There are many characters in the Star Wars universe, and some are more well-known than others. Some, like Chirrut Imwe, remain a bit of a mystery to fans.
In Chirrut’s case, his strange abilities and heightened senses led many fans to speculate that he was affiliated with the Jedi–if not a member of the Order itself, then perhaps he was a Gray Jedi.
So, is there any truth to this speculation? Was Chirrut a Jedi? Did he even have the ability to use the Force?
Keep reading as we take a closer look at this unique character.
Table of Contents
Who Is Chirrut Imwe?
Chirrut Imwe was a blind warrior from the moon Jedha. He is, perhaps, one of the lesser known characters of the Star Wars universe. His most notable appearance came in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Chirrut is a very mysterious character and not much is known about his backstory. He was born in 52 BBY. For much of his life, he belonged to a mysterious order of warrior-monks called the Guardians of the Whills.
As a Guardian, Chirrut was initially tasked with protecting Jedha’s Temple of the Kyber, along with any pilgrims who would visit the sacred site.
This likely meant that Chirrut received a lot of training in martial-arts-like fighting and developed an increased awareness of the Force.
Eventually the Temple was destroyed by the Empire, who pillaged the remains for Kyber crystals to use in the creation of the Death Star. The displaced Guardians, including Chirrut, stayed near the Temple site and led local resistance efforts.
During this time, when he wasn’t fighting, Chirrut made his living as a fortune-teller of sorts.
Throughout Rogue One, he appeared to have heightened senses and an unusual connection to the Force. He frequently talked about the Force and claimed that it was one with him.
This fact, in particular, has led fans to speculate on his exact relationship with the Force–does he use it? Is he a Jedi? Is his Force connection of a different sort entirely?
Is Chirrut Imwe a Jedi?
Chirrut was not a Jedi. He was never trained by the Jedi and was not even considered to have Force abilities.
It is likely that he knew of the Jedi, and the Jedi were aware of the Guardians of the Whills. With this in mind, it seems reasonable to suppose that Chirrut would have been recruited by the Jedi Order if he had been Force-sensitive.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s probably good that he did not become a Jedi, since 99 percent of the Jedi were wiped out during Order 66.
Is Chirrut a Gray Jedi?
The term “Gray Jedi” can refer to a couple of different things:
- A force-user trained in both light and dark side powers, who is able to walk the line between them and not become consumed by either side.
- A former Jedi who has left the Order but has not become affiliated with the Sith.
Some Star Wars fans thought that Chirrut was a Gray Jedi. They suggested that perhaps he was not trained by the Jedi Order specifically, or if he was, that he later left the Order and received some dark side training.
However, this fan theory is not true–Chirrut was not a Jedi in any capacity. There is no evidence that he ever received any Jedi or Sith training.
Everything he knew about the Force likely came from his training as a Guardian of the Whills.
Can Chirrut Use the Force?
Even though he was not a Jedi, Chirrut still appeared to have Force powers of some kind. And yet, his official character description claims he does not have “Force abilities.” What does this mean?
Basically, it means he couldn’t use the Force as a Jedi or Sith would–it did not flow through him in the same way, as he was not Force-sensitive.
For this reason, it’s possible that he couldn’t manipulate the Force at all. Still, he seemed to have a unique sensitivity to it.
Because he was blind, Chirrut’s other senses were heightened. This fact, coupled with his warrior training, gave him surprising abilities.
These abilities may have been enhanced by his apparent capacity to sense the Force, even though he couldn’t tap into its power.
For example, in Rogue One, Chirrut stated that the Force “flows darkly” around those who are about to kill, accurately sensing that Cassian Andor was planning to kill Galen Erso. This suggests Chirrut could sense the flow of the Force around everything and everyone.
He could also sense the vibrations of kyber crystals, which are Force-imbued stones used to create lightsabers.
These unique sensing abilities suggest that Chirrut was more aware of the Force than other non-Force-sensitives.
Put another way, it’s a well-known fact that blind people can hear, smell, taste, and use their other senses better than many who can see–because they lack eyesight, their brain channels more effort into developing the other senses to a greater degree.
Perhaps Chirrut’s ability to sense the Force, despite being unable to use it, was also heightened because of blindness.
What’s more, his awareness of the Force was also most likely heightened by his training as a Guardian of the Whills, as well as his overall attitude of peace and harmony with the Force.
Conclusion
Chirrut Imwe was a mysterious blind warrior in the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He was not a Jedi and is said to have had no Force abilities.
That said, he did have an incredible awareness of the Force and seemed to be able to sense its presence as it flowed in and around all living things.