Throughout Star Wars, there have been many sad and tragic endings. Just like the Jedi, the Clones have lost many brothers throughout their time in The Clone War and after, and many of these men face tragic and heartbreaking fates.
10. Cutup
Being eaten by a Rishi Eel isn’t a nice way to go, but that’s what happened to poor Cutup. Cutup was part of Domino Squad, consisting of Fives, Echo, Hevy, Droidbait, and Cutup. Unfortunately, Domino Squad’s first posting after graduating and becoming Troopers ended in tragedy as the Separatists took control of their base and killed three troopers. One of which was Droidbait.
After escaping the base of the Rishi moon with Echo, Fives, and Hevy, Cutup was quickly devoured by a giant Rishi Eel. It’s certainly a gruesome and sad way to go, and it was surprising to see Cutup die in this way. Especially considering that Star Wars: The Clone Wars was primarily marketed to children.
9. Hevy
Hevy, another member of Domino Squad, bravely sacrificed himself to save his brothers, Cody and Rex. Just like Cutup, Hevy also died on the Rishi moon. The Clones were executing a plan to alert the Republic that the Separatists had covertly taken control of the Rishi base and had set up explosives to take out the base. However, the detonator wasn’t working. Hevy tried fixing it but to no avail.
Knowing that there was no way out and that the explosives had to go off, Hevy chose to sacrifice himself by manually detonating the explosives. It was a tragic yet heroic ending for Hevy. It was also an emotional one as Domino Squad went from 5 to 2 members in one episode.
8. Hardcase
Hardcase was a clone trooper in Anakin Skywalker’s 501st Legion. Hardcase was an excitable clone who was quick to jump into action and ready to disobey orders if he felt it would benefit a mission’s success. He was first introduced in The Clone Wars season 2 episode “The Deserter” and later reappeared in season 4’s Umbara storyline.
Sadly, Hardcase died during the siege of Umbara. However, he died bravely as he sacrificed himself to destroy a Separatist supply ship and save Fives and Jesse when it looked like the mission would fail. It’s a bittersweet sacrifice as Hardcase smiles in his last moments and says, “Live to fight another day, boys. Live to fight another day.”
7. Tup
Clone trooper Tup was first introduced in the Umbara storyline of The Clone Wars and was another member of Anakin Skywalker’s 501st Legion. After Arc Trooper Echo seemingly died, Tup became Fives’ closest brother. Unfortunately, during a mission near the end of the Clone War, Tup prematurely executed Order 66, turned against the Jedi, and killed Jedi General Tiplar.
Tup was unaware of this and became confused and unstable. He was sent back to Kamino for investigation, with Fives at his side. It was then that Fives discovered Order 66 and secretly removed Tup’s inhibitor chip. Heartbreakingly, after the inhibitor chip is removed, Tup dies in Fives’ arms and leaves his brother distraught as he thought he was saving Tup.
6. Mayday
We meet Mayday in season 2 of Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Mayday’s role in The Bad Batch is instrumental to Crosshair’s story and development. Crosshair might not have truly realized how bad that Empire was without Mayday. Crosshair and Mayday became fast friends, and they later taught Crosshair that the Empire didn’t care for the clones and would never care for them. Crosshair had always believed that the Empire was loyal to him, but when he meets Mayday in the episode “The Outpost,” he soon realizes the truth.
Mayday’s death was tragic, but it had a devastatingly positive undertone to it. When Mayday dies, Crosshair finally sees the Empire for who it really is. He begged the Imperial lieutenant to save Mayday, but he refused. Thus, Crosshair chose to betray the Empire by killing the lieutenant who allowed Mayday to die.
5. 99
99 was a defective clone during the Clone War who was assigned the duty of maintenance on Kamino. Many clones treated him poorly, but that never stopped 99 from caring for his brothers. During the Separatist invasion of Kamino, 99 decided to make a stand and teamed up with Captain Rex and Commander Cody, as well as Fives and Echo.
Despite 99’s mobility limitations, he wanted to prove he could be a soldier. So, he bravely attempted to retrieve explosives for his brothers to use against the droids. Sadly, he didn’t make it and was shot by a droid. 99’s bravery inspired a special squad of clones, and thus, they named themselves Clone Force 99.
4. Jesse
Jesse was seen throughout The Clone Wars, and we saw him rise through the ranks and eventually become an Arc Trooper. At the end of The Clone Wars, Order 66 is activated, and Jesse is one of the many troopers who succumb to the order. His passing is devastating, as Order 66 clouded Jesse’s judgment. While the Resolute was crashing and Ahsoka and Captain Rex attempted to escape, Jesse had only one objective in mind. It wasn’t to escape but to execute both Ahsoka and Rex.
When we discover that he died in the crash, it was quite emotional. The melancholy music plays while Ahsoka looks at the gravesite of all the troopers who died – with Jesse being at the forefront. It will always remain one of the saddest moments in Star Wars. In the end, Order 66 sadly turned Jesse (and so many other Clone Troopers) into an antagonist.
3. Waxer
Waxer was a trooper within Obi-Wan Kenobi’s 212th. He was first seen in The Clone Wars season 1 episode “Innocents of Ryloth.” Although he didn’t have as much screen time as others in this discussion, his death was still very emotional. Waxer died due to friendly fire after General Krell tricked the 212th and 501st into firing at each other.
What makes his death even more devastating is that during the episode, Waxer bonds with a young child. This young child is called Numa, and she later reappears in Star Wars: Rebels, sporting a 212th pauldron to honor Waxer and his brother Boil (who she met alongside Waxer).
2. Fives
Fives was a charismatic and charming character who was an ARC Trooper within Anakin Skywalker’s 501st. We saw him grow from a cadet training on Kamino all the way to becoming an ARC Trooper in the 501st battalion. Having won the hearts of many, his death was a tragic affair. Especially since he was trying to save the Jedi and prevent Order 66
Fives’ death is even more tragic, considering he died believing Echo, a close brother, was dead. Fives’ death was the result of his discovering the inhibitor chips and Order 66. He was so close to revealing the truth, and when he did, no one believed him. Fives was sadly shot by Commander Fox on the orders of Palpatine, and he died in Rex’s arms. It was certainly a devastating moment in The Clone Wars.
1. Tech
Clone Trooper Tech has the most tragic and heartbreaking ending of the Clones. Tech was part of Clone Force 99 and one of the main characters in Star Wars: The Bad Batch. His sacrifice was completely unexpected and caused the community around The Bad Batch to go into a theory frenzy. There were lots of details surrounding Tech’s sacrifice that hinted at his survival. Unfortunately, The Bad Batch ended, and Tech never reappeared.
Tech fell after executing Plan 99 (sacrifice yourself to save your squad) while on a mission to find Crosshair after Clone Force 99 discovered that he betrayed the Empire. Tech’s sacrifice is still tough to process, especially since it seems it was put there for shock value. Regardless, Tech sacrificed himself so that his family could survive, and his sacrifice was a noble yet heartbreaking moment.
