Plo Koon | A History Of The Respected General
A Jedi Master, High Council Member, and general of the Grand Army of the Republic, Plo Koon was a highly accomplished Jedi who was a highly valuable asset to the Jedi Order until his untimely death during Order 66. Plo Koon was one of the native Kel-Dor species born on the planet Dorin whose atmosphere contained very little oxygen. Thus, he was forced to wear a breathing mask when away from his homeworld.
Born into a family of Force-sensitives, he was not the first in his family to train under the tutelage of the Jedi Order on Coruscant. His uncle and niece were also Jedi. Like other younglings before him, he was brought to the Temple at an early age and was eventually taken as a Padawan by the Wookiee Jedi High Council Member, Jedi Master Tyvokka.
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After passing his trials and becoming a Jedi knight, Plo Koon decided to follow the path of a Jedi Guardian where he was often tasked with missions that required him to use his lightsaber rather than diplomacy and politics. Years later, he was offered a position on the Jedi High Council by his former master. However, as portrayed in Legends, he humbly declined as he thought his close friend Qui-Gon Jinn was a better candidate.
After his master’s death in 44 BBY, Plo Koon and fellow Jedi Luminara Unduli led the forces of the Republic in what became known as the Stark Hyperspace War. When the war was won, he was promoted to the rank of Jedi Master and given a lifetime seat on the Jedi Council as per the dying wish of his former master.
Years later, during a mission to Shili, he discovered a Force-sensitive Togruta named Ahsoka Tano and brought her back to the Jedi Temple to be trained in the ways of the Jedi. He developed a strong relationship with her throughout her training, keeping an eye on her during her time at the Temple. The two shared a close bond with Koon giving her the nickname “Little Soka.”
As the years passed, and the Battle of Geonosis came to fruition, Plo Koon had become a highly respected member of the Jedi Council. He was often silent at most meetings, mostly listening and giving his views only when he felt was necessary.
When the Clone Wars erupted, Plo Koon became a well-respected general among Jedi, clone troopers, and the public. He fought in many battles and cared for the clone troopers in his ranks. Even though they thought themselves expendable and merely “just clones,” he would assure them that their lives meant more to him than they would ever know.
Fighting in countless battles with the men who had come to respect him, Plo Koon was eventually betrayed by them when the newly proclaimed Emperor Palpatine executed Order 66, a directive that ordered all clone troopers to kill the Jedi, labeling them as traitors to the Republic. His ship was gunned down in the skies above Cato Neimoidia and died as the engines exploded, engulfing him in flames. Despite this he was known as one of the best pilots within the Order, often being praised by Anakin Skywalker and other Jedi for his skill to use the Force when piloting and for being able to both attack and defend with incredible efficiency.
Jedi Master Plo Koon was known by most as a highly talented and respected Jedi who put the needs of others well before the needs of himself, the result of this being that he was known as one of the greatest Jedi to ever live during the reign of The Galactic Republic.
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Source(s): Wookieepedia