Jedi, like any living being, have feelings. However, the Jedi Code states, “There is no emotion, there is peace.”
Therefore, the Jedi, given their code and strict upbringings in the Jedi Temple, it’s safe to say that Jedi learn to control their feelings, and appear emotionless.
Jedi are allowed to have emotions, as shown several times throughout the series. They cannot let those emotions get the better of them, since they believe showing emotion can lead to the Dark Side.
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Are Jedi Allowed to Have Emotions?
Per the Jedi Code, they are not allowed to show emotion or let their emotions dictate them, but they are allowed to have emotions.
Since they are forbidden to allow emotions to dictate their actions, Jedi cannot fall in love, stay close to their families, get married, or grieve. They’re born with emotional traits, just like any living thing, but they become masters at suppressing them.
We know Jedi are born with emotion because, much to Kenobi’s dismay, Anakin Skywalker breaks all of the aforementioned rules. He falls in love with and marries Padamé.
He also grieves the loss of his mother in Attack of the Clones.
And he has a moment of hesitation before leaving his mother in The Phantom Menace.
Can Jedi Have Feelings?
Although Jedi are not allowed to show emotions or feelings per the Jedi Code, it doesn’t mean Anakin Skywalker is the only Jedi to break this rule by feeling love, fear, anger, hate, and concern.
Anakin shows anger during his and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s duel with Count Dooku while rescuing Palpatine.
When Dooku knocks out Obi-Wan, Anakin’s rage allows him to overpower him. Just as Obi-Wan overpowered and killed Darth Maul during The Phantom Menace’s climax.
Jedi can have, but cannot show, feelings of fear.
But once again, Anakin breaks this rule multiple times, and it led him to the Dark Side after fearing for Padamé’s life when he had premonitions of her dying during childbirth.
Are Jedi Really Emotionless?
Although it goes against the Jedi Code, rarely are Jedi emotionless in the saga. Perhaps Yoda shows the least amount of emotion, but even he puts on a couple emotional faces during the closing scenes in Revenge of the Sith.
There are also times during The Empire Strikes Back when Yoda grows impatient with Luke. So even a Jedi Grand Master like Yoda is prone to breaking the Jedi Code.
Obi-Wan, numerous times, let his emotions get the best of him with Anakin, as seen in Attack of the Clones.
And in the climactic scene during his duel with Anakin, then known as Darth Vader, in Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan shows plenty of emotion, especially after he wins the duel.
Why Do Jedi Practice No Emotion?
Emotions could detract a Jedi from their overall goal of serving as guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. Emotions, positive or negative, could sway a Jedi into caring for certain individuals over others.
Once again, Anakin proves this point twice. First, when seeking out his dying mother, and again when trying to rescue Padamé.
Anakin proves as the perfect example why Jedi practice no emotion: Doing so may lead to the Dark Side and in Anakin’s case, it did.
Not that showing emotion will lead to Jedi joining the Sith, since many Jedi in the saga show emotion, even sticklers like Obi-Wan and Yoda.
However, Anakin took his emotions to another level, and they continued to accumulate in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
Do Jedi Suppress Their Emotions?
Jedi don’t always suppress their emotions, as seen countless times during the Skywalker Saga. To “be a good Jedi,” they are taught from the time they enter the Jedi Temple to suppress their emotions.
Since almost every youngling enters the Jedi Temple before they build emotional connections, they become well-versed in keeping their emotions suppressed.
And while showing emotion can make them unstable, there are plenty of examples that showing emotion led to more good. At least in the moment.
Obi-Wan Kenobi failed to put up a fight against Darth Maul during the climax of The Phantom Menace. However, after Obi-Wan was left without a choice and seeing his master dying, his anger allowed himself to overpower and kill Maul.
However, there are many times when Obi-Wan’s lack of emotion leads to even-keel thinking and responses. While aboard the Falcon in A New Hope, Han Solo isn’t shy about expressing his disbelief in the Force.
Even as Luke Skywalker morphed into defense mode, Obi-Wan’s calm reactions not only rebuffed Solo, but helped Luke develop his ability to deflect lasers.
Can Jedi Feel Anger?
Jedi can feel anger. Anakin is the perfect example, even before he turns to the Sith.
However, there are numerous instances in which Jedi feel anger. The key is that they don’t give into their anger and let it dictate their actions.
Failure to control his anger was one of the key factors that led to Anakin Skywalker’s downfall.
Why Is Anakin So Emotional?
Yoda sensed fear in Anakin, which is an emotion that, in Yoda’s words, “leads to anger,” and “anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”
One reason behind Yoda’s correct sense of judgment stems from the fact Anakin was, even at nine years old, over-aged to become a Jedi youngling despite Qui-Gon Jinn’s insistence.
Since Anakin grew up emotionally attached to his mother, he had a much harder time suppressing his emotions than his Jedi peers, who learned the Jedi Code at a much younger age.
This lack of suppressing a natural human characteristic ultimately led Anakin down a destructive path.
However, Anakin’s learned emotional attachments are just one reason he’s so emotional. He grew up a slave, and therefore, was told what, when, and how to do things. He and his mother had little and were always at the mercy of a junkyard dealer.
Add to the fact Obi-Wan Kenobi failed to understand Anakin’s background, and it’s easy to see why Anakin’s emotions were a recipe for disaster.
Obi-Wan grew up in a textbook way as a Jedi. Anakin did not.
Obi-Wan contributed to Anakin’s downward spiral, and while some may say it’s hard to blame him because Anakin came from such a unique situation, it’s also important to point out Luke Skywalker’s situation was every bit as unique.
Luke learned under both Obi-Wan and Yoda, yet did not experience the same emotional crises as Anakin. At this point, Obi-Wan was older, smarter, and wiser.
He learned from the mistakes he made with Anakin and did not repeat them with Luke.
Of course, Yoda, although impatient at times with Luke, never treated him the way Obi-Wan treated Anakin, which was like a naughty child with the constant chastising and bluntness.
Conclusion
While the Jedi Code forbids Jedi from allowing feelings and emotions to dictate their well-being, they are allowed to have them.
Anakin Skywalker breaks this rule multiple times, and it led him toward the Dark Side. However, Obi-Wan used anger to fuel himself during the climactic scene in The Phantom Menace, so there are times where the Jedi have spun their emotions into something positive.
Both Anakin and Obi-Wan have shown Jedi are not emotionless, and that they don’t always suppress their emotions. They can feel anger, which derives from fear, as Anakin has shown.
He allowed his emotions to dictate his well-being because of the way he grew up. He also learned attachment, having spent so much time with his mother. This is unlike most Jedi, who are taken at an age before they develop emotional connections.