What Was Count Dooku’s Most Evil Deed?

Count Dooku is one of the most complex villains in Star Wars. Once a noble Jedi, he abandoned the Order and embraced the dark side, becoming Darth Sidious’s apprentice and the leader of the Separatists.

But what truly defines his legacy are the morally bankrupt, calculated, and sometimes downright foolish acts he committed in the name of power.

In this article, we’ll dive into Count Dooku’s most evil and unforgettable acts, examining how they shaped his character and the fate of the galaxy.

Here are the top three most heinous deeds of the former Sith Lord, Darth Tyranus.

1. Killing Yaddle

If we’re talking about Count Dooku’s most evil moments, killing Yaddle has to be near the top.

In Tales of the Jedi, we see how this moment unfolds. Yaddle, who had always been a wise and compassionate Jedi Master, starts to suspect something is wrong with Dooku. 

She follows him to a secret meeting with Darth Sidious and overhears everything, learning of Dooku’s betrayal and his allegiance to the Sith.

This is where Dooku is faced with a horrifying choice: let Yaddle live and risk her exposing Sidious’s plans, or prove his loyalty to the Sith by killing her. 

I can’t help but feel the weight of this moment—it’s a turning point, not just for Dooku, but for everything that follows in the galaxy.

The fight between Dooku and Yaddle is heartbreaking to watch. 

Despite her skill and her attempts to reason with him, Dooku chooses to silence her forever. 

The way he strikes her down is chilling, not just because of the act itself, but because you can see how far he’s fallen.

2. Betraying Sifo-Dyas and Creating the Clone Army

There’s one act that perfectly illustrates Count Dooku’s cunning and betrayal, it’s his role in orchestrating the creation of the Clone Army and his involvement in the death of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. 

We know from Attack of the Clones and expanded Star Wars lore that Sifo-Dyas, a Jedi with prophetic visions, foresaw a great conflict brewing in the galaxy. 

Acting on his instincts, Sifo-Dyas secretly ordered the creation of a clone army on Kamino, believing it would be necessary to protect the Republic. 

But here’s where Dooku came into play, turning this well-meaning act into one of the darkest betrayals in Star Wars history.

Dooku, already aligned with Darth Sidious, saw an opportunity to use Sifo-Dyas’s actions for the Sith’s grand plan. He orchestrated Sifo-Dyas’s death, silencing the Jedi who might have exposed the plot. 

Dooku then took over the project, commissioning the creation of the Clone Army and secretly implanting Order 66 into the clones—an order that would later lead to the Jedi’s near-extinction.

When I think about it, this was one of Dooku’s most calculated and sinister moves. 

By turning the Republic’s future protectors into unwitting agents of destruction, he ensured the galaxy would fall into chaos, setting the stage for the rise of the Empire.

3. Count Dooku’s Most Foolish and Evil Act

If we’re being honest, not every evil act of Count Dooku’s was brilliant or calculated. 

Case in point: the absurd chain of assassination attempts on Padmé Amidala in Attack of the Clones. 

What starts as a mission to eliminate a political threat ends up being one of the most convoluted—and downright ridiculous—plots in the Star Wars saga.

First, Dooku hires Jango Fett, one of the galaxy’s deadliest bounty hunters, to handle the job. 

But then Jango outsources the mission to Zam Wesell, a shape-shifting assassin who, by all accounts, isn’t nearly as skilled as Fett. This decision already feels like a step down in quality, but it gets worse.

Instead of taking a direct approach, Zam opts for an overly complicated method: deploying a laser-equipped robot to do the dirty work. This robot could easily finish the job itself—after all, it has a clear shot at Padmé through the open window. 

But no, instead of using its laser, the droid drops two venomous kouhuns (basically space centipedes) into Padmé’s room.

Now, these kouhuns are slow-moving and require precise conditions to succeed. They could have been squashed or noticed at any moment. 

The plan hinges on everything going perfectly—and, of course, it doesn’t. Anakin and Obi-Wan intervene, saving Padmé and tracking the assassination attempt back to Zam.

All of this effort to eliminate Padmé Amidala fails spectacularly, drawing even more attention to the Separatists’ actions and pushing Anakin and Padmé closer together. 

It’s a plot that backfires in every possible way.