out galaxy wide, ordering the execution of any and all Jedi that could be found. Naturally, with the Clone Wars wrapping up, this meant that a lot of the Jedi were dispersed and fighting on various fronts. Unable to coordinate a defense and outnumbered by their clone support units, the Jedi were ruthlessly and almost completely exterminated.
These deaths are all pretty basic, treacherous stuff. Lots of Jedi getting shot in the back or otherwise ambushed. How their powers of foresight weren’t able to pick up on this plot beforehand is hard to say. Maybe Palpatine is powerful enough to cloud their judgment, maybe the clones lack of souls keeps their intentions separate from the Force, or maybe George Lucas wrote himself into a corner and needed a little Deus Ex Machina.
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In any case, the extermination of the Jedi was as uninspired as it was nasty. No points for being cool or inventive.
Next: 45. Separatist Leaders