Gray Jedi

"Jinn always does things his own way, always sure he is right, always incredulous if we do not see it his way. Some think he is a gray Jedi."

- Tyvokka, on Qui-Gon Jinn

The term Gray Jedi, or Gray, was used to describe Jedi who walked the line between the light and dark sides of the Force without succumbing to the dark side, to describe Jedi who distanced themselves from the Jedi High Council and operated outside the strictures of the Jedi Code, or both. Those who were considered true Gray Jedi met both qualifications and did not belong to any particular Force tradition. One example was Jolee Bindo, a former Jedi Padawan and self-proclaimed Gray Jedi of the Old Republic.

Although the term did not directly refer to those who were capable of using both light and dark side Force abilities, all Gray Jedi could do so. The term was similar to that of "Dark Jedi" in that it could refer to any Force user, and not only to Jedi. Sith were never considered to be Gray Jedi, as the Sith Order taught full commitment to the dark side. The term was sometimes used to refer to unorthodox or dissident Jedi who did not meet the strictest requirements of being a Gray Jedi. For example, Qui-Gon Jinn was thought of by some members of the Jedi Order as a Gray Jedi for frequently opposing the will of the High Council, but did not divorce himself from the Council entirely.

The term dated back as far as the Old Sith Wars, when the High Council was attempting to consolidate their power and centralize the Order. Some Jedi felt that the Council did not have the authority to reinterpret the Jedi Code, and considered themselves beholden only to the Force. These early Gray Jedi clashed with the Council over new strictures of the Code, such as those barring attachment or restricting training. During this time period, Gray Jedi became associated with a certain variety of robe. Jedi Bindo was known to wear a version of these robes. The term was used by the New Jedi Order to refer to entire Force traditions that held different views than the Jedi but did not embrace the dark side. The Jensaarai and the Imperial Knights were two such organizations.

History
"If we're going to have a Jedi Council at all, then somebody, somewhere, is going to do what it tells them!"

- Master Vrook Lamar, member of the Dantooine Jedi Conclave Council, and then of the Jedi High Council

In the days of the Old Republic, the Jedi Order was largely decentralized. At this time, Jedi enclaves and academies were spread throughout the galaxy. Jedi were also trained by individual Masters without the benefit of an academy. This decentralization meant that Jedi were accepted into the order, trained, and knighted without ever having visited Coruscant. Unlike the Jedi of later years, the Jedi at this time were fractious and unwilling to bow to their own central authority&mdash;the Jedi High Council. However, between the Great Sith War and the Dark Wars, the Jedi went from the height of their power to a mere remnant of their existence; as war repeatedly spread across the galaxy, some Jedi came to believe that a strong central authority was necessary. The Council began to revise the Jedi Code in order to consolidate their control over the Jedi Order and institute stricter standards on the conduct of its members. Not all Jedi adhered to the revised Code. They objected to new strictures such as those that barred the training of any Jedi hopeful over the age of four, that prevented Jedi from having families, or that restricted the use of Force abilities associated with the dark side. These individuals frequently clashed with the Jedi Council, and were known as Gray Jedi.

Jedi Padawan Jolee Bindo fought for the Galactic Republic in the Great Sith War against the Sith Lord Exar Kun, who sought to establish a new Golden Age of the Sith. After the war had ended, Bindo abandoned the Jedi Order and became a Gray Jedi. Bindo again took part in galactic events when he fought against a resurgent Sith Empire at the end of the Jedi Civil War, and was officially recognized by the Galactic Republic for his actions.

Around the time of the Stark Hyperspace War, the term Gray Jedi was used to describe Jedi who clashed with the High Council regardless of the beliefs and traits of the dissidents. Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn was said to have been thought of as a Gray Jedi by some members of the Order, though he still interacted with the High Council and strongly opposed the dark side.

At the end of the Clone Wars, a new sect of Gray Jedi was inadvertently created when Jedi Nejaa Halcyon led a strike team to Susevfi to confront the fallen Jedi Nikkos Tyris and his followers. Tyris had been studying the writings of Larad Noon, a Sith follower of Kun's during the Old Sith Wars. Tyris and his most elite followers were killed by the Jedi strike team, but there were other members of the cult that the Jedi had not been aware of who survived the attack. These survivors were unable to interpret the advanced dark side teachings in Noon's writings and instead developed a unique Force tradition known as the Jensaarai. When the Galactic Empire came to power, some Jensaarai offered their services to Emperor Palpatine and were slain. In response, the Jensaarai retreated into hiding. They re-emerged in 11 ABY and became allies with the New Jedi Order. While the New Jedi Order were willing to accept Jensaarai students at the Jedi Praxeum, they considered the entire order to be Gray Jedi. The Jensaarai outwardly denied these claims. Jensaarai participated in the Yuuzhan Vong War alongside the Jedi.

Some time during the reign of Jagged Fel as the head of state for the Galactic Empire, a sect of Force users modeled after the Jedi Order and loyal to the Empire was established. The members of this organization were known as Imperial Knights, and were thought of as Gray Jedi by the Jedi Order. The Imperial Knights served the Empire for three generations. During the Sith–Imperial War, Emperor Roan Fel refused to allow the Imperial Knights to particpate for fear that they would have fallen to the dark side, and they instead served as his personal bodyguards. When Darth Krayt, leader of the One Sith, plotted to assassinate Fel at the conclusion of the war, four Imperial Knights acted as decoys for the Emperor and were killed as Fel made his escape. Seven years later, Emperor Fel reappeared on the planet Bastion, where he solidified his base of power and initiated the Second Imperial Civil War, in which the Imperial Knights were a major factor. Imperial Knights participated in the assassination attempt against Darth Krayt.

Traits and techniques


Gray Jedi called on the dark side of the Force, but were not corrupted by it and did not embrace it. In fact, Gray Jedi have opposed those who did embrace the dark side, such as when Bindo opposed the Sith during the Great Sith War and the Jedi Civil War. While Gray Jedi displayed a lax adherence to the light side of the Force, they were free of dark side corruption; beings who were corrupted by the dark side did not qualify as a Gray Jedi&mdash;nor did Jedi who fell to the dark side and were later redeemed. Still, the Jedi claimed that Gray Jedi became tainted and carried the dark side's influence within them, even if they did not realize it. The term did not refer to Force users who believed there was no dark side of the Force, as such individuals were instead followers of Potentium. Some early Gray Jedi wore unique, gray robes. Old Republic Gray Jedi Bindo once wore a unique version of these robes.

All Gray Jedi displayed the use of both light and dark side Force abilities, and have shown skill with techniques common to Jedi and Sith, such as the ability to construct and wield a lightsaber, as well as some unique Force talents. Jedi Bindo was known for being talented with Jedi Mind tricks and was capable of using dark side techniques such as Force Lightning. The Jensaarai were capable of masking their presence in the Force, which allowed them to evade the Jedi and the Palpatine's Jedi hunters. They were also capable of a unique form of Force throw that allowed the user to hurl small objects toward enemies at near lethal velocity. The Imperial Knights were said to be every bit as capable in the use of the Force as the Jedi. Imperial Knights displayed various Force abilities, such as Levitation, Telekinesis, and Mind tricks. Both the Jensaarai and the Imperial Knights utilized armor in combat, and were familiar with the process of manipulating cortosis ore. Other Gray Jedi have been known to wield powers such as Force thrust and Ionize.

However, the use of a "mixed" Force power set was not, in itself, evidence of having been a Gray Jedi. Around the time of the Invasion of Naboo, Plo Koon, a light-side Jedi Master and member of the Jedi High Council, displayed the use of a Force ability that bore a striking similarity to the dark side-aligned Force Lightning, which he coined Electric Judgment. Koon struggled with the morality of the use of this power, but ultimately deemed it acceptable. Similarly, Kyle Katarn, a light side Jedi who later became a member of the New Jedi Order's High Council, freely used light and dark side abilities, and encouraged his students&mdash;Rosh Penin and Jaden Korr&mdash;to think of Force powers as mere tools. Penin fell to the dark side but was later redeemed, although Korr remained faithful to the light. Korr was later plagued with doubt over Master Katarn's description of Force abilities as tools.

Relationship with the Council
"If you would just follow the code, you would be on the Council. They will not go along with you this time.''" "''You still have much to learn, my young apprentice."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn

While the term could be used to refer to Force users who walked the line between light and dark, Jedi were also labeled as Gray Jedi for having distanced themselves from the Jedi High Council. This practice dated back to the days of the Old Republic, when the High Council was attempting to consolidate power. Jedi who frequently clashed with the will of the Council were sometimes thought of as Gray even if they did not entirely separate themselves from the Jedi Order and the High Council. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn was thought of as a Gray Jedi by some members of the Order for his frequent opposition to their demands, yet he interacted with them regularly, did not display the use of dark side Force abilities, and staunchly opposed the dark side of the Force.

It was difficult for unorthodox Jedi&mdash;especially those labeled as Gray Jedi&mdash;to join the Council or ascend to any position of real leadership within the Order. As the High Council chose its own members, its preference tended toward more traditionalistic Jedi, such as the group described as the Old Guard. Jinn's candidacy as a member of the High Council was rejected first in favor of Koon, and later the Cerean Ki-Adi-Mundi, both of whom were more in line with the Council's way of thinking.

Jolee Bindo
"Well, I assure you, I see more grey than dark or light. I'm just a stubborn old man, tired of the foolishness of others."

- Jolee Bindo to Revan in the Shadowlands of Kashyyyk

Jolee Bindo was a Human Jedi in the time of the Old Republic. In his youth, Bindo developed a relationship with a mercenary named Nayama and married her against the Order's Code. This infraction led to the creation of the phrase "pulling a Bindo." Bindo realized that Nayama was force-sensitive and attempted to train her despite still only being a Padawan in the Jedi Order. When the Sith Lord Exar Kun initated the Great Sith War, Nayama asked Bindo to follow her in joining Kun's cause. Bindo refused, and she attacked him. Realizing that Nayama had fallen to the dark side, Bindo defeated her but could not bring himself to kill her. She went on to kill many Jedi during the war until she was slain in the final battle on Yavin 4. Bindo separated himself from the Jedi Order, which he believed had failed him. He operated as a smuggler in the Outer Rim Territories until he crashed on Kashyyyk, where he remained in self-imposed exile. Near the end of the Jedi Civil War, he met the Jedi Revan in the Shadowlands of Kashyyyk and joined him in the campaign against the Dark Lord Darth Malak. Bindo was awarded the Cross of Glory for his part in the defeat of the Sith Empire. He was a self-described Gray Jedi.

The Jensaarai
"We are not evil.''" "''No, the Jensaarai are not, nor are they wholly good."

- The Saarai-kaar and Luke Skywalker

The Jensaarai were an order of Force-users from the Suarbi system who arose during the Clone Wars from the teachings of an Old Sith Wars-era Sith named Larad Noon. The Jensaarai's philosophy and methodology was a blend of Sith and Jedi teachings, but they maintained the discipline necessary to resist corruption by the dark side; the Jensaarai focused mostly on defensive tactics and Force abilities. During their formation and early years, the Jensaarai opposed the Jedi, however, after the fall of the Galactic Empire, they made peace with the New Jedi Order, and even sent students to learn at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4. They were still considered Gray Jedi&mdash;by both the Jedi and the Sith&mdash;for the practices of certain members, although the Jensaarai themselves outwardly denied these claims.

The Imperial Knights
"As Imperial Knights, we obey the Emperor but only as long as he serves the light side of the Force."

- Ganner Krieg, an Imperial Knight

The Imperial Knights were an order of Force-practitioners loyal to the Emperor of the Fel Empire. They were fully trained in the ways of the Force and rejected the dark side of the Force, unlike the Force-based organizations of Emperor Palpatine's Galactic Empire, such as the Emperor's Hands and the Prophets of the Dark Side. Contrary to the Jedi, who believed strongly in meditation and introspection, the Imperial Knights took a pragmatic view of the Force. To an Imperial Knight, the Force was a powerful tool that required care and respect. Although they did not adhere to the dark side, they did not strictly follow the light side either, and were viewed as "Gray" by the Jedi Order.

Behind the scenes
"Gray Jedi are those who, though having completed the teachings of the Jedi, operate independently and outside of the Jedi Council. They are typically seen as misguided, though they have not necessarily succumbed to the dark side."

- Gray Jedi Robe item description

The term "Gray Jedi" was first used to describe the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn, but did not confirm that Jinn was a Gray Jedi and did not provide an exact definition of the term. Bindo, a Jedi Consular character, was then introduced in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic video game as a self-described Gray Jedi. Notably, Bindo's "Force alignment" in the game was an even balance between the light and dark sides of the force. However, an item called "Gray Jedi Robe" appeared in the sequel video game, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, that gave a definition for Gray Jedi that did not seem to require a "balanced" Force alignment. Later sources conflicted with each other over the defining characteristic of a Gray Jedi: that they spurned the Jedi High Council or that they dabbled in the dark side without becoming corrupted by it. A definition for "true Gray Jedi" appeared in the Jedi Academy Training Manual source book that defined them as individuals who were not affilitated with any Force organization that delved into both the light and the dark sides of the Force, therefore meeting both qualifications. However, the New Jedi Order is confirmed to consider as Gray the entire Force traditions of the Jensaarai and the Imperial Knights.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Star Wars Republic: The Stark Hyperspace War
 * I, Jedi
 * Vision of the Future
 * Edge of Victory II: Rebirth
 * The Unifying Force
 * Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
 * Tempest
 * Abyss
 * Outcast
 * Omen
 * Star Wars Legacy 8: Allies
 * Star Wars Legacy: Broken
 * Star Wars Legacy: Trust Issues
 * Star Wars Legacy 12: Ghosts, Part 2
 * Star Wars Legacy 13: Ready to Die
 * Star Wars Legacy 15: Claws of the Dragon, Part 2
 * Star Wars Legacy 22: The Wrath of the Dragon
 * Star Wars Legacy: Loyalties
 * Star Wars Legacy: The Hidden Temple
 * Star Wars Legacy: Vector
 * Star Wars Legacy: Fight Another Day
 * Star Wars Legacy: Storms
 * Star Wars Legacy 39: Tatooine, Part 3
 * Star Wars Legacy 42: Divided Loyalties
 * Star Wars Legacy: Monster

Notes and references
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