Summary
- The creation of the Republic's Clone Army by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas was a key component of Star Wars lore established in Attack of the Clones.
- Sifo-Dyas was originally intended to be a false identity for Darth Sidious, but a typo in the script led to the creation of a new character.
- Sifo-Dyas was influenced by Emperor Palpatine to order the Clone Army, as Palpatine needed them to exterminate the Jedi and take over the galaxy.
Almost every film in the Star Wars saga underwent heavy changes between the first draft of its script and its final theatrical cut -- and sometimes, the changes continued even beyond that. Plot points were revised, subplots were cut, names were changed, and characters were added or removed. When George Lucas began work on Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, much of the film's story had been predetermined. It had to establish the beginnings of the Clone Wars, Anakin and Padmé's romance, and plant the seeds for the emergence of the Empire in Episode III. However, not everything was set in stone from the film's first draft.
One of the key components of Star Wars lore established in Attack of the Clones was the creation of the Republic's Clone Army. While the development of the Clones was manipulated by Darth Sidious and his apprentice, Count Dooku, the film revealed that the Clones were originally ordered by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. Little was revealed of Sifo-Dyas in the Star Wars prequels; plans to expand on his history in Episode III were abandoned by George Lucas to keep that film's focus on Anakin Skywalker. His story would eventually be told in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Sifo-Dyas would go on to become one of the most intriguing members of the Jedi Order. But he almost never existed.
Updated on October 11th, 2023 by Jordan Iacobucci: Star Wars is continuing to flesh out its supporting cast of characters in television series like Ahsoka, The Bad Batch, and Tales of the Jedi. While certain characters like Sifo-Dyas seem to have reached the end of their time in the spotlight, there is no telling when the franchise may elect to revisit some of its lesser-known personalities.
Sifo-Dyas Was Originally Darth Sidious
Thanks to the events of Attack of the Clones, Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas is best known to Star Wars fans as the Jedi who originally placed the order for the Clone Army, a force that would serve the Republic and give its name to the Clone Wars. While he has become a character of great mystery and intrigue in Star Wars canon, Sifo-Dyas was originally nothing more than another character's false identity. In an early draft of the script for Attack of the Clones, the name of the Jedi Master who ordered the Clone Army was given as "Sido-Dyas." This was intended to be a less-than-subtle pseudonym for Darth Sidious.
In this early version of the script, rather than remarking that this mysterious Jedi Master had been killed around the time the order for the Clones was placed, Obi-Wan Kenobi contacted the Jedi Council to ask if they knew Sido-Dyas. Neither he nor they were ever aware of any Jedi by that name. Ultimately though, Sido-Dyas was dropped from the script due to a typo. At one point in that early draft of Attack of the Clones, the name was mistakenly spelled "Sifo-Dyas." George Lucas supposedly preferred the sound of this misspelling. Rather than simply changing the Sith Lord's false identity to Sifo-Dyas, Lucas rewrote the script to reference an entirely separate character -- Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas.
Who Is Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas in Star Wars Lore?
While he was never seen on screen, Sifo-Dyas gained notoriety from his mysterious role in Attack of the Clones. The Star Wars film sees Obi-Wan Kenobi travel to the planet Kamino to follow a lead on a bounty hunter who has been hired to assassinate Senator Padmé Amidala. Upon arriving, Obi-Wan is surprised to learn the cloners who operate on Kamino have been expecting him; in fact, they've been waiting ten years for a Jedi to turn up and inspect their Clone Army. Obi-Wan is clearly confused and comes to learn that the order for a Clone Army was placed by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, who was killed ten years ago.
In the Clone Wars Season 6 episode "The Lost One," it is revealed that Sifo-Dyas was killed by the Pyke crime syndicate on the orders of Count Dooku. This revelation finally alerts the Jedi Council to the fact that the Clone Army, ordered by Sifo-Dyas, has been engineered by Darth Sidious and Count Dooku. The episode also reveals that Sifo-Dyas had the power of foresight and ordered the Clone Army when he foresaw the coming conflict. His insistence that the Republic raise an army was deemed too extreme a view by the Jedi Council, leading to Sifo-Dyas' expulsion from their ranks.
Did Palpatine Influence Sifo-Dyas?
Although Sifo-Dyas was the one who ordered the creation of the Clone Army long before the events of The Phantom Menace, it remains highly likely that he was influenced by none other than Sheev Palpatine himself. The creation of the clones was essential to Palpatine's plot, becoming his chief tool in exterminating the Jedi and taking over the galaxy. As such, it seems unlikely that Palpatine would simply leave the creation of his very own personal army up to change. It is far more likely that he used the Force to exert his will over Sifo-Dyas, masterfully manipulating the Jedi Master to locate the Kaminoans and hire them to create the clones.
Sifo-Dyas commissioned the clone army because he had been troubled by visions of a coming war and felt that the Jedi and the Republic would be unprepared when the fighting began. He worried that the Jedi alone were no match for the Sith and therefore needed the help of their own fighting force. Although Sifo-Dyas had always been known for his foresight, it is possible--even likely--that his visions were actually influenced by Palpatine himself. It is implied that Palpatine used a similar tactic against Anakin in Revenge of the Sith, sending him visions that caused him to fear for his wife's life. Similarly, Palpatine very likely plagued Sifo-Dyas with visions of the Clone Wars as a way of pushing the Jedi to commission the clone army that he needed to fulfill the next stage of his diabolical plan.
Sifo-Dyas may have come into existence thanks to a clerical error, but he has since become one of the most intriguing--and least explored--characters in the Star Wars universe. His story has yet to be fully told, including how he inadvertently caused the destruction of his very own order thanks to the meddling of the villainous Darth Sidious.