How Count Dooku Covered Up the Death of Sifo-Dyas

What do the clone army, the Pyke Syndicate, and General Grievous have in common? A Jedi Master’s death, orchestrated by Count Dooku, connects them all. From erasing Kamino from the archives to using Sifo-Dyas’s blood to save Grievous, Dooku’s masterful manipulation set the stage for the Sith’s rise to power.

Here’s the full breakdown.

In the episode “The Lost Ones” from the sixth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Count Dooku reveals to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker that he sought the assistance of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas before his untimely death. 

However, the true story is far more intricate.

Sifo-Dyas had a vision of an imminent galactic war, which led him to secretly commission the creation of a clone army on Kamino without the Jedi Council’s approval. He believed that such an army would be necessary for the galaxy’s protection.

Count Dooku, still a Jedi but already under the influence of Darth Sidious, was a close associate of Sifo-Dyas. Seeing an opportunity, Dooku orchestrated a plot to take control of the clone army for the Sith’s purposes. He covertly contacted the Pyke Syndicate, a criminal organization known for its ruthlessness and efficiency in handling delicate matters.

Dooku hired the Pykes to assassinate Sifo-Dyas, ensuring his elimination would go unnoticed by the wider galaxy. The Pykes succeeded, ambushing Sifo-Dyas’s ship and causing it to crash on the moon of Oba Diah. To further solidify the cover-up, Dooku deleted all records of Kamino and the clone project from the Jedi Temple Archives, leaving the Jedi Order in the dark about the army’s true origins.

Taking on the Sith name Darth Tyranus, Dooku approached the cloners on Kamino, presenting himself as the benefactor of the project. He provided them with the template for the clone army: Jango Fett, a renowned bounty hunter chosen for his combat skills and loyalty to Dooku.

By eliminating Sifo-Dyas and erasing the archives, Dooku ensured the clone army remained a secret under Sith’s control. This allowed Darth Sidious and Dooku to manipulate both the Republic and the Jedi Order, setting the stage for the Sith’s ultimate plan to take over the galaxy.

But that’s just the canon. In Star Wars Legends, we get a different take on the story from the comic series “Star Wars Visionaries – The Eyes of Revolution.“

In this storyline, Dooku played a significant role in hiding the circumstances surrounding Sifo-Dyas’s death. After Sifo-Dyas was killed, Dooku preserved his body in a hibernation capsule as part of a larger plan involving General Grievous. To save Grievous’s life after a severe injury, Dooku used Sifo-Dyas’s blood in a transfusion during Grievous’s transformation into a cyborg. Although the blood transfusion did not grant Grievous Force sensitivity, it was crucial for his survival.

Additionally, Dooku gifted Grievous Sifo-Dyas’s lightsaber, marking the first lightsaber in Grievous’s collection. This entire operation helped Dooku maintain control over the clone army project and keep the Sith’s involvement hidden from the Jedi.