Execute Order 66

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About

"Execute Order 66" is a line said by Chancellor Palpatine in _Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith that sparked numerous image macros in the years following its release and resurfaces amidst the Star Wars Episode III meme revival in early 2017.

Origin

In the 2005 film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Chancellor Palpatine, who has been revealed to be the evil Darth Sidious, issues "Order 66" to his army of clone troopers. This causes the clone troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic turned against their Jedi commanders and terminate them, bringing about the destruction of the Jedi Order.

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Spread

Shortly after the film's release, "Order 66" appeared on Urban Dictionary, ^[1] where the top definition, submitted by Alex Brak, referenced the film and gave some historical context for Order 66's precedent in the Nazi regime.

In the following years, "Order 66" was a popular reference in Star Wars-related image macros and advice animals.

In his review of the film, Mr. Plinkett expressed bewilderment at "Order 66," eventually deciding that director George Lucas must have chosen "Order 66" because he wanted a number that sounded evil, but "Order 666" would be too obvious and "Order 6" would be too small (shown below).

"Execute Order 66" has remained a popular Star Wars Episode III reference and has steadily been used with various templates and image macros in the 12 years since its release.