By George & Josh Bate
One of the (many) great things The Clone Wars accomplished was humanizing clone troopers, making them unique characters with individual personalities, looks, and arcs. The clones introduced in Attack of the Clones and later expanded upon in Revenge of the Sith were visually stunning and played integral roles in some of the saga’s best moments, including their arrival during the Battle of Geonosis and, of course, Order 66. However, the films, given their obvious emphasis on Anakin’s character and the broader political machinations that led to Palpatine becoming Emperor, simply did not have much of an opportunity to individualize the clones. Conversely, The Clone Wars, as a television series spanning over 100 episodes, had ample opportunity to flesh out the clones and excelled in doing so. With so many brilliant clones to choose from, each with their own distinct journeys and traits, this list was difficult to whittle down to 10. Here are our top 10 clone troopers:
10. Wolffe, a.k.a. CC-3636
Like Rex, Wolffe has an interesting character arc that spans both The Clone Wars and Rebels. Serving Plo Koon in The Clone Wars, Wolffe was a renowned strategist who accompanied the Jedi Master on a number of adventures, including Koon’s attack on the Malevolence, liberating slaves from the Zygerrian slave empire, and even losing an eye to Asajj Ventress during the Battle of Khorm. Years later, Wolffe continued to play an intriguing role in canon, now as a seasoned trooper accompanying Rex and Gregor. Wolffe’s initial distrust of Kanan and the Rebels and eventual loyalty to the cause was a great evolution to his arc, beginning all the way back in The Clone Wars, and culminated in Wolffe’s participation in the liberation of Lothal.
9. Gree, a.k.a. CT-1004
Sporting one of the coolest clone trooper looks, Commander Gree featured in some terrific early episodes of The Clone Wars before meeting his demise at the hands of Yoda in Revenge of the Sith. With Gree, Dave Filoni and the other writers of The Clone Wars forged yet another unique clone trooper, this time one that was characterized by unwavering loyalty to the Republic. This theme of loyalty was shown when Gree refused Gunray’s bribe offer, when he defeated the traitor Captain Argyus, and when he advised Ahsoka to not act against Luminara Unduli’s orders.
8. Fox, a.k.a. CT-1010
Commander Fox earns a place on this list for many reasons, one of which being the fact that his role not only spans The Clone Wars, but also included appearances in Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith. Fielding a distinctive red and white pattern on his Phase II armor, Fox is a cool looking character, who plays a role in various important events in canon. These include participating in the mission to rescue Rotta the Hutt in The Clone Wars film, arresting Ahsoka for the murder of Letta Turmond, hunting down Fives, and even assisting Darth Vader on his hunt for Jocasta Nu. Unlike other clones fighting in the war across the galaxy, Fox was primarily stationed on Coruscant, tasked with protecting the galactic capital and the Chancellor. In all, Fox is an interesting character and a counterpoint to some of the friendlier, more reasonable clones seen throughout canon.
7. Grey, a.k.a. CC-10/994
CC-10/994, also known as Commander Grey, stands apart on this list as he does not appear in The Clone Wars or the prequel trilogy, but, rather, plays a significant role in Greg Weisman’s Kanan: The Last Padawan comic. Not only does Grey play a significant role in this comic series, but he is arguably the emotional crux of the story. Grey executed Order 66, killing Jedi Master Depa Billaba, before searching for her apprentice Caleb Dume afterward. However, during his pursuit of Dume, a.k.a. Kanan, Grey began to question his actions, recognizing that Order 66 deprived him of his free will. Grey is a complex character and allows the audience to see what it would be like for a clone to realize and subsequently regret their slaughter of the Jedi. The way in which Grey’s character allows for an exploration of the traumatic aftermath of Order 66 on clones makes him an obvious choice for this list.
6. Echo, a.k.a. CT-1409
As a member of Domino Squad and the 501st Legion, Echo has an extremely interesting, well developed character arc in that The Clone Wars series spends a substantial amount of time with the character throughout its entire run. Although Echo is an engaging, courageous, loyal clone throughout the series, it’s really in the seventh and final season that Echo comes into his own in the incredible Bad Batch arc of episodes. The tragedy of seeing Echo, once thought dead, be manipulated and tortured by the Separatists for their own insidious ends in the war was heartbreaking to see. Echo’s return to the Republic was epic and him joining Clone Force 99 was a perfect way to cap off his enthralling character arc (for now).
5. Cut Lawquane
Perhaps the clone on this list with the most distinct journey and development, Cut Lawquane is a fascinating character, explored in “The Deserter” episode of The Clone Wars. After being attacked by Separatists, Cut fled the Clone Army, marrying and having children with a woman named Suu. Cut’s story is not only interesting in chronicling the tale of a clone who deserted, but also how clones like Rex view Cut and even yearn for his liberated lifestyle away from the Republic. More than maybe any clone we’ve seen in canon, Cut’s tale truly humanizes clones as individual people with values, goals, and personalities just like anyone else in the galaxy.
4. Cody, a.k.a. CT-2224
Commander Cody was perhaps the most prominent clone in Revenge of the Sith, given his close relationship with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Immediately put into the spotlight in that film, Cody was also there during many of the major battles and events in The Clone Wars, becoming an invaluable member of the Clone Army and a loyal servant to the Jedi. Cody’s turn from loyal soldier to Jedi executioner in the third prequel film was tragic, especially after watching The Clone Wars and Cody’s role in the show’s final season.
3. Fives, a.k.a. CT-5555
Few clones are more fleshed out and developed than CT-5555, more commonly referred to as Fives. The clone cadet turned Advanced Recon Commando plays a prominent role throughout The Clone Wars series, culminating in a heartbreaking arc in the series’ final season. Chronologically, when we first see Fives, he is a clone cadet on Kamino in Domino Squad. And it’s great to see Fives develop and progress as the series continued, eventually joining the 501st, serving in the Battle of Umbara, and, perhaps most noticeably of all, uncovering the biochip conspiracy. This emotional, insightful final arc with Fives, in which he discovers the insidious plans for clones to destroy the Jedi not only adds greatly to canon, but cements Fives as a certainty on this list.
2. 99
Although clone trooper 99 never fought in battle, his service to the Republic and his fellow soldiers was invaluable. As a deformed clone, 99 was relegated to custodian services on Kamino, often cleaning up after the young cadets. However, the lessons of teamwork and brotherhood he offers a group of struggling Clone Cadets, including Fives and Echo, proves to be invaluable to not just these young soldiers, but the galaxy as well. After all, it was Fives who uncovered Order 66, an invaluable discovery, one that saved the life of Rex and others.
1. Rex, a.k.a. CT-7567
Rex was introduced in the first season of The Clone Wars and featured prominently from the get go. However, his importance only grew as the show went on. Rex quickly became the most important Clone in Star Wars canon, serving with the likes of Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka. His relationship with the latter propelled his status as a fan favorite to new heights, with audiences seeing him reunite with the former Jedi in Star Wars Rebels. This relationship is further expanded upon in the series finale of The Clone Wars, showing Ahsoka and Rex surviving Order 66 together and honoring the fallen Clones. And, as seemingly confirmed by Dave Filoni, Rex appears in the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi, making an already amazing character even more amazing. Rex is a loyal soldier and, more importantly, a good friend of the light side in the galaxy, so his rank as the #1 Clone is a no brainer.
Images courtesy of Disney+ and Lucasfilm