With the recent show The Acolyte, we may have seen the Jedi in a different light. In the prequel movies and shows like The Clone Wars, we may also get the impression that the Jedi are not so good after all.
Should we conclude that the Jedi are bad people? Probably not. Read more to find out.
What’s Wrong with the Jedi?
This discussion here provides key insights into the dilemma of the Jedi. As the opening post states, “the Jedi are a monastic religious order of mystics, not warriors, not generals, and certainly no politicians.”
Yet, we see them prominently in these roles in prequels and The Clone Wars. Did they purposely overstep their authority and go for a power grab? Are they “warmongers”?
Not likely. As the same post explains, the rise of Palpatine and his hidden plans forced the Jedi into “an extremely terrible choice of having to engage in a multi-galactic war.”
From this explanation, we can see how the Jedi were not looking to play a military-government role but were forced into it.
Others agree and indicate how the Republic had not previously confronted a “Galactic-wide threat” and had “no defense forces beyond the Jedi.”
So, we could say the Jedi unwillingly took on these roles and emphasized serving as “peacekeepers.”
Yet, the Jedi are politically powerful and seem to make unilateral decisions, such as Mace Windu trying to kill Palpatine.
As this video recaps, Lucas explained how the Jedi have fallen “from their way” as keepers of the peace. The particular question concerned whether the Jedi act as a “police force.”
Lucas responded in the negative but said they were “diplomats at the highest level.”
Hence, the Jedi took on a large political role. Lucas also indicated their willingness to use violence as needed and may exercise their power when necessary.
Those statements provide a loophole that seems to show the Jedi could slide away from their original vision. We, of course, think of Anakin falling to his anger, but also Mace Windu’s decapitation of Jango Fett.
So, we may lean toward other conclusions…Are the Jedi Kidnapping Children and Allowing Slavery?
The above Reddit discussion also raises the question of whether the Jedi are abducting children. The Jedi practice is to take young Force-sensitive children to be trained at a young age.
That practice was a focal point of The Acolyte.
However, as recent articles like this one indicate, the Jedi follow protocols and spend time “learning about the situations of prospective Jedi” to determine whether bringing that child to the Order was a good idea.
Another common criticism of the Jedi is that they allow slavery to continue in the galaxy, as in places like Tatooine. Couldn’t the Jedi at least have freed Anakin’s mother Shmi?
Yet, as fans point out here, Tatooine was not considered part of the Republic’s jurisdiction.
Likewise, meddling with the Hutt family would probably have triggered “a huge gang war against the Jedi”, and they would be pulled into even more warfare.
Moreover, the Jedi are not numerous enough to prevent slavery across the galaxy, a point backed up by this discussion board too.
Hence, the Jedi seem to come clean with these allegations.
The Jedi as a Force for Good
As we customarily assume, the Jedi are a force for good. While some may argue, going along with Lucas’s comments, that they were military and political leaders, it seems they were pulled into these roles.
They also made serious missteps by not recognizing Palpatine’s plans, but it seems they are flawed like everyone.
As for slavery and kidnappings, those charges do not seem to hold up so well.