Who Is Jedi Master Plo Koon?

Star Wars

Dec 31

Plo Koon in Palpatine's office — Image Source: YouTube

Every Star Wars fan knows that Jedi are an essential part of Star Wars. Even if we cannot see them, they are always a part of the universe. With how big the galaxy is, it makes sense that there are a ton of Jedi from all over. Some fans are only familiar with the most popular ones, Luke, Anakin, Yoda, Obi-Wan, Rey, and Ahsoka, but what about the countless others? Some of these “background” Jedi were lucky enough to have their stories expanded in animation, especially in The Clone Wars, and one of these Jedi happens to be Jedi Master Plo Koon.

Plo Koon is one of the more popular “background” Jedi. We see him very briefly at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith until his ship gets gunned down by some Separatists. Otherwise, he does not make a huge appearance in live-action. He was used to hide the surprise appearance of Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian season 2 finale. However, he does appear more in animation and plays a larger role in The Clone Wars.

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Plo Koon was a Kel Dor Jedi Master who was born on the planet of Dorin. At one point, he was discovered by the Jedi Order and later was selected to be the Padawan of Jedi Master Tyvokka. He was considered level-headed and calm and was one of the wisest members of the Jedi Order. During a mission on the planet Shili, the homeworld of the Togruta, he discovered three-year-old, Force-sensitive, Ahsoka Tano. Koon brought her back to the Jedi Temple, where she was trained as a Jedi under Anakin Skywalker. The two of them kept in touch over the years and maintained a close relationship. Without Plo Koon, who knows if Ahsoka would’ve ever been found? I’m grateful that he introduced us to such an iconic character.

After achieving the rank of Jedi Master, he was given a spot on the Jedi High Council, where he served for many years. He also trained Padawan Bultar Swan, who eventually became a Jedi Knight.

He was one of the 212 Jedi who formed an assault team to rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Padme Amidala from Geonosis. Koon eventually was given command of the 104th Battalion, also known as the Wolf Pack Battalion. Koon and the Wolfpack went after the Separatist warship, the Malevolence. He ordered his fleet to engage the enemy while he called for backup from Anakin and Ahsoka. While in contact with them, the warship engaged its ion cannon, disabled all of Koon’s vessels, and left him vulnerable. Koon and his men tried to repair the damage to their pod while searching for other survivors. The warship eventually noticed the pod and moved into attack position. Still, Ahsoka and Anakin arrived just in time to rescue Plo Koon and his men before they could be destroyed. He eventually went after and captured Boba Fett and Bossk with the help of Ahsoka Tano.

As the Clone Wars went on, Plo Koon went on various missions to help the Republic. His last days consisted of being sent to the planet of Cato Nemoidia, where he coordinated the efforts of the 442nd Siege Battalion where he secured a victory for the Republic. Following this, he was on a patrol flight and was caught off guard when Order 66 was initiated. He was eventually shot down by Clone Pilot Jag, where he perished as his fighter exploded and crashed.

While not a Jedi many think of when they think of Star Wars, he was vital to their cause, and with the help of animation, we have been able to see the impact he had. Plo Koon is a great Jedi, who truly embodies everything the Order stands for. I wish we got to see more of him in live-action, but I am grateful that his story was expanded in animation.

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