To Star Wars fans, Fives is a tragic clone trooper. He tried to reveal the secret plan to destroy the Jedi but was killed while doing so.
Fives had a fateful meeting with Palpatine that led to this fate, but it is not certain what was discussed.
What did Palpatine tell Fives when they met? He probably told him something approximating the truth, but possibly something comedic.
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How Did Fives Uncover the Inhibitor Chip Conspiracy?
Officially designated CT-5555, Fives is an Advanced Recon Commando in the Grand Army of the Republic who fought in the Clone Wars.
He referred to himself as Fives because of those 4 digits and initially was part of the Domino Squad, a group of clone trooper cadets on the planet Kamino.
Most of the Domino Squad died in the wars, but Fives continued with the 501st Legion, fighting under the command of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Clone Commander Rex against the Separatist droid army.
A key moment for Fives occurred during the Battle of Ringo Vinda when he witnessed the clone trooper Tup kill Jedi General Tiplar because of a malfunction in Tup’s inhibitor chip.
This malfunction led Tup to carry out Order 66 earlier than planned. Fives soon discovered that all clones had inhibitor chips installed in their brains.
These biochips were part of Palpatine’s plan to control the clones and make them obey Order 66 and destroy the Jedi.
After his escape from Tipoca City before his memory was erased, Fives realized an evil plan was at work and sought to warn the Jedi.
Fives convinced Jedi Master Shaak Ti to let him go before Chancellor Palpatine first to reveal the dangers of the inhibitor chips, not knowing who the Chancellor really was.
What Did Palpatine Tell Fives (Seriously)?
This background on Fives leads to the moment we are considering. Once Fives gets before Palpatine, he tries to explain how he thinks the inhibitor chips are part of a Separatist plot to undermine the Republic.
As this video clip from The Clone Wars show reveals, Palpatine asks to be left with Fives with only his guards there to discuss it further.
The shot moves away, and we are left to wonder what Palpatine said.
We can guess it was the truth, or something close to it, because when we return to the scene Fives is battling Palpatine’s guards and points his blaster at Palpatine before Jedi Master Shaak Ti stops him.
Fives makes his escape, while Palpatine says, “He must have gone mad without his chip.”
Palpatine most likely told Fives the truth about the chips and how they were meant to make the clones execute the Jedi.
The soon-to-be Emperor was setting Fives up for failure to discredit him and keep his Order a secret. At the minimum, it appears that Palpatine partially revealed the Order 66 plan to enrage Fives and cause a reaction.
This explanation speaks to the would-be Emperor’s methods of manipulating his adversaries and confidence that he could still proceed with this treacherous act.
Yet, Palpatine withheld information from Fives too. When Fives is later questioned by Captain Rex and Anakin, he admits not knowing much about the plan.
After Fives was killed by Commander Fox, the mystery of what was said grew alongside the ignorance of the Jedi. Palpatine may have only described a general idea of what the chips were for, letting Fives jump to conclusions.
One post on this Reddit thread provides a clear dialogue between Palpatine and Fives where the former admits his plan to become Emperor.
This post can be taken seriously because Palpatine enjoyed taunting his opponents, especially when he knew they could not defeat him.
Yet, it can also be taken as a joke because it concludes with Palpatine Force choking Fives to get the latter to attack him. We may envision a bewildering scene with Palpatine laughing and choking Fives until the latter finally takes action.
What Did Palpatine Tell Fives (Jokingly)?
Other posts on Reddit for this same topic are more clearly on the joking side. One that stands out is Palpatine saying to Fives, “I am your Father” in a Vader-like way.
Another is Palpatine claiming he had been “trying to reach” Fives about his car’s “extended warranty,” providing an injection of Earthly humor.
On the joking side, Palpatine may also have told Fives how he could have been a Jedi if he wanted to be.
The dialogue could have gone something like, “You know…I could have been a Jedi,” with Fives grinning in disbelief. “Yes,” Palpatine says, “I trained with them when I was young and knew the ways of the Force.”
Maybe Palpatine wanted to confuse Fives or show his power without admitting who he was.
Palpatine could have also scoffed at the idea himself, to mock the Jedi, but it has some basis in reality.
In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine indicates that he has learned the Force.
He says that “his mentor told him everything about the Force,” and if one is to truly understand the Force, “one must study all its aspects,” including the Dark side.
Palpatine brings this up to lure Anakin to his side but also to indicate his breadth of knowledge about the Light and Dark sides of the Force.
So, Palpatine may have joked to Fives about his knowledge to play with his captive.
Or, he may have sarcastically commented about how he was a Sith to the same end, to play with Fives’s mind while the latter was under medication.
The main point of Palpatine’s humor was to be cruel, and he could have commented on other topics, such as claiming that Fives was defective and not fit to be a true clone trooper.
Palpatine and Fives
In their closed conference together, Palpatine most likely told Fives the truth, or some of it, to elicit an attack and make Fives appear to be the bad guy.
With Fives lashing out at Palpatine, it gave more credibility to the idea that Fives was a malfunctioning clone and the Emperor was still on the side of the Republic.
Palpatine may have made a joke about his own identity or taken a jab at Fives, but this humor would have been for the same intention–to provoke and anger Fives and thereby still conceal Order 66.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan. He has covered such topics as Darth Vader, the Jedi, Boba Fett, and AT-AT Walkers. Todd has published a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.