Star Wars: How Old Is Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones?

Silver-haired Star Wars baddie Count Dooku is still a force to be with reckoned with in 2002’s Episode II: Attack of the Clones. But just how old is Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones?

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Count Dooku’s Age in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Explained

Count Dooku is 80 in Star Wars – Episode II: Attack of the Clones. We’re never told this in the film itself; with rare exception, Star Wars creator (and Attack of the Clones co-writer/director) George Lucas avoided referencing characters’ exact ages on screen. As such, finding out how old Dooku is involves a trip to the Jedi Archives – or the next best thing, at least: the wider Star Wars canon.

Here, it’s established that Dooku was born in 102 BBY, which equates to 102 years before Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope. The official Star Wars timeline is also clear on Attack of the Clones‘ setting: 22 BBY – or 22 years before A New Hope. Subtract 22 from 102 and you’re left with 80, which is Dooku’s age in the second Star Wars prequel.

Related: Star Wars: How Old Is Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace?

That’s very close to Count Dooku actor Christopher Lee’s actual age during filming. Lee was 78 during principal photography on Attack of the Clones, which ran from June to September 2000. This posed a problem for Lucas, who envisioned Dooku performing energetic lightsaber choreography and acrobatics. His solution? Have someone other than Lee do most of it!

30-year-old stunt performer Kyle Rowling handled the bulk of Dooku’s duels with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Master Yoda in Attack of the Clones. Rowling wore a white wig and beard while shooting this material, however, effects house ILM ultimately replaced his head with a CGI recreation of Lee’s. For what’s worth, Lee still performed a small amount of Dooku’s swordplay, primarily during close-up shots.

How Old Is Count Dooku in Other Star Wars Media?

That’s Count Dooku’s age in Attack of the Clones covered – but what about the aristocratic Sith Lord’s other big and small screen exploits? Here’s how old Dooku is in all of his canonical Star Wars film and TV appearances released to date:

• Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Episode 2 – Between 34 and 44
• Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Episode 3 – Between 52 and 60
• Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Episode 4 – 70
• Star Wars – Episode II: Attack of the Clones – 80
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars Seasons 1-6 – 80-83
• Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith – 83

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What’s with the age ranges for the first two listings? This reflects the current ambiguity around when Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Episode 2, “Choices,” and Episode 3, “Justice” are set, and by extension, how old Dooku is when they take place. The estimates we’ve supplied are the best we can do, based on the available lore. By contrast, Tales of the Jedi Episode 4, “The Sith Lord,” explicitly overlaps with Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace, making it much easier to calculate Dooku’s exact age.

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones is currently streaming on Disney+, as part of the platform’s Star Wars collection.