Prior to acting as a general during the Clone Wars, Jedi Master Plo Koon was one of the many Jedi who helped keep the peace in the final years of the Galactic Republic. However, like so many other servants of the Light Side in the Star Wars galaxy, Plo Koon was killed when Chancellor Palpatine declared himself Emperor and commanded the Republic's clone troopers to execute the Jedi under Order 66.
Of course, there's far more to Plo Koon's story than his demise. In addition to participating in some of the biggest battles in the Clone Wars, Plo Koon was close to Ahsoka Tano and played a role in the events that led to her leaving the Jedi Order. With that in mind, here's a breakdown of who Master Koon was and how he met his final destiny.
Who Was Jedi Master Plo Koon?
Plo Koon was a member of the Kel Dors, who were native to the planet Dorin. He was easy to recognize thanks to his specialized breathing mask, which he had to wear over his eyes and nostrils to survive in oxygen-heavy environments. Known for being stoic and ever-calm, Plo Koon spent years carrying out missions of peace for the Jedi Order, including one that led to him meeting a three-year-old Ahsoka Tano and bringing her back to Coruscant with him to train as a Jedi. By the time the Invasion of Naboo took place, he had become a Jedi Master and consulted on the crisis as a member of the Jedi High Council.
After surviving the First Battle of Geonosis, Plo Koon played a key role in several conflicts during the Clone Wars. The animated Clone Wars series highlighted a number of Plo Koon's more noteworthy missions during this time, including his part in the evacuation of the planet Felucia and his investigation of Sifo-Dyas, a long-dead Jedi Master involved in the creation of the Republic's clone army. It also explored the bombing of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, which Ahsoka was framed and expelled from the Jedi Order for, in spite of Plo Koon's doubts about her guilt. Ahsoka was later cleared of all charges but chose to leave the Jedi for good.
How Jedi Master Plo Koon Died
Following the Battle of Coruscant, Plo Koon helped the Republic's forces in their battle with the Separatists on the wealthy colony planet Cato Neimoidia. He was flying his Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor when Palpatine issued Order 66, causing the clone troopers to turn on and kill the Jedi due to the inhibitor chips surgically implanted into their brains during their early development. Plo Koon's fighter was then shot down and destroyed by Jag, a clone trooper pilot who was serving as the Jedi Master's wingman at the time. This death was shown in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
The Jedi Master's fate was all the more ironic, considering Plo Koon was regarded by many as one of the most skilled pilots in the Jedi Order. In the end, though, that couldn't save him after being betrayed by his own soldiers, making him just one of the many victims of the Galactic Empire's Great Jedi Purge.