The One Jedi George Lucas Wouldn’t Let Survive Order 66

George Lucas was surprisingly insistent one particular Jedi had to die in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, rather than become another Order 66 survivor. Even George Lucas never imagined Order 66 to be the end of the Jedi; in fact, in his plans for the sequel trilogy he revealed somewhere between 50-100 Jedi survived beyond even Return of the Jedi. Disney may have unveiled quite a few Jedi who lived into the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign and beyond, but Lucas would have gone further.

Related: Star Wars: Every Jedi Who Survived Order 66 (In Canon)

So far, the most common Order 66 survivors have been Padawans whose masters sacrificed themselves to give them a chance to escape. Few Jedi Masters escaped the clone troopers, with the notable exceptions of Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Still, Lucasfilm’s Dave Filoni – Lucas’ protege on Star Wars: The Clone Wars – has revealed there was one master he wanted to bring back, but the idea was nixed by Lucas himself.

Dave Filoni Wanted to Save Plo Koon

During the Star Wars: The Clone Wars 15th anniversary panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Filoni revealed that one of the Jedi he wanted to retcon Jedi Master Plo Koon as an Order 66 survivor. A Kel Dor Jedi Master, Plo Koon was the one who discovered the Youngling Ahsoka Tano and brought her to the Jedi, perhaps explaining why Filoni liked the idea of keeping him around after Order 66. He was seen targeted by clone troopers in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, when his 104th Battalion (nicknamed the Wolf Pack) shot down his starfighter on Cato Neimoidia. His body was lost, which presumably explains why Filoni thought he could still be alive.

Filoni pitched the idea of retconning Plo Koon as an Order 66 survivor, but Lucas shot the proposal down as efficiently as the 104th. Filoni didn’t elaborate on Lucas’ reasoning, but he clearly respects the judgment, which means Plo Koon will be staying dead. Lucas may not technically be part of Lucasfilm anymore, but he is still loved and respected.

Other Ways Plo Koon Can Return to Star Wars

While Plo Koon has to stay dead, he does still have a strong connection to Ahsoka Tano and could easily appear in the upcoming Ahsoka Disney+ series. There have been rumors of flashbacks throughout Ahsoka’s life, which means Plo Koon could appear there. Additionally, at The Clone Wars 15th-anniversary panel Dave Filoni revealed that he will be making Tales of the Jedi season 2, and it will focus on Jedi other than Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku. Given Filoni clearly likes Plo Koon, that means he might turn up there. It’s even possible Plo Koon will appear in The Acolyte TV show, set 100 years before the prequel trilogy. His Star Wars story may not be over after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith after all – from a certain point of view.