The infamous Order 66, which initiated the Jedi Purge in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, was originally meant to be issued in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Given Order 66’s effect on the narrative of the Star Wars saga, having it occur one movie earlier would have completely changed the franchise’s depiction of the Clone Wars and the Jedi Purge. Revenge of the Sith, by necessity, would be a significantly different movie in this case as well.

Order 66 was one of Palpatine’s cruelest and most crucial portions of his coup. While the Jedi Knights fought across the galaxy alongside the Galactic Republic’s clone troopers, Order 66 compelled the clones – via brainwashing – to turn on their Jedi leaders and kill them. Order 66 was effective enough to wipe out the vast majority of the Jedi, leaving the Order’s survivors to be hunted down by Darth Vader and his Imperial underlings.

Order 66 Makes Attack Of The Clones’ тιтle A Lot More Literal

The тιтle Attack of the Clones refers to the Grand Army of the Republic’s attack on the Separatists on Geonosis, causing the Separatist Crisis to explode into the galaxy-spanning Clone Wars. The original plan, however, was to have Order 66 occur in Attack of the Clones, as revealed in a bygone article by Imaginary Cinema.

In a superficial sense, having Order 66 occur in the film would make its тιтle far more literal, with Order 66 compelling the clones to attack the Jedi. Making Order 66 a turning point in Revenge of the Sith was, ultimately, the right choice, considering the logistics of the order, the prequel trilogy’s portrayal of the Clone Wars, and Anakin Skywalker’s character arc.

How Would An Early Order 66 Have Affected The Prequel Trilogy?

Having Order 66 occur in Attack of the Clones would have had a negative effect on the rest of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. The trilogy brought the Clone Wars into the realm of live-action, and Order 66 would have made the war too short. Attack of the Clones might have had to begin in the middle of the war; otherwise, it would have been far more difficult for Order 66 to be effective.

Order 66 occurred more than three years into the Clone Wars, with the Jedi Order spreading out across the galaxy and having learned to trust the clones. Having Order 66 occur in Attack of the Clones would mean the prequels would rush through their depiction of the Clone Wars and Anakin’s fall to the dark side, since he played a key role in Order 66 as Darth Vader.

Revenge of the Sith, by necessity, would center on the Jedi Purge, with Luke and Leia’s birth and Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda’s long-term plan to ensure the return of the Jedi taking place later in the Star Wars timeline. With this in mind, it was arguably for the best that Order 66 did not occur in Attack of the Clones.