Captain Rex played an instrumental role in Star Wars: The Clone WarsBut his story does not end there. Clone troopers like Rex were initially intended to be the perfect expendable soldiers, growing at accelerated rates and devoting their short lives to defending the Republic against the Separatists. Most of their Jedi generals, however, quickly came to regard the clones as valuable members of their unit. Because of this, the clones became important characters in Star Wars. As a recurring character working closely with Anakin and Obi-Wan, Rex was instrumental in establishing the importance of the clones as characters.
Rex served as captain of the 501st Legion, with Anakin Skywalker as his general. Captain Rex was devoted to his military service but grew to respect the rule-bending tendencies of his general. Despite his introduction as a background character in Star Wars: The Clone WarsHe quickly became an important aspect of the showNot to mention a fan favorite. After the end of the Clone Wars, he goes on to achieve many impressive feats.
Captain Rex survived Order 66 with Ahsoka Tano’s help
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In Order 66, Palpatine uses the clone troopers to eliminate the Jedi and other evidence of Chancellor Palpatine’s treachery. Thanks to an inhibitor chip implanted in the clones’ brains, they have no awareness or agency when they turn on their Jedi counterparts, catching them by surprise. Captain Rex had the opportunity to speak briefly with the clone trooper Fives about the chip when Fives’ chip prematurely activated. Ahsoka also had hope about the plan and was able to free her captain from the mind-controlled chip.
Rex was able to resist the chip on his own for a few moments
Rex seemed to be able to resist the chip on his own for a few moments, perhaps as a result of his prior knowledge of Fives’ experience and also the close personal relationship he shared with Ahsoka. Using her head start, Ahsoka restrained Rex and enlisted the help of medical droids to remove the chip altogether. Together, they escape the other clone troopers who cannot ignore their impulses. Rex was branded a traitor and forced to abandon his clone brothers.
Rex is going to help lead a clone resistance (and potential rebellion)
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After the smoke cleared, the clones that survived Order 66 were trapped in the Imperial Army. Rex used his freedom to join other similarly liberated clones and establish a resistance movement called the Clone Underground. The purpose of the Clone Underground was to create a way out for clones who remained loyal to their original purpose as protectors of the Republic. Under the Empire and without the Jedi to work alongside them, the clone troopers are reduced to the nominal, expendable soldiers they were created to be.
With the help of an extensive network, clone informants, and even an Imperial senator who helped their cause, Rex and his clone underground helped free many clones from the early days of Imperial control. Clone Force 99, a group of genetically defective clones who largely escaped the consequences of the inhibitor chips, are integral to the success of the resistance. Since they had been largely separated from the Clone Army, their network of allies and safe houses played a huge part in the Kline Underground’s ability to save as many of their clone brothers as it did.
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The Clone Underground worked alongside the fledgling Rebel Alliance, and its work to free clone troopers from Imperial rule helped provide the Rebels with talented soldiers later. While the clones themselves may not have launched their own full-on rebellion, the ability to leave the Empire sparked a new sense of hope for many clones who had given up on their true purpose.
Captain Rex joined the rebellion after years of seclusion
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After escaping from Order 66, Rex and Ahsoka face their deaths and flee. Although they part ways, they reconnect many years later while fighting for the Rebellion. After establishing the short-lived clone underground, Captain Rex continued to work for the protection of his clone brothers with fellow clones Wolfe and Gregor. The Empire is not accommodating to former clone troopers, and their options are limited. The trio finally settled down in a modified AT-TE on the remote planet Ceelos for years before the Rebel Alliance came knocking.
After many failed attempts to contact Rex, Ahsoka sent the crew of the Ghost To find him and bring him into the Rebel Alliance. Rex became an important aspect of Star Wars Rebels Much like he was in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. His wisdom and battle experience were invaluable to the team he worked with, and his presence on the show was a wonderful way to connect the timelines. With so much change in the characters that survive the fall of the Republic, such as Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader, Rex is a welcome and consistent character.
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Reuniting with Ahsoka in Star Wars RebelsRex took up his old role as a soldier. After so many disastrous developments in the galaxy, it is touching to see old friends reunited. Although Ahsoka is no longer a child and Rex’s accelerated aging has made him seem like an older man than he should be, time and tragedy cannot change their relationship. They picked up just as they had left.
The fate of Rex after the Galactic Civil War is still unknown
There is more of his story to tell!
Despite the part he plays in the Clone Wars and the subsequent rebellion, Rex fades out of the spotlight in Star Wars. Just like Ahsoka, this leaves the door open for opportunities to incorporate him into future projects. Rex was meant to make the Clone Wars, to give depth and realism to a period of Star Wars History that has yet to be explored. He became much more than that, bonding with Jedi such as Anakin Skywalker and humanizing the clones. Such an important character deserves a great ending, but Rex’s story has yet to find a conclusion.
Although fan theories speculate that Rex may appear in Return of the Jedi As the senior member of Han Solo’s raiding party under the name “Nick Sant,” it has yet to be confirmed or denied in any real capacity (although it has been confirmed that Rex was on Endor). The good news is that the door is wide open to one day filling in the blank spaces of Captain Rex’s story. Captain Rex May have been created to be expendable, but it has proven to be much more than that Star Wars.