The struggle between the Sith and the Jedi is one of the most awe-inspiring elements of the Star Wars franchise. Underneath all of the proxy wars and the political intrigue, it all comes down to these two powerful groups. Each has their own unique philosophy and approach, and because of this they will always be diametrically opposed to one another. But believe it or not, there are also many similarities between these two ancient Orders. For one, both groups live by a very strict set of principles and rules.

These two sets of rules give us enormous insight into the mindset, the behavior, and even the history of these two groups. As we examine both of sets of rules, we can truly understand what it's like to live in the Jedi or the Sith Order. One thing's for sure, it wouldn't be easy to go through life under either of these organizations. You would be constantly tested, pushed to the limit, and forced to live within the philosophical confines of that Order.

And sometimes, the rules that the Jedi and the Sith are forced to follow are just plain weird. One has to wonder, would the Jedi Order still exist today if they had been just a little bit more relaxed about their rules? Some say it was the Jedi Order's stiffness and inability to change that ultimately resulted in its downfall...

Jedi Can't Get Married

One of the most basic rules that Jedi have to follow has to with marriage. Put simply, they're not allowed to go through with it. However, we all know that certain Jedi have broken that rule - most notably Anakin Skywalker, who wed Pe Amidala in secret. But there is another example of a Jedi who was actually allowed to have multiple wives - and this was Ki-Adi-Mundi. That being said, some discount this as being non-canon.

The strict rule against marriage stems from one basic principle that all Jedi are expected to follow: do not form attachments. This simple rule can be expanded into the romantic context. Forming attachments with people leads to anger and pain in the opinion of the Jedi order. Some would say that their fears were proven correct, judging by the way Anakin's marriage turned out.

The Sith Rule Of Two

The Sith enjoy a very different form of "marriage," and this has been a common characteristic of the Sith order for many, many years. The Rule of Two states that there must only be two Sith at any given time. More specifically, it states that there must only be a master and a servant. The dynamic between these two Sith warriors is very interesting. On the one hand they work in complete unison. On the other hand, they are constantly testing each other's abilities and looking for signs of weakness.

The master is always on the lookout for a stronger disciple. The servant is always struggling with plans to usurp their master, claiming the power for themselves. While this might seem like a completely inefficient arrangement, the reality is that this dynamic keeps both Sith warriors on their toes. It ensures that they're always battle-hardened and sharp.

Jedi Are Forbidden To Seek Revenge

Jedi are warrior monks to the fullest extent. Although they may be called upon to deal out justice in a fatal manner, they do so in a completely altruistic way. Their actions are never driven by emotion, and they always strive for the greater good. If they can avoid harming their opponents, they will do everything they can to accomplish that goal.

Some would say that this makes the Jedi weak. Among those critics are the Sith themselves. But in many ways, acting without emotion has its advantages. One's path is much clearer when unclouded by emotion and ion. And to a certain extent, the Jedi do in fact act with emotion... But the feeling that guides them more than anything is comion. All of this means that the Jedi are strictly prohibited from seeking revenge, because this means allowing your emotions to guide your destructive actions.

Sith Can Only Rise When They Slay Their Master

The Sith Power structure is typically self-destructive - although it does exhibit some order and structure. Because there are only two Sith, upward mobility is limited within that two person hierarchy. In order to rise as a Sith Servant, you have to destroy your master. In the main films, this is something that we haven't actually seen - but it was mentioned once in ing by Darth Sidious himself.

He spoke of an ancient Sith Lord called Darth Plagueis, who by most s was the master of Sidious once upon a time. Plagueis knew many secrets, and even mastered the ability to keep the ones he cared about alive. Eventually, Sidious no longer had any need for his master, and executed his master while he was sleeping. This is the only way a Sith Servant can willingly ascend to the rank of Master or Lord.

Jedi Are Only Allowed One Padawan At A Time

The Jedi have a somewhat similar approach to the Sith when it comes to having a master and a padawan. Although it's not quite the same as The Rule Of Two, the Jedi have a rule which states that a Jedi may only have one Padawan at a time. Obviously, the Jedi were fare more numerous as a result of the Sith adhering to the Rule Of Two. But the Jedi also understand the value of the close-knit relationship of a master and student.

Presumably, the rule was put in place so that the Jedi could focus their full attention on just one student. A personal, one-on-one form of training is usually superior to a teacher who tries to teach multiple people at once.

Sith Are Taught To Always Destroy The Weak

This is a pretty simple rule, but it's something that the Sith follow unquestionably. The philosophy of the Sith clearly states that the strong must conquer and reign supreme over the weak. In their opinion, it is the natural way of things, and it must be sought out on a galactic scale. This is a very old point of view, and it exists outside of the world of Star Wars.

We've seen it before in military dictatorships, and ancient conquering forces. Might makes right. The weak must fear the strong. This is the foundation that s the entire Sith Code. In many ways, this approach is actually one of peace. When the weak are completely conquered and subjugated, there will be no more war or conflict. It's the same end result that the Jedi are striving towards - but through vastly different means.

Jedi Must Completely Break Ties With Their Families When They The Order

There's a reason Jedi are supposed to enter training at such a young age. Because of the Jedi's aversion to forming connections and attachments with other people, families are somewhat of a problem. For this reason, it is expected that every new Jedi youngling completely cuts ties with their family after entering the Jedi academy.

From that moment forward, they are raised by the Jedi Temple. The Jedi Order is their new family, and they focus entirely on their training. This might explain why Yoda was so unwilling to accept Anakin as a recruit into the Jedi Order. Even though Anakin was very young, he was still old enough to form strong attachments to his mother.

Sith Are Not Allowed To Love

In this rare circumstance, Jedi and Sith must follow pretty much the same rule. Sith are not allowed to love, in the same way that Jedi are not allowed to form attachments. But when we dig a little deeper, we clearly see that these are actually two very different rules. Jedi are actually encouraged to love, as explained by Anakin himself. Comion is one of their guiding principles. But forming emotional attachments is a problem in the eyes of the Jedi.

On the other hand, the Sith reject comion, and yet they allow their emotions to control them. This especially extends to rage and pure ion. They let their emotions flow through them, taking control and directing their focus. But love is still forbidden by the Sith. They interpret love as weakness.

Jedi Must Always Treat Their Prisoners Well

In a memorable scene from the original trilogy, Luke allows himself to be taken prisoner. He later meets with Vader, and has a rather civil conversation with his father, talking about the Force and the situation they've found themselves in. Many viewers were surprised at the way Vader treated his prisoner. After all, Luke was completely helpless. Most people expected Vader to torture Luke, or at least treat his captive badly in some way.

His restraint might be the result of some lingering respect for the Jedi order, which clearly states that you must always treat your prisoners well. A defenseless enemy must always be treated with respect and dignity, no matter what. We've seen some Jedi disobey this rule, but they're usually misguided in their efforts.

Sith Work In Secret

Once upon a time, the Sith were a much larger military Order that operated in the open for all to see. This massive army attacked the Jedi order numerous times, and threatened the entire galaxy with their large numbers. But the Sith order began to rot from the inside. With so many Sith Lords, betrayal and trickery was destroying the military organization of this force. They were fighting each other as often as they were the enemy.

This was the reason for the establishment of the Rule of Two. But alongside the Rule of Two, another philosophy was embraced - the Sith would work in secret from that moment on. With only two Sith in existence at any given time, it was much more effective to work in the shadows, establishing puppet regimes and pushing galactic politics in certain directions.