There are few fandoms that spark more debate than Star Wars. The cultural impact of George Lucas’ film series and subsequent expanded universe have had on pop culture is truly immeasurable. The adventurous nature of the movies and the familiar good vs. evil theme between the Jedi and Sith resonated heavily with audiences of all ages.
With the widespread fandom came some backlash. Some felt that the series has gained an undeserved amount of love and were quick to write the Star Wars universe off. Even fiercer than the debates between fans and non-fans are those amongst Star Wars lovers. With the well of knowledge found in the constantly evolving expanded universe, there’s no shortage of topics for people to argue about.
A hot source of debate for fans is the Jedi. The white knights of the Star Wars universe, the Jedi have a very long and rich history. The basis for the Jedi is very similar to the basis of any ancient religion . As such, the beliefs and practices of the Jedi may have started out simple, but have become more complicated, more specific, and more confusing.
Maybe an event from a new Star Wars movie makes a Jedi’s previous actions seem hypocritical. Maybe your preconceived ideas about how a Jedi is supposed to behave or act isn’t even considered canon anymore. With all the new information added to the Star Wars mythos, a lot of what we thought we knew about our favorite Force s is untrue.
With that in mind, here are 20 Things Everybody Gets Wrong About the Jedi.
Have the Jedi Gone Extinct?
“Now the Jedi are all but extinct.” We all Obi-Wan Kenobi’s grim description of the once-powerful Jedi in A New Hope. As we come to find out through later events, Obi-Wan was embellishing just a little bit. But what about this point in the Star Wars universe?
The Last Jedi raised some interesting questions about the future of the Jedi. Luke's ing at the end was enough for some viewers to subscribe to the idea that the Jedi were extinct, for real this time. However, Rey’s but of Jedi training throughout the movie and her acquiring of the sacred Jedi texts blur the lines significantly.
We’ll just have to wait and see.
Jedi Aren’t the Only Ones Sensitive to the Force
Based on what’s been depicted throughout the Star Wars franchise, it’s easy to see why someone might think that the Force is something only felt by the Jedi and Sith. While it is true that these two are the only ones we see using the Force, it can be felt by everybody.
Rogue One’s Chirrut Îmwe is a great example of a non-Jedi who is sensitive to the Force.
The blind monk is never seen using the Force throughout the movie, though he holds a tremendous amount of trust in its power.
The Force is not just limited to humans and other creatures, either. The Shattered Empire comic series introduced Force Trees. These trees were formed from pieces of the Great Tree at the Jedi Temple and give off a great amount of power.
Jedi Aren’t the Only Ones Who Can Use Lightsabers
This one is pretty understandable. In A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi describes the lightsaber to Luke Skywalker as “the weapon of a Jedi Knight.” It stands to reason, then, that the rest of the galaxy’s use of blasters and other weaponry isn’t exactly a choice.
While it is true that we almost exclusively see Force s employing lightsabers as their weapon, that’s not to say that others couldn’t wield one as well. Revenge of the Sith saw General Grevious battle using a lightsaber while The Empire Strikes Back saw Han Solo using Luke’s lightsaber to slice open a Tauntaun.
Maybe it’s not so much a question of ability so much as it is of availability.
Not All Jedi can Become Ghosts
If you’re reading this list, we’re sure you the end of Return of the Jedi. Having defeated Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and co. rejoice on Endor as the ghosts of Vader/Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yoda watch over them. Heck, you might even seeing Sebastian Shaw as the Force Ghost Anakin before Hayden Christianson was edited in.
After seeing Yoda as a Force Ghost again in The Last Jedi, it’s understandable to think that all Jedi have this ability.
As it turns out, this can only be done by Jedi who have completed a very intense training.
The Clone Wars TV series showed us that Qui-Gon Jinn had not been able to complete said training before he ed.
The Line Between Light and Dark Isn’t Always So Clear
While the prequel movies take a lot of flak, they do a lot of things right, like the depiction of the grey area between the light and dark side in Revenge of the Sith. Not only do we see Anakin’s transition from light to dark, but a serious blurred line between the two.
Samuel L. Jackson’s portrayal of Mace Windu shows that Jedi are not above spells of hypocrisy, as he attempts to eliminate Emperor Palpatine.
The most recent attempt to convey the conflict between the light and dark side came in the form of Rey and Kylo Ren in The Last Jedi, though it’s a bit of a step backwards. While the internal struggle is interesting, the movie seems to bring back the definitive line between Jedi and Sith.
We’ll have to see what Episode IX brings.
“The Force” was Created by the Jedi
We’ve already established that the Force is felt by those outside the Jedi Order. Across the galaxy, different groups of people and alien species, recognize this unifying, well, force.
While this power is felt in similar ways, there are some notable differences between different Force s. A key difference in these groups of those sensitive to the Force is in what they refer to it as.
An alien race called known as the Lasats refer to the Force as “The Ashla,” while several other groups across the galaxy simply refer to the Force as “It.”
Referring to it as the Force is a trademark of the Jedi and those familiar with their teachings.
Are the Jedi a Myth?
The idea of the Jedi being a myth is a fairly new one, first gaining traction following the release of 2015’s The Force Awakens. In the movie, Han has to reiterate to Rey that the stories of the Jedi and Sith are all true. Why would she need this kind of confirmation?
In A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke of the teachings of the Jedi but is sure to mention that their time has long since past. Even before the events of The Force Awakens, it seems, the actions and ideas of the Jedi were mere legend. The Jedi teachings are ed on through the generations much in the same way that the teachings of ancient mythology are.
The Reason Behind the Color of a Jedi’s Lightsaber
It may seem that the different colored lightsabers was a simple aesthetic choice. A Sith’s red lightsaber certainly seems more menacing than a Jedi’s blue or green one. While the different colors do help to add to Star Wars’ visual storytelling, there is a deeper reasoning behind them.
Kyber Crystals are Force-attuned shards that are used in the construction of a lightsaber. Because they are in touch with the Force, the Kyber Crystals can sense the personality of its and shines accordingly.
A pure-hearted Jedi’s lightsaber will reflect their inner being, shining a bright green or blue.
Should a Jedi turn to the dark side, however, the Kyber Crystals would “bleed” into a deep red.
George Lucas’ Inspiration for the Jedi
There seems to be a misconception that George Lucas thought up the characters and events of the vast Star Wars universe long before A New Hope hit theatres. While this is true to a certain extent, Lucas will be the first to tell you that he didn’t just come up with everything.
The idea for the Jedi came from one of Lucas’ most beloved films. The Hidden Fortress was a 1958 samurai movie from Japanese director Akira Kurosawa.
Put side by side, the Jedi are essentially a galactic version of the samurai Kurosawa put on screen. Between the strong belief in a specific code of conduct and the Jedi’s use of what are basically laser samurai swords, it should come as no surprise that the films of Kurosawa had a strong impact on Lucas.
Just How Long Does Jedi Training Take?
With the inclusion of the Jedi Younglings in the Star Wars prequels, it became even more apparent that Jedi training was an intense, long-lasting commitment. With such rigid guidelines in place for training, the chronological introduction of Luke Skywalker in A New Hope presents a bit of an issue.
Compared to the Jedi before him, Luke’s training takes almost no time at all, as he's highly attuned to the Force shortly after learning what it is.
Similarly, in The Force Awakens, Rey is able to wield a lightsaber and manipulate the Force almost immediately.
A Jedi’s connection to the Force seems highly individual. While training is paramount in learning the ways of the Jedi, it seems that a standardized training method is impossible.
