Star Wars: Lucasfilm repudiates the Jedi Order? The alternatives
Star Wars. The Jedi Order was introduced by George Lucas with a very precise definition:
«For over a thousand generations, Jedi Knights have been the guardians of peace and justice of the Old Republic. Before obscurantism, before the Empire.»
There has been a lot of discussion about the term “peacekeepers”, also to underline how much was wrong behind the role they assumed during the Clone Wars. Subtly encouraged by the Sith Lord Sheev Palpatine, they found themselves participating in the conflict in the role of real soldiers serving the Republic (and the Dark Side).
The comic book “19 – The wisdom of Yoda”, published by Panini Comics, contains a beautiful story, written by Charles Soule and drawn by Marco Castiello, which analyzes the role of the Jedi in the galaxy in an innovative way. Furthermore, it ends up putting the Order in the background…
Plot summary:
Luke Skywalker, having arrived on the planet Gazian, is confronted with “the living sea”, a powerful vergence of the Force that manages to exactly replicate the body and soul of its visitors. For this, he has an encounter with a Jedi from the past, Elzar Mann, who lived in the time of the High Republic.
Who were the Jedi in the past and what they will be
Elzar Mann “entertains” Luke, talking to him about the Jedi and how over the ages their role changes at the behest of the Force itself:
“Yes the Jedi are truly something great. Or they were. But what you have to understand is that they weren’t always like this either. The Jedi Order tends to be what it needs to be at any particular time. Sometimes we are warriors, fighting the forces of evil. Sometimes we are teachers, bringing light of knowledge to the galaxy. And sometimes we govern.
Sometimes we do the opposite… we retreat to study the Force and its mysteries. Sometimes, we explore. And sometimes, we do all of these things together. And sometimes… we are reduced to almost nothing. Those who remain must shoulder the responsibility of being one of the last lights in a galaxy filled with infinite darkness. It seems like this is the kind of Jedi order you were born into.”
Star Wars: The Will of the Force. Alternatives to the Jedi Order
Before saying goodbye to Luke, the Jedi master of the High Republic insists on reminding the boy that the most important thing remains the Force. An invitation not to get too attached to the concept of the Jedi Order, since the internal rules could also lead us away from the light.
On the contrary, there are alternative ways to serve the Force:
“It seems like the Force wants you, and that can be hard to fight. But I’ll tell you what the other Jedi haven’t told you. Not even Yoda. You don’t have to be a Jedi, man. We are not the only possibility. Order is a framework for understanding strength and using it to protect life and light. There are many other paths. The important thing is to make choices that seem right, and that are consistent with the person you want to be…”.
The passage in which he explains to him how difficult it is to fight the will of the Force is interesting. Luke Skywalker was chosen for a very specific reason and will be driven throughout his existence to fight as a defender of Balance.