7. Jedi In Their Prime Wasn't As Great As We Once Thought
The Prequel Trilogy starts off slow when it comes to sheer numbers of Jedi doing the Jedi thing (that would come later in Attack of the Clones) but The Phantom Menace gives us an insight into the Jedi way. Of course this was not exactly the depiction of Jedi heroics we all expected and instead we get a lot of talking and Jedi really only sent into situations to negotiate. Ill openly admit, despite loving Phantom Menace, the first time we saw Yoda and his crew I was a little underwhelmed. I'm not entirely sure what my four year old mind dreamed the Jedi did before the dark times but it seemed like it should be more than sit around mulling over situations and turning away kids who are obviously Force gifted. Of course, this is entirely the point. The Jedi had no real enemies any more They had become a tool for the Republic to use, rather than a group with their own agenda. They are in fact largely redundant at the start of Episode 1 and this in many ways this highlights the line Tarkin drops in New Hope about the Jedi being an old religion.
The Jedi are extinct, their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that's left of their religion. More than ever the Jedi, in a time of largely peace in the Galaxy were an organisation that had become disconnected from their previous historical significance and the people they fought to protect do not seem to have enough of a connection to them to fully understand their usefulness. This once again gave Palpatine an angle he could manipulate. Of course there's also the sore point that is midi-chlorians. Nobody likes their inclusion in the Star Wars Saga as they reduce the magic of The Force down to a quantifiable thing about micro-organisms that create life and connect us with The Force. Looking at where were at in Episode 1, the Jedi feel like they know it all. They decide the next moves of everything in their order. Much like the Sith in Episode IV. They have time to dissect, study and think about every little thing and they've obviously generated a system for detecting an individuals power level. There numbers are strong and obviously this midi-chlorian thing has enabled them to speed up their training numbers. Looking at the Original Trilogy, the Jedi are all about The Force and theres no mention of these midi-chlorians. Could it be that they've realised that its more than just that? It was more than a science. It wasn't about the Jedi controlling The Force, it was more about The Force leading the way and following the path. I dont think therell ever be a time when midi-chlorians are accepted in the Star Wars fan community but there is an argument that their inclusion in Episode 1 is to highlight the fact that there was no magic in the Jedi order in that era. The wonder of The Force was lost on the Jedi and that is why they could lose when it came to the Sith using the chaos of the dark side in a time of science and order. Yes, the midi-chlorians dont sit right but the fact they are not part of the Jedi way when we get to the New Hope and beyond shows the Jedi have changed their approach somewhat. Blue ghosts and life after death has added a whole new angle to the Jedi belief system and the science side of things has all but disappeared it seems.