The Jedi in Star Wars movies are usually depicted as living solitary lives. Master Yoda may come to mind, living alone on the swampy planet of Dagobah. Or, how we encounter Obi-Wan Kenobi living in the rock caves on Tatooine.
Other times, Jedi tend to be training only with other Jedi. So, it seems unlikely that Jedi have families. But can a Jedi have a family?
The straightforward answer is: no. The rules of the Jedi forbid such attachments.
Yet, the reasons and story behind why a Jedi cannot have a family are complex and fascinating. Read on to find out why.
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Are Jedi Allowed to Have Families? And Why?
If you recently watched the last episode of The Book of Boba Fett, you may have started to find the answer to why Jedi are not allowed to have families. In Episode 6 of this new series, the Mandalorian is told how the Jedi are not supposed to form attachments.
For the Jedi, emotional attachment is not allowed. As Wookeipedia explains, emotional bonds and other forms of attaching to someone could lead to hate and anger, and ultimately the dark side. Star Wars fans are familiar with this lesson from watching the decline of Anakin Skywalker, and his turn to the dark side.
Anakin’s attachment to and love for Padmé Amadala drove his insecurities about losing her. This was central to his demise in Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. He was trying to prevent her death when he turned to the dark side.
He thought she would die from childbirth, and turned to the dark side to prevent this from happening. Ironically, he actually contributed to her dying this way because of his turn to the dark side.
Hence, marriage and a family — his son Luke Skywalker — could pose a problem for the Jedi order.
Furthermore, losing a loved one, such as a family member, could make a Jedi turn to the dark side. This was also part of Anakin’s turn, after his mother had been killed by the Tusken Raiders.
Did Any Jedi Have a Family?
Before his turn to the dark side, Anakin Skywalker almost had a family. And other Jedi presumably did too. So, the answer to whether Jedi are allowed to marry and have a family becomes more involved.
The early Jedi, those disclosed in the first Star Wars prequel movie, could marry. So, what happened?
It has to do with the dating system that frames the Star Wars films. The first Jedi date back to what is referred to as 25,783 BBY, or almost 26,000 years before the Battle of Yavin. Jedi, all the way up to 4,000 BBY, were not forbidden to marry.
It was not until Episode 2: Attack of the Clones that audiences became aware of a prohibition against marriage. This episode takes place after 4,000 BBY.
Changes in the Jedi Council and Jedi Order prompted the new rule that prohibited marriage and families. Beforehand, the Jedi were more autonomous. But after the Great Sith War, the Jedi grew into a more organized outfit beneath the Jedi High Council.
It was the Jedi High Council that reinterpreted the Jedi Code and officially banned marriage, and hence the pathway to families.
The First Star Wars Films and Families
Anyone who has watched the second movie in the original Star Wars series also knows about Jedi having families. In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker finds out who Darth Vader, or Anakin Skywalker, really is: his father.
Luke also had a sister, Princess Leia Organa. This is not revealed until the third original film, Return of the Jedi. Hence, Jedi did have families. Yet, this type of attachment is also talked about as dangerous.
In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda gives a stern warning to Luke about going to save his friends at Cloud City. One of his “friends” was actually his sister, Leia. Yoda already knew about Luke and Leia being siblings.
So, these original movies also contain references about Jedi having families and warnings about having attachments to them. But the prequel movies are the ones that clarified the prohibition on marriage.
The Prequels and the Book of Boba Fett
The Jedi of the prequel series are prohibited from marriage, not only because it may lead to the dark side of the force. The prohibition is also meant to encourage fealty to the Jedi Order.
This is the same in the latest series, The Book of Boba Fett. In the latest episode, the Mandalorian is discouraged from visiting with the Child, or Grogu, because it would interfere with his attachment to the Jedi Order.
Likewise, in this Episode 6, the Child is given a choice to choose re-attachment with the Mandalorian, or the learning the ways of the force.
Are Jedi Allowed to See Their Family?
The prequel series reveals how Jedi are brought to the Temple at a young age to learn the ways of the force. The idea is that these younglings would be able to train in safety and seclusion from the Sith.
Of course, this also separates them from their families.
However, most Jedi have last names, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Hence, there is a means to track down family members.
Back to Anakin. He is the clearest example of a Jedi seeing a family member, his mother. Although the Jedi Council has made a rule against it, Anakin goes to see her.
Hence, the Jedi Council seems to only discourage seeing family members, not outright prohibiting such contact.
So, it seems likely that other Jedi followed in the footsteps of Anakin and saw family members. Some even followed him on the path to the dark side.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan. He has covered such topics as Darth Vader, the Jedi, Boba Fett, and AT-AT Walkers. Todd has published a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.