Star Wars: The Clone Wars brought the most perilous conflict in the galaxy to life in the midst of the prequel Star Wars trilogy. The animated series showcased many battles and violent conflicts that shaped what would become the Galactic Empire. Another side of the series showed the politics behind these battle scenes. During the Clone Wars, there were contentious debates about many political issues surrounding the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance, which were sometimes shown in the series.
An interesting dynamic that develops is that the Core Worlds are mostly human planets while the Rim planets are mostly alien planets, though this is not absolute. With all the corruption and selfishness infecting the Senate, the political backbone of the Republic failed to end the Clone Wars. From these two factions, senators eventually divided themselves into three subgroups as the war continued to drag on, and the divisiveness between them was all part of Chancellor Palpatine’s manipulation of the Senate to accumulate more power for himself.
This list examines the three sub-factions that emerged from the Clone Wars. One was for peace, one for war, and one for the Rim planets that found themselves on different sides of the war. Some Senators from the Rim planets found themselves in multiple factions. All these factions fought against each other during the war and had different fates once the Republic was dissolved and the Empire was established.
4 The Pacifist Faction
Anti-War and Pro-Democracy
The pacifists were a group of senators who sought to end the war through diplomatic means. They became pretty unpopular in the Senate by seeking to end the war through peaceful means rather than military victories, and were thus often accused of being traitors to the Republic. They pushed back on a multitude of issues pushed by the Senate and Chancellor Palpatine. At the end of the war, in deleted scenes from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, senators of this faction began proceedings known as the Delegation of 2000. This is considered the birth of the Rebellion.
Ironically, during the Clone Wars, this faction of senators attempted to be peacekeepers and diplomats. Yet, after the fall of the Republic, they became the opposition to the Empire and started a Galactic Civil War to achieve peace throughout the galaxy. These senators have proven to be some of the most vital characters in the Star Wars franchise.
Padmé Amidala (Naboo)
During the Clone Wars, Padmé Amidala was the leading figure among these senators. She often tried to use her voice and actions to find peaceful solutions to the war and tried to ensure drastic measures were not taken that could hurt the Republic. She fought back against the deregulation of the banks to get more funding for the war and stopped the increased production of clones that would have likely bankrupted the Republic. Padmé also sought to end the war diplomatically through her friend Mina Bonteri, a Separatist delegate.
This plan falls apart, as Bonteri is assassinated on Count Dooku’s order after she petitions for a peace treaty with the Republic.
Riyo Chuchi (Pantora)
Riyo Chuchi is a senator who excels at putting an end to conflicts. She negotiated a peace treaty between her homeworld of Pantora and the natives of Orto Plutonia. Her words helped put an end to the disastrous campaign led by Chairman Cho and helped her gain prominence in the Galactic Senate. Later, she helped force an end to a Trade Federation blockade of her homeworld. After the formation of the Empire, Chuchi fought on behalf of the clones while Palpatine and Admiral Rampart pushed through the Senate the creation of the stormtrooper program.
Onaconda Farr (Rodia)
Onaconda Farr was a senator from the Outer Rim planet of Rodia. Known affectionately as “Uncle Ono” by Padmé, Farr was deceived by the Trade Federation into joining the Separatist Alliance in exchange for food and supplies. After reneging on that offer, Farr became a man of peace who sought to bring an end to the war, including helping Padmé fight against the deregulation of the banks. He faced a lot of opposition, as he was one of the few Senators from a Rim planet who sought to end the Clone Wars peacefully.
Bail Organa (Alderaan)
Bail Organa was perhaps the strongest and most influential voice in this faction. He was vehemently against the conflict and also sought a peaceful means to end it. More than that, he often tried to help those affected by the conflict by ensuring supplies got through to systems under Separatist occupation, including Christophsis and Ryloth. Bail Organa was a true senator and arguably the most important figure during the Dark Times, as he went on to finance and run the Galactic Rebellion alongside Mon Mothma.
Mon Mothma (Chandrila)
Mon Mothma is a senator who rose to prominence throughout the Clone Wars and was a close associate of Padmé and Bail. Her most prominent move during the Clone Wars was organizing the Delegation of 2000, seeking to force Chancellor Palpatine to give up his emergency powers. This move by Mothma planted the seeds of what would become the Rebellion. She would become the undisputed leader of the Rebellion, and in Star Wars Rebels, she gave a speech from the Ghost encouraging all rebel cells to unite and fight against the Empire.
What Happened to These Senators?
Senators in this faction met some sad endings. Padmé died after being choked by Darth Vader and giving birth to her two children. She would have been a prominent member of the Rebellion if she were to have lived through the Clone Wars. Onaconda Farr was poisoned by one of his aides for failing to protect their planet from the Separatists. Bail Organa died on Alderaan when the Death Star destroyed it. Mon Mothma became Chancellor of the New Republic after the Civil War and served for many years. Riyo Chuchi’s fate after Star Wars: The Bad Batch is unknown.
3 The Militant Faction
Supporters of the War
This faction of senators supported the use of strong military action against the Separatist Alliance. They believed the only way to win the war was through military victories. To ensure this, they encouraged more military spending and often pushed legislation to continue the fighting. They were easy to convince when it came to granting more emergency powers to Chancellor Palpatine. It was more often than not that militarist senators were in conflict with the Separatist Alliance on their home planets, or feared being in that position.
Orn Free Taa (Ryloth)
Orn Free Taa was a Twi’lek senator from Ryloth. He was deeply corrupt, as he used his official position to amass huge wealth for himself, making him unpopular on Ryloth. He was often at odds with freedom fighter Cham Syndulla during and after the Clone Wars. He was a major supporter of Palpatine, as well as a close advisor. Back during the Naboo Crisis, he voted to oust former Chancellor Valorum. During a vote on producing more clones, Taa voiced his opinion in agreement with another Senator that they should not wait for Senator Organa’s speech.
Mee Deechi (Umbara)
Senator Mee Deechi of Umbara was an extremely pro-military senator during the Clone Wars. He believed that senators from the Pacifist Faction were unpatriotic towards the Republic for their anti-war views, often calling them out as traitors during sessions of Congress. This put him at odds with these senators. This was most prevalent during the debates surrounding the expansion of clone production. He and another Kaminoan senator sought to get more clones made for the war effort after the deregulation of the banks.
Halle Burtoni (Kamino)
Senator Halle Burtoni of Kamino was a prominent senator because of her homeworld’s production of clones. After the Clone Wars began, she gained a seat in the Galactic Republic. She used her seat to ensure that funds kept coming in. Naturally, with her planet’s economy relying on clone production, she would always oppose any measure of peace brought forward and partnered with Senator Deechi to try and increase production for the war.
What Happened to These Senators?
Later on, senators Deechi and Burtoni were suspects in the murder of Onacanda Farr. Deechi was murdered himself by the same aide that killed Farr. His murder drove the planet of Umbara to withdraw from the Republic, leading to the Battle of Umbara. After being cleared of Farr’s murder, Senator Burtoni was later ousted from office and testified with Senator Chuchi about Kamino’s destruction and misappropriated funds. After the fall of the Republic, Taa became a puppet of the Empire and tried suppressing Syndulla’s movement to free Ryloth from Imperial rule.
The militarist faction of the Senates was usually easily swayed to protect their interests rather than those of the Republic. They sought to ensure that the war would never end on peaceful terms and were vital in the transition of the Republic to the Empire. They were more than willing to give emergency powers to the Chancellor and were willing to accept Imperial rule. After the transition, they united to create a new military to fight against insurgent activity across the galaxy.
2 The Rim Faction
Undecided Senators
These senators were the shiftiest in the Galactic Republic. They had mixed feelings about the war; some were for it, and some were against it. However, many senators were friendly with, and even aligned with, the Separatists. Some even plotted a terrorist attack to prolong the war in service to themselves and their Separatist allies.
Lott Dod (Neimoidia)
Lott Dod was the slimy representative of the Trade Federation who always avoided legal repercussions for treasonous activities. He did this by claiming neutrality in all conflicts despite that being a lie. He often invested in activities with the Seperatist Alliance to prolong the war. An example of this was when he invested in the new droid foundry on Geonosis, which was destroyed during the Second Battle of Geonosis. Padmé caught onto this and stole those plans, but not before Dod poisoned her, which nearly killed her.
Nix Card (Scipio)
Dod’s closest ally in the Senate was Nix Card, who represented the Intergalactic banking clan during the Clone War. He, along with the militarist faction, helped pass legislation to deregulate the banks. This allowed the Banking Clan to raise interest rates on future loans they would give the Republic.
Nix Card:
Perhaps some unexpected bloodshed on Coruscant, uh, may change a few minds.Lott Dod:
Coruscant? Coruscant has not been attacked in over 1,000 years.Card:
Then it has a false sense of security. There are some powerful clients on the other side who could help us, uh, shall we say, make the point?
What Happened to These Senators?
Together, Dod, Card, and others helped conspire with Count Dooku and General Grievous to commit a terrorist attack on Coruscant that ensured a negotiated peace would never happen between the Republic and the Separatists. Dod eventually died during the Clone Wars, and the Trade Federation lost most of its power with him. Card gave away control of the banks to Chancellor Palpatine after the events on Scipio. These senators and others in the Rim Faction were puppets of Palpatine and wanted to gain wealth and power through the war.
1 The Infighting In The Senate Allowed Palpatine To Accumulate Power
Leading to the creation of the Empire
With Palpatine pulling all the strings throughout the Clone Wars, it is interesting how these three Senate factions played into his hands. The Pacifists were excellent at showing that Palpatine was still a man of peace. Having been an advisor to Padmé, he could play on her desire for peace while staying neutral as a Chancellor. Unfortunately for him, by the war’s end, he had accumulated so many emergency powers that it forced their hand. They bid him to step down, which was the final straw for both sides. The Empire was formed, and the Pacifists became rebels.
The Militarist and Rim Factions helped Palpatine accumulate so much power in the Senate. The militarists prolonged the war by any means they could, while Palpatine’s alter ego, Sidious, pulled the strings of his puppets in the Trade Federation and the Banking Clan. Both these factions were willing to give the Chancellor more power until they had nothing more to give. The manipulation of these three factions drove the Republic into ruin as the Galactic Senate became its own battlefield in The Clone Wars.
