Summary
- The history of the Jedi Order dates back 25,000 years.
- So far, Star Wars has only dropped tantalizing clues about its true origin.
- The truth will surely be revealed in James Mangold’s next Star Wars film.
James Mangold is making a Star Wars film that explores “Dawn of the Jedi,” but what has the franchise already revealed about the Jedi’s origins in canon? Star Wars The Expanded Universe had told virtually the entire story of the Jedi, from their founding 25,000 years before the Skywalker saga to 100 years after. However, Disney decided to erase the Expanded Universe from canon and called it “Legends” so they could tell their own stories. That’s exactly what James Mangold aims to do in his film “Dawn of the Jedi.”
Mangold’s film will apparently serve as a sort of origin story for the Force itself; in fact, he has hinted that the word “Jedi” may not even be used in the script. However, if we look beyond Mangold’s film, Star Wars He’s dropped a ton of hints and clues about the origin of the Jedi Order. Here’s everything we know so far.
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The Bendu monks were the “precursors” of the Jedi
George Lucas’ original idea for the Jedi is canon
Near
George Lucas’ first draft called the Order “Jedi Bendu,” and that name has made its way into canon. Bendu monks have been referred to as the “precursors” of the Jedi, and it’s possible that they are linked to the mysterious creature known as the Bendu in Star Wars RebelsIf that is indeed the case, then the Bendu monks presumably share their philosophy; they considered themselves neither light nor darkness, but rather as “The one in the middle.”
The Bendu are known to have had a massive presence in the galactic capital of Coruscant in ages past; one of Coruscant’s weekdays is even named “Benduday” in their honor. Although the Jedi seemingly arose as an offshoot of the Bendu, the original Force cult did not die out with the rise of the Jedi. Rather, it seems to have flourished until the days of the Jedi-Sith war, when the Bendu abandoned the galactic capital; they founded the planet Kijimi, which is seen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerbut then mysteriously disappeared.
Lightsabers appear to be older than the Jedi
Did the Jedi inherit the lightsabers from the Bendu?
Near
Surprisingly, very little is known about the origin of lightsabers, but there are hints that early lightsaber forms predated the Jedi, which would indicate that lightsabers themselves did as well, of course. It’s possible that the earliest lightsabers were used by the Bendu, and the Jedi simply continued to use them. Whatever the truth, it wasn’t long before the lightsaber became the symbol of the Jedi. It’s likely that early lightsabers were more cumbersome and difficult to use, while lightsaber forms were much more basic.
Interestingly, it is possible that these Jedi precursors also used other lightsaber-like tools. Star Wars: The High Republic has introduced a lightsaber shield, designed to be used telekinetically to protect others by deflecting attacks. This is said to be an ancient device not of Jedi origin; perhaps it comes from the beings who created lightsabers.
The first Jedi established the Order approximately 25,000 years ago.
His mural is seen in The Last Jedi.
Near
Star Wars: The Last Jedi showed a mural dedicated to the first Jedi, known as the “main Jedi.” According to Star Wars TimelinesThe First Jedi established the order 25,025 years before the Skywalker saga. Little is known about the First Jedi, but they certainly appear to be non-human; some have speculated that the First Jedi were in fact a Zeffo, an ancient Force-sensitive race introduced to Jedi: Fallen OrderSome Zeffo fell to the dark side and became part of an intergalactic empire alongside the Nightsisters of Dathomir.
The sacred Jedi texts seen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker They seem to indicate that the ancient Jedi knew secrets of the Force that have since been forgotten. They knew of the Mortis gods, cosmic beings who serve as avatars of the Force and who are apparently also linked in some way to the Zeffo-Nightsister empire, given that there are statues of them on the Nightsister homeworld of Peridea in another galaxy. They even knew of the World Between Worlds, a place beyond time and space.
Ahch-To is believed to be the site of the First Jedi Temple
But why did the First Jedi settle here?
Near
The cult of Bendu is associated with the galactic core; Coruscant even has an official day of the week called “Benduday.” Despite everything, the Jedi Order seems to have been born in the Galactic Rim, in the Unknown Regions. Luke Skywalker believed that the planet Ahch-To, lost for millennia, was the site of the original Jedi Temple. Star Wars Timelines However, this suggests that this may not be the case, raising the possibility that he was wrong.
What is certain, however, is that Ahch-To is one of the so-called Force convergences, a planet rich in the Force. Its Jedi Temple is clearly one of the earliest, and contains a mural dedicated to the Prime Jedi, suggesting it was established during his lifetime. Other Force convergences were sacred to these early Jedi, including Tython and Ossus (seen in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett respectively).
The first Jedi seem to have served balance, not light or darkness.
They were agents of balance.
Near
The First Jedi mural suggests that the first Jedi had a very different philosophy of the Force; he is shown as the light in the darkness and the darkness in the light. This fits with an ancient Jedi mantra introduced in Cavan Scott’s novel. Dooku: Lost Jediwhich describes balance as a distinctive aspect of the Force:
“We call upon all three: light, dark, and true balance. None is greater than the others. Together, they unite, restore, center, and renew. We step into the light, acknowledge the darkness, and find balance within ourselves. The Force is powerful.”
This mantra may well represent the views of the original Jedi. According to this, the three aspects of the Force are seen as equally strong and are supposed to be accepted as a unit. There have been hints that agents of balance have access to Force powers that are not accessible to those linked to the light side or the dark side, which may explain some of the legendary feats of the Jedi.
The interesting question, of course, is why this changed. The most likely explanation is that a schism occurred among the early Jedi, with some choosing to swear allegiance only to the dark side; a precursor to the Jedi schism that would eventually create the Sith. These early Jedi must have chosen to commit themselves only to the light, which essentially created the entire Star Wars saga.
The Huyang lightsaber droid was built when the Order was barely 50 years old.
He’s been here for a long time
Near
Ahsoka featured the live-action debut of Huyang, a droid who helps Jedi Younglings build lightsabers. However, Huyang is much older than most viewers would believe; according to Star Wars TimelinesIt was activated when the Jedi Order was barely 50 years old. It may have been built by the Supreme Jedi himself and has faithfully served the Jedi Order for 25,000 years.
Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Huyang remembers the entire history of the Jedi Order – in fact, there’s evidence that he doesn’t, because even Jedi have forgotten many of their origin stories. Each droid has a limited memory, and Huyang’s memory banks are likely occupied only by his encyclopedic knowledge of lightsabers. Ahsoka and the others Star Wars The heroes will have to look elsewhere if they want more clues about galactic history.
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Upcoming Star Wars Movies |
Release date |
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The Mandalorian and Grogu |
May 22, 2024 |