In 49 Years of Star Wars, The Biggest Plot Hole Proves How Bad the Empire Is at Their Jobs

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The original Star Wars movies made the Empire seem like it had always been in power. But the prequel movies showed us what came before: a Republic and a strong Jedi Order. These movies also detailed how Palpatine cleverly transformed the galaxy, replacing the Republic with his Empire and almost completely destroying the Jedi.

Since the prequel films, Star Wars stories have increasingly shown us the details of how the Republic fell and the Empire rose to power. Star Wars: The Clone Wars especially highlighted the events leading to this downfall, including the pivotal moment of Order 66, which was essential for the Empire’s rise and control. However, looking back, it’s become clear that the Empire ultimately failed in its goals.

Order 66 Was Critical For The Success Of The Empire

Palpatine faced many challenges as he worked to gain control. He needed to dismantle the Republic without causing a widespread revolt, but the Jedi Order presented an even bigger problem. Palpatine realized he had to completely destroy the Jedi, because even a small number surviving could eventually overthrow him – as the events of the original trilogy demonstrated.

The process of eliminating the Jedi began with Order 66, which drastically reduced their numbers. However, Palpatine knew Order 66 wouldn’t destroy all of them. To hunt down the remaining Jedi who survived and prevent any new Force-sensitive individuals from becoming a problem during the Empire’s reign, he created the Imperial Inquisitors. At first, it appeared Palpatine had succeeded, with only Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yoda seemingly still alive. But recent Star Wars stories have revealed that wasn’t entirely true – more Jedi survived than previously thought.

Star Wars Keeps Proving How Badly They Failed

The original Star Wars movies gave the impression that Luke, Yoda, and Obi-Wan were the only Jedi left alive, and even they eventually died. However, recent Star Wars content, particularly the TV shows, has shown us that many Jedi actually survived Order 66. We’ve met familiar faces like Ahsoka Tano, as well as new characters like Devon from Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, proving that more Jedi were active during the difficult years following the Clone Wars.

Okay, so the recent changes to how Order 66 played out are… interesting. It’s starting to paint the Empire as less all-powerful and more, well, clumsy. We’re not talking about just a handful of Jedi escaping, here. Kanan Jarrus, formerly Caleb Dume, lived, and even took on his own Padawan, Ezra Bridger. Plus, Grogu – one of only two of Yoda’s species still around at the time – was saved by another Jedi, Kelleran Beq, and survived. And let’s not forget Quinlan Vos, who also made it through and helped create the Hidden Path. It’s a lot of Jedi surviving, and it really makes you question how effective Order 66 actually was.

Surprisingly, even Jocasta Nu, the Jedi Order’s chief librarian, lived through the attack and later battled Darth Vader. This proves that Order 66 and the Inquisitors didn’t completely wipe out the Jedi, and that could create serious new challenges for the galaxy.

Has Star Wars Painted Itself Into A Corner?

Okay, so the latest Star Wars stories are starting to create a bit of a problem. We’re seeing more and more Jedi survive Order 66, which, frankly, makes the Empire look pretty foolish if so many powerful opponents were still out there. But even bigger than that, it begs the question: where were all these Jedi during the really dark times, especially when Luke and Leia were trying to restore the Republic? Characters like Ahsoka, who we know is capable, should have been right there helping, but the story hasn’t really given us a solid answer as to why they weren’t. It’s a plot point that needs addressing, honestly.

Even after the first three Star Wars movies, several characters still have unanswered questions about their stories. For example, the Ahsoka series revealed that Ezra Bridger survived and was active during the time of the New Republic, but he didn’t appear during the events of the sequel trilogy. Similarly, with the introduction of a new character named Devon, it’s strange that she wasn’t present in either the original or sequel films. It seems unlikely that Star Wars will continue to eliminate every Jedi who has been introduced in recent years.

Because of these new Jedi survivors, the Star Wars story needs some explaining to make everything fit together. Plus, introducing them also makes the Empire look increasingly weak and ineffective.

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2026-04-28 21:25