No, they don’t, but they wore them because most members of the Old Jedi Order were raised to live very similar to monks. Having no possessions except a lightsaber.
Wearing a robe or cloak doesn’t mean you’re a Jedi, but in many worlds, wearing a robe is normal. They’re good for concealing identities and helping one stay safe in bad weather.
Robes help make a scene more interesting, as you can’t help but wonder, why are they trying to hide?
Considering the Jedi’s original role as peacekeeper, a robe can be used against them, as anyone could claim to be one.
Table of Contents
Is There a Jedi Dress Code?
Back in the days of the Old Dynasty, Padawans (Jedi apprentices) were given robes of various shades of brown.
When they complete their training, they’re free to dress as they please. Though most prefer wearing the monk-like robes as they symbolized a Jedi’s intent to serve the Force.
They consist of “long, flowing robes, an overtunic, an undertunic, cloak or outer robe with a hood, and sometimes a tabard.”
The robes are made from a variety of materials such as wool, silk, and other cheaper linens. A pair of sturdy or soft boots along with a belt, called an obi, to hold a lightsaber and other niceties completed the outfit.
There are some that take it a step further and wear clothing made of a rougher weave. In order to aid them in focusing on their training and less on unimportant things.
Do Jedi Have to Wear Robes?
No, and neither did the Sith. Similar to how a lightsaber is used as a visual reference both for the audience and the cameras, the robes are meant to add an air of mystery to the character.
We see this best in the original trilogy when Obi-Wan Kenobi (going by Ben on the desert planet of Tatooine) saved Luke Skywalker, dressed in a long brown and white robe. He kept his hood up and scared the Tusken Raiders away.
Yoda wore his robe and lived the life of a true hermit. Choosing to live on the swamp planet of Dagobah in hiding until he was discovered by Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
His house is small and simple. With just enough for him to live with relative ease, but not to the point where it loses its hermit charm.
Luke Skywalker lived in a similar fashion during the sequel trilogy. Though, he chose to live on a habitable planet called Ahch-To.
The prequel trilogy shows us many Jedi dressed in the traditional robes, but they didn’t appear to live like hermits on Coruscant. Many mistakenly believe that the robes are a uniform.
But, to the Jedi, the robes are just clothes and nothing more.
To us, it’s a way for us to know who important characters are, as anyone hiding their face is bound to have some importance in the franchise.
Why Does Ahsoka Not Wear Jedi Robes?
Though she never completed her training — the Jedi Council threw her out for something she didn’t do — Ahsoka wore clothing inspired by her homeworld for ease of movement, and to suit her fighting style.
She used a traditional lightsaber and a shoto (short) lightsaber. After Order 66 was carried out, Ahsoka threw away one of her lightsabers and faked her death.
Ahsoka would later aid the rebels wielding two white lightsabers, proof that she’s a Gray Jedi and disillusioned with the Jedi Council.
She still kept the color scheme of her clothes in earth tones, but the slightly revealing nature was frowned upon by Gilad Pellaeon, a captain in the Naval forces of the Galactic Empire.
Did Jedi Wear Armor?
Yes, though very few would wear it, and many prefer not to, as armor can interfere with one’s use of the Force and limit mobility.
In the early days, many Jedi would wear pieces of armor (like shoulder pads) in the hopes that this would be the best of both worlds.
We see the best example of Jedi wearing armor in the Clone Wars (2008), as many wore the same kind of armor as Clone Troopers, which would eventually evolve into Storm Trooper armor.
There are two other great examples of Jedi wearing armor.
In the New Dynasty (before the Disney Purge), there was a group called the Imperial Knights. Their armor was mostly a black bodysuit (very similar to Darth Vader’s with an extra layer in red that protected them from the neck and shoulders down past the waist.
They, too, used white lightsabers and also had black boots. The other group also wore red armor yet didn’t have a strong role in the movies.
This group was the Emperor’s Royal Guard. Their armor is completely red, and they were Palpatine’s bodyguards.
But the most famous case of a Jedi (or rather a Sith) wearing armor and still able to use the Force with little problem is Darth Vader. His ability was decreased slightly due to his mostly-ruined body, and not the armor.
Though you can’t tell in most of his appearances, “weak” and “Darth Vader” don’t belong in the same sentence.
Other Points of Interest
The robes were based heavily off of Akira Kurosawa’s greatest films (like Seven Samurai), and this wasn’t lost on actor Liam Neeson, who plays Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace (1999).
Anakin Skywalker often wore dark shades of brown until he started wearing black. Which was frowned at, yet told the audience just how close to snapping he was getting.
Luke Skywalker’s attire throughout the films is another great example of visual storytelling. At first, he wears light, sandy colored clothing to help him on his farm.
Yet by the time we reach Episode 6, he was wearing an all black costume that reveals a sliver of white during the epic fight against Darth Vader and Palpatine.
He would later wear a darker version of the traditional Jedi robes as he began to train his nephew, Ben Solo (otherwise known as Kylo Ren).
His final costume was a lightly colored robe of pearly white and soft shades of brown. He had come full circle, and now it’s his turn to join the Force.
In Conclusion
Though most Jedi do wear robes, it was never a uniform.
Ahsoka Tano was far from the only Jedi to not wear them. I won’t be surprised to see more of both sides of the fashion choice in the future.