Plo Koon has become a more popular Jedi because of his brief appearance in the movies and more complete portrayal in The Clones Wars. As an intriguing character who seems among the noblest of Jedi, we may ask whether he truly was a great Jedi and general. In short, we can answer yes. Yet, it is really a two-part question that we need to pull apart and then bring back together to reflect the reasons why.
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How Was Plo Koon a Great Jedi
We can validate that Plo Koon was “among the wisest members of the Jedi Order” and known for his “unflappable calm.” Trained at the Jedi Temple, Plo Koon showed promise early on and developed “a reputation for making quick and clear distinctions between right and wrong.” He studied independently as a Jedi Guardian, showing even more promise with combat skills.
Plo Koon quickly rose to Jedi Master and a lifetime member of the High Council. By the time of the Clone Wars, we may even go so far as to call Plo Koon “the Perfect Jedi” because of his “deep connection to the Force,” telekinetic abilities, and “incredible piloting skills.” His humble demeanor and allegiance to Jedi and non-Jedi alike also made him stand out.
As this video describes, Plo Koon reflected an “unwavering dedication to the Jedi ideals” that combined with his compassion and wisdom to make him a one-of-a-kind Jedi. We may well agree that he reflected “the very best of what the Jedi Order stood for” and hence served as an emblem of what they could have been.
Plo Koon’s master, Tyvokka, helped instill these virtues in Plo Koon. As the above video indicates, Master Tyvokka “left a lasting impression on Plo Koon’s development as a Jedi.” Plo Koon imbibed Tyvokka’s teachings, including “his ability to sense the future and assess the best course of action.” Plo Koon modeled these traits as he matured into a full master and council member.
Plo Koon was by his master’s side when the latter died. Plo Koon then stepped up to be a remarkable Jedi leader and a military one too.
How Was Plo Koon a Great General
The above Jedi attributes also helped define Plo Koon as a great general. He drew on his Jedi commitment to lead to the Wolf Pack. He followed reason and not emotion to superbly lead his clone troopers. Yet, his empathy and caring for his soldiers are qualities that especially made him a great general.
As fans have attested, Plo Koon was “an amazing warrior and actually CARED about his clones.” This level of devotion to the 104th Battalion provides the basis for his military skills.
As one fan suggests, we can identify this characteristic in The Clone Wars Malevolence arc.
The Malevolence arc consisted of three episodes from the first season of The Clone Wars that helped define the overall series. In the first episode, “Rising Malevolence,” we immediately get a sense of Plo Koon’s “care of his clones under his command”, as well as his “prowess as a Jedi Master.” We can see that care reflected in this clip as Plo Koon reassures his clone troopers that they are not expendable to him.
Articles like this one provide further support for Plo Koon’s generalship by emphasizing his empathy and leadership, but also the way he provided “guidance to clones and other Jedi,” particularly Ahsoka. In this video, Dave Filoni comments on the connection that Plo Koon fostered with Ahsoka (at 2:15) and how this served to reflect both of their underlying character and leadership characteristics.
Moreover, as this short video captures, we should stress how Plo Koon was “level-headed,” which bolstered his command abilities. His patience, calm, and “deep care” for his clone troopers and fellow Jedi served him well as a military leader and connects us back to overlapping distinctive Jedi attributes.
Plo Koon as a Great Jedi and General
Plo Koon’s wisdom and calm strength made for a great Jedi Master. These attributes crossed over to help make him an equally great general, but his empathy and care were qualities that especially made him stand out as a military leader. His deep level of caring likewise connected him with the Force in an overlapping wave of distinction as Jedi and General.