If you’ve seen any episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, you’ve probably heard the abbreviations CC, CT, and ARC thrown around quite a bit. What do these designations stand for?
Each abbreviation is used to refer to a different rank of clone soldier. “CC” stands for Clone Commander; “CT” stands for Clone Trooper; and “ARC” stands for Advanced Recon Commando.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these designations and what they mean in Star Wars.
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What Does CC Stand for in Star Wars?
In the popular Star Wars TV series The Clone Wars, various abbreviations were used to distinguish different ranks of cloned soldiers. One of these abbreviations was CC.
This designation stands for Clone Commander and was used to denote soldiers who were created to lead regiments of lower-ranking clones.
For each Clone Commander, the letters “CC” preceded a dash and a four-digit designation; for example, CC-2224. This letter and number combination was basically the official name of any commanding officer in charge of regiments of clones.
Each Clone Commander was in charge of 2,304 Clone Troopers and reported directly to their respective Jedi General. Each general, in turn, had command of sixteen Clone Commanders.
The rank of Clone Commander was one of the highest among cloned soldiers in the Grand Army of the Republic.
Examples of well-known Clone Commanders include:
- Commander Cody: Cody’s official designation was CC-2224. He served as a Clone Commander under Obi-Wan Kenobi and was known for taking part in many major battles throughout the Clone Wars.
- Commander Wolffe: designated CC-3636, Commander Wolffe served under Plo Koon throughout the Clone Wars. He was known for his military prowess and skill and was one of the few Clones who had his inhibitor chip removed either before or shortly after Order 66.
- Commander Gree: designated CC-1004 Commander Gree served under Yoda and was the Clone Commander nearest the Jedi Grand Master when Order 66 was issued. Attempting to carry out the order, Gree was killed when Yoda sensed his betrayal.
What Does CT Stand for in Star Wars?
Another designation used in Clone Wars, CT stands for Clone Trooper. This abbreviation denoted a less specialized group of soldiers than Clone Commanders; the Clone Troopers were the average, everyday soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Like Clone Commanders, Clone Troopers were identified by the letters “CT” preceding a dash and a four-digit number designation; for example, CT-7567.
Clone troopers held various ranks, and some commanded different-size groups of soldiers. Some were not commanders at all, while others climbed through the ranks and eventually became commanders by proving themselves in battle.
Examples of well-known Clone Troopers include:
- Rex: Officially known as CT-7567, Captain Rex served under Anakin Skywalker and was influential in various battles throughout the Clone Wars. After years of proving his leadership abilities, he was promoted to the rank of Commander before the Siege of Mandalore.
- Fives: CT-5555, commonly known as Fives, was a Clone Trooper whose prowess in battle led him to quickly ascend the ranks. He eventually became an ARC trooper and discovered the conspiracy behind the inhibitor chips before Order 66 was executed (though he was killed before he could share this discovery).
- Echo: CT-1409, or Echo, was supposedly killed during an explosion but was actually captured and turned into a cyborg by the Separatists. After being rescued by Anakin Skywalker, Echo joined “the Bad Batch,” Clone Force 99, and escaped the effects of Order 66, later having his inhibitor chip removed with the rest of his comrades.
What Does ARC Stand for in Star Wars?
ARC is yet another designation used to refer to cloned soldiers during the Clone Wars. It is one of the highest ranks for clones in the Grand Army of the Republic, and it stands for Advanced Recon Commando.
Clone Troopers were usually promoted to ARC troopers after demonstrating fighting prowess and service to the Republic. Rex, Fives, Echo, and others were all promoted to ARC trooper status.
Sometimes, their official designation was changed to reflect this promotion, for example, Fives (or CT-5555), came to be known as ARC-5555 after his promotion.
As a whole, they were called ARC Troopers for the sake of distinguishing them from regular Clone Troopers.
ARC troopers were an elite group made up of soldiers who had proven themselves in battle. They were considered to be some of the best soldiers in the fleet.
Conclusion
In Star Wars, CC, CT, and ARC were all abbreviations that referred to different levels of cloned soldiers during the Clone Wars.
Clone Commanders were some of the highest-ranking officers, Clone Troopers were the average, everyday soldiers, and Advanced Recon Commandos were an elite group of Clone Troopers who were promoted for acts of valor and heroism.