Plo Koon is one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy Star Wars. This valiant Jedi was imagined by George Lucas, then re-imagined as a long-time ally of Jedi Ahsoka by Dave Filoni. From his place in George Lucas’ creation to the legends that surround him in the Expanded Universe, here are 8 facts you (maybe) didn’t know about Plo Koon.
#7 We know what Plo Koon looks like without his mask
Originally from the planet Dorin, Plo Koon is required to wear a mask and protective glasses when operating in an oxygen-rich atmosphere. Indeed, this member of the Jedi Council always appeared in the three films of the prequel trilogy of Star Wars with this device on the face, because the type of air (or oxygen?) found on the vast majority of habitable planets in the universe Star Wars is toxic to its species. The mask allows you to recreate the atmosphere of your native planet, while glasses prevent the evaporation of his eye fluids.
If, in The Clone Wars or in the prelogy, Plo Koon never takes off his mask, comic book readers, however, have already seen his face. Indeed, under his protective mask, Plo Koon has very small black eyes and a very elongated mouth. It also has a series of peaks at the chin, which gives him false airs of the famous Predator, co-created by James Cameron and Stan Winston for the eponymous film by John McTiernan. Interesting detail: there are also photos of the actor playing Plo Koon without the mechanical parts of the mask, and here too, the result is quite astonishing.
#6 Plo Koon had to wield a completely new type of lightsaber
Today it is difficult to find who was the first artist behind the design of Plo Koon. However, we know that his appearance was very disturbing in the eyes of George Lucas himself. According to one of the writers of the series The Clone Wars, Henry Gilroy, George Lucas believed that “only a person with a sick mind could love Plo Koon. » Later, while imagining the appearance of the characters as they would appear in Revenge of the Sith, the artist Derek Thompson proposed a version of Plo Koon who would have hardened during the war and would now fight with a new weapon.
For the artist, Plo Koon fought with a sort of metal forearm protection equipped witha brass knuckle decorated with two green lightsaber blades, further reinforcing its resemblance to the aliens of the Predator universe. Although particularly impressive, this concept was unfortunately not used in the final film. For the record, the completely new design of this lightsaber had such an impact on the teams that, subsequentlymany Plo Koon figurines equipped with this weapon have been marketed.
#5 Plo Koon’s personality was at the heart of a debate between George Lucas and his teams
The character has no no lines of dialogue in any of the prequel trilogy films and, despite his obvious charisma, he remains essentially a very secondary character. However, when the series The Clone Wars arrives, the character fleshes out. In the second version of the saga The Clone Wars, reimagined by Dave Filoni and George Lucas, Plo Koon this time becomes an important character and begins to talk and exchange with the other characters. At this point, the question arises: what voice to give to such a character?
Aware that Akira Kurosawa’s films are one of the major sources of inspiration for Star Warsone of the screenwriters, Henry Gilroy, wants the Jedi Master to have a Japanese accent, in an attempt to portray him as a samurai-type warrior. The idea is to show a Jedi with a rough appearance hiding a softer character, Gilroy comparing him to Toshiro Mifune’s character in The Seven Samurai. In this spirit, he plans to offer the role to actor Sonny Chiba (The Street Fighter, Kill Bill).
However, To everyone’s surprise, George Lucas doesn’t like the idea. Indeed, the creator of Star Wars finds that this characterization makes the character too cold. Even more surprisinghe suggests that the team is looking for a comedic actor instead, with a lighter tone, in the style of Jim Carrey. This is one of the rare times the team opposes a George Lucas idea. Finally, it is Dave Filoni who proposes a compromise that everyone agrees on: Plo Koon will have a Gandalf-type personality. From there, Plo Koon is donc dubbed (in original version) by James Arnold Taylor, who also voices Obi-Wan Kenobi in this animated series (as well as Ratchet in the games Ratchet & Clank). There are, however, some vestiges of his early characterization as a samurai, such as the nickname he affectionately gives to the character Ahsoka Tano, “little Soka.”
#4 Plo Koon could have appeared in The Mandalorian
If there is indeed an episode of The Mandalorian which electrified the fans of Star Wars, This is episode 16 titled The Rescue. During this episodeaudiences witness the surprise return of the hero of the original trilogy, Luke Skywalker himself. The Jedi arrives deus ex machina to save the Mandalorian and young Grogu (Baby Yoda for those nostalgic), then stuck in an impasse and surrounded by an army of Dark Troopers a priori more invulnerable than Terminators. Gold, this triumphant return of Luke should above all be a gift for the fans, who would be the first to discover the episode. The production therefore decides to keep the secret and blur the lines by suggesting that Plo Koon would be the surprise Jedi of the episode.
The appearance of Luke Skywalker in the last episode of the second season was therefore initially hidden, Plo Koon being used as a substitute character in the script, as well as for some concept art and even in some temporary digital effects. The second episode of the documentary series Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian on Disney+ reveals how the team maintained the mystery: the words “Luke” and/or “Skywalker” were strictly forbidden to crew members during production of the second season of The Mandalorian, in order to preserve the big secret during the eight episodes. Additionally, Dave Filoni, being notorious for being a fan of Plo Koon, was also used to encouraging rumors about the return of the masked Jedi.
#3 Plo Koon comes from a particularly Force-sensitive population
The Kel Dor, the people from which Plo Koon came, knew and used the Force long before joining the Galactic Republic and discovering the Jedi Order. Their tradition and approach to the Force were known as the Sages of Baran Do. Originally, their powers focused primarily on weather prediction, but as the Sages of Baran Do deepened their understanding of the Force, They developed a tool to detect and prevent dangerous events. Wars and disasters were often avoided thanks to the insights of a Sage of Baran Do. After the integration of the Kel Dors into the Republic, the influence and number of the Sages of Baran Do declined, due to the Jedi’s more advanced knowledge of the Force.
The Kel Dor have never really been highlighted in the universe Star Wars. However, Plo Koon is not the only Kel Dor to evolve in the license. Indeed, in Star Wars: Resistance, pilot Bo Keevil is also a Kel Dor. Although it is not specified whether Bo Keevil is Force-sensitive, he appears to be a skilled pilot, like many Force-sensitive individuals. Furthermore, we know thanks to the extended universe that Plo Koon’s niece Sha Koon also became a Jedi. We were also able to discover the Kel Dorien Narvusin ally of the Sith in the game Star Wars the Old Republic. More recently, a more mysterious Jedi Kel Dor appeared in the series The Acolyte, sparking lively debate among the saga’s most die-hard fans.
#2 No, Plo Koon does not appear in The Acolyte
Almost every episode of the series The Acolyte a sparked debate after its broadcast. During the episode in question, it was the unexpected appearance of a Jedi who looked very much like Plo Koon which surprised and sometimes annoyed the spectators. Indeed, an appearance of this famous Jedi in a story taking place so far in the past would have led to many inconsistencies. However, despite appearances, production has confirmed that this mysterious character is not Plo Koon, but a new Jedi Kel Dor named Ithia Paan.
The confusion is understandable : Ithia Paan, like Plo Koon, is a Kel Dor and therefore wears the mask and glasses characteristic of this species when he moves away from his original environment. These visual elements were enough to deceive fans, reviving the hope of finding Plo Koon in this series. Especially since The Acolyte had already allowed himself, a little earlier, to make another famous Jedi appear, Ki-Adi-Mundi, rewriting part of its history in passing. Waiting for, Ithia Paan reinforces the ancestral link between the Kel Dor people and the Force in the lore of Star Wars.
#1 Plo Koon should have had a more heroic death
Plo Koon’s death is one of the Jedi executions that we watch helplessly in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. You can Plo Koon at the controls of his Jedi ship, escorted by vehicles piloted by clones. It is then that Supreme Chancellor Palpatine reveals his true identity: the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious.
While Plo Koon leads his squadron, Sidious issues the infamous Order 66, ordering the clones to kill all Jedi. Unaware of the danger, the hunter Plo Koon is hit by a salvo of laser shots fired by his own men. As a wing of his ship catches fire, the engines explode, destroying the craft and taking Plo Koon with it. In distress, the ship hits a tower of the bridge city below and breaks apart. But the story doesn’t end there.
In the extended universe, we learn that official reports from the Galactic Empire were manipulated to reinforce anti-Jedi propaganda for the benefit of Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power. The Empire thus claims that Plo Koon’s death was the result of a terrorist attack suicidal on a nursery of alien larvae. Originally, Plo Koon’s death was intended to be much more heroic in the film. He was originally planned to survive the attack from his starfighter and eject from his cockpit, but is then inevitably shot down by the clone pilots. Another interesting detail: when Dave Filoni mentioned the idea of making it appear that Plo Koon would return in season 2 of The Mandalorian (replacing Luke Skywalker), no one on the team objected or seemed surprised. His return to the universe Star Wars would therefore perhaps not be totally implausible.
And if you want to know even more about the great warriors of the prelogy, you can also discover our files on Qui Gon Jinn, Ki Adi Mundi, Mace Windu, or even Darth Maul and General Grievous.
