Post by Admin on Mar 13, 2006 20:44:01 GMT 10
The Jedi Code
The Jedi Code is the central philosophy and dogma of the Jedi Knights. The code has been appended over the millennia, and by the time of the Clone Wars it included many fairly esoteric prohibitions far removed from the core beliefs of a Jedi, such as a doctrine that training shall only begin in infancy. However, throughout all of these changes there was a central, core part of the code that remained the fundamental belief of a Jedi.
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 Hierarchy
There is a well-developed hierarchy of ranks, listed below.
Youngling
An unofficial title, this refers to a child with Force potential. (Also referred to as "Jedi Hopeful.") More accurately, Youngling is Galactic Basic slang for children of any sort. At a very young age, the Jedi initiates leave their homes and are assigned to a group for training. 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 Agricultural Corps, the Medical Corps, or the Exploration Corps.
Padawan
An apprentice is one who undergoes intensive one-on-one training under a Jedi Master after graduating from the academy. As tradition a human Padawan grows a long strand of braided hair that is finally cut off during the ceremony of knighthood, when a Padawan becomes a Jedi knight. 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 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, but they were receiving generic Jedi teachings from him rather than being trained as Padawans. The word "Padawan" is likely a corruption of "padwar", a low-ranking officer in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom science fiction books. Some Jedi Masters have taken more than one Padawan at a time. (It should be noted however, that the term 'padawan' was not mentioned until Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. This can be explained as another thing lost following the Great Jedi Purge.)
Jedi Knight
Disciplined, experienced padawans may become full-fledged Jedi once they have completed "the trials", which are usually intensified tests, physical and otherwise, of candidates' skills, knowledge and dedication. The Trials are Trial of Flesh, Trail of Courage, Trial of Skill and Trial of Self, also known as "facing the mirror". Occasionally, performing an extraordinary (usually heroic) act can earn a padawan learner Jedi Knight status, such as when Obi-Wan Kenobi, toward the end of his training, defeated Darth Maul, Dark Lord of the Sith, during the Battle of Naboo. Jedi Knight is the most common rank of Jedi, hence, the title is also used, mostly by non-Jedi, to refer to any member of the order that has at least met the compulsory requirements of the Jedi Council.
Jedi Master
A Jedi Knight may become a Master after successfully training a Padawan learner to Knight status. Though this is the most common manner, it is not always the case. If the council sees that a Jedi Knight has become more powerful and has gained more knowledge and dicipline in the Force, then they can be nominated by one or more council members to take the trials again. But this time, the trials will be much harder. It should also be said that some Jedi Masters, like Qui-Gon Jinn, never become members of the Council, as it is not a requirement to be a Master.
Jedi Council Member
When a Jedi from the Jedi Council leaves and there is an open space, the council looks for an exceptional Jedi Master to fill it in. Presiding Council members elect prospective candidates when openings become available. The rank can also be achieved through the performance of extraordinary deeds or self-proclamation, though the latter is extremely rare. In some texts the Council has a few Knights in its membership "to give a different perspective"; however most references were removed in preparation for Revenge of the Sith, as Anakin's position on the council, but lack of promotion to Master, was a point of contention. There are 12 seats on the council.
Jedi Types
There are three types of Jedi: the guardian, the sentinel, and the consular. Selection of a Jedi's type takes place at the transition to Padawan. It must be noted however that the role of a Jedi was chosen by their beliefs, capabilities, aptitudes, and what role they wished to play in the universe.
Guardians
Guardians focus on martial training and combat. They usually engage in combat more than any other Jedi class. Like all Jedi, they are keepers of the peace, acting as a kind of special police force for the Republic. Notable guardians include Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker, and, in the Expanded Universe, Kyle Katarn. Guardians are loosely signified by blue lightsabers (Windu was an exception with his purple lightsaber, as well as Kyle Katarn with a green lightsaber).
Consulars
Consulars possess great knowledge of the Force but rarely enter combat. Consulars are the primary scholars and diplomats of the Order, often becoming instructors. The most famous of these are Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn and Luke Skywalker. Following her training, Leia Organa Solo also became a consular. Consulars are loosely signified by green lightsabers (there has been debate about Skywalker's type. Although he had a blue lightsaber and was trained by Obi-Wan, who was a guardian, Luke got more training from Yoda, which is probably what made him a Consular. Furthermore, the blue lightsaber he originally used was his father's, not his).
Sentinels
Sentinels strike a balance between the first two types, as they possess admirable combat skills with some extensive knowledge of the Force. These are often dispatched to regions across the galaxy to work as ambassadors and investigators of unusual concentrations of the Force. Bastila Shan, Visas Marr, and Plo Koon are examples of this type. Sentinels are loosely signified by yellow lightsabers.
The Jedi Code is the central philosophy and dogma of the Jedi Knights. The code has been appended over the millennia, and by the time of the Clone Wars it included many fairly esoteric prohibitions far removed from the core beliefs of a Jedi, such as a doctrine that training shall only begin in infancy. However, throughout all of these changes there was a central, core part of the code that remained the fundamental belief of a Jedi.
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 Hierarchy
There is a well-developed hierarchy of ranks, listed below.
Youngling
An unofficial title, this refers to a child with Force potential. (Also referred to as "Jedi Hopeful.") More accurately, Youngling is Galactic Basic slang for children of any sort. At a very young age, the Jedi initiates leave their homes and are assigned to a group for training. 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 Agricultural Corps, the Medical Corps, or the Exploration Corps.
Padawan
An apprentice is one who undergoes intensive one-on-one training under a Jedi Master after graduating from the academy. As tradition a human Padawan grows a long strand of braided hair that is finally cut off during the ceremony of knighthood, when a Padawan becomes a Jedi knight. 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 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, but they were receiving generic Jedi teachings from him rather than being trained as Padawans. The word "Padawan" is likely a corruption of "padwar", a low-ranking officer in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom science fiction books. Some Jedi Masters have taken more than one Padawan at a time. (It should be noted however, that the term 'padawan' was not mentioned until Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. This can be explained as another thing lost following the Great Jedi Purge.)
Jedi Knight
Disciplined, experienced padawans may become full-fledged Jedi once they have completed "the trials", which are usually intensified tests, physical and otherwise, of candidates' skills, knowledge and dedication. The Trials are Trial of Flesh, Trail of Courage, Trial of Skill and Trial of Self, also known as "facing the mirror". Occasionally, performing an extraordinary (usually heroic) act can earn a padawan learner Jedi Knight status, such as when Obi-Wan Kenobi, toward the end of his training, defeated Darth Maul, Dark Lord of the Sith, during the Battle of Naboo. Jedi Knight is the most common rank of Jedi, hence, the title is also used, mostly by non-Jedi, to refer to any member of the order that has at least met the compulsory requirements of the Jedi Council.
Jedi Master
A Jedi Knight may become a Master after successfully training a Padawan learner to Knight status. Though this is the most common manner, it is not always the case. If the council sees that a Jedi Knight has become more powerful and has gained more knowledge and dicipline in the Force, then they can be nominated by one or more council members to take the trials again. But this time, the trials will be much harder. It should also be said that some Jedi Masters, like Qui-Gon Jinn, never become members of the Council, as it is not a requirement to be a Master.
Jedi Council Member
When a Jedi from the Jedi Council leaves and there is an open space, the council looks for an exceptional Jedi Master to fill it in. Presiding Council members elect prospective candidates when openings become available. The rank can also be achieved through the performance of extraordinary deeds or self-proclamation, though the latter is extremely rare. In some texts the Council has a few Knights in its membership "to give a different perspective"; however most references were removed in preparation for Revenge of the Sith, as Anakin's position on the council, but lack of promotion to Master, was a point of contention. There are 12 seats on the council.
Jedi Types
There are three types of Jedi: the guardian, the sentinel, and the consular. Selection of a Jedi's type takes place at the transition to Padawan. It must be noted however that the role of a Jedi was chosen by their beliefs, capabilities, aptitudes, and what role they wished to play in the universe.
Guardians
Guardians focus on martial training and combat. They usually engage in combat more than any other Jedi class. Like all Jedi, they are keepers of the peace, acting as a kind of special police force for the Republic. Notable guardians include Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker, and, in the Expanded Universe, Kyle Katarn. Guardians are loosely signified by blue lightsabers (Windu was an exception with his purple lightsaber, as well as Kyle Katarn with a green lightsaber).
Consulars
Consulars possess great knowledge of the Force but rarely enter combat. Consulars are the primary scholars and diplomats of the Order, often becoming instructors. The most famous of these are Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn and Luke Skywalker. Following her training, Leia Organa Solo also became a consular. Consulars are loosely signified by green lightsabers (there has been debate about Skywalker's type. Although he had a blue lightsaber and was trained by Obi-Wan, who was a guardian, Luke got more training from Yoda, which is probably what made him a Consular. Furthermore, the blue lightsaber he originally used was his father's, not his).
Sentinels
Sentinels strike a balance between the first two types, as they possess admirable combat skills with some extensive knowledge of the Force. These are often dispatched to regions across the galaxy to work as ambassadors and investigators of unusual concentrations of the Force. Bastila Shan, Visas Marr, and Plo Koon are examples of this type. Sentinels are loosely signified by yellow lightsabers.