This month marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, the concluding chapter in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. Released on May 19, 2005, it was the last Star Wars film directed by George Lucas before he sold Lucasfilm to Disney seven years later.
Fans eagerly anticipated Revenge of the Sith knowing it would depict Anakin Skywalker's transformation into Darth Vader. A major plot point was the fate of the other Jedi, which was addressed through Order 66. This sinister directive from Emperor Palpatine compelled the Clone Troopers, who had previously fought alongside the Jedi, to suddenly turn against and execute them. Despite the vast number of Jedi at the time, some managed to escape this purge, beyond the few known survivors necessary for the continuity of the Original Trilogy.
Among the dozens of Jedi who survived Order 66 introduced in canonical Star Wars stories, we have ranked the top 10 based on their significant impact. Some of these survivors lived only a short while longer, while others endured well into the future, with the fates of a few still shrouded in mystery. Each of these Jedi lived to fight another day after Palpatine issued the chilling command, "Execute Order 66."
For this list, we've set criteria that the characters must have been under the jurisdiction of the Jedi Order before Order 66, whether as a Padawan, Jedi Knight, Jedi Master, or even as a young Jedi Initiate. Therefore, Force-users like Maul and Palpatine, as well as those like Jod Na Nawood, who never officially joined the Jedi Order, are excluded.
We debated the inclusion of Asajj Ventress, who spent over two decades with Jedi Ky Narec and was declared his Padawan. However, her lack of interaction with the Jedi Council and her subsequent turn to the Dark Side under Count Dooku's tutelage muddies her status as an official Jedi. As such, she's considered an honorable mention.
Ranking the Jedi Who Survived Order 66
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