"Destroy those clones!"
--TX-20, at the Battle of Ryloth
The Separatists are formally known as the Confederacy of Independent systems (CIS), a movement dominated by trade groups and giant corporations angry about corruption in the Senate and greedy for more business. The Separatists are publicly led by Count Dooku, who commands fleets and droid armies contributed by the member worlds and groups.
THE SEPARATIST FLEET
Banking Clan frigates, Trade Federation battleships and Commerce Guild destroyers make up the bulk of the Separatist fleet --- but no vessel is as mighty as the Malevolence, the massive flagship commanded by General Grievous.
Banking Clan frigates, Trade Federation battleships and Commerce Guild destroyers make up the bulk of the Separatist fleet --- but no vessel is as mighty as the Malevolence, the massive flagship commanded by General Grievous.
SITH LORD
Count Dooku is the public face of the Separatists and their cause. But a shadowy figure called Darth Sidious works from the darkness, giving orders to Dooku himself. Sidious is a mystery to the Republic. On Geonosis, Dooku told Obi-Wan Kenobi that Sidious was a Sith Lord who controlled the Senate. Most think Dooku was lying and that there is no Sidious. But he is very real.
Darth Sidious prefers to speak to servants such as Dooku by hologram. He gives orders for the Separatists' next move and then disappears as quickly as he appeared. |
PUBLIC LEADER
Count Dooku is the charismatic public face for the Separatists. His speeches have persuaded many planets to abandon the Republic - and his droid armies have brought ruin to many more.
Dooku was once a Jedi Knight, but left the Order and reclaimed his noble title and family wealth on the rich planet Serenno. A Master of the dark side, he is training the Dark Jedi adept adept Asajj Ventress. |
SUPREME COMMANDER
The ruthless commander of the Separatist military is the terrible General Grievous, destroyer of dozens of Republic worlds. Though he isn't Force-sensitive, Grievous's mechanical limbs and incredible reflexes make him a match in combat for all but the strongest Jedi Knight. He takes the lightsabers of dead Jedi as macabre tokens.
Grievous hates droids, even though he commands them. (He makes a rare exception for his MagnaGuards.) Grievous made the choice to be rebuilt as a cyborg, but reacts with savage fury if mistaken for a droid himself. |
SEPARATIST COMMANDERS
Asajj Ventress has been trained in the Force by Dooku, though she's officially neither a Sith nor Dooku's apprentice. Born on a savage world far from the central systems, Asajj hates the Jedi with an animal-like savagery. She has battled Obi-Wan and Anakin before, and dreams of the day she will destroy them.
Asajj is a master of Jar'Kai, a combat style that utilizes two paired lightsabers. Her two sabers were a gift from Dooku, and once belonged to another apprentice. The sabers can be joined into a single deadly saberstaff. |
SEPARATIST COUNCIL
Viceroy Nute Gunray pushed the Trade Federation into conflict with the Republic years ago, a dispute that led to the Separatist movement and the Clone Wars. The cause has been costly for Gunray: He's been harassed by Republic courts and seen profits decline. Privately, he regrets becoming Darth Sidious's pawn, but the Trade Federation has made its choice and can now only hope for the best.
Neimoidians are trained in ruthlessness from birth. Grubs live together in communal hives for their first seven years. Those who fail to secure food are allowed to die. Adults stockpile possessions and are always searching for more. Neimoidians never apologize for their greed. After all, they owe their lives to it. |
Poggle the Lesser is the Archduke of Geonosis before and during the Clone Wars, and is a leading member of the Separatist Council. As planetary leader of the Geonosians and a member of the Techno Union, Poggle controls the vast droid factories found on his planet.
Originally, Poggle was a member of the Geonosian lower caste, hence his surname "the Lesser". He sought the position held by then-Archduke Hadiss the Vaulted and organized a revolt against him, which seemed to be of little concern to Hadiss, who easily dealt with the rebels. |
A tall, grim figure encased in metal, Wat Tambor is the foreman of the Techno Union and the cruel emir of occupied Ryloth. Wat is used to the planet Skako's methane atmosphere and high atmospheric pressure. Without his protective suit, he would swell and pop like an Iskalonian deepfish hauled to the surface.
Count Dooku wishes to make an example of Ryloth. Wat is happy to help, ordering his armies of battle droids to strip the Twi'lek villages of anything valuable, from jewelry to heirlooms. Once their wealth is gone, the villages will be blasted into cinders. |
Lok Durd is a ruthless Neimoidian weapons designer. He hopes his defoliator technology will be a valuable addition to the Separatist arsenal. A weapon that kills living organisms, but leaves droids unharmed could change the course of war --- and help Lok Durd climb the ranks of the Separatist leadership.
Oh, the things Lok Durd has dreamed of. Once his weapon turns out to be a success, he will rise up the Separatist ranks. The mere mention of his name will cause Republic planets to lay down their weapons. On Neimoidia, his grub-children will fight for the most succulent treats. What a tale of triumph! And it will all start here, on a forgotten green planet. |
DROID ARMIES
They're not smart, but they're not supposed to be. Rather, battle droids are simple, sturdy machines designed to overwhelm enemies through sheer numbers. Estimates put the number of droids destroyed in the quintillions. But however many battle droids the Republic destroys, more are always on the way.
The first B1 models were built on Geonosis, but droid factories are now found on many Separatist worlds. Some experimental models have tougher armor or special capabilities. |
Super battle droids are the heavy hitters of the Separatist infantry. They are also big, dumb, and difficult to destroy. Almost comically aggressive, these thickly armored machines sometimes shove their smaller battle-droid cousins aside in their haste to attack their enemies. Regular battle droids often call them "sir" or "boss," but supers never seem to notice this odd courtesy.
The B2 was developed after regular battle droids proved no match for capable opponents in combat. Internally, B2s are much the same as their weaker cousins, but are protected by a thick shell of tough acertron armor. |
Clone troopers refer to these Separatist units as "destroyer droids" or "rollies." No matter what name is used, it's said with fear: The blasters and shields of droidekas usually make even Jedi Knights give way until heavier weapons can be brought to bear.
Droidekas were designed by the Colicoids, a species of ruthless insects. The Colicoids adapted their own rolling motion for the droids, which were sold to the Trade Federation and then bought in greater numbers by the Separatists. |