Jedi
The Jedi (/ˈdʒɛdaɪ/) are leaders and peacekeepers in the Star Wars universe. The Jedi Order are depicted as an ancient monastic, academic, meritocratic and quasi-militaristic organization whose origin dates back approximately 25,000 years before the events of the first film released in the franchise.
 Emblem of the Jedi Order | |
| Universe | Star Wars |
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| Type | |
| Founded | 25,000+ BBY |
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| Official language | Basic |
Jedi were powerful Force-wielders and adjudicators tasked by the Galactic Republic to be the guardians of peace and order in the Star Wars galaxy; they defend and protect all sapient life, never attack. The Order consisted of polymaths: teachers, philosophers, scientists, engineers, physicians, diplomats, negotiators, warriors, and peacekeepers. A level of diversity extends throughout the organization, composed of hundreds of different species, thousands of different worlds, and those outside the Republic itself. When operating beyond the limits of Republic territory, they act autonomously and make decisions with the potential to affect countless lives. They were often the first representatives of the Republic encountered by new species and nations. They are the main protagonist of the Star Wars universe.
The Jedi moral value system viewed purity of thought and detachment of emotions as essential to enlightenment. Jedi philosophy emphasized self-improvement through knowledge and wisdom, adherence to slave morality, and selfless service through acts of charity, citizenship, and volunteerism; this ideology is a recurring theme in the Star Wars universe. The Jedi denounce emotions as the root cause of mortal suffering; they believe fear, anger and love cause sentient beings to lash out in conflict and impede rational action to do what is objectively correct action. The Jedi are the opposite of the Sith, another group of force wielders, the Sith use their passion, and other strong emotions to fuel their power. Sith are "dark mirrors" to Jedi; Sith emphasize domination, while Jedi instead teach connecting with nature in the universe. A Jedi’s traditional weapon is the lightsaber, a device which generates a blade-like plasma powered by a Kyber crystal or other focusing item, ex. Krayt Pearl.
The fictional organization has inspired a real-world new religious movement, Jediism.[2]
Etymology
The word Jedi is said to have been adapted by George Lucas from Japanese 時代劇 (jidaigeki) (meaning 'period drama' motion pictures about samurai),[3] or perhaps inspired by the words Jed (Leader) and Jeddak (King) in the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, a series that Lucas considered adapting to film.[4][5]
The film Rogue One suggests that within the Star Wars mythology itself, it relates to the planet Jedha, source of the crystals used in lightsabers.
Influences
George Lucas acknowledged Jedi, Sith, and other Force concepts have been inspired by many sources. These include: knighthood chivalry, paladinism, samurai bushido, Shaolin Monastery, Shamanism, Feudalism, Hinduism, Qigong, Chakra, Greek philosophy, Greek mythology, Roman history, Roman mythology, parts of the Abrahamic religions, Confucianism, Shintō, Buddhism, and Taoism, not to mention countless cinematic precursors. The works of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and mythologist Joseph Campbell, especially his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), directly influenced Lucas, and was what drove him to create the 'modern myth' of Star Wars.[6][7]
Depiction
As depicted in the canon, the Jedi study and utilize the Force, in order to help and protect those in need. The Jedi members, known as Jedi Knights, respect all life by defending and protecting those who cannot do it for themselves, striving for peaceful and non-combative solutions to any altercations they encounter and fighting only in self-defense and for the defense of those they protect. By training the mind and the body, the Jedi seek to improve themselves by gaining unfettered access to the Force while also seeking to improve those individuals and groups they come in contact with. Like their evil counterparts, the Sith, the main weapon of the Jedi is the lightsaber. However, according to Lucas, "The Force really doesn't have anything to do with the lightsaber. Anybody can have a lightsaber. It's just a weapon like a pistol."[8]
Qui-Gon Jinn gives us an insight into the Force in Episode I when he tells Anakin: "Your focus determines your reality." And later, he explains: "Midi-chlorians are microscopic lifeforms that reside within all of your cells. And we are symbionts with them. Lifeforms living together for mutual advantage. Without the midi-chlorians, life could not exist and we would have no knowledge of The Force. They continually speak to us the telling us the will of The Force. When you learn to quiet your mind you’ll hear them speaking to you." In Episode IV, Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke Skywalker: "The force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together." ". . . a Jedi can feel the force flowing through him. It [partially] controls your actions, but it also obeys your commands."
The Skywalker saga
Original trilogy
For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire.
— Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: A New Hope
The Jedi are first introduced in the 1977 motion picture Star Wars as an order of warrior monks who serve as "the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy" and embrace the mystical Force. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) explains that the Galactic Empire has all but exterminated the Jedi, and seeks to train Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to be the Jedi Order's last hope. Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones) is also established as the Jedi's main enemy. By the end of the film, which depicts the Battle of Yavin, Luke is on the path to becoming a Jedi. In the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, Luke receives extensive Jedi training from the elderly (and only surviving) Jedi Master Yoda (Frank Oz), even as he learns that Vader is, in fact, his father, former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. The third film in the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi, ends with Luke redeeming Vader and helping to destroy the Empire, thus fulfilling his destiny as a Jedi.
The two last Jedi Masters die during the events of the films, after which they return as Force ghosts to help Luke.
Prequel trilogy
This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both the Jedi and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: Trust only in the force. Do not return to the Temple. That time has passed, and our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged. Our trust. Our faith. Our friendship. But we must persevere and in time a new hope will emerge. May the force be with you. Always.
— Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
In the prequel trilogy, it shows the Jedi in their prime, headquartered at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and dealing with the rising presence of the dark side of the Force and the return of the Sith. In Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) discovers nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), whom he believes to be the "Chosen One" of a Jedi prophecy who is destined to bring balance to the Force.[lower-alpha 1] At the end of The Phantom Menace, Anakin is paired with Qui-Gon's apprentice, the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), who promises to train him.
The sequel, Episode II: Attack of the Clones, establishes that the Jedi forswear all emotional attachments, including romantic love, which proves problematic when Anakin, now a young adult (Hayden Christensen), falls in love with Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman). The Clone Wars, first spoken of in the original 1977 film, begin with hundreds of Jedi participating in the Battle of Geonosis.
In Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Yoda confides to Mace Windu that the prophecy of the Chosen One could have been misread. Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who is revealed to be Darth Sidious, manipulates Anakin's love for Padmé and distrust of the Jedi in order to turn him to the dark side and become his Sith apprentice, Darth Vader. The latter begins helping Palpatine hunt down and destroy the Jedi, who are nearly exterminated during the events of Revenge of the Sith; Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda are among a handful of Jedi that avoided the initial purge.[10] As revealed in the Clone Wars series, each of the clones were implanted with chips that Palpatine would activate with the command Order 66: Operation Knightfall, a law that states:
In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander (Chancellor), GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) until a new command structure is established.
— Karen Traviss, Republic Commando: True Colors (2007)
This resulted in clone troopers like Commander Cody to suddenly turn on their generals and kill them, and Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker leading the 501st Legion to carry out "Operation Knightfall" against the Jedi Temple, slaughtering all Jedi within including Temple-Defender Shaak Ti. Palpatine convinced the people of the Republic that the Jedi were corrupted warmongers responsible for prolonging the Clone Wars, labeling them criminals with bounties placed on them. Darth Vader continued to hunt and execute nearly every surviving Jedi during the early years of the Empire, in what is known as the Great Jedi Purge; only Yoda survived long enough to die of old age, and Ahsoka, who outlasted the Empire, while others like Obi-Wan and Kanan have died fighting the Empire years later.
Sequel trilogy
Now that they're extinct, the Jedi are romanticized, deified. But if you strip away the myth and look at their deeds, the legacy of the Jedi is failure. Hypocrisy, hubris. At the height of their powers, they allowed Darth Sidious to rise, create the Empire, and wipe them out. It was a Jedi Master who was responsible for the training and creation of Darth Vader.
— Luke Skywalker, Star Wars: The Last Jedi
In the sequel trilogy, Luke attempted to rebuild the Jedi Order, being the only present Jedi Knight after the fall of the Galactic Empire, but fails when his nephew Ben Solo, falls to the dark side, lured by the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke. Ben Solo takes on the name Kylo Ren and destroys all that Luke built. After Ren's fall and the destruction of the New Jedi Order, Luke goes into a self-imposed exile on Ahch-To, believing himself and the Jedi to be a negative influence on the galaxy as a whole.
In the sequel Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the scavenger Rey discovers Luke on Ahch-to and convinces him to train her in the ways of the Force. During her training, Luke describes the hubris of a full-fledged Jedi order, one that allowed Darth Sidious to rise to power and eliminate nearly all of them. She also discovers several ancient Jedi texts hidden away in a tree. Rey learns the truth about Ben's fall to the dark Side and believes herself to be his only chance of redemption. Luke does not go with her, staying on Ahch-To. Luke attempts to burn the tree down, but cannot bring himself to do so. However, Yoda appears as a Force Ghost and burns the tree, teaching him that failure is just as important as success, and that masters are defined by those who surpass them. When the First Order launches an attack on the Resistance on Crait, Luke appears to stall the oncoming forces. He and Kylo Ren engage in a duel on the battlefield, Ren apparently striking him down. Luke reveals to Ren that he has been projecting an image of himself across the galaxy. On Ahch-To, the exhausted Luke meditates, facing the binary sunset. He fades away and becomes one with the Force. Rey is shown to have taken the sacred Jedi texts before she left Ahch-To, in order to continue her training.
In the final film of the sequel trilogy, it is discovered that Emperor Palpatine, still lives and has been secretly pulling the strings behind everything, even the creation of Supreme Leader Snoke and the First Order. In his last grand attempt to take over the galaxy he creates the Final Order, a fleet of hundreds of Star Destroyers each capable of planetary destruction. The death of Kylo Ren's mother, Leia Organa, sways his heart back to the light. Kylo Ren, now Ben Solo again, joins forces with Rey (who turns out to be Palpatine's granddaughter) to take on the Emperor, while the Resistance attempt to take down the Final Order with the help of volunteers from around the galaxy. The voices of past Jedi give Rey the strength to finally destroy Palpatine and the Sith for good. Ben becomes one with the Force when he heals Rey as she healed him. With peace and justice restored to the galaxy, Rey lives on to start the Jedi Order again.
Anthologies and derivative works
In a deleted scene from Attack of the Clones, the "Lost Twenty" is the name given to a group of Jedi Masters—numbering twenty in total—who left the Jedi Order throughout its history. The first 12 of these Lost Twenty became "Dark Jedi" who eventually founded the first Sith Empire. In the years preceding the Clone Wars, Jedi Master Dooku left the Jedi Order as a result of differences with his fellow Jedi, becoming the 20th Jedi Master in the history of the Order to do so. To showcase the failures of the Jedi they created statues of the fallen Jedi and placed them in the Jedi Temple Archives.
The animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars depicts the battles of the Clone Wars, focusing on the Jedi and clone troopers they lead against the Separatists and its Sith leaders. The feature-film pilot reveals that Anakin trained an apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.[11][12] Later arcs explore the foundations of Order 66 and Palpatine's manipulation of the Jedi Order.
The animated television series Star Wars Rebels reveals that Ahsoka and a Jedi named Kanan Jarrus survived the purge; the latter trains a new apprentice, Ezra Bridger. The series also reveals that, following the start of the purge with Order 66, the Emperor commissioned the Inquisitorius, a group of former Jedi who had turned to the Dark Side for various reasons, to aid Darth Vader in hunting down the remaining Jedi.
The canon video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order introduces Cal Kestis, a former Padawan hiding from the Empire who accidentally exposes his Force abilities to aid someone putting him on the Inquisitors' radar. Kestis gets aid from Cere Junda, another Jedi Knight in hiding.
Members
The exact size of the pre-purge Jedi's membership and operations are never specified. However, in the Star Wars Rebels episode "Path of the Jedi", Kanan Jarrus stated: "...There were around 10,000 Jedi Knights defending the galaxy. Now, we are few. But in those days, we had small outposts, temples spread throughout the stars. The Empire sought out these temples and destroyed many of them..."
Force-sensitive organizations
Not every "dark side"-user is a Sith; nor is every "light side"-user a Jedi. Within the Star Wars Expanded Universe, people of all species have demonstrated varying "force-sensitive" powers and abilities. These "force-wielders" are often depicted with little to no formal Jedi training in the Force, originating from primitive planets.
The Sith Organization
Dark side adept
A dark side adept is someone with the power to use the dark side of the Force outside of the traditions of the Jedi or the Sith. They were often steeped in the lore of the dark side and opposed to those who used the light side, such as Jedi. While all Sith were technically dark side adepts, non-Sith individuals such as Asajj Ventress, Kylo Ren, and the Grand Inquisitor were also considered dark side adepts. Dark side adepts were referenced in passing in James Luceno's canon novel Tarkin.[15]
Force-wielders without affiliation
Bendu debuted in the Star Wars Rebels season 3 episode, "Steps Into Shadow". Bendu was a Force-sensitive individual who resided on the remote planet of Atollon and represented the "center" of the Force, between the light side and the dark side. "Jedi and Sith wield the Ashla and Bogan. The light and the dark. I'm the one in the middle. The Bendu..." stated Bendu. He is depicted as one who seeks balance, and has been likened to Tom Bombadil of The Lord of the Rings. The term "Bendu" first appears in the original script for Star Wars as the name of the Jedi Knights, the "Jedi-Bendu".[16][17][18][19]
Most notably, Anakin Skywalker's padawan Ahsoka Tano left the Jedi Order, and continued to wield the Force, she never affiliated or created any Force sensitive organization.
Description
The Jedi Code
The Jedi Code was a set of rules that governed the behavior of the Jedi Order. It taught its followers to not give in to feelings of anger toward other lifeforms, which would help them resist fear and prevent them from falling to the dark side of the Force.
The Code:
There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force.— The Jedi Code, Dark Disciple[20]
The Four Councils
The Four Branches of the Jedi Council are fictional institutions from the Star Wars universe. They serve the Jedi Order as an organized administrative body that provide the necessary auxiliary and support services that sustain and governed the Order's academies, temples, interests and organizations.
Jedi High Council
The Jedi High Council is the main ecclesiastical leadership of the Jedi Order. The Jedi High Council is made up of some of the strongest, wisest and most experienced members of the Jedi Order. They are elected to lead the Jedi. The Jedi High Council has twelve members at any given time: five members who serve for life, four members who serve long-term, and three limited-term members. Sifo-Dyas had a seat on the Council until his extremist views on a war that he foresaw caused his removal. Other older members include Jor Aerith, Tera Sinuba, and Yula Braylon.
In Jedi: Fallen Order: Dark Temple (which is set an unknown amount of time before The Phantom Menace), the Jedi Council includes Yoda, Mace Windu, Eeth Koth, Yarael Poof, Poli Dapatian, and Jocasta Nu. In Master & Apprentice, set seven years before The Phantom Menace and after the events of Dark Temple, the council includes Yoda, Mace Windu, Depa Billaba, Poli Dapatian (who is in the process of retiring), Eeth Koth, and Saesee Tiin.
- Members of the Jedi High Council
The final roster of the Jedi High Council before the Order falls is:
- Yoda
- Mace Windu
- Plo Koon
- Stass Allie
- Shaak Ti
- Kit Fisto
- Saesee Tiin
- Coleman Kcaj
- Anakin Skywalker
- Agen Kolar
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Ki-Adi-Mundi
Council of First Knowledge
The Council of First Knowledge administered the Temple-based academy and its curriculum, and funded scholars' scientific research. To this end, the Council guarded and maintained the Temple Archives and its holocron vaults, as well as the "Shadow program" at the Jedi Temple: Jedi Sentinels tasked with hunting down Sith artifacts.[21]
Council of Reconciliation
The Council of Reconciliation dealt with the Galactic Senate and the Republic Diplomatic Corps in order to help bring diplomatic resolutions to conflicts and end political standoffs. The "first face" of the Republic presented to worlds interested in joining the Republic, this Council would dispatch Jedi diplomats and ambassadors to moderate debate and hammer out treaties[21]
Council of Reassignment
The Council of Reassignment administered the Jedi Service Corps and each of its branch councils. Organizing work for those Initiates who failed out of the academy and Knights with special talents, the Reassignment Council oversaw this branch's missions and assignments.[21][22][23]
Ranks of authority and educational progress
Every Jedi, regardless of species or world, is trained for their career at Jedi Academy. Entrance is determined by rigorous examination and psychological tests. When Jedi Sentinels discover or test a suitable "force-sensitive" candidate, they are taken to the Jedi Academy at the age of 5 (depending on the species and arbitrary years) with the parent's permission. Jedi scholarship educations are considered prestigious, as most parents are portrayed as either happy or proud of the opportunity presented to their child, who could never afford an education. However, parents also are generally sad since they know they are unlikely to see their child again before adulthood. Members of the Order progress through four educational stages, at times referred to as levels:
Initiate
Initiation is the first part of Jedi training; they are mentored by Jedi Masters in rudimentary control over the Force and basic self-defense techniques.
Most Initiates were typically Younglings (a child Jedi-in-training), receiving early and first-class education. The first ten years of a youngling's training demands segregation from outside distractions and is deliberately designed to reinforce detachment from earthly emotions, including loyalty or love for their parents. This is why Yoda initially denied both Anakin and Luke Skywalker for being "too old for training".
Release all your earthly attachments; let go all you've grown to love... Surrender yourself.
Younglings were portrayed training under Jedi Master Yoda in a scene on Attack of the Clones and hiding during the assault on the Jedi Temple in Revenge of the Sith.
The “Young Jedi” story arc[24] and the episode “Path of the Jedi”[25] explored the Jedi tradition called "The Gathering," where initiates traveled to the "Crystal Caves" to harvest kyber crystals, which they would use to build their first lightsabers. Crystals were attuned to individual Jedi and lacked color. The Force spoke to each of the younglings through their crystals. To find their crystal, each initiate had to learn a lesson: courage, hope, patience, trust, confidence, and selflessness.
Padawan
An Initiate who successfully completes "fundamental training" is given a second-class education and then undergoes Padawan training under the tutelage of a Mentor (usually a Jedi Knight or Jedi Master). They are also called "Apprentices" and "Padawan learners". As a rite of passage and the final test before the trials to knighthood, Padawans must build their own lightsabers. In the Old Republic, Padawans usually wore a hair braid on the right side of their head which was removed with a lightsaber upon attaining knighthood. They also served as Commanders in the Clone Wars.
Knight
Disciplined and experienced, Jedi Knights become so only when they have completed "the trials" (final tests), they officially graduate, being eligible for specialized advance courses, and may continue to pursue a third-class education (see below) to obtain the equivalent of a habilitation or post-doctoral degree. As the most common rank, it is interchangeably referred to as "Jedi", "Jedi Knight" and "Master Jedi" (although the latter are honorifics used only by Younglings and Padawans when addressing Jedi Knights or above).
The five tests are usually known as Trial of Skill, the Trial of Courage, the Trial of the Flesh, the Trial of Spirit, and the Trial of Insight (or Knowledge). In Return of the Jedi, Master Yoda gives his apprentice, Luke Skywalker, the trial of confronting Darth Vader for a second time so he might become a full-fledged Knight. Occasionally, performing an extraordinary (usually heroic) act can earn a Padawan learner Jedi status, such as when Obi-Wan Kenobi defeats the Sith Lord, Darth Maul. By the time of the Skywalker Saga films, distinct "battle classes" were not necessary as the Republic had not seen war in over a thousand years, and the title of Knight was simply a rank once again.
Master
Jedi Master is a term of respect used by beings who respect the Jedi. Regarded as among the most accomplished and recognized polymaths in the Star Wars galaxy. Upon completion of vocational or postgraduate education, a Jedi Knight becomes a Jedi Master after successfully training a Padawan learner to Knight status, such as when Obi-Wan Kenobi became a Jedi Master after he successfully trained Anakin Skywalker to the point where he was able to complete the trials and become a Jedi Knight. Though this is the most common manner, there are other ways of attaining the rank.
Specializations and occupations
Various careers, occupations, ranks and titles were available to all Jedi. Upon a Padawan's ascension to "Knighthood-status", a Jedi pursued higher education or vocational education and training in a field of expertise; choose a careers based on preference, personal talents and skills. Before the Great Jedi Purge, numerous divisions existed across the whole of the order, but most personnel are represented within the three order divisions: the Order of the Guardian, the Order of the Consular, or Order of the Sentinel. In addition to their specialization, in times of war, the High Council could demand that the members of the Order assume military ranks in order to defend the Republic.
Hierarchy
- Grand Master of the Jedi: The Grand Master is usually the oldest, most experienced and best trained of all Jedi. A Grand Master is voted unanimously by the Jedi High Council. The Grand Master dictates the organization's general policies while providing direction and guidance to the entire Jedi Order. Yoda and Luke Skywalker were Jedi Grandmasters.
- Chief Master of the High Council: The Chief Master of the High Council is elected by the Jedi High Council, which effectively acts as chairman and chief operating officer. Its chief responsibilities include; presiding over High Council meetings of the assembled group, conducts Jedi businesses in an orderly fashion, managing the particulars of the day-to-day administration of the Jedi Order, act as representative or spokesperson to the Galactic Senate, and serving as the Grand Master's junior partner. It is believed that Jedi Master Mace Windu filled this position at the time of the clone wars.
- Chief Librarian of the Archives: The overseer of the Jedi Archives, Holocron Vault, Librarian's Assembly and the Educational Corps. Second only to the Grand Master in administrative importance, the Chief Librarian worked closely with the Council of First Knowledge. Around the time of the Clone Wars, the Chief Librarian was the elderly Jedi Master Jocasta Nu.
- Jedi General: A title given to those given commanding roles in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars.
- Jedi Commander: This title was given to Jedi Padawans under the leadership of Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters with their roles as Jedi Generals in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars.
Divisions
- Jedi Guardian: Jedi Guardians focused all aspects of combat as an extension of their being, and trained on combining and perfecting their athletic, aviation and martial art skills with mastery of the Force. The Force skills studied by the Guardians were typically those used for quickly disabling an opponent and aiding in agility and stamina. Many were stationed within Republic planetary or sectoral government's security agencies where they worked as special peacekeepers and law enforcement agents, helping to quell riots and capture terrorists. The highest ranking Jedi Guardians were stationed at the Jedi academies as instructors tasked with passing down their experience to the young students of the Order. Those Jedi who mastered lightsaber-combat techniques (such as Mace Windu) were dubbed Weapon Masters and were among the greatest warriors of the Order.
- Jedi Consular: Jedi Consulars focused on further mastery of the Force and the sharpening of mental faculties, and wielded a lightsaber only for self-defense. Overseen by the Council of Reconciliation, Jedi Consulars were often called upon to act as impartial advisers, diplomats, and historians. Most Consulars specialized as historians, archivists, librarians, archaeologists, geologists, biologists, mathematicians, and astronomers; they contributed to the growth and preservation of the Jedi Archives as "Lore Keepers" directed by the Librarian's Assembly. Some Consulars worked closely with the Republic bureaucrats to assist in greeting unaligned governments and helping them join the Republic and given the authority to hammer out a compromise or treaty during tense negotiations, backed by the full support of the Senate and Jedi Order. Some Consulars joined the Circle of Jedi Healers (headquartered out of the Coruscant Temple's Halls of Healing) and focused on the medical and humanitarian aspects of the Force, manipulating the Living Force to perform the art of healing. Those Jedi specifically predisposed to receive visions through the Force were known as "Seers", maintaining and updating the Order's holocrons; the most perceptive of these Jedi (such as Yoda) were known as Prophets and foretold the future of the galaxy.
- Jedi Sentinel: Jedi Sentinels focused on diverse disciplines, applying their force abilities as engineers, technicians, intelligence and security experts. Most Sentinels were stationed at numerous locations for decades, to serve as liaison officers between the system or sector and the Republic. The anonymous "Jedi Temple Guard" Sentinels were charged with guarding the Jedi Temple. Some Sentinels aided police as detectives through the use of the Force. Since Republic law required all newborns undergo "Force-sensitivity" testing, Sentinels who worked as members of the Acquisition Division of the Order routinely tracked down and identified Force-sensitive children to assess whether they met the qualifications to receive training in the Jedi Order. The most elite Sentinels became "Shadows": the Jedi-secret police who worked under the supervision of the First Knowledge Council to destroy all remnants of the Sith.
Resources and technology
Within the Star Wars universe, the Jedi are usually portrayed wearing simple robes and carrying specialized field gear for their missions. Their philosophical lifestyles mirror those of real-world religious vows and evangelical counsels, as their personal possessions are provided exclusively by the Jedi Order, and are only meant to allow self-sufficiency.
Weapons
The most notable instrument wielded by a Jedi is the lightsaber. Both Jedi and Sith use lightsabers, though the former regard them as a tool, the latter, a weapon. The Jedi's lightsabers emit cool colors, usually blue or green blades (sometimes yellow, or purple, as seen in the case of Mace Windu), while the Sith emit warm colors (red). Lightsabers can be of many different colors depending on the crystal fixture. Most Jedi use naturally formed crystals, whereas Sith tend to use synthetic crystals, which are usually red in color. Although rare, multi-bladed lightsabers can exist, especially among Sith such as Darth Maul's double bladed lightsaber, the Inqusitors' double-bladed/rotating ones, or Kylo Ren's crossguard-bladed one (due to a cracked kyber crystal).
Vehicles
Eta-2 Actis Jedi Interceptors first appeared in Revenge of the Sith. Delta-7B Aethersprite Jedi starfighters appear in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. In Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan Kenobi travels via Jedi starfighter to Kamino to investigate the attempted assassination of Padmé Amidala; he also flies a Jedi starfighter to Geonosis in an attempt to track down the bounty hunter Jango Fett.[26] Lacking a hyperdrive, the starfighter relies on an external sled to propel it through hyperspace.[26] Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) fly updated Jedi starfighters (called Jedi Interceptors) in the opening sequence of Revenge of the Sith.[26] Later, Plo Koon (Matt Sloan) flies a Revenge of the Sith-era starfighter when he is shot down by clone troopers carrying out Emperor Palpatine's (Ian McDiarmid) Order 66.[26]
The Jedi starfighter's triangular shape in Attack of the Clones stems from the shape of Imperial Star Destroyers in the original Star Wars trilogy.[27] Industrial Light & Magic designer Doug Chiang identified the Jedi starfighter as one of the first designs that bridges the aesthetic between the prequel and original trilogies.[28] Chiang noted that viewers' familiarity with the Star Destroyer's appearance and Imperial affiliation gives added symbolism to the Jedi craft's appearance and foreshadows the Empire's rise to power.[28] The starfighter seen in Revenge of the Sith is a cross between the previous film's vessel and the Empire's TIE fighters from the original trilogy.[27] Hasbro's expanding wings in the Attack of the Clones Jedi starfighter toy inspired the opening wings in the Revenge of the Sith vessel.[27] The starfighter in the Revenge of the Sith is called a Jedi Interceptor Starfighter.
Jedi Archives
The Jedi Archives, known as The Great Library of Ossus or The Great Library of the Jedi, contained the galaxy's most priceless and ancient of texts sacred to Jedi scholars and archaeologists. Among these were Sith artifacts, considered by the Jedi Order to be the most dangerous artifacts in the galaxy, that were accessible only to those able to control the Dark Side of the Force.[29]
The Jedi archives of the Jedi Temple in the movie Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones bear a startling resemblance to the Long Room of the Trinity College Library in Dublin. This resemblance resulted in controversy as permission had not been sought to use the building's likeness in the film. However, Lucasfilm denied that the Long Room was the basis for the Jedi archives, and officials from Trinity College Library decided not to take any legal action.[30][31]
Jedi Academy
The Jedi academies were established to train Force-sensitive beings accepted into the Jedi Order in the ways of the Force. Overseen by the Council of First Knowledge, each academy was governed by an advisory Council appointed by their superiors on Coruscant. Mainstreaming the majority of teachings at the Temple, certain practices were permitted to vary from world to world. However, at all sanctioned academies, a group of Jedi Masters would instruct Initiates to the Order in the ways of the Force. The size of the school varied from world to world; the smallest consisted of a single clan of younglings, and the largest was the main academy housed within the Jedi Temple of Coruscant. Most academies had been established during the Old Sith Wars and were located in the Galactic Rim. Some were located on or near Force-wellsprings or places significant to the Order like crystal caves or nexuses of dark side energies that needed constant monitoring.[32]
In addition to the traditional academies established by the Order, the Exploration Corps maintained several spacefaring mobile academies such as the Chu'unthor so that roaming the galaxy and exploring new worlds could be achieved while still teaching traditional doctrine.[32]
By the fall of the Galactic Republic in 19 BBY, many of the ancient academies had been shut down for decades, with the Council of First Knowledge preferring the central teachings of the Coruscant Temple. After the dissolution of the Order during the Great Jedi Purge, all orthodox Temples and academies were routed and burned in order to prevent any more Jedi from learning the secrets of the Force. However, the Galactic Empire's chokehold on Force-education did not last and the Order was reformed following the conclusion of the Galactic Civil War. When Grand Master Luke Skywalker's New Order became a single class of twelve students including his nephew Ben Solo, however it was reduced to only himself when his nephew turned to the darkside and became Kylo Ren.
Jedi Temple
In the prequel trilogy, the primary Jedi Temple is located on the Republic's capital planet of Coruscant. As the chief administrative headquarters, the Temple served the Order in three capacities: a monastery and library for the Jedi seeking enlightenment and to reflect on the will of the Force; an academy and training center for Jedi younglings and Padawans who endeavored to join the ranks of the Jedi Knights; and government, in which the Masters of the Jedi High Council guided the Order's direction. It was originally built atop an old "dark-side nexus" shrine during the birth of the Republic, so as to be symbolic to the Coruscant people that the tyrannical rule of the Sith was over.[33]
In Revenge of the Sith, the Jedi Temple is attacked by clone troopers of the 501st Legion, led by the newly christened Darth Vader, who butchered the Jedi within and set the Temple alight. After the fall of the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic, the Temple became the Palace of the Emperor and a location for his dark side artifacts. It would serve as Sidious' residence for over two decades until his death at the Battle of Endor. The Temple is visible in the celebrations on Coruscant at the end of Return of the Jedi. After the destruction of the Sith, Luke Skywalker—the last of the Jedi—recovered fragments of a Force-sensitive tree that was once located at the heart of the Jedi Temple.[34]
Architects' Journal rated the temple third on its top-ten architecture of Star Wars list behind the second Death Star and Jabba the Hutt’s palace on Tatooine, and ahead of Coruscant, the capital city of the Old Republic.[35] The temple is described in the article as adapting "the robust typology of Mayan temples, with durasteel cladding specified for the external stone walls for improved defensive strength" and said to be a ziggurat that "is built above a Force-nexus and has ample room for training facilities, accommodation and the Jedi Archive."[35] The temple has five towers, the tallest is Tranquility Spire, that are stylistically similar to the minarets surrounding the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.[35] Star Wars Insider listed it as the one hundredth greatest thing about Star Wars in its one hundredth issue special.
Legends depiction of the Jedi
With the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company, most of the licensed Star Wars novels and comics produced since the originating 1977 film Star Wars were rebranded as Star Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise in April 2014.[36][37][38]
Je'daii
The Je'daii Order, precursors to the modern Jedi, studied and used both the light and dark sides of the Force equally. The preview issue of Dawn of the Jedi states that the Je'daii originated ten thousand years before the saga takes place (approximately 36,453 years BBY). They were more monk than warrior, and their capital was Tython in the Deep Core.
The New Jedi Order
In novels set after the events of the film series, Luke Skywalker re-established the Jedi High Council as part of his New Jedi Order. The most notable difference between the format of the new council and the old is that only half of the council are made up of Jedi, while the other half consisted of politicians. Following the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, the Jedi withdrew their support from any one political entity and relocated to Ossus, where Luke had a full Jedi Council re-established.
In novels set after the events of the original-trilogy film series, The New Jedi Order was the restored and reformed Jedi organization, in the wake of the Great Jedi Purge and subsequent fall of the Galactic Empire. The Jedi Knights, reduced in number to only a handful, were slowly restored, primarily under the leadership of Grandmaster Luke Skywalker. Skywalker abolished the traditional Master/Padawan system. He believed all Jedi should be both teachers and students; that they should both learn from and mentor each other, and not just from one Master.
Within the Expanded Universe, The New Jedi Order indicates that the Jedi Temple on Coruscant is no longer standing but it is rebuilt as a gift to Jedi for their services and achievements during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. The new temple is in the form of a massive pyramid made from stone and transparisteel that is designed to fit into the new look of Coruscant, though internally it is identical to the design seen in Revenge of the Sith.
Cultural impact and critical response
The United States Army had a group of officers in the early 1980s who promoted maneuver warfare tactics, and who were derisively referred to as Jedi by more conventional officers who were satisfied with attrition warfare tactics and methods.[39][40]
Analysis
In Star Wars and Philosophy, William Stephens compares the Jedi to Stoicism:
To recap, the virtues the Jedi shares with the Stoic sage are patience, timeliness, deep commitment, seriousness (as opposed to frivolity), calmness (as opposed to anger or euphoria), peacefulness (as opposed to aggression), caution (as opposed to recklessness), benevolence (as opposed to hatred), joy (as opposed to sullenness), passivity (as opposed to agitation), and wisdom. Given all these virtues, Yoda certainly resembles what the ancient Stoics described as the sage—the ideal person who has perfected his reason and achieved complete wisdom.[41]
Functionally, the Jedi order resembles a Praetorian Guard.[42]
Media
Jedi have made their way into certain areas of pop culture, such as "Weird Al" Yankovic's song "The Saga Begins", a parody of "American Pie". In the film The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009), a reporter follows a former soldier who claimed to be a "Jedi warrior", a nickname for psychic spies in the US military.
Religion
One of the enduring influences the Star Wars saga has had in popular culture is the idea of the fictional Jedi values being interpreted as a modern philosophical path or religion,[43] spawning various movements such as the Jediism (religious) and the Jedi census phenomenon.
References
Footnotes
- Claudia Gray's novel Master & Apprentice explains that this is due in part to his apparently being born of a virgin.[9]
Citations
- Gordon, Andrew. "Star Wars: A myth for our time." Literature/Film Quarterly 6.4 (1978): 314.
- Chryssides, George D. (2011). Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-0-810-87967-6.
- Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed. 28 May 2007. about 90 minutes in. The History Channel.
- "The Names Came From Earth". New York Times. 26 January 1997. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
- "john carter versus starwars". SciFiNow.
- "The Mythology of Star Wars with George Lucas and Bill Moyers". films.com. Films Media Group.
- "Star Wars @ NASM, Unit 1, Introduction Page". Nasm.si.edu. 31 January 1999. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
- Rinzler, J. W. (2013). The Making of Star Wars (Enhanced ed.). Ballantine Group. pp. 2019, 2034. ISBN 978-0345542861.
- Pearson, Ben (16 April 2019). "'Star Wars': The Chosen One Prophecy Has Finally Been Revealed". /Film. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- Stafford, Nikki (2009). Finding Lost. ECW Press. ISBN 1554905591.
- "How Ahsoka Tano Completed the Arc of Anakin Skywalker". www.themarysue.com.
- "Dave Filoni Just Made an Unexpected 'Star Wars' Revelation".
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.
- Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, 1999 ("If you would just follow the Code, you would be on the Council.")
- "Tarkin: Star Wars: James Luceno: 9780345511522: Amazon.com: Books". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
- "The Development of Star Wars – As Seen through the Scripts by George Lucas". Hem.bredband.net. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
- "Starkiller – The Jedi Bendu Script Site". Starwarz.com. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
- The Star Wars: Rough Draft
- The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film
- Golden, Chrisite (c. 2016). Dark disciple. London: Arrow Books.
- The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force
- Daniel Wallace (13 August 2013). "Star Wars: The Jedi Path Deluxe Edition | becker&mayer! Book Producers". Beckermayer.com. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
- Teen & Young Adult Girls... "Star Wars: The Jedi Path: Daniel Wallace: 9781452102276: Amazon.com: Books". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
- Season 5 - Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- Season 2, Star Wars: Rebels
- "Jedi starfighter (The Movies)". Star Wars Databank. Lucasfilm. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
- "Jedi starfighter (Behind the Scenes)". Star Wars Databank. Lucasfilm. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
- "Wedgie 'Em Out". Making Episode II Webdocs. Lucasfilm. Archived from the original (QuickTime video) on 12 January 2006. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
- Ultimate Star Wars
- "Kerry invaded by evil galactic empire in class Star Wars mockup". Breaking News. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
- "Visit the Jedi Archives in real life – at Trinity College, Dublin". Retrieved 28 October 2015.
- The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force
- "5 Fascinating Facts About the Jedi Temple - StarWars.com". 6 November 2015.
- McMillan, Graeme (3 April 2017). "Cantina Talk: A Vicious New Kind of AT-AT Could Debut in 'The Last Jedi'". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- Pallister, James (15 June 2009). "Top 10: The Architecture of Star Wars (pt II)". Architectsjournal.co.uk.
- McMilian, Graeme (25 April 2014). "Lucasfilm Unveils New Plans for Star Wars Expanded Universe". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- "The Legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe Turns a New Page". StarWars.com. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- "Disney and Random House announce relaunch of Star Wars Adult Fiction line". StarWars.com. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- Woodward, Bob (2012). Commanders. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781471104749. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
- Kaplan, Fred (17 March 1991). "Schwarzkopf's war plan came from Army's Jedi Knights". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. p. A13. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
- Stephens, William O. (2013). "Chapter 2: "Stoicism in the stars: Yoda, the Emperor, and the Force". In Decker, Kevin S.; Eberl, Jason T.; Irwin, William (eds.). Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful than You Can Possibly Imagine. Open Court. ISBN 0812697014.
-
Jamilla, Nick (2014). Sword Fighting in the Star Wars Universe: Historical Origins, Style and Philosophy. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 52. ISBN 9780786451791. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
The clearest analogy of the Jedi's relationship to the political establishment , however negative it may appear, is that of the Praetorian Guard, which, in its early days, was a military arm that served as the bodyguard of a commander and later fell into disrepute.
- Woolley, Jamie. "A New Religion". BBC News.
Further reading
- Sword Fighting in the Star Wars Universe: Historical Origins, Style and Philosophy by Nick Jamilla (McFarland & Company, 2008)
- Star Wars and History by Nancy Reagin & Janice Liedl (John Wiley & Sons, 2012)
- The Science Fiction Reboot: Canon, Innovation and Fandom in Refashioned Franchises by Heather Urbanski (McFarland & Company, 2013)
- Star wars: the essential chronology by Kevin J. Anderson & Daniel Wallace (Ballantine Books, 2000)
- Culture, identities, and technology in the Star wars films: essays on the two trilogies by Carl Silvio & Tony M. Vinci (McFarland & Company, 2007)
- The Star Wars Heresies by Paul F. McDonald (McFarland & Company, 2013)
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jedi. |
- The Jedi Order in the StarWars.com Databank
- Jedi Temple in the StarWars.com Databank
- Jedi on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
