Star Wars: Did the Jedi Cause Their Own Downfall?

The methods and beliefs of the Jedi may not have been unrelated to their downfall in Star Wars.

In the Prelogy, which has also inherited a new name, the Jedi are in a way passed for the Gentiles of the Universe Star Wars . They represent the good side of the Force, those whose lives are dedicated to fighting the Dark side to ensure and maintain balance throughout the galaxy. However, over the course of the films and trilogies, we realize more and more that their methods and their vision of things have not always been exemplary. The Jedi are notably known to have almost absolute control over their emotions. Anger, fear or even love are proscribed, judged as inevitably leading to the Dark side.

We imagine that it is also for this reason that the training of future recruits start very early in childhood, so that these young emerging Jedi do not have time to experience this type of very strong emotion. According to some theories about movies Star Wars , it was this aspect of their teaching that led Anakin Skywalker to switch to the Dark side of the Force . By absolutely wanting to suppress the emotions of their followers, the Jedi ultimately force them to ignore them rather than teach them how to deal with them. In addition to very often lacking pedagogy, the institution set up by the Jedi is essentially based on very hierarchical relationships with masters, mentors and students. The latter, having little experience, are not always heard and considered by their elders. Which highlights another problem of the Jedi: they do not question themselves very much.

Their presence is so anchored in time that they most often stay stuck in their positions and have difficulty understanding change, wishing at all costs to keep a semblance of control of their image. This archaic character of the Jedi Order is felt all the more in the first trilogy and the last. Students like Luke and Rey manage to accomplish great things while having had a very late and different training. As proof, although Luke Skywalker has him also made mistakes, he still managed to avoid those of his father, who nevertheless benefited from a more traditional education. The Jedi’s lack of openness and their tendency to insist on maintaining the established order certainly did not work in their favor. They thus failed to manage the return of the Sith in the most effective way, which made them more fragile and less able to survive future attacks. By refusing to see beyond the tip of their nose, they ended up participating in their own fall.