In Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan Kenobi's investigation into the attempted assassination of Padmé Amidala ultimately leads him to the desert planet Geonosis. The name "Geonosis" suggests a combination of two Greek words: "geo," meaning "earth" or "ground," and "gnosis," meaning "knowledge" or "awareness." "Geonosis," then, could mean something like "earth knowledge." The name is apt: whenever characters travel to Geonosis, they go underground to unearth some hidden knowledge.
In Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan descends into a cavern on Geonosis and discovers that Count Dooku and Viceroy Nute Gunray are behind the plot to assassinate Padmé. He also discovers the secret factories creating the Separatists' battle droid army. However, Obi-Wan and the Jedi at large remain unaware of Darth Sidious' larger plot to orchestrate the Clone Wars, and Count Dooku is able to keep the Death Star plans secret from them. The Jedi, who spend most of their time in a tower in the sky on Coruscant, are out of their depth digging around on Geonosis.
Geonosis is also linked to the act of unearthing hidden knowledge in The Clone Wars and Rebels. In the second season of The Clone Wars, the Republic returns to Geonosis for another military campaign. In "Legacy of Terror" (The Clone Wars 2.7), Obi-Wan's thirst for knowledge gets the better of him when he allows a Geonosian parasite to get dangerously close to taking over Jedi Master Luminara Unduli. Anakin Skywalker and Luminara object to his strategy, but he explains: "The more we know, the better." In "Ghosts of Geonosis" (Rebels 3.12-3.13), the Ghost crew travels to Geonosis to investigate the disappearance of the native Geonosians. They discover proof that the Empire exterminated the Geonosians, but remain unaware of the larger plot the extermination was meant to cover up: the construction of the Death Star.
Geonosis is a source of dark, hidden knowledge: the kind of elusive knowledge that stays buried in the depths of the earth. The heroes may unearth some valuable truths, but their awareness always remains incomplete.
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Characters: Count Dooku / Obi-Wan Kenobi
Shows: The Clone Wars / Rebels
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Concepts: ascent and descent / caves / knowledge / names
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