Emperor Palpatine orchestrated the Clone Wars to take over theStar Warsgalaxy, but a compelling theory suggests that its purpose was more closely tied to the origin of the Inquisitors. The Clone Wars decimated a Jedi Order that was already stretched thin protecting the people of the galaxy, and Palpatine used the growing conflict to turn the people against them. As Palpatine gained more executive power, he was able to cement his hold on the new Galactic Empire, decimating his enemies and leaving very fewJedi who survived Order 66.
However, while all of these outcomes benefited from the Clone Wars, they may not have been the primary reason for Palpatine starting the conflict. One of Palpatine’s other pressing goals was to find a suitable apprentice, one that he could control but would also grow as powerful as him someday. Anakin Skywalker may have turned to the dark side and become Darth Vader, but this was never a guarantee. For this reason, Palpatine’s main reason for orchestrating the Clone Wars may actually have been to createthe Imperial Inquisitors.
Star Wars Has Confirmed The First Inquisitors Were Recruited During The Clone Wars
The Inquisitorius was already formed when Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader
While theStar Warsmovies and TV showshave only shown Inquisitors after Order 66, the books and comics have clarified that many of them were recruited during the Clone Wars. InStar Wars: Darth Vader(2017) by Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli,Anakin Skywalker met the Inquisitors shortly after he became Darth VaderinStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. The only way Palpatine could have ensured the survival of so many recruits and had them organized so soon was if he had already been recruiting them throughout the Clone Wars.
Star Wars: Inquisitors#2 by Rodney Barnes also showed an Inquisitor participating in Order 66, revealing that Palpatine used them to eliminate Jedi. While the TV shows never showed a Jedi being recruited by Palpatine during the war,Star Wars: Tales of the Empiresaw Barriss Offee become an Inquisitor immediately after the attack on the Jedi Temple. With these examples in mind, it can be inferred that Jedi like Pong Krell, who was secretly working for Count Dooku, were being tested to become Inquisitors once the Empire had replaced the Republic.
The Clone Wars Served A More Sinister Purpose Than We Realized
It was about turning Jedi to the dark side, not just destroying them
The best way to turn multiple Jedi at once would be to strengthen the dark side throughout the galaxy.
Palpatine recruiting so many Inquisitors before Order 66 shows that the Clone Wars was as much about turning Jedi to the dark side as it was about destroying them. Turning one Jedi to the dark side is hard enough, as it took Palpatine 13 years to turn Anakin Skywalker into a Dark Lord of the Sith.Finding potential Dark Jedi would be difficult in a time of peace, and focusing on each candidate one at a time would take more effort. The best way to turn multiple Jedi at once would be to strengthen the dark side throughout the galaxy.
The Clone Wars were the perfect means to shift the Force out of balance through fear, anger, and violence. Jedi Padawans like Barriss Offee came to resent the Jedi Council for their failure to prevent the Clone Wars, making her susceptible to manipulation when the Jedi had fallen. Other Jedi like Pong Krell would foresee the defeat of the Jedi and decide it was better to survive and rule as part of the galaxy’s new order.Creating a galactic war allowed Palpatine to kill the Jedi and kill the ideals that they stood for, gaining countless servants along the way.
The Clone Wars Gave Palpatine Redundancies If Anakin Would Not Turn
Why turn one Jedi to the dark side when you can turn several?
Palpatine tends to replace his apprentices, so using the Clone Wars to create the Inquisitors gave him plenty of options. By the time Darth Maul was seemingly killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Palpatine had already recruited Dooku and was ready to make him his new apprentice. When Dooku was killed by Anakin, Palpatine only had to put the final pieces in place to make him turn his back on the Jedi Order. However,Palpatine was fully prepared to replace Vader, which he eventually tried to do inReturn of the Jediby pushing Luke Skywalker into killing his father.
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Star Wars: Darth Vader(2015) by Kieron Gillen also revealed that Palpatine created another contingency after Vader was severely injured on Mustafar. Palpatine recruited a cybernetically engineered doctor named Cylo to create a group of warriors aided by technology who could replace Vader if he failed as an apprentice. Vader and these other potential apprentices then had to compete for Palpatine’s favor by completing missions, as he only needed one of them alive. It’s possible that this contingency was based on the Inquisitors, especially if they were potential Sith apprentices.
Was Palpatine Always Watching The Inquisitors As Potential Apprentices?
It wouldn’t be the first time Palpatine found a replacement in advance
While Palpatine always intended for the Inquisitors to serve the Empire after the Clone Wars, he may not have seriously considered them as potential apprentices until later. Palpatine told Vader that he had Cylo create a group of possible apprentices after Anain was injured on Mustafar, and even then he didn’t mention considering the Inquisitors. Then again, most of the Inquisitors were dead by the time Vader discovered Cylo’s warriors, so Palpatine may have considered replacing Vader with an Inquisitor between the events of the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy.
Perhaps the Grand Inquisitor would have become Palpatine’s apprentice if Darth Vader had been killed.
If Palpatine was watching the Inquisitors as potential apprentices, then that would make him engineering the Clone Wars even darker. Not only would he have created a galaxy-wide conflict to create a group of dark warriors, but to see each of them in action and test them as a worthy successor. It would mean he sacrificed countless lives and spread untold suffering just to corrupt the Jedi Order and ensure the survival of the Sith. Palpatine’s main purpose with the Clone Wars may well have been to create the Inquisitors, adding a dark yet intriguing spin toStar Wars.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
