Jedi Knight/Legends



The Jedi Knight class was a very important class for every Jedi in the Jedi Order. A Padawan became a Jedi Knight when he passed the Jedi Trials. It could take a Padawan many years of training under a Jedi Master to achieve this rank.

The Jedi Knights are the example of the power of the Jedi. Without them, the Order could never take expansion. Once Jedi Knights have shown incredible devotion and mastery of the Force, the next rank is Jedi Master.

When a Padawan passed the trials to become a Jedi Knight, he was then given his own missions to perform by the Jedi Council. He can also begin to train a new Padawan.

Knighthood in the Old Republic
In the Old Jedi Order, after a Padawan had spent enough time learning from his or her Master, the Padawan would take the trials of Knighthood. If the Padawan passed, they were declared to be a Knight of the Republic. The customary Padawan's braid was shorn off with a lightsaber, by the leading Jedi Council member of the time, in the Knighting ceremony held in the Hall of Knighthood (assuming the Padawan was of a species that grew hair). Only the Jedi Council or the Padawan's Master could promote a Padawan to the rank of Jedi Knight. Most Knights were promoted to Jedi Masters after they successfully entered a Padawan into Knighthood themselves, although in rare cases they could also be promoted to Master without having done this (such as in the case of Master Saesee Tiin, who never took an apprentice), and many Knights were addressed as "Master" at least by their own apprentices.

Knighthood in the New Jedi Order
Knighting within the New Jedi Order was not always as formal as in the Old Jedi Order. In 12 ABY, Kyp Durron, Dorsk 81, and Cilghal were pronounced Knights by Luke Skywalker after they were able to complete every task he set for them, they had created their own lightsaber, and they decided to leave the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4 to begin doing good deeds for the others of the Galaxy.

Rather than receiving knighthood in a formal ceremony, Jaden Korr was knighted when Korr was told, in an informal conversation with Luke Skywalker and Kyle Katarn, that Skywalker and Katarn had decided to promote Korr to the level of Jedi Knight due to his deeds on Vjun.

In 24 ABY, the knighting of Jacen and Jaina Solo, Zekk, Tenel Ka, Lusa, Raynar Thul, and Lowbacca was done at the decision of Skywalker following their year of service in aiding the defeat of the Diversity Alliance and Black Sun. Their knighting ceremony was a public spectacle held in the Massassi Temple in front of the assembled New Jedi Order and representatives of the New Republic, and included a lightsaber salute from the current knights and a ballad of their deeds from Tionne.

In 27 ABY, as the first act of the High Council, Skywalker knighted the Padawan survivors of the Mission to Myrkr at a ceremony on Dac.

History
The Jedi Knights were brought into the Republic shortly after the Republic's formation, and were used by the Republic as peacekeepers. However, many believed that the Jedi would be able to fight entire wars for them. They participated in many battles, including the Battle of Geonosis, where many were killed. During Order 66, most of the Jedi Knights were slaughtered by the 501st Legion. It is unknown if any made it out of the Jedi Temple alive, but some may have made it into the outer rims.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Republic: Rite of Passage
 * Star Wars: Clone Wars
 * Junior Jedi Knights
 * Young Jedi Knights