Fordo

ARC-77, an Advanced Recon Commando, was a clone originating from the planet of Kamino, created from the genetic material of Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett for service within the Grand Army of the Republic. After achieving the rank of captain, he received the designation "Fordo." In 22 BBY, during the initial stages of the Clone Wars, Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi led a military force to Muunilinst, a planet where the InterGalactic Banking Clan was producing large quantities of droid armies for the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Fordo was among the troops deployed, leading a team composed of two ARC lieutenants and seven infantry clone troopers, a group that would become known as The Muunilinst 10. Their mission involved independently reaching the headquarters of San Hill, the leader of the Banking Clan, separate from the main force under Kenobi, with plans to meet Kenobi there. Before entering the system, Kenobi personally reassured Fordo and his team, emphasizing the critical importance of their mission in the context of the upcoming Battle of Muunilinst. Fordo was designated as Task Force Commander for this operation.

Fordo and his unit traveled to the planet's surface using a Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry, similar to the majority of Kenobi's forces, while Commander Anakin Skywalker and his pilots engaged the Banking Clan's starfighters. Prior to reaching the city of Harnaidan, Kenobi instructed the ARC troopers to detach and commence their operation. As they independently entered the city, their transport was shot down and crashed on a deserted street. However, Fordo and his team survived unharmed, and he promptly ordered them to disembark with caution. They soon encountered sniper fire, resulting in the loss of CT-43/002 in the attack. Taking cover behind the wreckage of their gunship, the Captain tasked a spotter with identifying the snipers' locations. Once identified, Fordo directed one of his lieutenants to eliminate them using a PLX-1 portable missile launcher, causing significant damage to the surrounding buildings.

After securing the area, Fordo led his team through the city streets toward Hill's headquarters. Along their route, they encountered an Armored Assault Tank, which one of the lieutenants successfully destroyed on their own. Using a commando recon droid, Fordo pinpointed the target's location and identified a large cannon at the base of Hill's tower. After reporting to Kenobi, the Captain received authorization to proceed. Fordo directed his troops to the tower's base and then, along with them, rappelled up to the cannon's position. The clone troopers swiftly eliminated the droid guards stationed there, and one of the lieutenants used his PLX-1 to destroy the visible command booth at the tower's summit. The Captain's forces then placed a significant amount of explosives, rappelling to the tower's top as the cannon exploded below. They awaited the arrival of General Kenobi at the tower's summit.

As planned, Kenobi met them at the top of Hill's tower. Breaching the roof, Fordo and his men stormed into Hill's war room, swiftly destroying his droids with the General's assistance. Once the battle concluded, Fordo apprehended Hill and presented him to Kenobi. As the General demanded Hill's unconditional surrender, Durge, the Gen'Dai Separatist commander, entered the room using a jetpack. Fordo and his team immediately focused their fire on the newcomer, successfully bringing him down before bombarding him with more blaster fire. When one of the lieutenants used his PLX-1 on Durge, Fordo was confident that the Gen'Dai had been neutralized. However, Kenobi remained cautious, and his caution proved justified: Durge recovered from the attack and began eliminating Fordo's troops.

The massive Gen'Dai then "swallowed" Kenobi, trapping the General. Fordo responded by firing his wrist grappling hook at Durge's helmet and electrifying it, enraging the Separatist commander. Durge managed to sever the connection, knocking Fordo back and leaving him vulnerable to attack. However, before the Gen'Dai could kill the Captain, Kenobi, from within Durge's form, used the Force to push outwards, seemingly destroying the attacker and freeing himself. With the skirmish concluded, Fordo and his men rounded up Hill and his aides. After the battle ended, the Captain joined Kenobi in overseeing the aftermath, during which an unidentified ship approached their position. The ship had fled to hyperspace during the space battle over Muunilinst and had been pursued by Commander Skywalker. As it landed, Kenobi, sensing Skywalker on board, ordered his men to hold their fire. While Kenobi scolded Skywalker for following the ship, he received a transmission from General Daakman Barrek, who, along with other Jedi, required evacuation from Hypori, where they had been outmaneuvered by the Separatist General Grievous.

Fordo was dispatched to Hypori with the mission of rescuing the survivors from Barrek's task force. He and ten lieutenants were assigned to the recovery operation, and, favoring a more direct approach, Fordo included an Advanced Recon Commando heavy gunner and a Reciprocating quad blaster. Upon reaching Hypori in a gunship, Fordo and his team approached the downed Acclamator-class assault ship where the surviving Jedi were sheltering. After preparing his equipment, the Captain instructed his pilot to begin jamming the enemy's communications. Navigating through the droid army surrounding the assault ship, the gunship dropped remote bombs among the enemy forces before blasting its way into the Acclamator. As soon as he disembarked, Fordo detected three life signs and directed his troops to check nearby rubble and the rafters. Moving quickly towards the life signs, Fordo progressively ordered his troops to spread out.

They encountered a wounded Jedi Master, General Ki-Adi-Mundi, engaged in a duel with General Grievous. Fordo and his men immediately opened fire on the cyborg General, but Grievous evaded their shots and began cutting down the ARC troopers. The Captain responded by ordering his gunship pilot to blast into the area and engage Grievous with the ship's weapons. While the cyborg fled the site, Fordo's troops rescued the other surviving Jedi: Aayla Secura and Shaak Ti. When the Captain ordered his men back on board the gunship, Ki-Adi-Mundi protested, insisting that they pursue Grievous, but Fordo pointed out that the survivors would surely perish if they remained on Hypori. The General conceded and boarded the craft. As they flew away from the crashed Acclamator, Fordo activated the remote bombs, eliminating a large number of enemy troops and clearing a path for the gunship's escape.

The wounded Jedi, despite their critical condition, survived and returned to the galactic capital of Coruscant. In recognition of his efforts, Fordo was awarded the Chancellor's Service Medal, but he declined the honor, requesting that it be bestowed upon the late CT-43/002, one of his men who had perished during the Battle of Muunilinst.

In 19 BBY, when Coruscant was attacked by the Confederacy, Fordo was present on the planet. While defending the Sector Four district, Fordo faced intense pressure to repel the attackers and realized that his position was in danger of being overrun. After calling for reinforcements, he brandished his DC-15A blaster rifle and used it to strike down an approaching B2 super battle droid. Drawing his pistol and retrieving a fallen comrade's DC-15A, Fordo continued to defend his ground, but eventually issued the order to retreat. At that moment, Jedi Master Yoda arrived riding a kybuck and countermanded the Captain's previous order. Shortly thereafter, General Mace Windu arrived riding a commandeered vulture droid. The battle continued, and Fordo's men gained the upper hand, allowing the Captain to advance his right flank into the enemy lines. He did not need to worry about his left flank, however, as Windu and Yoda were overseeing that area. Ultimately, the Republic emerged victorious in the Battle of Coruscant.

Fordo was not known for subtlety, preferring direct tactics and overwhelming firepower over complex strategies. He became renowned for his bold approach to situations, which consistently led to success. Favoring action over words, Fordo rarely spoke unless addressed by superior officers, typically communicating orders through hand signals and gestures. He was also modest, refusing personal credit and valuing the contributions of those who fell in battle. Fordo displayed unwavering courage in the face of danger, fighting on regardless of the situation's severity, although he would order a retreat when facing overwhelming odds. He was also willing to disobey superiors if they jeopardized his objectives, as demonstrated with General Ki-Adi-Mundi on Hypori. However, during the Battle of Coruscant, Fordo placed his trust in Jedi Generals Mace Windu and Yoda, who oversaw the Republic troops' left flank.

Early in the Clone Wars, Fordo wore a lighter version of the Phase I clone armor known as ARC trooper armor, which provided enhanced protection compared to its Phase I counterpart. Fordo's armor featured red markings. The set also included equipment such as a grappling hook and comlink system integrated into his left gauntlet, a blast-dampening gray pauldron, a skirt-like kama, and a belt with a dual pouch holster for his twin DC-17 hand blasters. His pauldron had an ammunition pouch attachment for his twin blaster pistols. While clones under his command used various weapons, Fordo preferred his twin hand blasters, which he used during the Battles of Muunilinst and Hypori. During the Battle of Coruscant, Fordo used only one hand blaster and a DC-15A blaster rifle. Fordo's helmet included a rangefinder, a portable holographic projector (used during the Battle of Muunilinst), and a pair of white macrobinoculars.

Later in the Clone Wars, Fordo, like many clone troopers, transitioned to the Phase II version of the clone armor. Fordo's Phase II armor featured red markings and was similar to his Phase I ARC trooper armor, but it lacked his kama, pauldron ammunition pouch attachment, and dual pouch blaster holsters. Instead, Fordo wore a bandolier and a belt with a single pouch holster for a blaster pistol. Fordo also switched to a BARC trooper helmet, which lacked a rangefinder but featured Jaig eyes, an honor earned for his heroic actions on Hypori. Like his Phase I armor, Fordo's left arm gauntlet had a built-in comlink system.

Fordo's character first appeared in the second episode of Star Wars: Clone Wars. He later appeared in the second season of the show, voiced by André Sogliuzzo. His name was revealed in "Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic," published in Star Wars Insider 84.

His rank has been inconsistent. Fordo was sometimes called "commander." Obi-Wan Kenobi called Fordo a commander in the ninth chapter of Star Wars: Clone Wars. In the twenty first chapter of the series, a clone trooper also called Fordo a commander. In the Star Wars: Clone Wars PhotoComic, a text box above Fordo read "The ARC trooper commander gives the all-clear signal." Kenobi referred to Fordo as a "sergeant" a few pages later. The issue of Fordo being called a commander was clarified in the Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic, a short story in Star Wars Insider 84 by Karen Traviss and Ryan Kaufman. The guide stated Fordo received the designation "Task Force Commander" during the Battle of Muunilinst, a title, not a military rank.

The guide also introduced Fordo's captain rank. His captain rank and Task Force Commander title were mentioned in his entry in the 2008 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. The rank appeared in two Hasbro toy figure packs featuring Fordo, released in 2010 and 2011. Because later sources claim that Fordo was indeed a captain, this article assumes Fordo's rank was captain.

For the ongoing Vintage Collection toy line by Hasbro, Fordo was released with both his Phase I and II equipment as "ARC Trooper Commander" in 2011. His figure features a unique facesculpt with a small chin beard.