Summary

• Anakin Skywalker was exempt from Order 66, suggesting that Palpatine saw his potential for darkness early on.
• Palpatine likely programmed the clone troopers to spare Anakin's life before the Clone Wars began.
• Palpatine wanted to protect Anakin from Order 66 because he believed he was the Chosen One.

One shocking detail in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith proves that Palpatine had plans for Anakin Skywalker for a very long time. Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith depict the extent of Palpatine’s manipulation. He trusted Anakin with covert missions when the Jedi Council did not, encouraged Anakin’s feelings of frustration, and persuaded Anakin that he could save his wife’s life by aligning himself with the dark side. Though it may seem as though Palpatine didn’t begin to truly see Anakin’s potential until well after his power as a Jedi began to grow, there may be more to it.

Palpatine’s the clone army on Kamino and Count Dooku’s involvement all began before Anakin Skywalker was brought to Coruscant in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, as was further confirmed by Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi season 1. Though the clone army was initially created at the behest of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, who had intended the inhibitor chips as safeguards against external manipulation, the Sith took control of the project instead, and the rest is history. One Order 66 detail, however, may prove that Palpatine saw Anakin’s potential for darkness long before anyone else did.

Order 66 Specifically Exempted Anakin Skywalker From The Start

In all the trauma and chaos of Revenge of the Sith’s violent climax, one detail is easily missed: Anakin Skywalker was clearly exempt from Order 66. The clones never turned on him and never showed any inclination to do so, despite being a Jedi who fought alongside them for so long throughout the Clone Wars. Instead, they followed his orders, accompanying him to the Jedi Temple where he would commit his most gruesome act yet. All other Jedi became targets, however, and even other Force s such as Ahsoka Tano (technically no longer a Jedi) and Darth Maul (Palpatine’s former apprentice) were affected by Order 66, too.

When Did Palpatine Program The Clone Troopers To Keep Anakin Alive?

As such, one question remains: when was this specific exemption included in Order 66’s programming? The most likely scenario is that this happened well before the Clone Wars broke out. It stands to reason that Palpatine ordered the change himself, without Dooku’s knowledge, between the events of The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. This time frame would give Palpatine ample time to sense Anakin’s powerful potential and hear of the rumors that he is the Chosen One, destined to bring balance to the Force, which is why he would want to protect him from Order 66.

At the time, Darth Sidious’ political cover was still well intact – he wouldn’t have needed Dooku’s help to accomplish this goal. No one would have suspected anything. Before Obi-Wan Kenobi’s investigation in Attack of the Clones, the Jedi didn’t even realize Kamino existed, and Palpatine would never have wanted Dooku to realize that he was already grooming another apprentice to replace him, as this would have made him vulnerable to Dooku’s wrath and the Sith Rule of Two. Once the Clone Wars broke out, Palpatine had to be much more secretive, waiting patiently until the time came to enact Order 66 in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.