Summary

• Palpatine missed out on using a devastating superweapon introduced in The Clone Wars: the Blue Shadow Virus.
• Though Palpatine had access to the virus' creator, Nuvo Vindi, the Empire chose to focus on developing other superweapons instead.
• The Blue Shadow Virus could have absolutely devastated the entire Star Wars galaxy and ensured the Rebellion never won the Galactic Civil War.

Emperor Palpatine could have had access to a devastating superweapon introduced in the timeline of The Clone Wars, the CIS developed several superweapons, like the Defoliator and General Grievous' Malevolence. One of the Separatists' most destructive weapons went completely forgotten though, by both the CIS itself and the Empire after it.

The Empire had access to some of the timeline of the Galactic Empire, and it may have even been capable of destroying the entire galaxy.

Nuvo Vindi Recreated The Blue Shadow Virus In The Clone Wars

In The Clone Wars season 1, Pé Amidala and Jar Jar Binks uncovered a plot that would have brought the galaxy to its knees. On Naboo, a scientist named Nuvo Vindi was developing one of the most devastating superweapons in Star Wars. Vindi had recreated the deadly Blue Shadow Virus, and he planned to release it across the galaxy. The Blue Shadow Virus had ravaged the galaxy generations before the Clone Wars, and it was so dangerous that the galaxy decided to eradicate it entirely. It was almost incurable, none of the galaxy's species were immune, and it killed its host in just 48 hours.

The Blue Shadow Virus was originally a water-borne virus. While still deadly, its spread could be somewhat contained by ensuring only clean water was used for drinking or cooking.

Vindi's version of the Blue Shadow Virus wasn't just a return of a long-forgotten virus, it was even more dangerous than the original version. Vindi made the virus airborne, which significantly increased its transmission rate and would have effectively made it impossible to stop. He even went as far as to say that with just a single bomb planted in each key star system, the Blue Shadow Virus could have wiped out all intelligent life in the galaxy. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano and Pé eventually stopped Vindi and destroyed the virus before it could be released, but they didn't completely stop his threat.

Nuvo Vindi Was In Republic Custody, But His Fate Wasn’t Revealed

After Anakin and Obi-Wan cured Ahsoka and Pé, they arrested Nuvo Vindi and put him into a Republic prison. While that contained his threat for the rest of the Clone Wars, it also delivered him right into the hands of the soon-to-be Emperor Palpatine. Vindi could have easily begun working for Palpatine and creating the Blue Shadow Virus again after the rise of the Empire, but he didn't. In fact, Vindi was almost entirely forgotten after his capture on Naboo. He was only briefly mentioned in James Luceno's "Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel," and aside from that, he was never heard from again.

Vindi had recreated the extinct virus once, and he could have easily done so again, especially with his own notes and the Empire's resources.

Vindi never got an ending to his story, which meant that Palpatine missed out on a massive opportunity. Vindi had recreated the extinct virus once, and he could have easily done so again, especially with his own notes and the Empire's resources. Palpatine almost surely could have made use of the Blue Shadow Virus as well, as it would have been able to wipe out entire planets with a single bomb. It's for the best that Palpatine forgot about Vindi and the virus, though, as it could have easily become one of his most deadly rebellion-squashing weapons.

Emperor Palpatine Could Have Devastated Worlds With Nuvo Vindi’s Help

It's almost impossible to overstate just how devastating the Blue Shadow Virus would have been. With the virus, Palpatine could have wiped out entire star systems without wasting even a single stormtrooper. The virus also would have avoided some of the drawbacks of other superweapons. Unlike the Death Star, the virus wouldn't have required lengthy aiming, and it would have left the affected planet itself intact while destroying its population. Since Captain Typho discovered the only known cure to the Blue Shadow Virus, reeksa root, the Empire could have then made its troops immune to the virus and taken over planets completely unopposed.

The fact that Palpatine didn't make use of the Blue Shadow Virus is even more confusing given his final contingency plan. Operation: Cinder was Palpatine's plan to punish the Empire and the galaxy as a whole for failing to protect him after his death in Return of the Jedi. Twelve different planets were devastated by Operation: Cinder, and the Blue Shadow Virus would have made it even worse. Many of the methods used to devastate the planets during Operation: Cinder were costly, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. The virus, however, would have been a ruthlessly efficient way to dole out punishment on a scale never seen before.

The Empire Prioritized Other Superweapons Instead Of The Blue Shadow Virus

Despite the devastating potential of the Blue Shadow Virus, Palpatine and the Empire never pursued it as a possible superweapon. They instead focused their attention on other weapons and programs like the Death Star, the TIE Defenders, and Project Necromancer. Those other projects were likely a main reason why the Blue Shadow Virus wasn't pursued. The finale of Star Wars: The Bad Batch established that Grand Moff Tarkin actively dismantled other projects - even ones started by Palpatine himself - in favor of developing the Death Star. If anyone was responsible for the Empire missing out on the Blue Shadow Virus, it was likely Tarkin.

Tarkin's focus on the Death Star is only a potential reason why the Empire didn't pursue the Blue Shadow Virus as a weapon, however, and there were plenty of reasons for them to research it. They were known to use former disavowed scientists in the past - Dr. Hemlock was kicked out of the Republic's Science Corps - so Vindi's past shouldn't have stopped them. Cost, too, shouldn't have been a tremendous issue, even though funds were being channeled towards the Death Star. Vindi originally created the virus with a single lab and a small retinue of droids, and the Empire could easily have spared that expense again.

The Blue Shadow Virus has as much storytelling potential as it has destructive potential, and it seems like a piece of Star Wars canon that could easily be revisited, but it could just as easily remain forgotten.

Nuvo Vindi and the Blue Shadow Virus seem to be a gaping hole in Star Wars lore. Some small sources - such as an RPG sourcebook - have made use of the virus again, but not as the focus of any major story. The Blue Shadow Virus has as much storytelling potential as it has destructive potential, and it seems like a piece of Star Wars canon that could easily be revisited, but it could just as easily remain forgotten. At the end of the day, however, it's for the best that Palpatine forgot about The Clone Wars' greatest superweapon.