Count Dooku
Count Dooku, also known as Darth Tyranus, is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in the prequel film trilogy, first appearing in Attack of the Clones and then returning in Revenge of the Sith. He is portrayed by Christopher Lee in both films and is voiced by Corey Burton in most of the video games and animated productions in which he appears. The animated productions include the series Clone Wars, The Clone Wars, and Tales of the Jedi. Lee voices Dooku in the 2008 Clone Wars animated film. Dooku also appears in novels and comics.
Dooku is the Count of Serenno, his home planet. He is also a former Jedi Master who was trained by Yoda. He becomes disillusioned with the Galactic Senate and the Jedi Order due to the former's corruption and the latter's complicity, and eventually turns to the dark side of the Force. He becomes an apprentice of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, and plays a pivotal role in his master's rise to power. Dooku leads the Confederacy of Independent Systems throughout the Clone Wars, all the while engineering the creation of the Republic's clone army. Although he hopes to eventually overthrow Sidious, Dooku is ultimately betrayed by his master, who arranges his death at the hands of Anakin Skywalker.
Appearances
Films
''Attack of the Clones''
Count Dooku was introduced in Attack of the Clones as a former Jedi Master who had left the Jedi Order after losing faith in it and the Galactic Republic it served. He became the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a confederation of planetary systems rebelling against the Republic. Dooku believes that the Republic is corrupt and imposes excessive taxation, that its politicians are more interested in maintaining the bureaucracy and enriching themselves than in properly representing their people, as well as believing that they are more focused on the Republic-centric Core Worlds and neglecting the others.Dooku recruits the bounty hunter Jango Fett to assassinate Senator Padmé Amidala on Coruscant, but the attempt is foiled by her Jedi protectors. Dooku captures the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis, and tells him that thousands of senators are under the influence of a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious. Dooku asserts that he is attempting to save the Republic, and tries to convince Obi-Wan to join him even offering to have him released and that his capture is a big misunderstanding. When Padmé and Anakin Skywalker arrive on Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan, Dooku captures them as well and sentences all three to death.
A Jedi strike team eventually arrives to rescue the trio, and are soon joined by the Republic's new clone army, resulting in a large battle between the Republic and Separatist forces. Dooku tries to flee, but Obi-Wan and Anakin follow him and engage him in a lightsaber duel. Dooku subdues Anakin with Force lightning, wounds Obi-Wan, then cuts off Anakin's arm. Dooku's former master Yoda then arrives and the two duel. Unable to match Yoda's prowess, Dooku distracts him by using the Force to dislodge a large pillar and send it falling toward Anakin and Obi-Wan. While Yoda is saving the two injured Jedi, Dooku escapes the planet. He brings the designs for the Death Star to his master Darth Sidious, informing him that the war has begun and that their plan is working.
''Revenge of the Sith''
Revenge of the Sith takes place three years after Attack of the Clones. Dooku and the Separatist commander General Grievous have kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine—Sidious's alter ego—as part of a plan orchestrated by Palpatine to lure Anakin to the dark side of the Force. Unknown to Dooku, Sidious desired Anakin to replace him as his Sith apprentice due to how powerful he was, and as such, intended for Anakin to kill Dooku in order to lure him to the dark side. Anakin and Obi-Wan board Grievous's ship and confront Dooku, who knocks Obi-Wan unconscious. Anakin then overpowers Dooku and severs his hands. Palpatine then betrays his apprentice by ordering Anakin to kill him, much to Dooku's horror. Despite Anakin's reluctance as killing an unarmed prisoner is not the Jedi way, Palpatine's urging leads to Anakin killing and decapitating the helpless Count.In a deleted scene, Dooku claims that he arranged for Tusken Raiders to kidnap and kill Anakin's mother, as seen in Attack of the Clones.
''The Clone Wars''
In the 2008 animated film The Clone Wars, which takes place after the events of "Attack of the Clones", Dooku plots to bring Jabba the Hutt into the folds of the Confederacy. He orchestrates the kidnapping of Jabba's son Rotta by Jabba's uncle Ziro. When Jabba requests Jedi assistance to rescue his son, Dooku plans to frame the Jedi for the kidnapping. Dooku duels Anakin for the first time since their encounter in Attack of the Clones. The duel ends in a draw, and Anakin and his apprentice Ahsoka Tano eventually foil Dooku's plan.Television
''The Clone Wars'' (2008–2014)
In the 2008 animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, Dooku is the political leader of the Separatists, and the main antagonist. In addition to sending Grievous and Ventress on missions to antagonize the Republic, he works with the terrorist group Death Watch to give the Republic a reason to send a military presence to Mandalore, which would play in his favor. The plan falls through when Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore urges the Galactic Senate to hold off a military force.In the third season, Dooku is forced to eliminate his apprentice Ventress to prove his loyalty to Darth Sidious. Ventress survives, however, and works with Mother Talzin to kill Dooku by giving him Savage Opress as a replacement apprentice. During a confrontation between Dooku and Ventress, Savage turns on both. In the fourth season, Dooku defeats Anakin in three separate lightsaber duels, and despite having some of his plans foiled, he gets his revenge on Ventress by having General Grievous order the systematic genocide of the Nightsisters. In the fifth season, Dooku plays minor roles via hologram in guiding King Rash of Onderon and Grievous taking over Florrum.
In the sixth season, Dooku finds out the clone trooper Tup executed Order 66 prematurely due to a malfunction in his inhibitor chip, which he and Sidious had instilled in the Clones from the start in order to compel the Clone Troopers to turn against the Jedi at the right time. Not wanting the Jedi to discover his and Sidious's plans, he works behind the scenes to stop the Republic's investigation. He then manipulates the Banking Clan and its representative Rush Clovis into putting all their resources in the hands of the Sith, bringing war to the planet Scipio. Later, the Jedi find a lightsaber belonging to deceased Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas—whom Dooku betrayed and murdered years earlier—and start an investigation. Sidious forces Dooku to clean up their trail. Dooku confronts Anakin and Obi-Wan on Oba Diah, revealing his alter-ego Darth Tyranus to the Jedi, and they realize that it was he who created the clone army. Some further investigation by Yoda prompts Dooku and Sidious to perform a Sith ritual in an unsuccessful attempt to break the Jedi Master; in a vision experienced by Yoda, Dooku fights Anakin, who swiftly defeats and executes him, in a manner very similar to his eventual demise.
Count Dooku does not directly appear in the seventh season. However, as the events of Revenge of the Sith are concurrent with the season's final arc, Ahsoka Tano is informed of his demise at Anakin's hands by Obi-Wan, who tells her that it is important to capture Maul, being the only way the Jedi can discover the true identity of Darth Sidious after Dooku's death.