An old wound in the Star Wars‘ history, Order 66, has long been depicted as the final, decisive blow against the Jedi Order. However, Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #7 paints a more nuanced and frankly, much more chaotic picture of the immediate aftermath of the slaughter. While the initial purge was swift and brutal, the Legacy of Vader reveals that the ongoing hunt for Jedi survivors was surprisingly primitive and relied on methods that seemed doomed to fail from the start. Emperor Palpatine’s initial strategy to track down the remaining Jedi was incredibly flawed, highlighting the desperate, and perhaps, premature nature of his new Empire, despite his decades of manipulation and planning.
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The crude methods of the early Empire not only explain why so many Jedi survived, but also serve as a compelling justification for the later creation of the more specialized and sinister Inquisitorius.
Emperor Palpatine’s Initial Jedi-Hunting Strategy Was Fundamentally Flawed
In Legacy of Vader #7, the newly established Galactic Empire’s initial approach to tracking down surviving Jedi was shown to be shockingly unsophisticated. The method involved Imperial officers and clone troopers distributing lists of names and descriptions of “possible Jedi survivors” to local magistrates and citizens. This rudimentary system was a far cry from the highly specialized and methodical hunting techniques that would come to define the Empire’s later efforts. This approach was riddled with potential problems and a stunning lack of foresight; a detail that perfectly explains why so many Jedi were able to slip through the cracks.
The most obvious weakness of this method was the potential for misidentification. A list of physical descriptions, even if accurate at the time of the Jedi’s last known appearance, is not a reliable tool for long-term manhunts. The descriptions could easily be inaccurate, outdated, or apply to multiple individuals, especially in a galaxy of countless species and diverse populations. Many Jedi immediately changed their names and appearances after escape, cutting their hair and dressing unassumingly instead of in robes. The comic even shows an announcement from Emperor Palpatine stating that bounties have been placed on “any traitorous Jedi who yet survive.” This public declaration, while meant to encourage compliance and incentive, could easily backfire.
This strategy also relied on the cooperation and goodwill of the general populace, which was something the Empire couldn’t guarantee, especially after such a drastic political shift. While the Empire offered to “pay most generously for useful information,” this was a double-edged sword. Such an incentive could inspire greed, but also resentment and fear. Citizens could purposefully shield individuals who fit the Jedi descriptions, either out of sympathy or a deep-seated distrust of the new Empire. Jedi sympathizers, or even just people who disliked the Empire, could actively work against the effort, giving false information or simply ignoring the edict. Ultimately, it was for those reasons that the Hidden Path was created; a way for those sympathetic to the Jedi to aid in their safe escape.
However, this could also be seen as turning on one’s own community for a reward. The Jedi’s reputation as peacekeepers, especially among those who remember the Republic, might have provided them with a layer of protection from citizens unwilling to betray them. In essence, the Empire’s initial strategy was a chaotic and decentralized effort that depended on unreliable data and the fickle nature of a war-weary citizens. The lack of a centralized, specialized force made this method highly ineffective and explains why the Jedi, though scattered, were not completely eradicated.
The Inquisitorius Was Born Out of a Need for a More Effective Jedi-Hunting Force
The glaring inadequacies of the Empire’s initial Jedi-hunting method make the rapid establishment of the Inquisitorius not only logical, but also a strategic necessity. The Inquisitorius was a specialized unit of Force-sensitive agents, often former Jedi themselves, who were trained to hunt and eliminate the remaining Jedi and other Force-users. This elite group, directly overseen directly by Darth Vader, was a much more effective tool than simply handing out lists to local magistrates. Unlike the previous approach, the Inquisitorius didn’t rely on the civilian population for information, and their Force-sensitive nature allowed them to track their prey in ways a regular clone trooper or citizen never could.
The Inquisitors’ abilities were a crucial part of their success. The Inquisitorius was designed to exploit the very thing the Jedi were trying to hide: their connection to the Force. The Jedi survivor in Legacy of Vader #7 – Grandea – shows exactly how the connection to the Force could betray someone, revealing that she could sense Kylo Ren’s identity because it was “right there in the front of [his] mind.” While Grandea did not use her ability to probe into Kylo’s mind for evil, it is a prime example of the kind of psychological and Force-based tracking the Inquisitorius would later perfect. They could sense a Jedi’s presence, their fear, or even their attempts to hide from the Force. This was a direct counter to the Jedi’s own methods of survival, which often involved suppressing their connection to the Force and living in anonymity.
The Inquisitorius also provided the Empire with a centralized, dedicated force that was loyal to the new regime and driven by a personal vendetta against the Jedi. The Jedi Purge was a personal affair for Palpatine and Vader, and their hunters needed to be more than just soldiers following orders; they needed to be instruments of their will. The Inquisitorius were a self-contained unit that didn’t need to rely on a civilian bounty system. They operated in the shadows, using fear, intimidation, the Force, and revenge to get what they wanted. Their effectiveness stemmed from their unique abilities and singular focus, making them the ultimate solution to the Empire’s initial, and clearly ineffective, approach to hunting down the last remnants of the Jedi Order.
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