From family drama to Christopher Lee's other nearly-Star Wars role, and more Count Dooku goodness...
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00:00From what went into making that epic lightsaber, to how the mighty Christopher Lee very nearly
00:06ended up in a different Star Wars role altogether, here are those Count Dooku facts and secrets
00:12you've likely never discovered until now.
00:16I'm Gareth from WhatCultureStarWars and here are 10 Things You Didn't Know About Count Dooku.
00:2210. His All-Important Connection to Sifo-Dyas
00:25Count Dooku once sat as a respected member of the Jedi Order, however upon discovering
00:31just how corrupt the Order actually was, Dooku ultimately became frustrated and turned his
00:35back on his one-time allies. Before his wander over to the dark side though, one of Dooku's
00:41close pals, Master Sifo-Dyas, who'd been having visions of an incoming conflict and had also
00:46grown disillusioned by the Order, set into motion a plan that would ultimately change the galaxy
00:51forever. Going somewhat rogue, Sifo-Dyas ordered the creation of a clone army from the planet
00:57Kamino, something a now-turned-Dooku was aware of. In the end, as revealed in Cave and Scott's
01:03Dooku Jedi Lost audiobook, Darth Sidious, after initially building the secret army into his
01:08grand plan to overthrow the Jedi, soon felt that Dias was growing into too much of a threat
01:14to his vision. So in a rather tragic turn of events, Dooku was ordered to assassinate his
01:19one-time mate by his new master, something the powerful Sith Apprentice achieved via
01:24untraceable Pyke Syndicate murder. And just like that, another potential speed bump for
01:29the soon-to-be Emperor of the Galactic Empire was shuffled out of existence.
01:349. How They Shot Those Christopher Lee Fight Scenes
01:37Living one hell of a life already by the time he got around to shooting on Episode 2, Attack
01:42of the Clones, the late, great Christopher Lee had battled Nazis and become an iconic part
01:47of cinema history with his work in everything from Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings
01:51flicks to Terence Fisher's Dracula. However, that did mean he was coming in at a silvery
01:5680 when bringing the formidable Count Dooku to live-action life. And while Lee was still
02:01fairly game to get his hands dirty on George Lucas' set, a double was actually required in
02:06order to capture some of the more athletic Sith Lord movements seen in his duels with Anakin
02:10Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. Swapping out the actor who would regularly boast about his
02:16record-setting amount of on-screen sword fight for a stunt performer when needed for wider shots,
02:21Lee's face was then seamlessly CGI'd on top of said fighting double in post. But that's still
02:27very much a badass Lee swinging his saber whenever we lean in for a scintillating close-up.
02:338. Christopher Lee Nearly Played a Very Different Role in Star Wars
02:37Keeping with the iconic thespian who gripped the prequels from the second he arrived on the
02:42Force-sensitive scene, it turns out that Christopher Lee very nearly rocked up in the
02:46galaxy far, far away in an entirely different but still notably despicable capacity. Some 25 years
02:52before he donned the swishing cape and curved red lightsaber, Lee was actually in the running to
02:57play the slimy Grand Moff Tarkin, seen routinely keeping Darth Vader in check on board the Death
03:02Star. However, Lee would decide against committing himself to George Lucas' universe at that time,
03:07instead choosing to suggest his good pal Peter Cushing for the role of the high-ranking Empire
03:11officer. Cushing would, of course, absolutely nail the cold and clinical part of Tarkin. Yet it is
03:17interesting to note how different a new hope could have looked with Lee in the saddle of the super
03:22weapons commander. 7. Family Ties Born into a wealthy and politically powerful family,
03:29the second the Jedi came calling for a young Dooku, he was always destined to become a significant
03:34figure in the galaxy. In the wake of his aforementioned decision to turn his back on the
03:38Order, Dooku would return home and finally take up the title of Count. But he wasn't the only child
03:44Mama and Papa Dooku brought into this galaxy far, far away. His brother, Rameel, acted as the Count
03:49of Serrano before he took over. And by took over, I definitely mean Dooku took his life in the lead-up
03:54to the former Jedi seizing said title. Jensa, his sister, wasn't actually on his radar until he
04:00unintentionally bumped into her during a festival, as you do. Making it two for two when it comes
04:05to family fellings, though. Dooku eventually had Asajj Ventress dispatch her on the back of Jensa
04:10trying her best to convince him to stay away from all things Darkseid. With family like this,
04:15who needs enemies, am I right? Oh, it's really sad, isn't it?
04:196. What Went into That Lightsaber? Much like the actor himself who breathed live-action
04:24life into Darth Tyrannus, Count Dooku was very much regarded as a highly respected swordsman.
04:29The design of his unmistakable lightsaber only made him that much more deadly with a glowing blade.
04:36Opting for Form 2, Makashi, this form was characterized by its elegance, balance, and
04:40fluidity, Dooku decided that he could take the form to new heights with a new design of laser sword.
04:46Curving his blade's hilt, this adapted design helped Dooku enhance his lunges and slashes,
04:52when duking it out with Jedi and any other enemies in his way. It's worth noting that this form was
04:57barely used by the time of the Age of the Galactic Republic, too, with Makashi being created and
05:01primarily used during the Old Republic days. This means that Nexton no one used or really knew how
05:07to combat the form during Dooku's time in the Sith Spotlight, making him an even deadlier opponent
05:13for all who stood before him.
05:145. He was the last of the Lost 20
05:18Despite hardly acting as the first Jedi to have turned his back on the Order since its creation
05:23thousands of years before the events of the prequel trilogy, Dooku's departure from the
05:27light side did actually come in the thick of what is classed by many as one of the darkest and lowest
05:32periods in Jedi history. Making up part of a group of Jedi Masters known as the Lost 20,
05:37each and every member of this infamous set of Force wielders decided to exit the Order on the back of
05:42ideological differences with those running the ancient religious order, or just the concepts
05:47of the Jedi altogether. In short, this lot weren't just teased over to the side of evil with the
05:52promise of UNLIMITED POWER. They very much believed the Jedi were just out and out wrong.
05:58All 20 of the Lost Jedi were immortalized via Bronze Bus in the Jedi Archives, as a reminder of
06:03the imperfections of the Order in the years after their defections, and how Jedi Masters must always
06:08take the time to improve themselves and learn from their own mistakes. Dooku acted as the final
06:13member of this significant group, earning his own bust scene in an Attack of the Clones deleted scene
06:18before the Order was all but wiped out in Revenge of the Sith.
06:224. He was very nearly a woman in Attack of the Clones
06:25Never one to completely waste a concept, even if it doesn't necessarily fit what it was originally
06:30designed for. The origins of Count Dooku would actually pave the way for another prominent
06:34Star Wars character. In early drafts of Attack of the Clones, George Lucas had actually envisioned
06:39the fallen Jedi as a female alien by the name of Countess Dooku. And while a Medusa-like version
06:45of the character was intriguing despite not being utilized down the road, another visual variation
06:50of the antagonist would actually act as an inspiration for none other than Asajj Ventress,
06:55a Force user who would go on to become an apprentice of Dooku down the road, but more on that later.
07:00In the end, Lucas decided against these designs the second it became clear that Christopher Lee
07:05was keen to come aboard.
07:083. He's had many apprentices
07:10Speaking of Dooku's history of apprentices over the years, Asajj Ventress isn't the only
07:15savage presence to have taken up a spot under the Count's learning tree. During his time under
07:20the tutelage of Darth Sidious, Dooku trained and guided three notably impressionable souls in the ways of
07:26both the Force and lightsaber mastery. On top of the deadly assassin Ventress, Savage Opress,
07:31Maul's brother, and Quinlan Vos, Ventress' one-time lover, both trained under Dooku at one point or
07:37another. Dooku didn't give a toss about any long-standing rule of two, clearly. He's also
07:42had a hand in teaching General Grievous how to duel with a laser sword before the cyborg separatist
07:47force was bested by Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge of the Sith. Of course, when operating as a Jedi Master,
07:52Dooku also trained Kenobi's former master Qui-Gon Jinn, along with a number of other Force-sensitive
07:57folk in Legends lore in the wake of his defection. Simply put, Dooku's teachings could very much be
08:03felt across the galaxy. 2. He had two legendary masters
08:08And there's a good reason just about every Jedi, Sith, and Force user who found themselves
08:13interacting with the legendary Count Dooku wanted to learn everything they could from him. Did you see
08:18who taught him the ways of the light and dark sides of the bloody Force? Hilariously, Dooku actually
08:22wasn't all that interested in being the mighty Grand Master Yoda's apprentice at first, instead
08:27wanting to learn under the tutelage of Linnae Costana, due to her being known as someone who
08:32was tasked with chasing down dark side relics from across the galaxy. Obviously, while sitting
08:37alongside the little green legend, Dooku found himself being very much immersed in substantial
08:42Jedi Order issues and missions, even watching his master best a giant Torrentotec on Kashyyyk at one
08:48point. And adding to an already extensive knowledge of the Force, and how to effectively wield a
08:53lightsaber, Dooku would then end up being recruited by the Dark Lord of the Sith in the Shadows,
08:58Darth Sidious, as an unofficial apprentice as he further expanded on his sizable understanding of
09:03the Force. As far as teachers go then, you likely won't find many better than the person who was
09:08moulded by arguably two of the most powerful entities ever to have existed. Not too shabby.
09:141. He Once Became a Vampire
09:17How on earth do you top a Force-sensitive bloodsucker, eh? In what was clearly a sweet nod to the legendary
09:23career of Dooku actor Christopher Lee, the comic book miniseries Star Wars Adventures Tales from
09:28Vader's Castle actually involved a story that saw the devious fallen Jedi becoming a very different kind
09:34of count. Interacting with bat-like creatures who possess the ability to transform humans into a
09:40similar form of monstrosity, Kaven Scott's tale saw Dooku very much becoming Dracula-esque in this tribute of
09:46sorts to Lee's work as the world's most famous vampire. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this 2018
09:52development is the fact that the series is actually classed as canon, so who knows? We may yet see some
09:57undead Sith menaces coming to blows with our heroes in a Disney Plus series or nutty horror movie
10:02spin-off later down the road. For now though, we'll just have to make do with a Dooku brandishing
10:07his fangs on the pages. And that's our list. Know of any other things people didn't know about
10:12Count Dooku? Let us know all about them in the comments section right down below and do not forget
10:16to like, share, and click on that subscribe button while you're at it. Also, if you're into this kind
10:21of thing, then head on over to whatculture.com and find some more incredible articles just like
10:24the one that I wrote right here that this video is based on. I've been Gareth from WhatCulture
10:28Star Wars. May the Force be with you as always, and I hope I'll see you very, very soon. Bye-bye!