Star Wars: 10 Huge Problems No One Wants To Admit About The Jedi

The Jedi have more in common with the Empire than people realise...

Star Wars Jedi Villains
Lucasfilm

After their initial portrayal as benevolent monks come samurai come priests in the Original Trilogy, subsequent Star Wars media began to expand the mythos behind the Jedi Order, some Clone Wars episodes and The Last Jedi even explicitly acknowledging the problems the Jedi cause.

But as early as the Prequels and after some initial concern about Lucas' new direction for an Order which had previously served as a manifestation of pure goodness, fans began to appreciate the nuances Lucas introduced into the franchise, speculating that maybe the Jedi weren't that great after all.

From kidnapping children to sticking their unelected fingers into secular politics, from their shockingly efficient skills at commanding armies to their insistence of the inherent malevolence of human emotion, it is clear that the Jedi's regime of suppression and indoctrination actually caused the galaxy more harm than good.

Keepers of peace and justice they might well have once been, but as Luke acknowledged in The Last Jedi, the Order's hubris led to the creation of Darth Vader and contributed to the fall of the Republic.

Having set the stage for no less than three major conflicts, it's clear the Jedi weren't all they were cracked up to be...

10. They Kidnap Children

Star Wars Jedi Villains
LucasFilm

The Jedi have a rather efficient way of expanding their forces - namely, scouring the galaxy for Force-sensitive children to join their ranks.

In an attempt to reduce any emotional complications that might arise from separation anxiety, the Jedi aim to separate Force-sensitive children from their parents at as young an age as possible. Though the exact age range differs from species to species and is never set in stone, it's clear that Anakin - who was nine during The Phantom Menace - was considered too old to join the Order, partially as he was too attached to his mother.

Qui-Gon Jinn's insistence that Anakin be trained as a Jedi despite the guidance of the Council led to disastrous consequences. Anakin's fear of losing his mother propels him to slaughter an entire village of Tusken Raiders, and his love for Padme seems to be as much a projection of his feelings about his lost mother as it is genuine affection.

Given the evidence, the Jedi's decision to separate children from their parents at a young age makes sense, but that doesn't make it any less inhumane. In fact, the Sequel Trilogy seemed to have picked up on this, with the First Order's recruitment of stormtroopers paralleling the Jedi Order's acquisition of new Padawans to highlight the similarities between both organisations.

In this post: 
Star Wars
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

When Matteo isn't cashing in on a lifetime of devotion to his favourite pop culture franchises and indie bands, he's writing and publishing poems and short stories under the name Teo Eve. Talk about range.