Bendu (religion)



Bendu was a collection of non-confrontational beliefs practiced by the Bendu monks. The symbol of Bendu was a circle connected by eight even spokes, which represented the unification of the Galaxy by the Force. Early in its formation, the Galactic Republic had its own symbol, but sometime after the Sith Civil War, they adapted the symbol to represent their own role in galactic unification. The symbol was later the basis for the emblem of the Galactic Empire which was slightly altered; the symbol was modified from the eight-spoke form to the six-spoke form, but how, when and why it happened, is a point of historical debate. However, A reduced form of Jedi Bendu-inspired emblem with six even spokes actually existed during the Clone Wars.

Behind the scenes

 * Interestingly, during the Second Battle of Coruscant, Anakin's fighter bears the 6-spoke symbol and not the 8-spoke symbol. This can be seen when R2 fights the buzz droid.
 * The name "Bendu" may come from George Lucas's original name for the Jedi Knights: the Jedi Bendu.
 * The idea that Palpatine corrupted the Bendu symbol is most likely based on Adolf Hitler's alteration of the pre-existing Indian swastika to symbolize hatred and supremacy.
 * Another similarity between the Old Republic and India is the close resemblance of the symbol in both appearance and meaning to the dharmachakra, a Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu symbol of unity that appears of the Indian flag. This may indicate some link between the Bendu beliefs and dharma. Links between Jedi beliefs and eastern philosophy have been theorised before.
 * The dharmachakra or "wheel of dharma" is also eight-spoked, and is closely related to the dharmic swastika symbol, indicating another possible connection to Hitler's distortion of the swastika.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * The Star Wars Holiday Special
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Battlefront
 * Battlefront II
 * ''X-Wing