Fordo

ARC-77, an Advanced Recon Commando, was a clone originating from the genetic material of Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett. He was created on the planet of Kamino to serve within the ranks of the Grand Army of the Republic. Upon achieving the rank of captain, he received the designation "Fordo." During the initial phases of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi led a military force to Muunilinst. This planet was a key manufacturing hub for the InterGalactic Banking Clan, producing substantial 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. This group would later become renowned as The Muunilinst 10. Their mission involved independently navigating to the headquarters of Banking Clan leader San Hill, separate from the main force under Kenobi's command, with a planned rendezvous at the designated location. Prior to their entry into the system, Kenobi personally addressed Fordo and his unit, emphasizing the critical nature of their mission in the broader context of the impending Battle of Muunilinst. For this particular engagement, Fordo was granted the title of Task Force Commander.

Fordo and his unit reached the planet's surface using a Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry, mirroring the deployment method of most of Kenobi's forces. Simultaneously, Commander Anakin Skywalker and his pilots engaged the Banking Clan's array of starfighters. As they approached the city of Harnaidan, Kenobi instructed the ARC troopers to detach from the main group and commence their designated operation. During their separate entry into the city, their transport ship sustained damage and crashed on a deserted street. Despite this setback, Fordo and his men emerged unharmed, prompting him to order a cautious disembarkation. They soon found themselves under sniper fire, resulting in the loss of CT-43/002 during the assault. Seeking refuge behind the wreckage of the gunship, the Captain tasked a spotter with identifying the snipers' locations. Upon pinpointing their positions, Fordo directed one of his lieutenants to employ a PLX-1 portable missile launcher to eliminate the threats, causing significant collateral damage to the surrounding structures.

With the area secured, Fordo led his unit through the urban landscape, advancing towards Hill's headquarters. En route, they encountered an Armored Assault Tank, which was swiftly neutralized by one of the lieutenants acting alone. Utilizing a commando recon droid, Fordo successfully identified the target's location and detected a large cannon situated at the base of Hill's tower. After communicating with Kenobi and receiving authorization, the Captain proceeded. Fordo guided his troops to the tower's base and, together, they rappelled to the cannon's position. The clone troopers promptly eliminated the droid guards stationed there, and one of the lieutenants used his PLX-1 to destroy the visible command booth atop the tower. Subsequently, the Captain's men strategically placed a substantial quantity of explosives before rappelling to the tower's summit as the cannon below detonated. They awaited the arrival of General Kenobi at the tower's peak.

As planned, Kenobi met with them at the summit of Hill's tower. Breaching the roof, Fordo and his men stormed into Hill's war room, effectively eliminating his droids with the General's assistance. Once the conflict subsided, Fordo apprehended Hill and presented him to Kenobi. As the General demanded Hill's unconditional surrender, the Gen'Dai Separatist commander Durge entered the room using a jetpack. Fordo and his unit immediately focused their fire on the newcomer, successfully bringing him down before unleashing a barrage of blaster fire. When one of the lieutenants deployed his PLX-1 against Durge, Fordo believed that the Gen'Dai had been neutralized. However, Kenobi remained skeptical, and his caution proved justified as Durge recovered and began eliminating Fordo's troops.

The massive Gen'Dai then enveloped Kenobi, effectively trapping the General. In response, Fordo launched his wrist grappling hook at Durge's helmet and electrified it, provoking the Separatist commander. Durge managed to sever the connection, pushing Fordo back and leaving him vulnerable to attack. Before the Gen'Dai could eliminate the Captain, Kenobi, from within Durge's form, exerted the Force, seemingly destroying the attacker and freeing himself. With the skirmish concluded, Fordo and his men rounded up Hill and his aides. Following the battle's end, the Captain joined Kenobi in overseeing the aftermath, during which an unidentified ship approached their location. This ship had entered hyperspace during the space battle over Muunilinst and had been pursued by Commander Skywalker. As it descended to land, Kenobi, sensing Skywalker aboard, instructed his men to refrain from firing. While Kenobi reprimanded Skywalker for pursuing 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 objective of rescuing the survivors of Barrek's task force. He and ten lieutenants received the assignment to extract them. Fordo, adopting a more aggressive approach, included an Advanced Recon Commando heavy gunner and a Reciprocating quad blaster in his team. Upon arriving on Hypori in a gunship, Fordo and his team approached the crashed Acclamator-class assault ship where the surviving Jedi were sheltering. After preparing his equipment, the Captain instructed his pilot to initiate enemy jamming. The gunship navigated through the surrounding droid army and released remote bombs before forcefully entering the Acclamator. Upon disembarking, Fordo detected three life signs and directed his troops to investigate nearby rubble and the rafters. Moving towards the life signs with urgency, Fordo progressively instructed 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 team immediately opened fire on the cyborg General, but Grievous evaded their shots and began eliminating the ARC troopers. The Captain responded by ordering his gunship pilot to breach the area and engage Grievous with the ship's weaponry. While the cyborg retreated, Fordo's team recovered the remaining Jedi survivors: Aayla Secura and Shaak Ti. As the Captain instructed his team to re-board the gunship, Ki-Adi-Mundi protested, urging them to pursue Grievous. However, Fordo emphasized that the survivors would likely perish if they remained on Hypori. The General conceded and boarded the craft. As they departed from the crashed Acclamator, Fordo activated the remote bombs, eliminating a significant number of enemy troops and clearing an escape route for the gunship.

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

In 19 BBY, Fordo was stationed on Coruscant when the Confederacy launched an attack. While defending the Sector Four district, Fordo faced intense pressure to repel the attackers and recognized that his position was in danger of being overrun. After requesting 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 hold his ground but eventually issued the order to retreat. At that moment, Jedi Master Yoda arrived riding a kybuck and reversed the Captain's earlier command. Shortly thereafter, General Mace Windu arrived aboard a commandeered vulture droid. As the battle persisted, Fordo's men gained the upper hand, enabling the Captain to order his right flank to advance into the enemy lines. He was unconcerned about his left flank, as it was under the protection of Windu and Yoda. The Republic ultimately emerged victorious in the Battle of Coruscant.

Fordo was not known for his subtlety, as he favored direct tactics, emphasizing overwhelming firepower over intricate strategies. He gained notoriety for his bold approach to situations, which consistently led to success. Fordo valued actions over words, rarely speaking unless addressed by superior officers, and often communicated orders through hand signals and gestures. He was also humble, refusing to take personal credit and instead valuing the contributions of those who died in battle. Fordo displayed unwavering courage in the face of danger, fighting on regardless of the circumstances, although he would order a retreat when faced with overwhelming odds. He would also disobey his superiors if they jeopardized his objectives, as demonstrated with General Ki-Adi-Mundi on Hypori. However, during the Battle of Coruscant, Fordo had faith in Jedi Generals Mace Windu and Yoda, who oversaw the Republic troops' left flank.

Early in the Clone Wars, Fordo donned 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 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 one hand blaster and a DC-15A blaster rifle. Fordo's helmet featured a rangefinder. He also carried a portable holographic projector, which he 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 had red markings and resembled his Phase I ARC trooper armor, but lacked his kama, pauldron ammunition pouch, 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 without a rangefinder, but with Jaig eyes, an honor earned for his actions on Hypori. Like his Phase I armor, Fordo's left arm gauntlet had a built-in comlink system.

Fordo's character debuted in the second episode of Star Wars: Clone Wars. He later appeared in the second season and was 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, a clone trooper also called Fordo a commander. In the Star Wars: Clone Wars PhotoComic, a text box above Fordo reads "The ARC trooper commander gives the all-clear signal." Kenobi referred to Fordo as a "sergeant" a few pages later. The Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic in Star Wars Insider 84 by Karen Traviss and Ryan Kaufman clarified the "commander" issue. The guide stated that Fordo was designated "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.