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- "I'm no errand boy. And I am not in this war for Dooku's politics. I am the leader of the most powerful droid army the galaxy has ever seen."
"An army with no loyalty, no spirit, just programming. What have you to show for all your power? What have you to gain?"
"The future! A future where there are no Jedi." - ―Grievous and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Grievous, born Qymaen jai Sheelal, was a Kaleesh male warlord who served within the military forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems as a commanding officer during the Clone Wars in the final years of the Republic Era. In addition to his position as a general within the Separatist Droid Army, the Kaleesh held the title of Supreme Martial Commander of the Separatist Droid Armies throughout the war, where he led countless engagements against the Republic's Grand Army. Recognized for his ruthless tactics and extensive cybernetic enhancements, Grievous utilized the Separatist Droid Army and his adept combat skills to instill fear throughout the galaxy as he traveled to and invaded planets while engaging numerous Knights of the Jedi Order, his sworn enemies.
A native of Kalee, a planet within Wild Space, Sheelal grew to become a fearsome warrior of his people and gained an aptitude for warfare and battle tactics when he led his people during Kaleesh's war against their technologically-advanced enemies, the Yam'rii, invading from the planet Huk. Qymaen jai Sheelal eventually took the name "Grievous" and continued his conquests, quickly becoming a warlord, earning a bloody reputation on his homeworld. Gathered together, Grievous traveled and fought alongside a group of personal bodyguards, the Izvoshra. Grievous' potential was seen by the Sith Lords Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus— also known as Dooku, the Count of Serenno—as he led his people in a merciless war against the Yam'rii, brutally pushing the insect species from his world. However, the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order intervened in the conflict on the side of the Yam'rii, leading to punishment and famine for the Kaleesh and generating an enduring grudge in Grievous. The Sith, who had significant plans for Grievous, offered Grievous cybernetic enhancements, which the Kaleesh accepted and took on over time. Sometime later, Dooku conspired to mortally wound Grievous and sabotaged his shuttle, which resulted in a gruesome crash that left the man on the brink of death. After that, Grievous gave up almost everything that remained of his organic form—whether lost in the crash or by his own decision-making—to survive.
The reconstructed Grievous became a skilled lightsaber duelist under Dooku's guidance, who trained the Kaleesh in the arts of lightsaber combat and eventually welcomed him into a position as a warrior in the Confederacy. Shortly after the advent of the Clone Wars, Grievous was granted the rank of general, as well as the title of Supreme Martial Commander of the Separatist Droid Armies, making him one of the most powerful people within the Separatist Alliance, second only to his master Dooku. Grievous wielded his skills as a brilliant military strategist and melee combatant during numerous campaigns against the Republic throughout the Clone Wars while also gaining a reputation for hunting and killing Jedi Knights. He made a habit of claiming the lightsabers of defeated Jedi as trophies and weapons to be used against other opponents. His position and threat level led to his preeminence as one of the Republic's primary targets throughout the course of the war. As the war played out, Grievous found a personal nemesis in Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, whom he dueled on numerous occasions.
Days before the end of the war in 19 BBY, Grievous, under orders from Darth Sidious, launched a daring and unprecedented assault on the planet Coruscant, the capital world of the Republic. In his assault, the Kaleesh managed to take the Republic's Supreme Chancellor, Sheev Palpatine—in reality secretly Sidious himself—captive aboard his flagship, the Providence-class Dreadnought Invisible Hand. However, during the battle, the Chancellor was rescued from the general's grasp by Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, an engagement that also resulted in Dooku's death. Subsequently, Grievous became the de facto leader of the entire Separatist Alliance and immediately withdrew of all remaining reinforcements and fled into the Outer Rim Territories, prolonging the war. Following the Battle of Coruscant, Grievous, succeeding Dooku as the Confederacy's Head of State, retreated to the planet Utapau, where he addressed and relocated the members of the Executive Separatist Council to the planet Mustafar under Sidious's orders. However, unknown to the general, Grievous's location on Utapau was betrayed by Sidious, resulting in a Republic invasion of the planet in an effort to bring a decisive conclusion to the war. Grievous was ultimately slain by his nemesis, General Kenobi, following a prolonged chase between the two, which resulted in the war's conclusion as well as the Confederacy's systematic collapse soon after.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Warlord of Kalee[]
Born into a family that included his father[6] years prior to the Clone Wars as Qymaen jai Sheelal,[10] the Kaleesh male who would one day become "Grievous" hailed from[12] the Wild Space planet Kalee.[13] Sheelal was born in the midst of a near-constant war between the Kaleesh and the technologically superior Yam'rii, an insectoid species[7] from the desolate[14] planet Huk in the same system.[8] The Yam'rii would ruthlessly invade countless worlds in the sector, stealing their resources and selling their populations into slavery. The Kaleesh had fallen victim to the Yam'rii, whose focus on Kalee had yielded horrifying results.[7] All the same, the Kaleesh were powerful people who also conquered other societies. In fact, since childhood, Sheelal worshipped the warlords of Kalee, watching them return home with spoils of war from those they conquered.[12]
A Kaleesh warrior.
Sheelal was taught how to use[7] a slugthrower,[15] the Czerka Arms Outland rifle, by his father. By the age of eight[7] he served as a sniper[15] and had already killed forty enemies. As he matured,[7] Sheelal experienced a rapid rise in rank,[12] becoming a feared warrior[16] and warlord.[17] He learnt brutal and determined strategy,[12] battle tactics, and warfare in the war against the Yam'rii.[18] Becoming a successful warlord of Kalee,[12] Sheelal bore[7] an exceptional[19] capacity to instruct, encourage, and manage his fellow Kaleesh warriors excellently.[7] Amongst Kaleesh warriors, he dons his traditional war mask carved from the skull, bone,[8] and teeth[20] of one of his homeworld's deadliest[8] and most terrifying[20] predatory beasts, known as a mumuu.[8] Before battle,[21] his fearsome mask[8] was smeared[21] with karabbac-blood warpaint.[8]
Like others of his species, known for his lack of mercy,[22] he became a proud warrior[23] with numerous enemies[6] and an obsession with the glory gathered in war, valuing bravery in combat above all else.[12] He also began to collect weapons[8] as trophies.[7] Sheelal became one of the greatest military leaders[24] and a respected warrior,[25] and he began to appear to the Kaleesh as something of a legend. At that time, Sheelal also began to develop a deep hatred for the Galactic Republic.[7] He was further frustrated by the realization that the Jedi Knights of the Jedi Order,[12] the protectors of the Republic,[26] were nearly undefeatable in close combat through their possession of supernatural abilities[12] originating from a mystical energy field known as the Force.[27] He despised the Jedi for their skill.[12]
On his homeworld, Sheelal had been a powerful warlord[12] and, rightfully, earned a remarkable bloody reputation as a Kaleesh warlord[8] and eventually adopted the moniker "Grievous."[9] Over his years of battle,[7] Grievous traveled[17] and battled alongside Kalee's best warriors,[7] the Izvoshra.[9] He would assemble them into[15] his elite[14] bodyguard, with each a khan in command of troops of their own.[15] Seemingly always alongside their warlord leader,[9] the courageous[14] Izvoshra shared in his victories and love of battle alike.[10]
Fortunately for Grievous, his reputation had drawn the attention of the Sith[8]—Darth Tyranus, also known as Count Dooku,[26] who discovered Grievous[28] for the Sith,[12] and his Sith Master, Darth Sidious, secretly the Republic politician Sheev Palpatine[26]—who saw his potential as he led his people in a merciless war against[8] their planetary neighbors,[20] the Yam'rii.[8] Legend claimed that they specifically were interested in his strength, power, and will to succeed.[29] The Sith had been recruiting minions who possessed unique skills and a deep hatred of the Jedi, both of which Grievous had in abundance.[12] As per the plan for the Clone Wars, the Sith needed to recruit someone to lead a droid army.[30] In particular, Grievous's hatred for the Jedi pushed him to near-madness and made him easily exploitable.[28]
Beyond Kalee[]
- "I have toppled nations, I have slain kings, and I have murdered legends!"
- ―Grievous on his several victories
A statue depicts Grievous holding a decapitated enemy's head, a Skrilling species.
Accompanied by his Izvoshra,[9] Grievous turned his attention to the stars to continue his conquests.[12] Over the course of his exploits, Grievous came to topple nations, slay kings, and murder legends. At some point, he encountered a Wookiee warrior[22] and decapitated a member of the Skrilling species.[23] Grievous then went to war against the Yam'rii[15] with increased vigor and determination while on the offensive. In time, the Kaleesh forces successfully drove the Yam'rii from their world.[7] Grievous launched a series of devastating campaigns on Huk itself,[14] sweeping across the barren Huk worlds,[31] where he relied on the help of his bodyguards.[14] However, the Yam'rii took an unexpected turn and sought assistance from the Republic.[7] The Galactic Republic[18] and the Jedi Order intervened,[8] siding with the Yam'rii[18] against the invaders. The Kaleesh faced punishment;[7] embargos and penalties were enforced,[15] resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths from starvation.[7] At the time,[18] Grievous's hatred only deepened,[7] and he developed a personal vendetta against the Republic and the Jedi for their assistance to the Yam'rii.[18]
After their catastrophic intervention, he swore to exact terrible vengeance against[8] the Republic[18] and the Jedi for his people's suffering.[8] Perhaps that animosity pushed him to associate with the InterGalactic Banking Clan.[7] However, when Grievous became an enforcer for the Banking Clan, Grievous's demand that he keep his loyal Izvoshra was denied,[9] and he was forbidden from continuing to utilize his elite Izvoshra bodyguards, and instead he led the IGBC's droid army, which he despised.[7] Grievous then asked for more advanced droids than the Trade Federation's simple combat droids, which he criticized for relying on commands from a central computer and being incapable of learning from their mistakes on their own.[14] After requesting a more intelligent personal guard and consulting with Count Dooku,[7] Holowan Laboratories' engineers were then authorized to construct a specific series of droids to fulfill Grievous's exacting standards.[14] Thus, the IG-100 series MagnaGuard combat droids,[9] or the prototype of autonomous combat with heuristic programming,[14] were created.[9]
At the time of their creation, various fighting techniques were implanted in their memory,[14] but Grievous insisted on having them erased of all knowledge[32] so that he could train them himself.[14] Much as his own facemask honored his history as a Kaleesh warrior,[32] he ordered the MagnaGuards[9] that serve under him with the characteristic cloaks[16] and half-hoods, which were reminiscent of[32] and nod to the warrior traditions in his homeworld.[16] Grievous was tremendously successful, making him one of the IGBC's more vulnerable resources. By this time, not only Count Dooku but Darth Sidious himself had already taken notice of his exploits and had important intentions for him.[7]
Becoming a cyborg[]
- "Sometimes I wonder why you submitted to the changes."
"Improvements! I submit to no one! I chose them!" - ―EV-A4-D and Grievous
Count Dooku and his Sith Master, Darth Sidious.
Grievous chose to become a cyborg, receiving his enhancements over time,[6] after the Sith gave him an unquestionable chance. They had been looking to test technologically advanced beings, and Grievous agreed to take on the tests.[12] After accepting Dooku's invitation, Grievous sacrificed practically all of his physical body[33] and nerve endings[29] to increase his combat abilities[16] and gain the strength and speed to rival even a Jedi Master[34] through cybernetics. He became an even more threatening and fearsome warrior.[35] These augmentations turned an already capable warrior into a nearly unstoppable killing machine on the battlefield, giving him capabilities beyond those of a normal soldier.[30] According to legends of Grievous's mental state, however, the augmentations did little to settle his mind and led to increased anger.[29]
His transformation occurred over a period of time; Grievous gradually traded[30] many of his biological parts for upgraded mechanical ones[5] to become a murderous cyborg with one obsession: killing Jedi.[33] By the time of his choice, Grievous had grown psychotic and thus saw his enhancements as a logical development.[36] One day, Grievous' shuttle was critically sabotaged[8] by an enemy attack[37] during San Hill's assassination attempt,[38] nearly killing him[24] and destroying most[25] of what remained[23] of his original body.[25] When his troop carrier crashed, Grievous was flung from the wreckage.[39] Rumors would later be spread that the crash was orchestrated by Dooku,[21] which was indeed the case.[8]
Following a gruesome shuttle crash that fatally injured[24] and necessitated him to be fitted with different artificial body parts,[39] the Kaleesh warlord regains consciousness in a bacta tank and discovers that surgical FX droids have nearly totally gutted and deformed him.[40] Dooku claimed that a Jedi was responsible for the sabotage, fueling Grievous's hate for them[8] and to accept to reconstruction.[7] He agreed to the Count's offer of life-saving surgery[34] and return to military service.[7]
Even though Dooku was directly responsible for the shuttle crash that resulted in Grievous's injuries and subsequent transformation,[8] no evidence, at the end of the day, existed that Grievous was a victim in someone's grand design:[21] despite Dooku's actions,[8] Grievous had already decided to become a cyborg and was in that process[30] no matter the count's actions.[8][21] Later historical work even disregarded the idea that Dooku was involved in the general's reconstruction as a shadowy manipulator due to evidence from Grievous's own life:[21] it had been Grievous himself who wanted to be changed into a cyborg,[23] no matter what role Dooku played in the final steps.[8]
Separatist cybernetic experts and Geonosian biotechnicians surgically reconstructed Grievous[8] with assistance from medical droids,[21] including the FX-9 surgical assistant FX-6,[12] under the supervision of Count Dooku[8] and Darth Sidious.[21] Among the repairs and improvements provided by the Geonosian biotechs, some areas of Grievous's brain were altered without his knowledge[8] in order to make him a smarter and faster fighter.[41] Such upgrades included the installation of heuristic combat programming. Furthermore, his brain areas were also modified,[8] with brain tissue wired directly into and carried electrical signals,[35] to better facilitate the use of his cyborg body. However, his memory center was also tinkered with to suppress memories of his past,[8] to concentrate more,[20] and increase his aggression.[8]
A cut-away of Grievous's head.
While Grievous's vision was enhanced by cybernetic implants,[8] his eyes were his own, with enough skull remaining behind them to protect the organic muscles and tendons required for them to function normally.[36] His lungs were given implants as well.[35] Many critical decisions were made regarding what should be kept of his mangled body: by the time the Kaleesh warrior had been rebuilt,[8] very little of his original form remained. These remaining structures largely consisted only of his eyes,[35] portions of his[21] brain,[35] bone marrow,[20] spinal column, cord,[34][8] a pair of damaged[21] lungs,[41] his liver,[21] several vital internal organs,[35] and his cold[21] heart.[41]
The portions of his digestive system required to maintain his organic elements were preserved as well,[36] all implanted into a duranium alloy body[16] that encased him for the rest of his life.[20] His form was completed with two mechanical arms that could split into four,[16] turning him into a four-armed cyborg monstrosity,[18] two LX-44 robotic legs,[16] and integrated sensors that allowed him to touch and feel the world,[42] but his mind began to fracture.[15] Grievous's armor, made of durasteel composite duranium[21] and armorplast,[36] was not as indestructible as Mandalorian beskar, but it was significantly easier to manufacture and repair.[21] The cyborg's body intentionally matched Grievous's Kaleesh form and warlord armor; this comprised a faceplate[36] respecting his former existence, imitating his snub nose, bony protrusions on his chin,[21] and those karabbac's teeth, as well as the skull mask he formerly wore,[8] evoking his people's culture.[43] An ultrasonic vocabulator located behind duranium teeth,[8] where his mouth would have been[21] if he'd still had one,[44] created[36] and amplified[21] the General's harsh, powerful voice,[8] which almost perfectly matched his original voice.[36]
However, Grievous's spinal cord carried signals to and from his robotic limbs and body, as well as his remaining organs. Millions of pin-point electrodes were inserted into his brain from the lining of his helmet, to monitor brain activity and improve nerve signal timings. His head unit, which additionally retained parts of his skull, could be opened to allow for electronic repair or replacement, as well as further surgery. Though the cyborg's skeletal structure bore various call-backs to his Kaleesh past,[36] the vast majority of resemblances to other Kaleesh were eliminated;[3] only the typical[25] beady[44] snake-like golden eyes with slit pupils, a flat nose, and elongated ears remained,[25] surrounded by a small amount of[4] dark, tortured skin[44] extended somewhat upward from the forehead.[22] At first glance, the eyes,[44] eyelids, and surviving skin displayed the reptilian ancestry of the Kaleesh speckles,[36] the only thing that belied his cyborg's nature,[44] horribly alive behind his inanimate steel mask. Only his eyes, said to claim, resembled the man he once was, and looking into them was like gazing into the gaping maw of a black hole.[45]
As a cyborg, he did not have to eat or drink and could survive in a vacuum or underwater; he was also immune to poisons and toxins.[18] A synthskin gut-sack[16] sealed underneath his external armour plates[36] and ribs,[34] many of which were carved to seem like bone rather than metal,[36] protected his remaining vital organs.[16] The technology that was used for[6] Grievous's conversion into a cyborg wasn't perfect;[12] his heart and lungs were weakened,[41] with those lungs irritated by their implants, giving him a persistent cough[35] for the rest of his life[4] and, eventually, difficulty breathing.[41] That information was in the Sith's possession in case they had additional candidates for conversion in the future.[12] Due to his already compromised lungs, his speech occasionally degraded into a rasping,[21] random[44] coughing fit.[21]
The Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Count Dooku, who was well-known for his swordsmanship, has taught Grievous in the Jedi martial arts.
Grievous was initially handed a weapon—the one that belonged to an old friend long dead[8] of a former Jedi[20]—by Dooku and, afterward, continued to add other weapons to the collection he had started when he was still a warlord on Kalee.[8] Furious that his body had been entirely replaced with that of the droids he hated[9] despite it being his own wish to become a cyborg that put him down such a path,[6][36][12] Grievous immediately slaughtered all the guards present at his resurrection.[9] Disgusted by his cyborg body, Grievous reluctantly accepted the job of Supreme Commander of the Separatist Droid Armies.[7] No longer recognized as the person he once was[29] and more machine than alien,[24] with everything being metal, mechanical actuators, armorplast, and hatred.[36] With his living Kaleesh flesh traded for cyborg implants, Grievous claimed that[16] his changes were improvements[23] he chose to celebrate.[36]
He spent hours on end watching holovids of Jedi in combat and reading all the training manuals the Count could supply him with. When it came to dealing with death, Grievous was a voracious learner, and to him, the differing saber styles were essentially extra military techniques to learn.[44] He was then selected out[6] for lightsaber training none other than by Count Dooku,[4] the Jedi-turned-Sith-Lord,[26] who was regarded as a legendary swordsman.[30] A combination of Dooku's instruction and a combat program,[21] he has mastered several of the classic forms of Jedi arts[16] and derived his impressive, extremely effective fighting style.[21] While Dooku trained Grievous in Jedi martial arts,[9] the general retrained[46] and passed all of his knowledge to his IG-100 MagnaGuards[9] to assure their success in fighting and later would employ them as sparring partners to keep himself sharp.[10]
Grievous was given a modified EV-series medical droid known as EV-A4-D[47] purchased by the Separatists to serve as the cyborg's surgeon and cybernetics repair mechanic. With access to all of Grievous's medical and cybernetic data and substantially increased intelligence,[36] A4-D was one of the few individuals who understood his master's secrets,[47] making him an ideal foil for both the general and his doctor.[36] Grievous voluntarily submitted to mechanical modifications,[48] altering and improving his cybernetic body. In his fortress, A4-D always kept spares for the general and helped in the design and installation of the additional parts his master demanded. In this regard, his claim that he chose his own modifications could be considered true from a particular twisted perspective[7] in addition to the literal perspective.[6]
Grievous also owned a gigantic roggwart named Gor, whom he kept in his castle[23] as a pet and guard dog,[49] and showed genuine fondness for him.[7] Gor had enhanced by EV-A4-D with whip-like cybernetic limbs attached to his back and an exoskeleton to his torso, similar to himself, with a chest plate to defend his critical organs and a helmet to protect his braincase. During his numerous absences, Gor was tended after his medical droid.[49]
Statues of Grievous's transformation
The statues lining the halls of Grievous's personal fortress told the story of a transformation in the solitude of his inner sanctum.[21] Indeed, some stories stated that Grievous was already a cyborg when Count Dooku recruited him, as evidenced by [49] the statues that depicted him[23] as a victorious Kaleesh warrior, remembering his history,[36] and celebrating the achievements[50] located on the third moon[41] of Vassek.[23] As recounted in one legend, when Grievous's transformation was occurring over time, he initially only made simple enhancements before moving onto more extreme changes. The legend said Grievous transformed himself because he admired the logic of droids and wanted to mirror their infallibility, strength, and power.[29] Although Grievous was clearly confused about his final form, he despised his merely mechanical militia, perhaps implying deeper thoughts about his own drastic transformation.[21] According to the former Kaleesh warlord,[51] in his driven[52] desire to become the greatest warriors in the galaxy,[53] he had his entire body altered in an effort to give himself the advantage over Jedi[51] and be a match for one.[54] Regardless of how he came to be, Grievous's cybernetics greatly improved his skills, providing him an obvious advantage in battle.[21]
While he claimed his old form was no more than weak flesh,[42] Grievous retained several reminders of his past life. As a cyborg, Grievous frequently wore a Kaleesh cloak, which was a vestige of his past identity, as well as a fearsome mask that was often worn by Kaleesh warriors.[35] By the time he owned his fortress on Vassek 3,[23] Grievous had several statues that depicted his progression from his organic life into that of a cyborg. One of these depicts him as a Kaleesh warrior, holding aloft a decapitated enemy head of a Skrilling species and a sword in the other.[55] Grievous would visit his place that served as more than just his residence,[49] where he would reflect on his past[56] and mourn the life he had lost[49] after transforming into a cyborg.[23]
The Clone Wars[]
Early efforts[]
General of the Confederacy[]
- "The droid general, Grievous, has our forces spread thin."
- ―Mace Windu
Grievous received his cybernetic enhancements[23] and was trained in lightsaber combat by Dooku, who invited him to join his Separatist movement.[6] Grievous accepted the invitation[33] and allied himself with other members of the Confederacy[46] and the leading Executive Separatist Council, including members San Hill,[26] who, unbeknownst to Grievous, was secretly behind the assassination attempt,[38] and Poggle the Lesser.[26] All of them entrusted to him and Dooku their invaluable resources and large droid armies.[58] Grievous was in direct opposition of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order,[11] whom he had long regarded as mortal enemies.[8] According to legend, although Grievous had the outward appearance of a machine, Grievous was pleased, for he alone understood his true potential and that he still had some of what made him a living, breathing man. He believed that set him apart from the rest of the Separatists, droids and organics alike. However, neither droids nor organics found themselves comfortable in his company.[29]
General Grievous was at the head of vast and powerful armies of battle droids.
The CIS and Republic were soon launched into opposite warring sides of the galactic conflict known as the Clone Wars with the Battle of Geonosis,[26], which Grievous,[8] whose cyborg form was built around his few body parts,[7] secretly took part in, though he was not seen. While it was entirely by accident, Grievous's first clash against members of the Jedi Order came during the battle. He was positioned within the Stalgasin hive catacombs on Geonosis when the battle began, and while retreating, the cyborg ended up dueling a number of Jedi who incidentally wandered into the tunnels in the midst of the battle.[8] Grievous prevented the Jedi and the clone troopers from reaching the Separatist Council[7] and escaped through the hive tunnels beneath Geonosis,[59] leaving none of the Force-sensitives he encountered alive[8] to speak of his existence,[59] meaning his involvement[8] in the war's opening battle[26] was not discovered by the Republic until much later.[8]
Grievous was granted the rank of general[34] in the Confederacy military and took upon the title of Supreme Martial Commander of the Separatist Droid Armies,[17] and thus acted as Commander-in-Chief,[8] an absolute leader of the Separatist Droid Army,[60] and the most fearsome warrior of the Separatists.[61] As later proclaimed in the legend he made for himself, Grievous swiftly became accomplished during his tenure, and he had risen in the ranks as a result of the many campaigns he had fought on behalf of his masters, claiming victory after victory. He earned a name for himself amongst the powerful figures leading the Separatist movement, in part because of his sheer commitment to being the best soldier he could be. Soon enough, Grievous found himself promoted to the rank of general and given command of vast armies and fleets.[29]
During the early weeks of the war, Grievous had an encounter with Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi,[62] whom he wounded,[63] leaving the Cerean with scars across his cheek that took time to heal. In those weeks, he then publicly emerged onto the scene as a major Separatist leader.[62] Thus, a dangerous[64] and key Separatist leader[65] in the Separatist' hopes to overthrow the Republic.[66] Grievous brought a new wave of fear, and with it the threat of panic and chaos across the galaxy; the war expanded faster than the Republic could comprehend, and there was now a very real chance of losing.[67] Grievous outperformed every command officer in the Republic,[68] using brutal tactics[66] to lead the Confederacy[69] to claim numerous victories in a series of battles, instilling fear in his opponents,[66] and became the best[23] and most important Separatist general[2] and top military mind.[70] He became Count Dooku's most powerful enforcer[38] and his most foremost battlefield commander.[71]
With his combat prowess in battle[66] and his own fleet of specialized killing machines and vehicles,[72] he immediately gained a reputation as a savage, merciless brute,[69] military leader,[72] and tactical genius.[69] Grievous rose to a legendary status,[32] his name became infamous and, due to his choice of battle tactics, synonymous with the worst excesses of brutality and slaughter.[8] The news of his abilities, and subsequent victories, caused doubt in the Republic's military ranks, as well as pure fear in the hearts of his victims.[7]
As the Clone War proceeded to spread throughout the galaxy,[57] Grievous and his forces engaged the Grand Army of the Republic, and, under his command, the Separatist Droid Army attacked and conquered numerous Republic planets.[73] With four arms, four lightsabers, and a whole army behind him, Grievous had sliced through the Republic army's swaths of destruction and was viewed as unstoppable,[74] and thus it seems sense that anyone observing Grievous march forth would find it difficult to accept that he is not a complete machine.[75] As the Separatist Army's imposing leader, Grievous and the tales of his brutality and victories would strike fear throughout the Republic,[76] although the Confederate populace were not told the stories of the General's bloody onslaughts.[77] Ultimately, many Republic citizens—as well as some citizens in CIS territory—came to see Grievous as the face of the Confederacy despite Dooku's status as its official leader. Those who knew the Kaleesh warrior's true nature saw this face as a brutal and terrifying one.[78] Grievous also share his name with The Grievous Legion, a battle group that included at least one vulture droid.[79]
Grievous leads one of his armies against the Republic.
During the war, the clone troopers of the Republic Military,[80] having nicknamed the Confederacy's battle droids "clankers,"[81] accordingly nicknamed Grievous the "head clanker;"[80] Grievous was also referred to within the Republic as the "droid general."[57] While the war against the Yam'rii had given Grievous a vendetta against the Republic,[18] the Clone Wars had changed him; indifferent to the Republic and the politics of the war as a whole, his only goal was to see the extermination of the Jedi Order,[11] which led to him escalating the war as his quest to wipe out the Jedi once and for all carried on.[43] Only Grievous's hatred of Jedi and his unwavering faith in his own abilities gave those standing against him a chance.[33]
Grievous fought against numerous Jedi during the war, defeating and killing many of the Order's members,[76] drawing from his lifetime of expertise and advantages provided[53] by his powerful duranium droid physique directed by the deranged mind of a physically damaged warrior,[7] having proven himself to be formidable foe,[75] more than a match for his Jedi foes[66] even they did not engage foolishly.[75] He swiftly amassed a considerable number[34] of lightsabers as trophies taken from the Jedi he murdered[23] and became[82] an accomplished,[83] feared[43] Jedi hunter[76] and one of the galaxy's greatest fighters had ever seen, perhaps individually responsible for more Jedi deaths during the war than anybody else.[74] Grievous often maintained a strategy of elusiveness, making it difficult for the Republic's forces to locate him despite it being one of their primary objectives.[84]
Duels with Kenobi[]
- "I was told the Jedi was restrained."
"Terribly sorry to disappoint you. I'm going to need you to release Senator Yarua and his daughter."
"It's my turn to disappoint you." - ―Grievous duels Obi-Wan Kenobi
During the war, Grievous came to duel Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi numerous times, developing a history between them that made it so Grievous would choose to engage Kenobi over others.[11] Grievous harbored a deep hatred for Kenobi.[86] Their confrontation turned the two into mortal adversaries, and their immense abilities were evenly matched.[87] Each time was inconclusive, but both realized that this could not always be the case.[7] Kenobi's former apprentice, Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, considered him a monster that needed to be stopped,[11] even making it a personal mission to find Grievous.[84] However, Grievous and Skywalker would not meet face-to-face until the war had nearly reached its conclusion.[4]
Towards the beginning of the war, Grievous led a fleet of Providence-class Dreadnoughts to the Moon of Staggec with the aim of taking a valuable item from Republic Senator Yarua. There, he and his droid forces captured Yarua, Senator Padmé Amidala, and their associates. Shortly after, the droids also captured Yarua's daughter Viiveenn and Kenobi. Once Kenobi was restrained, Grievous interrogated Yarua and Viiveenn about their hidden item. Just then, Kenobi appeared behind Grievous and asked for Yarua and Viiveenn to be released. Grievous responded by drawing his lightsabers and engaging the Jedi in combat. Force pushed by Kenobi, Grievous immediately took Viiveenn hostage, only for Yarua to tackle him into space, sacrificing himself and allowing his daughter to escape along with the Jedi. While successfully escaping from the Separatists, Kenobi assumed Grievous was dead, but Yoda warned him not to underestimate him.[85]
Victories and defeats[]
While Kenobi, his Padawan apprentice Anakin Skywalker, and Senator Amidala were on a secret mission on a planet, Grievous had dispatched his B1-series battle droids, including a modified MSE droid, to infiltrate their Consular-class space cruiser. Then, Grievous appeared on their screen, revealing that everything was proceeding as planned, Kenobi was right to suspect he was involved, and Grievous relates to his concerns. Grievous ordered his droids to attack, he knew that the facilities were defeatable. He now reveals his true intention, knowing that there was nothing they can do to stop him. Grievous successfully reprogrammed their ship's flight computer, irreversibly directing them into the sun. Grievous explained to Padmé that while they were luckily against fighting battle droids, a little droid snuck into their ship. While Anakin instructed Obi-Wan to remain in command, Padme assured him that they would handle the droid, but Grievous reminded them that they cannot stop his droid in the same way they cannot change the direction of the ship and then ordered the droid to eliminate the Senator and the two Jedi. However, Kenobi and Skywalker took back control of the ship by having the mouse droid shoot at the control panel, and then the two Jedi destroyed the mouse droid, leaving only Grievous to admit defeat.[88]
Grievous and AD-W4.
Shortly into the war, Grievous met in person with the droid mercenary AD-W4 to hire him to oversee the Separatists' operations on the planet Hissrich. Grievous admitted that he would have liked to fill this role himself, but could not as he had the entire Separatist Droid Army to command. AD-W4 was skeptical, but after seeing the payment available, left to fulfill the job. AD-W4 served as commander of the droids on the planet and battled with Jedi Master Mace Windu and his Jedi squad. Grievous later checked in via hologram to see the progress of AD-W4, and the droid falsely claimed to have killed Windu; however Grievous demanded the Jedi's lightsaber as evidence, which was not presented.[89] Ultimately, the droid was defeated and Hissrich was lost to the Republic.[90]
A while later, after the incident on Cato Neimoidia, Grievous struck on key supply chains for war munitions.[62] At some point, Grievous and Jedi Knight Pablo-Jill had a duel over the world of Duro in a collapsing satellite city. Jill was left injured and lost his blue-bladed lightsaber to Grievous.[91] At some point, Grievous killed Jedi Master Jmmaar and took his green-bladed lightsaber in order to add to his own collection.[72]
Some time later, Grievous launched an assault that failed to capture Outpost 716, forcing Count Dooku to dispatch his personal assassin and apprentice, Asajj Ventress, in another attempt to capture the outpost. Darth Sidious doubts Dooku's faith in his two students, however, Ventress successfully captured Outpost 716. Soon after surviving an ambushed, Ventress informs Dooku that it appears someone slipped information to Chancellor Palpatine that she would be returning to clean up Grievous's mess.[92]
In the battle on the fourth moon of Parein II saw the first real test of the IG-100 MagnaGuards,[9] and on the battlefield, Grievous used a new weapon for the first time: the TSMEU-6 personal wheel bike.[93] With Grievous in command and leading his troops at the front, the Republic forces[9] led by Jedi General Sannen[94] were utterly crushed.[9] Sannen bravely tried to confront the cyborg directly, but the Jedi was instead stabbed in the throat with an electrostaff-wielding MagnaGuard.[94] The IG-100 MagnaGuards quickly became as feared as their master,[9] were synonymous with Grievous,[32] and shared his fearsome reputation,[16] rarely seen without at least two by his side, forming a shield around him few could pass.[10]
According to legend, early in the Clone Wars, Grievous was tasked with a critical mission; he was to travel to the distant ice planet Alamass and deploy his army of droids in an assault that would destroy a strategic enemy stronghold. The operation was a dangerous and difficult one, at which Grievous ultimately failed due to his tactical droid's betrayal. Grievous decided to take the risk even though sending an army there would have cost him a third of his droids along the way, and as he prepared to deploy an army of droids to the planet, his tactical droid disobeyed his programming by altering the plan Grievous had given the Droid Army: Grievous's orders would lead to Separatist victory. Eventually, the general was forced to admit his defeat to his Sith masters, becoming Grievous's first major loss.[29]
Grievous destroyed numerous droids on The Haven.
With the coordinates from Tarr Kligson,[95] a member of the Kligson Clan who operated as a bounty hunter,[96] Grievous traveled with two IG-100 MagnaGuards and several B1 battle droids to a large space station, The Haven,[95] orbiting Kligson's Moon.[96] Grievous arrived to offer Telemak, the station's protector, the protection of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, but knowing what Grievous wanted—more droids to join the Separatist Droid Army—Telemak interrupted him before he could finish and insulted him, suggesting that he couldn't beat the Galactic Republic with those he currently "enslaves." Grievous was dissatisfied that they would stay here and deteriorate, waiting for their[95] warrior-priest droid[97] Ajax Sigma to come back rather than seizing the chance he provided them to inflict revenge on the Jedi Order that had destroyed him.[95]
Before his next statement, Telemak declared that they do not sever organics, concluded the discussions, and surrounded him with droids. Grievous happily accepts and, tired of diplomacy, attacks Telemak and its droid army. Grievous destroyed numerous droids, but he lost all battle droids and may have overestimated the droids' capabilities since they wanted to be "free" and thought it would be pointless to utilize them for the Separatists. One of his MagnaGuards was then destroyed, and Grievous moved to deal with Telemak directly, who continued to ridicule him, but several droids seized him. He defeated them all, proving they couldn't compete with him. Telemak informed the general that many of them were willing to sacrifice themselves and asked if he would like to test how many he could defeat. Grievous realized he had no time dealing with Telemak's droids and called in his Sheathipede-class transport shuttle, jumped on board, promised to return to wrap up the conversation once the Republic fall and Telemak could keep its army since the Separatists could build more since droids are disposable, and left the station.[95]
Skirmish on Caliban[]
- "You belong to me, Kenobi. And you will do as I say… Or you will die."
- ―Grievous after capturing Kenobi
Grievous and Kenobi duel on the frozen moon of Caliban.
Grievous attacked the frozen moon of Caliban after he invaded the moon and destroyed a lunar bridge in the procession. He also captured Jedi General Kenobi and Clone Marshal Commander Cody, along with their squad of clone troopers and ordered them to rebuild the bridge, to allow him to freely move weapons and battle droids across the moon. Kenobi, however, answered that he and the clones would not have to work for Grievous, since according to the Galactic Accord of Systems, no war prisoner could be forced into manual labor. The Separatist general smacked Kenobi to the ground and threatened him with death if he would not follow his orders.[98]
Kenobi and the clones started constructing the bridge, but, during the operation, Grievous was distracted by a group of native Qubeys, in league with Kenobi, who piled on top of him and managed to steal back Kenobi's lightsaber, which had been tucked into Grievous's cloak, without the cyborg noticing. Although the bridge was completed sometime later, Grievous ordered the battle droids to execute Kenobi and his men, but the Qubeys ambushed the droids, allowing Kenobi to engage Grievous while the clones reclaimed their blasters. In the ensuing battle, Grievous overwhelmed Kenobi, but when he was right where the Master wanted him, Kenobi used the Force to cause an avalanche, burying Grievous and his droids. Kenobi and the clones escaped on a Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry gunship, realizing that staying to capture Grievous would put the Qubey further in danger, and they destroyed the bridge before Separatist reinforcements could arrive.[98]
Attack on the Stellar Rise[]
- "Tell me about the hilt you have found. I have been monitoring your mission here in the Outer Rim to collect rare Jedi artifacts from the High Republic Era."
- ―Grievous, to Anap Ree-Di
At some point during the Clone Wars, Grievous infiltrated the Arquitens-class light cruiser Stellar Rise and brought along four IG-100 MagnaGuards aboard with the intent of stealing High Republic–era artifacts. While taking inventory of crates that had been picked up near the Kazlin system, Checkbox noticed something off about the boxes he was going through from the one closest to him that sounded like a stone mite-like. A blue lightsaber from Grievous sliced through Checkbox, hacking him in two vertically. Upon entering the bridge, the MagnaGuards quickly dispatched the entire deck crew in under a minute. Grievous spared the ship's Captain Lozz Beraf, intimidating him, but then Jedi Knight Anap Ree-Di showed up and ordered him to let go of the captain and leave. His attention was caught by her piercing green eyes with a crystal-gaze and her apparent confidence, but he had yet to demonstrate his potential to her. Grievous has been keeping an eye on her mission in search of rare Jedi artifacts. He slowly produced four lightsabers, activated them one by one, and displayed a menacing demeanor. She remained motionless; her gaze locked on him. As the Jedi was about to be struck by all four MagnaGuards jumping forward, swinging their electrostaffs, she managed to draw her green lightsaber, blocking their attacks and somersaulting backwards to dodge the others, landing like a loth-cat.[44]
Grievous was on the search for Jedi artifacts from the High Republic Era.
Grievous stopped his droids' assault, and she quickly fled the bridge. He commanded his troops to follow her, removing his cape off the deck, and moved forward. They tracked the fleeing Jedi to a small area of the ship identified as the barracks, and Grievous stopped his troops' approach outside the main door. All around them, a wailing alarm went off; Captain Lozz must've activated it. While disregarding the roaring sounds, Grievous told his guards the three-word key elements. The Jedi mocked Grievous, once more emerging out of nowhere, attacking unexpectedly from behind, and severed one of the MagnaGuards' arms while it wielded an electrostaff. The remaining three droids launched their attack, delivering blow after blow on the Jedi's green blade repeatedly and driving her out of the barracks. Now, Grievous ignited two lightsabers and closed in for the kill. At that point, four clone troopers emerged, armed with weapons of their own. As they, too, struck from the rear, the MagnaGuards were caught off guard, and one of them was almost totally dissolved. Snarled in anger, Grievous flung one of his lightsabers in a low arc, slicing through the two clones' legs. After retrieving his weapon, he shifted his focus to the problematic Jedi, drawing three more from his cloak and charging toward her at speed.[44]
To his utter joy, he noticed a fleeting glimmer of confusion rather than terror, but regardless of her emotions, Grievous saw the Jedi retreating and would soon have her cornered. His adversary used the Force with a movement of her hand to open a blast shield behind her and stepped through it backwards, almost losing her footing. Grievous brought down two of his blades on her, which she parried, while the other two swept low and almost took out her legs. The seemed prepared Anap simply soared above the lightsabers and kicked Grievous's chest as the movement of his two lower arms unbalanced him. He pressed his attack once more, nearly disarming the Jedi with a maneuver meant to catch her by surprise. For a minute, Grievous stepped back, and the Jedi did something unusual. She waved her hand once more and lowered the shield, separating them from the battle between the troopers and IG-100 droids. He found the idea amusing that she would have felt he was defenseless without his MagnaGuards. Anap then informed Grievous that Master Jocasta Nu had described her as having an "old soul," to which he replied that would soon be all that remained of her. Grievous moved forward, spinning his lightsabers at near-impossible speeds, intent on striking a fatal blow. In a pitiful attempt at defense, she threw her ignited lightsaber at him, and he watched as it went harmlessly by, landing in an ancillary walkway. Ultimately, Grievous was tricked into entering an escape pod by Ree-Di, and the Republic ship jumped to lightspeed, leaving him alone and adrift in space.[44]
The Malevolence campaign[]
- "General Kenobi. Did you really think I would leave the hyperdrive unguarded?"
"Anything is possible. You haven't exactly impressed me today." - ―Grievous and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Grievous giving orders on the Malevolence bridge.
Around the time of the Battle of Christophsis, Grievous had spread Republic forces thin, which hampered Republic efforts to locate Rotta the Hutt after he was secretly kidnapped by the CIS.[57] After its victories on Christophsis and Dantooine made the war seem like it was swinging in the Republic's direction, Grievous took command at Hypori and led a brutal slaughter of clone troopers and Jedi.[67] During the battle, a group of Jedi Knights were taken by surprise. After the battle, the wreckage of an Acclamator-class cruiser that crashed earlier on Hypori remained as a grim memorial.[100]
Grievous was also known to lead starfleets within the Confederate Navy to further his conquest of Republic planets, with his ships leaving the worlds wrecked and burned.[5] As he was leading the Separatist forces in the Clone Wars, Grievous was given the Subjugator-class heavy cruiser Malevolence[101] as his flagship. From the Malevolence's bridge, Grievous could command millions of battle droids,[35] and he used his new warship in the Malevolence Campaign,[102] wherein he executed attacks on Republic fleets that left no survivors.[101] Grievous simply gradually unveiled the capabilities of his new ship.[7] For weeks, he tore through Republic shipping, destroying cargo vessels and their escorts,[34] like he had done with his own abilities.[7] For month,[103] rumors circulated of a terrifying new Separatist weapon[101] alongside widespread concern over the cyborg general.[103] Once such attack came with the Battle of the Phu system, where the Malevolence wiped out three Venator-class Star Destroyers[104] under the command of Jedi Master Ares Nune.[105]
Following that victory,[104] while stationed in the Abregado system with Count Dooku aboard, a Republic fleet led by Jedi Master Plo Koon and Clone Commander Wolffe aboard the Venator Triumphant arrived in the system to engage the warship. The mega-ion cannons of the Malevolence disabled the Republic fleet's deflector shields, and fired on the defenseless Star Destroyers. The entire fleet was destroyed, although a few individuals managed to survive by launching away from the vessels inside escape pods. General Plo Koon, Commander Wolffe, Clone Sergeant Sinker, and clone trooper Boost were the only survivors, having been eventually rescued by Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano aboard the G9 Rigger-class light freighter Twilight. As a result of the escape of survivors, Dooku's trust in Grievous was shaken, and the Sith Lord left to discuss the matter with his master, Darth Sidious.[101]
Grievous flees the critically-damaged Malevolence aboard Soulless One.
After later destroying a Republic convoy in the Ryndellia system, Grievous, as instructed by Dooku via hologram, took the Malevolence to destroy a Republic medical facility that was treating over 60,000 wounded clones. In order to reach the target, the Malevolence had to navigate around the Kaliida Nebula, a time-consuming journey that frustrated Grievous. Upon arriving at its destination, the ion cannons of the Malevolence were disabled by a small strike force of fighters led by General Skywalker. After this, a Republic fleet led by Obi-Wan Kenobi aboard his flagship the Negotiator arrived and attacked Grievous's crippled ship.[80] Grievous was forced to retreat, but Dooku came up with a new plan; taking Senator Amidala hostage. After Amidala's ship was captured, the Republic fleet stopped firing, and a rescue team was sent to board the Malevolence led by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker aboard the Twilight.[99]
Grievous fought Obi-Wan Kenobi briefly and overpowered him but as he prepared to kill the Jedi, Kenobi jumped onto another vehicle, saluting the general as he left, and the two Jedi managed to escape with Padmé and her protocol droid C-3PO. Grievous ordered the Malevolence to retreat to hyperspace, arranging to meet his warship at a Separatist base in Sector Four. Grievous pursued Twilight in his personal starfighter, the Soulless One, with a squadron of Vulture droids, but Skywalker had sabotaged the navigation system of the Malevolence so that when the ship engaged its hyperdrive, it crashed directly into the nearby Dead Moon of Antar. Grievous escaped in his starfighter, Soulless One, but he had personally disconnected a transmission with a questioning Count Dooku.[99]
While Grievous escaped, the Separatist effort suffered a blow.[7] The ship's loss was undoubtedly a blow to Darth Sidious's plans and the Separatist movement, as well as a poor return on such a large investment of time and resources.[104] In addition, the absence of the Malevolence kept the arrogant Grievous at bay.[46] Only a few months after this session, Grievous would face Luminara Unduli in person at Nadiem in the Outer Rim.[106]
At some point, Grievous commissioned over twenty-six thousand B1 battle droids and to be deployed to Hakara. C-5DS, the droid in service of Grievous, communicated with Poreni, the chief supervisor of the droid factory on the Outer Rim planet Akiva, about batch 4652-A, which proved insufficient in terms of combat performance. In response to the poor performance, Poreni apologized and offered a twenty percent discount on the next batch of B1s as well as promising to improve the performance. C-5DS accepted the discount and made an advance order of twelve thousand BX-series droid commando units.[107]
Information about a hidden Separatist weapons factory beneath a granary complex on Abrion Major that would produce the new Mega-ion cannon for Count Dooku and General Grievous was discovered by the Republic.[67]
Attack on Rishi Station[]
- "All the preparations for your invasion are in order."
"Good. Our fleet is approaching the system. We are almost at the rendezvous point."
"Very good, my lord. I will await your arrival."
"The destruction of Kamino will stop their production of clones for good." - ―Asajj Ventress informs Grievous that the preparations for his invasion of Kamino are in order
The Republic would make efforts to locate Grievous, but, even after Clone Intelligence spotted him in the Balmorra system, the general remained out of the Republic's sight. Several standard weeks after his sighting in the Balmorra system, Anakin Skywalker was losing sleep while searching for the cyborg, but he denied himself his needed rest until Grievous was found. While Obi-Wan Kenobi believed that they would know if Grievous entered their current quadrant, the general was currently preparing to launch an attack on Kamino. Under the Separatist invasion plan, Grievous would be able to remain undetectable, as he was to take over the Rishi Station. Seizing the listening outpost would enable the Separatists to keep its all-clear signal broadcasting; Republic forces would assume Kamino was still secure, meaning Grievous's fleet could launch a surprise assault on the planet.[84]
Grievous speaks with Ventress via hologram aboard his warship.
Grievous, determined to stop the clone production on Kamino, sent a team of BX-series droid commandos to seize Rishi Station from the clone troopers stationed there. After the commando droids had taken control of the station, Grievous was contacted by their captain aboard his Munificent-class star frigate, who informed him that the outpost was secure, and that they managed to disable the alarm and activate the all-clear signal. Grievous ordered him to keep the signal activated, so as not to draw the Republic's attention and lose the element of surprise.[84]
After ending the transmission, a battle droid informed the general that their spy on Kamino, Asajj Ventress, was contacting him. Ventress assured Grievous that everything was ready for their invasion. Pleased, the general informed her that he had almost reached their rendezvous point. However, the station was soon visited by Clone Captain Rex and Clone Commander Cody, who were inspecting the station as part of a security checkup. The two clone officers soon discovered the outpost had been taken, and met with the survivors and retook the station from the commando droids. When communication with the droids was abruptly cut off, Grievous sent a battalion of B1-series battle droids to inspect the station and was informed that there were clones in the station. One of the clone troopers, Hevy, sacrificed himself to destroy the base, which angered Grievous as he believed that the droids had blown it up instead. The base's destruction ended the all-clear signal and alerted the Republic fleet to Grievous's location. Upon the Republic's arrival, the Kaleesh cyborg immediately realized that his forces were heavily outgunned, and ordered his fleet to make a full retreat out of the system, therefore postponing the Kamino invasion.[84] Knowing it was only a matter of time before Kamino was targeted again, General Grievous was given a 'dead or alive' warrant by the Galactic Senate.[7]
Skytop Station campaign[]
Fighting in the Outer and Mid Rim[]
- "Our intelligence has confirmed that Grievous's spies have been intercepting our transmissions."
"He must have some sort of secret listening post out there somewhere."
"That would explain how he's been able to ambush our fleets." - ―Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, and Anakin Skywalker
General Grievous during his campaign in the Outer Rim.
Only a short time after the Malevolence offensive,[109] Grievous launched another campaign, targeting Republic fleets in the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories by using[108] the newly created Skytop Station, a Separatist battlesphere that served as a listening post. Able to locate and ambush Republic fleets without warning, Grievous moved his forces against the Republic's forces in the Outer Rim, and, due to the victories he gained, the Republic's foothold in the Outer Rim began to slip from their disastrous losses.[110] Despite suffering a few serious setbacks, Grievous continued on his march, leading the Separatists to numerous triumphs and proving himself a nearly indestructible opponent for both the Jedi and the Republic, leaving a trail of conquest and destruction across the galaxy. In a single month, he led Separatist forces in the invasion of several planets and the capture of vital hyperspace lanes leading to Bespin, Kessel, and Mon Calamari.[7] Anakin Skywalker and his battle group fought against Grievous's forces in the campaign, but failed to stop Grievous's advance.[108]
His next move was to capture Bothawui, the Bothan homeworld and a vital intelligence planet for the Republic. However, Grievous pulled the Republic fleet out of hyperspace and engaged the Jedi and their clone troopers before they could reach Bothawui. Grievous reconsidered his decision to stop pursuing Skywalker's fleet in order to help coordinate attacks against Republic forces stationed near the planet Falleen. With the help of Count Dooku and Asajj Ventress,[7] Grievous led an agile fleet to attack Falleen[30] and captured the planet for the Separatists before[7] preparing to take the planet of Bothawui[108] in the Mid Rim Territories[111] to attack Skywalker's fleet with information from his spies. After the Republic battle group at Falleen was wiped out, the fleet under the command of Grievous continued on to Bothawui, which was of high strategic value and was currently being protected by Skywalker and a weary fleet of Republic cruisers. Realizing that attacking from above would put them at a disadvantage, Grievous moved the fleet through the asteroid field to engage Skywalker's fleet, knowing that the asteroids would protect him from any surprise attacks.[108] Before Skywalker led Gold Squadron the engagement, this tactic allowed Grievous to damage the Republic cruiser.[59]
General Grievous at the Battle of Bothawui.
Skywalker then deployed into the Gold Squadron from his flagship, the Resolute, to try and draw out the general. As Grievous's fleet exited the asteroid field, it was able to severely damage one the Republic cruisers, but was quickly outflanked by All Terrain Tactical Enforcers hidden on the asteroids. Grievous was shocked and angered that Skywalker knew what he was planning to do, and ordered an immediate retreat. However, the battle droid commander was dumbfounded as to where to go, so Grievous abandoned his flagship and the droids in annoyance.[108] He quickly fled in his personal starfighter, Soulless One, rather than risk destruction or capture. He fled, leaving the Separatist fleet to be destroyed. Both actions were indicative: Skywalker frequently chose bold, maneuvers, while Grievous fled as soon as he realized a battle was not in his favor.[59] He was soon spotted by Skywalker, who attempted to pursue him in his Delta-7B Aethersprite-class interceptor but was soon sent spinning out of control as a result of the damage his fighter had sustained earlier in the fight. Meanwhile, Grievous had managed to power up the Soulless One's hyperdrive, allowing him to jump into hyperspace. The rest of Grievous's fleet however, was destroyed.[108] However, Grievous's victory over Falleen helped offset his first unsuccessful invasion on Kamino, as well as his attack on Bothawui.[33]
Following his loss at Bothawui, Grievous contacted the Trandoshan salvager Gha Nachkt, and requested that he search the debris field for an astromech droid,[108] telling him to rendezvous at Skytop Station on Ruusan's moon once the droid was located. The droid in question was R2-D2, the astromech droid of General Skywalker, with Grievous suspecting that he held vital military secrets within his memory banks that could aid the Separatists.[110]
Trapping Skywalker[]
- "Ah! There's our Jedi tracking beacon. Skywalker, now you have fallen into my trap."
- ―Grievous after R3-S6 activated the tracking beacon on Skywalker's Jedi Starfighter
Grievous's Munificent-class star frigates attempts to block the Twilight's escape.
Later, Grievous was contacted by Nachkt, who informed him that he had the droid in his possession and was en route to their rendezvous point. He also revealed that Skywalker had boarded his ship looking for it, and believing it to be valuable, requested more money than they had previously agreed upon. However, Grievous threatened him, telling Nachkt to not anger him and to arrive as fast as he could, or else there would be consequences.[108]
Not soon after, Grievous detected Skywalker's fighter's beacon, which had been activated by R3-S6, Skywalker's replacement astromech droid, who in reality was a Separatist spy. Having fallen into his trap, Grievous aboard his new command ship suddenly dropped out of hyperspace and attacked, destroying his hyperspace transport ring, preventing his escape, proceeding to launch an entire squadron of vulture droids to kill the Jedi, and ordered his cruisers to move in. However, Skywalker was rescued by the timely arrival of his apprentice Ahsoka Tano and the Twilight, Skywalker's freighter. The General then ordered his ships to prevent their escape, but the Twilight was able to navigate between the two battleships, causing them to collide with each other, destroying the vulture droids. The Jedi's ship then jumped to hyperspace. In his anger, Grievous physically decapitated an unfortunate battle droid who had pointed out to him that the Jedi had escaped.[108]
Encounter on Skytop Station[]
- "Sorry to interrupt your playtime, grumpy, but wouldn't you prefer a challenge?
"That wouldn't be you!" - ―Ahsoka Tano and Grievous after the latter attempts to kill the unconscious Captain Rex
Grievous duels Ahsoka Tano aboard Skytop Station.
Nachkt soon arrived at Skytop Station with R2-D2, and proceeded to disassemble the astromech droid and sift through his memory banks for any vital information. Grievous listened as Nachkt revealed that the data within the astromech had never been erased and contained a wealth of information that they could exploit. Trying to use this to his advantage, Nachkt demanded double the agreed price, but Grievous, having grown tired of his incompetence, proceeded to impale him with his lightsaber, killing him with Grievous cackling in his death. He was then informed by the spy R3-S6 that the Jedi had infiltrated the station in order to rescue the droid. Grievous ordered R3 to distract them until he arrived, and tasked his IG-100 MagnaGuards with taking care of the astromech while he confronted the Jedi.[110]
Grievous then found Skywalker's apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, along with Captain Rex and a squad of clone troopers. He engaged them in combat and managed to kill all of the clones except Rex and "Denal," who were saved by the timely intervention of Ahsoka. As she confronted the general, she was quickly overpowered,[110] and knowing she couldn't finish him on her own,[12] she successfully evaded his assaults and was forced to retreat further into the station, with Grievous and R3 giving chase after her. While searching one of abandoned spare parts rooms for her, Grievous was informed that Skywalker had gone to rescue his astromech. He then had R3 go to the hangar and ensure that Skywalker would not escape. Hanging from the ceiling, Grievous found Tano and clamped a metal hand around the Padawan's throat, examining her fallen lightsaber with his free hand.[110]
Believing he had won, Grievous taunted his prisoner, saying Skywalker would be next after he eliminated her. Despite Tano's claims that her Master would destroy Skytop Station, Grievous believed otherwise. However, Tano's beliefs proved true when the Republic squad detonated the explosives in the reactor room, crippling the listening post's repulsorlift systems. As the station shook from the impact, Tano managed to use her lightsaber to sever the hand clamped around her throat. Although Grievous attempted to slash her with one of his lightsabers, Tano retrieved her weapon and escaped through an air duct. Their objective complete and R2-D2 safely back with Skywalker, the Jedi made their escape. Grievous then retreated aboard the Soulless One as the station collapsed around him.[110]
Various advancements[]
- "More machine than alive, though more dangerous for it."
- ―Jedi Master Yoda on Grievous
The Invisible Hand, as seen from starboard.
With the loss of the Malevolence, Grievous suffered not only the loss of a vessel, but also a significant loss of face, and he wouldn't be trusted with a vessel worthy for his position as Supreme Commander of the Separatist Droid Armies.[112] The Neimoidian Viceroy Nute Gunray, who detested the General for giving the beast preferential treatment from Count Dooku, had found slight sense of joy. In turn, Grievous hated the cowardly, pretentious, and foolish Gunray.[113] For a time, Grievous had been forced to command Munificent-class star frigates as his flag ships. Eventually,[112] Grievous decided he instead wanted the Providence-class Dreadnought Invisible Hand to fill the role of his flagship,[16]which made him laugh cruelly,[113] demanding the vessel from Nute Gunray,[8] something softly but clearly insisted on by none other than Darth Sidious himself.[113]
The ship was indeed turned over to Grievous,[8] who used it throughout the conflict[16] in addition to other flagships.[11][114] and could utilize it, at least, to further solidify his terrible image for ruthless excess[112] and the flagship's great effect. The Invisible Hand became well-known and feared throughout the Republic and was a constant threat in battles for key Republic worlds.[113] Like on the Malevolence before it, Grievous could command millions of droids from the bridge of the Invisible Hand.[35]
At some point prior to the discovery of his lair by the Jedi-led Republic team, Jedi Master Neebo was on the moons of Sanjin. Neebo was attempting to protect refugees on the moons, but she was presumed missing.[115] However, Jedi Master Kit Fisto and his former apprentice Nahdar Vebb later found her lightsaber among the trophies of the Jedi Grievous had murdered, and Vebb believed that what was in the room were trophies from the Jedi Grievous had killed.[23] There were also rumors that Grievous once had a laboratory built on the moon of Gentes.[116] During the war, Grievous ravaged the homeworld of a loathsome rascal named Ralakili, leaving the man with a hate for droids that culminated in him running droid fighting pits in the Lodge on the planet Vandor.[117]
Proving his competence[]
- "You might have been a proud warrior once, but now you are just a pawn in Dooku's game!"
"I wield great power, Jedi fool!"
"That power will only consume you." - ―Kit Fisto and Grievous
Grievous activates two more of his lightsabers during combat with the Jedi.
Later in the war, Grievous was instructed by his master to return to his fortress on the third moon of Vassek. When he arrived, he found that his MagnaGuards had been deactivated.[23] Although there were victories, the errors were serious enough[33] when Grievous failed to meet Sith's expectations,[12] Count Dooku, having laid traps for the general in order to test his abilities, lured the Jedi and clones to Grievous's fortress to track down and look for Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray, who, unbeknownst to them,[23] was not there,[118] leaving him alive or,[33] if necessary,[50] destroying him.[33] With the Jedi having infiltrated the base and his bodyguards deactivated, the Count had hoped to punish Grievous for his recent failures.[23]
As Grievous entered his lair, Kit Fisto and Nahdar Vebb, along with a squad of clones led by Commander Fil, quickly sprung to surprise attack him. Fisto welcomed him back into his home, and requested him to surrender so that the senate may be more merciful. the cyborg responded that Fisto would be the one begging for mercy, as he ignited his two lightsabers and confronted the two Jedi in lightsaber combat, holding them off, then separating two more lightsabers. They briefly dueled, while the clone troopers used the ascension cables attached to their weapons to tug on his legs. Fisto was then able to slice off the lower half of his legs, leaving him only able to crawl and climb using his upper limbs,[23] which allowed him great mobility.[12] While Vebb chased after Grievous, he was able to knock away one of Grievous's lightsabers with the help of Fisto, but Grievous jumped away and grabbed one of the clone troopers to use as a shield, threw the trooper at Vebb, and knocked him to the ground. He then began to run away, using rungs on the ceiling to move quickly above the floor while taking a blaster shot to the face. He turned around and attacked the pursuers, crippling them, before opening a secret door, going through it, and closing it behind him, trapping the remaining two clones and the Jedi.[23]
In his control room, Grievous ordered EV-A4-D to proceed with repairs, and he reactivated the remotely deactivated MagnaGuards, locked down the fortress, and set off a trap that killed another clone. The group then attempted to leave the castle, but before they could, they were locked in. Grievous then ordered his MagnaGuards to destroy their shuttle outside. Grievous then appeared on a hologram, and proceeded to taunt the remaining group. Fisto fired back, asking Grievous to come out of hiding. He replied that while they wait, they should experience all that his home had to offer. As his hologram flickered off, the floor beneath disappeared. Fisto and Vebb were able to easily jump back onto the floor still remaining, however one clone trooper fell to his death. Clone Commander Fil dispersed his cable, and was pulled back up by the Jedi. A short while after recovering from what had just happened, Grievous unleashed his pet roggwart Gor, in an attempt to finally finish them off. Fisto warns Vebb and Fill that they are about to encounter something considerably more dangerous than the general.[23]
After repairs had been completed, Grievous checked on the Jedi to see whether they had been killed, but he discovered that the Jedi had killed his beloved pet instead.[23] Enraged by his pet's death,[49] he promised vengeance,[7] adding to another reason for his hatred for the Jedi.[49] However, Dooku interrupted Grievous, informing him that he had invited the Jedi into his lair to reassess his usefulness following his recent setbacks at the hands of the Jedi. An enraged Grievous resolved to seek down and kill Fisto and Vebb. Upon leaving his command center, A4-D alerted Grievous that the Jedi were about to enter the control room and separated them. Grievous then engaged Padawan Nahdar Vebb in a fierce duel; due to his multiple limbs, Grievous easily killed Vebb with a dirty, but well-timed blaster shot. The General then added Vebb's lightsaber to his collection. Fisto saw the duel and his former apprentice's death on video, along with Grievous threatening and intimidating him. Having eliminated Vebb, Grievous then followed and chased after Fisto, forcing the Jedi onto the castle's outer platform and emerging before him, climbing from below the platform.[23]
Grievous and Fisto engage in battle.
As the two fought, Fisto deactivated his lightsaber and snuck up on Grievous,[23] taking advantage of the dense fog that surrounded the castle.[7] Grievous positioned his four lightsabers in front of him[23] to defend himself,[7] but Fisto attacked him from behind,[23] nearly taking him by surprise[7] as he perfectly timed Fisto's attack. The two continued their fierce lightsaber duel,[23] and despite Grievous's superior lightsaber skill,[34] Fisto gained the upper hand[119] and managed to sever one of Grievous's hands holding Vebb's lightsaber, reclaiming the weapon[23] in respect of his fallen comrade.[7] Fisto pushed him with the Force, causing him to lose his balance, but he recovered quickly and continued the duel with renewed vigor. Suddenly, three MagnaGuards arrived and joined Grievous in battle[23] to support their leader's attack,[119] and Fisto was quickly surrounded and outnumbered. Grievous ordered Fisto to surrender, but the Jedi managed to escape when his ship appeared, jumped into its open cockpit, and returned to Coruscant,[23] knowing where the general's hideout was.[12]
The test highlighted Grievous's capabilities: he could be a great match for a Jedi master in hand-to-hand combat; however, it also demonstrated the weaknesses in the Jedi Order that had been evident since the Clone Wars begun.[12] Shortly thereafter, Grievous contacted Dooku and told him that he had defeated the Jedi, but that Fisto had escaped. Dooku congratulated Grievous on his victory but stated that he could have done better and that there was still room for improvement before leaving the cyborg[23] to ruminate on his failures.[7] Grievous barely survived, but he knew the cost of failing the Sith again.[12] Grievous's hatred for Dooku became stronger as he sensed treachery;[33] it was a betrayal he was unwilling to forgive. However, he would soon have his revenge.[7] Immediately,[5] on the General's order, EV-A4-D was recovered and rebuilt, and continued to serve the cyborg until the conclusion of the war.[36] With the Republic having discovered his lair, however, Grievous was forced to abandon Vassek 3 and relocated his base of operations.[119]
Later in the war, Grievous led the blockade of Felucia,[120] which consisted at least four Munificent-class frigates,[121] and Kenobi, Skywalker, and Tano were sent to break the blockade. The Republic and the Separatists fought a tough fight in the battle of Felucia.[120] Several battalions of B1, B2 battle droids, dwarf spider droids, Armored Assault Tanks, and vulture droids converged upon the Republic's main position. While Ahsoka refused to evacuate, now that her patrol had the battle droids on the run in the nearby jungle, Skywalker convinced her to retreat when he warned that the droids were regrouping and were about to overrun her position if she kept forcing the droid back. The two Jedi and some AT-TEs formed a defensive circle to defend themselves against the droid forces. Plo Koon led several LAAT/i gunships and an escorting squadron of V-19 Torrent starfighters to evacuate the troops on Felucia.[121]
Republic cruisers were ordered to breach the Separatist planetary blockade in orbit as part of a hurried rescue operation,[59] and rescue gunships were sent to the surface to evacuate the survivors. General Plo Koon personally led the assault, clearing a route through droid starfighter defenses, and upon reaching the surface, Koon saw a dire scenario on the ground, as Kenobi and Skywalker had set up a defensive cordon around their dwindling armored forces. Through sheer numbers, the Separatists secured the strategic planet,[121] nearly ending in disaster for the Republic forces,[120] forcing them to withdraw from the world.[121] While the battle was lost, some of the Republic's most valuable commanders were rescued and redeployed to strategic fronts elsewhere in the galaxy.[59]
After Padmé Amidala discovered Senator Rush Clovis was allied to the Separatists and conspired with them to fund a new droid factory on Geonosis,[122] Grievous used his agile fleet to attack[30] and invade the planet Dorin to drive Republic forces away from Geonosis,[103] but the forces led by Skywalker and Tano defeated Grievous's forces on Dorin, allowing them to soon join Luminara Unduli, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Obi-Wan Kenobi for the second invasion of Geonosis.[123] Grievous's invasion of Dorin demonstrated that, despite inconclusive reconnaissance and information, the planet had once again become a priority target.[103]
Capture of Eeth Koth[]
- "Your reputation precedes you, General—the reputation of a coward and a murderer."
"Murderer? Is it murder to rid the galaxy of you Jedi filth?" - ―Eeth Koth and Grievous
Jedi generals were occasionally put in peril while hunting for Grievous,[7] and while on a mission to find those who had launched attacks on hyperspace routes near the Outer Rim with his fleet,[103] Jedi Master Eeth Koth's flagship, the Steadfast, was ambush[11] near the planet Arda in the Outer Rim[124] by Grievous and boarded the vessel with a force of battle droids.[11] Soon after, he overwhelmed his forces[103] and confronted Koth on the ship's bridge, where he revealed he had been looking forward to meeting the Jedi Master. Koth noted that Grievous's reputation, that of a murderer and coward, preceded him, Grievous disagreed and asked whether it was murder to kill the Jedi before kicking Koth back. The two began a brief but intense duel, and Koth managed to Force push Grievous into a viewport, but one of the MagnaGuards shocked him from behind with an electrostaff, and he moved in for an attack from the front. Koth blocked his attack, but MagnaGuard continued to shock him, briefly falling to his knee, and Grievous rushed in for another attack. Once again, the MagnaGuard shocked him, and the Jedi Master was quickly brought to his knees, and Grievous picked up him by the neck and carried him off the ground.[11] He chose not to kill the Jedi as he normally would have[103] and instead took him prisoner,[11] in part to possibly draw out other Jedi for him to kill, but mainly because he relished the agony it caused[7] and later added Koth's lightsaber to his collection.[91]
General Grievous tortures Eeth Koth in a transmission to the Jedi.
Grievous then sent a message to the Jedi Council, showing himself torturing Koth and promising to kill the Jedi Master, as he knew that it would be painful to the other members of the Order. He promised he would hunt down and eliminate the remaining Jedi. As Grievous had hoped, the Jedi Council members and clone commanders who had served alongside Koth reacted to the transition; they resolved to come directly to the Jedi Master's rescue.[11]
Saleucami conflict[]
- "The story of Obi-Wan Kenobi ends here!"
- ―Grievous engages Kenobi
Grievous engaging Kenobi in combat.
Unbeknownst to Grievous however, Eeth Koth had managed to communicate a secret message to the Council through the use of hand signals, telling them that he and Grievous were stationed in the Saleucami system.[11] In response, the Council sent three of its finest Jedi,[12] Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Adi Gallia, to rescue Koth and attempt to capture Grievous. Once they arrived, Kenobi sought out and engaged Grievous in an effort to distract him, while Skywalker and Gallia snuck aboard Grievous's ship to rescue Koth. However Grievous, having earlier deduced that he was being tricked, had laid a trap for the Jedi. Nonetheless, his attempts to stop them were futile and Skywalker and Gallia were able to successfully rescue Koth. Meanwhile, Grievous had managed to gain the upper hand in his duel with Kenobi, but his Commando Droids on his ship had been overwhelmed by Skywalker and Gallia. Unfortunately, his Recusant-class light destroyer, which had served as his flagship in the battle that had broken out, was taking heavy fire from Skywalker's trio of Star Destroyers and was nearly destroyed. Forced to withdraw from his duel and flee, the general attempted to land on the planet of Saleucami in a Trade Federation landing ship. However, the craft malfunctioned,[11] and Grievous and the droids were forced to evacuate into escape pods.[125]
However, Obi-Wan Kenobi followed Grievous to Saleucami in an attempt to capture the cyborg general. Grievous recognized that he[125] and his squad[126] of B1-series battle droids needed to escape before they were located, only to then see Kenobi's Acclamator-class assault ship overhead. One of Grievous's battle droids reported that their escape pod's transmitter was destroyed, making it impossible to contact the fleet as Grievous had ordered. When the B1 stated that there was only one surviving escape pod, Grievous responded that they needed to reach it as fast as possible, as its transmitter could still be functional, and ordered for his units to find him a form of transportation. With Grievous using a reek for transport[125] through the underbrush and having appropriated several eopies to be their pack animals,[127] Grievous and his droids moved towards the escape pod[125] in the wetlands.[128]
However, the General did not allow for his battle droids to ride on creatures for transport, draining the B1's power cells. The droids verbally complained about their low power, to Grievous's clear annoyance, but Grievous continued their march despite being told about their situation. Eventually, a B1 brought their situation up once more, but Grievous responded by using his green lightsaber to cut down the unit. Now scared, two other B1s said they had no more complaints, and their march continued into the later hours of Saleucami's day. However, Kenobi and his forces, having performed a robolobotomy on a B1 found at the landing craft's crash site, were able to locate Grievous's initial pod. Kenobi deduced they were heading for another pod and spoke with the clone trooper Jesse. The Jedi General reported that Grievous was on the move and ordered for Jesse and[125] his squad[129] to move towards the final pod, so that way the Republic could have all their possible firepower when confronting Grievous. Kenobi and his forces then moved to the west to catch the cyborg general.[125]
Grievous and Kenobi briefly duel on Saleucami.
Elsewhere, Grievous was frustrated that they had not reached the pod. One of his B1s, which were now running very low on power, responded that they were nearly there, although the unit's low power caused it to mix the sentence's words into the wrong order. Another B1 was able to clarify they were only a kilometer away, but both these droids ran out of power and closed down. Grievous and his remaining droids did make it to the pod, but the incoming Republic forces had come close enough to get a visual. Grievous immediately asked a B1 if their transmitter was working, knocking the B1 to the ground after hearing the unit did not know and had yet to use it. Grievous ordered another B1, who was surprised that Grievous had reached them, to send a signal to the fleet, but this droid then told Grievous that multiple life-forms were closing in. After hearing this, Grievous ordered for the droids to take up battle positions. One B1 fired a missile directly at the All Terrain Tactical Enforcer Kenobi was riding on, but the Jedi Master was able to jump off before it was hit and charged forward with his clone soldiers. As the battle raged, Grievous questioned where his shuttle was, but his answer eventually came when a Sheathipede-class transport shuttle flew overhead,[125] which the General was relieved to see.[130]
Kenobi ordered for an AT-TE to take the shuttle down, but, during its second landing attempt, a clone gunner reported that the mass-driver cannon was overheated. Kenobi ran in stop Grievous himself, but, after a B1 alerted Grievous that the Jedi was behind him, Grievous was able to block Kenobi's lightsaber. Engaging in a brief duel, Kenobi was able to disarm Grievous of one of his lightsabers, but the cyborg kicked Kenobi away. Climbing to the top of the escape pod, Grievous told the shuttle's B1 pilots to not land, and instead he fired an ascension cable to the bottom of the starship. The shuttle was then able to fly away from the Republic Army,[125] leaving Kenobi crestfallen.[130] While Kenobi told Clone Commander Cody to tell their cruisers to stop the shuttle,[125] General Grievous was ultimately able to escape and continue to serve in the war.[114]
Eeth Koth had been successfully rescued, but the disappointment of missing out on a much larger victory lingered.[103] After Grievous escaped from his Republic pursuers on Saleucami, he saw that the world would be a good outpost. As a result, he deployed a large Separatist force, which fought an enemy blockade of Saleucami, to the planet.[131] Sometimes later, Grievous's efforts were prevented by the Republic fleet along the Hydian Way, bolstered by Plo Koon.[132]
Battle of Kamino[]
- "All is ready, General."
"Good. We will attack Tipoca City first."
"I have the exact locations of both the clone DNA room and the clone trooper barracks."
"Both shall be annihilated under my hand."
"Our hands, General. Count Dooku assigned us both this task."
"But of course, assassin. I look forward to meeting you." - ―Asajj Ventress reports to Grievous that they are ready to attack Kamino
Grievous and Ventress meet in person for the first time.
Despite the failure of their first attempt,[84] Grievous and Ventress planned to launch another invasion of Kamino. However, a transmission between the two was intercepted by the Galactic Republic, and as a result the 501st Legion was deployed to Kamino in preparation for the impending attack. As the two conferred before the battle, Grievous decided to start their initial assault on Tipoca City, home of the Republic's cloning facilities. Jedi General Shaak Ti was already on Kamino, while Wullf Yularen was in charge of a Republic blockade against Grievous's fleet. As Grievous engaged the Republic blockade, Ventress, with her Trident-class assault ships and AQ-series battle droids, attacked the city. After the initial struggle, Grievous managed to break through the blockade and land on the surface with the remainder of his forces,[114] desperate to deny his rival commander the opportunity to claim all the credit.[103]
Once there, he proceeded to speak with Ventress about their objectives: Grievous would assault the clone trooper barracks while Ventress would get a sample of Jango Fett's DNA, the Grand Army's prime clone. During the assault, Ventress managed to acquire the DNA sample, but her escape was prevented by Skywalker, and in the ensuing fight the sample was lost. Elsewhere, Grievous was confronted by Kenobi and the two engaged in a heated battle until a Trident ship destroyed the pier they were fighting on. Grievous, thinking Kenobi had been killed in the explosion, made his escape aboard a flight pod. He then rescued Ventress from Skywalker and the clones. Both Separatist commanders failed in their tasks and were forced to flee.[114] As the war continued, clone production resumed, and the Separatists faced a growing number of clones.[59] Nonetheless, Grievous's attack demonstrates two things: any planet in the Republic was vulnerable, and the Republic has intelligence leaks.[18]
Continuing the war[]
Obstructing peace[]
- "There is a problematic situation brewing in the Senate. We must ensure that everything my master has set in motion does not unhinge. My representatives in the Republic are relying on you, General. See that your droids complete their mission."
"But of course, Count. They will not fail." - ―Count Dooku orders Grievous to bomb the power generator on Coruscant
Coruscant's central power distribution grid is successfully bombed.
Dooku, at the behest of his master, ordered Grievous to arrange an attack on Coruscant.[133] Grievous turned to his engineers and oversaw their efforts to create a new model of demolition droid, which they chose to design in such a manner that the droids could disguise themselves as a regularly seen model of sweeping droid.[134] Dooku's impetus was to thwart the peace initiative and the efforts of peace-minded senators in both the Republic Senate and Separatist Parliament, as well as to ensure the warmongering Republic financial reform bill that would deregulate the InterGalactic Banking Clan, which both sides relied on.[133]
He sent the six infiltrator demolition droids, disguised as cleaning droids, to Corsucant and successfully destroyed a critical central power distribution grid. As the Senate debated the deregulation of the Banking Clan, the droids infiltrated and destroyed a critical power generator hub, plunging a section of the ecumenopolis into chaotic darkness. The immediate fear that resulted pushed the bills of banking deregulation into law. Coruscant suffered more damage from the droids than from any other attack in 1000 years, with many more explosions and many more casualties.[133]
Following their success on Felucia,[121] the Separatists begin construction several outposts on the planet,[135] planning to maintain a droid presence there.[136] The Republic's war effort was affected by their victory,[121] and it would take weeks for them to regain any type of initiative.[109] Plo Koon, Anakin Skywalker, and Ahsoka Tano led the 104th Battalion into enemy territory, with the help of clone tank divisions, seeking to shatter the Separatists' control on Felucia. Grievous learned that Republic forces led by Koon, Skywalker, and Tano fought to reclaim the planet from the Separatists. In retaliation, Grievous supplied one of his outposts overseen by the tactical droid TZ-33 on the planet with reinforcements to secure the system. The Separatist base was quickly taken over by the Republic, taking control of Felucia and the surrounding region but the battle would not end here.[135]
After King Yos Kolina, of the Mon Calamari,[137] who sought assistance from the Republic and Jedi against the Separatists,[2] was found murdered, the Republic dispatched Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padmé Amidala to try to ease tensions,[137] and by the time, Grievous's fleets had taken over much of the surrounding space.[138] The Separatists, for their part, sent the bloodthirsty Karkarodon warlord Riff Tamson to represent their interests, who, unbeknownst to them, was responsible for Kolina's death. Following this, a civil war between the Quarren and Mon Calamari broke out on the planet and was ended by the actions of Yos Kolina's successor, Prince Lee-Char.[137]
Skirmish on Naboo[]
- "This turn of events is unfortunate. General Grievous is a critical part of my plan for the Clone Wars. He must not remain captive."
- ―Darth Sidious to Count Dooku
Grievous discusses his plans for Naboo with Jar Jar Binks, posing as Boss Lyonie.
Later during the Clone Wars, Grievous suffered a defeat when he attempted to invade Naboo.[139] After suffering a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Naboo,[140] the Trade Federation and, later, the Separatist armies have long wanted to take control of the planet. This time, the scheme was led directly by Count Dooku and supported by General Grievous.[138] Naboo had long been a prize for Dooku due to his connections to Palpatine as both a Republic leader and a Sith Lord.[141] Though Grievous enjoyed fighting on Naboo, he did not overwhelm the Gungans as he expected. Dooku was on Naboo to ensure the General complied with his duty.[7]
Count Dooku and his agent, Minister Rish Loo, managed to seize control of the Gungan Boss Lyonie as well as the Gungan Grand Army. The Gungan Army would not march on Theed, but Grievous and his army arrived on Naboo aboard C-9979 landing craft, demanding to speak to Lyonie about why the Gungans had withdrawn their support. Naboo's representative, Jar Jar Binks, posing as Boss Lyonie, and Gungan General Roos Tarpals were set out to distract him from launching their attack. Binks, with General Tarpals accompanied him, entered the Trade Federation landing ship and negotiated with the Separatist leader and was horrified to learn it was General Grievous. An enraged and impatient, Grievous yell at the disguised Gungan, incensed by Boss Lyonie's unexpected change of plans. Grievous, with or without the Gungan Grand Army's assistance, plans to assault Naboo. Roos Tarpals receives secret instructions from Jar Jar to ready his troops to repel the droid army. Tarpals leaves the meeting and contacts Senator Amidala, notifying her that Grievous is on Naboo and that Anakin is pursuing Rish Loo. She orders him to find a way to capture Grievous without his knowledge. No longer able to stall Grievous, who learns Jar Jar Binks was not Boss Lyonie, Jar Jar rushes out of the landing ship conference room as the infuriated cyborg charges at the horrified Binks outside, only to find his droid army had been deactivated by his former Gungan allies waiting for him.[139]
Grievous engaged the Gungans.
Grievous found it amusing that he was by himself and surrounded by Gungans;[139] no Gungan army, no matter how large, could compete with him, but he made the error of ridiculing the warriors around him, who were visibly intimidated by his presence.[7] General Roo Tarpal offered him surrender, but Grievous refused, ignited his lightsabers, and provoked the amphibians into battle. Several boomas were thrown at Grievous, and he managed to deflect them. The Gungans then rushed to attack him, but Grievous defeated them one by one. Though his men managed to successfully deactivate the droid forces,[139] Grievous remained a significant threat and had a more difficult time with him. There was a very imminent possibility that he would escape, but Tarpals refused to let that happen until assistance arrived and understood there was only one way to subdue the cyborg.[141] Then, in a courageous move,[7] Roo Tarpals intervened to confront Grievous, closing in on him and attacking him directly, armed with an electropole.[139] Knowing he had no chance against the Separatist General, Tarpals let Grievous pass through him with the lightsabers,[7] disarming him of his blue-bladed lightsaber[139] and letting him get close enough with his electropole.[7]
After several blows, Grievous abruptly impaled the Gungan General using an electropole he had taken from a fallen Gungan and questioned about his death experience, and Tarpals responded that it was sacrifice rather than death, then impaled him with a close-range thrust of an electropole right through his chest;[139] the attack shorted out the cyborg's internal systems, allowing nearby warriors to easily capture him.[7] The other Gungans, motivated by Tarpals' sacrifice, hurl boomas at Grievous' immobile body, and the electrified plasma shorts out of his circuits, disabling and knocking him down, leaving him stunned. He was then captured and taken prisoner.[139]
In a secret headquarters hidden inside ancient Naboo ruins, Dooku was ordered to find a way to release Grievous by Darth Sidious, since the cyborg warrior is an important part of his master plan for the Clone Wars. Sidious confident that Senator Amidala will agree to release Grievous under these conditions. Just as Anakin arrived in the chamber, Dooku abruptly stabbed Rish Loo with his lightsaber, but Anakin had no idea he lured him into a trap to be captured.[139] Fortunately and humiliatingly,[7] Dooku and his MagnaGuards quickly captured Skywalker and organized a prisoner swap, forcing Padmé Amidala to agree to a prisoner exchange an imprisoned Anakin Skywalker for the cyborg. An hour later, a shackled General Grievous is exchanged for an unconscious Anakin as they cross paths.[139] However, Grievous would soon have an opportunity to demonstrate his continued value to his lords.[7]
Capturing and losing Adi Gallia[]
- "General, we've come across what appears to be a pirate ship."
"Use that ship for target practice. Open fire!"
"All forward cannons, open fire!" - ―General Grievous orders the destruction of the Marauder
Grievous duels and defeats Gallia.
While at the head of a small fleet, two Munificent-class frigates he commanded from a Providence,[142] Grievous launched a surprise[143] attack on the flagship of Jedi Council member Adi Gallia,[142] who was heading back to Coruscant[144] from a mercy mission on Aleen. With the combined power of his three warships trumping that of Gallia's single Republic Star Destroyer,[34] Grievous and his forces quickly boarded the damaged ship and engaged the 91st Recon Corps. Grievous dueled Gallia and gained the upper hand with a hard kick to her torso, sending her flying back as his droid forces advanced and continued fighting her while the rest of the 91st Corps evacuated the cruiser.[142] Gallia was separated from Commander Neyo and the rest of her men long enough[143] for Grievous to best Gallia and take her captive[34] after a brief but intense duel with the Council member.[142]
Grievous brought her back to his dreadnought as his prisoner,[142] and the three Separatist starships, far outmatching the single Republic cruiser,[34] pressed fire on the ship, resulting in its explosive destruction.[142] This behavior caused Jedi Master Plo Koon to quickly dispatch a group of Republic ships[144] and launch a rescue mission.[143] Sometime later, the General attacked and destroyed a nearby pirate ship for target practice. However, Grievous's ship was then boarded by Plo Koon and his forces,[142] who emerged from hyperspace with no less than five Venators,[34] rescued Gallia, and forced Grievous to flee.[142]
The secrets of Ledeve[]
- "You seek to destroy a power you don't comprehend."
"You have carved away your own connection to it. Replaced it with parts whose strength you believe you understand."
"But your understanding is not strength."
"It is small."
"You are small. That is all you will ever be." - ―Voices heard by Grievous in the Ledeve Jedi Temple
Grievous confronts the Jedi Padawan atop their T-6 shuttle.
About two years after[145] the Jedi had infiltrated his lair,[146] Grievous hunted two Jedi on Ledeve[42] in the Expansion Region.[147] After hunting them, he discovered one of the Order's hidden temples.[63] He killed a Mikkian Jedi in the forest, collecting her lightsaber from her body, and tracked down her Padawan, waiting for him atop his T-6 shuttle. Grievous ignited all four blades and leaped at the apprentice, killing him. He obtained the boy's lightsaber, as well as a datapad revealing the location of the Jedi Temple. Pleased with his find, Grievous set out through the jungle to find the ancient structure,[42] and this was repaying them for breaking into his home by entering theirs.[146]
Grievous scaled the temple and entered it, discovering a hallway of Jedi statues. Reminded of his own statues on Vassek, believing those to have been earned where the Jedi were not, Grievous reduced the statues to rubble before moving on. He evaded several traps set within the temple, climbing the ceiling to avoid a pit of lava and dodging spikes. He scrambled under other booby traps and eventually came to the central chamber. Believing the temple's secrets to be his, Grievous reached into a waterfall in an effort to obtain a shining sigil from within, but was unable to grasp it. Blaming a sensor error, Grievous kept trying to grab the image until he grew angry enough to fling himself into the raging water.[42]
General Grievous floating in the cosmic landscape as the voices begin to talk to him.
The general found himself floating in a strange, cosmic landscape, and was addressed by ephemeral voices that mocked his quest for knowledge and his own cybernetic upgrades. Grievous then was made to appear as he once was, in his original Kaleesh body,[42] glimpsing a vision of his past self,[63] as the voices accused him of seeking to destroy a power he did not understand. Grievous felt his limbs detaching from his body, watching in shock as he was unmade, and was left as little more than a collection of bodily organs floating in the void, the voices still mocking him for being "small." Grievous emerged from the waterfall unscathed, and attacked the flow with his blades, but was unable to cause any damage to the shining entity within. Disgusted, Grievous left the temple and sent its coordinates to a Providence-class Dreadnought in orbit. He ordered the ship to fire, and the ensuing laser strike obliterated the entire temple, leaving only a smoldering crater that Grievous observed until nightfall. Secure in the belief that he had burned the entity he encountered, Grievous departed—missing the sight of a glowing sigil amidst the devastation.[42]
Massacre on Dathomir[]
- "Surprised?"
"Hardly. You're the one I was sent here for."
"Then fight me alone. Prove you're the greater warrior. If I win, your army leaves. If you win, the Nightsisters will surrender to you."
"I have always been greater than you!" - ―Asajj Ventress and General Grievous
After the failed assassination attempt on his life by his former apprentice Asajj Ventress, who had been aided by Mother Talzin and the Nightsisters from Dathomir, Dooku summoned Grievous. Dooku ordered him to attack Dathomir and wipe the Nightsisters out.[148] Grievous, who had long desired to eliminate his old rival, readily accepted.[7]
Dooku orders Grievous to attack Dathomir.
Grievous then took a Separatist fleet of four Munificent-class star frigates, two Recusant-class light destroyers, two Separatist supply ships, and his personal Providence-class Dreadnought. Grievous and his forces traveled to and emerged from hyperspace in the Dathomir system and landed on the planet as the Nightsisters feasted around Asajj Ventress.[148] Grievous knew the Nightsisters were deadly opponents and wanted to make sure that his cunning enemies wouldn't have a chance, even though it may appear extreme.[7] He had his Hyena-class Droid Bombers launch an airstrike on their village, before beginning to land their C-9979 landing crafts to send in his ground troops to attack them.[148]
Despite being severely outnumbered and outgunned, the Nightsisters were initially able to hold their ground. This prompted Grievous to deploy several of his Armored Assault Tanks, which escorted a lone Defoliator Deployment Tank in order to burn the forest, which successfully managed to drive the Nightsisters back. Unfortunately, Talzin had sought the assistance of Old Daka, the eldest of the Nightsisters, who used her magick to raise the Army of the Dead as reinforcements. With Ventress leading the charge, the Nightsisters pushed forward, destroying the Defoliator Tanks and fighting their way to the open field from where Grievous was commanding his troops. Both armies halted their positions opposite one another.[148]
Grievous fights Asajj Ventress on Dathomir.
Ventress then challenged Grievous to a duel, proposing that if he won then Nightsisters would surrender to him, but if she won then Grievous and his army would leave Dathomir. The two then engaged in a fierce lightsaber duel and initially seemed equally matched, until Ventress severed one of Grievous's four mechanical arms and knocked him to the ground. Holding all the cards militarily, with no intention of honoring the result of the duel, and no longer entertained by the sport of it, Grievous ordered his battle droids to kill her. Ventress tried to fight them off, but was shot in her shoulder. As Grievous attempted to finish her off, a large wave of Nightsister zombies attacked him, with both armies once again engaging each other in combat. With the assistance of one of her fellow Nightsisters, Ventress was able to escape in the ensuing chaos.[148]
Grievous slays Old Daka.
Whilst cutting down the attacking zombies, Grievous was contacted by Dooku, who was being magically attacked in a way similar to voodoo by Mother Talzin. Dooku ordered Grievous to follow the Nightsister magic to its source and kill Talzin before she could torture him to death. Grievous followed the green magic trail to the Nightsister village and a secret cave where both Talzin and Daka where performing their magic rituals, killing several Nightsisters on the way. Grievous then ordered one of his commando droids to create an entrance to the cave, where he coldly executed a Nightsister guard and violently murdered Daka and prevented Talzin from further torturing Dooku. When Grievous approaches her,[148] she disappears into thin air[16] before he can kill her too and then knocked over her ichor cauldron. With Daka's death, all the arisen Nightsisters returned to the grave, leaving the rest outnumbered[148] and overwhelmed[145] and eventually massacred by Grievous's army,[148] putting an end to their resistance,[59] reducing their rule to a mere relic.[149]
Despite their best efforts,[63] while the Nightsisters had fought bravely[150] and furiously against the battle droids,[30] including raising an undead horde of Nightsisters to oppose them,[148] even an undead proved insufficient to stop the onslaught.[30] More witches than droids lie where they had fallen in battle, with no one remaining to care for the dead.[150]
Unbeknownst to them, however, Ventress and Talzin had managed to survive the battle.[148] Faced with defeat,[145] Ventress flees[148] alone once more,[145] believing she was the sole remaining Nightsister,[16] and finds her way off Dathomir,[151] while Talzin,[148] whom Grievous reports that she was killed,[152] was forced to dissolve her physical form,[149] vanishes into the Force,[145] and seeks sanctuary in the spiritual realm.[149]
Around that time, a small group of Nightsisters flee for their lives after an overwhelming assault from a wave of battle droids sweeps through the burning forest, only to run into Grievous himself, who impaled one of them behind with one of his lightsabers and then attacked Morgan Elsbeth, as she and her clan were distracted when several commando droids arrived and rained fire on them. However, Selena intervened, ordered her daughter to stay back, and used two sickles enchanted with magick to attack Grievous while he activated his second lightsaber. Grievous followed Selena further into the forest, away from the site of the battle, and exchanged blows with her until Selena hooked Grievous's blades beneath her sickles, but he released them and unleashed a powerful strike against her weapons, breaking her defense and forcing her to be pushed back.[153]
Grievous ambushes Morgan Elsbeth and her clan.
Grievous moved forward, spinning two lightsabers toward Selena, as Morgan had her own battle, fighting one of the command droids, leaving her defenseless and forcing her to withdraw into the woods. Spinning one of his lightsabers in front of him and the other behind him, Grievous switches between the two blades to strike the elderly Nightsister repeatedly, then strikes her sickle from below with his lightsabers, once again breaking her defense and leaving her open. He seized Selena by the body, pressed her to the ground, and hurled her across the ground. Grievous slowly approached Selena and prepared to strike her down, but she rose to her feet and blocked his attack. They engaged in blade-lock, and as Morgan turned to help her mother, Grievous activated a third blade from his left arm, stabbing Selena in the torso. In her final moments, Selena ordered her daughter to run. Grievous laughed, then struck Selena down with his three lightsabers. After striking down Selena and mockingly yelling at Morgan to run, Grievous ordered his forces to annihilate the remaining Nightsisters, leaving the landscape a burning wasteland.[153]
To route out any surviving Nightsisters, Grievous deployed patrols of HMP droid gunships, probe droids and battle droids across the forests and mountains following the battle to hunt down anyone that might have survived the Separatist invasion.[153]
Sometime after the battle, Dooku told Grievous that with the Nightsisters dead, there was no one to control the rogue Savage Opress, whose powers he felt growing, to which Grievous simply mocked Dooku's notion that Opress could pose a threat to them.[154]
Battle with Kenobi and Invasion of Florrum[]
- "Hondo."
"General Grievous, I presume? What a surprise. Have a seat. What, may I ask, is the honor?"
"You can dispense with the pleasantries, pirate. This planet is now under Separatist control!"
"Ah ha... and, what do you suppose that means?"
"It means you have a new master, pirate scum." - ―General Grievous and Hondo Ohnaka
Though Dooku had to intervene to free the general after his overconfidence and arrogance led him to be captured by Gungans on Naboo. Everything was forgiven when Grievous's assault on the Dathomirian Nightsisters rescued Dooku's life.[33] With the Nightsisters no longer a threat and Asajj gone, Grievous was used once more to settle his master's personal score[7] and was sent to the planet Florrum to overrun[71] the infamous pirate Hondo Ohnaka's base in retaliation for an earlier humiliation Dooku had suffered at Hondo's hands.[33] The Sith Lord still holds a grudge against[71] the Weequay pirate and his crew, having previously held him captive,[156] although Grievous had been overjoyed by his master's frustration, arrogant capture, and brutal punishment.[7]
In deep space, Grievous led the Separatist fleet, formed HMPs and hyena droid bombers into strike groups, and launched[157] an all-out attack.[158] During an ambush by Grievous, the Republic forces were quickly defeated,[157] and intent on the capturing or killing of his arch-rival.[159] The gunships dropped B1 and B2 battle droids as Grievous himself trailed behind in his Sheathipede-class shuttle and then boarded Obi-Wan Kenobi's command ship without losing a single capital ship. There, he tore through the clone trooper ranks until he made his way with one of the clones grabbed and pinned to the ground and crushed the clone's neck with his foot to Kenobi, whom he proceeded to duel and overpower by kicking the Jedi back against a Republic gunship, while clone troopers and droids battled around them. However, Kenobi managed to escape and abandon his ship, but not before rigging it to self-destruct, forcing Grievous to retreat and abandon all the useful information in the ship's memory banks. With Kenobi overwhelmed, the entire system was now under Separatist control.[157]
Grievous and two IG-100 MagnaGuards on Florrum.
Sometime later, Grievous and several droid transports landed on Florrum,[155] and battle droids unloaded rows after rows unfurled from their racks and began to march, followed by commando droids and super battle droids parading in front of him, stalking out of his ship, hands clasped behind him.[45] Grievous and his droid army entered the room where the pirates were feasting, and Hondo Ohnaka was unpleasantly surprised to receive a visit from him. Grievous grabbed his coat collar, informing Ohnaka that Florrum was now under Separatist control and that the pirate himself has a new master, and threw him to the floor and displayed a hologram of Dooku. The Count questioned whether he remembered the last time they met in person when he was his prisoner and attempted to bargain him off. When Ohnaka protests against this, he was swiftly incarcerated. The united Jedi and pirates soon proceed to release the rest of Hondo's men, fight through the droid forces, and flee the outpost, although one droid manages to inform Grievous to their presence. He then decided to cut the problem short, leveling the prison section with his tanks, but their opposition manages to break out and flee the base with their remaining vehicles, forcing him onboard his combat speeder, and several STAPs give chase. Katooni, Hondo and his pirates barely evade their pursuers, who continue to pursue Ahsoka and the other Jedi, as they reach a hidden hangar where Hondo's secret ships are stored.[155]
Grievous exchanged several blows with Ahsoka and prepared to board the speeder tank, causing R2-D2 to perform some risky maneuvers in an attempt to shake him off, but instead, the tank crashed. Grievous reappears, crawling on all fours and ready to continue the fight as the younglings gather behind Ahsoka, igniting their lightsabers, unafraid and ready to battle. Grievous moves in for the kill when Ohnaka's escape ship, the rebuilt Slave I, arrives on scene to pick up Ahsoka and the younglings. Ahsoka sends them to the ship and engages Grievous in combat to cover their escape. The two charged at each other, as Grievous whirled two blades in blurred circles, while Ahsoka backflipped, slashed, and used the Force to gain an advantage to drive him back, but he stabbed all four lightsabers into the ground and skidded backward, slowing himself. He launched himself at her, but she flipped in the air,[155] and though she proved to be a much more formidable opponent than in their previous encounter,[110] Grievous was still more than a match for her. They fought with their lightsabers crossed repeatedly until Grievous grabbed Ahsoka with his clawed feet, hurled her in the air, and smashed her down as he charged, his blades spinning rapidly as she kept rolling, before leaping onto her feet and their blades meet.[155] An exhausted Ahsoka[160] shoved Grievous hard enough, then jumped over him and fled, leaping onto the ship. She then barely escapes onto the ship on her own, and Hondo opens fire on Grievous, but a squad of Armored Assault Tanks arrived and forced them to withdraw for good, leaving an angered Grievous to laugh in victory.[155]
Grievous's assault on Hondo Ohnaka's pirate base on Florrum all but destroyed Ohnaka's power base.[33] The pirates retreated for a while, but when the Separatists lost interest and left, Ohnaka's crew returned to control a planet that was hardly useless to anyone else.[120]
Secret transmission[]
Grievous's transmission to other Separatist forces was located by the Republic, but they were unable to understand it due to the new encryption.
Sometime later, Grievous sent an encoded transmission to other members of the Confederacy, but the transmission was also intercepted by the Jedi Council. However, Republic Intelligence was unable to break the new encryption technology used in the transmission, and the Republic feared this was leading to an upcoming major attack. In order to understand the transmission the Republic sent D-Squad, a group of Republic droids, to a Separatist dreadnought to retrieve an encryption module.[161]
Crystal conspiracy[]
Attempting to obtain the giant kyber crystal[]
- "They won't have a problem getting it back from the Jedi? Do you think I'm an idiot? My guards just reported back to me that the crystal is in possession of Skywalker and Kenobi. [...] If you don't have the crystal then there's no reason to deal with you! Deal's off! [Grievous kills Edente and throws his body aside] I will handle this myself."
- ―General Grievous to Edente as the Sugi panicked for his life before being killed
Near the end of the war, a large Kyber Crystal was discovered. Torul Blom, the Governor of Pau City, began negotiations with Count Dooku. With the help of Sugi weapons dealer, he wanted to sell him the crystal.[163] Grievous was sent by Dooku to acquire a massive kyber crystal from Sugi arms dealers led by Endente. The deal was to take place on[164] the neutral planet[165] of Utapau,[164] with local Amani being used as bodyguards. At least two MagnaGuards were present in the early days of the event,[166] and more of them, as well as other droids, arrived later with Grievous.[162] The Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi learned of the arms deal when they came to the planet to investigate the mysterious death of Jedi Master Tu-Anh.[166] They tracked down the crystal and stole it from those who were trafficking in it.
Grievous was reassured that the kyber crystal was on its way when the Sugi returned empty-handed to his office, but he was well aware that the kyber crystal was in the Jedi's hands and had ordered his MagnaGuards to scout the area. Without hesitation, he killed Endente after informing him that he was no longer useful to him, and then started off in search of the two Jedi and the crystal, accompanied by several MagnaGuards.[162] A chase was engaged in the caves of Utapau. Eventually, the cyborg general's speeder crashed with a horde of varactyls, allowing Anakin and Obi-Wan to flee to Pau City. Soon after, Grievous was contacted by Governor Blom who told him that he had captured the two Jedi again, and the crystal was therefore being placed into a separatist shuttle. The cyborg arrived in time, however, Anakin and Obi-Wan had escaped, once again. Grievous stabbed Blom with a lightsaber just as he was about to apologize, mocking his apologies and acknowledgement of error[167] They, however, continued their mission, following the crystal[162] to the space above Utapau.[167]
Battle over Utapau[]
Obi-Wan Kenobi is defeated by General Grievous.
The pair of Jedi chased the ship carrying the crystal, but the pair themselves were being chased by Grievous in his fighter and several droid fighters. The crystal was brought to a Separatist supply ship, which the pair crashed their ship into the hyperdrive of. Choosing to do a "number five special," they abandoned their craft in escape pods, but boarded the supply ship in different hangars. While Skywalker did not encounter resistance, only seeing one unarmed OOM pilot battle droid which he scared off, Kenobi was forced to deal with the crystal's droid escort. After Kenobi cut down several battle droids, Grievous and two vulture droids entered the hangar. Kenobi demanded that his nemesis surrender, and the two engaged in a brief duel, with Grievous quickly overpowering Kenobi, resulting in Obi-Wan's capture.[167]
While Grievous prepared an execution chamber for Kenobi, battle droids secured the crystal, with it eventually being taken to the ship's vault. Skywalker was able to eventually free Kenobi and the pair eventually reclaimed the crystal. The pair learned that the crystal could fire back energy, such as laser fire, which they used to fight their way to the hangar. When they had secured a ship, Obi-Wan made several AATs fire at the crystal, causing it to overload. While the crystal's explosion destroyed the ship, Grievous chased after the Jedi in his fighter. The pair ultimately escaped into hyperspace while the explosion grew, destroying the Separatist fleet above the planet, and Grievous was flung into space in his starfighter.[167] With the destruction of the massive kyber crystal, he had once again failed to fulfill the tasks assigned by his ruthless superior.[12]
Soon after,[63] Grievous fought Jedi General Depa Billaba on Haruun Kal. There his troops decimated her clone troops, while he personally engaged the Jedi Master in a duel,[168] viciously defeating[63] and almost ending her life.[168]
Protecting Dooku[]
Vos and Ventress infiltrated the ceremony at the CIS capital.
Grievous was later seen with Dooku on the Separatist capital planet of Raxus Secundus where Dooku was receiving the Raxian Humanitarian Award. Grievous was in charge of security, and he briefly fought Quinlan Vos, who was there on orders of the Jedi Council to kill Dooku. Vos ambushed the general and his droids to prevent them from assisting Dooku, who was under attack by Ventress, Vos's partner in the assassination. Even as Grievous rushed for the two lightsabers at his waist, Vos grabbed hold of them with the Force before he could, and as the Kiffar Jedi had predicted, Grievous bellowed and charged. Stepping to the side almost leisurely, Vos cut upward, slicing the general's left hand at the wrist with his lightsaber and flying into Vos's grip; the mechanical limb with the comlink still clutched in its metal fingers dropped to the floor. Suddenly, Grievous spread all four arms wide and then charged, and Vos met him halfway. As they clashed in midair, Grievous was the heavier of the two, and his momentum pushed them back toward the wall. He clenched his right hands around Vos's throat and threw him hard, attempting to slam him into the walkway's unforgiving stones. However, Grievous made the mistake of letting him out of his grasp and landed in an easy crouch. Vos threatened Grievous to stay, then locked the cyborg in a chamber before leaving. Grievous yelled and pounded his hand against the walls, and one of the battle droids tried to open the door.[169]
After escaping the center security, Grievous emerged, and Vos immediately spun just in time to see him and place his boot in Dooku's stomach, surprising the count, before shifting his weight and kicking Grievous with his other. The cyborg then tumbled over the railing, dragging Ventress down with him. As the two plunged downward, she landed hard on a lower-level ledge, her head dangling over the side. Grievous stood atop her with his foot on her throat, grasping her with four hands, and throwing her down to the level below them. Ventress slammed against the wall next to one of the windows, slumped to the ledge, and received a nasty beating. Suddenly, Grievous leaped in her direction, and she then turned to face and rolled to the right. Despite being injured, confused, and without her lightsaber, Ventress charged at Grievous, delivering a barefoot kick that still managed to send the larger and heavier cyborg reeling backward. He growled, apparently taken aback. Ventress reached out in the Force to seize Vos's lightsaber, jumped to the lower level and began reducing the battle droids to scrap metal, battling the blasts directly into one, slicing through another, and kicking a third off the ledge. Ventress turned her attention to the general, and he reached down for his lightsabers, only to discover them missing. Grievous then instructed his battle droids to detain her while he went to assist with the count. Shortly after, Grievous arrived with reinforcements, Vos was captured, and Ventress escaped.[169]
Operation: Titan[]
- "General Yoda… what a pleasure it is to see you here. This will be a unique privilege… did you know that I was trained in lightsaber combat by none other than Count Dooku? Your former student, I believe."
"A lightsaber is a Jedi's weapon. Fit to wield it, your are not."
"Then take it from me… if you can." - ―General Grievous and Yoda
Sometime after,[171] General Grievous was involved in a project that oversaw the construction of a new type of battle droid and superweapon that would be known as Megadroid, these droids would be manufactured on the planet Golatha before being unleashed during the Clone Wars. The project was dubbed Operation: Titan. Arriving at a Separatist base on Enthenium, Grievous was informed of the state of the factory in Golatha and that the new droids would be able to commence field tests by the end of the week before seemingly leaving. The General soon returns only to find Jedi Master Yoda using one of the base's computers to gain some insight into the secret project.[170]
Grievous confronts Master Yoda on Enthenium.
Greeting the Jedi Master, the Kaleesh cyborg commented on how it was a pleasure to meet him after being trained by Yoda's former student, Count Dooku.[170] Grievous hoped to meet the Grand Jedi Master, whose legendary reputation he had learned, in combat one day, [22] and that moment had finally arrived. Grievous ignited his saber and engaged in a duel with the Grand Master. Pointing out the disadvantage that Yoda had with his small size, the General was quickly proven wrong after the Jedi Master jumped over him and landed a strike on his head. He regarded the mark that was left on his faceplate's forehead as a lucky strike that could be easily repaired after he would take the Jedi's head from his shoulder. While Grievous continued to engage, he was frozen in place by Yoda with the Force, with the Grand Master claiming that despite his use of Jedi weapons, he did not possess the same skills as all other Jedi had nor their connection with the Force before pushed him away into the wall. After colliding with the wall, the cyborg stood up unharmed, and continued his duel with Yoda before being interrupted by his army of battle droids that tried to shoot the Jedi Master while unintentionally giving him time to jump into a conduit and escape after stealing Grievous's lightsaber with the Force. Unfortunately, Yoda was able to successfully escape the separatist base and return to the Jedi with information on Operation: Titan.[170]
Campaign against the Shadow Collective[]
Destroying Maul's forces[]
- "Deploy our infantry -- every last soldier. We are not fighting clones this time. These are Mandalorian warriors...The odds are stacked against us!"
- ―Grievous estimating their chances of winning the battle
After Zabrak Nightbrother Maul had escaped from Sidious, unknowingly falling into his plan to lure out and destroy Talzin, and was tracked to the Death Watch-controlled moon of Zanbar, Grievous was ordered by Dooku to hunt down Sidious' former apprentice. Dooku then ordered him to direct his entire droid fleet at Maul's recently formed crime syndicate—the Shadow Collective and ordered him to destroy his army and wound his pride, but not to kill him. This was in order for him to draw out Mother Talzin, Maul's mother and one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy. Grievous thought it foolish to keep Maul alive, but Dooku reminded Grievous that it was not wise to question the plans of Darth Sidious, and that he as Dooku's apprentice would carry out his orders to the fullest degree. Grievous then moved his fleet to Zanbar and launched several landing craft to destroy the Mandalorian warriors, starting off the Battle of Zanbar.[152]
Maul and Grievous engage in battle.
Basing his calculation on their experience compared to the clones they normally fought, Grievous knew that the chances of his droid army gaining a victory in this battle were unlikely. Deploying his droids after telling them as such, Grievous watched the fighting unfold from a landing craft until he spotted Maul on the battlefield. After sending out four of his IG-100 MagnaGuards to weaken Maul, Grievous emerged from his ship and engaged at least one Mandalorian super commando in battle, easily killing him with his lightsabers. Maul disposed of the MagnaGuards and turned his attention to the cyborg general and engaged Grievous in single combat. Neither Maul nor Grievous was able to gain the upper hand in the duel, but Grievous, per his orders, taunted Maul, telling him that the battle was lost.[152]
However, Maul had held several Gauntlet fighters in reserve and ordered them to drop firebombs onto the battlefield. This left both factions' resources almost depleted. Maul, realizing Zanbar was lost, fled into a Gauntlet fighter and retreated from Grievous. Grievous then contacted Count Dooku via hologram and informed him he had fulfilled his master's wishes; Maul was on the run. Dooku then congratulated Grievous. Maul now believed the Sith were out to destroy him and his Syndicate, but would not learn of their true intentions until it was too late. Grievous knew their goal was the witch Talzin, but did not understand what value Maul held for the Witch. Dooku told him all would be revealed as their plans unfolded.[152]
Captured by Maul[]
- "Once our droids take control of the city, Maul's forces will be insects under our heels!"
- ―Grievous during the battle
Grievous orders for his ships to fire.
After leaving Zanbar, Dooku rendezvoused with Grievous, gathering the fleet after Separatist spies reported that Mandalorian warships were amassing on the planet of Ord Mantell, confirming Maul was in league with the Black Sun who controlled the planet. Grievous once again questioned the Dark Lord's obsession with destroying Mother Talzin; Dooku explained to Grievous that Talzin was an older and fouler creature than Grievous understood, and that she would have to be destroyed before she disrupted Darth Sidious' plans. Grievous' super tactical droid Tey-Zuka reported to the cyborg general that a lone transport shuttle had left Dathomir moments ago, with Ord Mantell being a possible destination. Dooku believed Talzin was aboard and ordered the fleet to move to Ord Mantell.[172]
Soon they arrived and Grievous ordered the fleet to begin bombarding the city from orbit. With the city now in ruins, the landing crafts began their assault. Grievous believed Maul's forces would soon be on the run but became suspicious when he realized he had not seen any Mandalorian warships. Tey-Zuka calculated that they had been destroyed before they could lift off but Grievous knew better—they were planning a sneak attack. The Gauntlet fighters appeared from behind Ord Mantell's moon, attacking the Separatist fleet. Grievous had been lured into a trap. Tey-Zuka reported a fighter had attached itself to the hull of Grievous' Providence-class Dreadnought—but before the droid could finish, Maul interrupted. He gave Grievous an ultimatum; either he shut down the battle droids that were killing his troops—or he would die.[172]
With the General dismissing his threats, Maul then charged Grievous, tackling him into a transparisteel viewport. Dooku had also been captured as well.[172] Maul contacted Sidious via hologram after traveling to Vizsla Keep 09, threatening to kill them both unless he met Mother Talzin's demands. Sidious refused, instead stating he had no further use for them. Maul decided not to kill them, but ordered Grievous to the brig. Grievous told Dooku that it would be unfortunate if the next time they met he would have to add Dooku's lightsaber to his collection.[173]
Dooku, who was still on the bridge of the ship, later used the Force to unlock Grievous' cell. Grievous escaped, killing the Mandalorians that were guarding him and several more while searching for a way off the ship. He soon found an escape pod, ejecting from the carrier and escaping from Maul.[173]
Confronting Talzin[]
- "It is just as you predicted, my Lord...we've traced Count Dooku's signals to Dathomir's surface. What is your command?"
- ―Grievous to Darth Sidious just before the battle
Shortly afterward, Grievous regrouped with Darth Sidious aboard the Scimitar; which was originally Maul's personal starship; and they made their way to Dathomir where Dooku's signals were emanating from; just as Sidious predicted. Sidious ordered Grievous to cloak the ship from view and make their way to Dathomir's surface. They landed and the pair approached a chamber said to hold a stone column that was the heart of Mother Talzin's power. The chamber was located very near the Nightbrother village where Maul was born. Grievous blew an opening in the wall of the chamber, entered and stated he was about to kill Maul. Sidious followed, stating only the Dark Lord's plan shall rule the galaxy. Dooku appeared, though he was now possessed by Talzin, who at the time was still unable to take physical form.[174]
Grievous executes Talzin.
The four engaged in lightsaber combat; Grievous attacked Maul while Sidious freed his apprentice from Talzin with the use of Force lightning. Talzin returned in the flesh while Sidious told her she was going to die here. Maul took advantage of this distraction and used the Force to shove Grievous through the opening the explosion had created. Sidious attacked Talzin with a Force lightning barrage while Talzin defended Maul and herself with magick as her son implored her to fight on. Dooku recovered and strengthened his master's assault against the witch. Knowing that escaping was impossible, Talzin threw Maul into his ship over his desperate objections. Grievous reentered the chamber calmly striding towards the now beaten Talzin, whose defenses were bypassed as she collapsed to her knees from the exertion; Grievous then ignited his lightsabers and plunged them through the witch's chest.[174] As Grievous decisively destroyed Talzin,[7] striking her down for the second and final time,[175] the magicks rushed out of her body once and for all,[30] putting a stop to her renewed quest for ultimate power.[175]
As the Droid Army attacked the nearby Nightbrother village, Darth Sidious took a moment to congratulate Dooku and Grievous; Maul's future had been erased while theirs was more certain than it had ever been.[174] At some point following these events,[176] the Confederacy launched an effort to retake the planet Christophsis[169] as revenge for its previous defeat.[177] Because of how personal winning the planet was to Dooku, Ventress suspected that Grievous would be involved in the battle. Having allied with the Jedi and the rescued Quinlan Vos to try and kill Dooku again, she informed the Jedi Council of such, but their efforts ended in failure when Dooku escaped and Ventress, acting to save Vos from being struck by Force lightning,[169] appeared[178] to be mortally wounded.[169] Grievous rescued Dooku, but Vos had redeemed himself.[179] Towards the end of the war, the Crispus Commons bomb shelter was constructed in the unlikely event Grievous or Dooku would try to destroy the Crispus Commons veteran facility on the planet Gorse.[180]
The final days[]
Fighting Billaba[]
Grievous realized he would need to deal with the Jedi himself.
Six months after his victory over Billaba, Rackham Sear and General Kleeve discuss the plan for an attack on the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and destroy the central tower, having paid the Duros bounty hunter Cad Bane,[181] who had infiltrated the temple a year before,[121] for the necessary information. While Kleeve was opposed Sear's idea and saw it as a suicide mission, Grievous backed Rackham, remarking his patriotism, and if the tower falls, both the Republic and Separatists will realize that neither the Jedi Order nor the Republic are invincible, thus changing the direction of the war. He and Kleeve then sent in their top explosives expert, Captain Rackham Sear to carry out a bombing on the Jedi Temple.[181]
After Captain Sear's mission failure, Grievous then went to Kardoa with Kleeve and Sear's brother, Colonel Coburn Sear. There, Grievous saw Billaba leading the Republic forces. Grievous then demanded that she must die. However, Kleeve saw his obsession with killing Jedi as a distraction and warned against attacking before he left for Kaller. Grievous left as well for Mygeeto. However, he left Colonel Sear to deal with Billaba and her forces.[168] Grievous then waited for Billaba and her forces to come to Mygeeto. There, he and Colonel Sear confronted Billaba and her apprentice, Caleb Dume. The General was able to quickly overwhelm her forces with dozens of battle droids when he demolished the bridges of the Mesa, until the Fang fighters of Skull Squadron under Skull Leader Fenn Rau destroyed the battle droids that were attacking. After killing the nearby clone trooper, Sear confronted Dume, and Grievous was able to duel Billaba again, brandishing two lightsabers[182] and striking her repeatedly, believing that he had already defeated her and wouldn't repeat the mistake of failing to verify her death. Billaba blocked Grievous's every strike, responded that she was no longer the same person as before and saw herself as capable of defeating him, and hit Grievous with a Force push.[183]
He reappeared from behind with two more and struck; two of his blades held aloft, nearly missing her, while the other two swept low, seeking to take her down. She parried and managed to severe two of Grievous's lower hands with her lightsaber; Grievous, however, slashed her from behind with one of his lightsabers, significantly injuring her. Despite that, she continued fighting until Dume, Commander Styles, and Captain Grey came to aid her and opened fire on Grievous, while Dume then went to Billaba. Styles and Grey opened fire, but Grievous spun two lightsabers to deflect their blaster bolts, as Billaba and Dume then attempted to surround the cyborg from behind. He was then forced to retreat before the two could even do so, sliding down from the structure with his lightsabers, regretfully allowing her to live. After the cyborg fled, leaving Mygeeto with the Republic, Billaba did not order a pursuit, as she had long since learned to live with remorse.[183]
Hiding the Separatist Council[]
The Utapaun peoples were disappointed, as they had hoped that the defeat of General Grievous and the loss of the kyber crystal would restore relative obscurity to their world.[184] The Separatist high command had decided to seek refuge on Utapau[185] when Grievous chose the planet as a hiding place for the Executive Separatist Council,[186] and Darth Sidious commanded key Separatist leaders to gather there.[16] Within months of the arms deal,[187] in the final weeks of the Clone Wars, Grievous returned, this time with an invading force,[188][184] along with the Soulless One,[16] commanding thousands of battle droids and a detachment of MagnaGuards, and led the secret invasion of Utapau,[165] and during this invasion, the TSMEU-6 wheel bike was the general's preferred vehicle.[189]
Grievous and his forces invaded their peaceful world,[184] forcing their leaders to cooperate.[190] He was unwilling to face opposition from the planet's ruling Utapaun Committee[185] and ordered his MagnaGuards to kill all of their members,[17] much to Tion Medon's horror.[35] With the threat of immediate destruction over Pau'ans and Utai,[184] the Port Administrator had no choice but to comply with Grievous's demands,[185] and a small Confederate base in Pau City was established by Grievous, where, under orders from Sidious, the Separatist Council was safely hidden.[184] Before long, a massively modified core ship had taken over much of the city's level 10,[185] serving as the command headquarters for the Separatist droid forces.[191]
Outer Rim Sieges[]
CIS on the brink[]
Ultimately, the Republic held all the momentum for the third year of the war.[192] Despite Grievous's successes on Dathomir, Florrum, and elsewhere,[7] the Separatists lost the majority of their droid factories[107] and territory, pushing them to the Outer Rim. In the campaign known as the Outer Rim Sieges, the Republic Military kept up the pressure.[192] Several key Separatist worlds were blockaded[136] as droids and clones clashed throughout the Outer Rim,[193] with fronts also able to be opened in the Mid Rim[4] and Colonies.[194] During the sieges, Grievous attempted to take control of the shipyards on the planet Anaxes[195] on the Coreward edge of the Outer Rim,[59] where the Republic owned a number of important shipyards. Grievous's desire led to[195] a protracted,[196] costly battle[195] carried out by the Harch Admiral Trench, who dispatched droid forces and attacked the Republic shipyards.[197] However, the conflict ended in a total defeat for the CIS, with Trench himself killed, his forces wiped out, and the Anaxes shipyards secured by the Republic.[198]
Additionally, Grievous played a decisive role in the outbreak of conflict between the Wookiees and the CIS after his battle droids used excessive force to convince the Wookiees to join the Separatists.[199] Although the Separatists had already undertaken several small campaigns on the planet, they ultimately made the decision to concentrate their efforts on Kachirho, a coastal city in the Wawaatt Archipelago surrounded by freshwater lakes.[200] Grievous and the Separatists were interested in Kashyyyk in general, and Kachirho in particular, for another reason; Kachirho was a key place because it was simple to defend while also being an excellent landing strip for droids and was home to the Claatuvac Guild Archives, which contained many unknown space roads.[199]
Initially, the Wookiees attempted to remain neutral in the conflict, but the importance of the planet compelled both sides to enter into a series of negotiations with the royal families of Kashyyyk to try and persuade them to join their cause. After a long wait for a favorable decision, Grievous became impatient and directed a large-scale attack, hoping the threat would "persuade" the Wookiees to accept the conditions posed by Dooku and his allies.[201] The decision, however, turned out to be a dire mistake for the Confederacy,[199] and the Wookiees responded angrily, declaring an all-out war on the forces threatening to attack them,[201] leading to the Battle of Kashyyyk.[4] The invasion[199] and occupation[104] began with a failed attack on the oil refinery near Kachirho City[199] in an attempt to cut off fuel supplies[2] and reverse their declining fortunes in the war with help from the Claatuvac Guild's information.[186] For the conflict, Confederacy allied with the Wookiees' Trandoshan enemies[104] and deployed a secret force of battle droids[104] along with warships.[35]
Last grasp[]
General Grievous orders the Separatist Army to besiege the Outer Rim, forcing the deployment of numerous Jedi generals all around the Outer Rim.
With the Separatists on the verge of defeat, a major victory was required to break the Republic's will and the power of its assaults. Then, Dooku informed Grievous with the news that he was expecting; Darth Sidious had obtained the coordinates for Grievous and his fleet to leap from the Outer Rim directly to Coruscant,[7] as well as a plan to kidnap the Supreme Chancellor. While Coruscant remained well-defended, its fleet was depleted by the need to divert forces to the Outer Rim Sieges. To the Republic, a surprise attack seemed impossible[202] with the Separatists occupied in the Outer Rim[192] and the Nexus Route coordinates firmly locked away, preventing the Separatists from striking directly at the capital. However, by sharing the coordinates with Palpatine, the Jedi Order had unknowingly delivered the secret directly to their enemy.[199] With a strike at Coruscant possible, the CIS had a chance to recover and emerge victorious.[202]
Gathering his forces for an attack on the Core's heart, Grievous thought that such an attack would cause the recall of Republic forces participating in the Outer Rim Sieges, therefore removing or at least rendering the blockades permeable. It was a risky gamble that, if successful, could signal the end of the conflict.[136] Despite the pressure put upon the CIS and the losses it had sustained,[192] Grievous marshalled his forces[194] for a counterattack and began his own offensive[145] across the Outer Rim.[194] His counteroffensive[145] pushed the Republic's forces outside the Core,[194] already stretched across the Outer Rim in the Republic's own offensive,[203] to a breaking point. Forced out of the Core Worlds and spreading across the galaxy, the Jedi helped their beleaguered clones in an effort to defend against Grievous's attacks[194] in what would amount to be the war's desperate, final hours.[145] At one point during the sieges, Grievous was aboard the bridge of a starship, observing six Providence-class Dreadnoughts attack a Republic fleet of at least six Venator-class Star Destroyers.[194]
Battle of Coruscant[]
- "Your lightsabers will make a fine addition to my collection."
- ―General Grievous
Grievous aboard the Invisible Hand.
With the Republic Military[192] and Jedi[194] busy with the Outer Rim Sieges raging across the galaxy's spiral arms, Coruscant was left with fewer defenses. With Republic strategists unworried,[192] Sidious,[204] through Dooku,[8] arranged for Grievous to launch a massive assault to capture[204] his own alter ego, Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine.[4] The cyborg was charged with abducting the Chancellor and keeping him safe until the Jedi arrived to rescue him. Grievous, however, was entirely unaware of Palpatine's real identity.[8] Dooku had earlier relocated his command post to Grievous's flagship, the Invisible Hand, allowing him to be close to Grievous and ensure his orders were carried out, but even though a creature like the cyborg general posed no threat to the Sith Master, Sidious did not want any setbacks to his plans.[202] Grievous and his forces emerged from hyperspace with hundreds upon hundreds of C-9979 landing craft and thousands upon thousands of their Vulture droid and Droid tri-fighter escorts swept past toward the planet's surface[199] and opened fire on the fleet of ships guarding Coruscant,[192] wreaking destruction on the planet.[202] The Coruscant Home Defense Fleet was caught off guard,[192] and, with the chaos[204] and Confederacy navy providing cover, Grievous and a strike team could land on Coruscant's surface.[192] Within minutes, a significant number of Republic Star Destroyers protecting the cityworld were reduced to fiery rubble, with the Invisible Hand accounting for a large percentage of the deaths.[112] In space, Droid tri-fighters quickly decimated Republic ARC-170 fighter squadrons, while droid fighters flying to the battle on the surface supported the battle droids with their passes, spraying enemies on the ground with fire, immobilizing Jedi Masters Yoda and Mace Windu long enough for Grievous to act.[195]
Amidst the chaos and panic,[112] Dooku remained in orbit[7] and directed the aerial attack on Coruscant,[205] while Grievous brought dozens[14] of large forces of MagnaGuards with him to distract any Jedi during his escape,[9] took the surrounding chaos to make a shuttle landing,[206] flew down to the planet itself,[112] and landed in the Executive District,[192] commanding an armed team,[205] and then appeared in Palpatine's apartment, accompanied by his electrostaff-equipped MagnaGuards. Despite Shaak Ti and Corobb's best efforts to get Palpatine to safety,[199] Grievous fought his way through layers of[91] Republic[205] security forces,[91] including clone troopers[205] and Jedi protectors, to secure Palpatine,[91] eliminating everyone either by subduing or killing them,[205] killing Jedi Master Roron Corobb, whose lightsaber he claimed, during his hunt for Palpatine.[91] During the defense, Kit Fisto attempted to defend the Chancellor from Grievous.[106] He also incapacitated Ti using electrified cables and claimed her weapon as well.[91] He then took[4] a single, but invaluable prisoner,[112] the Chancellor,[4] and carried him away[207] aboard his flagship, the Invisible Hand,[4] leading him to the still-waiting Dooku[7] in Communications tower, where Dooku took charge of keeping Palpatine captive.[113] Grievous was also warned by Dooku that the Jedi would stage a rescue mission.[4] Grievous had already captured Palpatine and returned to his flagship by the time the Coruscant Home Fleet had finally established assault positions.[192]
Before Grievous could escape into hyperspace with the captured Chancellor, Republic reinforcements arrived into the battle with the Invisible Hand as their main target. While the Home Fleet moved to prevent Grievous from reaching a jump point from which the Separatist leaders could escape,[192] thus keeping the Invisible Hands in the midst of the battle,[202] a rescue squad under Kenobi and Skywalker,[192] who had rushed to Coruscant from the planet Yerbana upon learning of Grievous's attack,[194] raced to board the Invisible Hand[4] while Commander Honor Salima of the Home Fleet rallied her vessels to stop the Separatists from escaping or disengaging.[59] Amid the slugging match that the battle devolved into, Kenobi, Skywalker, and Clone Flight Squad Seven raced forward[192] despite squadrons of droid fighters confronting them, resulting in many of the clone pilots being shot down.[59] However, the two Jedi managed to board the Invisible Hand and race toward[4] its Conning tower[192] to save Palpatine. Upon returning to the bridge, Grievous was informed of the Jedi incursion by his Neimoidian captain[4] Lushros Dofine,[113] but the cyborg merely laughed at how Dooku's prediction had come true.[4]
Much to Grievous's delight, he was met face-to-face with a captured Anakin Skywalker and his old enemy Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Fighting past the battle droids who tried to stop them, the two Jedi make it to Palpatine and were confronted by Dooku,[4] whose presence proved to be fortunate for the Republic;[192] the two clashed with Dooku until Skywalker bested the Separatist Head of State and killed on Palpatine's orders.[4] His death was a major blow to the CIS.[192] Meanwhile, the Invisible Hand was surrounded by Home Fleet Strike Group Five under Lieutenant Commander Lorth Needa and demanded the Kaleesh surrender. Needa did not believe Grievous's claims that Palpatine was a prisoner on board. Although he gave the cyborg ten minutes to prove himself before his ships opened fire, Grievous did not surrender.[208] Informed by one of his OOM pilots that they had located the Jedi in Hallway 328, Grievous had them trapped within a ray shield and escorted to the bridge by droids.[4] In a moment that filled Grievous with satisfaction,[209] Obi-Wan and Anakin were marched onto his bridge in electrobonds.[4]
The Invisible Hand began to weaken to the punishment it was receiving[8] as Grievous captured Obi-Wan, Skywalker, and Palpatine. An OOM command battle droid handed Kenobi and Skywalker's lightsabers to Grievous, who took them[4] and weighed them in his metal claws. According to the Jedi, constructing their own lightsaber was not simply a weapon but also a piece of art that perfectly reflected its owner. A comprehensive analysis of the lightsaber could reveal much about the Jedi who made it, but there would be time for that later.[209] Turning to face his prisoners,[4] Grievous expanded to his full height. He enjoyed looking down on them, the terror in their eyes as they wondered what awful weapons were behind his long cloak, and the fear as they stared up at his expressionless metal face.[209] Grievous and Anakin Skywalker finally meet face-to-face, both mocking one another, with Skywalker angering him in the process. He swept his cape back, revealing the lightsabers hanging from its lining, boasting that adding their lightsabers would make an excellent addition to his collection.[4]
Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi corner Grievous who prepares to shatter the viewport before him to escape.
Still unaware that Dooku had been killed, Grievous was delighted to have captured his old adversary Kenobi and the legendary Skywalker,[199] and he was also already overjoyed and celebrating his total control over the entire fleet[7] when he was briefly distracted by Skywalker's droid, R2-D2.[4] As part of their plan all along, the Jedi sprang a surprise escape,[8] Obi-Wan retrieved his weapon back using the Force and freed himself and Anakin. The two Jedi were free,[4] standing back-to-back fending off blaster fire from the surrounding droids. Some crew members have been hit by blaster shot, and Grievous does not intend to suffer the same fate. He's willing to let the Jedi tire themselves out battling the droids,[209] then he approaches one of the ship's pilots and orders them not to deal with them and to keep the ship in orbit.[4] Ironically,[199] Grievous's battle droids dragged the Chancellor to safety, while the Jedi focused on dealing with his bodyguards. Obi-Wan and Anakin,[4] now accustomed to dealing with even phrik alloy electrostaff-wielding MagnaGuards,[199] destroyed IG-101 and IG-102, leaving them free to corner Grievous.[4]
The ship's gravity abruptly altered, and within minutes, the ceiling was below. A few droids responded swiftly enough to magnetize themselves, but the majority of them join the Jedi, who seize the chance to dismember a handful of them. A Neimoidian pilot, in terror, announces that the ship is disaggregating. Grievous realizes there's no purpose in remaining to win this battle, and it's best to let the Jedi dissolve with the ship. Suddenly, the gravity returned to normal, and the Jedi plummeted to the floor and ran toward the Kaleesh general. Almost all of the droids had vanished,[209] and now they were pursuing him. The Chancellor was quickly rescued for the second time,[4] and Grievous was trapped on his own bridge.[199] Realizing that the odds were against him,[12] the general declared that Kenobi had lost and shattered the front window of the cruiser with an electrostaff. The cyborg was dragged into space as the compressed air inside the ship rushed into the vacuum, while Obi-Wan and Anakin fought not to follow him. Kenobi, Skywalker and the Chancellor managed to stay in the ship, but Grievous was sucked into space. Using a grappling hook built into his arm and his clawed feet to latch onto the hull of the ship, Grievous climbed back onboard the ship to reach the escape pods.[4] As he moved along the smooth metal, he remarked to himself how easy it was to have a droid body.[209]
The Separatist commander took off and rapidly flew away in his own escape pod from the wreckages of his flagship, abandoning everyone on board.[4] Grievous usually employed the Soulless One as a means of escape, but because he didn't have the fighter available at the Battle of Coruscant, it worked in his favor, as he would have lost it along with his flagship, the Invisible Hand. At that time, his personal fighter had spent months on a small landing platform on Utapau.[165] By this, Anakin and Obi-Wan discovered that he had survived by doubling back and grabbing an escape pod.[70] The Trade Federation shuttles were close enough to take him up, and the clone fighters were too preoccupied with attacking his droids to notice him.[209] Grievous's escape pod was recovered by the Lucrehulk-class Battleship Profusion. With Palpatine out of his grasp, Grievous ordered his forces to flee[192] and led the two-thirds of his armada capable of fleeing into hyperspace.[145]
Retreat to Utapau[]
With a full third of the Separatist fleet[192] used in the battle over Coruscant[205] having suffered major damages and failures, much of the navy was decimated and could not follow Grievous to safety.[192] Following Dooku's unexpected death,[210] which struck a major blow to the Separatist cause[192] and the Separatists' hopes,[203] Grievous succeeded him as Head of State,[192] turning the Supreme Commander into the leader of the entire Separatist Alliance. While Grievous had always been in command of the droid army,[70] his promotion left him with complete control over Separatist forces[7] as both the military and political head.[210]
Despite the usefulness of such a promotion, Grievous remained subservient to Sidious,[7] whom he continued to loyally serve.[19] After the Jedi Knights foiled his plan to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine, Grievous fled to the Outer Rim and ordered a brutal, but clearly desperate, counterattack across several star systems, including Kaller,[211] even though the CIS had largely been forced on the defensive as the Outer Rim Sieges continued.[203] Despite being used in his counterattack, the legions of battle droids Grievous could command were severely depleted, whereas the Republic was securing more and more victories across the galaxy.[211] Many planets in the Outer Rim, including Frong, were under siege, and there are rumors it's General Grievous. Several groups are being sent out for recon, and despite the Jedi Council's lack of evidence, it is clear that the Separatists are engaging in some sort of activity, and they must find out what.[74]
Grievous was assured by Darth Sidious that the war was coming to an end and that the Separatists would be victorious.
Grievous,[7] ever the faithful servant to Sidious,[212] was now ordered to return to Utapau[7] in the Outer Rim[4] and safeguard the security the increasingly irrelevant Separatist Council.[7] In reality, Sidious had other plans for Grievous,[32] who failed to realize he was being tricked again.[7] The cyborg had one role left to play in the Sith Lord's schemes: to act as bait to draw Kenobi away from Coruscant and Anakin Skywalker. With his Grand Plan to bring down the Republic and Jedi Order in motion, Darth Sidious did not care if Grievous or Kenobi lived or died.[32]
Grievous particularly disliked Utapau, a planet where he had been humiliated[7] by Kenobi and Skywalker during the kyber crystal endeavor,[167] and regarded its people as wretched worms.[209] All the same,[7] Grievous traveled aboard his personal[4] Sheathipede-class transport shuttle[213] to the planet for his meeting with the Separatist Council,[12] and he had returned in some force, deriving some satisfaction by taking the Pau'un leaders hostage and beginning to transform their capital into a droid factory.[7] Grievous had taken over a major portion of the city and held the populace hostage, threatening them with fiery destruction if they revealed his presence there.[184] When Grievous arrived, his droids informed him that the planet is under his command. Uninterested and instead focusing on his mission to speak to the Separatist Council,[209] the cyborg did not have to wait long for Sidious to reach out to him.[214] One of his MagnaGuards informed him that someone was trying to contact him.[209] Grievous hurriedly bowed to the hologram of the hooded figure who had appeared.[4]
Under the direct order of Sidious, Grievous was to relocate the Council to the volcanic planet Mustafar, with Sidious further promising Grievous that the end of the war was near.[4] Wondering if Sidious, despite his greatness, realized what the useless raid on Coruscant had cost their cause,[209] the general asked Sidious if Dooku's death impacted the coming end,[4] but Sidious seemed unconcerned,[212] reassuring Grievous that his death was a necessary loss and that he would soon have a new, younger and more powerful apprentice.[4] Sidious also told him to remain on Utapau until the new apprentice had joined their cause since he didn't want to waste any time before finding a replacement.[214] However, after the end of the communication, he remained immersed in his thoughts for some minutes. Had Grievous knew Sidious's plans, he would have an easier time sharing his confidence.[209] Unaware of his true superior's true plans,[215] Grievous remained uncertain about his new role[210] and waited for further orders.[215]
As the Council focuses on tracking the cyborg throughout the galaxy, Palpatine unfolds his evil scheme to destroy the Order and declare himself Emperor.[16] After finding safety, regrouping was a momentary pause for the Separatist forces headed by Grievous, no more, to restore their strength and continue the war effort, even if they believed that the war was nearing an end.[215] General Grievous was hiding in the Outer Rim, and the Jedi Council had scoured all the Republic systems but found no sign of Grievous and recommended searching the outlying systems despite having few ships available.[4]
Final duel with Kenobi[]
- "Army or not, you must realize you are doomed."
"Oh I don't think so…" - ―Grievous and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Grievous addresses the Separatist Council on Utapau.
In light of Dooku's recent demise and the Republic's other significant victories, the task of capturing[199] or killing[211] Grievous had a new sense of urgency. Although such a mission had been attempted before, the end of Grievous looked like it could be the key to crippling the CIS military and finally end the war.[199] In the days after the Battle of Coruscant,[192] the Republic received word that Grievous was hiding on Utapau, with Sidious, under his alter-ego of Chancellor Palpatine, claiming to Skywalker that Clone Intelligence located the general. With the war coming to its close,[4] Sidious no longer needed Grievous as his pawn as the cyborg had played his role:[7][33] all of Grievous's campaigns had served to distract the Jedi Order from learning of the Sith conspiracy unfolding around them on Coruscant.[12] Grievous's bloodthirsty rampage was finally set to end, with the cyborg soon to pay for his arrogance in believing he could dominate the Jedi.[19]
Although Palpatine advised the Jedi Council to send Skywalker to challenge Grievous, they felt a Jedi Master with more experience was needed to finally defeat the cyborg warrior,[4] with the Council also judging Skywalker as little more than Palpatine's puppet,[70] so Kenobi was sent to confront him. After Obi-Wan had discussed his plan with Cody and other members of the 212th combat personnel,[4] they both recognized that finding Grievous on Utapau was a great chance to deal a major, if not fatal, blow to the Separatist Army.[216] Promising to notify Cody as soon as he learned of Grievous's presence, Kenobi arrived on Utapau, where he was immediately met by Tion Medon,[4] a senior member of the Utapaun government who was under significant pressure despite his preternaturally calm demeanor; while a core ship was not an unusual sight, even as far out as Utapau,[184] Medon whispered that Grievous was present and holding the populace hostage with numerous battle droids,[4] further declaring that Grievous was a force to be reckoned with.[217] Kenobi's arrival was watched by a MagnaGuard and two B1 battle droids, but Kenobi sent his starfighter away under R4-G9's control to trick the Separatists into thinking he had departed.[4]
Meanwhile on Level 10,[4] Grievous found himself at the back of a room, watching the Separatist Council members with disgust.[209] Unknowingly watched by Kenobi, Grievous directed the Council to safety on Mustafar[4] with a little annoyance[7] and rebuffed Gunray, whom he threatened when the Viceroy openly doubted his ability to keep them safe. With the Council departing[4] and having earned a degree of satisfaction from demonstrating Gunray's weakness,[7] Grievous waited for his insufferable Jedi enemy to arrive, hoping he would not have to wait long,[209] while speaking to a B1 battle droid. Suddenly, however, Kenobi revealed himself by simply jumping into the middle of the room and greeting the general. With his MagnaGuards and other battle droids around him,[4] Grievous exuded a gloating sense of confidence.[218] Applauding Kenobi's audacity, Grievous ordered his bodyguards to kill the Jedi Master, who instead handily defeated all four MagnaGuards. Grievous's droid army then moved to fire on Kenobi but were called off by the general, who decided to engage Kenobi himself[4] to wash away the shame of their previous confrontation and prove his value to Sidious.[12]
On Utapau, Grievous faces Obi-Wan Kenobi, his great adversary, for the last time.
Unknowingly, however, Grievous had played directly into Kenobi's hands[199] as the Jedi General waited for Cody and the 212th to arrive.[4] Due to their many prior clashes, Kenobi was well prepared for the duel[32] and determined to prevent him from escaping[214] in a fight that was clearly not going to be easy.[199] Given permission by Kenobi to make the first move, Grievous unveiled four lightsabers[4]—all of which were powerful weapons from Jedi he had previously defeated[219]—and laughed.[218] One of his primary four lightsabers in the duel was none other than Shaak Ti's.[220] Kenobi steeled himself with the promise to not let Grievous add his own lightsaber to the collection,[219] and thus began a duel along a walkway suspended above the hangar 10's lower levels.[4]
Grievous utilized his favorite tactic,[19] a spectacular fighting maneuver,[215] and stomped forward, spinning two of the blades[4] over his head,[214] creating a lethal laser-saw effect,[215] burning the floor beneath him,[219] and stalked closer and closer[4] while dragging the other two along the ground, sending sparks hurtling toward Obi-Wan,[214] his weapons a blur of light.[219] Grievous was thrilled to take on Kenobi in what they both believed to be their final battle,[7] thinking that he was the better fighter. However, his presumption would prove to be incorrect.[14] Initially, Obi-Wan slowly took a step back,[4] but he overcame his fear and allowed the Force to guide him.[212] Waiting for the right moment, he struck his lightsaber between Grievous's flashing blades[214] and battled bravely,[215] slashing another attack from him.[4] Though the Jedi deflected the blow, he knew he would not be able to keep up that pace for long and switched tactics.[209] He leaped, flipping over Grievous, while the cyborg's other two stabbed where he once stood, and the Jedi landed behind him. Grievous turned and faced the opposite direction, then attacked him.[4] Kenobi took the general's surprise as an advantage to swirl past his defense,[209] blocking and ducking his violent strike repeatedly.[4]
Kenobi limited Grievous to moving along the catwalk, neutralizing Grievous's usual, more wide-ranging fighting style. Keeping the fight close to the cyborg,[199] Kenobi drew on the knowledge he had gained from their numerous duels,[12] having become familiar with Grievous's[199] tricks[7] and movements after so many encounters.[199] He stayed composed, aimed wisely at Grievous's vulnerable wrist,[221] and sliced off one of the cyborg's hands, clattering down onto the deck, along with the lightsaber it held. Grievous backed away, staring in surprise at his smoking stump.[4] Furious and losing his focus, Grievous launched a wild attack,[199] advancing with his spinning weapon at his opponent, but Obi-Wan continually deflected it.[4] In a matter of seconds,[199] the laughter died in his artificial throat[218] as yet another hand severed and fell to the deck, releasing the lightsaber it had formerly wielded. With all but two lightsabers and the hands that held them lost,[4] the fight evened out,[215] and the cyborg's situation began to fall apart.[7]
As Depa Billaba heard, Clone Intelligence's reported Obi-Wan Kenobi's engagement with General Grievous,[211] her former personal foe,[183] on Utapau via an encrypted communication line monitored by Tech, a member of 'defective' clone commando squad Clone Force 99, widely known as the "Bad Batch," and Echo commented that Grievous' capture or death would lead the Separatist command structure and the droid army to collapse. Billaba dismissed his theory as a matter they could not control and urged the clones to focus on the task at hand, letting her Padawan Caleb Dume follow Clone Force 99 into battle while she hung back to lead the rest of her command.[211]
During their duel, despite having four lightsabers, Grievous quickly loses two hands to Kenobi's blade.
Grievous was driven back further and further by Obi-Wan, who maintained the lead as the surrounding droids watched as their leader lost ground. But before the droids could assist Grievous in fighting back,[214] there was a stalemate for a time,[4][199] and just on cue,[199] the 212 Battalion ambushed the Separatists, filling the air with a hail of blaster bolts. Swarms of LAAT/I gunships floated down into the sinkhole, and clone troopers rappelled down from the gantries overhead. Fighting broke out all over Pau City between droid and clone forces,[4] who were furthered backed by the local Utapaun resistance. The Separatist droid forces were thrown into such disarray by the 212's unexpected and furious onslaught that they barely had time to organize an effective defense of their positions in Pau City.[184] Obi-Wan was disappointed if he had any hope for Grievous to surrender; instead,[199] while the troopers engaged the battle droids, Grievous resumed the duel and gloated that, with or without an army, Kenobi was doomed despite the surrounding chaos.[4] Undaunted,[199] before his opponent could adapt,[209] Kenobi blasted the general with a[4] tremendous[219] Force push, propelling him up[4] forcefully[209] in the air to crash into a hanging cargo module from the ceiling. The impact knocked the lightsabers out of his hands, while Grievous slipped past the floor's edge and tumbled to the lowest level.[4]
Stunned and completely disarmed,[199] the cyborg landed hard but survived,[219] crouched like a spider.[199]Defeated[19] and realizing that the odds were turning against him,[59] Grievous saw an opportunity[219] to adopt his usual tactic[218] of fleeing a battle[59] that had turned against him. He went directly for his waiting wheel bike, scuttling away on six legs[4] as Obi-Wan hurried down to the site where Grievous had fallen, arriving just in time to see his opponent shot away at the controls of his wheel bike.[209] While he failed to crush Obi-Wan, who had barely made the leap to the lower level,[4] he unleashed havoc on any clone troopers in his path.[199] Kenobi was well aware that Grievous thought he could flee while his droids stalled him,[209] but he chased after the fleeing cyborg relentlessly throughout the hanger.[4]
Pushing one trooper aside with his bike's legs, then grabbing two more clones and throwing them into a sinkhole as he sped past, and landing on the outer hull of the Core Ship that served as the Separatist base,[4] the general's bike handled the shift in terrain in stride.[72] Soon after, the Varactyl-mounted Kenobi trailed closely behind Grievous on the skin of the core ship,[4] struggling without the magnetic adhesion Grievous's wheel bike possessed.[7] Kenobi even lost his lightsaber in the chaos.[4] While the prospect of fighting the cyborg without his lightsaber was certainly unsettling, Kenobi did not stop to retrieve it so as to not give Grievous a chance to escape.[219] Commander Cody recovered the weapon and reported the state of the battle back to the Jedi Council at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, letting them know that Kenobi had tracked down and confronted the cyborg General on Utapau. Mace Windu then had Anakin Skywalker deliver the news Chancellor Palpatine and wait for his reaction, fearful that they would need to take control of the Republic from the Chancellor.[4]
Death[]
|
The Death of General Grievous (info · help) |
| Listen to Grievous's death cry |
Grievous quickly flees on his wheel bike, and Kenobi pursues him on a varactyl in a dramatic chase leading to a hidden landing platform.
Pursued by Kenobi on a varactyl named Boga, Grievous attempted to flee to Soulless One on its landing platform a distance from the main Separatist base.[4] Surrounded by blaster fire and explosions, Grievous rushed as if the road was clear, avoiding collisions or crushing anyone in his path. Through increasingly packed tunnels, however, Grievous was forced to slow down to avoid a swarm of droids, whereas Kenobi's mount, able to achieve feats the General's wheel bike could not, moved to the tunnel's ceiling to avoid traffic congestion. Kenobi thus gained ground on Grievous in the chase for the landing platform, accelerating once more and catching up to the general.[209] Obi-Wan had just caught up with the general when the Separatist leader, able to control his bike and battle, grabbed an electrostaff from its mount and began attacking Kenobi. Obi-Wan managed to disarm the general, while delivering a few jabs of his own. However, he grabbed the weapon and pulled both it and Kenobi over to him. Boga dropped back, remaining in pursuit, as the Jedi and the Separatist fought on the bike.[4]
The two opponents fought for the upper hand[219] as the wheel bike careened through narrow canyons and over sharp turns. With the staff being wrestled for, Grievous drew his[4] custom[60] blaster pistol,[4] the Grievance striker.[222] Obi-Wan dodged, but Grievous lost control of the bike during the struggle, flipping the two combatants off before the bike flew off into one of Utapau's many sinkhole abysses[4] and exploded upon impact with the ground far below.[199] Having arrived at the landing platform, both opponents recovered quickly, with Grievous raising the blaster as Obi-Wan snatched the electrostaff. Kenobi once again disarmed Grievous and knocked away his blaster out of his hand, while landing a few blows on the general himself,[4] bending, but not breaking, the cyborg's metal.[209] Grievous was knocked to the ground, and Obi-Wan plunged the shaft into his abdomen, but the cyborg kicked Kenobi clear, sending him and the staff flying[4] with such speed that the Jedi could not stop it.[209] With no weapons, the two engaged in a hand-to-hand combat[4] that Grievous was coldly confident of winning.[7]
He approaches Kenobi, swings his arm, misses him, and quickly backhands him across the platform, bouncing off the Soulless One,[4] putting Obi-Wan at a[199] physical[12] disadvantage.[199] Grievous's superior,[165] formidable physical strength appeared to give him the advantage[19] in beating down Kenobi.[165] Grievous continued his assault,[199] lifting up the Jedi and striking again, barely missing Obi-Wan's head with[4] a terrifyingly powerful[165] punch that heavily dented the starfighter. However, Kenobi dodged his actions[4] and noticed that one of Grievous's plates was loose and took advantage of that,[209] just before he appeared to be losing the fight,[215] and moved in and grabbed the open, loose corner plates and pulled[4] with all his strength,[209] managing to rip open Grievous's chest plates to see his gut-sack. The plate came loose,[4] and alarmed,[199] the cyborg closed around Obi-Wan and hurled him away to the platform.[4] Wounded but far from defeated, Grievous moved on Obi-Wan, chuckling,[199] and attempted to crush him with his mechanical feet, whereas Kenobi attempted to knock down Grievous with a[4] Force-enhanced[209] kick to the leg. However, Kenobi's kick only succeeded in hurting himself.[4]
Grievous was killed with his own blaster turned against him by Kenobi repeatedly firing into his exposed gut-sack, finally destroying the cyborg once and all.
Grievous laughed even louder,[199] hurling Kenobi right off the landing platform,[4] and proceeded to gloat,[7] but just in time, the half-stunned[209] Jedi manipulated his position via Force and caught hold of the edge. Grievous stalked to where Kenobi was still dangling,[4] barely holding on[7] and fighting to push himself back up to safety,[199] with his legs hanging[4] in the emptiness, above the city's bottomless well.[209] Confident that his greatest adversary would perish,[7] Grievous charged Kenobi with an electrostaff to finish him off, only for Kenobi summon Grievous's blaster[4]—abandoned a few meters from him[209] and forgotten by its owner,[219]—with the Force.[4] In defense of his own life,[70] Kenobi took a careful aim[199] and shot Grievous five times in his exposed gut-sack[4] through the gaps in his chest armor, igniting the fluid that was keeping his organs alive.[6] Grievous's remaining biological components ignited,[4] spectacularly incinerating the famed cyborg from the inside;[7] screaming in pain,[218] Grievous let out a sound halfway between a choke and a metal rustle before a succession of explosions[209] and flames[4] tore apart his body,[209] blasting out his eye sockets.[4]
With that, Grievous was already dead.[199] His few organic remains[218] proved to be his downfall[30] as they were devoured by the fierce fire,[218] destroying him. The cyborg's lifeless body collapsed over the hangar floor,[4] leaving behind[33] a smoldering, empty,[7] blackened metal shell,[32] and then hit the ground[4] with a clang,[32] no longer motivated by life,[223] hatred,[36] or a desire to destroy.[42] After years of seemingly unstoppable terror, the general's murderous streak[30] and reign of terror had come to an end[106] at the hands of Kenobi: after so many attempts during the previous years, Kenobi had ended his menace[224] in a fitting, if sad, manner for the being whose obsession with physical prowess rendered him unrecognizable to anyone who had ever seen his natural face.[21] Indeed, all that remained of Grievous was the lifeless shell that was his cyborg remains;[33] the so-called improvements he had sacrificed so much of himself to have[42] were left abandoned by Kenobi, who walked to[4] the empty shell[33] and threw down the blaster in disgust, as he considered blasters very uncivilized method in his opinion. Kenobi spared his rival one more look[4] and breathed a sigh with relief[209] before returning to the battle[4] aboard his awaiting varactyl.[209]
After many years of living, the threat of Grievous had ended, the Confederacy had lost its importance, and the Clone Wars were over.
General Grievous has been the real problem for Obi-Wan, and it's handled now, leaving him simply to alert the Council and the Chancellor, and then everyone will finally find out the Chancellor's true objectives.[209] The news that Grievous was dead made it seem like victory was inevitable for the Republic forces,[184] who, supported by the loyal Pau'an militias, were gaining momentum.[190] Still, Kenobi did not have time to elaborate[209] and instead encouraged the clones to launch an offensive against the now-leaderless droids.[59] With Grievous killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi, the beleaguered droids were further stunned,[224] but continued to fight the clones, who were commanded to take control of the planet.[225] Without a clear front to fight on and disarray in the line of command, the droids were reduced to small pockets of resistance that were quickly overwhelmed.[224] The battle was moving in their favor,[199] and, with Grievous dead,[4] the war that had claimed countless lives seemed to be coming to a conclusion;[190] the end of the war appeared to be in sight,[4] but the Jedi did not suspect that it would also be the beginning of the end.[190] The Battle of Utapau was one of the last battles of the Clone Wars and was in its last stages.[4] Across the battlefields, Jedi generals felt victory.[199]
Meanwhile on Mustafar, the Separatist Council cowered,[4] not realizing they had one more fatal part to play in the Sith plan.[199] With Darth Sidious's true identity revealed to Anakin, the Jedi Council had received word of Grievous's death.[4] As news of his death spread,[70] Mace Windu selected a small group[4] of the Order's three finest warriors[226]—Agen Kolar, Kit Fisto, and Saesee Tiin—and accompanies him to the Chancellor's private office to confront him and make an arrest. Palpatine accepted it that the Clone Wars had ended now that General Grievous was destroyed. However, he was not surprised that the Jedi stormed into his private office sooner than expected, giving the opportunity to submit and relinquish the Senate's special powers.[4] Grievous's defeat resulted in the collapse of any functional command structure for the Separatist military, and the battle's outcome spread throughout the galaxy, thereby ending the war[211] even while numerous other fronts were still active.[4]
Legacy[]
A future with no Jedi[]
Unfortunately for Grievous,[4] his wish to see a galaxy devoid of the Jedi Order[11] was all but fulfilled, but only after his death; a short time after Grievous's demise, Sidious, using his alter ego of Chancellor Palpatine, ordered the clone troopers across the galaxy to execute Order 66, turning the soldiers against their own generals. Escaping from his clone troopers, Kenobi survived and fled Utapau aboard Grievous's personal starfighter, the Soulless One, running past[4] the smoking[224] remains of his cyborg rival one final time,[4] but without even[7] sparing Grievous a fleeting glance. After successfully communicating with Senator Bail Organa and boarding the Alderaanian diplomatic cruiser Tantive III, where Kenobi would meet Organa and Master Yoda,[4] the starfighter remained docked in the hangar.[165] As planned, the clones turned on their Jedi generals, seemingly reading the war to end in total victory for the Separatists.[199] Gunray succeeded Grievous as Confederate Head of State and commander of the droid army,[4] believing that, with both Separatist leaders dead, the war was in his favor[7] and more power would be his.[227]
With his real identity a secret, Darth Vader was rumored to be a counterpart to Grievous.
In truth, however, Sidious no longer had any use for the Confederacy and dispatched his new apprentice Darth Vader, the very pupil he had told Grievous of, to wipe out the Separatist Council; Vader was none other than Anakin Skywalker, whom Sidious had managed to turn to the dark side of the Force. With the Jedi all but destroyed,[4] Sidious was able to step up and claim credit for defeating the Separatist. Placing the galaxy under Sith control for the first time in one thousand years,[28] Sidious transformed the Republic into the First Galactic Empire. After a duel on Mustafar with his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, left Vader severely injured and barely alive,[4] horribly scarred and broken,[52] he had undergone reconstructive surgery from various droids,[4] including FX-6, the same droid that worked on Grievous's armor,[12] to be encased in black armor equipped with various mechanical limbs and life support systems.[4]
Later, once more, using the deceased Grievous's starfighter, Kenobi flew to Nar Shaddaa carrying the newborn Luke Skywalker and sold the ship for transportation to Tatooine,[228] and had delivered Luke to the Lars family[4] and began his exile on the desert world.[229] After that tragic occurrence, the Soulless One's ultimate fate was unknown.[165]
While successful, Order 66 did not eliminate the galaxy of the majority of Jedi; the threat persisted,[12] and the Inquisitorius program[230]—an old notion[231] and Darth Sidious's long-planned project[232] brought to fruition[231]—was established shortly after the formation of the Galactic Empire.[230] Sidious recruited[16] a small and secretive[60] elite group of Force-sensitive Jedi hunters, the Imperial Inquisitors,[233] to be trained under Vader.[234] Stripped of their identities and assigned numbers, the Brothers and Sisters of the Order of Inquisitors corrupted the Jedi teachings in a very different way from how Grievous had.[12] However, similar to how the General's mechanical hand could spin while wielding a lightsaber,[4] members of the Inquisitorius wielded double-bladed red lightsabers[16] with a semi-circular guard,[229] in disc form,[235] that rotated rapidly while the hilt remained stationary,[236] transforming them into a devastating circle of light[237] blindingly quick killing instrument.[238] The Inquisitors hunted down Jedi,[232] just like Grievous had.[75] As the Inquisitors and Vader pursued the last of the Order and its survivors retreated into hiding,[145] the Order's heritage was flouted by the Empire's lies.[239]
By 14 BBY,[240] five years after the Empire took power, it was rumored that Vader was a counterpart to Grievous that Palpatine had been holding in reserve. Also, during that year, Moff Wilhuff Tarkin returned to Coruscant to meet with Emperor Palpatine. While in the Imperial Palace, Rear Admiral Nils Tenant reunited with Tarkin and asked if he had been in the Western Reaches. Tarkin, who had actually been stationed at Sentinel Base as part of Project Stardust, claimed he had and was still hunting Grievous's former allies.[79]
The BX unit MT-7 and his unit were sent to their first mission to Akiva, but shortly after, a rainstorm separated the unit, leaving MT-7 damaged, stranded for decades, and unable to complete his mission. In 3 ABY, the scoundrel Kay Vess and her partner-in-crime and fellow BX unit ND-5 convince the still-functioning but heavily damaged MT-7 that his mission has been accomplished, with ND-5 informing him that General Grievous has sent him his personal commendations before ordering him to stand down. Later, after being shot by an Imperial officer, ND-5's memory malfunctions, and when Kay Vess and droidsmith Gedeek Obaz encounter Rebel Alliance Asara Deyn, ND mistaken Deyn for a Jedi and prepares to report to Grievous.[107]
Several months into the Iron Blockade,[116] between 4 ABY and 5 ABY,[241] the Smuggler, a young scoundrel from Burnin Konn, sent a member of their crew to the planet Belsus to salvage valuable equipment from the rumored ruins of Grievous's laboratory.[116]
Scourge of Dathomir[]
- "I was only a child when they attacked. An armored warrior brandishing this… Descended upon us… And cut down my people. My sisters. Until I was left alone. With the dead."
- ―Merrin recounting her perspective of the Battle of Dathomir
Count Dooku and General Grievous had intended to eliminate the Nightsisters[59] with their invasion,[148] but they failed to fulfill their purpose since only a few witches,[59] and at least one clan[243] managed to survive the extermination,[148] having witnessed their sisters[144] cut down by an armored warrior brandishing a lightsaber,[242] whose identity no one knew,[144] leading far too many droids into battle for Dathomir's soul,[244] and lived on into the Imperial Era.[242][116] As years and decades passed, those who survived bided their time for the perfect moment[59] to seek retribution[30] to avenge their fallen sisters.[59] All the same, Grievous's massacre was regarded as the end of the Nightsisters,[169][245] who had been brought into a single clan by Talzin[246] and thus were crushed as an organization.[242]
In the aftermath of Order 66, fallen Jedi Taron Malicos lied to the Nightsister Merrin about Grievous's massacre in an attempt to manipulate her into teaching him magick. Malicos claimed that the Jedi had been the ones who ordered the massacre. Five years after Order 66, Merrin finally learned the truth from Cal Kestis.[242] Sometime afterwards, Kestis and his master Cere Junda told Merrin that Grievous was always a puppet of Emperor Palpatine, as were all Separatist leaders. Although she wished to enact her revenge on those who destroyed her "heart", the fact that Grievous was dead forced Merrin to target Palpatine and his Imperials. Dathomir was all Merrin ever saw and felt when fighting the Empire, continuing to see Grievous's stark white visage reflected in each stormtrooper helmet.[244] Between 12 BBY and 11 BBY,[247] while undertaking a mission to the planet Murkhana, she was reminded too much of her home, with even a flash of a shiny white fragment making her think Grievous was present. However, she knew he was dead and would never return.[244]
After the massacre of her fellow people[248] and mother[153] during the Clone Wars, Morgan Elsbeth[248] vowed to never be powerless again.[63] Morgan used her anger as driving force to plunder entire planets for their resources, forming an industry that made her one of the architects of the Imperial Navy.[248]
Sometime between 19 BBY and 5 BBY,[249] knowing not to underestimate his enemies, Maul scoured planets in search of advantages,[30] with one lead bringing him to a Sith castle on the ash-gray planet Damanos. Deep within the castle, he experienced a Force vision of Grievous, who claimed to be expecting him before attacking by jumping from the ceiling with his four lightsabers bearing down. Maul managed to dodge in time, but the room seemed to darken, enabling "Grievous" to almost hide in the shadows despite his four ignited lightsabers. "Grievous" also took the moment to mock Maul by reminding him of the last time they were face-to-face: when he murdered his beloved mother. To further mock Maul, "Grievous" also questioned how it felt to know his sworn foe Kenobi was the one to kill him, thereby robbing Maul of a chance for revenge.[250]
An enraged Maul struck at "Grievous" and relieved him of one of his lightsabers, causing a shriek of pain from the vision of "Grievous," before removing another appendage and pinning down the vision of the cyborg general. More than aware that he was not the real Grievous, the vision continued to mock and taunt Maul, asking if the knowledge of his mother's murder's death had brought the Zabrak any peace or comfort before kicking the distracted Maul off his mechanical form. While Maul expected another wave of attacks, the vision then silently stood in place as Maul's anger about all he had lost—his family, his power—boiled over. "Grievous" finally spoke again by noting how Maul never let go of his rage, causing the former Sith apprentice to rush the cyborg apparition, only for "Grievous" to block every strike, all without going on the attack himself. Instead, "Grievous" continued to taught Maul about his losses and laughed at Maul's rage, making him feel vulnerable in ways he did not comprehend, despite losing another hand. However, "Grievous" displayed no reaction and continued to push at Maul's emotions until the Sith warrior struck down "Grievous" in the same way the cyborg had killed his mother. The vision then vanished before Maul, who felt no satisfaction at striking down the foe he had dreamed of killing, just as the specter had predicted.[250]
In 2 BBY,[145] Maul lived on Dathomir for a while[245] after escaping Malachor[236] and later traveled to the planet with young Ezra Bridger, and upon arrival, he showed Bridger the battlefield's aftermath, telling him that he was the only survivor.[245] Shelish, who was not present at the time her people died,[116] sometimes returned to Dathomir in search of information about the fate of her sisters.[251] Her daughter Deathstick carried on with the knowledge that she could have been part of something bigger than herself, but it was taken from her.[252]
Inspiration[]
- "I was a great admirer of the late General Grievous. An interesting design, but very much a first step. Commander Karbin is the next."
- ―Cylo on the design of Karbin's cybernetic body
Obi-Wan Kenobi, who adopted the nickname "Ben,"[70] spent years hiding[254] in the Jundland Wastes,[255] watched afar,[254] and protected young Luke Skywalker.[4] During their argument, Owen Lars called Ben dangerous and troublesome. Kenobi then recalled his confrontations with Count Dooku, General Grievous, and Darth Maul and realized to himself that danger appeared to follow him wherever he went, but he always got rid of it. Obi-Wan decided that as long as he lived, Luke would be safe.[254] Around 0 BBY,[256] while waiting out a raging sandstorm on Tatooine, Kenobi wrote[257] a set of journals,[258] one of which he reflected on the aftermath of the Battle of Hypori and Grievous.[67]
Karbin's cybernetics were said to have been inspired by the late Grievous.
Years after Grievous's death, an Imperial researcher named Cylo began working on the creation of cybernetically-enhanced individuals; these individuals were designed to be possible replacements for Darth Vader as the Emperor's apprentice. One such individual, Karbin, had a cybernetic body installed by Doctor Cylo, who claimed to have been inspired by the body of Grievous. While finding the design interesting, the Doctor considered it merely a first step compared to Karbin,[253] who, like his predecessor,[4] had the ability to wield four lightsabers at the same time,[253] if not,[259] rendering the Mon Calamari cyborg equally as dangerous as the Separatist leader had been,[260] while also outfitted propulsors in his back to give him an advantage in battle.[253]
Some time after the Battle of Endor, Temmin Wexley implied that he had downloaded some of Grievous's old programming into Mister Bones, his robotic B1 battle droid bodyguard.[261] Wexley had indeed added Grievous's programming to his B1, though he did not fully appreciate who the deadly cyborg had been despite his programming being the most significant of the "moves" he added.[262] Among Bones's memories was one of wielding four lightsabers with four hands and the blades spinning,[263] like how Grievous had once dueled.[4]
In 9 ABY,[264] the Imperial KX-series security droid K-A0S wore an outfit and wielded a pair of heavy Imperial riot shields in likeness to his visage resembling Grievous' warlord armor while completing as a Hunter on the Outer Rim Sports Network's competition holoshow Hunters of the Outer Rim. K-A0S remarks that the sole flaw with the Kaleesh life form, as Grievous, was that he wasn't entirely synthetic, began with two upper limbs, and subsequently upgraded many more.[265]
Karr Nuq Sin, a Force-sensitive travels the galaxy in search of knowledge about the Force.
During the later New Republic Era, self-described Jedi history buff Karr Nuq Sin learned about Grievous's demise on Utapau in the school he attended on the desert planet Merokia, remembering the general's death as the effective end to the war.[217] In 32 ABY,[145] Nuq Sin, RZ-7, and Maize Raynshi visited Utapau for the first time on a mission to learn more about the long-dead Jedi Order and its history.[217]
Later remembrance[]
For all the suffering he had spread throughout the galaxy,[4] Grievous was held in high regard by at least one Kaleesh; during his travels across the galaxy, an artist met the Kaleesh, who bragged about Grievous, though not by name. The artist wrote down in his journal that he was told about a revered warrior who supposedly had cybernetic upgrades for combat. When the artist's notes were published by the Graf Archive[25] at some point after the Battle of Oetchi in 34 ABY,[266] they were accompanied by information on Grievous and the Kaleesh.[25]
At some point, an Ithorian collector named Dok-Ondar came into possession of an original Kaleesh mask originally worn by Grievous[267] and also acquired the cloak[268] he wore as a cyborg[4] and displayed it at his Batuuan store, Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities in Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu.[268] Half century after the Kaleesh warlord gained galactic infamy for his role leading the Separatist droid army,[267] Grievous was referenced in several works also stemming from Batuu, including a toy of the cyborg general that was sold at Black Spire Outpost.[269] After the Battle of Crait[270] in 34 ABY,[2] Grievous's old enemy[155] Hondo Ohnaka featured Coruscant in his book Galactic Explorer's Guide and, due to his role in the Battle of Coruscant, included Grievous in the "Rogue's Gallery" section for the planet.[270]
Personality and traits[]
- "Listen to me, Jedi. I do not care about your politics. I do not care about your Republic. I only live to see you die!"
- ―General Grievous's message to the Jedi Order
Grievous was a brilliant and unforgiving strategist who led the army of the Separatist Alliance against the Republic in the Clone Wars.
A Kaleesh warlord[17] who stood at 2.16 meters in height,[3] Grievous, born as Qymaen jai Sheelal, possessed red colored skin and slit-pupilled golden eyes,[4] as well as an elongated facial structure with slitted nostrils alongside a series of four spiky growths which protruded from his chin.[42] Often donned with a Kaleesh mask sculpted from the skull of a Mumuu, a hostile predator native to his homeworld of Kalee, Grievous wore the mask throughout the duration of his people's war with the Huk.[8] With a desire to become the leader of the largest and greatest military force within the entire galaxy, as well as possess the capability to combat Jedi, whom he had perceived as nearly invincible as a result of their powerful connection to the Force,[12] the Kaleesh also aspired to become a great warrior and gained the reputation of an infamous warlord who developed vast numbers of enemies.[6]
When transformed into a reconstructed cybernetic warrior[8] following his decision to embark on such a path[12][6] and a gruesome shuttle crash, Grievous's brain was altered by Separatist engineers without conscience by the Kaleesh,[8] which resulted in an increase in intelligence, agility and strength,[41] as well as a deep and violent disposition for the Jedi following the false revelation by Count Dooku that the Jedi were responsible for his condition.[8] As a result, Grievous was tall,[44] and his metal-plate body[45] resembled the form of a mechanical skeleton,[44] similar to armor but welded together with no room for flesh.[45] In almost any meeting, it was a powerful presence that could intimidate others.[7] With his cybernetic transformation, Grievous received claw-like feet, as well as a set of arms which were capable of separating themselves into an additional set, as well as a skull-like[169] Kaleesh mask that had been specifically sculpted for his new body,[35] from which his eyes peered through[169] revealed his being's cyborg nature.[44] Furthermore, located behind a set of duranium teeth crafted to mimic those of the karabbac beast from his homeworld, Grievous's hoarse voice was emitted from an ultrasonic vocabulator.[8]
Alongside a hatred for political matters,[12] Grievous had developed an understanding that his involvement in the Clone Wars was an opportunity to eliminate the Jedi Order and command the Separatist Droid Army, as opposed to serving Dooku's political ambitions.[11] However, as a result of his preeminent desire to eradicate the Jedi, many within the Confederacy, such as General Kleeve, considered his personal goals as a distraction which prevented his successes in the war.[168] The general himself had a deplorable lack of a sense of humor[169] and considered killing them to be a form of enjoyment, but he was able to put his duties ahead of it.[89] He was quite proud of his position within the Separatist organizations[114] and told others to refer to him as "general".[89] He was also referred to as "My lord" by members of the Confederacy military, such as Asajj Ventress[84] and TV-94.[11]
Grievous was a ruthless adversary who killed the strong and the helpless alike.
Grievous was known for his cruelty and ruthlessness[78] and was seen as the Separatists' best general.[23] Given his reputation, Grievous was feared throughout the galaxy as a strategic genius and for his hunting prowess.[271] After Count Dooku, the Republic viewed General Grievous as the second biggest threat in the war. The Republic described Grievous as a mechanical monstrosity, a portrayal that appealed to deep-seated droid anxieties.[272] Flying from one disaster to the next, Grievous was a symbol of terror across the galaxy, whether he was setting his armies against entire worlds or engaging enemies in close-up and deadly combat,[34] striking terror in the hearts of Republic soldiers more than any other feared combatant of the Clone Wars. One of the most terrifying[30] and formidable combatants throughout the conflict, he was both a strategic mind and a battlefield nightmare.[18] According to legend, even the Jedi shuddered when his name was mentioned and feared meeting him in battle, as none could match his sheer relentlessness and determination.[29]
Behind Grievous's mask lurks one of the era's shrewdest military strategists, one who isn't afraid to retreat if the odds were stacked against him.[30] If he was outmatched,[19] Grievous preferred short battles and continuous retreats,[18] realizing it was best to survive[19] and regularly avoiding capture by the Republic, slipping away to fight another day,[30] and constantly frustrating Republic commanders who sought his capture or death.[18] However, Grievous has been persuaded by the CIS's limited and unreliable resources to see the need for a quick and trustworthy evacuation strategy on even the safest of postings. He regards withdrawal as more of a setback than denying the Republic complete triumph.[68] Grievous's military legend as a cunning wrath who plunged in and out of engagements secretly and quickly was a powerful weapon in the arsenal of the Separatists, and his own starfighter was a continuation of that standing. While the general had a reputation among Republic and Jedi circles for retreating, his direct superiors respected his careful and clever tactical decisions.[273]
The brutal strategy he learned as a warlord required the Jedi to command clone troopers, which are made through technological advances. Many of the Jedi Council recognized the dangers to the Order, but they were pressured by the next incursion or the next loss of a world to the cyborg Separatist Leader.[12] Another outlined in the legend of the Battle of Alamass, Separatist leaders believed Grievous could be relied upon to complete critical missions, for his record was nearly unblemished and he was highly regarded for his tactical insight,[29] which provided the Separatists with numerous victories.[12] While Dooku dealt with matters of state,[30] including military operations for the Confederacy of Independent Systems,[136] General Grievous supervised the logistics and tactics of its vast droid armies. The general oversaw a large number of capable admirals and generals recruited from across the Galaxy.[18] Grievous, Trench, and their fellow commanders were placed in charge of the broader campaign objectives, while Asajj Ventress employed stealth, bribery, robbery, and targeted killing to achieve her finer goals.[18] Grievous's campaigns against the Galactic Republic threatened the very existence of the Jedi Order.[12] He could impose better control over his forces, thanks to the droid commanders who eliminated the unauthorized thoughts and suggestions from underlings with internal strategic prowess. Only a few brilliant sentients, such as Admiral Trench, managed to stay in charge of offensive operations.[136]
A cyborg warrior who did not need the Force to confront Jedi, Grievous struck fear in the hearts of those who supported the Republic.
Cold, calculating,[8] vain,[274] deceitful,[59] and unconcerned with the rules of combat outlined by the Galactic Accord of Systems,[98] his cruelty was not limited to the field of battle. Civilians and other non-combatants suffered, with Grievous devastating the populations of entire worlds. His tactic was to exploit the compassion of his foes, targeting civilians and forcing his opponents to priorities the protection of innocents. This left his troops to focus on victory at any cost.[8] The General was aware of the Jedi's soft spot for innocents[85] and did not care himself about civilian casualties,[80] exploiting the Jedi compassion for civilians[85] and the clone troopers under their command.[80] Dooku considered Grievous a successful leader due to the cyborg's ability to see the big picture; the general carried out high-handed tactics such as employing listening sites to ambush Republic fleets and attempting to invade Kamino to stop clone production.[48] He was never thrilled to receive orders and truly despised being paired with other commanders, believing it to be an insult on his ability as a leader and warrior.[7] Though Grievous felt that he would emerge victorious, he was also arrogant enough to dismiss his subordinates' recommendations for caution.[103]
Although he had his own personal starfighter, Grievous was more frequently seen as commander of a capital-class vessel.[34] He frequently commands naval engagements from his flagship dreadnought, the Invisible Hand,[30] demonstrating that becoming a cyborg had not lessened his tactical talents,[19] but his combat, experience, and brutality shine in hand-to-hand combat. Throughout the war, Grievous utilizes his agile fleets to strike planets like Falleen and Dorin, disrupting the Republic. Unable to predict where the droid general will strike next, the Republic became distracted, leaving previously conquered worlds open to Separatist control.[30] In command of a huge droid army, largest ever created, Grievous committed blunders, although his losses were frequently only brief. He did experience defeats, however, and lost his first command ship, the Malevolence, to the efforts of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, two Jedi who would continue to be a source of pain for him.[33] Playing an active role in the war,[18] Grievous was often leading troops from the front[8] in a horrifying display of lightsaber prowess and mechanical body strength,[18] utilizing his enhanced physical capabilities to attack opposing forces,[30] crushing everyone who came in reach, including Jedi.[8] He prefers the front lines, surrounded by IG-100 MagnaGuards, and challenges Jedi Generals in hopes of adding their lightsabers to his collection.[18]
General Grievous was a ruthless warrior who waged and led campaigns of destruction and devastation.
Not only was General Grievous a callously brilliant strategist, but his own skills as a warrior made him a deadly opponent in his own right.[8] The General demonstrated that one need not be strong in the Force to threaten even the greatest Jedi in combat.[53] He considers himself a superior warrior,[30] believing his mechanical limbs have made him superior to all opponents,[16] and sought to prove himself in combat.[30] On the battlefield, Grievous could be heard nursing a brutal hacking cough.[275] Even with this drawback, he proved to be the most fearsome of opponents, with his whole, fast-moving physique best described as a living weapon.[276] One of Grievous's weaknesses was that he failed to see how superior his enhanced cyborg abilities were to the slow-thinking droids under his commands.[34] He had little understanding of the Force, though he believed that the improvements made to his body gave him a greater power than that of the Jedi he hunted. He replaced this gap of knowledge with an appetite for destruction, especially of the power he did not truly comprehend.[42] However, transforming his body into a fighting machine left Grievous's organic anatomy weak inside his armor.[271]
Grievous's hatred for the Jedi was well known throughout the galaxy and was stated by him on many occasions. A feared Jedi hunter, he was well known for his brutality and ruthlessness.[76] Grievous savored each slaughter he made, especially those of children,[21] and takes morbid satisfaction in thrashing Jedi on the battlefield[5] and pursuing down nimble Jedi, something he thoroughly enjoys doing.[75] While a fearsome warrior, he was known to be[59] quick to run from a fight when the tide was turned against him,[76] frequently scuttling away to safety using all four limbs.[5] This tactic worked, until his final encounter with his nemesis, Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi,[76] with whom Grievous shared a fierce rivalry.[12] Kenobi could recognize the cyborg's mechanical cough from anywhere.[219] The Jedi considered such devious tactics to be cowardly, but Grievous held no notions of honor.[30] Though Mace Windu and the rest of the Council branded Grievous a coward,[32] running and hiding, as he has always done,[4] despite not being able to wield the Force, the truth was that he was a relentless and expert opponent who had defeated numerous Jedi in battle.[32]
Grievous has a brooding and sarcastic personality,[277] showed sadism,[11] and known for being just as callous as the droids he commands, whom he believes to be wrong.[209] He utilized Jedi Master Eeth Koth to express fear and anguish, knowing that Koth's suffering would pain the Jedi Order via the Force.[11] The cyborg has a vengeful thirst for killing Jedi[16] and a horrific habit of slaying them,[6] then keeping their lightsabers as trophies,[16] putting their lightsabers on his belt to terrify all comers,[86] and revels in utilizing them in battle.[16] When Kenobi and Skywalker were brought into his custody on the Invisible Hand, the satisfied Grievous would have smiled if it was possible for him.[209] Grievous had supreme confidence in his own abilities,[34] and was often arrogant, believing himself to be untouchable.[32] Grievous also insisted on fighting Jedi personally whenever possible, even when injured, which betrayed a sense of recklessness and restlessness in the cyborg general. This was shown by his refusal to heed EV-A4D's advice to recuperate after his first bout with Kit Fisto and his former apprentice Nahdar Vebb.[23] He acted recklessly again when he fought Obi-Wan on Utapau[4] that proved to be his undoing.[30]
Murderous streaks[]
Grievous was well-known for his obsession with collecting and reveling in wielding lightsabers from defeated Jedi Knights in battle.
Beginning while he was still a warlord on Kalee,[8] Grievous was proud of his expanding collection of war trophies, the lightsabers of his victims from life to death,[30] along with other souvenirs,[21] such as a horrific case of severed Padawan's braids struck down before their knighting. By the end of the Clone Wars, he had nearly a hundred in his macabre collection and had been rumored to have captured or killed dozens of Jedi, including Jedi Master Neebo and the recently knighted Nahdar Vebb.[30] Fortunately, Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi managed to avoid being counted among Grievous's list of victims.[8]
Grievous kept a gloomy trophy room in his hidden lair and carried many stolen lightsabers in the lining of his cape[91] or on his waist.[169] Although Grievous killed many Jedi during the Clone Wars, his greatest prizes were the lightsabers of Pablo-Jill, Eeth Koth, Roron Corobb, and Shaak Ti.[91] Nahdar Vebb's lightsaber was briefly a part of his collection but was lost when Kit Fisto reclaimed it.[23] At one point, Grievous gained the lightsaber of Jedi Master Jmmaar.[72] His vicious streak extended beyond the Jedi,[30] and it was not just them that faced his ruthlessness,[19] as he personally killed Gungan General Tarpals on Naboo, and massacred the Nightsisters of Dathomir. There, he wiped out an entire clan of witches,[30] including one of the oldest and wisest Nightsisters,[278] Old Daka,[148] with no mercy, leaving only a couple survivors.[30] Even more, he had the honor of finally eliminating[7] one of the most powerful Nightsisters,[30] Mother Talzin,[174] who had survived his previous brutal assault on Dathomir.[148]
Grievous conferring with Dooku.
Despite his actions in the war, Grievous was loyal to both of his masters, Count Dooku[133][148] and Darth Sidious,[4] whom the latter considered the cyborg as nothing more than a useful tool,[71] and an important part of his plan for the Clone Wars.[139] While Grievous had minor clashes with Dooku,[99][23] he held great respect for the Confederacy's leader,[133][148] who assisted in his training and whose orders the general would carry out without hesitation.[36] He shared his master's confidence, such as when Dooku informed him of Savage Opress's growing power, to which Grievous simply laughed at the notion that Opress could pose a threat to them.[154] When Maul and Mother Talzin kidnapped Dooku, Grievous was trusted enough by Sidious to accompany him to Dathomir to deal with them.[173]
While fleeing the Battle of Coruscant, Grievous decided that, with any luck, he would be able to blame the disaster on Dooku.[209] Furthermore, Grievous expressed no remorse for the Count's death at the hands of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, even if Dooku had helped him in lightsaber combat; rather, he viewed having full control over the Separatist forces as immensely helpful.[7] In a meeting with Darth Sidious and other Separatists, Grievous learned of a new and even more powerful "apprentice" but never learned of their identity.[279] While Sidious had no need for the cyborg, when faced by Kenobi and forced to battle him,[4] Grievous sought to show himself worthy of Sidious.[12] Grievous also has some regard for others patriotism.[181]
Ventress teases Grievous on Kamino.
Despite being on the same side,[280] General Grievous and Asajj Ventress shared a rivalry,[12] and this suited Count Dooku perfectly and was very much the Sith way.[280] However, implied a perpetual conflict between them and that they worked separately rather than together.[12] Grievous and Ventress were constantly tested and challenged by Dooku, in the same way Sidious repeatedly tested and challenged him.[71] Grievous seemed to hold a little respect for her, as he praised her on her style and noted that they could be equals, but Ventress dismissed the idea.[114]
While he was unaware that Dooku had turned on Ventress and considered her a traitor, the general openly declared that he had always been superior to her.[148] The two did share a similar trait: a dislike for battle droids,[81][80] and both also shared an animosity for the Jedi Order for their own personal reasons;[12] for Grievous,[8] the Republic[18] and the Jedi intervened in his war with the Yam'rii,[8] siding with the enemy[18] and leaving his people to starvation.[7] While Ventress believed that the Jedi had abandoned her master, Ky Narec, on Rattatak.[169]
Grievous had always disliked Nute Gunray, the Neimoidian Viceroy who led the Separatist Council,[7] Gunray, in turn, despised Grievous for Count Dooku preferential treatment of the cyborg.[113] He threatened to kill Gunray, when the Neimoidian was brave enough to publicly criticize the cyborg.[4] Gor was one of the few creatures that Grievous cared for,[49] displaying a certain affection for his cyborg pet and being dismayed upon learning of the creature's death,[23] which became another reason for his hatred of the Jedi.[49] He also developed a kind of bond with his medical droid EV-A4-D, though he yelled at him from time to time and humiliated him, he let him criticize him without tearing him apart.[23] Grievous shared his secrets with his medical droid, one of the few entitles in the galaxy who knew Grievous's secrets.[47]
Grievous had a low opinion of his B1 battle droids.
Despite proudly overseeing the Separatists' droid armies,[30] Grievous also had a disdain for battle droids, especially B1 models,[80][108] and was one of many Separatist commanders who became upset by the droid's limitations,[281] had little regard for them,[34] saw them as incompetent,[80][108] mass-produced, weak, and stupid poor soldiers given a magnificent mission above their means,[10] and would not hesitate to destroy[80] or abandon them in an instant.[108] Grievous was frequently dissatisfied with the droid army's failure to fulfill his high expectations, and he was not afraid to use harsh physical punishment to express his frustration.[30] Legend claimed he was so willing to harm them because, in some ways, the droids reminded him of his own flaws.[29] This habit often caused Dooku to remind Grievous that the droids were expensive[80] and that they were made to follow orders, not question them.[42] Distracting him with a lightsaber in a foul temper, right after a humiliating defeat, was never a good idea for the battle droid in question.[9]
According to the legend, Grievous could not see the similarities between himself and the droids he harassed, believing that his organic heart made him stronger and better than the droids he tried to think he was nothing like.[29] Considering the general's hatred of battle droids, his mechanized MagnaGuards had to be impressively tough to survive his demands.[9] He outfitted them with Kaleesh cloaks and head wraps echoed the outfits worn by his companions[10] as a tribute.[9] Grievous sometimes enlisted Commerce Guild forces for combat on rocky worlds or in urban areas, while OC-9 homing spider droids served as heavy armor and siege weaponry, with modified Spelunker probe droids providing reconnaissance and sabotage.[18]
With his four arms,[169] smooth[209] skull-like[169] metal mask,[209] and clawed feet, Grievous looked like something from a nightmare caused by the spice, instead of looking like a real individual. He was more machine than living creature, but the amber slitted eyes that peered through his mask,[169] staring down at opponents,[21] revealed a dreadful malice:[169] underneath the armor was the heart of an evil warlord,[282] who was regarded as an evil individual by his foes.[219] Despite his tremendous power[8] and having seemed like a mechanical creature on the exterior,[19] Grievous felt humiliated and detested droids and responded violently if anybody[8] dared[19] to initially[53] mistake him for a mere machine.[16] Nonetheless, Grievous realized that his new form made him frightening[8] and was concerned about his upgrades,[60] insisting to EV-A4-D that they are "improvements."[23] Legend specified in order to enjoy the benefits of both organic and inorganic lifeforms, he believed he could be as strong and versatile as a droid, with all the cunning, passion, and capacity for emotion of an organic being.[29] On Utapau, it was not the first time he gloated over how his metal mask revealed no emotion, which was useful for Grievous when dealing with the Separatist Council; Grievous regarded them as ignorant beings who could not realize the extent of his disdain for them.[209]
Grievous feigned boastful satisfaction with his cybernetic form but was secretly angry.
The legend of the Battle of Alamass made further claims about Grievous's mental state; despite his military prowess, the general was still unhappy, for though he changed his body, he was not satisfied with his fate in life. In truth, he would never find peace or completion in the continued modification of his form, for deep down he sought escape, and no matter how much he might change what he was, he could never change who he was. Being a creature who was ruled by his heart, however, the general could never see that in himself. As a result, the general who would become a cyborg was a troubled soul, and he expressed his troubles by the only means he knew how-violence. Grievous became angrier and more vengeful he became, lashing out at anybody he thought was weak.[29]
The pathological hatred he felt toward the Jedi, against whom he had sworn to exact a terrible vengeance for crimes against him and his people, caused Grievous to target Jedi one by one. After the catastrophic intervention[8] of the Galactic Republic[18] and Jedi in a conflict between his people and the Huk decades earlier,[8] Grievous believed it is his duty to rid the galaxy of Jedi "filth."[43] By the time of the Clone Wars, Grievous cared not for the Republic or any political motivation to fight and instead focused his energy on destroying the Jedi Order.[11]
Skills and abilities[]
Lightsaber abilities[]
- "You fool! I've been trained in your Jedi arts by Count Dooku!"
- ―Grievous to Obi-Wan Kenobi
Grievous was very skilled with lightsabers, which allowed him to defeat and kill several great Jedi duelists.
Although devoid of a powerful connection to the Force, Grievous was a highly skilled warrior who was capable of proficiently wielding lightsabers in combat against his enemies as a result of the training received from Count Dooku,[16] a Sith Lord once a Jedi Master.[26] A master of several forms of lightsaber combat, Grievous was capable of quickly adapting to the fighting styles implemented by his opponents. Furthermore, due to the enhancements provided to him by his cybernetics, the Kaleesh often utilized and relied on his strength and agility during his encounters with Jedi.[16]
A skilled lightsaber combatant who specialized in the form known as Jar'Kai, which contributed to his personalized style of combat, Grievous utilized the advantage of his additional limbs during battle with others, which thereby allowed him to wield four lightsabers as a result and employ a personalized variation to overwhelm opponents.[4] With the strategy of three key elements of fear, surprise, and intimidation to undermine an enemy's abilities, and if any of these were absent, it would be preferable to withdraw and reestablish them.[44] Throughout the duration of his time as a warrior, Grievous often clashed blades with numerous Jedi.[16] Many who faced him on the battlefield were slain by his blade,[21] and surviving that confrontation was something very few others could accomplish,[283] such as Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi on several occasions throughout much of the Clone Wars, as well as Ahsoka Tano, the Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, whom he was able to quickly overpower in their first encounter by rendering her unconscious for several seconds after tossing her to the side during their aboard Skytop Station, where he utilized intimidation tactics, such as roaring, to discourage his opponent.[110] However, while Tano had improved by the time of their second encounter on the planet Florrum, as she utilized the Force to gain an advantage, Grievous was once again able to overpower the Padawan through the implementation of his additional limbs and clawed feet.[155]
According to the Kaleesh himself, he was able to withstand assaults from strike teams of Jedi.[22] Members of the Jedi Council struggled to challenge the Kaleesh cyborg,[16] such as Eeth Koth; Grievous dueled Koth and was able to push him back, although he then used his MagnaGuards to subdue him.[11] He dueled Jedi Master Kit Fisto; though Grievous lost one hand, he still held his own against Fisto until the MagnaGuards showed up and surrounded the Nautolan Jedi.[23] Once, Grievous fought Master Adi Gallia in the middle of a firefight, defeating her and taking her as prisoner.[142] When battling Obi-Wan Kenobi, they often fought to a stalemate or an interruption,[7] on Caliban;[98] onboard Grievous's superweapon battle cruiser, the Malevolence;[99] aboard the cruiser Surrogator in the Saleucami system;[11] on Kamino;[114] and aboard Kenobi's command ship the Negotiator near Florrum.[157] Grievous was also able to duel Master Yoda; though the Grand Master's Force abilities proved to be too much for the General to handle, he was still able to hold his own despite not losing a single limb.[170]
Although Grievous almost defeated Kenobi multiple times,[30] Grievous successfully defeated him above Utapau,[167] yet was later slain on that same planet by him.[16] Their great battle to the death has become legendary.[284] He fought Depa Billaba in at least two different duels; in the first, he severely injured Billaba and nearly killed her, putting her in a six-month coma,[168] and in their second duel, despite Billaba having severed two of his upper hands, Grievous landed a glancing blow on her back.[182] During his mission to capture the Chancellor, Grievous dueled Shaak Ti; Ti managed to fight further, but Grievous managed to get the upper hand. He ensnared her with electrified cables, which knocked her unconscious.[91]
Grievous was capable of facing off against not only Jedi members but also some of the most formidable foes, such as Maul.
Despite often clashing with members of the Jedi Order,[16] Grievous could also face even the most intimidating of opponents,[29] such as the former Sith Assassin Asajj Ventress; in their duel on Dathomir, Grievous held his own, even kicking Ventress back before getting one of his limbs severed and thrown to the ground, which he responded to by violating the rules of their agreement and telling his droids to intervene.[148] Later, in their duel on Serenno, Ventress was on a mission to assassinate Count Dooku, but Grievous got another opportunity at killing the former Sith assassin; after falling downward, the cyborg toppled over Ventress, pressing his foot against her throat, then grabbed her with all four hands and flung her to the level below. Earlier in that mission, Grievous fought Quinlan Vos, losing his lightsabers and hand at first, but eventually overpowering Vos in midair and pushing him back into the wall before being locked in a security center.[169] Grievous also dueled the former Sith Lord Maul on two separate occasions,[152][174] both resulting in stalemates.[285]
He chose a very unorthodox style while contending with the Jedi, using his four arms to his advantage.[23] While having no Force ability,[16] Grievous countered his lack of supernatural abilities with cybernetic upgrades:[12] his artificial limbs and cybernetic systems allowed the reflexes and agility to equal those of the Jedi,[5] making him dangerous to those he enountered.[12] Grievous' heightened awareness and the precision of his mechanical arms allowed him to fight at his best using lightsabers.[30] His two arms can split into four,[4] and he could duel with lightsabers and also wield a blaster at close range at the same time, a lethal double threat for even an experienced, Force-sensitive opponent.[21] With his mechanical hands, he had the capacity to spin two[4] or even four lightsabers[23] so quickly that they became into lethal energy pinwheels.[5] This became his preferred method,[19] and some Jedi he encountered were quick enough to deflect it.[44] He could also rotate his torso; when clones piled on top of him during the Battle of Saleucami, he used that ability to throw the troopers off him.[11]
The four-armed Grievous, wielding his lightsabers.
While Grievous often engages his foes directly in battle,[23] he also has a tendency to use unorthodox and underhanded methods.[11] Grievous would resort to any means necessary to cement a victory,[60] whether it is intimidating bravado, dirty tactics, or anything in between;[11] when their lightsabers clashed, Grievous pulled out a blaster with one of his free arms and fired Nahdar Vebb repeatedly, killing him instantaneously.[23] Against Obi-Wan Kenobi, he used one of his arms to grab him and throw him to the ground, then attempted to crush him beneath his mechanical feet.[114] He would sometimes send in MagnaGuards to soften an opponent up a bit[152] and tire them out enough for him to gain the upper hand.[11]
Not only could Grievous use his lightsaber to attack and block another's,[4] but he also could deflect attacks like blaster shots and boomas with simply a swing[110][139] or spinning of his two blades.[182] In addition, he could throw his lightsaber with either his hand spinning[23] or by throwing directly at his opponent.[44]
Other abilities[]
Grievous was very fast as he was able to use his cybernetics to crawl on the ground and make a quick escape if he needed to.[11] His extra magnetic, clawed limbs assist him[8] in scurrying with spider-like agility, allowing him to effortlessly[75] climb walls,[8] cling to the starship exterior panels, or rapidly scale vertical metal surfaces[21] and even ceilings with ease[8] to reach otherwise inaccessible spots.[75] Not only was he fast, but he also had enhanced strength,[157] With a single kick, Grievous was able to send someone across the corridor or atop a gunship, almost toppling it over,[157] hurled a varactyl off of him,[162] using only his hands and feet to crush the Mandalorian's powerful armor and skulls,[173] and delivered a single blow powerful enough to make a dent.[4] His hand-to-hand combat abilities far exceeded those of an ordinary soldier,[30] as he utilized his two[4] or four arms[114] fighting in a unique style,[53] lifting, throwing, choking, and crushing with either just his bare hands or powerful[4][157] durasteel[8] feet that were magnetized and so sharp that they were effectively talons.[5] Additionally, he could even seize weapons like an electro-staff, which he could then transfer to his hand.[4]
Equipped with strong armor, Grievous could stand up to explosions and other attacks.
With a metal body stronger than any droid's shell,[209] Grievous was very durable and could even resist explosions from fuel barrels.[157] However, his biological remains were very much not fireproof,[6] but they remained safe behind his armor.[157]Thanks to his cyborg form, Grievous was able to survive in space and grip effectively onto a ship's hull. When Kenobi kicked at him during the Battle of Utapau, Grievous hardly felt it, but it very much hurt Kenobi.[209] Unlike most opponents, the Kaleesh cyborg could afford to lose a limb or two during battle,[12] seemingly unfazed by his injuries,[250] which may slow him down but not stop him.[12] Thus, he could face even the most formidable opponent without fear of pain or injury, nor did he need to temper his attack out of concern for retaliation.[29] However, damage and defeat forced him to return home[21] for repairs and medical checks.[47]
With his powerful armored body,[24] he has proven sufficient to withstand damage on numerous occasions,[286] unharmed after being hit with a Force push hard enough to crack a ship's window,[11] being slammed into a wall hard enough to cause a cloud of dust,[170] or being tackled against a ship's window, but it seemed to have little effect on him.[173] Grievous takes no harm when he crashes his speeder into a herd of varactyls[162] or when he walks past through Mother Talzin's magick barrier,[174] capable of absorbing blaster fire[148] and Force lightning, with a Force lightning barrage by Sidious and Dooku.[174] After being flung back with a Force push against the heavy machinery, hard enough to leave a large dent, and then plummeting down, despite losing two of his last remaining lightsabers, he was still able to escape.[4]
Military skills[]
Grievous was a force to be reckoned with in both strategy and combat.
On his homeworld, Grievous had previously demonstrated his talents[12] and proven himself to be a brilliant military leader, training and leading his people expertly. That trait remained when he became a cyborg general in command of the Separatist Droid Army.[19] Grievous was also a competent strategist as he used his massive army to overwhelm his opponents.[148] Grievous recognized that clone troopers were superior than his droids.[59] He had developed a method capable of defeating a Jedi and the clones under his command by deploying a mix of command droids and MagnaGuards. The Kaleesh cyborg utilized his strategic abilities to prioritize the pursuit of Jedi generals, board their ships, and apprehend them. Grievous threaten the Jedi Council with such great threat that a team of their best Jedi were dispatched.[12]
Grievous led a devastating campaign in the Outer Rim, crushing multiple legions and fleets along the way. In the Battle of Bothawui, Grievous was able to lead his fleet through Bothawui's planetary ring, taking advantage of asteroids to defend himself from surprise attacks,[108] and using this strategy allowed him to damage a Republic cruiser[59] until Skywalker realized what he was up to.[108] He was able to correctly anticipate the Republic's movements and accurately foresee Anakin's tactics during the Battle of Saleucami.[11] Grievous was also able to fool the Republic forces during the Battle of Kamino with his ships taking heavy casualties, completely fooling even Anakin, but Obi-Wan Kenobi, his rival, was the only person who eventually identified his plan.[114] Later, he led his fleets to victory against Kenobi's, the Republic's[157] wise, tactical Jedi General,[30] and took over his flagship without losing a single capital ship.[157]
He could calculate with certainty, based on previous experience, that the odds were stacked against them at the Battle of Zanbar.[152] even on the verge of victory at Ord Mantell.[138] He was also able to recognize that Maul had yet to deploy warships during the Battle on Ord Mantell. Tey-Zuka calculated that the enemy ships had been destroyed on the initial bombardment, but soon their dreadnought was hit, and Grievous recognized that they had been lured into a trap.[173] He managed to lure Depa Billaba into a trap, cutting off her exits and surrounding her with droids on Mygeeto.[182] He also had an advantage because he could directly command his battle droids with his two antennae built into his head and even access the system via comlinks built into his cybernetic systems, directing the Invisible Hand's defense.[72]
Grievous pilots the Soulless One.
The General gained a reputation as a talented flier[273] and piloted a customized Belbullab-22 starfighter known as the Soulless One. He was skilled enough to avoid and escape Anakin Skywalker's starfighter. Not only did Grievous successfully avoid each laser fire, but he also managed to achieve hyperspace without a single shot,[108] demonstrating his superior cyborg-enhanced piloting skills.[273] Although it should be noted that Anakin almost shot him down, but his starfighter lost a piece of shrapnel embedded in the fighter that caused it to careen off course.[108] Despite the ship's advantages, Grievous frequently utilized it to flee danger rather than flying into battle.[287] Grievous recognized that, while he was an amazingly talented fighter on the ground, his skills as a fighter pilot, while not insignificant, were no match for those of a Jedi.[165]
Equipment[]
- "So uncivilized…"
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi disposing of Grievous's blaster
Grievous wielded a custom DT-57 "Annihilator."
Despite not having Force sensitivity or official Jedi training, Grievous fought with stolen lightsabers.[21] Not only skilled in lightsaber combat,[8] he also owned a custom DT-57 "Annihilator" blaster pistol[4] called the "Grievance Striker."[222] He would use any means necessary to succeed in battle,[60] such as an electrostaff[4] or other models of blaster, such as the DC-17 pistol[23] or E-5 rifle.[99] Grievous was equipped with grapple lines built into his wrists,[35] which he could launch at a long distance to attach himself to objects.[4]
The General also piloted a customized Belbullab-22 starfighter known as the Soulless One. Not only did he use his own starfighter,[108] but the brutal cyborg used other vehicles,[93] including a combat speeder[155] and a modified wheel bike[4]
Behind the scenes[]
Overview[]
- "With General Grievous, I wanted somebody who was reminiscent of what Anakin is going to become, which is a half man, half robot. In this case, Grievous is sort of 20% alien and 80% robot."
- ―George Lucas on the creation of Grievous
Later-stage concept art of the droid general.
General Grievous was developed for Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith as a powerful new villain on the side of the Confederacy.[289][290] The character made his first appearance in the Star Wars Insider piece "Republic HoloNet News Core Edition 15:3:02" from issue 75[291]—which was released on April 6 of 2004 but was shipped to subscribers starting March 19[292]—after an indirect mention in Star Wars Insider 73's "CIS Shadowfeed Dispatch 15:01:15 Edition"[293] on January 13 of that year.[294] Although he went so far as to grace the cover of Star Wars Insider 75 and had been introduced to the Star Wars fanbase by StarWars.com on March 15 as the "New Face of Evil,"[292] Grievous's introduction is considered to have come[295] on April 8, 2004,[296] within "Chapter 20" of the 2003 animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars.[297] As of 2014, many of these stories are now considered to be part of the Star Wars Legends continuity.[298] Canonically speaking, Grievous made his first appearance in Revenge of the Sith.[4]
While Grievous would only have around six minutes of screen time in the final film, with Darth Sidious actually being the film's primary antagonist,[4] StarWars.com had teased Grievous's coming role in Revenge of the Sith on May 26, 2004, claiming that Grievous would be "the Villain of Episode III."[299] In Revenge of the Sith, the character was portrayed by Matthew Wood, the film's supervising sound editor.[4] In his first appearance in Chapter 20, Grievous had been voiced by John DiMaggio[297] before Richard McGonagle took on the role for the rest of the original Clone Wars series.[300] However, StarWars.com had confirmed before release of Revenge of the Sith that Grievous "[wouldn't] necessarily" sound in the film like he did in that animated series.[299] Since Revenge of the Sith, Wood has retained the role of Grievous, portraying the droid general in the 2008 animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars[80] and numerous other post-Revenge of the Sith appearances.[22]
Development[]
- "It's rare to have a new main character that has to be designed from scratch."
- ―Warren Fu
During the development of Revenge of the Sith, Grievous was created when it was clear that, with Dooku dying early in the film, the movie would need a new villain.[302] The initial instructions that Director George Lucas gave the Art Department were very open-ended: "a droid general,"[290] specifying that the character needed to be reminiscent of the Original trilogy's Darth Vader without being a copy of the famous Sith Lord.[302] From that vague direction, the artists developed a lot of explorations, some purely mechanical, some not, for the look of General Grievous.[290] Lucas later noted to the crew that Grievous needed to clearly and visually be a cyborg, denying early designs that depicted his mask with robotic photoreceptors.[289]
Early concept art of Grievous.
An early concept design featured Grievous as "a disembodied alien head, trailing a number of prehensile tentacles".[303] Legend has it that Nilo Rodis-Jamero got the idea for Boba Fett's ship from the San Rafael streetlamps. In that spirit, concept artist Warren Fu drew on unexpected ideas from everyday objects. A spray bottle inspired his first passes at interesting heads. Those designs weren't picked, but George gravitated towards another one of Wu's designs, which ended up being the MagnaGuards.[302][301] Amongst the artists of the Episode III art department[299] who made designs for Grievous were Derek Thompson, Erik Tiemens, Alex Jaeger, and Warren Fu. Ultimately, it was a sketch by the latter that most defined what Grievous would look like,[290] even though it was only a quick sketch that he was not very impressed by. Lucas, meanwhile, was instantly impressed by the drawing.[302]
According to StarWars.com, artists Robert Barnes, Iain McCaig, and Ryan Church were also involved in creating Grievous.[299] When interviewed The Star Wars Archives: Episodes I–III, 1999–2005, Wu stated Grievous's white coloration was created to be the opposite of Darth Vader's black suit, further noting that, within Chinese culture, the color of white represents death.[302] According to Rob Coleman, Ray Harryhausen’s Kali from the The Golden Voyage of Sinbad was an inspiration for the four-armed general.[304] From Warren Fu's initial sketch came further refinements,[290] and the finalized character would emerge from discussions between Barnes, McCaig, Church, and Wu, followed by sketches. Finally a foot-tall maquette[299][290] sculpted by Robert Barnes showed what the General would look like in three dimensions. This sculpture was further modified to become a realistic computer-generated model for use by Industrial Light & Magic.[290] Grievous's design was finalized around the end of 2002, only six months before shooting for the movie began.[305] After Lucas approved the maquette design, Industrial Light & Magic began its work on creating the character's CGI model.[299]
The model of Grievous was one of the most complicated ILM had every constructed, having so many parts of differing physical qualities. On set, no one person played Grievous, though off-screen dialogue reader Duncan Young read his lines. For combat sequences, stunt performer Kyle Rowling wore a greenscreen or bluescreen suit to play Grievous in his battles with Obi-Wan Kenobi.[290] During production, the crew found it hard to film the duel between Kenobi and Grievous when the cyborg warlord uses all four of his hands. After considering having one actor sit atop another or having one suspended from the ceiling to achieve the tall general's multiple armed attack run, it was decided to use two stunt performers, with one standing in front of the other, to achieve the scene, but it was decided this strategy did not work out. Their next idea was to have one performer learn both Grievous's above and below attacks, allowing the complete attack run to be assembled out of both passes in post-production. In the end, it was decided that Grievous should lose several of his hands quickly to make filming easier on the crew, explaining why Grievous only briefly uses all four of his limbs to duel in Revenge of the Sith.[306]
Lucas originally wanted a powerful erect posture for the 'droid, but decided during production to have him rendered hunched and sickly.[307] During the production of Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas came into work one day with a cough and decided that it would be amusing to record it and use it on the new Episode III villain.[308] According to animation director Rob Coleman, the idea was to foreshadow Star Wars' more famous half-man/half-machine: "He's like the alpha version of Vader." Grievous's vampiric movements were inspired by the German horror classic Nosferatu, one of many monster-movie references in Sith.[307]
Grievous's computer generated design was approved in March of 2004. According to StarWars.com, as of May 26 of that year, Grievous's model had yet to "painted," nor had his body language and animation been refined or developed. As such, Grievous's model had not yet been added to the cut of the film as it existed at that time. No voice actor had been found at that time as well, with producer Rick McCallum hypothesizing that voice-work for Grievous and the rest of the cast would begin sometime between August and November of that year.[299] It would be many months before a voice actor was hired to perform Grievous's dialogue. In the end, Supervising Sound Editor Matthew Wood had submitted the winning audition.[290]
According to Wood himself, he was a sound editor for Lucas's projects when Lucas started recording many different actors for the voice of Grievous. They had planned to process Grievous's voice to make it sound like it was coming out of his "little cyborg face."[309] Lucasfilm recorded Ben Burtt's voice for General Grievous while Rick McCallum put out a huge casting call. Chris Scarabosio, the dialogue editor, and Wood devised how Grievous was supposed to sound, and George approved it.[310]
After getting auditions from various actors, Lucas never gravitated towards one he liked. Wood had the luxury of hearing everyone's auditions, so his friend encouraged him to put one.[309] Chris said Matthew should try to get the part, but he thought it was "too weird and I couldn't do it." In his own words, Wood had an advantage in knowing what George wanted as he heard him talk to the actors about Grievous. Finally, Wood decided to give it a try.[309][310] Chris recorded him[309] and put the tape under an anonymous name with the rest.[309][310] Matthew didn't think about it after that until one day Rick McCallum came up to him and asked if Matthew had the agent's name of the person whose voice was on a certain tape since he had all the documentation. Wood thought it was a prank, "that he knew it was me and I had screwed up," but Rick couldn't have known. Thinking he had crossed the line, Wood confessed it was him. McCallum apparently said afterward, "Are you s**tting me?" before asking Wood what to do, to which he suggested telling George. McCallum then called George and said it was Matthew Wood's voice. George then called Wood and asked him to come over and record it.[309]
Wood would later state that Lucas was "really cool about it," much to his own shock of receiving the role of a lead villain in a new Star Wars movie.[309] He would later say of the experience in an interview, "It was fun, because I don't have any shyness around George."[310] By Wood's own admission, that chance changed his life and opened the doors for many other voice-acting roles. When auditioning, Matthew Wood used an Eastern European accent from recently spending time in Prague and a Bela Lugosi Dracula component that Lucas himself liked, mixed with "a little bit of a drill sergeant vibe." According to Mathew Wood, Grievous's original origin was that he was a Jedi who had been betrayed by Dooku and "had a bone to pick with the Jedi."[309] Wood didn't tell anyone about his role until, finally, when the film was printed, he told "everybody."[310]
Before Matthew Wood was cast as Grievous, British actor Gary Oldman was offered Grievous's role. According to a report in the Daily Star, which quoted Oldman's official spokesman, "Gary was excited and looking forward to working on the film. The snag is that the movie is being made without members of the Screen Actors Guild. It means Gary would have been working illegally overseas. Out of respect and solidarity with the other members, he could not and would not consider violating the rules of his union." Production had already been completed, and Oldman's work was limited to providing the voice of General Grievous - described at the time as an evil Jedi Knight killer - and was due to be completed during the post-production process taking place then at the LucasFilm HQ, Skywalker Ranch.[311] Gary Oldman said he did a voice on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. However, due to something to do with union and non-union talent, he did not want to be at the center of any controversy surrounding breaking union rules. He praised director George Lucas, stating, "[Lucas] directed me the whole thing; yeah, he was terrific."[312]
Contradictions[]
According to San Hill - Banking Clan Chairman - Base Series 1, which was released as part of Star Wars: Card Trader, Grievous proved to be a volatile ally towards San Hill, Poggle the Lesser, and Dooku in the time before his cyborg transformation. As such, the three began conspiring to destroy Grievous and rebuild him into a super-cyborg of servitude.[313] At the time, Lucasfilm Story Group member Pablo Hidalgo said this was an outdated Legends reference[314] based on the character's backstory from the comic "The Eyes of Revolution."[315] However, as other modern sources have canonized[8][25] "The Eyes of Revolution"-inspired details,[315] the Story Group may have changed its mind.
As established by the reference book Star Wars: On the Front Lines[192] and supported by episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars,[194][316][317] only a few days pass between the Battles of Coruscant and Utapau.[192] "The Duel for Peace" states that Kenobi had not seen Grievous in a long time before the Battle of Utapau.[219] However, they had last seen each other face-to-face in the Battle of Coruscant[4] mere days prior.[192] Star Wars Bust Collection 68 also claimed that Grievous hid on Utapau in "the closing weeks" of the war after the Battle of Coruscant.[318] However, as only a few days pass between the Battles of Coruscant and Utapau,[192] that cannot be accurate.
The 2023 reference magazine Star Wars Starships & Vehicles 55 states that Grievous requested a more advanced battle droid after becoming Supreme Commander of the Separatists, which led to the development of the MagnaGuard.[14] The majority of sources, however, state that Grievous requested such droids back when he was fighting for the InterGalactic Banking Clan, placing the creation of the MagnaGuards earlier in the Star Wars timeline.[7][9] This article sides with the majority of sources and states that Grievous requested his advanced droid troops during his days as an IGBC enforcer. The presence of MagnaGuards[319] in 33 BBY[145] via to their appearance in Darth Maul (2017) 3[319] helps to narrow down the timeline further.
Appearances[]
Non-canon appearances[]
LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales — "Exit from Endor" (In flashback(s))- LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales — "Crisis on Coruscant" (In flashback(s))
- LEGO Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith picture book
- Disney Infinity 3.0
- LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens (DLC)
- LEGO Star Wars: All-Stars — "Lo, I am Manufactured" (In flashback(s))
- LEGO Star Wars: All-Stars — "From Trenches to Wrenches: The Roger Story" (In flashback(s))
- LEGO Star Wars Battles
- LEGO STAR WARS: Celebrate the Season — "All I Want For Life Day"
- "The Force Awakens From Its Nap"
- LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales (In flashback(s))
- LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- "Lesson Learned" — LEGO Star Wars 102 (Mentioned only)
- Minecraft Star Wars: Path of the Jedi
- "The Battle Against Grievous" — LEGO Star Wars 109 (Appears as replica)
- ° LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy
