Great Jedi Purge - Definition and Overview

The Great Jedi Purge was a conflict in the fictional Star Wars universe, and was the beginning of the Galactic Civil War.

The Purge began shortly after Palpatine was declared Emperor and Anakin Skywalker turned to the Dark Side of The Force to become Lord Darth Vader. As the first act under the newly formed Galactic Empire, the Emperor and Vader ordered the total extermination of all living Jedi throughout the galaxy as a sign that the universe was now under Imperial rule. Almost none of the Jedi Knights survived this conflict. Among the few survivors were the corrupted Anakin (now Vader), Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the last surviving Jedi Master, Yoda. Kenobi escaped to Tatooine while Yoda escaped to the planet Dagobah under secrecy. The Expanded Universe series of books indicates that other Jedi also survived the purge. It is presumed that these events will take place in the Star Wars film series following Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

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