Star Wars: How did The Clone Wars happen?

It can be difficult to keep track of all the details in the massive Star Wars universe, but there’s no doubt one of the most significant events was The Clone Wars. For three whole years, The Galactic Republic’s Clone Army along with the Jedi Order was at war with The Droid Army of the Separatist Alliance.

It was one of the first pan-galactic wars of its kind that had been seen over 1,000 years, and it began after the Separatist Alliance (or Confederacy of Independent Systems), saw thousands of star systems secede from the Galactic Republic. The Clone Wars had an everlasting impact on the franchise after first being mentioned in Episode IV: A New Hope, but one question still remains.

How did The Clone Wars happen?

The Clone Wars may have only lasted a few years, but that duration had lasting effects on Star Wars that are crucial to what happened both before and after The Clone Wars. Ultimately, it all goes back to Darth Sidious.

Darth Sidious, or Sheev Palpatine, was already in place as a Sith Master as Episode I: The Phantom Menace began. The opening moments of The Phantom Menace immediately show Darth Sidious having a direct impact on the actions of the Trade Separatists, and his orchestration of the Invasion of Naboo.

The tensions between the Galactic Republic and Separatists arising from the Invasion of Naboo, and their already established issues, would fuel the culmination of the war itself. However, much of the work that helped finally trigger The Clone Wars was also carried out by Darth Tyranus, or Count Dooku.

How was The Clone Army created?

During the events of Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan Kenobi pursued an investigation that leads him to Kamino. While Kenobi was actually looking to locate a bounty hunter, he ended up finding a massive clone army that he was told was ordered by the Jedi.

The creation was brought on by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, who had the power of foresight and foresaw the coming war, but the Jedi High Council would not agree with the creation of an army. Sifo-Dyas lost his seat on the Council but had the army created in secret on Kamino.

Before the Invasion of Naboo, Sifo-Dyas was killed when Count Dooku, Sith Lord Darth Tyranus, hired the Pyke Syndicate to shoot down his shuttle. With Sifo-Dyas dead, Dooku took control of the Clone Army project, hired Jango Fett to be the genetic template, and manipulated the Jedi Order into using the army when The Clone Wars erupted.