Ms. Dynamite and Jedi: Difference between pages

Two examples of Jedi, Master Qui-Gon Jinn & his padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Jedi are a fictional monastic peacekeeping organization from the Star Wars saga, known for their talent in the Force. The word "Jedi" is said to have been adapted by George Lucas from "jidaigeki" (Japanese for "period drama" movies about samurai), perhaps contaminated by association with the warrior's title "jed" found in the Barsoom books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, a series which Lucas considered adapting to film before his work on Star Wars.

Origins of the Order

The Jedi Knights were an order of individuals who had the ability to touch and work alongside the Force. Shunning its dark side, the Jedi followed the light side of the Force, using their power for unselfish, beneficial and servitudial acts. The order began tens of thousands of years before the rise of the Galactic Empire. Many ancient and semi-legendary organizations have been proposed as the forerunners of the Jedi Order, such as the Order of Dai Bendu or the Chatos Academy, but no conclusive links have ever been shown. Likewise, the birth planet of the Order is unknown. There are many candidates, including such known worlds as Coruscant, Ossus, Corellia, and Utapau, as well as mythic, lost planets such as Had Abbadon, and Ondos.

"It is known, however, that the brightest and best philosophers, priests, and warriors came together on a single world long ago to discuss their discoveries involving the enigmatic, mystical Force, and that the concentration of these efforts eventually led to the development of the Jedi Order." – Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Power of the Jedi Sourcebook.

Initially the Jedi was a contemplative order. Over time, however, the Order changed, and took a more direct and active role in galactic affairs, eventually centralizing themselves on Coruscant in the aftermath of the catastrophic Battle of Ruusan. The history of the Jedi was intertwined with both the Republic they served and the Sith they fought.

"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 Episode IV: A New Hope.

Becoming a Jedi

Becoming a Jedi required the most profound commitment and astute mind. The life of a Jedi was one of personal sacrifice. Those who showed an aptitude for the Force were taken at birth or soon after to train in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, where the Order was headquartered. From the outset of their training they lived a life of simplicity, adhering to the Jedi Code which forbade material possessions and emotional attachments. A Jedi was expected to adhere to this strict Code that included concepts such as rational thought, patience, and benevolence. This training was initially done by a venerable, experienced Jedi until the individual was proficient enough to start the journey of a Jedi. When Luke Skywalker founded his new Jedi Academy, he altered the Jedi ways and traditions, allowing emotional attachments, possessions, and more contact with family and friends in order to prevent emotional traumas like those that his father Anakin Skywalker endured and eventually gave in to.

Jedi Robe

Obi-Wan Kenobi in traditional Jedi clothing.

In keeping with the tenets of modesty and humility, the Jedi traditionally wore simple and comfortable long, flowing robes, including tunics, pants, and a cloak, of which each generally varied in tones and shades of white and brown. The Jedi also wore utility belts, where they carried specialized field gear for their missions, and leather boots. The colors were in stark contrast to the antithetical Sith, who were draped primarily in black. Exceptions were sometimes made, most notably in the cases of Anakin Skywalker (an omen of things to come perhaps) and his son, Luke.

During the post-Imperial era with Luke and the New Jedi Order, the dress code became more flexibile, allowing the Jedi to wear clothes closer to what they preferred, within reason. Some Jedi, like Corran Horn and Ganner Rhysode, still resorted to wearing the traditional robes, while other Jedi who were also accomplished pilots, like the Solo children, Jaina, Jacen and Anakin, preferred to wear jumpsuits, simple and useful outfits that allowed the Jedi to have more mobility as well as advantages for piloting. In events that demanded formality, or Jedi gatherings, however, traditional Jedi robes were required.

The Force

The Force is an energy field that is generated by all living organisms and permeates the universe and all things within. It is clearly indebted to the concept of chi and the Od of Baron Carl Reichenbach. Its principles resemble some real-world religions like Hinduism, the Shinto religion of Japan, certain Celtic druidic concepts, and probably resembles Buddhism the most. Dick Staub, author of Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters, in an interview with Christianity Today, said he feels "the Lucas story is more theologically attuned with Hinduism". On his own admission, George Lucas has clearly been influenced by Christianity, Buddhism and Indian religions in writing the Star Wars saga. It also bears a close similarity to the Chinese notion of qigong, the Hindu notion of Brahman, and many others. The earliest description of this "energy field" would be akin to that of pran, of which pranayama is a systematic practice originating in India and a part of yoga (which predates, and is the basis for, Chinese martial arts.) The Force is subject to control by anyone who is "Force Sensitive." An individual who can control the Force can perform incredible feats such as telekinesis and telepathy.

This life-force is known in China as qi or chi; in India, prana. A belief in a life-force is most commonly seen in the East, practised by Buddhists, Taoists, Confucianists, and Hindus.

Inspirations Behind The Force

Chi powers in the Chinese wuxia genre, giving the wielder great skill in combat, premonitions, and strike foes without touching using an invisible force. Isaac Asimov's Foundation series features several varieties of empaths and telepaths who can detect and influence human emotion. One such group, the Second Foundation, believes itself the guardians of the galaxy, and the Second Foundationers strive to prevent Galactic civilization's collapse into anarchy. In this respect, the Second Foundationers resemble the Jedi Knights, although Asimov's paternalistic guardians are not telekinetic. Many years after he invented the Second Foundation, Asimov did introduce "mentalics" who could also manipulate physical objects; these play a large role in his novels Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth. Being an avowed humanist, Asimov did not indulge in light/dark moralizing, and he took pride in constructing villains who believed themselves just and heroes afflicted by their own dilemmas. (See the essays reprinted in Gold for Asimov's exposition of these views). Though the Solarians and the Gaians can manipulate objects and minds much like the Jedi, Asimov's mentalics are not divided into light and dark sides, nor do they have the power of prophecy. In Asimov's fiction, predicting the future requires either intuition or psychohistory. Asimov's influence on the Star Wars universe has been frequently noted, one example being the debt Coruscant owes to Asimov's Trantor. Many of the Force powers Jedi use are very similar to the ones the Bene Gesserit of Frank Herbert's Dune use, most notably Jedi Mind Tricks, which are very similar to the Voice used by the Bene Gesserit.

Science of The Force

As explained in the movie Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Jedi get their ability to understand the Force from symbiotic organisms within their bodies called midi-chlorians (an obvious play on mitochondrion and chloroplast). Also known as "the messengers of life," these organisms allow a Jedi to "hear the Force," and it is said that "without them life could not exist" (this statement appears to contradict the Expanded Universe, which depicts the Yuuzhan Vong as completely separate from the Force, but the discrepancy is explained late in the New Jedi Order series). The higher the midi-chlorian count in their cells, the stronger the Force is with the particular individual. Their presence could be somehow sensed by other Jedi, although exact count cannot be determined. Only with the use of a computer (apparently most ships contain the technology to assess midi-chlorian count) can the exact number be counted. Anakin Skywalker had a reading of over 20,000, higher than that of Master Yoda's, leading many, most notably Qui-Gon Jinn, to believe Anakin to be the prophesied "Chosen One."

The Jedi Code

The Jedi Code is the central philosophy and dogma of the Jedi Knights. The code has been appended over the millennia, and by the time of the Clone Wars it included many fairly esoteric prohibitions far removed from the core beliefs of a Jedi, such as a doctrine that training shall only begin in infancy. However, throughout all of these changes there was a central, core part of the code that remained the fundamental belief of a Jedi.

There is no emotion; there is peace.

There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.

There is no passion; there is serenity.

There is no death; there is the Force.

The code was the focus of meditations on the Force by the Jedi Master Odan-Urr, a veteran of The Great Hyperspace War.

Another widely accepted version of the Jedi Code goes as follows:

Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy.

Jedi use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others.

Jedi respect all life, in any form.

Jedi serve others rather than ruling over them, for the good of the galaxy.

Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.

It can be found in many official Star Wars books, such as TPM Scrapbook, and "I am a Jedi" by Qui-Gon Jinn.

Structure of the Order

There is a well-developed hierarchy of ranks, listed below.

Jedi Ranks

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Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker.

Members of the order progressed through four tiers of rank, sometimes referred to as levels.

Youngling

An unofficial title, this refers to a child with Force potential. (Also referred to as "Jedi Hopeful.") More accurately, Youngling is Galactic Basic slang for children of any sort. At a very young age, the Jedi initiates leave their homes and are assigned to a group for training. If a youngling is not chosen by any Jedi Knight to be their Padawan by 13 years of age, the youngling is placed into another, lesser role in the Jedi Service Corps. Depending on where the student's talents lie, this may be the Agricultural Corps, the Medical Corps, or the Exploration Corps.

Padawan

An apprentice is one who undergoes intensive one-on-one training under a Jedi Master after graduating from the academy. As tradition a human Padawan grows a long strand of braided hair that is finally cut off during the ceremony of knighthood, when a Padawan becomes a Jedi knight. A Jedi may have only one apprentice at a time, and is required to promote the current apprentice before taking another. Master Yoda was seen training several younglings in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, but they were receiving generic Jedi teachings from him rather than being trained as Padawans. The word "Padawan" is likely a corruption of "padwar", a low-ranking officer in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom science fiction books. Some Jedi Masters have taken more than one Padawan at a time. (It should be noted however, that the term 'padawan' was not mentioned until Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. This can be explained as another thing lost following the Great Jedi Purge.)

Jedi Knight

Disciplined, experienced padawans may become full-fledged Jedi once they have completed "the trials", which are usually intensified tests, physical and otherwise, of candidates' skills, knowledge and dedication. The Trials are Trial of Flesh, Trail of Courage, Trial of Skill and Trial of Self, also known as "facing the mirror". Occasionally, performing an extraordinary (usually heroic) act can earn a padawan learner Jedi Knight status, such as when Obi-Wan Kenobi, toward the end of his training, defeated Darth Maul, Dark Lord of the Sith, during the Battle of Naboo. Jedi Knight is the most common rank of Jedi, hence, the title is also used, mostly by non-Jedi, to refer to any member of the order that has at least met the compulsory requirements of the Jedi Council.

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Jedi Council member Mace Windu.

Jedi Master

A Jedi Knight may become a Master after successfully training a Padawan learner to Knight status. Though this is the most common manner, it is not always the case. If the council sees that a Jedi Knight has become more powerful and has gained more knowledge and dicipline in the Force, then they can be nominated by one or more council members to take the trials again. But this time, the trials will be much harder. It should also be said that some Jedi Masters, like Qui-Gon Jinn, never become members of the Council, as it is not a requirement to be a Master.

Jedi Council Member

When a Jedi from the Jedi Council leaves and there is an open space, the council looks for an exceptional Jedi Master to fill it in. Presiding Council members elect prospective candidates when openings become available. The rank can also be achieved through the performance of extraordinary deeds or self-proclamation, though the latter is extremely rare. In some texts the Council has a few Knights in its membership "to give a different perspective"; however most references were removed in preparation for Revenge of the Sith, as Anakin's position on the council, but lack of promotion to Master, was a point of contention.

Jedi Types

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Bastila Shan, a Jedi Sentinel from the Knights of the Old Republic game.

(It should be noted that this is mainly from the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic computer game and the d20-style Star Wars role playing games. The role playing game makes it clear that within the Star Wars universe these differences don't exist and they are merely a way to describe the various styles of Jedi that are depicted, i.e. some are more martially-oriented while others are more knowledge-oriented. Jedi do not refer to themselves as "Consulars" or "Guardians", but simply as 'Jedi'.)

There are three types of Jedi: the guardian, the sentinel, and the consular. Selection of a Jedi's type takes place at the transition to Padawan. It must be noted however that the role of a Jedi was chosen by their beliefs, capabilities, aptitudes, and what role they wished to play in the universe.

Guardians

Guardians focus on martial training and combat. They usually engage in combat more than any other Jedi class. Like all Jedi, they are keepers of the peace, acting as a kind of special police force for the Republic. Notable guardians include Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker, and, in the Expanded Universe, Kyle Katarn. Guardians are loosely signified by blue lightsabers (Windu was an exception with his purple lightsaber, as well as Kyle Katarn with a green lightsaber).

Consulars

Consulars possess great knowledge of the Force but rarely enter combat. Consulars are the primary scholars and diplomats of the Order, often becoming instructors. The most famous of these are Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn and Luke Skywalker. Following her training, Leia Organa Solo also became a consular. Consulars are loosely signified by green lightsabers (there has been debate about Skywalker's type. Although he had a blue lightsaber and was trained by Obi-Wan, who was a guardian, Luke got more training from Yoda, which is probably what made him a Consular. Furthermore, the blue lightsaber he originally used was his father's, not his).

Sentinels

Sentinels strike a balance between the first two types, as they possess admirable combat skills with some extensive knowledge of the Force. These are often dispatched to regions across the galaxy to work as ambassadors and investigators of unusual concentrations of the Force. Bastila Shan, Visas Marr, and Plo Koon are examples of this type. Sentinels are loosely signified by yellow lightsabers.

In addition to the three basic Jedi types, some Jedi with special talents at helping others choose to specialize as Healers. Healers use the Force in conjunction with medical and psychiatric training to help allieviate illness, pain, and suffering wherever they encounter it. They are sometimes assigned to med-centers or mobile medical units on various worlds. Barriss Offee is an example of a healer who worked in a Republic Mobile Surgery Unit during the latter part of the Clone Wars. Cilghal, a Calamarian who was discovered by Leia Organa, was the first Healer of the New Jedi Order, followed by her apprentice Tekli, a Chadra Fan. Others specialize as Investigators, who act as the eyes and ears of the Council. This can be translated as "rogues" of other role-play games.

Also during the time of the Old Republic there were watchmen, a title that was given to a Jedi Master that connoted his or her role as overseer of a particular star system or segment of the galaxy. This was arranged through a loose agreement with the Old Republic. The watchman's main charge was to maintain harmony and justice. The Republic granted watchmen the authority to operate autonomously in order to right wrongs and deal with disturbances in the Force that occurred outside the purview of local laws. Ki-Adi-Mundi was an example of a Jedi Watchman, which is the Star Wars equivalent of a "Sherriff".

The Chosen One

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Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars.

In Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace a young junkyard slave, Anakin Skywalker, is discovered by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who believed him to be the Chosen One who is prophesied to bring balance to the Force and destroy the Sith. Possibly conceived by the Force, Anakin Skywalker, has the highest midi-chlorian count of any lifeform—surpassing Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Palpatine, and even Yoda. Anakin Skywalker falls to the Dark Side, however, and becomes The Sith'ari. He is redeemed eventually through his son, Luke, and destroys the Sith. Therefore the prophecy of the Chosen One was fulfilled.

Alternatively, there is the possibility that the prophecy of the Chosen One was in reference to Anakin Skywalker bringing the Sith to power. The light side (as embodied by the Jedi) had dominated the galaxy for centuries; the rise of the dark side (as embodied by the Sith) to power can be seen as a restoration of balance.

Another alternate interpretation is that by leading the destruction of the Jedi, Anakin/Darth Vader put in place a literal balance: one Master, Palpatine, and one Apprentice, himself, on the dark side, and Yoda and Obi-Wan on the light side.

A fourth interpretation is that the Chosen one was in fact Luke Skywalker, though this hasn't been taken as seriously as the other three. The main piece of evidence is that Luke rebuilds the Jedi Order after Palpatine is finally destroyed.

Some believe, however, that Darth Plagueis created Anakin; Plagueis, who could influence the midi-chlorians to create life, was Palpatine's master, so some theorize that he created Anakin to destroy the Jedi. Palpatine killed his master, and perhaps that is why he always has been watching over Anakin, knowing his potential.

The Pillars of Jedi Strength

There are mainly three pillars of Jedi strength:

• Knowledge (See Jedi Archives)
• The Force
• Self-Discipline

The Lost Twenty

The Lost Twenty is a phrase that refers to the number of Jedi who have voluntarily renounced their commission in the Jedi Order over ideological differences. At the start of the Clone Wars, the most recent Jedi to leave the Order was the twentieth: Count Dooku. The Jedi Order keeps busts of the Lost Twenty in the Jedi Archives, apparently as an acknowledgement that the Order is imperfect and cannot satisfy all needs. The only other known members of the Lost Twenty are Chon Actrion, who is also known as the "Architect of Freedom" and is likely of the Besalisk species, and the Sith Lord who would come to be known as Darth Ruin. However, when Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader left the Order, the phrase became inaccurate.

Leaving the Jedi Order does not inherently make one a Dark Jedi. However, without the guiding influence of the Jedi Council and their fellow Knights, some members of the Lost Twenty, like Darth Ruin and Dooku, have fallen to the dark side of the Force.

Political Organization

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The Jedi Council chamber in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

Eventually the Jedi formed a central political entity called the Jedi Council, a gathering of great minds which acted as a governing body for the order and an advisory board for the Old Republic Senate. The Jedi Council could only have 12 members at a time.

Among other tasks, the Jedi were eventually responsible for law enforcement and peacekeeping in the Galactic Republic. At the time of the Clone Wars, in the twilight years of the Galactic Republic and during the time of The Mandalorian War (and in the Jedi Civil War that followed), they would act as generals, soldiers and advisors in the conflict.

The Lightsaber

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Mace Windu wielding his lightsaber.

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Main article: Lightsaber

The traditional weapon of the Jedi was the lightsaber which, in the hands of a skilled wielder, could be more than a match for most opponents, even those that are armed with ranged weapons. A typical lightsaber consists of a metallic rod base that conjures a blade-shaped field of energy. Lightsaber colors include white, green, blue, red, yellow, orange, silver and viridian with Mace Windu's purple lightsaber allegedly a personal preference on the part of actor Samuel L. Jackson who played Windu. But by the rise of the Galactic Empire, most lightsaber crystal caves that gave the colors other than blue and green were destroyed. A common task for the Jedi is to construct their own lightsaber, after collecting special crystals which would form the core of the lightsaber. The construction of a lightsaber is considered a milestone on the path to Jedi Knighthood, and takes on a heavily symbolic meaning. While many lightsabers appear similar at first glance, closer inspection reveals many differences (subtle or obvious) between two lightsabers. Because each Jedi personally constructs his or her own weapon from scratch, no two lightsabers are the same. However, some Padawan learners build their lightsabers to resemble those of their Masters as a sign of respect.

The Lightsaber's beam is made of pure energy which can cut through almost anything, except another lightsaber or some rare materials. For example, there have been swords that are made of a cortosis weave to block against lightsaber sparring damage. The lightsaber is not just a single-bladed weapon, and not only wielded alone by Jedi. Some Jedi have used two single-bladed lightsabers, and some use double-bladed lightsabers. Not all Jedi use lightsabers though -- some use other weapons, or none at all.

One important note about lightsaber wounds is that they rarely bleed profusely, even when a limb has been severed. The energy blade cauterizes the wound as it passes, and thus even a severe wound does not tend to bleed heavily.

The Dark Side of the Force

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Ulic Qel-Droma

Main article: Force (Star Wars) § Sith philosophy

The power of the Force does not come without a price, for with these abilities come great temptation to misuse them, and emotions such as hate, anger, and fear can cause a Jedi to be overcome by the Dark Side of the Force. The Dark Side is the easier path and at first can seem more powerful. In the words of Yoda, it is not actually more powerful, but only quicker and easier to learn, and thus more seductive. When one turns to the Dark Side, there is little hope of recovery. Only five Jedi have broken from the Dark Side: Ulic Qel-Droma (after killing his brother, Cay, in a duel); Anakin Skywalker, when he killed Palpatine by throwing him into the second Death Star's reactor core for attacking his son, Luke Skywalker, with Force lightning; Darth Revan, when the Jedi Order captured him and erased his memory (that is if the player follows the light side); and Bastila Shan, who was brought back to the light when the reformed Revan professed his love for her. In the RPG Knights of the Old Republic (1 & 2) minor characters such as Visas Marr, Atris, Juhani, and Yuthura Ban can be brought back to the light side of the Force if you so choose.

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Visas Marr

The consequences of a Jedi falling to the Dark Side of the Force are quite costly, not only for the fallen individual, but for many others as well. Such Jedi are normally referred to as Dark Jedi. Dark Jedi and the Sith are often confused as the same. Dark Jedi study both the light and dark sides of the Force, but devote themselves to the Dark Side, yet do not follow a belief like the Sith. However, some Dark Jedi do become members of the Sith Order, and are vastly superior. Sith normally use red lightsabers, but Dark Jedi can use any color for their lightsabers. This was demonstrated by the seven Dark Jedi in Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II.

The Sith Lords were said to have come into existence nearly 25,000 years BBY. Begun by a heretical Jedi called Xendor, this sect embraced the Dark Side of the Force as a means to power, and was opposed to the philosophy embraced by the Jedi, that is, service and justice in the defense of the common good. This caused a split with the Jedi Order (called the First Great Jedi Schism) and resulted in several galactic wars over the millennia, including the Great Hyperspace War and at least three Sith-Wars. One thousand years BBY, the Sith Order was believed to have finally been destroyed at the Battle of Ruusan. One Dark Lord, Darth Bane, survived, however, and reformed the order, restarting the tradition apparently begun by Darth Revan of passing down the name "Darth" to his successors, naming both master and apprentice as a Dark Lord of the Sith and beginning the "rule of two." This rule would allow the Sith to remain hidden from the Jedi and would help prevent the kind of civil war within the Sith's own ranks that had led to the original Sith Empire's destruction and almost to that of the Order. For the next 1,000 years, the Sith Order carried on in concealment from the Jedi, biding their time until conditions in the galaxy were right for them to resurface.

It should be noted that, when Anakin Skywalker - as Darth Vader - cast Emperor Palpatine down the shaft in the second Death Star, the tradition of Sith knowledge being passed down through two individuals generation to generation was disrupted. Some Dark Jedi possessing varying degrees of Sith knowledge have since attempted to restart the Sith Order, however only minor successes have been made.

Recent history of the Jedi

The Jedi-Sith conflict resumes

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Qui-Gon Jinn battles Darth Maul on Tatooine.

In 32 BBY, the presence of the Sith once again became known to the Jedi. Two Sith Lords, the master Darth Sidious, and the apprentice Darth Maul, supported the blockade of Naboo. After Darth Maul was killed, the Jedi knew that somewhere in the galaxy there was still one member of the Sith active, but they were unaware of the identity of Sidious. During the next ten years, former Jedi Count Dooku fell to the dark side and became the new apprentice, as Darth Tyranus. Tyranus selected a bounty hunter, Jango Fett, as the template for a clone army he ordered for the Galactic Republic under the guise of the deceased Sifo-Dyas. Later, with the assistance of the Trade Federation, he rallied as many star systems as he could to create the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and gathered an enormous army of droids. Tyranus and Sidious, through political machinations and exploitation, engineered the Clone Wars.

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Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi's epic duel on Mustafar.

At approximately the same time toward the end of the Clone Wars, the Jedi discovered that Chancellor Palpatine was in fact Darth Sidious, and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker submitted to the Dark Side. Anakin became known as Darth Vader, Sidious's final apprentice. During a battle with his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin suffered serious injuries, including the loss of two of his legs and one arm and terrible burns from fire and lava. After the fight, the majority of Anakin's body had to be replaced with mechanical implants, including a breathing apparatus to keep him alive.

By Darth Sidious' own admission, Darth Vader had the potential to become twice as powerful as himself, going so far as to tell Yoda that "soon Darth Vader will become more powerful than either of us." However this was before Vader's fateful duel with his former master. Since the use of the Force is dependent upon living flesh, and since Vader lost several limbs in the fight, his power was reduced to roughly eighty percent of Darth Sidious'. There is speculation by some Darth Vader fans, however, that Vader's special armor compensated for the grave injuries he sustained, making him stronger than ever.

The Dark Times and the Empire, Return of the Jedi

At the onset of the Galactic Civil War, the Jedi were almost completely wiped out through the actions of followers of the Dark Side, led by Palpatine (now Emperor) and Darth Vader. Vader led the Great Jedi Purge, wiping out nearly all of his former fellow Jedi. Obi Wan Kenobi (Anakin's own teacher), and Yoda were among the survivors featured in the original trilogy. The Jedi archives, found in the ruins of the Jedi Temple, indicate that a few other Jedi also survived the purge. Other survivors include Empatojayos Brand, Vima Da Boda and Vergere, none of whom are referenced in the movies. Also, in the Star Wars game "Galactic Battlegrounds" the protagonists are aided by a Jedi named Echuu Shen Jon, who claims to have survived the purge.

The novels written after the original trilogy indicate that the Empire took steps to exterminate the Jedi family members and supporters as well as the Jedi themselves. Corran Horn's grandfather was a Corellian Jedi named Nejaa Halcyon, who had died in the Clone Wars. Halcyon's friend Rostek Horn married Halcyon's wife, adopted Corran's father Valin "Hal" Horn, and altered the records concerning the Halcyon family. He did this to protect Hal and his mother from the Empire's Jedi hunters. Hal kept the knowledge of Corran's true grandfather from him, because revealing that knowledge would have made Corran a target as well. As a result, Corran only learned of his true heritage when Luke Skywalker discovered his past, and shared that discovery with Corran.

The Emperor also trained a number of "Hands," or those who had the potential to use the Force as his personal agents. Through the Force, he was able to relay orders to these agents. Mara Jade was one of his Hands. She had been discovered to be Force sensitive at a young age, and was taken by the Emperor for training. It has also been suggested that these "Hands" had little power on their own, being artificially "boosted" by the Emperor's own power, as an extension of his will. Upon his death, Mara found her own power greatly reduced, having to re-learn the ways of the Force through training. That the Emperor could extend his will to empower others under his control was also demonstrated in his formation of the Dark Side Elite. The actions of Luke Skywalker and his relationship with the Force were a principal plot device in the films. As a sign of how desperate things had become, Luke was taken into the Jedi fold as a young adult as opposed to during infancy, or even childhood (as Anakin had been). The period of his training was also amazingly short, by necessity.

After the Galactic Civil War

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Luke Skywalker and his wife Mara Jade.

In the novels set after the Galactic Civil War, Luke's main task was to reestablish the Jedi Order by training a new generation of Jedi Knights. It was not an easy task. Because the Emperor had wished to completely destroy the order, almost all information concerning the Jedi had been destroyed. Only a few histories remained, and they were propaganda pieces used to paint the Jedi in an unfavorable light. Almost all the material on instructing Jedi was also eliminated, save a few documents on how to turn potential Jedi to the Dark Side of the Force.

Four years after the death of the Emperor at Endor, Luke discovered the wreck of the Chu'unthor on the planet Dathomir. The Chu'unthor was a starship that had served as a mobile Jedi academy. Dathomir was the home of Force sensitive "Witches," who were the descendants of a fallen Jedi banished to that world. Master Yoda had left the instruction materials from the ship behind with the rest of the ship. Four hundred years later, after defeating the Witches that had fallen to the Dark Side, one of the natives gave Luke the instruction materials that she had kept safely since the time of the crash. Due to Luke's lack of knowledge with the old ways of the Jedi Order, the new generation of Jedi were very unorthodox. He established an academy in order to teach the way of the Jedi to others. The academy was established in the old temples on Yavin 4, which the Rebels had used as a base until after the Battle of Yavin. This new academy used a system very different from the "one student, one master" system used by the old order. The new order also differed from the old in that Luke allowed his students to have personal possessions and had no rule against a Jedi having emotional attachments to friends and family, which had been forbidden by the old order. Accepted students were also taken into the order at a much older age than had been the case previously. Most members were already well into adulthood before they began training.

What Luke did not know was that Yavin 4 had once been a base for the Sith Lord Exar Kun during the Great Sith War. He was unaware that Kun's spirit had been trapped in the temples all that time. As a result, Kun was able to influence three of Luke's students. The first, Gantoris, under the tutelage of Exar Kun, secretly constructed a multi-jeweled lightsaber before being killed by the dark lord's spirit. The second student, Kyp Durron, eventually fell to the Dark Side for a time while under Kun's influence. Kyp's actions resulted with the destruction of several star systems by the Sun Crusher. Eventually, the students at the academy were able to destroy Kun's spirit. Freed of Kun's influence, Kyp surrendered, returned to the Light Side of the Force, and became one of the first new Jedi Masters. The final student was Streen, an old hermit from Bespin, who was gifted with the power to control the winds. Streen created a whirlwind to kill Master Skywalker, under the impression that he was fighting the "Dark Man."

Luke eventually turned the academy into a center that would provide basic training for potential Jedi. He began pairing Jedi who had gone through that training with a more experienced Jedi, much like the master/apprentice system used in the old order.

The New Jedi Order

File:Anakinsolocover.png

Anakin Solo, who died in 27 ABY

The New Jedi Order grew slowly but steadily. Some Jedi from the first class Luke taught - such as Kyp Durron - became Jedi Masters. The order eventually became large enough that Luke Skywalker considered reinstating the Jedi Council. However, an extragalactic Force-dead alien species, the Yuuzhan Vong, invaded the galaxy. The war had lasted 5 years, and the results were severe. An estimated 365 trillion sentients had perished in the invasion. Many Jedi fell while fighting this new threat, but the order did survive the war and continued to grow in strength. One of the Jedi casualties of this war was Anakin Solo, the youngest son of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo, and Luke's nephew. Before his death, it was widely felt that Anakin would eventually become one of the greatest Jedi of his generation, and that he would eventually take Luke's place. Since Anakin's death, it has been assumed that Luke Skywalker's son, Ben Skywalker, has the most Force potential of any living being.

In recent novels, after the war with the Yuuzhan Vong was over, Luke realized that the order would have to further adapt in order to survive. His experiences had led him to believe that the Force was not rigidly divided into a light and a dark side. Strong emotions, including anger, were not intrinsically evil - instead it was the intentions of the Force user that mattered the most. Luke came to believe that nearly everyone, regardless of their heritage, had some ability to touch and use the Force. He also felt that individual Jedi (and other Force users) would need to discover their own paths: that some could be called to contemplative life, while others would feel a need to take a more active role in galactic affairs, like the old-style Jedi. Because the Jedi had no single goal, he felt the Jedi Order as a whole should remain carefully aloof of its allegiance to the Galactic Alliance or any succeeding government.

Interestingly, many of Luke's realizations would have been considered heresy during the time of the original Jedi Order. This has caused many fans to question the continuity of the reformed Jedi order with the principles of the Jedi order in the films.

The Dark Nest

After the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, a call was heard through the Force calling the surviving members of the mission to Myrkr, to meet with Raynar Thul. The members who were still alive except for Tenel Ka who was too busy ruling the Hapes Consortium. When the Myrkr strike team was found to be missing, Luke, Han, Leia, Mara, and Saba Sebatyne went to investigate. Raynar Thul had become the leader of the Killik's who were the original species on Alderaan. All of the strike teams except Jaina Solo and Zekk returned to the Galactic Alliance.

File:Jacen30.jpg

Jacen Solo in his early thirties

The Jedi discovered that the Killik's uncharacteristically aggressive actions were driven by another survivor of the Myrkr mission. She had gone to the Dark Side and been controlling the Killiks as the Hive's subconcious. The Jedi barely managed to stop a war from breaking out between the Alliance and the Killiks. Leia announced that she wished to finally take up the Skywalker legacy and become a Jedi like her brother and father before her. After Luke killed the being they thought was leading the Dark Nest and he saw that person had become a bug-human hybrid he realized that the Dark Side was very much real and personally recanted his Gray Jedi views. The Jedi then realized the Dark Nest was being controlled by Lomi Plo. She had gone to the Dark Side and been controlling the Killiks as the Hive's subconcious.

Months later tensions once again arose between the Chiss and the Killiks. The Jedi went to negotiate with the Killiks and Raynar took Luke and Han hostage to be certain that the Alliance wouldn't betray him. While Luke was gone the Jedi Order fell into chaos with Corran Horn the state appointed leader while Luke was absent. Once Luke decided to free Han and himself from prison he heard about the state of the Jedi and felt doubt. This lead to Lomi Plo being able to defeat him as she was able to use any doubt to cloak herself.

In order to counter the behavior of the Council in his absence Luke attempted to unite the Masters against him by saying he was taking direct control of the Order. This tactic later backfired when the Masters still could not come to a consensus and Skywalker was then forced to actually take control. Luke decreed that the Jedi order had to come before any other commitments. This led Danni Quee to resign as Danni's first commitment was to helping Zonama Sekot and Tenel Ka couldn't abdicate her throne as the Queen Mother of Hapes. Luke was forced to exile Lowbacca, Tesar Sebatyne, and Tahiri Veila to Dagobah because they had told Raynar's mother about the fact that Jedi would kill him if necessary, thus betraying him and the Jedi Order.

While there are few who would deny that Luke is capable of serving as the sole authority in the Jedi Order, it has raised concerns regarding the inevitable time when Skywalker can no longer function as the Grand Master, and the fear that successors would be too quick to abuse the power. Unfortunately, at the time there seems to be no other alternative, given the divisions that have formed among the Master's Council.

Major Jedi

There are several major Jedi, divided into four categories; Ancient Jedi, Pre-Ruusan Reformation/Old Republic Jedi, Post-Ruusan Reformation/Old Republic Jedi, The New Jedi-Order's.

Ancient Jedi

• Arca Jeth
• Ashka Boda
• Bodo Baas
• Chamma
• Dominus
• Exar Kun
• Garnoo
• Gra'aton
• Ikrit
• Jaled Dur
• Jassa Mroon
• Memit Nadill
• Odan Urr
• Ood Bnar
• Ooroo
• Shatoyo
• Sidonra Diath
• Ulic Qel-Droma
• Master Thon
• Vodo-Siosk Baas

Pre-Ruusan Old Republic Jedi

• Atris
• Bastila Shan
• Cay Qel-Droma
• Dorak
• Duron Qel-Droma
• Hoth
• Jedi Exile
• Jolee Bindo
• Juhani
• Kavar
• Lonna Vash
• Malak
• Nomi Sunrider
• Revan
• Vandar Tokare
• Vrook
• Zez-Kai Ell
• Zhar

Post-Ruusan Old Republic Jedi

• Aayla Secura
• Adi Gallia
• Agen Kolar
• Anakin Skywalker
• Barriss Offee
• Bultar Swan
• Cin Drallig
• Coleman Trebor
• Daakman Barrek
• the Dark Woman
• Depa Billaba
• Count Dooku
• Dylki Maloc
• Echuu Shen-Jon
• Eeth Koth
• Empatojayos Brand
• Even Piell
• Foul Moudama
• Jocasta Nu
• Joclad Danva
• Jorus C'baoth
• Ki-Adi-Mundi
• Kieran Halcyon
• Kit Fisto
• K'Kruhk
• Lumas Etima
• Luminara Unduli
• Mace Windu
• Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Oppo Rancisis
• Pablo-Jill
• Plo Koon
• Qui-Gon Jinn
• Quinlan Vos
• Roron Corobb
• Roth-Del Masona
• Saesee Tiin
• Sha Koon
• Sha'a Gi
• Shaak Ti
• Sifo-Dyas
• Siri Tachi
• Sora Bulq
• Stass Allie
• Tan Yuster
• Tarados Gon
• Tarr Seirr
• Tyvokka
• Vergere
• Yaddle
• Yarael Poof
• Yoda

The New Jedi Order

Main article: List of New Order Jedi characters

• Alema Rar
• Anakin Solo
• Callista
• Cilghal
• Corran Horn
• Daeshara'cor
• Dorsk 81
• Dorsk 82
• Ganner Rhysode
• Gantoris
• Jacen Solo
• Jaden Korr
• Jaina Solo
• Kam Solusar
• Kirana Ti
• Kyle Katarn
• Kyp Durron
• Leia Organa Solo
• Lowbacca
• Luke Skywalker
• Mara Jade Skywalker
• Miko Reglia
• Raynar Thul
• Rosh Penin
• Saba Sebatyne
• Streen
• Tahiri Veila
• Tekli
• Tenel Ka
• Tesar Sebatyne
• Kam Solusar
• Tionne Solusar
• Zekk
• Wurth Skidder

See also

• Jedi census phenomenon
• List of places by Jedi
• List of minor Star Wars Jedi characters
• Sith

External links

• Census 2001, "390,000 Jedis There Are; But did hoax campaign boost response in teens and 20s?", United Kingdom.
• The Jedi Order- Star Wars Databank article
• Jedi on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
• Article describing similarities between Jedi and Buddhism
• The Jedi Philosophy - A critical view- An article examining the philosophy of the Jedi Order.
• Star Wars and Hinduism - Article drawing similarities between Jedi and Hinduism
• Article adding to similarities between Jedi and Hinduism
• Dick Staub on the Star Wars Myth
• Religious themes in the Star Wars saga
• The Jedi Encyclopedia