General Grievous
General Grievous | |
---|---|
Star Wars character | |
First appearance |
|
Created by | George Lucas |
Voiced by | Other:
|
In-universe information | |
Full name | Qymaen jai Sheelal |
Species | Kaleesh cyborg |
Gender | Male |
Occupation | |
Affiliation | MagnaGuards (melee combat) |
Homeworld | Kalee |
General Grievous is a character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. He was introduced in the 2003 animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars (voiced by John DiMaggio in the second season and Richard McGonagle in the third season), before appearing through computer-generated imagery in the 2005 live-action film Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (voiced by Matthew Wood). Wood reprised the role in the 2008 animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Grievous is depicted as a brilliant military strategist who serves as the Supreme Commander of the
The character has become one of the franchise's most iconic
Development
Creation and casting
"All of these [Star Wars] films have the ultimate 'bad guy,' which is the Emperor, but in addition to that there's the sidekick; being Darth Vader in Episodes IV, V and VI, Darth Maul in Episode I, or Count Dooku in Episode II. So we're always trying to work with a sidekick, an apprentice to the Dark Lord. I came up with the idea of General Grievous as the leader of the Droid Armies. He's an alien in a droid shell, which is sort of an echo of what Anakin is going to become."[2]
In 2002, George Lucas conceived of General Grievous as a powerful new villain for Revenge of the Sith, specifically envisioning the character as a cyborg droid general to reflect and foreshadow
Two weeks after Lucas' instruction to design Grievous, a sketch made by concept artist Warren Fu was chosen and developed by Lucas for the character's finalized appearance.[1] Fu took inspiration from the top view of a spray bottle for the design of Grievous' face.[2] Fu's sketch was made into a 1-foot (30 cm)-tall maquette sculpture which was then refined into a realistic computer-generated model by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). This was one of the most complex models ever created by ILM at the time as many of its components were of differing physical qualities. Comparisons have been drawn between Grievous' appearance and Jacob Epstein's sculpture Rock Drill.[3][4]
In the lead-up to Revenge of the Sith, Grievous made his first ever appearance in the season two finale of Clone Wars.[5] The character's voice was provided by John DiMaggio. Grievous would return in a more prominent capacity in the third and final season, with Richard McGonagle replacing DiMaggio in the role.[6]
Numerous actors auditioned for the role of Grievous in Revenge of the Sith. Lucas wanted Grievous to sound as if he was speaking through a cybernetic voice box, so every audition was put through the same computerized layer of processing by Matthew Wood, supervising sound editor at Skywalker Sound, to create a "synthesized timbre".[1] Gary Oldman, a friend of producer Rick McCallum, was initially cast in the role and even completed some voice-over work. Oldman had to drop out of the production due to complications that arose from the rules of union filmmaking in Australia where the film was shot.[7][8]
Having previously performed voices for other Star Wars projects, Wood took Lucas' feedback on the various auditions he modulated and submitted his own under the
Characterization
"I tend to think of the episode "Lair of Grievous" as a look more into the mind of Grievous. How you interpret the story depends largely on what backstory you like. If you believe Grievous was shot down in a shuttle by Dooku and put back together, I think that story is there, it’s just that Grievous has invented this new "story" of choosing his alterations. If you don't believe in the [Expanded Universe] version of the story or didn’t like it, then perhaps this new revelation that Grievous was a warrior whose lust for power made him choose to be altered, suits you better."[12]
The official
Grievous' cyborg body was specifically designed to rival the abilities of the Jedi.[19] Standing at 7 ft 1 in (216 cm),[13] his imposing presence serves to instill fear in his opponents to give him a psychological advantage in battle. While he is not Force-sensitive, Grievous has been trained in all forms of lightsaber combat by Count Dooku.[20][21] Each of his mechanical arms can separate in half, allowing him to wield four lightsabers at once to overwhelm his enemies.[22] His cybernetic enhancements give him exceptional strength, speed and reflexes to outmaneuver Force-users and even the Force itself.[13][23][24] In spite of Grievous' physical and acrobatic prowess, Dooku has advised him to retreat should he lose the elements of surprise and intimidation, and thus his advantage, in a fight against the Force-sensitive Jedi.[20] Grievous often heeds his mentor's advice and becomes known as one of the Jedi's most elusive adversaries during the Clone Wars.[13]
Grievous first appeared in Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars before his character traits had been finalized for Revenge of the Sith.[25] According to Tartakovsky, Lucas initially pitched Grievous to him as "this ruthless, totally capable Jedi killer," but later developed the character into "one of those old B-serial villains who does something bad ... twirls his mustache and then runs off."[25] The series depicted Grievous as a nigh-unstoppable fighter capable of dispatching multiple Jedi simultaneously with ease,[23] which contradicted the then-upcoming film's less powerful portrayal of the character. To reconcile these continuity differences, the series finale of Clone Wars sees Mace Windu crush Grievous' chestplate with the Force, damaging his internal organs and providing a reason for both his hacking cough and his weakened state in the film.[26][27][28] However, The Clone Wars would later present Grievous with his cough throughout the entirety of its run.[29]
There remain numerous accounts of Grievous' backstory. Literature in the Star Wars Expanded Universe written by Warren Fu, the original designer of Grievous, had the general's hatred of the Jedi stem from their role in the plight and enslavement of his people. A shuttle crash orchestrated by Dooku and pinned on the Jedi mortally wounds Grievous and leads to his reconstruction as a cyborg.[19] The Clone Wars would later suggest that Grievous was denied the right to become a Jedi due to his lack of connection to the Force. Writers Dave Filoni and Henry Gilroy postulated that Grievous volunteered for cybernetic modifications to rival the Jedi that rejected him.[12] In the series, Grievous' castle displays statues hinting at his gradual progression as a cyborg.[14] Despite this, Filoni elected to keep Grievous' backstory ambiguous.[12]
Appearances
Film
Revenge of the Sith (2005)
During the Battle of
Television
The Clone Wars (2008–2014; 2020)
In the
In the
In the third season, Grievous and Asajj Ventress lead an attack on the Republic's cloning facilities on Kamino. Grievous defeats Obi-Wan but Anakin and the clones prevent Ventress from securing the DNA sample of the clones' template.[36][g] To sabotage a peace agreement between the Republic and the Separatists, Grievous dispatches a group of infiltrator droids to stage a bombing on the Galactic Senate on Coruscant.[37]
In the
In the
In the
The Bad Batch (2021–present)
General Grievous makes a cameo appearance in the premiere episode of The Clone Wars's sequel series, The Bad Batch. Towards the end of the Clone Wars, Grievous escapes from the Battle of Coruscant after his attempt to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine is thwarted by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Retreating into the outer rim, Grievous orders his Separatist armies to mount a counterattack against Republic forces across the galaxy.[48][i]
Comics
General Grievous appears in the four-issue comic book
Legends
With the 2012 acquisition of
Clone Wars (2003–2005)
General Grievous was originally introduced as a mysterious new antagonist in "Chapter 20", the season two finale of the 2003
In season three, set three years later, Grievous attacks Coruscant in an attempt to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine.[20][55] The Jedi Masters defending the Chancellor include Shaak Ti, Roron Corobb and Foul Moudama.[24] Grievous kills Corobb and Moudama, defeats Ti yet again, and manages to capture Palpatine.[22] As Grievous boards his escape shuttle, Jedi Master Mace Windu arrives and uses the Force to crush Grievous' chestplate, severely damaging his internal organs and giving him his distinctive cough.[5][h]
Literature
General Grievous's origin is revealed in the comic book "The Eyes of Revolution" from Star Wars: Visionaries.[19] Grievous was originally Qymaen jai Sheelal, an organic reptilian humanoid native from the planet Kalee. The Kaleesh were at war with the rival Huk species and Sheelal was considered a demigod by his people for his victories in the Huk War. He fell in love with a warrior named Ronderu lij Kummar. Following Kummar's death during a mission, Sheelal realized that he was destined to forever mourn for her and rechristened himself as Grievous. He became a warlord and his swift attacks against the Huk prompted them to turn to the Jedi Knights of the Galactic Republic for help. Hefty fines and embargoes came down upon Kalee and thousands of Grievous' people starved and died in poverty. Appealing to Grievous' hatred of the Jedi and the Republic, San Hill of the InterGalactic Banking Clan enlisted him to serve as their enforcer in exchange for the Banking Clan's help in taking on Kalee's massive debt. Impressed by Grievous' abilities as a fighter, Hill and Count Dooku arranged for his shuttle to crash to ensure his permanent servitude to the Separatists. Dooku convinced the mortally wounded Grievous that the Jedi responsible for his homeworld's plight were the ones who caused the crash. Grievous accepted Dooku's offer to reconstruct him with a cyborg body and became the Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies to seek revenge against the Jedi.[19]
In the third volume of
Grievous starred in his own comic called Star Wars: General Grievous, in which he fights Jedi Master T'chooka D'oon and his Padawan Flyn. After Grievous kills D'oon, Kybo returns to the Jedi council with a plan to destroy Grievous once and for all. When the council rebukes his vengeful plan, Kybo decides to take this matter into own hands with disastrous results. Grievous also appears in the comics in Star Wars: Obsession issue number 4, in which he is on the world of Boz Pity, where he kills two Jedi, Master Soon Bayts and Jedi Council member
In the novel
Video games
General Grievous has been featured in numerous Star Wars video games, as a boss and occasional playable character.
- Star Wars: Republic Commando (2005)
- Lego Star Wars: The Video Game (2005)
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005)
- Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (2006)
- Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (2007)
- Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (2007)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Lightsaber Duels (2008)
- Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron (2009)
- Clone Wars Adventures (2010)
- Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (2011)
- Kinect Star Wars (2012)
- Angry Birds Star Wars II (2013)
- Disney Infinity 3.0 (2015)
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes (2015)
- Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016)
- Star Wars: Force Arena (2017)
- Star Wars Battlefront II (2017)[56][57]
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (2022)
Relationships
Mentorship tree
Reception
General Grievous has become a fan favorite character and is considered one of the most popular villains in the Star Wars franchise.[58][59][60][61][62][63][64]
Several writers have placed General Grievous in "Top 10 Star Wars Villains" lists.[65][66][67] While the character's limited presence in Revenge of the Sith was criticized, his greater role and appearances throughout the Clone Wars in both the 2003 and 2008 animated series were praised for expanding on Grievous' character.[58][59][60][66]
The character's line from Revenge of the Sith, "Your lightsabers will make a fine addition to my collection", has gained popularity as an Internet meme.[68] Amanda Derby from Screen Rant wrote: "Greet a Star Wars fan with the words, "Hello there," and they'll likely respond with, "General Kenobi". This alone is a testament to the popularity of General Grievous. Though it's hard to say whether fans love him for his skill or his meme-ability, there's no denying that Grievous is a favorite."[58]
References
Footnotes
- ^ Revenge of the Sith, The Clone Wars, and various video games
- ^ Clone Wars (season two)
- ^ Clone Wars (season three)
- ^ Battlefront: Renegade Squadron and Battlefront: Elite Squadron
- Lego: The Yoda Chronicles and Lego: Droid Tales
- ^ As depicted in the 2008 animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
- ^ a b c d Dialogue in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith establishes that Grievous and Anakin are meeting for the first time. As a result, they never meet in The Clone Wars.[32]
- ^ a b Leading into the events depicted in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
- ^ Coinciding with the events depicted in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Behind the Mask of Grievous in Star Wars: Aliens, Creatures & Droids — Exclusive Excerpt". Star Wars Databank. November 22, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "Creating General Grievous". Star Wars Databank. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
- ISBN 978-1845112370.
- ^ Jones, Tim (October 29, 2011). "Lookalike – Bunker Notes". Christchurch Art Gallery. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Star Wars on TV: The Original Clone Wars - Page 2". IGN. October 3, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- OCLC 1090442735.
- ^ Marc, Christopher (June 11, 2022). "Gary Oldman Says He Was Originally Cast As General Grievous' Voice In The 'Star Wars' Prequels". The Playlist. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ Fink, Richard (June 13, 2022). "Gary Oldman On Almost Playing General Grievous In Star Wars Prequels". Screen Rant. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- ^ Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith audio commentary (DVD). 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. 2005. Event occurs at 19.
- ^ Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith DVD commentary featuring George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger Guyett, 2005.
- ^ Cavanaugh, Patrick (January 26, 2023). "Star Wars: George Lucas Considered Making General Grievous a Disguised Darth Maul". ComicBook.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Interviews - Face To Face With The Masters". TheForce.net. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "General Grievous". Star Wars Databank. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Lair of Grievous". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 1. Episode 10. December 12, 2008. Cartoon Network.
- ^ a b c "Grievous Intrigue". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 2. Episode 9. January 1, 2010. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Confederacy of Independent Systems". Star Wars Databank. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ^ a b "Shadow of Malevolence". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 1. Episode 3. October 10, 2008. Cartoon Network.
- ^ a b "The Deserter". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 2. Episode 10. January 1, 2010. Cartoon Network.
- ^ a b c d Warren Fu (w). "The Eyes of Revolution" Star Wars: Visionaries (March 2005). Dark Horse Comics.
- ^ a b c "Chapter 22". Star Wars: Clone Wars. Season 3. Episode 2. March 22, 2005. Cartoon Network.
- ^ a b Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (DVD). 20th Century Fox. 2005.
- ^ a b "Chapter 25". Star Wars: Clone Wars. Season 3. Episode 5. March 25, 2005. Cartoon Network.
- ^ a b c "Chapter 20". Star Wars: Clone Wars. Season 2. Episode 10. April 8, 2004. Cartoon Network.
- ^ a b "Chapter 24". Star Wars: Clone Wars. Season 3. Episode 4. March 24, 2005. Cartoon Network.
- ^ 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. 2005. Event occurs at 28.
- ^ Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume Two Connecting the Dots featurette (DVD). Warner Bros. Television Distribution. 2005.
- ^ Peeke, Dan (October 3, 2021). "Star Wars: 10 Things You Didn't Know About General Grievous". Screen Rant. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ Miller, David (January 26, 2021). "Clone Wars Turned General Grievous Into A Joke Even Before Lightsaber Memes". Screen Rant. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ "Rising Malevolence". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 1. Episode 2. October 3, 2008. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Destroy Malevolence". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 1. Episode 4. October 17, 2008. Cartoon Network.
- ^ Erdmann, Kevin (June 25, 2021). "Why Anakin Skywalker and General Grievous Never Met During The Clone Wars". Screen Rant. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ "Rookies". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 1. Episode 5. October 24, 2008. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Downfall of a Droid". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 1. Episode 6. November 7, 2008. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Duel of the Droids". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 1. Episode 7. November 14, 2008. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "ARC Troopers". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 3. Episode 2. September 17, 2010. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Heroes on Both Sides". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 3. Episode 10. November 19, 2010. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Shadow Warrior". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 4. Episode 4. September 30, 2011. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Nomad Droids". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 4. Episode 6. October 14, 2011. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Massacre". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 4. Episode 19. February 24, 2012. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Brothers". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 4. Episode 21. March 9, 2012. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Bound for Rescue". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 5. Episode 8. November 17, 2012. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "A Necessary Bond". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 5. Episode 9. November 24, 2012. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Secret Weapons". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 5. Episode 10. December 1, 2012. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Old Friends Not Forgotten". Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Season 7. Episode 9. April 17, 2020. Disney+.
- ^ The Clone Wars Legacy. StarWars.com. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Story Reel: A Death on Utapau - Star Wars: The Clone Wars". Retrieved October 22, 2016.
- ^ "Aftermath". Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Season 1. Episode 1. May 4, 2021. Disney+.
- Star Wars: Darth Maul–Son of Dathomir (May 21, 2014–August 20, 2014). Dark Horse Comics.
- ^ Hood, Bryan (December 15, 2015). "Why Disney Blew Up More Than 30 Years of Star Wars Canon". Bloomberg. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
- StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ "Disney and Random House announce relaunch of Star Wars Adult Fiction line". StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ McMilian, Graeme (April 25, 2014). "Lucasfilm Unveils New Plans for Star Wars Expanded Universe". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California: Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ "Chapter 21". Star Wars: Clone Wars. Season 3. Episode 1. March 21, 2005. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Chapter 23". Star Wars: Clone Wars. Season 3. Episode 3. March 23, 2005. Cartoon Network.
- Vox Media, Inc.Retrieved June 10, 2018.
- ^ Hood, Vic (June 9, 2018). "The Clone Wars are coming to Star Wars Battlefront 2". The Daily Telegraph. London, England. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
- ^ a b c Derby, Amanda (February 24, 2022). "Star Wars: 10 Villains Who Are More Popular Than The Heroes". Screen Rant.
- ^ a b Somers, Jeffrey (December 19, 2019). "Ranking the Major Villains of the Star Wars Universe". Barnes & Noble.
- ^ a b Cartelli, Lance (January 29, 2020). "The Greatest Star Wars Villains, Ranked". GameSpot.
- ^ McGinley, Rhys (March 16, 2022). "Star Wars: All Of The Major Villains, Ranked By Power". Screen Rant.
- ^ Turner, Molly (May 31, 2022). "Star Wars Movie Villains Ranked Least To Most Powerful". /Film.
- ^ Roberts, Daniel (December 15, 2021). "7 Popular 'Star Wars' Villains Ranked Worst to Best". InsideTheMagic.com.
- ^ Zimmerman, David (May 25, 2021). "Star Wars: All Movie Villains, Ranked By Strength". CBR.
- ^ Bate, George (May 5, 2021). "Every Star Wars Movie Villain Ranked Worst To Best: 7. General Grievous". WhatCulture.
- ^ a b Crouse, Megan (June 1, 2021). "10 Best Star Wars Villains Ranked". Den of Geek.
- ^ Howman, David (May 22, 2022). "10 Star Wars Villains, Ranked By How Evil Their Plans Were". Screen Rant.
- ^ "Star Wars Brings Back the Prequels' General Grievous Lightsaber Meme". Screen Rant. May 29, 2021.
External links
- General Grievous in the StarWars.com Databank
- Grievous on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki