

Unbeknownst to the clones who served him, Krell turned to the dark side of the Force, and having foreseen the rise of a New Order, he worked in secret to undermine the Republic. During the campaign on Umbara, Skywalker was recalled to the Republic capital of Coruscant, leaving General Pong Krell to assume command of the legion in the interim. The 501st saw action on multiple battlefronts across the galaxy, becoming part of several historic engagements such as the Battle of Christophsis, the Second Battle of Geonosis, and the Battle of Umbara. Throughout the conflict, the soldiers of the 501st were known for their courage, unconventional tactics, and loyalty to the Galactic Republic. Under the leadership of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano, and Clone Commander CT-7567 "Rex," the 501st fought against the Separatist Droid Army of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The legion predated the Galactic Empire, its origins dating back to the era of the Clone Wars when the 501st was an elite military battalion of clone troopers in the Grand Army of the Republic.

The 501st Legion, initially the 501st Clone Battalion, later redesignated as the 501st Imperial Legion and as the 501st Stormtrooper Legion – and nicknamed " Vader's Fist" – was an elite stormtrooper legion under the command of the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader during the Imperial Era. Darth Vader's personal legion." ―Everi Chalis
