In the Star Wars saga, the battle between good and evil is constantly evolving and changing in balance. The Jedi Order held power for a long time before falling to Chancellor Palpatine and the Galactic Empire. And so, when it came down to the wire, some very powerful people had to make a choice as to what side of history they'd be standing on.
While some people fought for what they believed in, others decided to take the easy route and fight for whoever they thought would win the ultimate battle between the light and dark side. Someone who made this switch in Star Wars was the Jedi General of the Grand Army of the Republic, Pong Krell.
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An otherwise successful Jedi General, Krell saw the eventual fall of the Jedi Order and decided to act in his own best interests. But first, he had to get past the courageous Clone Troopers of the 501st Legion.
Who Is Pong Krell?
Pong Krell is a Besalisk Jedi from the planet Ojom. With four arms, he wields two double-sided lightsabers, one blue and one green. As a Jedi General for the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars, his strategies are very technical and by-the-book. Although effective, his tactics often show how expendable he views the Clones to be, as their casualty numbers tend to be higher while under his control.
Pong Krell's most prominent appearance in the Clone Wars was during the Battle of Umbara. The planet Umbara was in danger of being taken over by Count Dooku and the Separatist Army. While many of the natives wished not to be under the control of the Separatists, an Umbaran militia formed to fight for Separatist control. The Republic sent Jedi Generals Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Saesee Tiin, and Pong Krell, accompanied by a great Clone army, to free the Umbaran people from the chaos.
Krell soon relieves Anakin of his duties of commanding the 501st Legion Clone Troopers (led by Captain Rex) as per the request of the Jedi Council, so that he may return to Coruscant for other matters. It was immediately evident to the Clones that the way in which Krell acted as General was vastly different from their former General, Anakin Skywalker.
Krell would use the Clones in battle as pawns, allowing enemies to take out entire battalions so that the rest could enact a separate plan. Any time a Clone, particularly Captain Rex, would point out their losses or question Krell's tactics, he would disregard their comments and threaten to relieve them of duty. Krell made it clear that he was not a fan of the Clones, and at one point, he let his disapproval of them get the better of him.
When Does Pong Krell Appear in Star Wars?
Pong Krell Star Wars Appearances | |
|---|---|
Queen's Hope (novel) | Written by E.K. Johnston, published April 5, 2022 |
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (TV series) | Season 4, Episodes 7-10: "Darkness on Umbara," "The General," "Plan of Dissent," "Carnage of Krell" |
While Pong Krell appears in a few canon Star Wars novels, his only onscreen appearance is in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Krell is only mentioned in other Star Wars media, and makes a brief, inconsequential appearance in the 2022 novel Queen's Hope by E.K. Johnston.
In The Clone Wars, however, Krell plays a large role during the Battle of Umbara, which takes place in season 4, episodes 7 through 10. He starts as a stubborn, hard-headed, old-fashioned Jedi, but soon becomes a major antagonist in the Battle of Umbara story arc.
What Happens to Pong Krell?
Captain Rex and a few other Clones of the 501st begin to suspect that Krell's lack of remorse towards the fallen Clones goes beyond his disapproval of artificial life. Their suspicions are confirmed when Krell warns Rex and the 501st that the Umbaran militia have stolen Clone armor, and are charging towards them in disguise as Clones. The 501st go into battle, only to come to the realization — after already killing a number of soldiers on both sides — that the "Umbarans" were actually Clones who received the same warning from Pong Krell.
Rex returns to the base camp, accompanied by his squadron, to arrest Krell for treason. But Krell is too powerful, and fights the Clones, killing many of them before escaping into the Umbaran wilderness. Krell stalks the Clones as they hunt him in the darkness. After he kills a few more, they use a vicious plant to trap him, and manage to handcuff his four wrists before escorting him back to camp.
During Krell's time in charge, the Clone named Dogma had stayed loyal to Krell, and threatened to arrest his fellow Clones. Upon the revelation of Krell's true nature, the Clones have Dogma arrested, as well. Once Krell is brought back to a holding cell (in season 4, episode 10, "Carnage of Krell"), he explains why he decided to turn against the Jedi Order and the Republic:
I am no longer naive enough to be a Jedi. A new power is rising. I've foreseen it. The Jedi are going to lose this war. And the Republic will be ripped apart from the inside. In its place is going to rise a new order. And I will rule as part of it. I serve no one's side, only my own.
Krell goes on to explain how he will receive praise from Count Dooku once he escapes, and Dooku will make him his new apprentice. As the Umbarans move towards the base, the Clones fear they are outnumbered, and once overtaken, the enemy will free Krell and obtain all the confidential information about the Republic that he knows. With no options, Rex decides he must execute the former Jedi General to protect the Republic.
After freeing Dogma from confinement, Rex opens Krell's cell and prepares to execute him, but he is frozen because he doesn't see himself as an executioner. As Krell boasts about how Rex is unable to kill him, he's interrupted by a fatal blast shot to his chest. Only it wasn't Rex who fired the blaster, it was Dogma, who had slyly stolen a blaster from a fellow Clone. In an attempt to redeem his blind loyalty to an undercover enemy, Dogma kills Krell. The Clones go on to win the Battle of Umbara with the help of the Republic and Obi-Wan Kenobi and Saesee Tiin, thus marking the end of Jedi General Pong Krell's story in Star Wars.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
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