What happened to new clones after the rise of the Empire?

Question

This question applies only to the new Disney canon (The EU Empire continued to use clones and didn't retire them permanently until after Endor, so this question is irrelevant to Legends).

As far as I am concerned, clones can be differentiated between Clone Wars veterans and clones who completed training after the war. By the end of the war, veterans are equivalent to a 20-26 year old normal human depending on when they entered the war, and 50-64 by the Battle of Yavin. Such war veterans would have went past their prime before the events of Rebels, which is probably why those clones in particular are retired from active duty.

What I'm curious about are the clones who did not complete their training on time to join the Clone Wars. Throughout the war, there are plenty of cadets who are still years away from completing training (if Boba Fett can masquerade as one, then there are definitely cadets who still have 3-5 years of the 10-year training duration to go). The Republic Senate has also made at least one fresh order of millions of clones (given the quantity and the supposed expense involved, I doubt the Kaminoans have millions of combat-ready troopers sitting around waiting for the Republic to buy them, and are more likely waiting for payment to start fresh batches of fetuses instead). Either way, all of these new clones will only complete training after the war ends.

Whatever the case, what happened to these clones who have no war experience but nonetheless innately superior soldiers? There will already be cadets who will graduate in the year immediately after the war ends, and any freshly ordered troops in the final year will be equivalent to a 38 year old at the Battle of Yavin - almost at the end of effective fighting age in the real world, but that can differ depending on Imperial policy. That leads to the question: When were clones fully retired from active duty? Did the Empire stop new production but continue to use new graduates until all of them went past the age limit? That would mean that clones (the post-war ones, not the veterans) were fully phased out very recently before the events of Rebels and Yavin. Or did they phase them all out in the early years of the Empire? If this is the case, then what happened to all the paid-for clones who are still in training? Those are still in their prime. Were they just killed off or what?

Answer 1

The examples given above are great. In my searching, I have found a few more answers from different canon materials. This list includes the examples and the name of the material that they are featured in.

• Lords of the Sith - In this novel set four years after the end of Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader and Palpatine are stranded on the planet Ryloth along with two Royal Guards. The four faced many perils along their journey. During a brief moment of rest, the Royal Guards take their helmets off. One of them is revealed to have been a clone. Later, the group fights against a group of carnivorous lyleks, and the clone is eaten alive.

• Star Wars: Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith - In this comic book series set immediately after the events of Revenge of the Sith, many clone troopers stayed with the Empire in the form of Inquisitor troopers, assisting Darth Vader and the Inquistorius in the hunting of the Jedi. They were the last clones of Jango Fett on the production line, created to serve as an expendable death squad.

  

• Star Wars Rebels Season 2 - As noted above, Captain Rex joined the early rebellion after living the retired life on the planet Seelos. What was not noted was the presence of the two clones that were with him. Former Clone Commando Gregor and Clone Commander Wolffe had also removed their control chips and did not kill Jedi. They also chose to live the retired life on Seelos. When the Empire fought against them using multiple AT-ATs, the managed to destroy them and claim one as their home. They didn't join the rebellion, initially. However, Wolffe and Gregor assisted the Spectres in the liberation of Lothal, although Gregor was killed in action.

• "The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku" - In this short story set in the time near The Force Awakens, the pirate Sidon Ithano and his crew go searching for a crashed Separatist ship with mysterious treasure. Many other pirate crews attempt to get to the ship before they do, although they each meet their own demise. When Ithano's crew arrives on the ship, they don't find treasure but instead, a formerly frozen clone named Kix. He was a medic for the 501st Legion who removed his control chip and attempted to expose a conspiracy to destroy the Jedi. However, he was captured and frozen. After being unfrozen, Kix joined Ithano's crew in looking for secret Republic bases across the galaxy.

Answer 2

1. They took on new occupations as civilians, and started families.

A Clone, who went by the name of Cut Lawquane, became a farmer in the wilderness. He also adopted two children and got married.

In The Clone Wars TV series, season 2, episode 10, "The Deserter" a little girl addresses Captain Rex, stating:

Shaeea: "Hey! You look just like my daddy!"

It later transpires that this is because her father, Cut Lawquane, was a clone who abandoned the Republic, in order to become a farmer.

Rex is none-too happy about this, threatening to turn in the deserter... However, by the end of the episode, he decides to keep it secret.

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2. They continued the fight

Captain Rex reappears in the Star Wars: Rebels TV series, having removed his inhibitior chip before the execution of order 66. This allowed him complete free-will, so he was able to join the rebel alliance in order to fight against the empire.

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3. They became mercenaries and bounty hunters

In Season One, Episode 16, The Hidden Enemy, Slick is discovered to have been secretly working for the Seperatists, giving Asaji Ventress information which lead Anakin, Obi-wan and their clones into a trap. He did this for money, and also because he felt used by the Republic:

Slick: It's the Jedi who keep my brothers enslaved. We do your bidding. We serve at your whim. I just wanted something more.

As it would appear that the inhibitor chip placed in all clones does not prevent this, therefore it is entirely possible for other clones to follow suit.

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Boba Fett was also a clone. He became a bounty hunter, and was responsible for the capture and transportation of Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt. Prior to this, it was also he who followed the Millenium Falcon to Cloud City, and informed the Empire of Han and Leia's whereabouts.

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4. They Became Stormtroopers

As is referenced in the top answer for the question What Canon evidence is there that the stormtroopers are not all clones?, the novel Tarkin reveals:

“Excuses won’t suffice, Sergeant Crest,” Vader cut him off. “Perhaps you are aging too quickly to remain on active duty.”

Tarkin couldn’t make sense of the remark until he realized that Crest’s was a face he had seen countless times during the war—the face of an original Kamino clone trooper. The bare-headed others comprising Vader’s squad were human regulars who had enlisted after the war.

Answer 3

As is cronicled in the canon novel Tarkin, the clones were reorganized into the stormtrooper corps, but eventually, many normal people took up the role.

“Excuses won’t suffice, Sergeant Crest,” Vader cut him off. “Perhaps you are aging too quickly to remain on active duty.” Tarkin couldn’t make sense of the remark until he realized that Crest’s was a face he had seen countless times during the war—the face of an original Kamino clone trooper. The bare-headed others comprising Vader’s squad were human regulars who had enlisted after the war.

Some removed their inhibitor chips and fought for the rebellion, such as Captain Rex, as seen in the Star Wars: Rebels episode The Lost Commanders (S2E1).