Any significance to the number 66 in Order 66?

Question

From what I've found, there were something like 150 contingency orders to help hide the Palpatine's Order 66 and what it was meant to do.

The first time I saw Revenge of the Sith, I thought he gave the order "666", and I thought, cute, the devil, but then I learned it was actually "66". Does it mean anything?

Is it still referencing the devil?  Is it just a number pulled from a hat? In short, what is the significance of the number in Palpatine's infamous line:

Execute Order 66

Update: George Lucas also did "American Graffiti" which references Route 66, but I don't how to connect that with killing Jedi.  Jedi road kill?

Jeff · Accepted Answer

It's just a random number.  There's no real significance to the number 66 in Jedi or Sith lore, which I think was the point.

If someone were to look at a list of pre-specified orders and directives, it's VERY likely they'd begin skimming or walk away before Order 66 (especially if the first sixty were very mundane).

Random spot checks of any list of these would be less likely to turn it up if the number weren't important to the Jedi or their foes.

You can read more about Order 66 here.

David Stratton · Answer

I believe that Order 66 was a reference to the Standing Order 66 in the U.K.
Both introduced a change in government that centralized power after a conflict to "protect the kingdom/Republic)" from an inside threat. The British version was purely financial in nature.  Order 66 in Star Wars canon was a bit more drastic, eliminating the threat of the Jedi altogether.

user17545 · Answer

During World War II FDR issued the infamous Executive Order 9066, which lead to American citizens of Japanese descent rounded up and interned in concentration camps on US soil for many years.

Lucas has many references to WWII in Star Wars (and his other films), so he would most likely be very aware of this notorious Executive Order. It seems possible that this piece of US history, with its obvious parallels of government betrayal against its citizens, would be a point of reference.

You can read more about it here: https://anchoreditions.com/blog/dorothea-lange-censored-photographs

AnimanSEQ · Answer

I would also like to throw in Missouri Executive Order 44 as a possible inspiration for Order 66. This was issued in 1838 by governor Boggs, and is commonly referred to as the "Mormon Execution Order" as it basically made it legal for people to kill and/or cause harm to those who followed the Mormon Church and its teachings. Which sounds similar to the events brought about by 66. Two religious groups ordered by the government to be threats and which justifies their eradication and/or removal from society through a same-double-digit Executive Order.

"...the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for the public peace—their outrages are beyond all description"

I believe this, combined with the a fore mentioned possibilities (Standing Order 66, Route 66, etc.) gives us a good look at why he choose Order 66, but this is just personal speculation.

Jtlyncharts · Answer

Order 66 was also known as the Commando Order in the Nazi army during WWII, in which Nazi troops were ordered to kill Allied POWs- even in uniform, which was a war crime.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commando_Order

Any significance to the number 66 in Order 66?

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