Assassination at the Senate

Coursaunt, Core - Two Galactic Senators were found dead and two others targeted in a political assisnation plot that has shaken the Republic Senate, raising new concerns about political violence amid debate over military funding.  

Senator Onaconda Farr or Rodia, a leading anti-war voice and sponsor of legislation to reduce military spending, was initially believed to have died of heart failure.1 It was later revealed that Farr had been poisoned, prompting a criminal investigation that soon widened after Senator Mee Deechi of Umbara was also found dead in his office.2 

The deaths occurred as the Senate debated the Reduced Military Spending Bill, a proposal that would have cut funding for clone production and shifted resources toward diplomacy.3 The bill was sponsored by Senator Farr and co-sponsored by Senators Padme Amidala, Bail Organa, and Mon Mothma. The bill faced strong opposition from pro-war lawmakers. 

Senator Deechi, a vocal supporter of expanded troop production, quickly became a prime suspect in Farr’s death due to his public clashes with anti-war senators. However, Deechi’s own death shortly afterward redirected the investigation. 

Coruscant police detective Tanivos Exantor Divo, who led the case, ordered the autopsy that confirmed poison as the cause of Farr’s death.4 “Poison…. The politicians' preferred method” Divo said while discussing the case. “Found a chemical in his bloodstream, killed him right away. It's an obvious case.”5 

Authorities later arrested Lolo Purs, Farr’s former senate aide, charging her with the murder of Farr and Deechi, as well as the attempted murders of Senators Amidala and Organa.6 Investigators said Purs had attempted to frame another senator before being identified as the suspect. 

Purs, a Rodian and former peace advocate, was believed to have acted out of resentment for Farr, whom she reportedly blamed for bringing the war to their home planet despite his public opposition to the conflict. 

A state funeral for Farr was held on Coruscant days after his death.7 The service was attended by members of the Senate, the Jedi Council, and Chancellor Palpatine. Farr’s aide Silood gave the eulogy. 

Before the murders were uncovered, Farr had been among the Senate’s most outspoken critics of the war. During the debate of the military spending bill Senator Amidala spoke on his behalf and urged lawmakers to reject further escalation. “The creation of more warriors will not end this war,” she said. “By adding more clones to the conflict, we are only escalating destruction, not winning the war.”8 

This case has intensified scrutiny of political security within the Galactic Senate and cast a shadow over legislative efforts to curb the Republic’s war footing. 

Political Violence: U.S. Congress vs. Galactic Senate

The political violence depicted in Star Wars: The Clones Wars offers a useful framework for understanding how democratic institutions can become vulnerable during periods of extreme polarization. The Senate Murders arc, in which multiple Galactic Senators are assassinated during a time of heated debate over war funding, parallels real-world instances of political violence in the United States, including the 2025 shootings of Minnesota lawmakers. In both cases, violence emerges not as an isolated act, but as a symptom of broader ideological conflict.  

Both the United States and the Galactic Republic possess long histories of political violence directed at public officials. In the U.S., presidents, members of congress, and other political figures have been assassinated or targeted in assassination attempts, including former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.9 These events demonstrate that democratic longevity does not guarantee political safety. Likewise, the Galactic Republic’s Senate repeatedly proves unable to protect its legislators during the Clone Wars, as intimidation, corruption, and ultimately murder become part of the political landscape.

The 2025 shootings of Minnesota lawmakers provide a more contemporary example for examination. In both narratives, violence occurs amid intense polarization over high-stakes policy decisions. In The Clones Wars, Senator Onaconda Farr is murdered while advocating for the Reduce Military Spending Bill, legislation aimed at slowing the Republic’s military escalation and reducing clone production. The debate surrounding the bill is framed in existential terms. Similarly, in Minnesota, State Representative Melissa Hortman was murdered and State Senator John Hoffman was wounded in a targeted attack that officials described as politically motivated.10 Authorities later revealed that the suspect possessed a list of additional potential targets, such as U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar and U.S. Senator Tina Smith.11 In both cases, political conflict becomes zero-sum, eroding norms that protect political opponents as legitimate participants in governance.  

A key similarity lies in how individual lawmakers become symbolic targets. Farr’s identity as a leading anti-war senator places him at the center of a broader struggle of militarization. In Minnesota, Hortman and other targets were not selected at random, but were high-profile political figures associated with specific policy positions, including outspoken support for pro-choice legislation. Reports indicated that the suspect’s list also included abortion providers and pro-choice activists, suggesting that individuals were targeted for what they represented politically rather than for personal reasons.12 In both narratives, policy disputes become personalized, transforming elected officials into perceived enemies. 

Political violence also accelerates the spread of misinformation. In The Clone Wars, suspicion initially falls on Farr’s political opponents, reinforcing existing factional divisions within the Senate. Even after the true perpetrator is identified, attempts to frame other senators further destabilize trust. Following the Minnesota shootings, false claims and conspiracy theories circulated publicly, including a social media post shared by President Donald Trump alleging, without evidence, that Governor Tim Walz may have been involved in the assassinations.13 Although the claim was widely unsupported, its circulation demonstrates how political violence becomes a catalyst for misinformation that deepens political polarization. 

Ultimately, both the Galactic Senate Murders and the Minnesota shootings reveal how fragile political safety becomes when violence enters spaces meant for diplomacy rather than force. Legislators depend not just on formal rules, but on the shared expectations that political disagreement will not be met with physical harm. 

Citations: 

[1] Wookieepedia. (n.d.). Onaconda Farr. Wookieepedia the Star Wars Wiki. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Onaconda_Farr

[2] Wookieepedia. (n.d.). Mee Deechi. Wookieepedia the Star Wars Wiki. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Mee_Deechi

[3] Wookieepedia. (n.d.). Reduced Military Spending Bill. Wookieepedia the Star Wars Wiki. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Reduced_military_spending_bill

[4] Wookieepedia. (n.d.). Tanivos Exantor Divo. Wookieepedia the Star Wars Wiki. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Tanivos_Exantor_Divo

[5] Greenberg, D., & Larsen, B. (Writers). (2010). Senate Murders (Season Season 2, Episode Episode 15) [TV series episode]. In Star Wars The Clone Wars. Lucasfilm.

[6] Wookieepedia. (n.d.). Lolo Purs. Wookieepedia the Star Wars Wiki. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Lolo_Purs

[7] Wookieepedia. (n.d.). Funeral of Onaconda Farr. Wookieepedia the Star Wars Wiki. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Funeral_of_Onaconda_Farr

[8] Greenberg, D., & Larsen, B. (Writers). (2010). Senate Murders (Season Season 2, Episode Episode 15) [TV series episode]. In Star Wars The Clone Wars. Lucasfilm.

[9] Atkins, C. (2025, September 11). Charlie Kirk's assassination highlights a history of political violence in the U.S. NBC News. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/charlie-kirks-assassination-highlights-history-political-violence-us-rcna230586

[10] Associated Press. (2025, August 7). Man charged with killing a top Minnesota House Democrat pleads not guilty. CNN. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/us/vance-boelter-minnesota-lawmakers-shot

[11] Haworth, J. (2025, June 14). Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman killed, State Sen. John Hoffman wounded in 'targeted political violence'. ABC News. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://abcnews.go.com/US/2-minnesota-lawmakers-shot-targeted-incident-officials/story?id=122840751

[12] Haworth, J. (2025, June 14). Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman killed, State Sen. John Hoffman wounded in 'targeted political violence'. ABC News. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://abcnews.go.com/US/2-minnesota-lawmakers-shot-targeted-incident-officials/story?id=122840751

[13] MPR News Staff. (2026, January 4). Trump circulates false claim about Hortman killing; Democrats condemn post as 'dangerous, depraved'. MPR News. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/04/trump-circulates-false-claim-about-hortman-killing-democrats-condemn-post-as-depraved?