Welcome, Star Wars enthusiasts! Have you ever heard of the Gray Paladins? If not, prepare to be introduced to one of the most unconventional groups within the Jedi Order, courtesy of the intriguing details from the Coruscant Nights trilogy (I, II, III).
These were not your everyday, garden-variety Jedi. Nope, these Jedi were a bit like that one uncle who insists on using a flip phone: they stubbornly clung to their unique ways, particularly their deep-seated aversion to lightsabers.
The Gray Paladins
The Gray Paladins, or just “Paladins” if you’re into the whole brevity thing, were a quirky faction within the Jedi Order who believed lightsabers were just too mainstream.
During times when every other Jedi was swinging a glowing stick, these folks preferred to keep theirs in the closet—probably still in the box!
So, why the aversion to the galaxy’s coolest accessory? Well, the Paladins thought that relying on a lightsaber was a tad aggressive and that real Jedi mastery came from using your brain, not just your brawn.
For the Gray Paladins, the lightsaber was a symbol of last resort. They believed that drawing a lightsaber should be the final step in conflict resolution, only after all other methods had failed.
This was rooted in their broader view that the Force should be used for knowledge and defense, not aggression.
By minimizing their use of lightsabers, Paladins aimed to embody a more nuanced interpretation of the Jedi Code, focusing on persuasion and wisdom over physical confrontation.
In a nutshell, they argued that true Force mastery meant you could solve problems without having to chop anything in half. Instead, they trained in non-lethal combat, honed their diplomatic tongues, and, when push came to shove, they pulled out blasters instead of blades.
Yes, blasters!
Blasters Over Lightsabers? Really?
Choosing a blaster over a fancy-schmancy lightsaber? Yep, you heard that right. It wasn’t because they had bad aim or a secret sponsorship deal with BlasTech Industries.
Unlike many Jedi who depend on the Force to enhance their lightsaber combat, boosting aspects such as strength, speed, and agility, the Gray Paladins adopted a distinct approach.
As previously mentioned, they view the use of the Force to resolve physical conflicts as a contradiction to their core principles. This philosophy extends to their choice of weaponry; the Paladins choose for blasters in combat situations where the use of a lightsaber would typically require Force-enhanced abilities.
By using blasters, they could effectively participate in defensive actions without resorting to the Force-empowered physical confrontations that they sought to avoid, thus adhering more closely to their ideals of minimal force and non-aggression.
In short, using a blaster would be more honorable for them!
What Happens to Them?
Despite their intriguing approach to the Jedi lifestyle, the Gray Paladins met the same grim fate as their lightsaber-loving brethren when Order 66 was executed.
It turns out blasters don’t do much against an entire army of clone troopers bent on erasing all Jedi from existence. The purge was thorough, and sadly, it left no room for lightsaber dissenters.