Meaning
What does Execute Order 66 mean?
Execute order 66 is a Star Wars meme that constitutes a segment of the series of memes that were created around the theme of the episode Revenge of the Sith.
The meme is originally a quote uttered by Darth Sidious.
The scene has been the inspiration of many image macros and reaction memes.
Origin
What's the origin of Execute Order 66?
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released in 2005.
The film received mixed criticism because of the many cheesy characters and dialogues it features.
In 2017, the episode became the target of meme creators, so much so that people refer to this time period as the “Revenge of the Sith meme revival”.
The scene, in which the quote is uttered, shows Darth Sidious commanding the clone troopers to turn against the Jedi, by saying “The time has come, execute order 66”.
Spread & Usage
How did Execute Order 66 spread?
Shortly after the movie’s release, Order 66 became a popular reference point among Star Wars fans, sparking the creation of many advice animal memes and image macros in that scheme.
A cut that features the scene was uploaded on YouTube by MooxieLad in 2012, and has generated up to 740.000 to date.
