Why General Grievous Was a Coward

General Grievous has always had a certain reputation in Star Wars. Tall, mechanical, draped in a cape full of stolen lightsabers—he was meant to be terrifying. And yeah, he looked cool, especially when he came crawling out of the shadows with that coughing, half-droid menace energy. But if you actually pay attention to how he fought in The Clone Wars and other appearances, a different pattern starts to show.

Behind the intimidation, the theatrics, and the body count, Grievous wasn’t fearless. He wasn’t honorable. He didn’t even like fair fights. Because the truth is, General Grievous was a coward—and not in the “ran away once or twice” kind of way. It was baked into his whole strategy.

Grievous Was Taught to Fight Dirty, Then Run

In the 2003 Clone Wars micro-series, Count Dooku made it clear that Grievous was never meant to fight fair. His entire combat style was built around psychological warfare. Dooku told him directly:

“If you are to succeed in combat against the best of the Jedi, you must have fear, surprise, and intimidation on your side. If any one element is lacking, it would be best to retreat.”

That wasn’t a motivational speech—it was a rule. Grievous wasn’t trained to duel with honor or match Jedi in a straight fight. He was taught to overwhelm his enemies through shock and terror, and if that didn’t work, he was to escape immediately. Dooku didn’t want a champion—he wanted a weapon. One that struck fast, caused panic, and vanished before anyone could respond.

This explains why Grievous rarely finished fights unless he had total control. The moment things turned, he ran. It wasn’t because he was physically weak—he could go toe-to-toe with Jedi Masters when the advantage was his. But he had no interest in proving himself in an even match. He was never built for that.

You can see this doctrine play out clearly during his duel with Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith. At first, Grievous doesn’t charge straight into a one-on-one fight. He surrounds himself with MagnaGuards, tries to trap Obi-Wan, and relies on numbers and intimidation before ever drawing his lightsabers. It’s fear, surprise, and spectacle—the exact formula Dooku drilled into him.

Even when he finally confronts Obi-Wan, he opens the fight with theatrics: igniting four lightsabers at once, spinning them like a wall of energy to overwhelm and confuse. But the moment Obi-Wan holds his ground and starts dismantling that advantage—literally cutting off arms—Grievous panics.

He immediately retreats, climbing the wall and fleeing on a wheel bike through the chaos of the battlefield. The fight turns from a duel into a chase, because once the surprise and intimidation fail, he falls back on what he was taught: get out.

Grievous doesn’t try to regroup or turn the tide—he runs. Not because he’s physically outmatched from the start, but because once the psychological edge is lost, he no longer plays to win. That duel shows everything about how Grievous was conditioned to fight—and why he was never meant to stand his ground.

This Wasn’t a One-Time Thing, Grievous Did It Constantly

Once you start watching The Clone Wars with this in mind, you can’t unsee it. Grievous backing out of fights isn’t just a fluke—it’s his whole pattern. I used to think he was just unlucky or outmatched, but looking closer, you realize he was doing exactly what Dooku taught him: fight dirty, then run.

One of the clearest examples of Grievous following Dooku’s rule—fight only when you hold the advantage—is in The Clone Wars Season 2, Episode 10: The Deserter. After their earlier encounter aboard the Malevolence, this was the second time Obi-Wan faced him head-on.

Grievous launches a surprise attack on the Republic forces stationed on Saleucami. The setup matches Dooku’s formula: fear, surprise, and intimidation. His droid forces overrun the Republic outpost quickly, and Grievous steps into the chaos personally, ready to confront Kenobi again.

But once the fight shifts and Obi-Wan starts holding his own, Grievous changes tactics. The longer the duel goes on, the more the advantage slips away—and as soon as he loses control of the situation, he retreats. He escapes into the wilderness, even going as far as hijacking a transport to avoid finishing the fight.

Even in Victory, Grievous Still Fought Dirty

In The Clone Wars Season 4, Episode 19, “Massacre,” we witness a pivotal confrontation between General Grievous and Asajj Ventress on Dathomir. Ventress challenges Grievous to single combat, aiming to settle their conflict honorably. Grievous appears to accept, but true to his training, he has no intention of fighting fair.

As their duel intensifies, Ventress gains the upper hand, even managing to sever one of Grievous’s arms. Rather than continuing the duel, Grievous orders his battle droids to open fire on Ventress and the surrounding Nightsisters, disrupting the duel and forcing Ventress to defend against the sudden onslaught.

This tactic exemplifies Grievous’s adherence to Dooku’s doctrine: when fear, surprise, and intimidation fail, and the tide turns against him, he resorts to overwhelming force rather than honor. Even in moments where he could potentially claim victory through combat prowess, Grievous chooses to exploit his resources to maintain dominance, underscoring his reliance on fear and intimidation over genuine martial skill.