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Kyp Durron
Jacen Solo
Jaina Solo
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
If I were to put the Jedi in an Order based on strength, I would put them in the following order.
Luke Skywalker
Ulic Qel-Droma
Yoda
Lord Hoth
Vodo Bass
Mace Windu
Origins of the Order
The Jedi Knights were an order of individuals that had the ability to touch and use the Force. The Jedi followed the "Light"
side of the Force. The order began 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, and Corellia, and mythic, lost planets such as Had Abbadon, Ondos and Utapau
. 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.
Initially the Jedi was a contemplative order. Over time, however, the order took a more direct and active role in galactic
affairs, eventually centralizing themselves on Coruscant in the aftermath of the catastrophic Battle of Ruusan.
To become a Jedi, it required the most profound commitment and astute mind. The life of a Jedi was one of 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 live a life of simplicity adhering to the Jedi Code which
forbids having material possessions or emotional attachments. This training was initially done by a venerable, experienced
Jedi until the individual was sufficient enough to start the journey of a Jedi. Exceptions were sometimes made, most notably
in the case of Anakin Skywalker, but the Jedi found their traditional methods were most successful and were loathe to change.
Another exception was Revan.
The Force
The Force is described as being an energy field that is generated by all living things and permeates the universe
and all the things in it. Its principles are similiar to some real-world religions like the Shinto religion of Japan
and certain Celtic, druidic concepts, and it bears a close similarity to the Chinese notion of qigong and the Talmudic concepts
of yetzer hara and yetzer hatov. In truth, the Force is an amalgamation of religions and philosophies, intended
as a metaphor for spirituality itself. Like in real world spirituality (as understood by George Lucas), there is the potential
for a "Light" and a "Dark" side in each person, and in the universe itself. As explained in the movie Star Wars Episode 1,
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 is later shown to be untrue, as the Yuuzhan
Vong are completely separate from the Force). This fact was disproved in the NJO books. The higher the midi-chlorian
count in their cells, the stronger the Force is with the particular individual, though the correlation between midi-chlorian
count and Force strength may not be as direct as believed. Their presence could be somehow sensed by other Jedi, and measured
by electronic devices. Anakin Skywalker had a reading of over 20,000 which was even higher than Master Yoda's, leading many,
most notably Qui-Gon Jinn, into believing Anakin to be the prophesied "Chosen One."
Stucture of the Order
Jedi ranks
Members of the Council progressed through four basic levels of rank.
- Youngling - an unofficial title, this refers to a child with Force potential. At a very young age, they leave their
homes and are assigned to a group for training.
- Padawan - an apprentice who undergoes intensive training under a Jedi Knight. 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 Agricutural Corps, the Medical Corps, or the Exploration
Corps.
- Jedi Knight - a disciplined Padawan may become a fully trained Jedi once they have completed "the trials."
- Jedi Master - a Jedi Knight who manages to instruct a Padawan and successfully train him or her to the level of
a Jedi Knight. This title can also be achieved through the performance of extraordinary deeds or self-proclamation, though
the latter is extremely rare.
- Jedi Spirit - a speculative sixth level, following a Jedi Master's "becoming one with the Force." Few in the Jedi
Order's history have achieved this. It should be noted that a Jedi is not absolutely required to attain the rank of Master
to become a Force spirit.
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 Attack of the Clones, but they were receiving generic Jedi teachings from
him rather than being trained as Padawans.
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