From the days of the first people to our current economy, there has always been a figurehead that ruled every organization.
Whether it be the prime minister, president, mayor, principal, or even just the head of a household, there is always someone or a group of people in charge.
The Star Wars universe is no different.
Within the Jedi Order, there were the rulers known as the Jedi Masters. They resided in the organization known as the Jedi High Council.
These were the decision-makers who were in charge of everything that had to do with the Jedi.
Not only that, but the Jedi Masters were in charge of making the important calls for the Jedi Order and were also the ones to train the Padawans.
Given how fundamental Jedi Masters were, it’s safe to assume that a lot of them were needed, right?
Well, that may not be the case.
Don’t worry, we’ll learn more about the Jedi Masters as this article progresses.
Table of Contents
How Many Jedi Masters Were There?
From the beginning of the Jedi Order, it was clear that there needed to be a set of rule-makers to keep order. This came in the form of the Jedi High Council.
The Jedi High Council consisted of 12 Jedi Masters. During the Prequel Trilogy, the Jedi Masters of the High Council were as follows: Master Yoda, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, Master Mace Windu, Master Plo Koon, Master Saesee Tiin, and Master Shaak Ti.
Of course, we can’t forget about Master Kit Fisto, Master Stass Allie, Master Coleman Kcaj, Master Agen Kolar, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker.
Although the Jedi Masters that occupied these seats changed over time, the number of persons within the Council remained relatively consistent.
How Many Jedi Masters Were There During the Clone Wars?
The Clone Wars was the result of the Galactic Republic’s Clone Troopers going against the Galactic Empire’s Battle Droids.
Fortunately, depending on how you look at it, there were a minimum amount of Jedi casualties.
Given that, the total number of Jedi Masters remained at 12 during the Clone Wars.
From there it was a full-on war between the light and dark sides of the Force.
How Many Jedi Masters Were There Before Order 66?
Dubbed the Great Jedi Purge, Order 66 was the destruction of the Jedi lineage–a nearly successful attempt at it rather.
Before the launch of the Jedi Purge, the Clone Troopers that were supposedly made to serve the Galactic Republic had their operative coding altered during creation.
This purposeful error made the clones view all Jedi as the enemy, resulting in the start of the Jedi genocide.
When the clones stormed the Jedi Temple, the Jedi inhabiting the place were caught off guard. Even though they tried to protect themselves, the Jedi ultimately lost.
Left in the heartbreaking aftermath of their fallen comrades were the survivors. Among them were a fair number of the Jedi Masters at the time.
There were as follows: Master Kirak Infil’a, Master Coleman Kcaj, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master Taron Malicos, Master Jocasta Nu, Master Oppo Rancisis, and Master Luminara Unduli.
Of course, we can’t forget Master Uvell, Master Quinlan Vos, and Master Yoda. Add to that the son of the traitor Anakin Skywalker and the person who would rebuild the Jedi Order, Luke Skywalker.
This brings the total number of surviving Jedi Masters after the Great Jedi Purge to roughly 11.
How Many Jedi Knights Were There?
At the beginning of the Star Wars Franchise, an astounding 10,000 Jedi Knights were working in tandem with the Galactic Republic.
Over the years, there were losses in the heat of battle and gains in the form of Padawans. The number of Jedi Knights generally remained around 10,000.
That was until the Great Jedi Purge.
It was estimated that 9,900 Jedi were slaughtered by the Dark Lord, Darth Vader, and his team. By the end, only about 100 Jedi Knights were remaining to start the New Order.
FAQs
Order 66 sparked conversations within the Star Wars communities. With those conversations came questions–questions regarding the fallen Jedi, the New Order, the Jedi Masters, and much more. All the same, there were a few questions that came up more repeatedly than others.
Was Mace Windu a Grand Master?
Mace Windu was one of the most legendary human beings in Star Wars history.
Wielder of the rare purple lightsaber, Mace was a man who was wise beyond his years. His words held so much weight that others in and out of the Jedi Council would hang on to his every word.
Not to mention, he was incredibly powerful and skilled in his craft.
Mace Windu held the position of Grand Master and Head of the Jedi Order up until the Battle of Geonosis.
After that battle, he passed on his title of Grand Master to Master Yoda.
Why wasn’t Anakin Made a Master?
Anakin Skywalker was never able to attain the status of Jedi Master.
Now you may be thinking, How is this possible? You said he sat on the Jedi High Council. That’s right, yet he was never a Jedi Master.
Let me explain.
Anakin Skywalker was an incredibly skilled Padawan, then Jedi Knight. His talent far surpassed his years, impressing everyone he came into contact with.
Even so, Anakin was the rebel of the Jedi Order. He allowed himself to feel emotions, form attachments, and break other rules strictly outlined in the Jedi Code.
This caused him to often be at odds with Mace Windu.
Eventually, Anakin was appointed by Palpatine to be his stand-in on the Jedi High Council. Naturally, Anakin assumed this would be his moment to finally become a Jedi Master.
Unfortunately for him, Mace Windu did not agree with this and denied the motion to make him a Jedi Master.
It’s speculated that this humiliation was the catalyst needed to change Anakin from a good guy Jedi Knight to the wonderfully villainous Darth Vader.
Conclusion
There were only 12 Jedi Masters sitting on the Council.
That was just enough to ensure that the correct democratic procedure was taken and all decisions were made fairly. Still, it was not so much that the entire process became confusing.
Generally, most Jedi aspired to become Jedi Masters and hold a seat on the Council. However, few ever attained this.
On the other hand, Anakin Skywalker held a seat on the Council even though he never became a Jedi Master.