Great Jedi Purge

"The Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the old republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire. A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine before he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. Vader was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force." - Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Great Jedi Purge refers to the efforts initiated by Palpatine upon his creation of the Galactic Empire to exterminate the Jedi Order. It is generally considered to have lasted from the birth of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY to the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi and emergence of Luke Skywalker in 0 BBY. The Purge is the start of the Galactic Civil War.

The Purge began shortly after the end of the Clone Wars, which had been from their conception only one part of a grand scheme by Darth Sidious to eliminate the Jedi.

After Anakin Skywalker discovered that Palpatine was the Sith Lord the Jedi had been searching for, Jedi Master Mace Windu led a small posse of Jedi Masters to apprehend Sidious, comprised of himself, Agen Kolar, Kit Fisto, and Saesee Tiin. Sidious killed Agen Kolar immediately, followed by Saesee Tiin and with some greater effort Kit Fisto. In the ensuing fight Mace Windu disarmed Sidious, who then attempted to ward off Windu with Force lightning. Windu deflected the lightning back, twisting Palpatine's face, making it appear yellowed and ravaged by the Dark Side. Anakin Skywalker appeared, and after some apparent inward hesitation, was driven to incapacitate Windu in order to save Palpatine, whom Anakin believed was the only one with sufficient knowledge of the Force (the Dark Side) to save his wife, Padmé Amidala, from death. As Sidious had foreseen, Anakin then drew his lightsaber to parry Windu's swipe at the Chancellor and through his action, cut off the Jedi Master's saber hand. Then Sidious, who had pleaded with Anakin and Windu not to kill him for his weakness, immediately regained enough strength to blast Master Windu with Force lightning and send him out the window to his death.

Anakin was immediately horrified by what he had done, but despite his guilt, he could not overcome the temptation of the Dark Side, nor could he simply allow Padmé to die when Sidious (allegedly) had the ability to save her. Anakin swore fealty to Sidious, becoming his new apperentice, and was given the Sith name Darth Vader.

Palpatine wasted no time in spinning the fiction that the Jedi's attempt to take him into custody constituted a betrayal of the Republic by the Order, and used it to justify his ultimate goals. Palpatine ordered the Army of the Republic to execute Order 66 - the total extermination of all living Jedi throughout the galaxy as a sign that the age of the Jedi had ended and the New Order was now in place. Simultaneously, Palpatine dispatched Vader and a clone trooper contingent to wipe out the Jedi in the Jedi Temple. The newly titled Emperor justified his purge with an elaborate conspiracy tale of the Jedi's attempt to overthrow the Galactic Republic.

Few Jedi escaped the betrayal Vader and the clone troops that they were leading. Among the few survivors were Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. Kenobi escaped to Tatooine, while Yoda escaped to the planet Dagobah under secrecy. However, before hiding, the two Jedi altered a return call being sent from the Temple into a warning to stay away; as a result, several other Jedi managed to survive the immediate purge, though most fell to Vader or other Jedi hunters in the years that followed.

The Purge was not only intended to symbolically and literally destroy the Jedi Order, but to also consolidate the Jedi's history, knowledge and technology into Palpatine's possession. Many Holocrons, ancient techniques and training materials were lost. During his efforts to reestablish the order, Luke Skywalker participated in intensive research to locate even the smallest scraps of information pertaining to the old order.

Notable Purge Victims

 * Aayla Secura — killed on Felucia by clone troopers under her command.
 * Agen Kolar — killed by Palpatine in the Chancellor's office on Coruscant.
 * Aidan Bok — killed by Darth Vader on Nespis VIII.
 * Barriss Offee — killed on Felucia by clone AT-TE.
 * Bene — killed by Darth Vader in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
 * Bultar Swan — killed by clone forces led by Darth Vader in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
 * Cin Drallig — killed by Darth Vader in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
 * Jocasta Nu — killed by Darth Vader in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
 * Jurokk — killed by Darth Vader in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
 * Kit Fisto — killed by Palpatine in the Chancellor's office on Coruscant.
 * Ki-Adi-Mundi — killed on Mygeeto by clones under his command.
 * Luminara Unduli — killed on Kashyyyk by Clone troopers.
 * Mace Windu — killed by Palpatine and Darth Vader in the Chancellor's office on Coruscant.
 * Plo Koon — shot down over Cato Neimoidia by clones under his command.
 * Quinlan Vos — killed on Kashyyyk along with a group of clones by clone Turbo Tank.
 * Saesee Tiin — killed by Palpatine in the Chancellor's office on Coruscant.
 * Serra Keto — killed by Darth Vader in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
 * Shaak Ti — killed by Darth Vader in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
 * Stass Allie — killed on Saleucami.
 * Whie Malreaux — killed by Darth Vader in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
 * Zett Jukassa — killed by Clone troopers in Coruscant's Jedi Temple

Known survivors

 * An'ya Kuro
 * Corwin Shelvay
 * Darrin Arkanian
 * Echuu Shen-Jon
 * Empatojayos Brand
 * Ferus Olin
 * Gilflyn
 * Halagad Ventor
 * Ikrit
 * Kam Solusar
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * Ood Bnar
 * Qu Rahn
 * Tyneir Renz
 * Vergere
 * Vima-Da-Boda
 * Ydra Kilwallen Sibwarra
 * Ylenic It'kla
 * Yoda

See also:

 * Fall of the Jedi Temple
 * Order 66