Star Wars: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Count Dooku

While many have been quick to poke fun at or holes in George Lucas' attempt to take us back to the time of a flourishing Jedi Order and Galactic Republic in the Prequel trilogy, in the thick of over-stuffed CGI battles and some cringe-inducing verbal exchanges were a few big bads who more than held their own when held up against the intimidating Darth Vader and The Emperor before them.

And though the likes of Darth Maul and General Grievous are both suitably diabolical and sinister enough to have earned their fair share of spooked salutes over the years, it is Christopher Lee's Count Dooku who undoubtedly sits as the most complex, compelling, and powerful antagonist (outside of Darth Sidious) of the pre-Original Trilogy era.

With a Clone Wars animated series and many a Canon novel further hammering home just how devilish and deliciously evil and layered the fallen Jedi was, you may believe you know just about everything there is to know about this pale-haired caped creation. But this list can hopefully still shed a bit of new light on one of Lucas' most underrated characters.

From what went into making that epic lightsaber to how the mighty Christopher Lee very nearly ended up in a different Star Wars role altogether, here are those Count Dooku facts and secrets you've likely never discovered... until now.

As will be touched upon more than a few times over the course of the next ten entries, Count Dooku once sat as a respected member of the Jedi Order. However, upon discovering just how corrupt the Order was, Dooku ultimately became frustrated and turned his back on his one-time allies.

Before this wander over to the Dark Side, though, one of Dooku's close pals, Master Sifo Dyas, who'd been having visions of an incoming conflict and had also grown disillusioned by the Order, set into motion a plan that would ultimately change the galaxy forever.

Going somewhat rogue, Sifo Dyas ordered the creation of a Clone Army from the planet Kamino, something a now-turned Dooku was aware of. In the end, as revealed in Cavan Scott's Dooku: Jedi Lost audiobook, Darth Sidious, after initially building this secret army into his grand plan to overthrow the Jedi, soon felt that Dyas was growing into too much a threat to his vision.

So, in a rather tragic turn of events, Dooku was ordered to assassinate his one-time mate by his new master, something the powerful Sith apprentice achieved via untraceable Pyke Syndicate murder.

And just like that, another potential speed bump for the soon-to-be Emperor of the Galactic Empire was shuffled out of existence.