Why did Fives Go Crazy in Clone Wars?

Nicknamed after the four fives on his Clone Code, ARC trooper Fives was one of the most important protagonists of The Clone Wars.

However, his proud legacy of loyal service, deep sense of brotherhood for fellow clones and unsung heroism were all maligned in his final days. Allegedly, Commander Fives went crazy, tried to assassinate Chancellor Palpatine and had to be executed for the greater good.

In fact it was one of his own, Commander Fox, who pulled the trigger at Fives and killed him. Fives could have been stunned and taken into custody and his execution raised many questions among other clones, especially Commander Rex.

Commander Rex was present when a delirious Fives tried one last time to tell the secret he had found and was killed instead. Fives said his last words in Rex’s arms.

Rex went on to discover that Fives was actually not crazy and his execution was but a murder at the hands of the Chancellor.

Due to completely unforeseen events, Fives had discovered an evil conspiracy to enslave clones and turn them on their Jedi Generals. Before he could understand the larger conspiracy to overthrow the Galactic Republic, he was declared a mad man.

1. Did Fives go crazy tried to kill the Chancellor?

He didn’t.

CT-5555 aka Fives was neither crazy nor did he attach Chancellor Palpatine. Fives discovered the secret of Order 66 that’ll eradicate all the Jedi in the future. To save his scheme, Palpatine (Darth Sidious) branded Fives as crazy and got him killed in battle.

The word that Fives had gone crazy first got out after he was seen attacking Palpatine, who had not yet revealed his Sith face and was the Republic’s Chancellor.

It all started after the Battle of Ringo Vinda. Fives was visiting the clone birth planet Kamino to know more about his fellow clone Tup’s unusual behaviour in the battle.

The Battle of Ringo Vinda

In a moment of delirium, Tup had killed Jedi Tiplar mid-battle and could not give a coherent reply as to why he did it.

While at Kamino, Fives conducted scans on Tup’s brain and found a tumor. Tup was operated upon to remove the tumor but could not survive the operation injuries and passed away.

Increasingly suspicious after Tup’s death, Fives convinced the Kaminoan leaders Shaak Ti and Nala Se that Tup’s divergent behaviour was just a symptom of a bigger disease – common to all clone brains.

So it was decided that Fives would be taken to Chancellor Palpatine to plead his case at the Galactic capital Coruscant. On the way to Coruscant, Nala Se injected Fives with a mind-clouding drug causing his speech to falter, making him incoherent.

Even during the meeting with Chancellor Palpatine and the others, Fives failed to convince anyone about the conspiracy since he could not even relay his own experiences properly.

Star Wars The Clone Wars - Palpatine Gives Fives Revenge of The Sith Script

Nala Se then declared Fives was suffering from paranoia and mental degradation. In response, Palpatine, in his ever so dramatic manner, asked to be left alone with the clone to better understand his side of the story.

Instead, when alone with Fives, Palpatine attacked him. But when just as Fives tried to defend himself, other leaders of the Republic were brought into the room and Fives was declared an assassin.

2. The Unsung Hero

“I am not just another number! None of us are!”

Fives

One among millions of identical clones, Fives stood out in his belief that each clone was more than just his programming. He would treat his team members like brothers, identifying each one with his chosen name and working hard to protect them all in each battle.

Second-in-command to Rex in the 501st Legion, Fives would always question the orders meted out to him and look for a deeper meaning in his duties.

While Rex may have been the more famous one, Fives was no less of a braveheart when it came to standing up to one’s superiors. What better example than the Battle of Umbara when the 501st was being led by the fallen Jedi Krell.

But before Rex figured out that Krell was colluding with the Separatists, Fives was already leading the way in disobeying Krell’s insane orders. Fives was even sentenced to execution for treason after he refused to obey direct orders.

However, despite a rogue leader, the troopers managed to destroy the Separatist supply ship and regain control of the Umbaran airbase. Later, when Rex confronted the fallen Jedi Krell, Fives helped capture him as well.

3. The Secret That Killed Fives

After being accused of treason and assassination, Fives made one last attempt to share the secret he had uncovered and do his duty to the Republic.

So he asked Rex and Anakin to see him privately and without any weapons. He even trapped them both inside a force field to prevent them from hurting or capturing him.

During the meeting, a still nauseous Fives managed to inject some doubt into Rex’s mind but failed to convince Anakin.

When Anakin accused him of trying to kill Palpatine, Fives lost it and went for the weapon nearby. Just then, Commander Fox, who had sneaked up to Fives along with his team, fired and killed the guy.

Fives passed away in Rex’s arms, with final words that warned of the conspiracy being much bigger than any one individual.

He was of course referring to the organic inhibitor chips inserted into every clone which when activated would turn all clones into robots. They would lose their free will and follow orders without any questions – even if that meant killing their own people.

When Tup shot Jedi Tiplar in Ringo Vinda, Fives was told by the Kaminoans that a virus was the likely reason behind this erratic action. Fives was then made to stay back at Kamino to be checked for the same virus.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Jedi Master Tiplar's Death [1080p]

However, the longer he witnessed Tup’s treatment, the more suspicious he grew of the real reason behind the err. He even suspected the Kaminoans of having an ulterior motive in treating Tup.

Taking matters into his own hands, Fives conducted a high level scan on Tup’s brain. A tumor-like thing was found, which he removed with help from the droid AZI-3.

On closer examination, he found that the tumor was actually a biochip and underwent the scanner himself. When he found a similar albeit less distorted chip in his own brain, his suspicions were confirmed. Something big was afoot here.

During his meeting with Palpatine in Coruscant, when the cunning Chancellor manages to extract everything that Fives knew, he even confirms everything. But the force seems to have left Fives’ side by this time and he is cornered before he could speak the truth.

What if Anakin had saved Fives?

So many lives could have been saved, democracy could have been saved, the galaxy wouldn’t have had to see so much destruction. The mass execution of the Jedis could have been averted.

In Fives’ story arc, creator George Lucas and his writers seem to be playing at a crucial theme relatable to the real world. Those who have seen the truth, even a part of it, are usually the ones declared liars.

Meanwhile, the ones declaring them are, more often than not, the real liars. But how can one know – who lies and who speaks the truth?

4. About Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an animated TV Series in the Star Wars universe produced and animated by Lucasfilm. The series aired its first episode on October 3, 2008, and ended on May 4, 2020, with 7 seasons and 133 episodes.

The Clone Wars series accounts for the three-year gap between the prequel Star Wars trilogy and the Revenge of the Sith movie. It focuses on the conflict between the Galactic Republic led by Chancellor Palpatine and the Separatists led by Count Sith Dooku. The protagonists of the show are Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padwan Ahsoka Tano, and various clones.