501st Legion

The **501st Legion** was a clone trooper legion in the Grand Army of the Republic under the command of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano, and Clone Captain Rex during the Clone Wars. The 501st fought against the Droid Army of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Throughout the conflict, the soldiers of the 501st were known for their courage, unconventional tactics, and loyalty to the Republic. They also often fought alongside the 212th Attack Battalion led by Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Commander Jarik Shan, and Clone Marshal Commander Cody, who were good friends with Skywalker, Tano, and Rex.

The 501st saw action on multiple battlefronts across the galaxy, becoming part of several historic engagements such as the Battle of Christophsis, the Second Battle of Geonosis, and the Battle of Umbara. During the campaign on Umbara, Skywalker was recalled to the Republic's capital of Coruscant by Chancellor Palpatine, leaving General Pong Krell to assume command of the legion in the interim. Unbeknownst to the clones, Krell fell to the dark side of the Force, and having foreseen the rise of a New Order, worked to secretly undermine the Republic. The 501st mutinied against Krell when his betrayal was revealed, sustaining multiple casualties while confronting their commanding officer, but ultimately succeeded in capturing Krell, who was executed while in military custody by clone trooper Dogma.

An incident in the 501st nearly exposed a Sith conspiracy against the Jedi Order. During the Battle of Ringo Vinda, Tup betrayed and killed Jedi General Tiplar, resulting in an investigation that revealed a hidden behavioral modification chip within the brain of every clone. An Advanced Recon Commando (ARC) Trooper, Fives investigated further into the matter, and learned that the chips were designed to compel the clones to kill their Jedi commanders. Alarmed by this discovery, he revealed his findings to Skywalker and Rex, but was unable to convince either of them before his death by Commander Fox of the Coruscant Guard.

In the last days of the Clone War, Skywalker divided the 501st by creating the 332nd Company and dispatched it to Mandalore. Led by Commander Rex and Tano, the division defeated the Mandalorian Super Commandos and captured their leader, the former Sith Lord Maul. During the journey to Coruscant, however, the Great Jedi Purge commenced when Chancellor Palpatine - the public guise of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious - declared that Order 66 was in effect, turning the clones against their Jedi officers. Although the 501st failed to terminate Tano, the other half of the legion stormed the Jedi Temple and killed its inhabitants alongside half of the 212th, including Padawans and Jedi younglings, under the leadership of Skywalker, who had fallen as the newly christened Darth Vader. Rex and ARC Trooper Jesse, who had removed their control chips, deserted the 501st after defending Tano against their own troops. All of them — along with Jesse, who sacrificed himself for his commanding officers — died attempting to carry out Order 66. On Coruscant, the 501st was defeated by Kenobi, Shan, and Master Yoda, who infiltrated the Temple while Sidious declared himself Emperor of the Galactic Empire.

The 501st was absorbed into the Imperial military, becoming a legion of the Stormtrooper Corps which transitioned to the use of human recruits after the Empire suspended the cloning operation on Kamino. Vader then had the 501st reorganized into the First Legion.

## **Appearances**

* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 1: Landing at Point Rain" (first appearance)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 3: Brain Invaders" (hologram only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 6: The Deserter"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 8: The Mandalore Plot"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 9: Voyage of Temptation"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 11: The Academy"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 12: ARC Troopers"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 16: How to Infiltrate a Base"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 17: Overlords" (voice only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 19: Ghosts of Mortis" (hologram only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 21: The Citadel"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 22: Counterattack"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 23: Citadel Rescue"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 26: Darkness on Umbara"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 27: Carnage of Krell"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 28: Overcoming Guilt"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 29: Kidnapped"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 30: Slaves of the Republic"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 39: A War on Two Fronts"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 40: Front Runners"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 66: Battle of Devaron" (flashback only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 53: Sabotage" (voice only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 55: To Catch a Jedi"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 67: The Bad Batch"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 68: Call for Assistance"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 69: Unfinished Business"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 70: Getting in a Mess" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 72: Old Friends Not Forgotten"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 3: Revenge of the Sith* — "Chapter 1: Battle of Coruscant" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 73: The Phantom Apprentice"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 3: Revenge of the Sith* — "Chapter 8: Calm before the Storm" (hologram only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 3: Revenge of the Sith* — "Chapter 9: Sidious Revealed" (hologram only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 74: Shattered"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 3: Revenge of the Sith* — "Chapter 10: A Sith Lord Rises"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 3: Revenge of the Sith* — "Chapter 11: Operation Knightfall"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 2: The Clone Wars* — "Chapter 75: Victory and Death"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 3: Revenge of the Sith* — "Chapter 13: Return to the Temple"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 4: Clones and Clues" (indirect mention only)
* *Forces of Destiny* — "Living with Family and Friends" (indirect mention only)
* *Rylla's Bounty* — "Reprise" (hologram only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 63: The Truth" (indirect mention only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 74: Stragglers" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 86: Homecoming" (mentioned only)
* *Sun and Moon* — "Unpleasant Memories" (indirect mention only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 16: Imprisoned by Belief" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 65: Strife Among the Alliance" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 6: Children of the Force* — "Chapter 3: Kashyyyk Resistance" (mentioned only)