The 501st Journal

The story of a Solider in the 501st from the Start of the Clone Wars up until the Battle of Hoth.
Shoutout to Battlefront II (2005) for the narration, and KZbinr REX for the inspiration for the video.

[@josephcooper8500]

This game was as much of my childhood as minecraft and Pokémon were, and it was so amazing to see this footage redone. This was an amazing video, definitely deserves more attention!

[@ARCtrooperblueleader]

Well said.

[@HrapVideoGames]

it brings so much nostalgia and so many new thoughts, and as an adult, what he says sounds so hard

[@fatherofjman2475]

“Dip,dip,dip,dip,dip”

[@sanlorenzo7896]

It’s a small moment, but I liked how the 501st Clone despised the word, “Rebellion.” We always heard Imperial officers and even the Emperor express their distaste over it, but not the clones directly until the journal was made.

[@xvoidxhunter2129]

The emphasis helps drive the annoyance (of the rebellion to the trooper) home to the viewer quite well

[@cyanavaricegaming8318]

Well canonically the clones had to memorize all 150 orders, obeying them was against their will, but they knew the orders

[@rae3279]

I always hear palpatine say rebelyoon

[@stephengilbreath840]

"It's a good thing we were wearing helmets, because none of us could bear to look her in the eye"

[@NordicTobz]

The respect the clones has for Aayla Secura was so strong that even after order 66 they still wished the best they could wish for someone they needed to kill, a swift death. A mercy few jedi got.

[@Channel9001]

In Episode 3, you see her Clones shooting her many times. This was to make sure she was dead, and quickly.

[@JThomasP51]

Nothing will ever compare to this voice over. Timeless

[@masonwhitener1298]

I loved this game, big part of my childhood this deserves a remaster

[@funfactor4528]

Remaster, it deserves a remake!!!!!!

[@mattcatom1]

It's such an interesting idea that the clones were aware that they would be betraying the Jedi and it's a cool alternate universe idea

[@ARCtrooperblueleader]

I agree. I like that better than the brainwash idea.

[@davidkelly4210]

It made no sense. Why would the clones mindlessly frag their own officers because of a out of left field order from someone that didn't look like the Chancellor and with no reason to justify the act from their POV? And how could they be bright in on it with NOBODY going, 'Wait, that's treason against the Republic' and saying something. The chip compelling them fixed that.

[@ChillyCharizard006]

It used to be canon. Then Disney wiped it all. I don’t mind the control chip concept, it lets the clones be fleshed out as likable characters in The Clone Wars. But I still think the original concept is more sinister and interesting.

[@rev3rbrrd260]

in Legends, (the previous canon before Disney bought it, and when this game came out), the clones knew what they were doing without the chips. The inhib chips weren't added until Disneys new canon in TCW show.

[@Rama-tut3220]

@@rev3rbrrd260 I thought that clone wars till season 6 was made before 2014????

[@alang.bandala8863]

That moment when you realized that the narrator never saw the end of the battle of Endor, mostly because he died

[@WailfulSeeker82]

I wish they did a secret mission for endor that you unlock after beating story mode on Elite AI difficulty and played 20 hours overall. But the campaign was iconic regardless

[@ChillyCharizard006]

Holy frick this was well made. Better than anything EA could crap out now n days.

[@LMGunslinger]

Or Disney.

[@ChillyCharizard006]

@@LMGunslinger Oh God don't remind me. I still can't get the Book of Boba Fett finale taste out of my mouth.

[@riversiderobertmk.2954]

Hot Take: The existence of the inhibitor chip doesn’t invalidate the 501st journal. The 501st soldiers here are clones whose inhibitor chips activated normally, but instead of doubting why they committed order 66, they simply convinced themselves that order 66 was the plan all along. Also some clone troopers, like the Coruscant Guard in S6 Episode 4, seemingly knew of Palpatine’s plans before order 66, therefore some clones were utterly loyal to Palpatine’s grand plan before order 66 came down.

[@CJVS995]

Good soldiers follow orders.

[@darthreven8894]

I think it's more like their chips were already activated when it came to certain clones he sends on personal missions for him

[@GuardianKyle]

Legends makes it sound like the Clones always knew about Order 66 and waited for the day when the order was given. While the Disney Canon pretty much brainwashed and forced them to do so through the inhibitor chip.

[@SamuriLemonX18]

Imo both can be true kinda. This is a recounting of events, and I think it's likely after the chips trigger the clones don't know they were brainwashed or feel like like they were being mind controlled. So they would think they did it of their own free will, so they remember things a little differently to how they happened. They definitely wouldn't have known about the whole plan, that was literally just Dooku and Sidious not even the head Kaminoans knew the full extent.

[@slimeslaggagedon794]

Season 6 was released before the canon was replaced

[@mikethehunter5212]

Well, there's no good way to explain why the Jedi would willingly fight alongside an army that appeared out of nowhere. The microchip explanation is the best way you can avoid making someone as wise as Yoda look like a complete fool. Even then, you're just outright stupid if you're hell bent on saying only the Sequels have their issues.

[@mrzirak792]

​@@slimeslaggagedon794 TCW retcon a lot og stuff and stories that already were written. '03 Clone Wars and cool Grievus, death and characters were retconned.

[@davidcameron5308]

​@@SamuriLemonX18Late to the party, I know, but I really like this interpretation

[@elderliddle2733]

That cut with Tarkin and the Death Star was perfect.

[@raetekusu1]

Excellent video. I love the choice of footage, although that Polis Massa/Scarif one, not really much that could be done about it but it still makes sense as the next entry up.

[@xvoidxhunter2129]

Yea, Scarif made the most sense for the context of the Polis Massa Rebellion, especially given the ties to A New Hope The Prison Break one shouldve come after the Tantive IV with all the ties to the Episode IV Prisonbreak but that last line about finding the plans kinda ruins that

[@zexalbrony4799]

Well, there was one thing that could have been done, just edit out them saying Polis Massa, and instead, the line becomes, "By the time of the raid, the men of the 501st were starting to get sick of this so-called rebellion." I've seen other 501st Videos that do that. A similar thing can be done for the Clone Rebellion since by the looks of Bad Batch we might get Rex's version of this in season 2, but it won't take place on Kamion, so just edit out the Kamion bits and the lines still work and fit with the new canon. This is still a very good video mind you despite that. Some great choice of clips.

[@gormandagher9415]

Scarif doesn’t exist long live Polis Massa. Long live starwars Legends.

[@raetekusu1]

@@gormandagher9415 Polis Massa is canon, it was in ROTS. Though in Legends, the DS plans were stolen, like, twenty different times by several different people and also Kyle Katarn, so it's incredibly contradictory.

[@huntclanhunt9697]

​@@zexalbrony4799Bad Batch is just the censored history. After all, officially, there was no clone rebellion. Unofficially...

[@thernius5786]

The Empire fighting the Droids and Geonosians was one of my favorite missions ever

[@crisn565]

This game was a master piece. This should’ve been remastered

[@TevyaSmolka]

This game was so much of a childhood that it was such a great story.

[@revan22]

Honestly the legend base aspect is so much better. Clones are loyal to the chancellor, not the Jedi. The Jedi weren't the greatest respected warriors they thought they were. Clones despised Jedi as they weren't that good. But they still show that some jedis were worthy of clone trust such as aayla secura, as others are even more hated like ki adi mundi. I find that aspect way better than just control chips. Clones turning from their ideas is better than them just removing a chip.

[@nemtudom5074]

Honestly, both of them are excellent Easily peak star wars, either one of them.

[@lol-un6nl]

the chips were more like failsafes to stop clones who did have deep emotional connections with their jedi from not executing order 66

[@ACEnBEAKY]

Wow 66 likes when I got here! Me personally I like both being at least partially true to varying degrees, depending on the individual clone (or clone battalion).

[@LMGunslinger]

I agree with the OP. When you compare story telling like this to the poop that Disney has turned SW into, it's infuriating. Honestly, if people prefer the remakes, they should do some self reflecting and ask themselves why an inferior product appeals to them.

[@aSkyclad]

​​@@LMGunslingerI mean Disney really didn't do a lot of great things but let's not forget that the whole chips arc was made when Lucas was still involved with Clone Wars, and written by his daughter

[@SmashSuperODSTs]

I get it, while Vader and the 501st were raiding Polis Massa for the fragment of the plans, the rebels were raiding Scarif to find the rest of the plans and Vader got there late.

[@blueduck5695]

The game was and still is a gem to play. There was almost nothing about the game that I didn't love when I was a kid and hearing this brought me back so much nostalgia.

[@AwFiddleStickss]

I miss Legends Star Wars.

[@tox1cboi_524]

“First years the 501st could relax.” Stormtrooper: *hits his head*

[@tristankawatsuma8962]

Personally, I like to see a Canon version of the Journal. Despite clones being more noble and human in Canon, I would think that actually would make the journal more depressing. As we see in the 501st Journal, the Clones don’t really have a high opinion of the Jedi with few exceptions. This opinion is the same towards alien allies. Whatever issues the clones have with Order 66 are ultimately pushed aside and afterwards, the clones enjoy crushing rebellions for the Empire even after their kind start to be phased out. A Canon version of the Journal however would be a tragic opposite. For one, the Clone Wars would be looked back on as happier and simple times with the clones enjoying the respect of the Jedi. When Order 66 comes along, the clones likely will feel pretty messed up, just suddenly being forced to gun down the Jedi they fought with and watching as the Republic becomes the Empire. The Clone writing in the journal feels terrible for his actions, but just can’t see himself doing anything besides fighting, so he does whatever he can to be one of the few clones to stay in the Imperial Military. He’s got to face far more bigotry than he did before, lose his home planet Kamino, and constantly wish for the old days as he stops fighting soldiers and basically just crushes civilians. There would be two ways to end the journal in my opinion. One is that in spite of most of his brothers phasing out, the clone still tries his best to be a loyal Imperial soldier by the time of the Galactic Civil War. He ends up getting killed, realizing in the end that his denialism that times had changed was what did him in. Alternatively, he finally decided to instead defect to the Rebel Alliance joining a small group of old clones led by Rex and Wolffe. While he does survive the war, he’s still pretty messed up mentally. At least he has friends that actually respect him, though this would feel like a bittersweet ending.

[@andrewmartinez9613]

I miss this nostalgia

[@SolidKing98]

2005 was something else

[@thesonicgaminggod6956]

Still the second best Star Wars game ever made and i play it to this day. This story is probably the best story from before the disney buyout that wasnt from the books

[@axbeats]

this is amazing, put together perfectly!

[@aloron1174]

*Uuughaawhsha* Right in the childhood...

[@adamnewbs3522]

This is a beautiful video, this needs a million views

[@ARCtrooperblueleader]

Beautiful video. Bravo. Battlefront 2 is still my second favorite game of all time. Right behind the first Battlefront.

[@mu_gm]

So nice hearing this now that I fully understand English, when I was a kid, I didn't understand a thing that was going on 😂

[@theblackswordsman3612]

God my childhood i remember every mission like knight fall and having little to much fun killing jedi and may have forgotten to do the objective more then once

[@HrapVideoGames]

I dont know why but I listen throw the whole video without pausing, it felt good, I even forgot that it was from original Battlefront 2

[@jacobagee3874]

My lord that was so awesome my friend

[@LMGunslinger]

This is proper world building, Disney should take notes.

[@stephengilbreath840]

This is beautiful

[@HeavyMilkSyrup]

I love these voice lines so much lol I love the idea that the clones were aware of order 66

[@geckls1303]

Well done soldier!

[@stefbro]

Underrated page tbh

[@pailhorsegaming6762]

Awesome edit!

[@regularguy7266]

Although you had to replace Polis Mossa with Scarif, I think about it as a nickname for the battle that the clones thought of, since maybe a situation or battle on Polis Massa was similar to what happened on Scarif.

[@xvoidxhunter2129]

Its funny you say that, I thought of it as another name for the base itself, kinda like how Grevious' capital ship in Episode 3 was called "The Invisible Hand"

[@lexonfors]

@@xvoidxhunter2129 Providence was just the class of ship, Invisible Hand was the officially recognized name for Grevious' flagship the entire time he had it.

[@noah_body_cares]

I wonder what eventually happened to this particular 501st trooper

[@billygranzow1331]

I always figured killed on Endor since the journals stop

[@cindervee478]

Apparently he retired according to some sources

[@dekaw9138]

I always thought this was Cody doing the journal

[@ZoomerUnion]

​@@dekaw9138Cody was in the 212th legion

[@xeno_zero2303]

"Good soldiers follow orders, good soldiers follow orders, good soldiers follow orders....."

[@gl0bal7474]

this game was a masterpiece

[@michaelcarson8375]

G Lucas thought Disney cared... 🤣😂 This is very well made.

[@engineerofwar8374]

Awesome

[@CloneWarsFan675]

Honestly, I wished after Hoth, the unnamed clone could’ve told us what it was like on Lothal, Bespin, Endor, Death Star ll, Jakku, Starkiller Base, D’qar, Crait, and Exegol.

[@Pianistec]

stunning

[@nathanwebb3371]

Awsome ❤

[@AnthonySforza]

Oddly, it was this game and these entries along the narrative, that kind of made me a fan. Back when one could tell that the person writing for it, knew things and what they were wroting about.

[@anonperson3972]

This was such a good game back in the day

[@berleezyfacewhenherealizes9265]

Ik this was to the battlefront 2005 video game and it’s legends but something that always confused me is during the clone wars the trooper was describing battles that the 501st have been too but we seen other clone legions in their spot instead and an example being the betrayal on felucia that was the 327th star corps that did that mission and turned Alaya .

[@CorruptEngieJR]

It’s for storytelling purposes for sure, it’s focused around the 501st and telling it from the other corps would break that narrative flow. Even if that results in this timeline being impossible because it suggest that the 501st bounced around fronts and were in service past TESB, making them 60+ years old.

[@julonkrutor4649]

Still playing this game with a few friends from time to time ^^

[@Channel9001]

ehh, the clones would have been elderly by the time of the Battle of Yavin (clones age twice as fast as regular humans) but overall this is cool.

[@guillera9669]

The next video of 501st journal should include andor and bad batch season 2 scenes

[@YouTubePurgetheblackplague]

We miss you George Lucas!!!

[@blacrosekora2638]

What is this from?! This is from Battlefront II 2005…?! That is crazy. And it’s cool how some clone troopers stayed with Vader almost to the end, my guess the last bit of the 501st died in ROTJ

[@ic0nic707]

I think the narrator is called a retired clone in the files. So as far as I know, he should be alive.

[@twandepan]

@@ic0nic707really old for a clone though. Remember they have accelerated aging so a clone living that one would be quite rare

[@ic0nic707]

@@twandepan You’re definitely right.

[@LMGunslinger]

I'll never forgive Disney for what they did to Star Wars.

[@user-dm4ez4sz8q]

when you retire form work 00:1 to 0:42

[@Draklossse]

This is really fucking cool

[@YouTubePurgetheblackplague]

The carpets built the death star

[@funfactor4528]

"Just like the simulations" Seriously though BF2 (the good one, not that piece of shit from 2017) is one of my favorite games of all time. I LOVE just about everything about this game.

[@Dektoonics_inc.]

Bruh 2017 got better c'mon, you can like both

[@johnnytopgun6414]

Campaign was ok, not much else

[@fishstick8555]

@The Umbra Archives not really, it's pretty fun

[@ElixirOfEuphoria]

@The Umbra Archives Was fun as fuck, not the same tier as the original but calling it trash is the biggest L for you lmao

[@Jodacro-it4zz]

2:47 what is that soundtrack I've never heard it before

[@brenteyskens1924]

This is why I didn’t like the idea of chips when it came, the clones in legend are way more engaging to learn about and follow their story, like they could’ve made movies or series about clone diaries like this, with unique views of clones on how the war was, the original StarWars bf games really did the clones Justice and showed the rebels seemed just as bad as the empire if you saw it through a storm trooper’s mind

[@realjoemavro]

This mode is awesome (Hell, the GAME is awesome) but it hypes up the 501st a little too much. The Galactic Marines went to Mygeeto and the 7th Sky Corps went to Utapau.

[@revan22]

Yeah. Also secura was leading the star corps, and Kenobi led the 212th legion as well on utapau, and it was the 41st legion that was dispatched on kashyyk.

[@xvoidxhunter2129]

Battlefront 2 (2005) came out before the main Clone Wars (2008) show came out that everyone knows and loves, My head cannon is the 501st was a much wider term than it means now They also said the 501st helped on Utapau even though we know it was the brother battalion, the 212th and ofc Plo Koon had Wolf Squad and Ayla had the 327th and so on in their respective battles Or perhaps they just made it the 501st so the same trooper could be both inside the temple at Corusant as well as save time on character modeling in game and then just chalked all the other battles during and after the Clone Wars to the "501st" fights for the sake of simplicity

[@realjoemavro]

@@xvoidxhunter2129 Most of these different legions and battalions were established well before 2008. I first read about them in Star Wars Insider Issue 84 (Nov-Dec 2005).

[@xvoidxhunter2129]

@@realjoemavro it was just a theory

[@NC-wu4uz]

@@realjoemavro the game came out on October 31, 2005 and nov 1st in North America

[@alexthedemon2203]

a bunch of walking carpets 💀

[@rinokumera5907]

Poor Jedi and Seperatist.

[@romanianspy4277]

Personally I prefer this over the brain chip stuff, makes order 66 much more meaningful

[@kevinvassago]

Which character is narrating this in your head, is it Rex, Appo, or someone else??

[@deanhollis8983]

Cody.

[@kevinvassago]

@@deanhollis8983 good answer!

[@Hogan231]

TO ME IT’S CANON!

[@D.M.S.]

Journal of the new 501st after Episode 7. "The station ate a star. We destroyed the entire New Republic in one shot. The laser split in nine arms. Light does not move that way. As if the rules of our universe don't ably anymore. In the end the Rebellion blew it up. Why was there a Rebellion anyway? Why was it not called the army? It is ridiculous. Nothing makes sense anymore." Episode 8 "We are led by children. Kylo Ren killed three of my best men for being in the same corridor as him. They bombed our dreadnought from space. The bombs fell down. In space. I fight for over 50 years now. I never saw a dreadnought live longer than two weeks. Why are they keep building them?" Episode 9 "Lord Snoke is dead. After the most boring and nonsensical space hunt in the history of warfare and a pointless invasion, they killed somehow our entire leadership and embarrassed the rest. I wish me back to the times we were led by teenage Jedis in short skirts. They were better leaders. Oh, and somehow Palpatine returned. Yeah, that might as well happen." Episode 9 "All of our ships were suddenly able to kill planets and we had the most powerful Sith that ever existed as our leader, but we lost anyway, because, suddenly and for some reason, every ship in existence came to hand us our asses. We even had jetpacks. We could fly now, but they were riding on animals on our outer hull. I left there and then. I didn't have to be a Jedi to know where this was going. And I was right. I'm retiring in the Outer Rim. I have seen enough. I can't even publish a book about my experiences. Nobody would like the ending. They wouldn't accept it, but it happened. It all happened. Sometimes I look at my blaster and it almost looks like an escape, from this nonsensical shit I've seen. How did he survive the explosion of the second death star? IT MAKES NO SENSE!"

[@roger7392]

love it, except for the bombs part. There is no down in space, but there are still attractional forces at play, for larger objects like a dreadnaught. Also I don't think that in a sci-fi space war future type of story, selective magnetic guided bombs are that inconceivable.

[@11Tits]

Wait why is scarif put after the death star

[@SPX157]

6:37

[@bman3794]

I have a theory: it is not the same clone trooper narrating the journal but rather the journal was passed down from one trooper to another adding his own story. It is very unlikely same clone survived fighting for nearly 25 years.

[@BrotherHood-xh9sg]

It's not impossible. I like the idea of a single trooper living through all that.

[@bman3794]

@@BrotherHood-xh9sg imagine how old he would have been by the time of the first Death Star blowing up. He would have been put out to pasture long before then. Hell, all of the 501st would.

[@BrotherHood-xh9sg]

@@bman3794 You are correct, but we know it's not impossible. We know that at this time (from Disney Star Wars, so different universe) that at least Rex and Cody were still active combatants during this time. Cody having still been in duty after the destuction of the first death star. So it's not impossible.

[@Evil92Voices]

hm... The new Clone Wars Pictures are destroying my feeling. Before Clone Wars, the clones were trained, to be ready, when order 66 will be commanded. Nothing with inhibitorshit The voicelines are still great

[@BluePlasma77]

2:26 Drive Off the Simps.

[@devilishdeed]

Good soldiers follow orders.

[@MylesGP70]

2:27

[@MylesGP70]

8:04

[@neofulcrum5013]

It’s a shame the 501st became evil

[@ARG0T]

In the old canon, they were always "evil." The clones from birth were always loyal to the eventual Empire's agenda and had no inhibitor chips make them execute the order, they did it on their own when it came down.

[@brettvonklock3206]

@@ARG0T And thats dog water writing. the new canon has the clones as bigger victims than even the Jedi. Which is good writing.

[@ProfessorSikowitz-ni7he]

Not as good without the "dip dip dip"

[@FrostbiteDigital]

I don't see the point in trying to make a "canon edit" with Scarif instead of Polis Massar

[@TDItaly98]

I like the Disney Canon more than legends cause I couldn’t stomach the thought that Rex and all the clones knew about order 66

[@rcdune7132]

Expanded Universe continuity is vastly superior to Disney 💯

[@mfg0d]

I know some people have a huge issue with the whole inhiberated chip thing in the clone wars show and that they think it they should've never implemented them into the story because "Good Soldiers Follow Orders" but I feel like lose people fail to understand that clones are humans too and they use reason and logic. They built friendships and trust with the jedi over the years and wouldn't just turn on them because Palptine (who didn't really have any relation with the clones) said execute order 66. I think its a cool idea having the clones be "aware" of what is actually happening, but it isn't realistic. Thats why they had to introduce the inhibitered chip to the story. Kids couldn't really make sense of why the clones would suddenly just turn and to be honest, neither could the adults. Think of it in a real world problem. If the US President ordered military forces to take arms up against cilivilans or other politically figures without reason, would they really do it? No, they wouldn't.

[@sunsetman22]

thing is, they didn't "just" turn. they knew their purpose from day one. the Kaminoans especially trained them from this exact purpose. you know about "sleeper" agents? how they're supposedly able to build relationships, families, friendships, and just drop any of that as soon as they're "activated", being able to turn on their so-called "loved ones" no chip required? I've always thought of the clones in this way.

[@bluelobster246]

why did George have to sell out to F*CKING disney!?!? FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@arrpxela2635]

for money

[@blacrosekora2638]

0:00 Attack of The Clones 1:50 Revenge of The Sith 6:37 Revenge of The Sith / Order 66 11:11 Bad Batch / Destruction Of Kamino 12:21 A New Home / Destruction of The Death Star 13:25 Rouge One 14:28 Rouge One Ending / A New Hope 15:25 A New Hope / Destruction of The Death Star 16:18 A New Hope 17:00 The Empire Strikes Back / Hoth Retcon/Continuity Error: Scarif’s Name Bad Batch Clone Rebellion

[@ShockwaveFPSStudios]

Am I the only one who’s happy Feloni changed this?

[@AnAngryCanuck]

this is not lore friendly.

[@JohnnyAllison]

Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip....

[@MylesGP70]

8:04