Clone troopers are the supreme fighting force in the galaxy. Why did the Empire drop them?
Why did the Empire toss them aside if the clones were still considered valuable?
Here’s what you need to know.
Why did the Empire stop using clones?
Here are 5 reasons why the Empire stopped using clones:
- The clone army cost a fortune for the Republic to maintain
- It was getting harder to replicate Jango Fett’s thinning DNA supply
- Grand Moff Tarkin disliked the clones
- Recruiting civilians was cheaper
- Accelerated ageing
#1 How expensive was the clone army?
Before we talk about the price of the clone army, let’s first discuss how they came to be.
The Clone Army of the Republic was ordered ten years before the Clone Wars took place. Jedi Master Sifo Dyas foresaw the war through a force vision. This led him to attempt the order of the clone army through the Jedi Council.
Since they did not agree with his vision and his plan, they removed him from the Council. Sifo Dyas visited the Kaminoans and ordered the clone army.
Darth Tyranus hijacked Sifo Dyas’ plan and assassinated him to cover his trail. They were also able to cover the ultimate price of the clone army.
You can find out if the Kaminoans knew about Order 66 here.
According to this article, the cost of the clone army up until the Battle of Geonosis was 120,146,083,200,000 USD. Since this is the event that started The Clone Wars, the price would skyrocket later on.
#2 Why couldn’t they replicate Jango Fett’s DNA?
Jango Fett was chosen as the prime specimen for the clone army. Jango received an unaltered clone of himself to raise as part of his payment. He was able to live in the main Kaminoan facility, also known as Tipoca City.
While Jango lived in Tipoca City, he was able to give Kaminoans instant access to his DNA. Obi-Wan forced him off-planet during his investigation of Jango’s failed assassination attempt.
Jango’s death during the Battle of Geonosis meant that there was no longer access to new batches of DNA. This means that they were stuck with whatever DNA samples they had.
Jango was never known to be someone who loses his head often.
The Kaminoans strained Jango’s DNA during the Clone Wars to make sure they could make as many clones as possible. The strain on the DNA led to an increasing number of clones ending up like 99. Lama Su, Kamino’s Prime Minister, questioned the effectiveness of each new batch.
This inevitably led to the original batch of DNA being thinned to the point of uselessness.
While they could no longer replicate Jango’s DNA, unused batches were still left behind. His son, Boba Fett, is an exact replica of Jango and would be a perfect specimen to continue the program.
The Bad Batch has introduced another perfect specimen, named Omega. Boba and Omega are the only known unaltered clones of Jango in Canon. Why couldn’t they be used?
After Jango’s death, Boba Fett followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the bounty hunting business. He left Tipoca City and the Kaminoans have not seen him since.
Meanwhile, Omega joined the Bad Batch shortly after Order 66 took place, which meant that she too was unable to be used. While the Empire attempted to kidnap Omega to return her, they were unsuccessful.
Both unaltered specimens of Jango’s DNA were nowhere to be found, leading to Jango’s DNA needing to be scrapped.
Even though the clones had Jango’s DNA, they were not Mandalorians, and you can find out why here.
#3 Why did Tarkin hate the clones?
Admiral Tarkin did not show any distrust towards clones during The Clone Wars.
Admiral Tarkin’s distrust of clones is shown in the first episode of The Bad Batch. Here we see Tarkin discussing the high price tag of the clones and whether their skills are worth the price.
Admiral Tarkin puts Clone Force 99’s capabilities to the test to see whether clones are still useful. During the test, Tarkin remarks that the Empire needs to be stronger than the Republic. Unimpressed by the clone’s ingenuity in combat, he decides that the clones are no longer needed.
Admiral Tarkin believes that the skill of the clones is not worth their high cost. He has decided that a recruited body of soldiers is cheaper and more efficient for the Empire.
#4 Why did the Empire favour recruiting stormtroopers?
The main fighting force of the Empire consisted of civilian recruits. While we have seen soldiers defecting to the Rebellion, like Iden Versio, a majority of them were loyal.
The Empire recruited from high-end cities like Coruscant to the Outer Rim territories like Tatooine. Those in the Outer Rim territories view enlistment as their only way out from their planets. Recruits like these are more likely to be grateful to the Empire, reducing the risk of a revolt.
As shown in The Bad Batch and The Clone Wars, clones have the tendency to have strong free will. Clones were more likely to question the rather questionable orders given out. The Empire was able to train stormtroopers to be loyal to their cause.
Stormtroopers proved to be more loyal and less likely to question the Empire than clones. The Empire targeted Outer Rim territories to gain civilians that appreciated the Empire.
Interestingly enough, the stormtroopers’ helmets may be the reason why they have such bad aim!
#5 Accelerated ageing
In order for the Kaminoans to complete Dyas’ order swiftly, they needed to accelerate the ageing of the clones. In Attack of the Clones, we see Lama Su explaining this to Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The first batch of clones we see in the Battle of Geonosis were created five years prior, as said in the AotC scene. The clones aged at twice the speed a normal human would. This accelerated ageing helped the Republic churn out an army at a faster rate.
Due to the fact that Jango’s DNA became obsolete, the Empire was stuck with the final batch of clones from the War. A majority of the clones were already at their prime age by the end of the Clone Wars. Ten years after the War, we see just how fast the clones age.
The accelerated ageing of the clones helped the Republic in the short term, but proved to be a problem for the Empire. Since the clones aged quickly, they were no longer of use.
Conclusion
The Empire stopped using clones to create a cost-effective army that is loyal to their cause. Jango’s DNA stretched to the point of uselessness, sealing the fate of decommissioning.
You can find out why Pong Krell hated them so much here.
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