When Emperor Palpatine seized control of the galaxy far far away, he finally realised the ultimate Sith victory of destroying the entire Jedi Order… or did he? There is no denying that his execution of Order 66 killed countless Jedi and undoubtedly destroyed the actual Order. But a surprising amount of Jedi managed to elude the newly formed Galactic Empire. In this list, we’re taking a look at the Canon Jedi that survived Order 66.
Obi-Wan
Starting with the obvious survivors of Order 66, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi managed to evade the mutiny of his men and once-loyal Clone Commander Cody on Utapa. After his escape, Obi-Wan confronted his former Padawan, the newly dubbed Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan defeated Anakin and ensured the safe hiding of both of Anakin’s children. Personally watching over Anakin’s son Luke on Tatooine up until his death (during a rematch with Vader) on the Death Star.
Throughout his years in seclusion on Tatooine Obi-Wan struggled with keeping to himself and not interfering when people needed help. He was also at odds with Owen Lars, who refused to let Obi-Wan train Luke as a Jedi.
Yoda
The next survivor of the Jedi massacre is the Jedi counsel’s Grand Master, Yoda. Whilst Obi-Wan went to fight Anakin on Mustafar, Yoda went to take on Palpatine. In a scene that doesn’t’ do much for subtlety, Palpatine quite literally uses the Senate to fight Yoda. The newly crowned emperor manages to get the upper hand, but thankfully Yoda escapes.
A deleted scene from Revenge of the Sith (set after the Skywalker children are born) shows Yoda heading to Dagobah, where he would wait for over twenty years until Luke’s arrival in The Empire Strikes Back.
Kanan Jarrus (Caleb Dume)
Kanan is one of the few Order 66 survivors that we know lots about, in fact, starting with the Kanan – The Last Padawan comic through to the entire run of Star Wars Rebels, we see Kanan go from being a Jedi Padawan to hero of the Rebellion (although at least some of The Last Padawan comic was kind of contradicted in the first Season of The Bad Batch).
During the Clone Wars Caleb Dume was Padawan to Master Depa Billaba. Master Billaba died protecting Caleb as the Clones turned on the Jedi.
Caleb eventually joined up with a smuggler named Janus Kasmir and the two pull off a number of more criminal, and very un-jedi, schemes.
The duo are hunted by the Clones who killed Master Billaba; Commander Styles and Captain Grey. The clones mage to capture Caleb but he argues that they are the traitors rather than him.
Caleb escapes and attacks the clones in his own ship. Captain Grey’s Order 66 implant must have been defective as he eventually agreed with Caleb and proclaimed that the clones are the traitors. He deactivated the ship’s shields as Caleb attacks in his own ship, deciding to ‘make things right’
Caleb leaves Kasmir, and reinvents himself as Kanan Jarrus, but keeps hold of his lightsaber and a Jedi Holocron. As seen in Star Wars Rebels, Kanan’s path leads to to gathering the Ghost crew, teaching Ezra Bridger the ways of the Jedi, and eventually sparking the Rebellion itself.
Kirak Infil’A
Shortly after being reborn as Darth Vader and his fight with Obi-Wan, Palpatine tells Vader how Sith get their lightsabers. He explains that the red colour comes from a regular crystal that has been made to ‘bleed’ after it is taken from its original Jedi owner.
To get his own red Sith saber Vader sets out to find a surviving Jedi, leading him to Kirak Infil’A.
Kirak Infil’A was a Jedi who had taken the “Barash Vow” a sort of penance/pilgrimage that sees a Jedi secluded from the Order, intent on becoming closer to the force, and forbidden to intervene in anything that may happen to the Jedi.
Vader arrives at the Mid-Rim River Moon of Al’doleem, a sacred place to the Jedi, to confront Kirak Infil’A, who sets off a series of traps that were originally meant as a training exercise.
Infil’A eventually disarms the traps and fights Vader himself, winning their initial battle. But as Infil’A flees to return to Coruscant and take on the Emperor, Vader rebuilds himself using destroyed droid parts and hunts the Jedi down.
In their second encounter, Vader wins, gaining his crystal whilst Infil’A dies protecting the inhabitants of Al’doleem.
Jacosta Nu
To most fans, Jedi Master Jacosta Nu was the abrupt librarian from Attack of the Clones, but she does have a few more appearances where she proves herself to be a little more likeable.
Nu appears throughout the Clone Wars animated series but proves to be most important in the 2017 Vader comic, where she almost singlehandedly fights for the survival of the Jedi Order in the aftermath of Revenge of the Sith.
After creating a new library of Holocrons in the hopes of establishing a new school for Jedi, Jacosta realises she needs students and so breaks into the former Jedi Temple.
There she confronts the Grand Inquisitor but manages to retrieve the Holocron with the details of all Force-sensitives in the Galaxy. She also wipes the Jedi Archives, dealing a crippling blow to the Grand Inquisitor, Vader and Palpatine.
Whilst in a secret vault hidden in the Jedi archives Jacosta not only learns of Darth Vader’s true identity but wields a Kyber Crystal gun to fight him off. She is however quickly captured and while being taken to the Emperor goads Vader into killing her by telling the surrounding Clones that Vader is Anakin Skywalker.
Vader proceeds to murder both her and the Clone Troopers and takes the list of Force-sensitive children for himself, telling the Emperor he found nothing.
The Grand Inquisitor
Whilst the main part of the Emperor’s Order 66 was to kill the Jedi, another part of the plan involved turning a number of dissatisfied Jedi into the Dark Side “Inquisitors”. These former Jedi would not to be true Sith Lords like he and Darth Vader, but would instead be Dark Side acolytes to help enforce the new Empire and hunt the surviving Jedi.
The Grand Inquisitor was once a Jedi Temple Guard, and although we don’t know too much about his time at the temple or as a Jedi we do know that he hated Jacosta Nu who repeatedly denied his requests to read certain books – stating that he wasn’t ready for them.
The Emperor used this to turn the Temple Guard against the Jedi, eventually appointing him as the leader of the Inquisitors. The Grand Inquisitor appears as the primary villain early across the first two seasons of Star Wars Rebels, hunting both Kanan and Ezra until his death and the eventual reveal, in the Temple on Lothal, that he was once a Jedi.
The Inquisitors
The Grand Inquisitor leads the Inquisitors who are turned during or immediately after Order 66 and go on to hunt the remaining Jedi for decades. Each member of the group is referred to as a ‘sister’ or ‘brother’ and is given a ranking, such as; ‘fifth brother’ and ‘second sister’.
This system plays on the constant competition and fear that fuels the dark side, and seemingly allows the Inquisitors to further embrace their Dark Side powers. The Inquisitors also wield a unique lightsaber that has two blades housed in a circular hilt. The saber can rotate at immense speed and act as a personal weapon, shield, or mini helicopter.
Shortly after the Jedi Purge Vader is given control over both the Grand Inquisitor and the Inquisitors themselves. He helps train them. noting that their style is too defensive thanks to their Jedi teachings – he dismembers almost all of them, citing that the loss will help them embrace the Dark Side.
Second Sister
Formerly a Jedi Padawan to Cere Junda, Trilla Suduri, is turned to the Dark Side by the Inquisitors early in the Empire and helps the rest of the inquisitors hunt down any other remaining Jedi. Eventually, Trilla made some level of peace with her former master, and Cal Kestis, but it was short-lived thanks to a surprise entrance from Darth Vader.
Ninth Sister
Masana Tide was one of the original fallen Jedi to become an Inquisitor. During her exploits as an Inquisitor, the ninth Sister lost her leg, an eye, and eventually a hand. She helped Darth Vader hunt Ferren Barr on Mon Cala soon after Order 66, and like the Second Sister hunted Jedi for the emir for several years. She was eventually defeated by former Padawan Ca Kestis on Kashyyyk.
Ferren Barr
Around a year after Order 66, the Jedi Farren Barr, who survived Order 66 and went into hiding, manipulated a number of people who were connected to the Jedi or just hated the Empire into becoming his followers. His investigations led to several large discoveries including Darth Vader’s true identity, most of the Emporer’s plan leading into the Clone War and that that the Inquisitors were fallen Jedi.
He used this knowledge and the ‘Execute Order 66’ command to turn a squad of Clones against the Inquisitors. At first, Barr appears to be helping Prince On Lee Cha and the Mon Calamari species resist the Empire, although ultimately he makes things worse for them. But despite losing his way as a Jedi, using the force to manipulate people, Barr foresees the Mon Cala’s role in both the Rebellion and Resistance decades later and helps to set those events in motion.
Cal Kestis
Much like Caleb Dune, the star of 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Cal Kestis was a young Padawan during the Clone Wars, and was saved from execution by his master. Cal escaped with his master’s lightsaber and hid as a scrapper on the planet Bracca. There he waited for five years, slowly forgetting how to use the Force and unable to access it from fear of losing control. He does however use the Force to save his friend Prauf, and is thus discovered by Imperial Inquisitors, the Second and Ninth Sister.
Cal is rescued by Cere Junda and Greez Dritus, who take him to Bogano where he starts his journey of following the memories of Jedi Master Eno Cordova, who seemingly foresaw Order 66 and hid a Holocron containing the names of Force-sensitive younglings inside an ancient temple.
Cere Junda
Once a Jedi Knight with a Padawan of her own, Cere Junda survived for a short while after the Clones turned on her and a group of younglings, but was quickly captured. Her Padawan Trilla Suduri was tortured corrupted, eventually turning to the Dark Side. When Cere saw what had happened to her former Padawan (who by the time of Fallen order had risen through the ranks to become the Second Sister), Cere embraced the Dark Side herself and let out a blast of Dark Force energy.
After her escape, Cere cut herself off from the Force until meeting Cal Kestis, with whom she re-embraced the Force, and eventually stormed the Inquisitor’s base, finally confronting her former Padawan.
Talon Malacous:
A former Jedi Master who crashed on Dathomir after Order 66, Talon Malacous, turned to the Dark Side. Dathomir is the home planet to Darth Maul, and Assaj Ventress, and there Malacous took control of the planet’s Nightbrother clan and tricked the last surviving Nightsister, Merrin, into believing the Jedi were responsible for the death of her sisters (when it was actually general Grevious following Count Dooku’s orders during the Clone War).
Malacous had some interesting views on the Jedi, including the idea that the Jedi died long before Order 66, as they were stifled by rules, tradition, and war – for more on what Fallen Order says on the Jedi, Sith and the Force, check out our video on how it explains there is much more to the force than Light and Dark.
Luminara Unduli
After Luminara’s Padawan Barriss Offee turned to the Dark Side, framed Ahsoka Tano, and betrayed the Jedi, Master Unduli went to Kashyyyk where she prepared for invasion alongside Master Yoda. Fighting there (like Yoda) when Order 66 came in to effect Luminara was believed to have been shot down, but in reality she was captured instead.
Unduli was held at the Imperial prison, The Spire, but was quickly executed on orders from the Grand Inquisitor, and her remains were used to lure other surfing Jedi into an Imperial trap.
Grogu
Much like Cal Kestis and Caleb Dume, Grogu was only a Padawan at the end of the Clone War. Like Cal, Grogu’s relationship with eh Force was damaged after the fall of the Jedi Order, and his slow raging process meant he is practically still a baby at over fifty years old.
Grogu was taken from the Jedi Temple during Order 66 and survived until well after the Empire fell. He did however attract the attention of some remaining Empire factions, which led him to meet the Mandalorian Din Djarin (and later Ahsoka Tano, and Luke Skywalker). Grogu’s DNA is likely a key part in how Palpatine managed to create Snoke and return from the dead himself.
Quinlain Vos
Quinlan Vos is one of the more interesting Jedi, who (to massively oversimplify it all) had the ability to sense the past of an object through the force, had a romantic relationship with Assaj Ventress during the Clone Wars, and fell to the Dark Side, only to turn to the Light.
Vos was vitally presumed dead by the Empire, but later he was named as a priority target for the Inquisitors. But other than that brief mention Vos hasn’t appeared anywhere else, alive or dead.
Zubain Anokonori, Nuhj, Mususiel, and Khandra
Featured in the mobile game Star Wars: Uprising Zubain Anokonori, Nuhj, Mususiel, and Khandra were four surviving Jedi who escaped Order 66 and initially hid in a Jedi shrine on the outer-rim planet of Anoat.
Eventually, the Empire found the four Jedi, and the Inquisitorius killed them all one by one.
Master Uvell
As seen in a short story in Star Wars: Insider #154, The End of History, after surviving Order 66 Master Uvell hired Antron Bach to transport a ship full of Jedi artefacts, in the hopes that some form of the Order could survive. Author Alexander Freed said that although Uvell “definitely” survived Order 66, he wasn’t sure how long the Jedi Master lasted after securing the artefacts with Antron Bach.
Oppo Rancisis, Coleman Kcaj, Ka-Moon Kholi, and Selrahc Elous
These four Jedi were revealed to have survived the Jedi Purge in the Darth Vader (2017) comic, #19. Along with Obi-Wan, they are on a list of known survivors. Oppo Rancisis and Coleman Kcaj were serving Jedi Council members, but Ka-Moon Kholi, and Selrahc Elous were previously unknown Jedi. These four Jedi haven’t been mentioned or shown up since.
Neither Jedi or Sith (at the time of Order 66)
Several Force users that were at one point aligned to the Jedi or the Sith survived Order 66. This (in a way) includes the Inquisitors, who used to be Jedi and now follow the Dark Side but aren’t classed as true Sith.
The most prominent former Sith Lord is Maul, who through various schemes, hunted Obi-Wan Kenobi until shortly before the rebellion began.
Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker’s former Padawan was framed for betraying the Jedi towards the end of the war. After clearing her name Ahsoka decided to leave the Order.
She was briefly reunited with Anakin and Obi-Wan at the end of the war where she helped liberate Mandalore from Maul (and his ‘Maul-dalorians’), but just barely survived Order 66 with Clone Captain Rex helping Ahsoka fight off the rest of the 501st legion.
Naq Med, featured in the Force Collector young adult novel, was a Jedi before the Clone War. He left the order prior to war breaking out and began a family. He was eventually tracked down during the reign of the Empire by the Grand Inquisitor. He fought and defeated the Grand Inquisitor and managed to escape, protecting his family and living to an old age peacefully.
Another former Jedi at the time of Order 66 is former Jedi Council Member Eeth Koth. Koth was a priest in ‘the Church of the Gnathic Enlightenment” after he left the Jedi Order. Eeth Koth had a wife and newborn child, but is found by Vader and the Inquisitors. Vader kills Koth with ease and takes his (presumably) force-sensitive child.
If you’ve enjoy The Jedi that survived Order 66, or there are any Jedi I missed let me know in the comments below and for more Star Wars, check out my video on How Clone wars season 7 is the perfect end to George Lucas’ Star Wars HERE