You may think the Grand Army of the Republic would boast a grand number of clones.
However, the earliest number of clone troopers in Star Wars was rather minute when Obi-Wan first made his trip to Kamino. But that number would soon expand to one even larger.
The overall number of clones created rapidly reached seven-figures. And because the Droid Army boasted such large numbers, (reportedly 1.2 million at the Battle of Geonosis) the Grand Army of the Republic needed to multiply quickly.
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How Many Clone Troopers Are There in Star Wars?
In Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan Kenobi discovered a clone army being developed on the planet Kamino.
Lama Su estimated that number to be around 200,000 units during the Jedi Knight’s visit to Kamino. Each unit represented an individual clone, and Su further told Kenobi they had another million clones developing.
If you read Republic Commando by Karen Traviss, you know that the number of overall troopers expanded to 3 million. It shows you how fast the Kaminoans produced troopers for the Republic.
While the exact number is unknown, given the rapid expansion of the number of clone troopers from 200,000 to 3 million, it is safe to say that number doubled from 3 million to 6 million over the course of the Clone Wars.
How Many Clones Are In The 501st Legion?
In The Clone Wars, the Siege of Mandalore had taken place. Here, half of the troopers from the 501st Legion went with Ahsoka Tano. We also know that others in the 501st were with Anakin Skywalker.
Meanwhile, Anakin was fighting in the Battle of Coruscant with the other half of the 501st. To answer this question, we need to ask ourselves how many troopers are in a legion?
Dave Filoni, who directed The Clone Wars, stated that Anakin gave Ahsoka half of the 501st in a behind-the-scenes interview.
We know there are four regiments in each legion, four battalions in each regiment, and each battalion has four companies. Further, there are four platoons, five squads, and 10 troopers per squad.
When you do the math, each legion has roughly 12,800 troopers per legion (10 X 5 X 4 X 4 X 4 X 4 equals 12,800). This would have given Anakin and Ahsoka 6,400 clones apiece.
Therefore, the number of clones in the 501st would be 12,800 before the Siege of Mandalore.
Who Was the First Clone?
The short answer is Jango Fett. Some outlets, like Screen Rant, have called Jango Fett the face of the Clone Army.
And while you may know a few things about Jango Fett that range from his status as the first clone to the fact that his son was none other than the infamous Boba Fett, there may be a lot that you don’t know.
So who was Jango Fett and why was he chosen to be the first clone?
Needing A Template
Years before the Clone Wars began, Darth Sidious sent his apprentice, Count Dooku, on a mission to locate an individual who could become a template for a future clone army.
This clone army would eventually play a role in betraying and killing off the Jedi. Therefore, not just anyone would be suited to play the role of the template.
Someone needed to prove their worth, and during this time, Sidious also ordered Dooku to kill off the Bando Gora.
Sidious believed the Bando Gora threatened his plans, explaining why he wanted them to be eliminated.
Komari Vosa, Dooku’s old padawan, ran the Bando Gora. Like Dooku, she too fell to the dark side and left the Jedi Order.
Dooku believed anyone who could kill Vosa, a strong Force-sensitive, would also be powerful enough to kill a Jedi. So he put a bounty on Vosa, that ranged from cash rewards to the opportunity to serve as the clone template.
Enter Jango Fett
Dooku also knew a thing or two about who the galaxy’s best bounty hunters were, so he even sent out invitations for this bounty.
Jango Fett was one of those who received an invitation. One reason behind the invitation to Fett was because of his efforts during the Battle of Galidraan.
During the battle, Fett killed multiple Jedi, including a few with his bare hands. It didn’t take Jango long to find and subdue Komari.
However, as Jango took her prisoner, Dooku ended up Force choking his old padawan to death.
While this angered Jango, Dooku explained the reason behind the entire bounty.
As compensation, he offered Jango an even higher salary than what was initially going to be given. Dooku also offered Jango the grand prize of cloning the bounty hunter’s DNA.
Jango initially refused, citing he wanted nothing to do with the Jedi. Although, when Dooku pressed the issue, Jango poisoned the Sith Lord.
This is when Dooku used the Force to cure himself, and an impressed Jango decided it was best to listen to Dooku’s offer.
Ultimately, Jango agreed, but he negotiated for an altered clone, who we know as Boba Fett.
Jango played a massive role in the clones’ combat lessons, including how to battle and kill a Jedi. He also upheld his Mandalorian legacy by inspiring the clones’ armor to be Mandalorian-like.
Who Was the Highest-Ranked Clone?
The Clone Marshal Commander was the highest rank a clone trooper could achieve. One of these clones was named Commander Cody, who appeared in The Clone Wars in Season One, Episode 16, and Season Two, Episode 16.
Cody also appeared in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Shortly after Obi-Wan Kenobi killed General Grievous, he met up with Cody.
The Clone Marshal Commander handed Obi-Wan his lightsaber before attempting to land a kill shot on the Jedi Master.
Cody failed, and Obi-Wan escaped. He eventually met up with Yoda after the Jedi Grand Master survived an assassination attempt during the Battle of Kashyyyk.
Conclusion
Overall, there were 6 million clone troopers made, stemming from the original 200,000 Obi-Wan Kenobi came across on Kamino. These troopers were bred to submit to their superiors without question.
They were also rather powerful, since bounty hunter Jango Fett served as their template.
And just as with any military, clone troopers had a hierarchy. While the Jedi led them into battle, Clone Marshal Commander served as the Grand Army of the Republic’s highest rank.