Star Wars: Here Is Why General Grievous Hated the Jedi

One of the characters we met during the events of ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ was the cyborg general named Grievous, who wielded lightsabers in combat and was responsible for the deaths of countless Jedi during the war. Of course, Grievous went into the Clone Wars fueled by his hatred for the Jedi Order and the Republic that the Jedi protected. So, why did General Grievous hate the Jedi?

General Grievous hated the Jedi because his people, the Kaleesh, were once defeated by the Jedi Order in the past. After the defeat of the Kaleesh, the Republic imposed embargoes and fines on Kalee as this led to thousands of Kaleesh dying from starvation and poverty, thus fueling Grievous’ hatred for the Jedi.

Grievous’s understanding that he didn’t have a chance against the Jedi prompted him to become a cyborg that was now strong enough to defeat Jedi Masters. His hatred for the Jedi allowed him to undergo such a drastic transformation to his body, as revenge for his people was the only thing he had in mind. That said, let’s look more into why Grievous hated the Jedi.

Grievous was a warlord of Kalee

The entire storyline of ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ is long and exhaustive regarding the many different characters and storylines introduced in the series. Of course, while we first met him in the non-canon 2003 Clone Wars cartoon and then in ‘Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,’ General Grievous had a major role to play in the events of ‘The Clone Wars.’

During that time, he showcased his hatred for the Jedi by leading the droid armies of the Separatists into battle against the Jedi Generals and the Republic’s army of clones.

But Grievous’ hatred for the Jedi and the Republic was something that he developed during his younger years. He was born a Kaleesh named Sheelai on the somewhat primitive planet of Kalee. On that planet, the warlords of Kalee were the most revered people, as everyone on the planet worshipped them due to their strength in battle. After all, bravery as a warrior and strength as a fighter were what Kaleesh valued the most.

Seeking to become a strong warrior, Sheelai worked his way up the ladder of warlords on Kalee until he became strong enough to be a legend among his people. He was often seen as the strongest and mightiest out of all of the Kaleesh, and he took pride in being an incredibly strong and gifted fighter, especially in using his sword. 

As it was customary for the Kaleesh to conquer entire groups of people, Sheelai led his people into a war against the Yam’rii, which were the biggest rivals of the Kaleesh. It was during his conquest of different worlds and races that he changed his name to Grievous.

While the Kaleesh successfully defeated the Yam’rii and drove them from their planet, the Yam’rii sought the assistance of the Jedi Order and the Republic. As such, the Jedi defeated Sheelai and the Kaleesh warriors.

On top of that, the Republic also imposed heavy fines and embargoes on Kalee as punishment for the different things they did to the different worlds around the galaxy. This led to the deaths of countless Kaleesh people as they died from hunger and poverty due to the heavy fines that the Republic imposed on Kalee.

In that regard, Grievous ended up getting defeated by the Jedi Order. However, he found a mutual enemy in the form of Count Dooku, who quickly noticed Grievous due to his strength as a warrior. As such, he recruited him as one of the generals that he took in to lead the droid armies against the Republic. 

The Jedi and the Republic nearly destroyed the Kaleesh

Of course, when Grievous joined the Separatists after Count Dooku recruited him, he allowed himself to undergo a life-changing procedure. He willingly subjected himself to an experimental procedure that turned him into a cyborg. The reason for doing so was his hatred for the Jedi Order.

Grievous hated the Jedi Order for defeating the Kaleesh and causing his people to suffer under the heavy embargoes and fines imposed upon them by the Republic. In that regard, he saw the Jedi and the Republic as the things he hated the most because they caused so much suffering and death for his people. And that was why he ended up joining the Separatists.

But the most important part was that Grievous hated the Jedi for hurting his pride. As a warlord of Kalee, he was the strongest Kaleesh and the most skilled warrior of all his people. He was a legend among the Kaleesh and was known throughout the galaxy as a skilled and brutal warrior.

However, while Grievous may have been strong, his skills paled compared to the power of the Jedi Knights, who wielded the power of the Force, which was something that Grievous didn’t have. The Force made the Jedi stronger, faster, and more skilled than any other Kaleesh warrior, including Grievous. As such, Grievous understood that he would never be as strong as the Jedi Knights under normal circumstances, and that was why his pride was hurt. He hated the Jedi for making him look like a second-rate warrior.

Fueled by his anger, General Grievous agreed to allow the Separatists to turn him into a cyborg. This procedure allowed him to eventually become the four-armed robot he became known for throughout the entire Clone Wars. After that, he received lightsaber combat training from none other than Count Dooku.

With his new body and improved sword skills, General Grievous became strong enough to take out multiple low-tier Jedi all on his own. In fact, he became so strong that he could already match the combat prowess of a Jedi Master. And it was all because he allowed his anger to fuel him throughout his entire life after he suffered a humiliating defeat to the Jedi Order years before becoming a cyborg.

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