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| Count Dooku | |
|---|---|
| Star Wars character | |
.png) Christopher Lee as Count Dooku | |
| First appearance | Attack of the Clones (2002) |
| Created by | George Lucas |
| Portrayed by | Christopher Lee[a] |
| Voiced by | |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Lord Tyranus |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Count ofSerenno |
| Occupation |
|
| Affiliation |
|
| Family |
|
| Nationality | Serennian |
| Masters |
|
| Apprentices |
|
| Homeworld | Serenno |
Count Dooku, also known asLord Tyranus, is a fictional character in theStar Wars franchise. He was introduced in theprequel film trilogy, first appearing inAttack of the Clones (2002) and then returning inRevenge of the Sith (2005). He is portrayed byChristopher Lee in both films, and is voiced byCorey Burton in most of the video games and animated productions in which he appears.[1][2] The animated productions include the seriesClone Wars (2003–2005),The Clone Wars (2008–2014; 2020), andTales of the Jedi (2022). Lee voices Dooku in the 2008animated filmThe Clone Wars. Dooku also appears in novels and comics.
Dooku is theCount of Serenno, his home planet. He is also a formerJedi Master who was trained byYoda. He becomes disillusioned with theGalactic Senate and the Jedi Order due to the former's corruption and the latter's complicity, and eventually turns to the dark side ofthe Force. He becomes an apprentice of theSith LordDarth Sidious, and plays a pivotal role in his master's rise to power. Dooku leads the Confederacy of Independent Systems throughout theClone Wars, all the while engineering the creation of the Republic'sclone army. Although he hopes to eventually overthrow Sidious, Dooku is ultimately betrayed by his master, who arranges his death at the hands ofAnakin Skywalker.
Count Dooku was introduced inAttack of the Clones (2002) as a former Jedi Master who had left the Jedi due to him having lost faith in the Jedi Order and theGalactic Republic the Jedi served. He became the leader of theConfederacy of Independent Systems, a confederation of planetary systems rebelling against the Republic.[3] Dooku believes that the Republic is corrupt and gives excessive taxation, that its politicians are more interested in maintaining the bureaucracy and enriching themselves than in properly representing their people, as well as believing that they're more focusing in the Republic-centric Core Worlds and neglecting the others.
Dooku recruits thebounty hunterJango Fett to assassinate SenatorPadmé Amidala onCoruscant, but the attempt is foiled by her Jedi protectors.[4] Dooku captures the Jedi KnightObi-Wan Kenobi onGeonosis, and tells him that thousands of senators are under the influence of a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious. Dooku asserts that he is attempting to save the Republic, and tries to convince Obi-Wan to join him. When Padmé and Anakin Skywalker arrive on Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan, Dooku captures them as well and sentences all three to death.
A Jedi strike team eventually arrives to rescue the trio, and are soon joined by the Republic's new clone army, resulting in a large-scale battle between the Republic and Separatist forces. Dooku tries to flee, but Obi-Wan and Anakin follow him and engage him in alightsaber duel. Dooku subdues Anakin withForce lightning, wounds Obi-Wan, then cuts off Anakin's arm. Dooku's former masterYoda then arrives and the two duel. Unable to match Yoda's prowess, Dooku distracts him by using the Force to dislodge a large pillar and send it falling toward Anakin and Obi-Wan. While Yoda is saving the two injured Jedi, Dooku escapes the planet. He brings the designs for theDeath Star to his master Darth Sidious, informing him that the war has begun and that their plan is working.
Revenge of the Sith (2005) takes place three years afterAttack of the Clones.[5] Dooku and the Separatist commanderGeneral Grievous have kidnappedSupreme Chancellor Palpatine—Sidious's alter ego—as part of a plan orchestrated by Palpatine to lure Anakin to thedark side ofthe Force. Unknown to Dooku, Sidious desired Anakin to replace him as his Sith apprentice due to how powerful he was, and as such, intended for Anakin to kill Dooku in order to lure him to the dark side. Anakin and Obi-Wan board Grievous's ship and confront Dooku, who knocks Obi-Wan unconscious. Anakin then overpowers Dooku and severs both of his hands. Palpatine then betrays his apprentice by ordering Anakin to kill him, much to the horror of Dooku. Despite Anakin's reluctance as killing an unarmed prisoner is not Jedi way, Palpatine's urging leads to Anakin killing and decapitating the helpless Count.
In a deleted scene, Dooku claims that he arranged forTusken Raiders to kidnap and kill Anakin's mother, as seen inAttack of the Clones.[6][better source needed]
In the 2008 animated filmThe Clone Wars, take place after the events of "Attack of the Clones", Dooku plots to bringJabba the Hutt into the folds of the Confederacy. He orchestrates the kidnapping of Jabba's son Rotta by Jabba's uncleZiro. When Jabba requests Jedi assistance to rescue his son, Dooku plans to frame the Jedi for the kidnapping. Dooku duels Anakin for the first time since their encounter inAttack of the Clones. The duel ends in a draw, and Anakin and his apprenticeAhsoka Tano eventually foil Dooku's plan.
In the 2008 animated seriesStar Wars: The Clone Wars, set betweenAttack of the Clones andRevenge of the Sith, Dooku is the political leader of the Separatists, and the main antagonist. In addition to sending Grievous and Ventress on missions to antagonize the Republic, he works with theterrorist group Death Watch to give the Republic a reason to send a military presence toMandalore, which would play in his favor. The plan falls through when DuchessSatine Kryze of Mandalore urges the Galactic Senate to hold off a military force.
In the third season, Dooku is forced to eliminate his apprentice Ventress to prove his loyalty to Darth Sidious. Ventress survives, however, and works withMother Talzin to kill Dooku by giving himSavage Opress as a replacement apprentice. During a confrontation between Dooku and Ventress, Savage turns on both. In the fourth season, Dooku defeats Anakin in three separate lightsaber duels, and gets his revenge on Ventress by having General Grievous order the systematicgenocide of the Nightsisters. In the fifth season, Dooku plays minor roles via hologram in guiding King Rash of Onderon and Grievous taking over Florrum.
In the sixth season, Dooku finds out the clone trooper Tup executedOrder 66 prematurely due to a malfunction in his inhibitor chip, which he and Sidious had instilled in the Clones from the start in order to compel the Clone Troopers to turn against the Jedi at the right time. Not wanting the Jedi to discover his and Sidious's plans, he works behind the scenes to stop the Republic's investigation. He then manipulates the Banking Clan and its representative Rush Clovis into putting all their resources in the hands of the Sith, bringing war to the planet Scipio. Later, the Jedi find a lightsaber belonging to deceased Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas—whom Dooku betrayed and murdered years earlier—and start an investigation. Sidious forces Dooku to clean up their trail. Dooku confronts Anakin and Obi-Wan on Oba Diah, revealing his alter-ego Darth Tyranus to the Jedi, and they realize that it was he who created the clone army. Some further investigation by Yoda prompts Dooku and Sidious to perform a Sith ritual in an unsuccessful attempt to break the Jedi Master; in a vision experienced by Yoda, Dooku fights Anakin, who swiftly defeats and executes him, in a manner very similar to his eventual demise.
Count Dooku does not directly appear in the seventh season. However, as the events ofRevenge of the Sith are concurrent with the season's final arc, Ahsoka Tano is informed of his demise at Anakin's hands by Obi-Wan, who tells her that it is important to captureMaul, being the only way the Jedi can discover the true identity of Darth Sidious after Dooku's death.
A younger Count Dooku serves as one of thetwo protagonists of animated miniseriesTales of the Jedi, voiced once again by Corey Burton. He is the focus of the second, third, and fourth episodes, which depict his life as a Jedi, his increasing dissatisfaction with the corruption in the Jedi Order and the Senate, and his eventual fall to the Dark Side. The miniseries also focuses on Dooku's friendship with his padawan Qui-Gon Jinn, with original actorLiam Neeson returning to voice the character in the episode set concurrently toThe Phantom Menace.
An unfinished sixth season arc ofThe Clone Wars was adapted into the 2015 novelDark Disciple byChristie Golden. In the story, Dooku commands a genocidal attack on the planet Mahranee, leading the Jedi Council to send MasterQuinlan Vos on a mission to assassinate Dooku. Vos partners with Dooku's former apprentice Asajj Ventress for the mission. The two confront Dooku on the planet Raxus Secundus, where Dooku was being awarded at a ceremony, but are no match for the Sith Lord, who captures Vos and forces Ventress to flee. Dooku takes Vos to Serenno, where he tortures him, eventually turning him to the dark side. Sometime later, the Jedi Council liberates Vos with the assistance of Ventress. However, upon deducing that he has turned to the dark side, the Council sends him to face Dooku again as a test of loyalty, with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker tailing him. Vos defeats Dooku, but spares his life and instead demands Dooku to lead him to Darth Sidious. Obi-Wan and Anakin arrest them both. Vos and Dooku escape aboard Ventress's ship, killing two Jedi and many clone troopers in the process. They are shot down and crash-land onChristophsis, where they seek refuge in a Separatist tower, which is soon under attack by Jedi and Republic forces. Dooku attempts to kill Vos with Force lightning, but Ventress sacrifices her life and saves Vos. After killing Ventress, Dooku escapes the planet.[7]
In the audiobookDooku: Jedi Lost byCavan Scott, Dooku meets his sister Jenza, brother Ramil, and father Count Gora, when he visits his homeworld of Serenno as a Jedi Initiate. Dooku begins corresponding with Jenza, keeping their communications a secret for years. The audiobook also details several adventures Dooku has with his best friend, Sifo-Dyas, and Dyas's Jedi Master, Lene Kostana. During one mission, Dooku sees visions of many different futures through the Force, which shake him to the core. Eventually, Dooku becomes a Jedi Knight, trains two Padawans (one being Qui-Gon) to knighthood, and joins the Jedi Council, hoping to bring about real change in the Republic. However, after he saves his homeworld of Serenno from invaders, he decides to remain to help his planet rebuild, leaving the Jedi Order and becoming Count Dooku of Serenno.[8]
InThrawn: Alliances, Dooku is mentioned by Duke Solha andPadmé Amidala while they fight at Mokivj. Solha establishes that the Count had dispatched him and his siblings to Mokivj to produce cortosis B2 super battle droids for the Clone Wars.[9]
The novelMaster & Apprentice byClaudia Gray recounts several adventures from Qui-Gon Jinn's apprenticeship under Dooku, as well as Dooku's obsession with Jedi prophecies and seeming use of Force lightning during a mission. The novel also reveals that Dooku had one other apprentice before Qui-Gon, Rael Averross.[10]
Following the acquisition ofLucasfilm byThe Walt Disney Company in 2012, most of the licensedStar Wars novels and comics produced between 1977 and 2014 were rebranded asStar Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise. TheLegends works comprise a separate narrative universe.[i]
In theStar Wars: Republic series, set during the Clone Wars, Dooku trains multiple Dark Jedi apprentices, most of whom he uses as minions. His apprentices include Ventress, Tol Skorr and renegade Jedi Quinlan Vos. Vos initially intended to infiltrate the Separatists as a spy for the Jedi Council but instead nearly falls to the dark side.
InJude Watson'sLegacy of the Jedi, Dooku appears in Parts 1, 2, and 4, and is mentioned in Part 3. In Part 1, he is first tempted by the dark side of the Force as a child when his best friend and fellow Padawan Lorian Nod steals an ancient SithHolocron from the Jedi Archives. When Nod is caught, Nod lies and says that the theft was Dooku's idea. However, Dooku manages to convince the Jedi Council of the truth, and Nod is then expelled from the Jedi Order. It is later implied that Dooku himself steals the Holocron because he is intrigued by the Sith's open embrace of power. In Part 2, set 13 years later, he is a Jedi Knight, and takes Qui-Gon Jinn as his Padawan apprentice. He encounters Nod while defending a Senator from space pirates, and defeats him in combat, almost executing him. However, Qui-Gon convinces him to spare Nod's life, and he and Dooku turn Nod over to the authorities. In Part 3, set 32 years later, Qui-Gon, now a Jedi Knight, remarks that he has not seen Dooku in years, noting that their relationship was never friendly. Finally in Part 4, set in the midst of the Clone Wars, Dooku, now a Sith, kills Nod after his former friend refuses to join the Separatists.
InSean Stewart'sYoda: Dark Rendezvous, Dooku attempts to trap Yoda by offering to negotiate an end to the Clone Wars. Dooku attempts unsuccessfully to sway Yoda to his cause, while Yoda nearly convinces Dooku to return to the Jedi Order. When Anakin and Obi-Wan appear unexpectedly, Dooku believes that Yoda was trying to set him up to be captured, and renounces his former master once and for all. In the novel, it is also revealed that Dooku always resented his parents for "giving him away" to the Jedi Order.
InJames Luceno'sLabyrinth of Evil, Dooku engineers Grievous's transformation into acyborg and trains him inlightsaber combat. He then schemes with Sidious toinvade Coruscant in what he believes to be a plot to kill Obi-Wan and initiate Anakin into the Sith.
Matthew Stover'snovelization ofRevenge of the Sith expands upon Dooku's character; it portrays him as an evil man who sees others as mere objects to be used and discarded, and who despises the galaxy's non-human species and plans to exterminate and enslave them once in power. It also explains that Dooku believes that Palpatine's staged kidnapping is part of a plan to kill Obi-Wan and turn Anakin to the dark side. In this scenario, once the Republic becomes theGalactic Empire, Dooku and Palpatine will rule the galaxy together, while Anakin will command a "Sith Army" formed from the remains of the Jedi. The novelization depicts Dooku's death scene from his point of view after realizing that Sidious has betrayed and used him. In his final moments, he realizes that Palpatine used him as a means to engineer the war and as a placeholder for Anakin, whom he intended to be his apprentice all along. He ultimately realizes that everything he has done has been all for nothing, before being ruthlessly executed by Skywalker.[15]
During the 2003 animated micro-seriesStar Wars: Clone Wars, Count Dooku leads the Separatists from behind the scenes, taking the dark assassin Asajj Ventress as his apprentice while training General Grievous inlightsaber combat. In the final episode, he plays a part in Grievous's attack on Coruscant and kidnapping Palpatine, setting the stage forRevenge of the Sith.
A number of toys based on Count Dooku have been produced, including theLego setLego Star Wars: Duel on Geonosis which recreates the duel between Yoda and Dooku portrayed inAttack of the Clones,[16] and aHasbro Count Dooku lightsaber.[17]
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