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Warning: The following paragraph(s) contain(s) information which ONLY appears in a Star Wars Tales #1–#20 story that has not been referenced elsewhere; therefore, its level of canonicity is ambiguous.
Although Jango Fett spent much of his time training the Alpha-class Advanced Recon Commandos of the Kamino clone army,[35] he was kept on call by the Count for the occasional mission. Shortly before the clone army reached maturity, Dooku sent Fett to kill a group of Kuati rebels that were harassing his allies. The bounty hunter brought his son Boba Fett along, gave him a thermal detonator, and used him as a distraction by sending him into the camp. While Boba was questioned, Jango killed the entire rebel encampment on Dooku's orders. This mission was the beginning of Boba Fett's training as a warrior.[36]
Tales #1–#20 information ends here.
Dooku's next move was to try to arrange the secession of the planet Ansion. Ansion was the hub of a network of minor alliances, including the Malarian Alliance and the Keitumite Mutual Military Treaty. Due to these pacts, Ansion's secession would prompt many other wavering worlds to consider leaving the Republic. Commerce Guild President Shu Mai and Ansion Senator Mousul orchestrated Dooku's plan through various agents, backing the Separatist-inclined Unity of Community government against Ansion's Alwari nomads. The plan failed due to the intervention of Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luminara Unduli as well as their Padawans Anakin Skywalker and Barriss Offee. In response, Dooku shrugged off the loss and informed Shu Mai that Ansion was not necessary in the grand scheme of the Separatist movement.[37]
Shu Mai had also dealt with a small rebellion among the secret supporters of secession in the Commerce Guild. Industrialist Tam Uliss wished to step up the Commerce Guild's plans to bring down the Republic despite Ansion's failure to secede and against Shu Mai's wishes. Shu Mai informed Dooku that she had given Uliss's faction an object lesson by killing Uliss in a staged accident. Dooku was pleased, telling Shu Mai that his own plans were nearing completion.[37]
A conspiracy revealed
"As I explained to you earlier, I am quite convinced that ten-thousand more star-systems will rally to our cause, with your support, gentlemen."
―Dooku, to the Separatist Council[src]
Some of Dooku's allies were more reluctant than others. Nute Gunray insisted on the death of Padm Amidala, the Senator and former Queen of Naboo who had led to Gunray's defeat in the ill-fated invasion of Naboo, as a prerequisite for the secession of the Trade Federation.[18] Dooku sent Jango Fett to kill the Senator, but Fett decided to subcontract the task to Zam Wesell. The Jedi thwarted Wesell's assassination attempt, and Fett was forced to kill Wesell and leave without killing Amidala. Obi-Wan Kenobi then traced the weapon Fett used back to the planet Kamino. He discovered Fett there, as well as the clone army that Sifo-Dyas had once ordered. The army was now fully grown and ready for delivery to the Republic.[21]
Fett escaped arrest on Kamino and fled to Geonosis, where a meeting between Dooku, the heads of many major business and economic interests, and selected senators was taking place. Many of these had long been allies of Dooku, such as Commerce Guild head Shu Mai and Archduke Poggle the Lesser. This meeting resulted in the formation of a new Confederacy of Independent Systems to oppose the Republic. Of the major factions present, the Corporate Alliance, Geonosian Industries, the Techno Union, the InterGalactic Banking Clan, and the Trade Federation became signatories to the treaty to form the Confederacy, while the Commerce Guild pledged unofficial support to the fledgling government. Kenobi, still pursuing Fett, discovered this meeting and attempted to inform the Jedi Council. However, Kenobi was captured by the Geonosians midway through his transmission. He was accused of espionage and thrown into a prison cell.[21]
Deciding to interrogate Kenobi personally, Dooku visited the cell where the Jedi was held. The Geonosians had placed Kenobi in a containment field to immobilize him and disrupt his access to the Force. The captive Kenobi immediately accused the Count of treason, but Dooku claimed the Jedi's capture had been a mistake. While questioning the prisoner, Dooku sifted through Kenobi's memories, looking for weak points in his defenses.[38] The Sith Lord then attempted to sway Kenobi to his side, claiming the Republic was incurably corrupt and that Qui-Gon Jinn himself would have joined Dooku if he knew the truth. When Kenobi refused to believe that his former Master would have ever abandoned the Jedi Order and the Republic, Dooku told him that Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord, had control over the Senate. He made one last appeal for Kenobi to defect, saying that together the two of them could destroy the Sith. Kenobi refused the offer. Disappointed, Dooku left the Jedi in his cell and mentioned that it would be difficult to secure his release.[21]
Battle of Geonosis
Main article: Battle of Geonosis
Arena bloodbath
"Master Windu. How pleasant of you to join us."
"This party's over."
"Brave, but foolish, my old Jedi friend. You're impossibly outnumbered."
―Dooku and Mace Windu[src]
Count Dooku enters the Petranaki arena.Obi-Wan Kenobi's transmission to Coruscant had reached Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padm Amidala on Tatooine, and the two of them attempted to rescue Kenobi despite orders from the Jedi Council to stay put. Both were captured trying to infiltrate the Geonosian stronghold where Kenobi was being held. Dooku offered clemency in return for Amidala supporting the Separatists, but she refused. The two would-be rescuers were both sentenced to death in the arena by the Geonosians following a quick trial.[21]
Kenobi had also been sentenced to death in the same manner, and the three of them met again in the Petranaki arena. They were chained to poles, and an acklay, a reek and a nexu were released to devour them. Dooku, Gunray, Fett, and others observed from a high balcony, while Geonosian spectators packed the stands. However, the execution did not go precisely as planned, and the three escaped their chains. Gunray was furious that the three prisoners weren't dying as planned and ordered Fett to shoot them, but Dooku advised patience and countermanded the order.[21]
The three prisoners were still dodging the arena monsters when the executions were interrupted by the sudden arrival of Jedi reinforcements. Anakin Skywalker had retransmitted Kenobi's message to the Jedi Council, and they had dispatched a strike team led by Mace Windu, who surprised Dooku on the balcony, but spoke with him briefly instead of ambushing him. Fett then drove the Jedi Master off the balcony and onto the arena floor.[21]
The clones attack
Count Dooku attempts to flee the Battle of Geonosis."?The Jedi must not find our designs for the Ultimate Weapon. If they find out what we are planning to build, we're doomed!?"
"I will take the designs with me to Coruscant. They will be much safer there…with my Master."
―Poggle the Lesser and Dooku[src]
Dooku had been anticipating the arrival of the Jedi reinforcements and revealed that the captured Jedi were simply bait for a trap. Ten thousand battle droids awaited Windu's task force, as well as numerous Geonosian warriors. The new Separatist Droid Army of the Confederacy overwhelmed the reinforcements, and many Jedi died while Dooku observed from the balcony.[21]
The Count did not join the battle personally, though Jedi Master Coleman Trebor reached the balcony and attempted to attack him. Fett killed Trebor, but was slain himself by Mace Windu when he descended to the arena floor. After the Jedi had taken significant losses and were trapped in the arena, Dooku ordered the droids to cease fire. He then called on Windu to surrender, but he refused.[21]
The remaining Jedi prepared to meet their fate, but their rescue was at hand. Dropships descended from the sky, carrying Yoda and many clone troopers. The Jedi Order had taken command of the clone army Dooku had helped create, just as the Sith had planned. The droids opened fire again, but the reinforcements provided enough cover for the arena survivors to escape onto the dropships.[21]
Similar landings took place outside the arena, where Trade Federation core ships had been parked. A clone invasion swept across Geonosis, and the Separatist forces were forced into full retreat. The leadership of the new Confederacy regrouped in the Geonosian command center, and agreed to abandon Geonosis. Dooku pretended not to know how the Republic had gathered such a powerful army in so short a time, while Poggle the Lesser commanded his warriors to hide in the catacombs under the Stalgasin hive. Poggle also entrusted the plans of the Geonosians' Ultimate Weapon to Dooku to keep the Jedi from discovering them.[21]
Jedi confrontation
"As you see, my Jedi powers are far beyond yours. Now, back down."
"I don't think so."
―Dooku and Obi-Wan Kenobi[src]
Dooku himself fled to his secret hangar on a speeder with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in close pursuit. They arrived as Dooku was preparing his solar sailer for launch and confronted him. Kenobi instructed Skywalker to be cautious in his approach, but Skywalker charged at Dooku. The young Jedi Padawan was unprepared for Dooku's resulting blast of Force lightning that hit him and telekinetically threw him against the wall of the hangar. Skywalker collapsed to the floor, temporarily incapacitated, leaving Kenobi alone to face Dooku.[21]
Dooku battles Anakin Skywalker.Kenobi successfully deflected another blast of lightning from Dooku with his lightsaber, but as the duel went on, it became clear he was outmatched in blade-to-blade combat. Toying with his opponent, Dooku slashed Kenobi in the arm, and then the thigh. Incapacitated, Kenobi dropped his blade and fell to the floor. Dooku raised his lightsaber blade for the killing stroke, but before it fell, Skywalker, recovering from his previous injuries, hurtled across the room and parried the blow.[21]
Kenobi was too injured to rejoin the fight, but he Force-pulled his lightsaber into grasp and tossed it to Skywalker, who then attacked Dooku with both blades swinging. While Dooku was initially driven back, he adjusted his tactics, forcing Skywalker to retreat and destroying one of his two blades. The duel continued, intensifying, until Dooku found an opening in Skywalker's defense and sliced off his forearm. Victorious against both his opponents, Dooku prepared to flee, knowing other Republic forces would arrive.[21]
Before he could escape, however, one last Jedi confronted him: Yoda. Dooku attempted to defeat his old Master with a combination of Force lightning and hurling machinery and parts of the hangar roof at him. When that failed, Dooku insisted on settling their contest with a lightsaber duel. Leaping into action, the two engaged in a fierce duel. Yoda, using his mastery of the Force, showed great agility as he leaped about the room, but neither was able to gain the upper hand.[21]
Dooku meets with Darth Sidious on Coruscant.However, time was on Yoda's side. Forced to act due to incoming Republic and Jedi reinforcements, Dooku used the Force to topple a massive power column towards the wounded Kenobi and Skywalker in an effort to distract Yoda. As the Jedi Master broke off the duel to save the two Jedi, Dooku made his escape in his Geonosian solar sailer. Seconds later, clone troopers led by Padm Amidala arrived in the hangar.[21]
Having fled the battle, Dooku set his course for Coruscant, landing undetected on the Republic capital with his solar sailer. In The Works he met with his Master and informed him that events were moving forward and the long-planned war had begun. Darth Sidious was pleased with what his apprentice had accomplished.[21]
Clone Wars (22 BBY–19 BBY)
Early conflicts
Duel on Bakura
Dooku incapacitating Sora Bulq on Bakura."Anger is useful—unless it is used against you."
―Dooku, to Sora Bulq[src]
Immediately after reporting to Sidious in the wake of the Battle of Geonosis and the beginning of the Clone Wars, Dooku headed to his secret base on Bakura to regroup the scattered Separatist forces. However, Jedi Master Tholme anticipated Dooku's journey to Bakura, and lay in wait with Vaapad master Sora Bulq. The pair hoped to capture the Sith Lord, and confronted Dooku while he was still fatigued from the events on Geonosis.[39]
The three combatants engaged in a ferocious lightsaber duel, during which Dooku used Force lightning to take down Bulq. He then tried to bring Tholme over to the dark side, but Tholme refused. Dooku attacked Tholme, viciously stabbing through his shoulder and back before removing the Jedi's left eye. Finally, Dooku brought the roof down upon Tholme, leaving him under a vast pile of rubble. He then left with the unconscious body of Sora Bulq.[39]
Dooku tended to Bulq's wounds and converted him to the dark side of the Force through persuasion. Sora Bulq would become a loyal ally to Dooku and a valuable asset for the Confederacy during the war. The Count dispatched Bulq to rescue the injured Tholme from the rubble, so that Bulq would be able to work within the Jedi Temple on Dooku's behalf without suspicion.[39]
Artifacts and war machines
"Dooku! I'm going to make you pay for what you've done!"
"Ah, young Skywalker. I sensed your presence near. You will be the first to test my new gift for the Republic. I'm curious what effect it will have on a Jedi."
―Anakin Skywalker and Dooku[src]
As the Clone Wars continued, Dooku became more and more feared across the galaxy due to his role as the head of the Separatist forces. One of the first campaigns in the war involved the re-creation of the Dark Reaper, an ancient Sith weapon. The power source of the Dark Reaper, known as the Force Harvester, was buried on Raxus Prime. While Dooku was supervising this excavation, he placed a live bounty on Jango Fett's son Boba Fett, who had slipped away during the Battle of Geonosis. The bounty hunter and former Jedi Aurra Sing captured Fett and brought him to Dooku on Raxus Prime. Dooku housed the young Fett while he determined how much the boy knew about the Count's Sith identity, and initially indicated that he would take responsibility for his upbringing.[40]
Fett ignored the rules Dooku had set for his stay and investigated the excavation. Irritated at this and by Fett's clumsy threat to reveal his dual identities, Dooku ordered the young bounty hunter to be terminated. However, due to an imminent Jedi attack, he left the task to his new bodyguard, Cydon Prax. As a result, Fett escaped Dooku's enforcers and fled.[41]
Dooku and Cydon Prax found the ancient Force Harvester just as forces led by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker arrived and attacked the Separatists with a clone army. Dooku and Prax boarded a cruiser loaded with the Force Harvester as the Republic forces overwhelmed the Separatists, but Skywalker spotted Dooku and charged after him. He confronted Dooku in the cargo bay of the cruiser. Unconcerned, Dooku mentioned he was curious what effect the Force Harvester would have on a Jedi. The two briefly dueled before Prax shot Skywalker with a tranquilizer dart.[5]
Dooku imprisoned Skywalker and took him to Alaris Prime, one of Kashyyyk's moons. He had decided to test the Force Harvester there, but his plan was foiled when Skywalker escaped and freed the Wookiees, rallying a resistance force. In the confusion, Dooku fled, taking the Force Harvester with him. He used the Harvester to drain the life-force from inhabitants of Aargonar, Bakura and Mon Calamari before retreating to Thule to prepare the rest of the Dark Reaper for use.[5]
His plan for the Dark Reaper was finally thwarted when the Jedi attacked Thule. Dooku unleashed the Dark Reaper on the Republic's forces, but Skywalker broke through the Separatist lines to reach it, killing Cydon Prax. Having learned from a hologram of the ancient Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma how to resist the effects of the Sith weapon, Skywalker destroyed the Dark Reaper and the Force Harvester that fueled it. With the Dark Reaper gone, Dooku fled the field.[5] This series of victories was a coup for Republic propagandists, who claimed the Confederacy was on the run. Dooku attempted to refute this assertion in a public statement, claiming Raxus Prime and other worlds were only temporary bases and the most important Separatist planets remained secure and well-guarded.[42]
Another weapon the Confederacy acquired was a new type of war machine, the Decimator. These Decimators were stolen from the Republic due to their potential to swing the war against the Separatists. The machines were captured by Dooku's most trusted general, Sev'rance Tann, on the planet Eredenn Prime. Tann was a Chiss Force-user and a skilled tactician who had served Dooku since before the Battle of Geonosis.[43]
Before Dooku acquired the Dark Reaper, Tann assaulted the Wookiee-inhabited moon of Alaris Prime to capture the activation codes for the Decimators. After that success, Dooku ordered her to invade and capture the Republic energy world of Sarapin with her army. While Tann succeeded in capturing the world, she did not hold it for long. The Republic struck back, retaking Sarapin and later defeating and killing Tann at the Battle of Krant.[43] The Decimators were destroyed in the process, removing the advantage the Separatists had gained from their possession.[44]
A new ally
"The dark side is strong in me, for I am Sith."
"A bold claim, but you are not Sith. You wear the trappings of the Sith, you fight like the Sith, but this can be imitated, however. You lack a vital quality found in all Sith. Sith have no fear, and I sense much fear in you."
―Asajj Ventress and Dooku[src]
Dooku duels Asajj Ventress, who would soon become his Dark Acolyte.Two months after the Battle of Geonosis, Dooku traveled to The Cauldron, a gladiatorial arena on Rattatak. He was hoping to find a new servant to carry out his wishes. Upon his arrival, he was greeted by his host and taken to watch the contest. He soon sensed a disturbance in the Force as Asajj Ventress, a Rattataki warlord, silently assassinated his guide, seeking to impress him. Dooku praised her skills, but told her he wasn't looking for a spy.[45]
Ventress then jumped down into the arena, slaughtering the other gladiators under Dooku's watchful gaze. When she had finished, Dooku applauded her, telling her she was more powerful than he had sensed. Ventress claimed in turn to be a Sith,[45] but Dooku laughed at her before leaping into the arena and denying her claim. Ventress angrily attacked Dooku, but before she could reach him he incapacitated her with Force lightning.[8]
Dooku brought the unconscious Ventress to a room on Rattatak and waited for her to wake up. When she did, he attacked her as she was exploring her surroundings and they engaged in a vicious lightsaber duel across the room, taunting her as they fought. Ventress was skilled, and proved to be a challenge, even for a Sith Lord. However, Dooku brought her down, disarming her of her two lightsabers and then sundering the weapons.[8] Ventress admitted defeat, but instead of killing his opponent, Dooku introduced her to his Master, Darth Sidious, who was impressed by her skill with a lightsaber. Sidious then set Dooku's new servant on a mission to find and kill Anakin Skywalker.[8] Ventress was eager to kill a Jedi, and Dooku gave her a pair of lightsabers that had once belonged to his fallen apprentice, Komari Vosa.[1]
Dooku was confident that she would quickly dispatch Skywalker; Sidious said that it did not matter either way, as she was only an instrument of their plans.[8] Asajj Ventress would encounter Skywalker many times throughout the Clone Wars, though she never did succeed in killing him. She also served Dooku as a commander and acolyte.[46]
Rallying the Confederacy
"Dooku is not the only threat you will face. He has many dangerous servants, as well!"
―Tholme, to Quinlan Vos[src]
During the first few months of the Clone Wars, Dooku spent much of his time inciting systems to rebel and preparing strategies against the Republic. However, mindful of the ultimate goals of the Sith, he also sabotaged some of their potential victories. The Battle of Kamino was designed by Dooku and Sidious to prolong the Clone Wars and scupper any advantage that the Separatists initially had. Commander Merai, a Mon Calamari idealist and one of the Confederacy's best tacticians, planned an assault on the planet Kamino to wipe out the cloning facilities. Jedi Knight Aayla Secura discovered this planned attack, and relayed the information to the Republic. Dooku's agent Tookarti informed the count of these events, but Dooku told him that they did not matter.[47]
The battle went just as the Sith Lords had planned. The Republic fleet ambushed the Confederacy's ships and destroyed many of them. Furthermore, Merai was killed and his fleet routed. Despite the losses the CIS sustained, this was a victory for the plans of the Sith. While Dooku regretted the loss of Merai, Sidious was pleased with how their strategy had effectively ruined all hopes of an early end to the conflict. The critical Kamino cloning facilities had been saved, maintaining the balance of power between Confederacy and Republic forces.[48]
Prevented by Darth Bane's Rule of Two from taking his own Sith apprentice,[1] Dooku instead built a cadre of Dark Acolytes. Along with Asajj Ventress, Sev'rance Tann and Sora Bulq, Dooku enlisted former Jedi Tol Skorr and Kadrian Sey,[49] as well as other Force-users such as Trenox and Saato.[50] He honed their skills but taught them few, if any, of the Sith secrets.[10]
On the galactic scale of the war, Dooku's charisma swayed many to the Confederate cause—whole star systems pledged themselves to the Separatist cause on the former Jedi's words alone. In addition to his Force adepts, Dooku recruited warriors like the Gen'Dai mercenary Durge to augment the Confederacy's already potent arsenal.[51] Even the Jedi Order was not initially united against the Separatists, as a few Jedi even joined Dooku's forces, while others had refused to join their comrades in the war. One Jedi allied with Dooku, Sora Bulq, exploited the Republic's ignorance over his true allegiance and attempted to convince more Jedi to ally with the Separatists at a meeting at his family estate on the moon of Ruul.[52]
This plot to divide the Jedi failed due to the intervention of Mace Windu, who unmasked Bulq as a traitor. Sian Jeisel, one of the wavering Jedi Bulq had invited to Ruul,[52] even agreed to lead clones in the war. She and two other Jedi, Masters Kai Justiss and Tsui Choi, were on a Republic troopship that was captured by Dooku's forces. The Jedi expected to be killed, but Dooku unexpectedly ordered their release, claiming that all Jedi were his brothers and sisters. Bulq questioned him about this approach in private, and Dooku said that the purpose was to sow dissension among the Jedi, and that even mercy had its uses.[49]
Three months after the death of Sev'rance Tann, his favored general, Dooku had yet to replace her as the leader of his armies. To choose a successor, he pitted Commanders Ventress, Durge, and General Grievous against each other on the Trenchant Space Station. Grievous was more than a match for his two opponents, even though they worked together against him. Dooku rewarded the cyborg with command of the Confederacy's armies, while Ventress and Durge were left to recuperate in a bacta tank.[53]
Grievous proved a worthy choice as Supreme Commander. He was revealed to the Jedi on Hypori to devastating effect, outmaneuvering five Jedi at once. His emergence as the commander of the Confederacy's droid armies changed the course of the war from then on, and he slew many Jedi personally.[54]
The conflict spreads
"In league with the wicked Count Dooku, more and more planets slip…"
―Yoda[src]
Count Dooku allying with the Quarren Isolation League.As the war progressed, Dooku sent Durge to Muunilinst to aid San Hill in repelling an imminent Republic assault[55] and pushed the Quarren Isolation League to war on Mon Calamari.[56] He also dispatched droids to Ilum in order to strike a devastating blow at the heart of the Jedi Order[57] and advised Shogar Tok, who was fighting Republic forces on Brentaal IV.[58]
Five months after the Battle of Geonosis, Dooku watched the testing of a new superweapon, the Planet Killer, a device capable of destroying a planet, to see whether it would prove more useful to the Sith than the planned Ultimate Weapon. Due to the intervention of Mace Windu, the weapon was disabled before it went off, and Dooku had its creator removed.[59]
Dooku also took part in missions to recruit more planets to the side of the Separatists. At a meeting on Null he tried to recruit the leaders of several strategic worlds, including Junction V, into the Confederacy's fold. His old enemy Lorian Nod, somewhat reformed, was now running Junction 5 and pretended to be his ally. Nod had once again betrayed Dooku, though, and was working with Yoda and the Jedi to thwart the Count's plan.[6]
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker arrived on Null to investigate and found that Dooku had hired an assassin to kill Samish Kash, another of the leaders there. At the meeting itself, the leaders collectively decided to stay with the Republic. Displeased, Dooku unleashed battle droids on the dignitaries, but they were all saved by Skywalker and Kenobi, who collapsed part of the room the meeting was taking place in with the Force, crushing the droids. Thwarted, Dooku left the scene, but Nod pursued him and attempted to sabotage his speeder. Nod was unsuccessful, and Dooku slew him personally before departing Null.[6]
Corruption and chaos
Jedi treason
"I've known the truth about you from the start, Quinlan Vos."
―Dooku[src]
Another Jedi, Quinlan Vos, had originally been dispatched by the Jedi Council to infiltrate Dooku's inner circle. This was a risky gamble by the Jedi, as Vos was dangerously close to the dark side, and Dooku knew this, hoping to use it to his advantage.[49] Vos, on his mission to get closer to the Count, dealt with Dooku's agent Tookarti, offering Republic holocomm codes. Tookarti then framed Vos as the one who had betrayed the Republic at the Battle of Brentaal IV. Only a few of the Jedi knew of Vos's undercover mission, so Agen Kolar was sent to hunt the supposed renegade Jedi down. Vos escaped Kolar and continued on his mission.[60]
Dooku with Quinlan Vos.After gaining admittance to the Count's headquarters by fighting his personal guard of Tol Skorr and Kadrian Sey, Vos was accepted as an acolyte. His skills were tested by Dooku and Sora Bulq and found satisfactory, so Dooku asked Vos to accompany him on a mission to Tibrin, the planet of the Ishi Tibs. There, Dooku and his minions met with the leader of Tibrin, Suribran Tu, a notorious dictator hated by the populace. Suribran Tu offered to defect to Dooku and rule Tibrin for the Confederacy.[49]
Dooku asked Vos and Sey what he should do with the Ishi Tib ruler. Sey argued that they should accept Suribran's offer, while Vos said that since he was willing to betray the Republic he could not be trusted and allowing his oppressive government to remain would only prove that the Confederacy was no better than the Republic. Dooku accepted Vos's argument and beheaded the Ishi Tib ruler. The population of Tibrin then hailed Dooku as a liberator.[49]
Vos soon had another mission: to kill Senator Zurros, a Falleen who had earned Dooku's disfavor. Instead of killing the senator, Vos intimidated him into submission. Zurros promised not to betray Dooku again, and Vos took his topknot and a recording of him begging for forgiveness back to the Separatist headquarters.[49]
The Count and his minions were otherwise occupied when Vos arrived. Jedi Master Shylar had been captured trying to infiltrate Dooku's headquarters, and he was interrogating her with the assistance of Sey and Skorr. Shylar was a childhood friend of Vos's who had once held romantic feelings for him, and she condemned him as a traitor, but Vos did nothing to save her, mindful of his cover. Dooku accepted Vos's creative interpretation of the orders he had been given about Zurros. He then returned to the torture of Shylar, who died believing Vos had betrayed the Jedi.[49]
The next mission Dooku invited Vos on was to Vos's own homeworld of Kiffu. The Count had been negotiating with Sheyf Tint Vos, Quinlan's great-aunt, in order to establish a Separatist base on Kiffu's twin planet of Kiffex. Tint refused to accept Dooku's monetary offer for basing rights, and Dooku ordered her killed. While the Sheyf's guards were slaughtered, Vos rescued his great-aunt and led her to safety, killing Kadrian Sey in the process.[49]
Dooku pursued Vos and caught up with him and Tint Vos. His cover blown, Vos attempted to defend his great-aunt, but was quickly defeated by the Sith Lord. Dooku urged him to read the woman with his Kiffar psychometry. Vos did so and learned that his great-aunt had sacrificed his parents to the Anzati to seize power. Overcome by rage, Vos cut down his great-aunt and became submerged in the dark side of the Force.[49]
From then on, Vos became Dooku's assassin, murdering enemies like Senator Viento and his former Twi'lek ally Kh'aris Fenn. As a reward Dooku gave Vos the power crystal of Darth Andeddu's lightsaber.[61]
Sith knowledge
Dooku with Darth Andeddu's holocron."A dark Jedi is nothing compared to the power of the Sith."
―Dooku[src]
As the years passed, Dooku immersed himself fully within the persona of Darth Tyranus, Dark Lord of the Sith. He sought out and collected ancient Sith artifacts, particularly holocrons. In a daring raid on Coruscant, he even breached the Jedi Temple itself. While cortosis battle droids distracted the Jedi Council in the depths of Coruscant,[50] Dooku stole the Sith holocron he had studied as a young man from the Jedi Archives.[44] In addition, he sent his minions Quinlan Vos and Tol Skorr to retrieve the long-lost holocron of Darth Andeddu from the Sith graveyard world of Korriban.[61] Dooku also gave a Sith holocron to fallen Anzat Jedi Nikkos Tyris, one of the founders of the Jensaarai sect.[44]
The Jedi suspected their former comrade was indeed a true Sith, but could not discern the identity of the elusive second Dark Lord. Vos thought Sora Bulq was the one they sought, but this was due to a deliberate deception on Dooku's part. While some of Dooku's acolytes, like Asajj Ventress, were aware of the existence of Darth Sidious, many were not.[62]
Other schemes
"The war progresses well. I have dealt out your deaths, your schemes, your betrayals. I have paid for your war with my riches, my time, my friends, and my honor."
―Dooku, to Darth Sidious[src]
Warning: The following paragraph(s) contain(s) information which ONLY appears in a Star Wars Tales #1–#20 story that has not been referenced elsewhere; therefore, its level of canonicity is ambiguous.
During the Clone Wars, Dooku posted a bounty on Jedi that members of a mining colony attempted to collect. They killed a Jedi named Lunis, but his Padawan Obs Kaj escaped. Dooku shot down the fleeing Padawan and only paid the miners the bounty for the one Jedi they had killed.[63]
Tales #1–#20 information ends here.
While Dooku spent much of his time shepherding the Separatist Council and running the war, he occasionally completed missions for Sidious personally. On one such mission he slipped under the eye of Jedi Ki-Adi-Mundi and Aayla Secura to complete a vital task on the planet Hitaka. The two Jedi had been diverted on a supposedly important mission by Palpatine. The mission they were given was meaningless, however, and served only to distract them from his apprentice's work.[64]
Dooku continued to assist local Separatist leaders, sending droids to aid Alto Stratus in his struggle on Jabiim.[65] Dooku also found it sometimes necessary to take action to protect Sidious's identity, such as when he arranged the death of Jedi General Ronhar Kim at the Battle of Merson.[66]
Balance of power
The war continues
"Though we have had setbacks on vital worlds, we shall avenge the defeats on Muunilinst and Metalorn, and strike back with renewed spirit. Our droid armies, under unfaltering command by the most proven of Generals, are indefatigable. Our flesh-and blood soldiers have iron wills bolstered by the knowledge that they fight for the truth."
―Dooku[src]
Count Dooku and aide in a Separatist propaganda broadcast.As the war continued, Dooku and Grievous planned to destroy an invading Republic army on Viidaav as well as the Separatist-allied inhabitants of the planet by rendering the surface uninhabitable. Droids planted charges on the planet and prepared them for detonation. However, the Republic forces and the Viidaav colonists discovered the plot and fought through the droids to stop the detonation sequence. The detonation charges did not go off, and the planet was saved.[67] In general, Dooku kept a careful watch on Grievous, sending his servant Vulpus to observe the general when he decided to do cyborg experiments on Jedi Padawans.[68]
Despite taking no direct action in the Separatist invasion of the critical communications hub of Praesitlyn, Dooku and Ventress advised Admiral Pors Tonith. Tonith was tasked with capturing the planet and denying its use to the Republic. Opposing him were Jedi Generals Anakin Skywalker and Nejaa Halcyon. Skywalker in particular was being watched closely by Dooku and Sidious, who wished to test his power and bring him closer to the dark side. Once again manipulating the battles of the Clone Wars to suit the Sith schemes, Dooku delayed reinforcements to the Separatists until the last moment, resulting in a defeat for Pors Tonith's forces and a victory for the Republic.[69]
Meeting on Vjun
"I have gone too far down the dark path ever to return."
―Dooku[src]
There were those who thought Dooku might possibly be saved, among them Grand Master Yoda. However, Yoda did not act until Dooku sent a peculiar message to the Jedi Temple. He had spared the life of captured Jedi Jai Maruk and sent him to Yoda with a gift. This gift, a small shell, was significant to both of them, as it recalled a conversation they had had when Dooku was a Padawan. After meditating and receiving insight from the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn, Yoda decided to meet with Dooku on the planet Vjun.[10]
Dooku had stressed the need for secrecy to Yoda, but Yoda informed the Jedi Council and Chancellor Palpatine of the vague outline of his plans. Sidious then confronted Dooku over the meeting, but Dooku maintained he meant only to kill Yoda. To meet with Dooku, Yoda slipped out of the Temple in secret and was replaced by a double. This double's ship was ambushed and destroyed by Ventress. As the galaxy reeled at the apparent death of Yoda, the real Yoda's location was betrayed by the droid Solis, who was traveling with him.[10]
Ventress then tracked Yoda down and attacked the escorts he was traveling with. While she slew two Jedi Masters, she was outsmarted and humiliated by Yoda and her ship was destroyed. Dooku was extremely displeased at the turn of events and was about to order her death. However, Ventress shocked him with a proposal that they both turn on Dooku's Master, Sidious. While Dooku did not accept this proposal, he spared her life and ordered her to his headquarters on Vjun.[10]
Ventress's attack had allowed Sidious to pin down the time that Yoda would arrive on Vjun to meet with his apprentice. As Palpatine, Sidious spoke with Mace Windu and arranged for Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to be sent to Vjun to assist Yoda if necessary. As they traveled to Vjun, Yoda arrived there and infiltrated Chateau Malreaux, Dooku's temporary headquarters.
Jedi Padawans Whie Malreaux and Scout and the droids Fidelis and Solis had accompanied Yoda to Vjun. They were left behind in the caverns below the chateau while Yoda sought out Dooku alone. Ventress trapped and briefly captured the two Padawans, and both droids were destroyed defending them. Whie and Scout escaped Ventress briefly, but they only escaped death by the arrival of Kenobi and Skywalker. Ventress had been wounded fighting the Padawans and their droids and fled from Kenobi and Skywalker without a fight. Instead, she then stole their ship and escaped off-world.[10]
Meanwhile, Yoda had gained entrance to Dooku's office through the window. Dooku invited him in, and the pair spoke at some length. After an initial conversation about the Count's childhood and family, the Jedi Master confronted Dooku over his choice to join the dark side, and asked him to explain why the dark side of the Force was superior. After listening, Yoda admitted to having some of the dark side in him, but also claimed there was still some light in Dooku. He challenged Dooku to return to the Order, claiming that he would find more forgiveness from his old Master than his new one.[10]
Dooku seemed to consider this, but the two were interrupted by the chaos of Kenobi and Skywalker ripping through the chateau's defenses and defenders. Realizing Skywalker was on Vjun and interpreting this as a betrayal, Dooku lashed out in a cold fury at Yoda. In a brief lightsaber battle he slightly wounded the Jedi Master, but found himself unable to defeat him. Instead, he elected to escape before Kenobi and Skywalker joined the fight.[10]
Battle of Boz Pity
"Even if you kill me, the fighting and death will continue. Of course, you won't kill me. Not today."
―Dooku, to Mace Windu[src]
Asajj Ventress continued her hunt for Anakin Skywalker, and confronted him once more on the rooftops of Coruscant. While she wounded Skywalker in the ensuing duel, Ventress was defeated and thrown off a building.[70] She was seriously injured in the fall, but Dooku arranged for her rescue and brought her to the world of Boz Pity for medical treatment and cybernetic enhancement. While she recovered, Dooku and Grievous adopted the medical facility as a temporary headquarters.[71]
Count Dooku at the Battle of Boz Pity, flanked by MagnaGuards.The Republic believed Ventress had died on Coruscant, but Kenobi was not so sure. He successfully tracked her to Boz Pity, and brought Skywalker, numerous clones and most of the Jedi Council with him. His ship, the Intervention, landed near the Separatist facility, and disgorged an army. While the other Jedi fought the CIS droids defending the base, Kenobi infiltrated the med center where Ventress was being treated in a bacta tank. He found Dooku there, and accused him of corrupting her. Dooku denied this, claiming that Ventress had been consumed by anger when he discovered her. Furious at the implication she was weak, Ventress smashed the bacta tank with the Force and broke free.[71]
Tossing Ventress her lightsabers, Dooku ordered her to kill Kenobi and withdrew. Heading across the battlefield, the Sith Lord was confronted by Mace Windu, who had just taken out Grievous. Windu attempted to kill Dooku, but Dooku outmaneuvered his old friend with the aid of two IG-100 MagnaGuard droids and rescued the damaged general. Entering his shuttle with Grievous, Dooku spotted Ventress running towards them, pursued by Skywalker and Kenobi.[71]
Perceiving she would not make it to the shuttle in time, Dooku ordered Ventress shot and his shuttle left without her. Seriously wounded, Ventress then turned on Kenobi, attempting to kill him for driving Dooku away. Skywalker stabbed her with his lightsaber to save Kenobi. Although all present thought her dead, she survived through a Sith meditation technique.[71]
The final moves
Defeat at Saleucami
"Your little victory means nothing!"
"It means you have lost, Dooku. You will always lose."
―Dooku and Tholme[src]
Quinlan Vos had betrayed Dooku and rejoined the Republic during the war, but pretended to remain a double agent for him. Dooku knew of Vos's continued internal conflict with the dark side, and meant to exploit it. While Vos's heart was with the Republic, the dark side still had a great hold on him. Vos accompanied an army led by Jedi Council member Oppo Rancisis to Saleucami towards the end of the war, and settled in for a siege that lasted five months. The Confederacy was cloning and training Morgukai assassins at Saleucami, creating their own clone army. Jedi Master Tholme had previously infiltrated the Separatist volcano base, and was trapped inside for the entire siege.[62]
Tholme's ongoing sabotage of the base finally became too much of an irritant for former Jedi Sora Bulq, who was leading the CIS forces. He contacted Dooku, who was disappointed in his failure to catch and kill Tholme. After a discussion with Bulq, Dooku ordered that Vos eliminate the Jedi Master for them. Those orders were relayed to Vos in the enemy camp, and Vos confronted Tholme in the lava-filled caverns below the Separatist base. While Vos did not initially intend to kill his former Master, the pair had an argument that escalated to the point of combat. A boulder fell and split the pair, spilling Tholme into a deep lava pit. Assuming that Tholme was dead, Vos returned to the Republic lines.[62]
Later, Vos was again brought into the Separatist base in secret. He appeared before Bulq and a hologram of Dooku, who had one final test for him. Dooku told him that his lover, Khaleen Hentz, had been a Separatist agent all along, and had seduced Vos on Dooku's orders. He ordered Vos to kill her, but Vos refused, as she was pregnant with his child. Instead, he turned on Dooku's minions.[62]
Tholme had survived his fall into the lava. With Aayla Secura, who had infiltrated the Separatist base, he assisted Vos in his fight against Dooku's Dark Acolytes. Bulq and Skorr were both killed by Vos, while Secura slew the Morgukai warrior Bok. Meanwhile, Republic forces destroyed the defenses of the Separatist base and began bombarding it. Vos, Secura, and Tholme escaped the disintegrating base, and the bombardment destroyed the Morgukai cloning facilities. Dooku had lost three powerful allies and an entire army in one battle, but the war waged on.[62]
The brink of disaster
"I am displeased by this turn of events, Lord Tyranus. Greatly displeased."
―Darth Sidious[src]
Dooku had spent much of the war supervising the Separatist Council, allowing Grievous to command the droid armies. After Boz Pity, he made a temporary home on Kaon. A Confederacy defeat at Cato Neimoidia forced Nute Gunray to flee the world, leaving a critical communications device behind. This mechno-chair was Gunray's secret line of communication to Separatist figures like Grievous, Sidious, and Dooku himself. Its capture prompted a crisis for Sidious and Dooku, as Sidious was now in serious danger of being unmasked by the Republic and the Jedi.[18]
Concerned, Dooku traveled to The Works to consult with Sidious in person. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker were tracking down the builders of Gunray's mechno-chair to try and find clues to Sidious's identity. Dooku and Sidious agreed to lure Kenobi and Skywalker to Naos III, where they would be attacked by bounty hunters hired by Dooku. Sidious also tasked Dooku with Kenobi's death.[18]
Dooku spars with General Grievous.Dooku's bounty hunters failed in their task, and Kenobi and Skywalker learned about the Sith lair in The Works from the pilot Fa'ale Leh, who had worked for the Sith. This was not in the Sith plan. Shortly after Dooku engaged in a practice sparring session with Grievous,[9] he was urgently contacted by Sidious. The Jedi were investigating The Works, and threatened to discover Sidious's secret headquarters on Coruscant under 500 Republica.[18]
To evade Jedi pursuit, Dooku suggested that Sidious leave Coruscant, but he had other plans. To draw his Jedi pursuers off his scent, Sidious arranged to send Kenobi and Skywalker to Tythe, using Dooku and a Separatist assault as bait. Dooku would then kill Kenobi and lure Skywalker to the dark side. Sidious also ordered Grievous to attack Coruscant with the rest of his forces while the Republic was engaged on Tythe.[18]
On Tythe, Dooku waited in a LiMerge Power plasma facility for Kenobi and Skywalker, who landed and began searching for him. They discovered a hologram of him, but were delayed by swarms of battle droids. Furious, Skywalker gave into his anger and unleashed a Force Scream. This massive release of power caused the roof of the building to collapse on the three of them. The first to extract himself the rubble, Dooku was shocked by Skywalker's power and had a brief moment of doubt relating to Sidious's plans. He quickly overcame it, escaped the planet and jumped for Nelvaan to throw the Jedi off his trail. From there, he jumped almost immediately to Coruscant, where a great battle was already in progress. Grievous had captured Palpatine, and was holding him prisoner aboard the Invisible Hand, his flagship.[18]
Awaiting the Jedi
"Just as Count Dooku predicted!"
―Grievous[src]
The news of Palpatine's capture shocked the galaxy, and many believed that the Republic was on the verge of collapse. Palpatine had carefully plotted his own kidnapping, however, and even Grievous was unaware that his hapless captive was also the feared mastermind behind the Confederation. Arriving on the Invisible Hand, Dooku took charge of the prisoner, leaving Grievous to command the space battle outside.[72]
Late arrivals to the fight, Kenobi and Skywalker mounted a rescue mission to save the Chancellor. They boarded the Separatist warship and began to fight their way through its defenses. Dooku observed the pair and ordered Grievous to herd the Jedi toward him and the Chancellor. Speaking to Sidious, Dooku requested that Kenobi be given one more chance to turn to the dark side, citing that a Jedi of Kenobi's integrity would lend support to the planned New Order. Sidious disagreed. claiming that Kenobi was too indoctrinated by the Jedi to turn, and he insisted Dooku kill the Jedi Master.[72]
Sidious's plan as Dooku understood it was that Dooku would kill Kenobi and provoke Skywalker into enough of a rage that the Jedi would tap into the dark side. At that point, Sidious would reveal himself to Skywalker and convert him to the Sith cause. Dooku would then be "arrested," and defect to the Republic in captivity, re-emerging to aid Sidious in establishing a Sith Empire.[72]
Duel above Coruscant
"I sense great fear in you, Skywalker. You have hate. You have anger. But you don't use them."
―Dooku, to Anakin Skywalker[src]
Dooku incapacitating Kenobi with telekinesis.The day would not turn out that way, however. Both Kenobi and Skywalker's lightsaber skills had improved dramatically since their last duel, although they initially did not reveal this, allowing Dooku to underestimate them. As the duel wore on, however, Dooku realized there had been a miscalculation. Both Jedi suddenly changed their saber styles mid-battle and began to wear down the Sith Lord's defenses, although he swiftly re-adjusted. Dooku had initially been toying with them, but he soon knew he was in for the fight of his life.[72]
Eventually, Dooku was able to regain the upper hand when he used the Force to levitate Kenobi and hurl Skywalker into a wall at the same time. The Count then Force-choked Kenobi and telekinetically hurled him across the room. Kenobi was knocked unconscious, but Dooku collapsed a balcony on the Jedi with the Force for good measure. Getting to his feet, Skywalker carried on the fight alone.[2]
Dooku on his knees before Anakin Skywalker, betrayed by his Master.During their one-on-one duel, Dooku taunted Skywalker, calling on him to use his fear, hate and anger. With Palpatine's encouragement, Skywalker channeled his hatred of Dooku and tapped into the dark side of the Force. Refusing to be intimidated by the Sith Lord's casual victory over Kenobi, Skywalker drove Dooku back and overpowered him. With an elegant maneuver, he proceeded to slice off both of the Count's hands, bringing him to his knees. Unarmed, Dooku was at the Jedi Knight's mercy.[2]
Expecting his Master to intervene and save his life as Sidious had promised to do in the case of defeat, Dooku instead was shocked to see the Dark Lord goad Skywalker to deliver the deathblow. It was then that Dooku came to realize the second deception: Sidious never intended for the Count to survive; he was simply the tool used to create the Confederacy and make Sidious's plan truly possible. Skywalker, holding both his and Dooku's lightsabers crossed before Dooku's throat, beheaded the Count and took one step closer to the dark side.[2]
Legacy
"His death was a necessary loss."
―Darth Sidious, on Dooku[src]
Dooku's replacement as Darth Sidious's apprentice was Anakin Skywalker, whose Sith name was Darth Vader, while Grievous was his successor as the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.[72] Dooku's identity as a Sith Lord and the truth behind the Clone Wars both remained obscure to the public for a long time. The official Imperial propaganda line was that Dooku had never truly left the Jedi Order, and the entire Clone Wars had been a Jedi plot to seize control of the Republic.[15]
Long after the Galactic Empire had fallen, after the destruction of the Tedryn Holocron, two Jedi holocrons and one Sith were discovered by the New Jedi Order. Recordings of Dooku were preserved on all three devices. While the Great Holocron and Asli Krimsan's holocron both showed Dooku as a teacher in the Jedi Temple, the mysterious Telos Holocron contained a narrative by Darth Tyranus of his reasons for leaving the Jedi Order, and shed some light on his true role in the Clone Wars to researchers such as Jedi Master Tionne.[1]
Personality and traits
"He was one of the most brilliant Jedi I've ever had the privilege of knowing."
―Jocasta Nu[src]
Dooku in a calm, calculating mood.Master Dooku was an accomplished philosopher, orator, politician, and warrior, regarded as one of the greatest Jedi ever for his strength of character and his strength in the Force. Yoda considered him both the Temple's greatest student and one of his greatest failures. By the time of the Clone Wars, Dooku had been a practitioner of the Force for nearly eight decades.[10]
Dooku was driven to succeed even as a youngling, and was fully devoted to the ideals of the Jedi Order and of service to the galaxy. He sought to become a great Jedi Master, and did not even consider the possibility of a life outside the Order, though he knew of his heritage as a nobleman and at times felt self-conscious about it.[1] Dooku chose Padawans he thought had the potential to become great Jedi themselves, and endeavored to teach them all he knew.[6] However, his Padawan Komari Vosa was infatuated with him, which was one of the factors that led to her dismissal as his apprentice.[17]
Dooku did not ever forgive betrayal easily. An encounter as a Jedi Knight with Lorian Nod, his former friend who had once tried to frame him, nearly led to Nod's death. However, his Padawan Qui-Gon Jinn successfully appealed to Dooku's honor as a Jedi, and Dooku relented.[6] Dooku perceived the Battle of Galidraan as a betrayal by the Jedi Council of the ideals it was supposed to follow, something that greatly influenced his fall to the dark side.[1] As a Sith, his discussion about returning to the light side with Yoda on Vjun immediately broke down when Dooku discovered that Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi were present and interpreted that as a personal betrayal.[10]
As a Sith Lord, Dooku became a Humanocentrist.[72] While he remained a connoisseur of alien art and antiquities,[73] he secretly despised most if not all of the corrupt aliens on the Separatist Council. He divided the entire galaxy into two categories: threats and assets. The threat category was for beings or institutions that interfered with his personal advancement and would have to be eliminated, the asset category being for those who could aid, or at least not hinder his advancement.[72]
By the time of the Clone Wars, Dooku believed that the sorrow and injustice of the galaxy could only be responded to with anger and hate.[10] He came to believe that the Jedi Order should embrace the dark side and rule the galaxy alone without the interference of the Senate. As a Sith, he planned to transform the Jedi into a Sith Army, and intended to forcibly recruit Force-users into such an army.[72] While often assuming a genteel and civilized manner, Dooku had no qualms about torturing[49] or ordering the deaths of hundreds of his former comrades,[4] nor about committing any number of atrocities as leader of the Confederacy.[34]
Powers and abilities
Lightsaber training
"He is a fencer. Leverage, position, advantage—they are as natural to him as breathing."
―Qui-Gon Jinn's spirit, to Yoda, on Dooku[src]
Dooku in the Form II opening stance.Before his resignation, Dooku was known as one of the most skilled duelists and lightsaber instructors in the Jedi Order.[1] Along with Yoda, Dooku was one of only two Jedi who were known to have bested Mace Windu at sparring,[3] and during the time of the Confederacy Crisis, it was said that aside from Yoda, only Windu would have been his equal on neutral ground.[10] Though styles like Form III, IV, and V were more practical in the age of blasters, Dooku's competitive spirit drove him toward the second form of lightsaber combat, Makashi, though he maintained a working knowledge of other forms as well.[18] He was one of a very few practitioners of this dueling-centric lightsaber form in the Order at the time,[1] and unmatched in his mastery of it.[21]
When he became a Sith Lord, Dooku had little left to learn about dueling, though he ended up learning the Sith art of Dun M?ch, or disrupting an opponent's concentration by the use of taunts.[74] He was nearly successful in using Dun M?ch to disrupt Anakin Skywalker's concentration in his final duel on the Invisible Hand. However, his attempt backfired on him fatally, as his taunts only encouraged Skywalker to draw on his anger to break through Dooku's defenses.[72]
Force abilities
"His knowledge of the Force was…unique."
―Jocasta Nu, on Dooku[src]
As a Jedi, Dooku was a renowned student of the Force and learned many of the Jedi arts. He was recognized as a skilled master of telekinesis, and lectured on the subject as a Jedi Master.[1] His skill in telekinesis was usually used to augment his dueling prowess, although he was also capable of a limited form of flight.[8] As a Sith Lord, he sometimes combined telekinesis with the use of Force lightning[4] or Force choke.[2] Dooku had a notable ability to multitask, and used the Force frequently even in the midst of lightsaber combat.[2]
Dooku also had knowledge of the Living Force, and used it once to heal himself of a deadly plague.[16] In addition, he was able to tame animals and bend them to his will, most notably a krayt dragon.[75] As Darth Tyranus, he learned how to forcibly rip information out of the minds of his enemies with the Force.[38] Dooku also mastered the Qey'tek meditation, which allowed him to hide his presence in the Force. Opposing Jedi were usually unable to pierce this concealment, although Kenobi succeeded on Tythe when he was previously aware Dooku was present.[18]
Equipment
Apparel
When he assumed his title of Count, Dooku abandoned his Jedi robes and adopted the style of dress worn by Serenno royalty for at least a thousand years.[76]. He was usually seen wearing a silver-clasped cape over a belted tunic and trousers in varying shades of black or brown. His clothes were made of the finest materials.[77] In particular, his dress boots were made out of rare rancor leather, while all his cloaks were lined with armorweave as a protective measure.[20]
Lightsabers
"Finesse. Artfulness. Economy."
―Dooku, to Grievous on the Invisible Hand[src]
Dooku's standard lightsaber.As a Jedi youngling, Dooku wielded common training lightsabers under the tutelage of Yoda,[6] but after Thame Cerulian took him as his Padawan, Dooku constructed his own lightsaber. It had a cylindrical hilt of fairly standard design.[29]
When Dooku became a Jedi Master, he constructed a more personalized lightsaber, which had a curved hilt that allowed for precise movements and was designed for a Makashi duelist. It could be shortened with the press of a button, allowing for more flexibility in lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat.[20] This lightsaber had a blue blade,[16] and Dooku wielded it during the Battle of Galidraan.[1] Dooku also occasionally carried a more conventional lightsaber as a Jedi Master.[78][1]
Dooku's curved-hilt lightsaber.As a Dark Lord of the Sith, Dooku returned to the curved lightsaber design he had wielded at Galidraan. He installed a red synthetic lightsaber crystal into his curved hilt, the mark of a Sith blade, which also contained a dual-phase setting, allowing him to instantly shorten the blade.[21] His curved lightsaber was the inspiration for the lightsabers constructed by Dooku's final Jedi apprentice, Komari Vosa, and wielded by her as the leader of the Bando Gora. After he slew Vosa, the Count gave these unique weapons to his Dark Acolyte, Asajj Ventress.[1] Dooku's Sith lightsaber was abandoned by Anakin Skywalker on the conning tower of the Invisible Hand, next to Dooku's corpse. The section of the Invisible Hand that contained the conning tower separated from the bridge when the ship broke apart during Coruscant re-entry.[2]
Starships
?The human's starship, it flies as if by magic. If Poggle crosses him, the human might use his magic against us.?
―Unidentified Geonosian guard[src]
Dooku's solar sailer.Count Dooku's personal transport after he left the Jedi Order was a Punworrca 116-class interstellar sloop, a gift from Geonosian Archduke Poggle the Lesser. The ship had a special Gree solar sail that provided an exotic form of superluminal propulsion and was stealthy enough for Dooku to slip through Coruscant's defenses unnoticed on numerous occasions. It was unarmed, although it sported a tractor beam array.[23] Dooku usually left the piloting to a modified FA-4 pilot droid augmented with Vulture Droid programming.[79]
The conning tower of the Confederate command ship Invisible Hand was also refitted to Dooku's specifications. It became known as the "Wizard's Tower," and was both a mobile base of operations and a private sanctum for the Count.[80] The Invisible Hand had previously been Nute Gunray's flagship, but was given to General Grievous when the Separatist military command was centralized.[81]
Behind the scenes
Non-canon appearances
Fett Club
Warning: The following section is non-canon. It contains information explicitly released under the Infinities brand, and/or confirmed to be non-canon by the author or Lucasfilm. Everything said in this section and not elsewhere did not happen in the "proper" Star Wars continuity.
In a different version of how Dooku recruited Jango Fett to serve as the host for the clone army, Dooku put out an advertisement recruiting Mandalorian aspirants, inviting them to attend an event held at 1138 Miles Lane on Coruscant. In the fine print, it stated the last man, woman, or other standing would be hired. While Dooku observed, Fett showed up and took control of the gathering, verbally abusing and killing his competitors one by one as he enumerated the rules of "Fett Club." Finally, Fett was the last one remaining, and Dooku hired him, telling him to report to Kamino immediately.[82]
Non-canon information ends here.
Revenge of the Brick
Warning: The following section is non-canon. It contains information explicitly released under the Infinities brand, and/or confirmed to be non-canon by the author or Lucasfilm. Everything said in this section and not elsewhere did not happen in the "proper" Star Wars continuity.
At some point during the Clone Wars, Dooku was observing a battle over Kashyyyk from a distance. However, the reception on his television set failed, and he was forced to recruit General Grievous to serve as an antenna for the set. While Dooku was successful in regaining reception, the Separatists lost the battle.[83]
Non-canon information ends here.
Portrayal
Christopher Lee, playing Dooku's final moments.Dooku was portrayed by Christopher Lee in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Kyle Rowling portrayed Dooku during most of the character's lightsaber sequences, due to Lee's inability to enact these physical scenes because of his age. Rowling's head was digitally replaced with Lee's during post-production.[84]
Dooku was voiced by Corey Burton in Star Wars: Clone Wars[85] and all video game appearances with the exception of Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, where he was voiced by Jeff Bennett.[86]
Christopher Lee is to voice Dooku in the film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and has already recorded his dialogue.[87]
Character origins
The name "Dooku" was based on the Japanese word "doku," meaning poison.[88] In the Galician and Portuguese languages, "do cu," pronounced exactly as in "Dooku," means "from the ass." For this reason, Dooku's name was changed to "Dookan" in Brazil.[89]
Tyrannus—or more properly, Tyrannos—is an ancient Greek word, originally used to describe someone who ruled a city-state after overthrowing the preexisting government. It was a legitimate form of government and the word's meaning was not unfavorable in itself, but over time, as democracy developed, it gained negative connotations and came to mean "oppressor" or "tyrant."[90]
Aside from his name, Dooku has many similarities to Dracula, another famous role played by Christopher Lee. Both are villainous, erudite and sophisticated counts who wear a cape and dress in black. Additionally, Lee's Dracula played opposite Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing on many occaisions.[91] Cushing portrayed Wilhuff Tarkin in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, a character that had some influence on the concept of Dooku.[92]
Continuity
Yoda is heavily implied to have been Dooku's Master in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and some early materials also indicate Dooku was trained by Yoda.[20] However, Thame Cerulian was established as Dooku's Master in the young adult book Legacy of the Jedi, and all subsequent sources on the topic.
The color of Dooku's hair as a younger man is inconsistent, being shown as blond on the Legacy of the Jedi cover, some shade of brown in Jango Fett: Open Seasons and the Most Precious Weapon comic, and black in several other sources, such as Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force. In addition, Dooku's hair had not completely lost its natural color at the end of Jango Fett: Open Seasons, but it was completely white in Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, which covered the same time period.
Dooku, young and old.What Dooku's lightsaber color was as a Jedi is also somewhat unclear. He used a green training lightsaber in the Most Precious Weapon comic, and has a green lightsaber similar to his Sith one on the cover of Legacy of the Jedi. Dooku was also depicted with a green lightsaber on the cover of one of the issues of Jango Fett: Open Seasons. However, within Open Seasons Dooku had a blue lightsaber blade.
Originally, Dooku was set to wield two lightsabers in combat against Yoda in Attack of the Clones. However, the idea was later dropped, and Dooku was stated to dislike usage of multiple blades in Labyrinth of Evil, though the comic version of Episode II kept the idea intact. In a likely reference to this cut sequence, Dooku's first action figure included a secondary lightsaber, albeit with a green blade.
A major continuity difficulty was caused by the events of the Game Boy Advance game Star Wars: The New Droid Army. In the final battle of the game, Dooku was defeated and presumably killed by Anakin Skywalker. This was obviously unworkable within canon, so several retcons were introduced. The first was that the Dooku killed was a Doppleg?nger created through the Force.[44] The second was that the Dooku killed was a clone.[10]
Early scripts of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith had additional dialogue during Dooku's death scene, after his wrists had been sliced off. Some of the cut portions of this scene can be seen in in the Episode III novel and the comic adaptation. Some of this dialogue was removed because Christopher Lee felt that it was out of character for Dooku to beg Sidious for his life, and George Lucas ended up agreeing with him.[93] |
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