A discussion over on r/ZeroCompany raised an idea that could completely reshape Star Wars: Zero Company’s story: what happens if the game reaches the moment of Order 66?
For anyone less familiar with Star Wars lore, Order 66 was a secret command issued during the Clone Wars. It ordered all clone troopers across the galaxy to turn on their Jedi generals and kill them. This act marked the near-total destruction of the Jedi Order and the final fall of the Republic, clearing the way for the rise of the Empire. In Revenge of the Sith, the execution of Order 66 is brutal and immediate, with clones gunning down Jedi they had fought alongside for years. It remains one of the most significant turning points in Star Wars history.
In Zero Company, the squad includes at least one clone and one Jedi. That setup makes the potential for Order 66 a major point of conflict if the story timeline runs long enough. Some fans suggested that when the order comes down, clone squad mates could instantly turn against Jedi members before the player even has time to react. Others proposed that your protagonist, Commander Hawks, would face a critical choice: stay loyal to the new Empire or break away and fight alongside the surviving Jedi and other defectors.
One vision gaining traction in the discussion imagines Order 66 as the setup for a brutal final mission. After hours spent building relationships, upgrading your squad, and customizing your roster, the game could pull the rug out from under you. You would be forced to turn against characters you’ve developed and relied on throughout the campaign. It would be a devastating twist, but it fits the tone that Zero Company seems to be aiming for: personal, squad-driven, and morally complicated.
Some players suggested a different approach. Instead of saving Order 66 for the end, the game could use it as a major midpoint event. By breaking the Republic earlier, the story would open up to show the chaos of the early Empire, where alliances shift, small resistances form, and loyalty becomes a matter of survival. That route could offer a second half of the game focused more on rebellion, mercenary work, or even continued loyalty to the Empire, depending on player choices.
Others pointed out that Order 66 could become the basis for future downloadable content. Imagine two storylines branching out from that moment: one path where Hawks leads a loyalist squad for the Empire, another where he becomes a fugitive leader in the galaxy’s criminal underworld. The developers could even make one path the “canon” storyline while letting players explore both.
At this stage, we don’t know if Zero Company will even reach Order 66. The Clone Wars setting offers plenty of ground without re-treading the Jedi purge. But the very structure of the game — your squad, your choices, your relationships — would make Order 66 one of the most explosive narrative tools they could use if they choose to.