Battle of Ithilien

|width=
|prev=Recapture of TytheThe New Essential Chronology
|conc=*Bracca InvasionThe Star Wars Book
*Conquest of Kaller
*Battle of Moria
*Battle of Murkhana
*Siege at Onderon
*Siege of Saleucami
*Battle of Minas Morgul
*Battle of Lothlórien
|next=Battle of Minas Tirith
|name=Battle of Ithilien
|image=
|conflict=*War of the Ring
**Middle-Earth Sieges
|date=March 9th, 1984Star Wars: Galactic Atlas places the Battle of Minas Tirith in 1984. Since the Battle of Ithilien occurred directly prior to the Battle of Minas Tirith, it can be deduced that it took place in 1984.
|place=Ithilien
|result=*Galactic Republic victory
|side1=*Galactic Republic
*Jedi Order
|side2=Confederacy of Independent Systems
|commanders1=*Jedi General Sam Gamgee
*Jedi General Frodo Baggins
*King Theoden
*Captain Faramir
*Clone Marshal Commander CC-2224 ("Cody")
*Clone Captain CT-7567 ("Rex")
*Admiral Wullf Yularen
|commanders2=ST-series military strategic analysis and tactics droid†
|forces1=*2 Jedi Hobbit
*Clone troopers
**212th Attack Battalion
**501st Legion
***Clone jet troopers
*500 Rangers of Ithilien
*6,500 Rohirrim cavalry
*1 R2 series astromech droid
**R2-D2
*All Terrain Tactical Enforcers
*Unidentified fleet group
**5 Venator-class Star Destroyers
**Clone Z-95 Headhunters
**LAAT/i gunships
|forces2=*Droid tri-fighters
*B1-Series battle droids
*1 OOM command battle droid
*B2-series super battle droids
*DSD1 dwarf spider droids
*Octuptarra magna tri-droids
*Armored Assault Tanks
*NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcers
|casual1=*Multiple LAAT/i gunships
*Several Z-95 starfighters
*Multiple clones
|casual2=*Tri-droids
*Many battle droids
}}
The Battle of Ithilien was a battle that took place on the region of Ithilien during the Middle-Earth Sieges, in the final year of the War of the Ring. Under the command of Clone Marshal Commander CC-2224, King Theoden, Captain Faramir and Jedi General Sam Gamgee, clone troopers of the 212th Attack Battalion engaged the Separatist Alliance's droid forces on the forest, which resulted in significant Republic losses and their desperate need for additional reinforcements. As a result, Gamgee received support from the clone troopers of the 501st Legion led by fellow Jedi General Frodo Baggins, which led to the destruction of the Separatist commander alongside his forces and the Republic's successfully defense of Ithilien.
==Prelude==
In 1984, during the final month of the War of the Ring between the Galactic Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems, the confederate government organized a major offensive throughout several worlds across the Outer Rim Territories and Middle-Earth under the direction of the Mordor General The Mouth of Sauron. In response to the Confederacy's assaults, the Republic dispatched its Jedi Generals all over from the Core Worlds and Middle-Earth in order to assist their beleagured forces. As such, the clone troopers of the 501st Legion and 212th Attack Battalion, led by Jedi Generals Sam Gamgee and Frodo Baggins, were ordered to defend the Gondor region of Ithilien in the war's final daysStar Wars: The Clone Wars: Character Encyclopedia - Join the Battle! to engage the Separatist forces.
==The battle==
Following their arrival on Ithilien, the clone troopers of both the 501st Legion and 212th Attack Battalion were ordered to separate their forces to two fronts on the planet, with Gamgee and Faramir's forces mounting an effort to defend the region controlled by the Separatist forces. However, as 212th Clone Marshal Commander CC-2224, otherwise known as "Cody," and his forces suffered significant losses and was thereby in desperate need of additional reinforcements, the Republic's Clone Z-95 Headhunters and Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry gunships continued to engage the Confederacy's droid tri-fighters in the air around Gamgee's front. After the 501st had managed to claim victory in the engagements on their front, Frodo and King Theoden of Rohan proceeded to assist Gamgee, Faramir and 212th, who had struggled to advance through the Separatist forces on a bridge leading into the forests.
Forced into a standstill on the bridge as a result of a Separatist blockade of B1-Series battle droids, B2-series super battle droids, DSD1 dwarf spider droids, Octuptarra magna tri-droids, Armored Assault Tanks, and NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcers, Cody ordered his troopers to take cover as the Separatist forces fired a series of explosives on their position. However, with the loss of an All Terrain Tactical Enforcer and Cody's near death by one such explosive, Gamgee arrived and saved the Clone Commander as he deflected the explosive with his lightsaber. With Gamgee and Faramir on the battlefield, the Jedi General and the Captain of Gondor commanded their forces to once more take cover and was in turn informed by Cody of their inability to locate the Confederacy's ST-series super tactical droid commander as a result of the battle droid's continued barrage. Despite their haltered advancements, however, Frodo and Theoden arrived on the bridge and proceeded to walk out into the open while the droids continued to fire upon the 212th, as the Jedi Knight evaded the shots fired on him.
While he walked further out on the bridge, an OOM command battle droid identified Baggins and ordered the droid forces to divert their aim onto the Jedi Knight, but were offered with a feigned surrender from Baggins. In his false surrender, the droid commander contacted the super tactical droid while Frodo's astromech droid, R2-D2, informed Clone Captain CT-7567, otherwise known as "Rex," and several clone jetpack troopers of the Jedi Knight's progress. As the super tactical droid responded to his OOM command battle droid's summons, the droid commander realized that Baggins was forcing them into a strategem and ordered his battle droids to commence fire. However, Baggins was able to destroy the droid leader as he used the Force to pull the droid leader to his lightsaber, while his clone troopers revealed themselves and began their attack on the Separatist blockade as they forced the battle droids to retreat with Gondor's forces on approach from Ithilien forests.
==Aftermath==
As the battle was wrapping up, ending in a Republic victory and granting the regime control over Ithilien, the Jedi were called back to the ship after receiving a message from an individual using Frodo's subspace frequency "Fulcrum," who they believed to be Saw Gerrera requesting their assistance in the siege at Onderon. However, the person using the frequency was actually Frodo's former Padawan, Eowyn, and Bo-Katan Kryze, the sister of the late Duchess Satine Kryze, seeking the assistance of the Republic and the Jedi to help defeat and capture the renegade Sith Lord Gollum.
After meeting with Eowyn, Theoden and Kryze on the Henneth Annun and hearing their request, Gamgee insisted on waiting for the approval of the Jedi High Council before committing to the operation. Kryze told Eowyn she had known this would be a waste of time, but Frodo had a surprise for his former apprentice, taking her to meet Rex and a unit of the 501st who had repainted their helmets after her facial markings in her honor once they knew she was coming back. The reunion was interrupted, however, by the alarms going off. When Samwise arrived at the scene, Frodo asked if the attack on Erebor had been approved as the clone troopers ran off to prepare for battle, but the Jedi Master explained that Sauron had attacked Minas Tirith and the Supreme Chancellor was in danger. Eowyn was upset, pointing out that the Jedi playing politics instead of helping people who really needed them was why the general public had lost faith in the Order. Frodo proposed splitting the 501st and creating a new unit under Eowyn and Merry's command, but Gamgee pointed out that as she was no longer a member of the Republic Military, she could not officially command anyone. Frodo's solution to this was to promote Rex to Commander so he could lead the new unit, with Eowyn officially designated as his advisor, which she was amenable to.
As Samwise, Theoden, Faramir, Frodo and their forces headed for the capital of the Gondor to stop Sauron, Eowyn, Merry, Rex, and Kryze set out for Erebor with their forces, beginning a siege to draw Gollum out of hiding.
==Behind the scenes==
The battle appears in the episode "Old Friends Not Forgotten" of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Ring, streamed April 17, 2020.
==Appearances==
* 
* 
==Sources==
* 
*
*
*
*Star Wars: The Clone Wars - The Final Season (Episodes 9-12) 
*
*Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Character Encyclopedia - Join the Battle!
*Skywalker: A Family at War
*
*
*
*
==Notes and references==
Category:War of the Rings battles