Jedi Order/Legends

"For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Jedi Order, later known as the Old Jedi Order, was an ancient monastic peacekeeping organization unified by its belief and observance of the Force, specifically the Light Side. The Jedi were the guardians of peace and justice in the Galactic Republic, and became the most famous of the various groups that relied on the Force for their power. Led by a series of Jedi Councils, the Order grew over the millennia despite facing many trials, most often threats from the Sith, wielders of the dark side of the Force.

The Jedi Order faced extinction at least twice through its history; during the aftermath of the Jedi Civil War, the Order was left numbering less than one-hundred Jedi, until it was rebuilt by the Jedi Exile and the Lost Jedi. Millennia later, although eventually the Order was virtually annihilated by the Order of the Sith Lords with the culmination of the Clone Wars, its Knights lived on, and the Order was ultimately rebuilt during the time of the New Republic.

Origins and brief history of the Order
"You must remember that there are over a hundred thousand inhabited worlds in the Republic, and there are now only a few thousand of us. Billions of beings have never seen a Jedi. Millions have never even heard of our Order. Or of the Force. When we do appear, we can be killers, but also healers. Thank the Force for that."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi to Anakin Skywalker



Since the beginning and most likely before the Galactic Republic, scientists had been studying the Force and its connection to midi-chlorians. This research was conducted most notably by the Paladins of the Chatos Academy, The Followers of Palawa and the Order of Dai Bendu, on planets like Ondos and Had Abbadon. The Jedi Order itself, however, began on Tython, where the brightest and best philosophers, priests, and warriors came together long ago to discuss their discoveries involving the enigmatic, mystical positive energy called the Ashla. Those who wanted to use the Bogan, the negative energy of the Force for their personal gain ignited a century long conflict called the Force Wars, from the ashes of which arose the Jedi Order. Some of these Jedi left Tython to defend the Galaxy, and became known as Jedi Knights.

Initially the Jedi were a contemplative order, but over time they began to take a more direct and active role in galactic affairs. The Jedi followed the "light" side of the Force, using their power for unselfish and beneficial acts. In the ensuing millennia, the history of the Jedi was intertwined with both the Republic they served and the Sith they fought.

The order suffered many Schisms&mdash;the first was the Great Schism, which produced Xendor's Legions of Lettow, but the most consequential was the subsequent Hundred-Year Darkness in 7,000 BBY, where the Dark Jedi, once again defeated, were banished from known space.

They arrived on Korriban, the home of the Sith people, a primitive but Force-sensitive species. The Dark Jedi impressed the Sith with displays of Force power, and became the rulers of the planet and formed the Sith Empire. Over time, the Dark Jedi intermarried with the Sith, and the two identities merged. The term ‘Sith’ would later come to refer not only to the Sith species but also to the Dark Jedi who followed the codes of these ancient Jedi.

In 5,000 BBY the Jedi and the Sith Empire clashed in the Great Hyperspace War. The Sith were defeated, but would return to haunt the Jedi in the Old Sith Wars and the New Sith Wars.

Sometime over the next one thousand years, the Republic granted the Jedi land over a Force nexus: a sacred mountain on Coruscant. The Jedi eventually centralized themselves here, founding the Jedi Temple in 4,019 BBY, which would stand for four thousand years.

Between the end of the Great Sith War in 3,996 BBY and the beginning of the Mandalorian Wars in 3,963 BBY, some Jedi traditions and organizational structures seem to have changed quite radically. Jedi of the period prior to the Great Sith War were openly allowed to marry and raise families. Each Jedi apprentice would be trained at a local Praxeum run by individual Jedi Masters, each of whom had a number of students. Governance of the Jedi Order was handled by a large-scale temporary gathering called a Jedi Convocation or Jedi Assembly.



After the Great Sith War, the Jedi seem to have adopted a stricter monastic code, forbidding marriage and other family attachments. The looser Jedi Convocation gave way to a permanent Jedi Council on Coruscant, made up of 12 respected Jedi Masters. Regional enclave councils, such as the one on Dantooine, handled day-to-day issues in more remote areas, and ultimately answered to the Jedi High Council on Coruscant. This is the earliest point at which the term Padawan is verified as having been in wide use, and more individualized one-on-one relationships between Masters and Padawans replaced the larger classes of the Praxeum system. It is also possible that this was the point at which the revised version of the Jedi Code as established by Master Odan-Urr began to be accepted as the canonical version.

"Darker, the coming storm grows."

- Yoda

Twice the Jedi Order was near extinction&mdash;in the aftermath of the Old Sith Wars and in the years following the Great Jedi Purge&mdash;but both times it managed to recover.

Timeline of major events in Jedi history
Here are some of the notable events found in Jedi history:

Founding
25,000 BBY- The followers of the Ashla founded the Jedi Order after winning the Force Wars on Tython.

The First Great Schism
The First Great Schism was the origin of the first split between the Light and Dark Jedi. It occurred around 24,500 BBY. A group of dissident Jedi led by General Xendor established the Legions of Lettow. The tensions between the Light and Dark Jedi ended when Xendor was killed.

Hundred-Year Darkness
7,000 BBY - 6,900 BBY- The Second Great Schism (7,003 BBY) led to the second conflict between Jedi and Dark Jedi. The Dark Jedi where led by such rogue Jedi as Ajunta Pall. But, under combined efforts from the Jedi, the Dark Jedi were pushed back and their last stand was on the world of Corbos. After their defeat, the surviving Dark Jedi were rounded up by the Republic armies, Stripped of weapons and armor and exiled to the worlds that became the Sith Empire.

The Great Hyperspace War
5,000 BBY- The Great Hyperspace War was a war fought between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire. After it overcame the initial shock of the Sith Invasion, the Republic's armadas regrouped and annihilated the Sith Empire, forcing the Dark Lord Naga Sadow to exile himself to Yavin 4 and ending the golden age of the Sith. At the end of the Great Hyperspace War, the Jedi Odan-Urr founded the great museum city on the planet Ossus. Stored within its countless libraries and vaults were ancient Jedi artifacts gathered by his fallen Master Ooroo as well as Sith artifacts collected from the wreckage of their invasion fleet.

The Old Sith Wars
4,015 BBY- 3,951 BBY- The Old Sith War started with the Great Droid Revolution of 4,015 BBY and ended with the Destruction of Malachor V in 3,951 BBY. During these sixty-four years of continues war the Jedi Order was almost completely annihilated, but in the end the Sith where still unable to take over the galaxy. The Old Sith Wars included, among others, the Mandalorian Wars (3,976 BBY - 3,960 BBY), the Jedi Civil War (3,959 BBY - 3,956 BBY) and the First Sith Civil War (3,956 BBY - 3,955 BBY). Several Major figures included Ulic Qel-Droma, Exar Kun, Darth Revan, Darth Malak, Bastila Shan and the Jedi Exile.

The New Sith Wars
2,000 BBY- 1,000 BBY- A millennium of wars arise. After seven battles on the planet Ruusan, the Sith are apparently defeated. Although the Jedi do not know, Sith Lord Darth Bane has started his own Sith organization, in which the Rule of Two is a key factor.

Return of the Sith
32 BBY- 19 BBY- The Sith resurface, resulting in the Clone Wars, and the fall of the Republic. The Confederacy of Independant Systems, led by ex-Jedi Dooku, made up the opposing side of the Republic during the Clone Wars, in which many Jedi died or fell to the dark side of the Force, Anakin Skywalker being among these. The Clone Wars ended with Dooku, General Grevious, and Nute Gunray and the Seperatist Council being killed. Only a precious few survived the grip of the Galactic Empire after the Great Jedi Purge.

The Jedi Return

 * 4 ABY- Luke Skywalker becomes the first of the new Jedi and manages to return his father Anakin Skywalker, known as the Sith Lord Darth Vader, to the light side. Anakin's last deed as a Jedi is to destroy Darth Sidious. Luke goes on to construct a New Jedi Order, and even builds a Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV.

Political organization
"Once you embrace the Republic, the power of all Jedi is ready to serve you."

- Ulic Qel-Droma



Eventually the Jedi formed a central political entity called the Jedi Council. The High Council was a gathering of great minds that acted as a governing body for the Order, as well as an advisory board for the Old Republic Senate. The Jedi Council could only have 12 members at a time.

Among other tasks, the Jedi eventually became responsible for law enforcement and peacekeeping in the Galactic Republic. Many Jedi held different opinions on peacekeeping; while some favored diplomacy at all costs, others advocated a more direct approach, such as issuing "aggressive negotiations," with the majority striking a balance between the two extremes.

The Jedi Council of 4,000 BBY refused to enter the Mandalorian Wars until they felt the "threat had been assessed", taking a more passive stance on the issue. Later, perhaps due to the Order's near extinction as a result of that decision, the Jedi that rebuilt took a slightly more aggressive stance, culminating in the New Sith Wars where they actively ruled the Republic as a quasi-military dictatorship. During the Clone Wars, in the twilight years of the Galactic Republic, the Jedi acted as Generals, soldiers and military advisors in the conflict.

Council Members
Nomi Sunrider

Atris

Dorak

Zez-Kai Ell

Kavar

Vrook Lamar

Zhar Lestin

Vandar Tokare

Lonna Vash

Masters
Vodo-Siosk Baas

Ood Bnar

Lucien Draay

Hoth

Arca Jeth

Arren Kae

Kreia

Memit Nadill

Odan-Urr

Ooroo

Quatra

Thon

Council Members


Yoda

Adi Gallia

Depa Billaba

Micah Giett

Kit Fisto

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Ki-Adi Mundi

Plo Koon

Eeth Koth

Jocasta Nu

Even Piell

Yarael Poof

Oppo Rancisis

Sifo-Dyas

Anakin Skywalker

Saesee Tiin

Tyvokka

Mace Windu

Yaddle

Masters
Anoon Bondara

Sora Bulq

Caudle

Tsui Choi

Roron Corobb

N'Kata Del Gormo

Dooku

Cin Drallig

Sharad Hett

Kai Hudorra

Ikrit

Qui-Gon Jinn

Tholme

Luminara Unduli

Quinlan Vos

Zao

Notable Knights
Barriss Offee

Aayla Secura

Luke Skywalker

Locations
The Jedi Order had outposts on many worlds, and possibly even controlled a few throughout its history. These outposts included, the Ilum Crystal Caves, the Chu'unthor, The Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, the Enclave on Bespin, and the Jedi Temple.



AgriCorps and Other Organizations
If a Jedi Padawan was not chosen by a Jedi Knight or Master by age 13, he was to enter into another organization of the Jedi Order. If he was in the AgriCorps, he would use his Force powers to care for crops, and he was to use his healing powers if he was chosen into the Medical Corps.

Appearances
''Most other works in which Jedi before the Galactic Civil War appear.
 * Tales of the Jedi
 * Cloak of Deception
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Jedi Quest series
 * ''Jedi Apprentice series