Some Jedi Masters proved themselves key during Star Wars: The Clone Wars, serving with either distinction or infamy - and here are the ten most important. Not every Jedi achieves the rank of Master, whatever Anakin Skywalker may have thought; the title is only bestowed on a Jedi who has successfully trained a Padawan to the rank of Knight. Anakin may have been a key figure during the Clone Wars, one of the galaxy's greatest heroes, but his Padawan Ahsoka left the Jedi - meaning he never achieved the rank.
Masters are among some of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. That naturally means many of them wound up on the front lines during the Clone Wars, and many served with distinction. Unfortunately, some were also notable for very different reasons. Here are the ten most important Jedi Masters during the Clone Wars.
8 Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan the Negotiator
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker became legends during the Clone Wars, partners whose heroism inspired younglings across the galaxy. Obi-Wan was the one who discovered the clones in the first place, and he would go on to lead so many of the galaxy's most important military campaigns. His greatest moment came when he was assigned to take down General Grievous in the Battle of Utapau. Obi-Wan fired the shot that ended the Clone Wars, forcing Palpatine to advance his plans and move to Order 66.
The Clone Wars transformed Obi-Wan, turning him into one of the most revered Jedi of all, nicknamed Obi-Wan the Negotiator for his ability to persuade others to work together. Amusingly, this even came useful for the Jedi Council, because the Councilors often found themselves disagreeing over the best course of action. It's impossible to measure just how important Obi-Wan really was for the Jedi during the Clone Wars; had he ever been killed in battle, the Jedi would have been dealt a devastating blow.
7 Yoda
The Grandmaster served with distinction
Yoda was the Jedi Grand Master during the Clone Wars, a rank he had held for centuries. The Grand Master was the one considered wisest among the Jedi, and his guidance and wisdom was sought throughout the conflict. Yoda spent a great deal of his time in the Jedi Temple, meditating on the will of the Force, although he wound up taking on an important role when liaising with senators and the chancellor as well.
Yoda fought with distinction throughout the Clone Wars, leading many military campaigns - and delighting the clones with his willingness to treat them as individuals, something sadly not true of all other Jedi. Tragically, Yoda's final battle during the Clone Wars took him to Kashyyyk, where he wound up killing some of those same clones when he sensed their betrayal after Palpatine issued Order 66. Yoda would always regret that necessity.
6 Mace Windu
The Master of the Order
The Grand Master may be considered the wisest of the Jedi, but there is another crucial role as well; Master of the Order. The Master of the Order is essentially responsible for overseeing Jedi operations across the galaxy, and Mace Windu held the role during the Clone Wars - which meant he was the one who ran the entire Jedi war strategy, albeit after taking on board the guidance of the Jedi Council. Fortunately, Steven Barnes' recent novel The Glass Abyss confirmed Mace had been forged in conflict, and he proved up to the task of running the Clone Wars.
The Clone Wars were a vast, galaxy-spanning conflict - but they only lasted three years. In large part, that's testament to Mace Windu's skill as a war leader and strategist; his natural skills were augmented by a rare Force power called "Shatterpoint," which allowed him to spot weaknesses in his enemies and take advantage of them. His unique sensitivity to the Force even seemed to give him a chance when he went up against Palpatine in the end.
5 Pong Krell
A traitor to the Jedi
The previous three Jedi Masters served with distinction. Pong Krell, a Besalisk Jedi Master who sensed the coming darkness, was something very different; desiring to prove himself to the Sith, he betrayed both the Jedi and the clones. "A new power is rising," Pong Krell warned, with insight that can come only from the Force. "I've foreseen it. The Jedi are going to lose this war. And the Republic will be ripped apart from the inside." It's chilling to see how right he was - predicting the fall of the Jedi and Palpatine's betrayal of the Republic.
The Clone Wars were the ultimate Jedi trap, not least because they forced the Jedi to become something they were never supposed to be; generals who led armies into battle. The dark side is an inherent part of war, because conflict is all about dominance, where the light side is about submission. Pong Krell's fall serves as the perfect symbol of this, and it's chilling to speculate that Jedi Knights he had taught over the years may also have betrayed the Order.
4 Shaak Ti
A highly respected Jedi warrior
Shaak Ti was brought into the Jedi Council after the disappearance of Yaddle a decade before the Clone Wars began, and she had earned a reputation for her wisdom and combat proficiency. Shaak Ti served on the front lines of many key conflicts, including in battles on Kamino, Geonosis, and even Coruscant. Unlike most Jedi, though, she was stationed on Kamino; there, she worked to train the clones and help them understand how to coordinate with Jedi. The efficiency of the Grand Army of the Republic rested largely on Shaak Ti.
Like many Jedi, Shaak Ti was killed in the aftermath of the Clone Wars but has the unique distinction of a Star Wars character with multiple deaths.
Tragically, Shaak Ti was deceived by the Kaminoans; she never suspected the significance of the inhibitor chips implanted within the clones. This was even true when one clone's chip malfunctioned and he obeyed Order 66 prematurely, killing a Jedi in the heat of battle. Shaak Ti died at Anakin Skywalker's hands when he led an attack on the Jedi Temple during the Jedi Purge.
3 Plo Koon
A Jedi Master who took on some of the most dangerous assignments
A Kel Dor Jedi Master, Plo Koon and his 104th Battallion tended to take on some of the most dangerous missions during the Clone Wars. This meant he faced death perhaps more often than any other Jedi Master, even leading the mission to neutralize the Separatist superweapon called the Malevolence - and nearly falling prey to it. Koon was notably much more spontaneous than some other Jedi Masters, which meant he was hard to predict in battle.
Koon was willing to play fast and loose with the rules, sometimes even launching the kind of semi-sanctioned mission that Anakin Skywalker was more famous for. He covered for Ahsoka Tano when she disobeyed her master and stole aboard a ship headed towards the Citadel to help free prisoners; Plo Koon claimed he'd assigned Ahsoka there without Anakin's knowledge. Sadly, the close bond between Plo Koon and Ahsoka did not mean he helped defend her when she was accused of perpetrating a terrorist attack on the Jedi Temple, and Plo Koon would deeply regret this.
2 Adi Gallia
A skilled intelligence operative and strategist
A Tholothian member of the Jedi Council, Adi Gallia was known for her skills as a political consultant in the years before the Clone Wars. She had built up a vast intelligence network that ran throughout Coruscant, and her knowledge and experience with this network would make her invaluable during the galactic conflict. Gallia played a unique role, alternating from leading the 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Group to liaising with pirates and criminals who were willing to support the Republic.
Delilah S. Dawson's Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade hints that Adi Gallia served as something of a liaison between the Jedi and Republic Intelligence. This role would have meant she was responsible for planning many key operations, and explains her role in certain unusual assignments; she was one of a small group of Jedi assigned to capture Darth Maul, for example. Adi Gallia surely focused a lot of her network on trying to identify the Sith Lords, but she was unsuccessful in this task.
1 Luminara Unduli
The dark side stalked this Jedi Master
A powerful Mirialan Jedi, Luminara Unduli served on the front lines in the First Battle of Geonosis, and was swiftly placed in command of a clone legion after the beginning of the Clone Wars. Luminara was one of the first Jedi to go head-to-head against Dooku's Sith assassin Asajj Ventress, and she barely survived the encounter. They would clash many times throughout the Clone Wars, with Luminara putting Ventress through her paces.
The dark side would strike close to home for Luminara, though. Her former Padawan, Barriss Offee, lost faith in the Jedi and actually committed a major terrorist attack on the Jedi Temple itself. She framed Ahsoka Tano for the crime, but was ultimately exposed. There can be no doubt that this shook Luminara to the core, making her one of the most tragic characters in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Luminara seems to have survived Order 66, only to be killed by Imperial Inquisitors shortly after; her body was used as bait for other Jedi.
The animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars takes place between Episodes 2 and 3 of the Star Wars film saga. The fan-favorite series expands the story of the prequel trilogy through characters including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, and more fan-favorite jedi.
Custom image by Simone Ashmoore
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