The title "Clone Master" was given to cloning experts and scientists from both Arkanian and Kaminoan backgrounds. Examples include Tef Shabiak of Arkanian Microtechnologies and Sayn Ta from Kamino. However, the designation gained notoriety when a group of rebellious cloners used it while attempting to overthrow the Galactic Empire with their specially designed Anti-trooper clone armies.
To ensure the planet's cloning technology remained within Imperial grasp, Emperor Palpatine maintained a close watch over Kamino.
Harboring resentment towards the Empire's presence, a small faction of Kaminoans initiated the development of a clone troopers army to resist what they perceived as oppression. These rebellious clone troopers, known as clone anti-Imperial troopers, were specifically engineered to combat the Empire. They were equipped with Phase I clone trooper armor and primarily consisted of Jet Troopers and Rail ARC Commandos.
The Kamino uprising marked the suppression of this rebellion. In this conflict, the Kaminoan-bred troops faced off against their genetically identical brothers who served the Empire. Boba Fett, a bounty hunter with extensive knowledge of the facility, led the 501st Legion of stormtroopers.
The Kaminoan clones were eliminated, with Kamino remaining under Imperial control and the rogue cloning facilities being seized for the Empire. The leaders of the Clone Masters attempted to escape but were unsuccessful. The survivors were placed under Imperial rule and carefully monitored by the Empire, to prevent any chances or hopes of another uprising from occurring in future.
Despite the clone rebellion's decisive defeat, the incident prompted Emperor Palpatine to authorize the creation of new clones from diverse genetic sources and the recruitment of non-clone Humans to bolster the ranks of the Stormtrooper Corps.
In his Thrawn Trilogy, Timothy Zahn portrayed the Clone Masters as adversaries of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars. This reflected a common perception among authors in the 1990s, who viewed the cloners and their clones as the "villains."
However, following the release of Attack of the Clones, which depicted the clones fighting on the Republic's side, the Clone Masters were retconned to be renegades who only initiated their attacks after the Empire's establishment.