Control chip

"That is a structural inhibitor chip, which is supposed to prevent you from being aggressive, like your source, Jango Fett. Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas instructed us to implant them during your growth cycle."

- Nala Se, to Fives

The inhibitor chip, also known as the control chip, was a type of inorganic bio-chip capable of dictating or responding to the thoughts of its host. Kaminoan cloners implanted them within each clone trooper in the Grand Army of the Republic. It was installed into the brain of every trooper at the third stage of their embryonic development. The Galactic Empire later employed these devices to keep in line its enslaved Wookiee population on Kashyyyk.

Description
"We modified their genetic structure to make them less independent than the original host. As a result, they are totally obedient, taking any order without question."

- Lama Su, to Obi-Wan Kenobi

Inhibitor chips had been installed in the clone troopers at the request of Sifo-Dyas to prevent the clones from being controlled by rogue Jedi or Sith. The chips, however, were also tooled to another purpose: to force the clones to comply with the execution of Order 66, which wiped out nearly all Jedi. The chips were later installed in enslaved Wookiees by the Galactic Empire.

History
"You must remember the chip is a safeguard against betrayal from rogue Jedi. Master Sifo-Dyas was the only Jedi who knew of this. But with his passing, we alone know of this secret, and we must keep it that way."

- Dooku, to Lama Su

Prior to the battle of Naboo, former Jedi Council member, Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas contacted the Kaminoans to order a clone army for the Republic. He provided them the inhibitor chip to make the clones less aggressive than the clone template. There was a safeguard installed to act against rogue Jedi or Sith. However, Sith Lords Darth Sidious and his new apprentice, Darth Tyranus had Sifo-Dyas eliminated and took over his project, keeping it a secret from the Jedi.

During the Clone Wars, the inhibitor chip conspiracy was nearly uncovered when the Order 66 function of the chip in the clone trooper "Tup" was prematurely activated, causing him to execute the Jedi General Tiplar. Though the Jedi discovered the existence of the inhibitor chip, they never learned that it was also used to issue Order 66, as the clone "Fives," who had been investigating the matter, was killed by a fellow clone trooper. Though Fives had warned that the conspiracy went to the highest level and that Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine had tried to stop him from revealing what he knew, Anakin Skywalker stubbornly refused to believe that Palpatine would be capable of what Fives was describing.

"It was at the end, the end of the war. Our fellow soldiers, the clones, the ones we Jedi fought side by side with, were suddenly turned and betrayed us. I watched them kill my master. She fought beside them for years and they gunned her down in a second! Then came for me. Later they said they had chips in their heads that made them do it. So they had no choice."

- Kanan Jarrus describing what happened during Order 66 to his Padawan, Ezra Bridger

Some clones, however, removed their chips from their heads before the order was given and so they did not betray their Jedi comrades. A few examples were Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor, who removed their chips and moved to a modified AT-TE.

Once the Galactic Empire gained control of the galaxy, it enslaved the Wookiee population of Kashyyyk. Enslaved Wookiees were installed with inhibitor chips which could be used to cause them extreme pain should they rebel against their captors. The chip could be activated in a rebelling Wookiee, causing pain until the Wookiee either fell back in line or died from the pain. As the Empire became more savvy, a common tactic was to instead subject family or clan members to pain, as the Wookiees would often be willing to sacrifice their own lives but couldn't bear to see the suffering of clan or family members. During the liberation of Kashyyyk, a strike team led by Han Solo disabled the field controlling the inhibitor chips, effectively rendering them useless and allowing the Wookiees to strike freely, though this was met with an orbital bombardment by Star Destroyers from the Galactic Empire.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
 * Ahsoka
 * Aftermath: Life Debt
 * "The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku"
 * Ahsoka
 * Aftermath: Life Debt
 * "The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku"
 * "The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku"