Hey everybody and welcome to Leia’s Lair.
In today’s video we will be going over cloning in the Star Wars universe.
Cloning was the scientific process of duplicating an organism into one or many replicas.
It used the genetic template of an organism as the foundation for clones,
which could number from at least one genetic copy to millions of specimens
that shared the same face, voice, and even skills inherited from the original source.
The original genetic template could be altered through different processes
for various purposes such as growth and aging acceleration
or greater docility. If no alterations were done to the genetic template,
the resulting clone would be an exact duplicate of the original template at the genetic level.
A clone's DNA could also be modified in a way that made it impossible for the clone to
disobey a specific order. This was accomplished by encoding a directive in the clone's biology.
A more extensive modification of the cloning process resulted in the creation of a
strandcast. Strandcasts were "artificial genetic constructs" made from a hybrid of donated cells,
some of which could be extracted from cloned tissue samples.
This was the case with Rey's father, a strandcast whose composite genetic structure
comprised the cells of various specimens, including the cloned DNA of the Sith
Lord Darth Sidious.The father of Rey was, therefore, a non-identical clone of Sidious.
Millions of clones could be grown from a single genetic sample,
but only while it was viable. Over time the sample would degrade. Therefore,
cloners required regular access to the original source or donor in order to extract replacement
samples. Otherwise a new host would have to be adopted to continue the cloning production.
Clones were also considered mentally superior to droids. Their physical conditioning could be
enhanced through technological augmentation, which, in the case of clone troopers,
increased their chances of surviving against numerous endless waves of battle droids.
The practice of cloning humans was an imperfect science. Kaminoan scientists were known to
specialize in cloning technology and genetic engineering. Despite the best efforts of the
Kaminoans' to perfect the art, it was still possible to discover the occasional genetic
or physical defects in their specimens, producing both wanted and unwanted results.
During the final years of the Galactic Republic, an army of clone troopers was
grown on the planet Kamino. Using the human bounty hunter Jango Fett as a template,
the Kaminoans mass-produced millions of identical clone troopers for the Grand Army of the Republic.
In addition, they were designed to grow at twice the rate of normal human aging,
making the clone troopers ready for deployment in a decade's time.
At Fett's request, an unmodified clone—Boba Fett—was created from
his template and given to him to raise as his son.
Clone troopers were created for the sole purpose of fighting; as such, they were
afforded little respite. They were also capable of developing genuine resentment for their opponents,
in particular the battle droids who they referred to by the derogatory slang "clankers."
Some clones developed a habit for collecting droid parts as war trophies,
although this act was considered a sign of defectiveness or defiant behavior.
The Clone Troopers served in the Grand Army of the Republic under Jedi leadership until Order 66
called for the destruction of the Jedi Order. The majority of the clones carried out their mandate
(some were unaffected) due to their programming, eliminating most of the Jedi Knights across
the galaxy, after which the Galactic Empire was formed by the Darth Sidious. Shortly thereafter,
the clone army was decommissioned and replaced by birth-born stormtroopers.
The Empire ultimately fell to the New Republic after the Emperor's destruction. However, Sidious
managed to cheat death. Through the combined use of cloning and the dark side of the Force,
the Sith Lord transferred his spirit to a new host that had been cloned from his original body.
Though the transference had been a success, Sidious' new vessel suffered from rapid
deterioration and was unable to contain the dark energy of his soul. His followers, the
Sith Eternal, experimented with Sidious' template in the hope of creating a more suitable vessel.
Their efforts produced various Strand-Casts,
including Supreme Leader Snoke and multiple genetic copies of him,
as well as a modified clone that was healthy yet lacked Sidious' connection to the Force.
As such, the clone's only worth to Sidious lay in continuing the Palpatine bloodline
through more natural means, resulting in the birth of Rey who, unlike her father, was regarded
as the ideal host for her grandfather's essence following Ben Solo's rejection of the dark side.
And there you have it! Thanks for watching everyone. What do you think about this video?
Do you know anything else about cloning? Let us know down below in the comment section.
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