Order 66 Neurologically Damaged the Clones. Why The Empire REALLY Replaced The Clones

The rise of the clone troopers is very well documented in the Star Wars saga. In Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, we learned that a mysterious Jedi Sifo-Dyas commissioned the Kaminoans to build and train a massive clone army to be used as the standing army for the Republic. Star Wars: The Clone Wars series depict the clone troopers in action as they travel to combat zones to fight the droids of the Separatist. With Star Wars: The Bad Batch, we will see how they fare in the time after they have executed Order 66 and destroy almost all the Jedi, which we can argue is their real purpose for existence.

From the premiere episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, we all saw that Governor Tarkin does not want the newly minted Galactic Empire to continue utilizing the clone troopers despite their stellar record in the Clone Wars. If he were to cite the reason being “Because I said so,” he would be met with some resistance within the new military ranks. The costly production and training process of the clones along with the reliance on the Kaminoans to supply your fighting force are probably the main reasons behind discontinuing the use of the clone troopers. Another possible reason he could bring up to the military leadership echelon is this theory that was discussed in the subreddit r/MawInstallation: Order 66 neurologically damaged the clones. Thus, they are not the effective soldiers like they were pre-Order 66, making them even less cost effective to continue. One of the main reasons why we continue using older technology and archaic methods is because it still works. If it does not work anymore, then we are more willing to replace it.

We will now look at why how Order 66 could have neurologically damaged the clones such that they are not useful to the Imperial military forces anymore. Mild Bad Batch spoiler and some scientific discussion ahead.

“Good soldiers follow orders.”

The main driving force behind Order 66 is this organic inhibitor chip that was embedded in the brain of the developing clone embryos. These chips appear to override the clone’s thoughts and ensure total obedience to the order given. Something so powerful that has the ability to essentially turn free-thinking humans into robotic automatons is probably not free of negative side effects. In the past, the clone troopers had demonstrated a high level of individuality, as seen in their varying appearances, from hairstyles to tattoos. This independent thinking allowed for flexibility and ingenuity in dealing with the rapidly changing climate of the battlefield. From biology class, we recall that the brain and the nervous system work by electrical impulses. To completely override their individual thoughts and feelings would require very strong electrical power. This is evident in Bad Batch when the Kaminoans “intensify the programming” of inhibitor chip in Crosshair’s brain by essentially applying high electrical voltage to his head.

We will now switch gears to the real world outside the Star Wars galaxy. A 2017 article in Neural Regeneration Research titled “Neurological and neuropsychological consequences of electrical and lightning shock: review and theories of causation” discussed how victims of electrical and lightning injuries demonstrate a wide range of neurological symptoms including movement disorders and Parkinsonism. These symptoms are not conducive to military service, especially during the volatile time when Imperial rule has not yet been firmly established. The article also pointed out that these neurological disorders may appear months or over a year after said lightning or electrical injury. We may soon see clone troopers suffering neurological deficits in the near future.

In the real world, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still used in treatment resistant depression, catatonia, mania, and schizophrenia where all other treatments have failed. Many studies have shown efficacy of ECT in severe cases especially those with elevated suicidal risk. If a lower voltage (of about 70- 120 volts) used in ECT can affect human behavior, one can only imagine the electrical power required to execute Order 66 in the clone troopers.

If a survivor of a lighting strike of some 30 million volts still retains their free will, then an even higher voltage is necessary to completely “reprogram” the clone troopers. Scientific advancements of the Star Wars world may be able to prevent or treat neurological defects caused by this high voltage electricity. However, we already see that the Empire is no longer willing to continue funding the clone project. Instead of spending resources to treat neurologically damaged clone troopers (who are also rapidly aging due to their growth acceleration), it is more cost effective for the Empire to train and equip new soldiers to enforce their iron rule.

Source(s): Reddit, Screen Rant, CBR, National Center for Biotechnology Information, Wikipedia