Count Dooku, also known as Darth Tyranus, was one of the more reasonable Sith in the Star Wars Skywalker Saga. From a distance, he could have even appeared to be logical or trustworthy aside from his ties to the Emperor.
Dooku’s descent to the dark side of the Force was gradual and rooted in a genuine concern that the Jedi Order was headed in the wrong direction. This led Dooku to join forces with Darth Sidious and help lead the Seperatist army.
However, Dooku’s allegiance lied with the pursuit of power. In the end, this would prove to be his undoing.
Count Dooku was also one of the oldest Sith in the films. Aside from Emperor Palpatine, Dooku was the only Sith lord that appeared to be elderly in the Skywalker Saga.
This begs the question, how old is Count Dooku? When was he born, and what was his life like before he became a Sith?
To give a quick answer, Count Dooku lived to be 83 years old. His life was surprisingly cut short when he was betrayed by Palpatine and killed by Anakin Skywalker.
Keep reading to learn more about Dooku, his life as a Jedi, and his ultimate turn to the dark side of the Force.
Table of Contents
How Old Was Count Dooku’s Actor?
Count Dooku was played by Sir Christopher Lee, an accomplished actor who was best known for playing Count Dooku in Star Wars, Dracula in numerous films, and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings. Lee died in 2015 at the age of 93.
However, Christopher Lee was in his late 70s and early 80s when he was filming for the role of Count Dooku. In fact, he was 79 years old at the time of his iconic lightsaber fight with Master Yoda.
Lee was in his early 80s when he filmed Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, but he put on a convincing performance despite his age. Sir Christopher Lee’s age was actually very close to Dooku’s character age in Star Wars canon, which made him even more perfect for the part.
Why Did Count Dooku Leave The Jedi Order?
Count Dooku wasn’t always a Sith. In fact, he used to be a respected Jedi Master before he fell to the dark side of the Force.
Dooku was once Qui-Gon Jinn’s master, and much of Dooku’s power and critical thinking was passed on to Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon often went against the Jedi Council in order to better serve the will of the Force, a trait which he may have learned from his former master.
Much like Qui-Gon, Dooku also went against the will of the Council. He became concerned with the Jedi Order, feeling that they had become too invested in politics and the government.
In many ways, he was right. The Jedi’s connection to politics would inevitably lead them to become influenced by the Senate and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.
By leading the Senate and subtly manipulating the actions of the Jedi, Palpatine solidified his rise to power. He was able to destroy the Jedi because they were so closely tied to the government.
Though the former Jedi left the Order in relatively good standing, his relationship with the Jedi Council would soon change when he decided to become a Sith. After he fell to the dark side, he ceased to be a former friend and became a dangerous enemy.
Who Killed Count Dooku?
Anakin Skywalker killed Count Dooku while he was still a Jedi knight. In many ways, when Anakin killed Dooku, it was the start of Anakin’s drift toward the dark side of the Force.
Anakin and Obi-Wan were on a rescue mission to save Chancellor Palpatine from General Grievous and Dooku when the fighting started. Grievous unfortunately escaped, but Dooku was killed.
During the lightsaber fight with Dooku, Obi-Wan got knocked unconscious, leaving Anakin to defeat Dooku. Anakin ended up overpowering Dooku and claiming his saber, marking an end to their battle.
However, once Anakin had Dooku at his mercy, Chancellor Palpatine told Anakin to kill him. Despite Anakin’s conflicted feelings, he beheaded Count Dooku with two sabers.
The Jedi didn’t know that Palpatine was the Sith Lord Darth Sidious at this time, but Dooku did. Dooku (also known as Darth Tyranus) was Palpatine’s apprentice and knew him well.
That is why Dooku was so surprised that Palpatine told Anakin to kill him. While he may have expected to be defeated by the powerful young Jedi, he certainly didn’t expect his master to give the orders to have him killed.
Anakin followed orders even though he knew it went against the Jedi way, which foreshadowed his future choice to follow Palpatine as a Sith. This was the first step Anakin took to abandoning the Jedi way and following Palpatine against his better judgment.
How Old Was Count Dooku When He Died?
Count Dooku was in his early 80s when he died. He was born in 102 BBY and died in 19 BBY, making for a lifespan of 83 years.
Despite being a Sith when he died, Dooku had led an interesting life. He was a respected member of the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic, only to turn from his ways and fight against those very establishments.
Although he sought power and autonomy, he did follow his own moral compass and managed to point out genuine signs for concern in the Jedi Order. The Jedi may have been better prepared for the Sith’s rise to power if they had heeded some of Dooku’s warnings.
Conclusion
While Dooku may not be the most flashy Sith, he was an important part of the Star Wars saga. Without his role in the Seperatist movement, the Clone Wars may not have happened as they did.
Also, his role in training Qui-Gon set the stage for the entire Star Wars prequel trilogy. Without Qui-Gon’s intervention on Tatooine, there’s a good chance Anakin never would have been taken on as a padawan and the prophecy may have never been fulfilled.
Dooku led a conflicted life, but it was long and full of powerful tales. All things considered, he put up more of a fight at 83 years old than most others could in their prime.
Love him or hate him, he’s still one of the best swordsmen in the entire Star Wars franchise.
Mitchell Layton is a freelance writer and touring musician living in Philadelphia. When he’s not playing guitar or writing for clients, he enjoys rewatching cult classics like Star Wars, Twin Peaks, The X-Files, and more. Mitchell has been published by sites like HM Magazine, Glassworks Literary Magazine, GameRevolution, Pif Magazine, and others.