Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

INTRODUCTION:  SO WHAT DO THE JEDI SAY AND DO IN THE ACTUAL CANON?
Welcome to part four of my Jedi In Canon citations project! It's been more than half a year since the last one, but a lot happened IRL for me and I went through a pretty hard stage of burnout on the supplementary stuff and needed to take some time away. But I've wandered back and found myself enjoying this again and Tumblr tells me they still find this project useful, so onwards I go!

As always, while you don't need to read them in order per se, at least skimming the notes for how this project is set up and what continuity is what may be useful if this the first one you've stumbled over. While each work in this series can stand on its own (and is done this way to keep track of what's been newly added), ultimately it's meant to be part of one large reference guide that will all be collated into one post someday. Someday someday someday. If one section seems thin, it might have more citations in a different work, I just add things into categories as I go. Some sections are super long and will eventually be more fine-tuned into better sub-categories, but for now they're there in the list and that's the important thing. Etc.

And, also as always, this still is not an attempt to force anyone to like the Jedi or to follow these elements of worldbuilding--you do you, babe. I'm just collating this stuff for those who want to use it for fic writing or references in writing meta posts or just find it interesting, and most of all because I had fun doing it!

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE:
In this section, I will include many quotes from Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade but I was somewhat selective in my choice of what to include, because the structure of the book is that of a character who is actively choosing to fall to the dark side and that warps her perspective, making her an increasingly extremely unreliable narrator as the novel goes on. I've done my best to include things that I feel fairly confident that aren't just Iskat's psychic connection to the dark side taking over that are lies being whispered in her ear, which means this guide will not be an accurate representation of what the book is about, but that's not the point of this guide--it's about what the Jedi themselves say and do.

Others may disagree about Rise of the Red Blade, but many times there are things like Iskat thinking that Sember thought she was a horrible student, meanwhile Sember makes a soul-deep confession as she's dying, not even realizing Iskat is there, saying she was a good Padawan. Or that Sember tells her directly, when Iskat confesses that she thinks she's broken, that none of them are perfect and Iskat is certainly not broken, she just has to work a little harder than most. Or Iskat is convinced the other Padawans hate her, but when she actually confronts one as an adult Inquisitor, they immediately trust her. A Jedi Master who was always kind to her tries to get her to see how deep she is in the dark, to tell her that they were trying to help her, that the dark side is lying to her and twisting things, but she's too far gone into the dark to hear him. A character who seems like a reasonable outside influence who encourages Iskat's mistrust of the Jedi, actually turns out to be a spy actively encouraging her into the dark side. Iskat thinks that no Jedi was willing to teach her, to guide her, to connect with her--right after Jocasta Nu just offered her an apprenticeship in the Archives.

For these reasons, while there is much in the book that's like, "The Jedi were just saying empty platitudes." or that they taught her to suppress her emotions or that a Jedi was being cold to her, I have not included them, because the structure of the book is such that I felt those things were consistently enough contradicted by what the other Jedi themselves said and did outside of Iskat's perspective, that it was evidenced she was falling to the dark side--and the dark side lies.

CONTENTS OF THIS GUIDE:
SECTION 1 - HOW THE FORCE WORKS
SECTION 2 - JEDI CULTURE & PHILOSOPHY & TEACHINGS
SECTION 3 - JEDI AS A PEOPLE
SECTION 4 - PSYCHIC SPACE WIZARDS DOING PSYCHIC SPACE WIZARD THINGS
SECTION 5 - JEDI TEMPLES
SECTION 6 - JEDI AND THE BIGGER GALAXY
SECTION 7 - EVERYTHING ELSE (REAL WORLD ANALYSIS + OTHER NOTES)

Chapter Text

HOW THE FORCE WORKS (AND OTHER STAR WARS THEMES):
HOW THE FORCE WORKS AND FEELS - PREQUELS:

•       Obi-Wan reached out into the currents of the Force, sinking into it to let it carry him…somewhere. But it didn't. The normal sense of flow that came with connecting to the Force felt dissonant here—interrupted, chaotic, blocked, an unexpected fight required to get through the thick cloak draped over it.
        The dark side. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       He shut his eyes and let the Force flow through him, igniting perceptions far beyond his physical senses. Murmurs from the crowd danced like raindrops in an ocean, individual strikes that melded into the greater flow.
        The energy shackles around his wrists deactivated, circuits crunched through the Force to turn the bindings into deadweight. At the same time, he stretched his senses upward, far up the tower to pull his lightsaber free.
        In his slowed perception, another blaster bolt discharged, a burst of red starting to escape a guard's muzzle. Milliseconds after it came the others, a gap that felt like minutes in this state. As this played out, the lightsaber hurtled through the air. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
• While there’s a foundation of consistency in the Force having worldbuilding rules, some Jedi do experience the Force a bit differently:
         - One thing at a time. Mill closed her eyes and looked through the Force. The city's residents appeared in swirling colors—not quite the level of suffering she'd felt on Cato Neimoidia. This was calmer, like they'd gotten used to their situation. But here, Rokura spiked in her vision, shades of red in the form of a Gharal girl.
         - "Something's happening to him," Mill said. "His emotions are like a cloud of different colors."
         - "He's calm now," Mill said. "Like something turned off all his emotions. All his colors went dark."
        - Not because his emotions were hidden. No, it was that they were all there, each one fighting to be seen and heard, like every color thrown on top of one another to blur themselves all out.
        - This massive wave of pain all came from the south side, and as she closed her eyes to let the Force color in her true vision, she saw it. Not the damage of the people watching the trial, but injured Neimoidians and others, lying down in a huge makeshift infirmary. The voices of the trial faded away as Mill gave in to the vision, the burning-red silhouettes of each and every person filling up her mind's eye until she finally forced herself to return to the here and now. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        "I feel the Force," she whispered. "Join me in meditation."
         Anakin complied with the youngling's request, closing his eyes and reaching into the Force. Currents surrounded him like waves in an ocean, each one pushing and pulling at different pieces of him. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       Anakin knelt down and took [Mill’s] hands, and though he probably didn't realize it, such an act connected them in the Force the same way it did when they were in deep meditation together above the boarding ramp.
       She saw it again, as if the Force put Anakin's inner storm directly into her mind:
       A blanket of deep black, and in the center of it, a bright, burning sphere.
       No. Tiny white dots littered the blanket, a canvas of space. And in the middle of it all sat the molten intensity of a star.
       During meditation, she saw this, a peek into what must have always been going on inside Anakin's soul. But here, with Master Nema training her abilities for greater control, greater insight, the vision took her into the star, beyond layers of whipping flares and surface fire.
       Deep within the star swirled the form of a dragon, its long body twisting and twirling. And between the flaming claws, the dragon clutched something...inscrutable. A brilliant, fragile light, something that felt like it could either explode or extinguish if the dragon let go for just a second. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       Master Nema explained Mill's gift as a connection to the way emotions pushed and pulled at the Force. And now she saw into his very essence—a smoldering furnace of a heart, a passion so furious that the intensity of his feelings might be the very thing to incinerate himself into his worst nightmare: a cold, withered dragon's final grasp for control, its brilliant home burned away into a lifeless lump of minerals. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

HOW THE FORCE WORKS AND FEELS - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•      The tiny trickle of a babbling brook grew into a steady stream, which in turn grew into a rushing river, pouring into the wide sea that was the Force. Every Jedi perceived the Force slightly differently, and for Vernestra it had always been a waterway that connected all life in the galaxy. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•        Vernestra breathed slowly as she meditated, her entire being linked deeply with the Force. She was still not great at emptiness; she often too quickly landed back in her physical self as her daily worries gnawed at her, but she was getting better.  Not that she'd had a lot of time to practice. As often as she'd been sent out on missions in the past year, this kind of personal time was a gift. The steady detachment made her feel more at peace and more centered, which was exactly what she needed.  [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       The living Force was the energy that connected all living things to one another, but the cosmic Force was the galaxy itself and was wide and vast. It was easy to get lost in the massiveness of it all if one desired. Some Jedi frowned on those who neglected their physical selves for too long to pursue the calling of the cosmic Force.
        Still, sometimes Vernestra could feel the cosmic Force calling to her like far-off waves, and she wondered what she would find if she just followed that sound to the edges of the known galaxy. It wasn't an impulse she indulged too often. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI AND FACING THE DARK SIDE - PREQUELS:

• Jedi are meant to acknowledge the dark side, but then let it pass:
        "Can you read it?" Iskat asked.
       Sember was horrified by the thought. "I wouldn't dare try. Do your best to forget this thing; close yourself away from it. The dark side is cloying, like yista bugs burrowing under your skin and slowly sickening you. The Jedi Council will decide what to do with it, but our duty is to keep it away from anyone who might seek to use it for harm. In your travels, if you find anything similar, you must obtain it with the same skill as any Jedi artifact and contain it as soon as possible. Don't touch it, don't read it. Acknowledge your curiosity, but let it pass. I wanted you to feel it in the Force so that you would be able to recognize something similar later, but any such contact should be brief. Some knowledge is not worth the cost." [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
• Jedi, by their nature, do not generally council ignorance, it’s only when faced with a Sith text, which is far more dangerous and potent than the ‘normal’ dark side (which is furthered by how Iskat has never felt anything like the Sith text, as well as her own deep well of rage in the dark side is almost nothing when faced with Palpatine or Vader’s depth in the dark side--there’s a world of difference when it comes to the Sith), that Sember Vey cautioned ignoring something for the first time to Iskat:
       Iskat tucked that away for later and went about securing the rest of the cargo as Sember took the pilot's seat. Even locked in the safe, she could feel the text reaching out with the blind probing of a plant mindlessly sending vines out to seek sunlight. Sember was entirely dedicated to hunting down artifacts and cataloging Jedi knowledge, and this was the first time she'd stood on the side of ignorance in all their time together. [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•       "The Fifth Brother," Cal asked instead, in return. "You could have done what you did to Vader. Could have gone to the dark side to eliminate him once and for all. Why didn't you?"
        Cere gave a wry smile. "Cal. You know why."
        "Tell me anyway."
        The older woman took a breath. "The dark side of the Force, your potential connection to it," Cere responded after a moment, "is not something to turn on and off like a faucet. It's not a switch you flick when you need it. It's the first step on a road you often can't get off once you start down it. It was successful when I used it against Vader, but it was the wrong thing to do. Jedi can't judge everything based on success. We must judge our actions on whether they were right, and in service of the light." [Star Wars: Jedi: Battle Scars]

JEDI AND FACING THE DARK SIDE - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

• The High Republic Jedi teach the same thing as Yoda does in the original trilogy:
        “It’s as Master Yoda always says, once you walk the dark path-- it’s forever in your heart.” --Avar Kriss, when Sskeer is still struggling with anger and the dark side [Star Wars: The High Republic 2021]
       “If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.” --Yoda [Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back]
• But that’s not the same thing as not being able to come back:
       "Together, we will work to help you conquer your fear, Azlin Rell. Lost in the dark side you may be, but found, lost things may be, mm? The light is never gone. It is always waiting."
        "Do you believe that to be true, Yoda?"
        "Strike you as one who says things that are not true, do I? The light is there for all. For me, for you.. for all." --Yoda & Azlin Rell [Star Wars: The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight]

THE DARK SIDE IS COLD - PREQUELS:

• While not perfectly consistent in books/comics, within the movies and the TV series (the foundational canon that’s the basis of our understanding of Star Wars) does consistently portray it that way and some of the supplementary material supports it, too:
       “But the cold of evil was already around us.” --Obi-Wan [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]

JEDI AND THE NEED TO FOCUS, TO BE CALM WHEN USING THE FORCE - PREQUELS:

• When Obi-Wan focuses on the Jedi way, the determination to protect and save life, he suddenly finds the way before him much clearer:
       "My vows reverberated in my mind then.  Protect.  Preserve life.  That is the Jedi way.  Suddenly the way forward became much clearer." --Obi-Wan Kenobi [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
•       "Who's there?" Ventress barked, reaching out through the Force. Thanks to the throbbing in her head and the pain in her leg, her connection to the Force was horrifically, embarrassingly weak [....]. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
•       [Ventress’] leg and head were the real problems; everything else ranged from slightly bruised to perfectly fine, but her leg was badly broken and she was fairly certain she had a concussion. Throwing all her concentration into the gesture, she attempted to use the Force to push herself up off the ground and free herself from the column, but it was no use. Thanks to the concussion, her usual powers were flickering like a fried droid. The cracked stone barely twitched.  [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
•       "I warn you again. Do not lose yourself in this puzzle. Quiet your mind so that you may be able to reach out and find those in need." --Qui-Gon [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
•       "Master Qui-Gon, are our blades... dimmer?"
        "Perhaps... but don't let confusion cloud your--" --Obi-Wan & Qui-Gon [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
• It’s not just a Jedi belief, but that they actually do genuinely have to have calm, clear minds to properly use the Force, that Obi-Wan can’t make progress on the mission until he re-centers himself by remembering his training:
        "My goggles were failing. My saber was failing. But in truth... I was failing. I sought to dive deep past the roiling waves of my mind's surface and reclaim tranquility. I remembered my training." --Obi-Wan [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]

JEDI AND THE NEED TO FOCUS, TO BE CALM WHEN USING THE FORCE - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•      "Master Tarl is in good hands.  The best thing we can do is find a way out of this wreck.  The hatch is buckled shut.  Help me open it."
       "Yes, Master."
       "Clear your mind, Coron."
       "I... I... I can't." [Star Wars: The Nameless Terror]
•       And then Vernestra was leaping through the air, letting gravity pull her toward the surface of the planet, too fast. This was the part where jumping from such a great height could be tricky. Giving in to fear, letting one's focus wander and losing that vital connection to the Force, could mean disaster, and then instead of using the Force to control her fall at the last possible moment and landing nimbly on her feet, she would plow into the ground, and that would be the end of Vernestra Rwoh. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI EMOTIONS ARE ABOUT CONTROL NOT SUPPRESSION - PREQUELS:

• The prequels Jedi were fine with love, as Gehren says Obi-Wan is so, so loved by the Jedi:
       "That's not true.  You're loved in the clan.  So much so." --Gehren Rand [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
• When Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are on a mission to a nearly lightless planet, Obi-Wan experiences a lot of anxiety and there’s never any indication that it’s not allowed, but instead it’s normal, you just have to work through it, for a Jedi connected to the Force:
       - “I knew right away this wasn’t merely a lack of light... and I grew anxious.”
       - “It chilled me to even say that ancient word aloud.”
       - “Was there fear in me as I rushed to face the shadow?  Oh, yes. A great deal.” [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
•      "Meditation is about more than just forging a deeper connection to the Force... it is about gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves. It is a means of obtaining a greater control over our thoughts. Our emotions. Peace, serenity, harmony. We must master ourselves before he can hope to master the Force." [Star Wars: Age of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi]
•      "I once knew someone, a teacher, a mentor," Qui-Gon said. "Someone who I looked to as my guide in all things. He made a choice—he did something that I couldn't fathom. It created a feeling inside me. A doubt and fear that I never thought I could overcome. I was lost for a good while. Shaken to my core."
       Lizel wiped at her eyes as Qui-Gon continued.
       "But over time, that fear and doubt became something else—it became resolve. A feeling of understanding and confidence—in myself and what I was capable of," Qui-Gon said. "It would have been normal to resent him. To blame this other person's decisions for whatever errors I made. But that would also have been the easy path, a lazy and passive one."
       "So...what did you do?" Lizel asked. "What do I do?"
       Qui-Gon turned to face the child. He looked into her eyes—he saw youth, fear, insecurity, and rebellion. But he also saw hope—and strength.
       "I trusted myself. I worked harder. I accepted that one man's mistakes would never carry the weight of my own," Qui-Gon said. "I studied the Jedi teachings. I interpreted them as best I could. And I listened and learned. We are all flawed, Lizel. We all make errors of judgment. It's how we recover from them that defines us." [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
•      "You are stronger than I am at the moment, and better positioned, as I said. And skilled enough in the Force, you are. Trust yourself. Trust your feelings. Close your eyes. Concentrate. Reach out... feel the space between you and the droid.” [Star Wars: Yoda]
•      "Do your best to forget this [Sith text calling out to be touched]; close yourself away from it. The dark side is cloying, like yista bugs burrowing under your skin and slowly sickening you. The Jedi Council will decide what to do with it, but our duty is to keep it away from anyone who might seek to use it for harm. In your travels, if you find anything similar, you must obtain it with the same skill as any Jedi artifact and contain it as soon as possible. Don't touch it, don't read it. Acknowledge your curiosity, but let it pass." [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•      "Duels often bring out emotions that can otherwise be kept at bay," Sember finally said. "A fight, even if a playful fight, is still a fight. It is a dance between life and death. We are all given unique gifts and challenges, and it just so happens that yours are one and the same. Your connection with the Force is both powerful and hard to control, but it is not insurmountable. Mastering yourself is the work of a lifetime. You have grown so much, but you are still in many ways a child."
       "Master, I try so hard—"
       "As Master Yoda once told me when I was much younger, do or do not, there is no try." Sember gave a small and almost fond smile.
       "How do I do, then? More meditation? Another amulet? I want so badly to be better, but it's like there is something broken inside me."
       Master Sember put a hand on her shoulder, the touch a rare kindness. "You are not broken. We are all imperfect beings, striving for enlightenment. You just have to strive a little more than most." [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•       "Master Jocasta, you knew my Master, Sember Vey, didn't you?" Iskat began, once the youngling had returned to his table.
        Jocasta paused, holotape in hand, a brief look of pain flitting across her eyes.
        "Oh, yes. Sember always loved the archives, and her dedication brought many rare and useful volumes to our shelves. Do you share her love of knowledge?" [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•       It was only a chair. And yet it meant so much more.
        Though some time had passed, Obi-Wan still felt a complete spectrum of emotions when he entered the Jedi Council Chamber and looked at the chair designated for him. He tried to let each feeling pass, though guilt was often the last to leave. Of course he wouldn't turn down the opportunity to fill Coleman Trebor's spot, even on a temporary basis; sitting on the Council was among the highest honors for any Jedi. The responsibility itself hadn't proved daunting—after all, he'd mentored the most powerful and headstrong Jedi in recent memory. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        The various Council members murmured an affirmation, a vote of confidence in Obi-Wan that explained Yoda's look. He inhaled sharply at this realization, and uncertainty flooded him—not at the ability to do the job that he'd meticulously researched and planned out. But at the trust the Council—the chancellor—placed in him.
        Had he earned it?
        Obi-Wan let the feeling pass and simply bowed his head. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       He rarely saw Satine's face before his eyes, and doing so triggered a wave of emotions he recognized, the urge to dream of a different life, a different galaxy.
        But as he always did, he let the thought flutter away, evaporating before ever taking root. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        In the quiet confines of the cell, Obi-Wan found himself doing something as silly as wishing things were different, when he needed Anakin most.
        Obi-Wan let that feeling pass, knowing that any energy put into those thoughts would likely be wasted. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        A Jedi controlled panic, recognizing the onset of such an urge and then tempering it with both physical and emotional control. But considering the contents of the case—a single comlink and a small datapad that might change the fate of the galaxy—brought Obi-Wan the closest to panic he probably would ever get. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       As Anakin and Padmé oversaw the data upload, Obi-Wan finally identified this strange feeling in him, something so rare and foreign that it took a barrage of questions and the weight of self-doubt to recognize:
        Regret.
        Qui-Gon had occasionally revealed his own questions and insecurities, even turning down a seat on the Jedi Council to remain Obi-Wan's teacher, yet did it ever coalesce into something quite like this?
        But, as he'd been trained since he was a youngling, Obi-Wan let the feeling go, allowing it to evaporate into nothing rather than stifling it down into a scar that might fester. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        "I'm mostly worried about you," Cere admitted, her voice quiet. "Your dogged determination to topple the Empire stops you from seeing the good we've been doing in the moment. Even these small things, they've all helped, even if we can't keep doing this forever. Single-minded obsession is dangerous, for a Jedi. Even good intentions can lead to a dark path." [Star Wars: Jedi: Battle Scars]
•        Seconds. They had been mere seconds away from Ketar detonating the final bomb himself, and any sort of emotional entanglements—or simple caring—could easily pull someone away for those slivers of time. Had those seconds come in another situation, one where Anakin's decision making might make or break the galaxy, how would his personal feelings interfere?
        The issue required a confrontation. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       Obi-Wan stopped himself there, letting the thought pass, along with the urge to either confront Anakin about his infatuations or tell the Jedi Council his concerns. Instead, he asked himself a simple question, one that crystallized the truth of Anakin's past, present, and future:
        Did he believe that Anakin would make the right choice when called upon?
        [....] Without hesitation, without questioning or searching for justification, Obi-Wan found himself saying yes. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

JEDI EMOTIONS ARE ABOUT CONTROL NOT SUPPRESSION - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•       JANO: “Cheer up, big guy. You did good.”
        NIB ASSEK: “Taking life is never good.”
        TEFF: “At least the corridor is clear.”
        BURRYAGA: (WHIMPERS)
        NIB ASSEK: “(WITH GENUINE EMPATHY) We will meditate on this later, apprentice.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
•       Imri's head shot up, and his frown deepened a bit. "It's okay. I feel that way sometimes, as well," the boy said, patting Reath's hand solicitously. The tiny bit of annoyed jealousy that had been threatening to well up in Reath melted away, and he blinked.
        "What did you just do?" Reath asked, ignoring Vernestra's question about Genetia.
        "I—I didn't do anything," Imri said, his pale cheeks going ruddy.
        "Yes, you did. I felt it, as well," Vernestra said, her polite smile fading away. "It felt like"—she did a motion with her hand—"like smoothing. But what were you smoothing?"
        "I just—Reath seemed a bit upset, and I wanted him to feel better."
        "You soothed my annoyance," Reath said, intrigued by Imri's use of the Force. "Not so much manipulated it but just, kind of dulled the sensation."
        Vernestra stood. "That can't be good. Imri, you can't use the Force to manipulate others."
        Reath opened his mouth to defend Imri—he'd met Loden Greatstorm before he'd been lost, and knew that the technique was rare but when used correctly could be greatly beneficial—but he was cut off by a burst of emotion from the other Padawan.
        "I didn't mean to!" he said, and Vernestra raised her hands in surrender.
        "Tranquility, Imri. Take a deep breath. I know it might have been instinctual, but we're going to have to work on this to make sure you can control it. But first, let's go talk to Master Maru. He may know what it was that you did and may know of some exercises for it. Or there might be something in the library we can research." Vernestra gave Reath an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I really did want to hear about your trip. Things have been hard since the tragedy on Valo, and this is one of the things we're sort of working on." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       "You're afraid of what will happen if I go someplace crowded, like Coruscant," Imri said.
        "You are entirely too good at reading emotions," Vernestra said with a wan smile. "But, yes. Imri, ever since Valo I've felt unsteady. The suffering we saw there, the loss of life . . ." Vernestra's voice trailed off, and she took a deep breath, recentering herself. "I never thought something so terrible could happen. But I've been able to meditate to help with those feelings. But I sense that for you, you've been directing it to other places. And I'm worried about you." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       Vernestra nodded. "Wanting to help is a good thing, but this is too much, Imri. A Jedi should be able to sense and understand those around them, but changing their emotions is something else."
        "Is it a dark side ability?" Imri asked, face stricken.
        Vernestra shook her head. "No, it's not that, not in the least. The old stories say that the Sith used emotions as a weapon, which is one of the reasons the Order cautions against things like attachment. You're trying to make people feel better, trying to ease their pain. It's less a bad thing and more that you're overstepping. People should be allowed their emotions, to deal with them as they see fit. You're taking that choice away from them." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       She realized with a jolt that she really, really wanted to teach the Nihil a lesson. Vengeance was not the way of the Jedi, but Vernestra could not stop seeing the destruction on Valo. She woke some nights to the wailing of the people hurt in the attack, the cries of pain and terror echoing in her mind even though it had been weeks. Master Josiah, a Jedi counselor who helped ensure Jedi remained balanced after terrible events, had told her once that remembering was part of how one dealt with the pain and trauma of a disaster, but Vernestra would have liked to remember a little bit less. Her anger over the Nihil could become a liability if she gave into it completely instead of acknowledging it, letting it go, and remembering her oath as a Jedi.
        "Vernestra?" Imri said, giving her a concerned look as they stood outside of the lift.
        "I'm fine, Imri, thank you," she said, feeling the Padawan's query. She took a deep breath and vowed to take some time to meditate as soon as they had a break when they hit hyperspace. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•        Vernestra couldn't help wincing. Jordanna didn't know she had been on Valo during the attack. She didn't know the survivor's guilt that Vernestra carried around like an overstuffed knapsack. Was there something more she could have done? A quick glance at Imri confirmed that he didn't sense any of her sudden grief, and she took a deep breath and released it. As long as she could control her emotions well enough to keep her Padawan from sensing them, she was still coping as well as could be expected.
        Perhaps she would find some space to meditate when they were on their way once more. It was the only way Vernestra knew to calm the maelstrom of emotions that had plagued her since the Republic Fair attack. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•        Imri gave Vernestra a sharp look, and she took a deep breath before grabbing hold of her rampant emotions. It had been a very eventful day, but she still needed to set an example for Imri, and falling to pieces was not it. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

THE FORCE CAN BE UNRELIABLE - PREQUELS:

• Force visions are not reliable and we do not know the purpose behind them, whether the Force is encouraging them or discouraging them.  [Attack of the Clones + Revenge of the Sith + The Clone Wars]

THE FORCE CAN BE UNRELIABLE - SEQUELS:

•      [Kylo had] glimpsed her parents in a vision, a poor, frightened couple eking out a meager existence, surviving ont he edge of desperation.  He hadn't been lying when he'd told her they were nothing, nobodies.
       But Force visions were filled with tricky truths and potential realities.  Maybe he had missed something. [Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker novelization]

THE FORCE CAN BE UNRELIABLE - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•      CREIGHTON: (FRUSTRATED) “Whoever it is doing this, Aida—I admit it. They've got me rattled. Why didn't I sense anything until the last moment?”
       AIDA: “Why didn't either of us?” [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha]

Chapter Text

JEDI PHILOSOPHY + TEACHINGS - PREQUELS:

•      "You are Jedi Knights." Master Windu's voice boomed out as he paced back and forth, as if to call any waning attention back to his intimidating form. "Responsibility. Peace. Discipline. You are the examples the galaxy looks to. Your successes will carry through the Republic and beyond. As will your mistakes. Your choices will matter, helping the Jedi maintain order during a time of discord. The younglings look up to you. Your choices matter to them. And some of you will receive Padawans of your own. Your choices"—Mace enunciated each word with heightened diction—"will matter to them as well."
• Even when Qui-Gon disagreed with the Council, they still wanted him for important missions, like bringing back one of their lost children:
       But Qui-Gon also knew he was not chosen at random for this mission. The Council did not operate in a vacuum. They were well aware of Qui-Gon's own issues with the Jedi as a whole, and with his past. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• In The Phantom Menace Qui-Gon pushes the Council a bit, but abides by their decisions and carried an expectation that he would be listened to.
•      "My vows reverberated in my mind then.  Protect.  Preserve life.  That is the Jedi way." --Obi-Wan Kenobi [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
•       “Always more to learn, there is.” --Yoda [Star Wars: Age of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi]
• The Jedi believe, if you’re going to train someone, you must commit to training them, you have to be serious about it, because a half-trained Jedi is a danger to themselves and others:
        “"Very dangerous, a poorly trained jedi is. To others and to himself. If train him you must, young Kenobi... train him well." --Yoda says to Obi-Wan Kenobi, when he’s hesitating to let Anakin come along on missions because of his own reservations not Anakin’s [Star Wars: Age of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi]
•      Wasn't this what he lived for, Qui-Gon wondered. To fight? To defend the Jedi beliefs? [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• Questions are shown as natural and a good thing, valued by the Jedi:
        Qui-Gon straightened up and placed a hand on Lizel's tiny shoulder.
       "That was a foolish mistake on their part. A mistake born of hubris and ignorance," he said. "You made one, as well—but yours was a natural one. We all must question what's asked of us from time to time. Those who follow blindly are bound to trip and fall."
       Lizel's eyes widened in surprise.
       "Are you sure, Master? Do you ever question the Jedi ways?" she asked. "It all feels so...predetermined. I felt like I'd failed my future self."
       Qui-Gon scoffed.
       "Questioning is in itself the Jedi way," he said. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
       "We need you on the Council, Qui-Gon. We need your wisdom. Dooku was lost. Something pulled him away. We need you by our side, my friend." [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• When Qui-Gon is hurt by the loss of Dooku, the Jedi want to offer him both a position on the Council because they want even more varied voices, and because teaching helps them as much as it helps their students, including that this mission he was sent on was to bring back a lost Jedi child who wasn’t sure what to do:
        But Qui-Gon also knew he was not chosen at random for this mission. The Council did not operate in a vacuum. They were well aware of Qui-Gon's own issues with the Jedi as a whole, and with his past. While Qui-Gon was optimistic about his apprentice, he was also wary of the process—for he had been burned by loss. The loss of his master. The tearing down of a relationship meant to be closer than blood. Could someone like Qui-Gon, who'd lost his strongest anchor to the Jedi teachings, save another, younger hopeful?  [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• Jedi did not believe that anyone was above making mistakes, when Depa has failed and still isn’t totally recovered yet, she has acknowledged her issues and is reinstated on the High Council:
       "We cannot deny, Masters, that I failed you.  Failed you on a massive scale."
       "A lack of failure has never been a prerequisite to serve... else none of us would be here.  Welcome back to the Council, Master Billaba." --Depa Billaba, Obi-Wan Kenobi [Star Wars: Kanan]
•      “You shouldn’t wish bad things on people.  It’s not what a Jedi does.  I don’t want him to get in trouble.  I just want him to be my friend again.”  --Youngling Gheyr  [Star Wars: Yoda]
• The Jedi respect that each person must decide their own path, that they can teach and guide as best they’re able, but ultimately what they other person does with it is something they must decide on their own:
       "Choose the path for our students, we cannot.  Provide them with guidance? Yes.  Knowledge and wisdom as much as we ourselves possess such things.  But what they do with it?  They must take those steps on their own.  Otherwise, mere children they will always be." --Yoda [Star Wars: Yoda]
• Yoda makes a point of how the Jedi stop once in awhile to reconnect with nature and the Force, even Masters do this, just as much as the students:
       "Even a Jedi Master needs to stop.  Listen.  Reconnect we must, from time to time.  For our own sake and for our students'." --Yoda [Star Wars: Yoda]
• Jedi do not have a singular style of teaching, different teachers teach differently:
       Sember had never been an active and involved teacher, rarely utilizing lectures or lessons like the Jedi instructors back at the Temple. Instead of offering clear instruction, she expected Iskat to watch and learn. She often waited silently, hopeful that Iskat would figure out the next step herself; it was what she was doing now, her dark eyes focused and patient. [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
• Jedi are taught to reach out with their feelings:
        Iskat put her long, braided brown hair over her shoulder, focused on the object before her, and took a deep breath, opening her senses. "The text appears to be ancient, Master. I'm not familiar with the language. The pages are some kind of animal skin, almost translucent. The ink is dark red." She leaned close, careful not to touch the skins, and inhaled. "The tang of iron. Blood? Mixed with some sort of mineral powder."
       "That is what you can see. Reach out through the Force. What do you feel?" [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
• Jedi did not believe they had to be perfect, but instead that they were all imperfect and doing their best:
        "How do I do, then? More meditation? Another amulet? I want so badly to be better, but it's like there is something broken inside me."
        Master Sember put a hand on her shoulder, the touch a rare kindness. "You are not broken. We are all imperfect beings, striving for enlightenment. You just have to strive a little more than most."  [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
• Jedi teach that you should believe in yourself and work to help others achieve that, like with Yoda helping Anakin to have confidence in himself:
        “You said I had to be the one to stop the megadroid’s rotation because I was in the better position. But that was just a big pile of poodoo, wasn’t it? You wanted me to do it to prove to myself that I could, right?” --Anakin Skywalker [Star Wars: Yoda]
•       "If you had waited for me to help you, we would have had her."
        "I am a Jedi Knight now! I should have had her myself!"
        "No, remember your training. Sometimes a Jedi means slowing down and trusting other people. The important thing to me is that you don't get yourself killed." --Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker [Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories]
• And when Anakin achieves it, Yoda is proud of him:
        "You are stronger than I am at the moment, and better positioned, as I said. And skilled enough in the Force, you are. Trust yourself. Trust your feelings. Close your eyes. Concentrate. Reach out... feel the space between you and the droid. To the Force... all things are equal. There is no 'large' or 'small'. There is no 'heavy' or 'light'. There is just... light."
        "I did it."
         “Well done." --Yoda, Anakin Skywalker [Star Wars: Yoda]
•        "Focus on your control," Master Sember whispered as they waited their turn to disembark. "The peace you seek is within you. Trust yourself, but you must not give in to your emotions, my Padawan." [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
• Jedi did not forbid grieving those who died, but it was balanced with understanding that it was part of the nature of life and happiness that they were part of your life/will always be with you:
          "Rejoice, for he is one with the Force," Master Klefan said softly. "Now is a time of action, Zeeth. We will grieve together when it is safe to do so. For now, the galaxy needs you." [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•       "I can carry her [body]," Iskat told Master Klefan, and for the first time, she didn't make herself smaller or pitch her voice soft.
        "We can't risk it," he said. "Like Fvorn, she wouldn't want to be the cause of yet more death. Many Jedi lost their lives today, and she wouldn't want you to be one of them. We will mourn properly when we're safely back at the Temple. Now go." [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
• Jedi understand that death and killing are part of what comes with their lives, that life is sacred, but sometimes they will do what they must:
          Iskat felt Charlin's cold stare. "She didn't have to stay behind. The masters told us what to do, and she did...something else. Something brutal. First Tika, and now this. I'm not comfortable being around someone so dangerous."
        "Then stay away from Mace Windu," Master Ansho said, breaking up the circle with his presence. His large black eyes glistened, and his blue head tresses twitched as the powerful Nautolan let each Padawan feel the weight of his gaze. "And even Master Yoda. Jedi do what they must. We're on a mission. This isn't training anymore; sometimes out in the greater galaxy it's kill or be killed. I'm sure Iskat regrets what must be done, as do we all." [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
• The Jedi do not take everything super seriously, in addition to Yoda’s everything or Quinlan’s blase attitude or Kit’s smiling cheerfulness, sometimes a Jedi will see someone “meditating” so much they just assume they’re sneaking in a nap and are fine with it:
        Life in the Temple continued as it always had, just with a lot more meditations with Master Klefan or Master Uumay, the ancient Bimm who spent so much time communing with the Force that most people assumed he was napping.   [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•       "What I learned on the way to becoming a Jedi Knight," Anakin started, visualizing the speech he'd written on a datapad. All of the powers available through the Force—physical miracles, sensory impossibilities, mental alterations—and yet none of those gave him the snap recall for this presentation.
        He really should have brought that datapad instead of attempting to improvise.
        Ten younglings in front of him, all eyes trained on him regardless of age or species. "Sorry. Let me start again," he said with a half smile. "What I learned on the way to becoming a Jedi Knight. Humility. Trust. Focus. All of the tenets of the Jedi Order. But most of all, I learned about myself." [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
• Jedi encourage and use debate and arguments to create new ideas and solutions:
         All of this bought time for options, a stalling technique rather than pure escape. His ship had been confiscated, though jetting off would send the wrong message right now anyway, the appearance of guilt when he wanted discussion. He had no means of communication with Anakin, and while he often disagreed with his former Padawan, sometimes the mere act of debate and counterarguments produced a solution. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
• The Jedi did not believe or teach that any of them were perfect, not even the Council:
       “The Council is right about many things, but they aren't perfect." --Obi-Wan [Star Wars: Age of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi]
•       As [Cal] swam through the deep waters of the energy of the universe, he heard a voice in his mind, unbidden, but still welcome:
        Do not make hasty decisions based only on your emotions, it said. It was Jaro Tapal, his first master.
        And even in death, he was still frustratingly right. [Star Wars: Jedi: Battle Scars]
•      Cere sighed. "All right. Our mission is...to guarantee that the wisdom of the Jedi lives on. To establish a..." Cal watched her struggle for the right word for a second. "A legacy," she landed on with a firm nod. "There has to be meaning to what the Jedi believed and taught, even if there aren't Jedi to pass that wisdom on to. It's valuable knowledge about life and the nature of the galaxy, and it shouldn't disappear just because its stewards are no more. And it might help the people who take up this fight after us, and there has to be a safe haven out there, not just for our rest stops, but for people like us all the time. For people like Irei." [Star Wars: Jedi: Battle Scars]
•       “You have every right to be angry; you have every right to want a better life for your people and your children—you have earned your voice, as a people and for those represented by the Trade Federation. I understand the need to be heard, but I urge you now: Being heard requires truth and faith in return. So I ask you to judge the truths I will present in good faith.” --Obi-Wan [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       "Does the defendant wish to say any closing words?"
        Obi-Wan adjusted in his boots, his posture straight and eyes clear as he looked directly at the judge. "I have presented the truth." For hours, he'd crafted his backup plan, playing out every detail and option with the sole intent of not using it. The power of truth was supposed to win out, and its failure caused Obi-Wan to breathe out a defeated exhale, the sheer strangeness of raw emotional swings creating a brief but tangible bout of exhaustion. "And now I put my faith in you. I await your judgment." [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        The click of rifles unfurled all around him. A quick look saw weapons lifted one by one, and it didn't matter that his hands were still bound.
        Seconds ago, he'd sought the most peaceful, most diplomatic solution possible.
        Now, with Ketar's fear and rage driving the proceedings, combat felt inevitable. And it was his duty as a Jedi to redirect that violence in a way that minimized harm to the mourning populace, and indeed to a galaxy on the edge of ripping itself apart. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        "The Force brings us together at the right moments," Obi-Wan said, nodding at Mill. "He's right. Youngling, lead the way. And let's try to stay in the shadows. No more rooftop business for us; those seeker remotes will be looking." [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       "The spirit of cooperation is necessary for galactic peace. We must come together to stop this outside group that has unleashed havoc on your homeworld. Please look at my evidence. The Republic is not to blame here." --Obi-Wan [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       [Obi-Wan] shook his head, his shoulder-length hair flowing from side to side. "The youngling is safe?"
        "Shaken." They elevated, the cityscape below them becoming smaller and smaller. "But safe. She's brave."
        "She is a Jedi," Obi-Wan said, with such belief in his words, an absolute synthesis of bravery and purpose, as if it were impossible for the two to be separate, whether Initiate, Padawan, or Jedi Knight. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       The life of a Jedi, in all of the Order's forms, meant a life of sacrifice. But not to the point of self-destruction. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        But such coercion felt against the Jedi way. They lived a life guided by flow, not emotion. Anakin still had to master that fact. Obi-Wan told himself to be patient, and when Anakin was ready, then he would be ready in return, whether that was now or later. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

JEDI PHILOSOPHY + TEACHINGS - ORIGINALS:

•       "All Jedi walk their own path. All just must walk their own path. Know this, you do--or returned to me, you would have. You did not wish to speak to me, Luke. And so you did not. A great decision lies before you. It has nothing to do with the Force or being a Jedi. About yourself this decision will be. Until you make it, a Jedi you cannot be." --Yoda [Star Wars vol. 2]

JEDI PHILOSOPHY + TEACHINGS - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

• Intense hatred or pain or suffering can psychically attack a Jedi:
       "I'm sorry... it's just... something's wrong... I... everything feels clouded..."
       "I feel it, too... a horrible emptiness... a hunger... somewhere outside of the ship." [Star Wars: The Nameless Terror]
•      "We need to focus, Terec."
       "The Hutt's suffering... it is too much." [Star Wars: The High Republic 2021]
•      "There are no shortcuts on the light's path.  Do you remember?  That's what you taught me.  That's what I still believe." [Star Wars: The High Republic 2021]
•      "Jedi must never rely on their senses alone," he had said, his voice muffled by the cloth. "The Force will show the way." [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       Vernestra smiled and leaned in close to Imri. "You have a while. I took [my trials] early because Master Stellan thought I was ready." Imri's hopeful expression fell just a bit, and Vernestra put a comforting hand on his should. "Don't worry, Imri! You have lots of time. Didn't you just turn fourteen?"
        "Yes, but . . ." Imri's voice trailed off and he sighed. "I'm ready to be a Knight."
        "You'll be ready when the Force says you are," Vernestra said gently. [Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage]
•      CREIGHTON: “Why does every attempt at peace end in death and ruin?”
       AIDA: “Perhaps it's just the cost of peace. That it's hard won. That it hurts because it's worthwhile. Worth fighting for. Precious.”
       CREIGHTON: “We need to be better, Aida. All of us. We need to recognize what we have and help the galaxy cling on to it.”
       AIDA: “We will. The Jedi Order, the Republic—we'll find a way. One day, we'll be the beacon of peace that the galaxy needs. But we're not there yet. In the meantime, we have to do all we can and hope it's enough.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha]
•       MACKEN: ”Do you hear that, Raleigh?”
        FX: A blaster fires on the other side of the door, only to be blocked by a lightsaber. Another strike of the blade.
        MACKEN: (CONT) “They kept their word.”
        FX: The door crashes down in front of them.
        SSKEER: “Of course we did. A Jedi’sss word is their bond.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
•       “Teaching was a cornerstone of the Order, the sharing of knowledge nearly as important as protecting life.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•        "Your whip has been very effective at both ending conflict and protecting you and your fellow Jedi. I do not see any issue with it. But that being said, if you would like to keep the information from the main temple for a bit longer, until you've worked out your own feelings about the modification, I see no problem with that. But remember that secrets too long held can become destructive."
        Vernestra nodded, and some of the worry she'd held on to melted a bit. "Thank you, Master Avar."
        "You already had the answer, Vernestra," Avar said with a warm smile. "You just needed to find it within you. Now, go find that Padawan of yours before he starts to worry that he is the problem." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       Vernestra didn't answer. The scene, however mild it was, had left her unsettled. Both Stellan and Avar were usually so controlled. It was unusual to see them at odds over something. And Avar's observation—that Master Stellan was very enamored with the rules—and a measure of time spent away from Coruscant had taught Vernestra that the rules of the Order were better considered guidelines. Yes, some were there to benefit the Jedi, but so many seemed to hinder the Jedi's effectiveness in protecting life if adhered to too strictly. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•        "I probably shouldn't have, either, but I consider us friends," Vernestra said. "But I have felt this sense of apprehension from so many Jedi lately, especially the more we go up against the Nihil. Is it the right thing to seek them out and destroy them before they claim more lives? So far they've tampered with the hyperspace lanes, seeded the Drengir throughout the galaxy, and attacked the Republic Fair. I can't see how they'll be any less dangerous if we leave them be."
        "But that feels like it goes against the Order and the balance in the Force," Reath said. Nothing Vernestra was saying was alarming. He'd had the same thoughts on more than one occasion, and in the end it always came back to his faith that the Force was guiding him on the path best suited for him.
        "Exactly. And so I end where I began, questioning if I am doing as the Force wills or as I want. But since I haven't thought about returning to Coruscant, I suppose leaving Starlight Beacon is wholly the workings of the Force," Vernestra said with a laugh. "I'm sorry you can't sleep, Reath, but I am glad you were up to spar with me." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       It wasn't truly as though Vernestra had a choice. A Jedi should go where the Force needed them, and most often the Force worked through the wisdom of the Jedi Council. But it never hurt to try to negotiate a better path. It was something Vernestra had learned not from Stellan Gios but from Imri's first master, Douglas Sunvale, who had never found an argument he couldn't win. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI CULTURE - PREQUELS:

•       Possessions were not forbidden among the Jedi, but attachment was frowned upon. To keep such an object suggested a definite attachment, and the fact that it had been hidden confirmed that this was no ordinary artifact. [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]

JEDI CULTURE - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•       "Oh, no worries. It was good talking to you again, Vernestra. Hopefully I'll see you around." He realized it wasn't just polite chatter. He really did want to see her again. His face heated a bit with a happy flush.
        Imri gave him a sideways look, and not a friendly one, and Reath wondered if the boy could read his emotions that easily. He coughed to cover his discomfort, and as he watched Imri and Vernestra go, he felt a strong sense of relief.
        He knew such things were frowned on by the Order, but he couldn't help having a crush on Vernestra. She was smart and friendly and took the Order just as seriously as any Jedi Master. It was hard not to like the Mirialan. But that didn't mean he liked her romantically, did it? Marriage and children weren't things Jedi sought to have, and there was no way Vernestra would ever take her vows anything other than seriously. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       There was some thought among Jedi scholars that hyperspace was a part of the cosmic Force, the lanes rivers of energy that sprang from some unknown font. Others saw hyperspace as another dimension, a shadow of the world occupied by the living Force, and said that was why planets and other real objects impacted hyperspace as they did. Vernestra did not know who was right; philosophy was rarely about proving a theory as far as she had seen and more often about embracing the possibilities, and there was no final answer on just what hyperspace was. Everyone knew how to use it, but only the scholars still debated its nature. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI YOUNGLINGS CULTURE - PREQUELS:

• While they squabble like any children do, Jedi children are also taught to respect each other and, unprompted, they hug each other when making up:
       "Required to be friends with all Jedi, you are not.  But respect them and their connection to the Force, you should.  Allowing fear, anger, even hate to cloud interactions with others?  That is the path to the dark side." --Yoda [Star Wars: Yoda]
• The Jedi took their younglings on extended field trips, where they were watched over by a Master while they connected with nature and the Force all around them:
       "The wilderness holds many dangers for the unwary.  Depend on the Force and your friends, you must. [.....]  Good for the Initiates, this will be.  Surrounded y life.  Surrounded by the Force." --Yoda [Star Wars: Yoda]
•       They were not far from Coruscant, and so Iskat had even less time than usual to prepare herself to leave the busy silence and strict order of her days traveling with Sember and immerse herself in the culture of the Jedi Temple. Like all Padawans, she'd been raised there since she was very young, and she had many fond memories of lightsaber training with Master Yoda or outings to other planets with energetic young Jedi Knights. [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]

JEDI AND THEIR STUDENTS - PREQUELS:

•      "We need you to handle this the right way," Mace Windu had said to Qui-Gon on Coruscant on the eve of his departure. "Don't overthink it. Don't wonder what it means. Just get her back."
       Just get her back. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
•      [....] For [Qui-Gon] had been burned by loss. The loss of his master. The tearing down of a relationship meant to be closer than blood.  [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• When Krrsish says something mean to fellow youngling Gheyr, Yoda asks him to stay after the sparring match, talking to him with compassion and care, but reminding him that he must also treat his fellow younglings with respect, and ultimately Yoda’s voiceover reminds us that it must be up to their children themselves to decide their paths, even when it’s something as small as whether or not to be friends with another youngling or how they should make up:
            "Required to be friends with all Jedi, you are not.  But respect them and their connection to the Force, you should.  Allowing fear, anger, even hate to cloud interactions with others?  That is the path to the dark side."
        [....] "Choose the path for our students, we cannot.  Provide them with guidance? Yes.  Knowledge and widsdom as much as we ourselves possess such things.  But what they do with it?  They must take those steps on their own.  Otherwise, mere children they will always be."  --Yoda [Star Wars: Yoda]
•       "When the Force brings a master and Padawan together," Jocasta told her, "that bond is more important than a fondness for texts. [Sember] was called to train you. I suspect, once you passed your Jedi trials, she would've settled here and eventually taken my place."  [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]

JEDI AND THEIR STUDENTS - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•       "It's the difficulties that help us grow. All Jedi keep learning from their experiences." --Stellan Gios [Star Wars: The Edge of Balance]

EARLY JEDI TEACHINGS - PREQUELS:

•      "I have bacta," she said, tapping the canister at her feet. Though Initiates only learned rudimentary first aid by her age, one thing she'd discovered was that bacta often did the healing part on its own. It was the fear and pain that needed to be managed. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        The younglings were listening.
        In fact, their attention seemed so rapt that it only increased the pressure on Anakin to say something brilliant. He'd been able to recall and recite all of the details Padmé impressed upon him, informing Obi-Wan about things like Trade Federation governmental structure, Neimoidian cultural quirks, and how to say "hello" in Pak Pak. And yet his memory fizzled while trying to speak in front of younglings, the speech he'd prepared completely blanking on him.
        This turned out to be much more difficult than all the other times he'd been assigned to teach younglings—explaining piloting safety, showing basic lightsaber forms during a training session, even escorting Jedi Initiates to Ilum for the Gathering. Those were all physical tasks, establishing the basics of Jedi training and culture. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       "Meditation is about more than just forging a deeper connection to the Force... it is about gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves. It is a means of obtaining a greater control over our thoughts. Our emotions. Peace, serenity, harmony. We must master ourselves before he can hope to master the Force." [Star Wars: Age of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi]

MIDDLE JEDI TEACHINGS - PREQUELS:

• An exercise Obi-Wan has Anakin work on is a pile of rocks that he uses the Force to hold in a pyramid formation, and once he’s comfortable with that, holding multiple ones at the same time--the room seems to be designed for this kind of purpose, it’s a quiet little meditation room off to the side with more stored meditation stones. [Star Wars: Age of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi]
• Another open-air area for sparring, with what looks like a balcony and a tiered seating area and lots of greenery and patterned designs.  And more flooring that speaks to the Force and the Jedi’s themes being connected circles and lines that speaks to their vibing with the Force with how they put it everywhere important to them.

MIDDLE JEDI TEACHINGS - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

• The High Republic Jedi training is the same was the prequels Jedi training:
        The training remote was waiting for them, ready to duel, but so were more than a hundred identical drones hovering in front of the fifteen-year-old.
        "You need to listen," Loden had said. "Not just hear."
        "You said training remotes," Bell had said, resisting the urge to draw his lightsaber. "Plural."
        "That's right."
        Bell could sense there was another bombshell on the way.
        "You're going to make me wear a blindfold, aren't you?"
        In answer, Loden had pulled a long red sash from his robes, which he'd proceeded to wrap not only over Bell's eyes but over his ears as well, robbing him of both sight and sound.
        "Jedi must never rely on their senses alone," he had said, his voice muffled by the cloth. "The Force will show the way." [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]

JEDI MANTRAS - PREQUELS:

• The “Jedi Code” isn’t used literally, but for a meditation mantra:
        Iskat tried to calm her mind as the ship took off smoothly. Once they were in hyperspace, she sought her cushion and got comfortable, closing her eyes and centering herself. Her hand wrapped around an amulet Sember had given her, a small cabochon of blue stone that was supposed to help her focus. It was like wading into a stream of moving water, and time fell away as Iskat floated along. Meditation had been so difficult for her, at first, but Sember and the other Jedi Masters had agreed that her main goal as a Padawan should be learning to calm and control herself. After the incident with the column...
        No.
        She wouldn't dwell on that.
        She was supposed to do the opposite.
        There is no emotion, there is peace, she told herself.
        There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
        There is no passion, there is serenity.
        There is no chaos, there is harmony. [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
• This is a regular theme in the book, that when Iskat needs to calm herself, that’s when she turns to the mantra:
        Iskat was thrilled...and also overwhelmed.
        She steadied her breathing and closed her eyes, one hand wrapped around her amulet, and the rest of the Jedi around her faded away to stillness.
        There is no emotion, there is peace.
        There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
        There is no passion, there is serenity.
        There is no chaos, there is harmony. 
        Master Klefan had urged her to turn to this mantra in the early days after the accident, and Master Sember had repeated it with her many times. The words were stamped on her brain, on her hearts. They transported her to the quiet within, made her feel as if she were the Jedi she was meant to be: calm, cool, collected, peaceful. [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]

JEDI MANTRAS - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•       “The Force is with me. I am one with the Force.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
•       “The Force is with us. The Force is strong.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
•       “ The Force will guide us.” --Nib Assek [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]

JEDI SWEARING, EXCLAMATIONS, & SAYINGS - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

• "The Force is with us." [Star Wars: The High Republic 2022]
• “Thank the Light.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha]
• “Saber’s light.” [Star Wars: The High Republic 2021]
• “Holy kriff!“ [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
• “For kriff’s sake, Sskeer.“ [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
• “Kriffin' Twi'leks.“ [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
• “What in varp's name was that?“ [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
• “Force only knows what surprises the Eye has left us.“ [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
• “Mad as a bag of monkey-lizards, that one, but harmless enough. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
• “She's learning! Stars alive! A reekcat can change its spots.“ [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
• “With all due respect, Captain...you can get spaced.“ [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
• “I've told you; this is a wild goota chase.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
• "We're spine fish in a barrel," Neeto said, watching the approaching ships. "We have to evacuate." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI PUNISHMENT - PREQUELS:

• When Obi-Wan breaks the rules to sneak out at night as a youngling, his punishment is pretty much just to think about his situation, why he did it, what he’ll do about it, and to sweep the floors.
       “In your youngling clan, kept you safe she did. Watched over you. Do you know who will keep you safe now?  Obi-Wan Kenobi.  You.  Think on this you will, tonight.  While this wisdom is still new to you.”  [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]

JEDI ART - PREQUELS/ALL:

• Jedi play musical instruments:
        Instead Merrin watched as Cere shrugged the pack off her back, slid it to the ground, and unzipped it. There was no rifle inside, no powerful weapon; instead there was an instrument, a mandolin. Not the seven-string hallikset Merrin had seen Cere play before, but rather a smaller instrument.
       Her first stringed instrument. The one on which she'd learned to play as a Padawan. The one Cere had told Merrin that she'd rescued from the ashes of her former life, and which reminded her every day of where she came from, and what she was fighting for. [Star Wars: Jedi: Battle Scars]
• As a Jedi, Cere played the seven-stringed hallikset and even composed her own songs, which Cal plays via his psychometry. [Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order]
•       "I found it! It's... it's more beautiful than I imagined. I'd say it is at least two milennia old... as you can tell by the style of flourishes on the base. A Jedi sculptor carved this with a lightsaber." [Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge]

JEDI CLOTHING + LANGUAGE - PREQUELS:

• Jedi (at least those who travel a lot, like Sember did) have seasonal clothing in their quarters:
         Thankfully, that task was soon accomplished, and Iskat moved on to the bottom drawer, which held the warm clothing they needed when traveling to colder climates. She sorted through hats and gloves and scarves, remembering how Sember had enjoyed finding locally produced yarns on their travels to incorporate in her crochet work.  [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]

JEDI CLOTHING + LANGUAGE - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•       Vernestra turned to see the older Jedi striding toward them, Reath not far behind. Each carried a knapsack similar to the ones Vernestra and Imri held. Master Cohmac looked more like a senator of the Republic than a Jedi. The human male's robes were carefully tailored to set off his slim frame, and his dark beard was knife's-edge precise against his dusky skin. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI AND DEATH AND LUMINOUS SPIRITS - PREQUELS:

• Being psychic empaths means Jedi do seem to genuinely feel people in the Force after death:
        Wrapping her fingers around her amulet, Iskat reached out in the Force, hoping Sember might be with her, as Zeeth said he could feel Fvorn with him. [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•       [Anakin] let himself float in this space, the pulsing currents batting him around. Within this ocean of the Force, a presence existed—no, an awareness, one that Anakin would encounter at times of extreme duress or deep meditation, something that felt like equal parts guidance, soothing, and questioning, something that despite his best intentions, he didn't listen to.
        Qui-Gon Jinn.
        That came and went, replaced by something much more tangible: his mother, telling the sun-dragon story as if she sat on the edge of his bed, as she did on so many nights in their small Tatooine home. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

JEDI AND DEATH TRADITIONS - PREQUELS:

•       THE NEXT MORNING, ISKAT RECEIVED word that as the Padawan of Sember Vey, it was her duty to clean out her master's chamber and organize her things. She was unfamiliar with this tradition, and it felt very strange indeed to enter Sember's room without knocking and find it empty and silent. [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•       “He’s dead....”
        “Yes. May he be one with the Force.” --Obi-Wan & Qui-Gon [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]

Chapter Text

JEDI ADOPTION - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

• Just like in the prequels, Jedi come from all walks of life, some high born, some from nowhere:
       His lowborn background would not matter to the Jedi, however. In all the datafiles he'd read, the newsvids he'd watched, the stories he'd heard, the Jedi respected beings from all walks of life. The diversity of their ranks reflected this openness. Some of the greatest Knights had been nobles, others nobodies. A few had once been enslaved. A street kid like him would be in good company. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• In both the prequels and the High Republic, midi-cholorian counts were testable, but neither seemed like they particularly used it as the most important part:
       She snorted. "This must be some kind of prank. Something Master Elzar put you up to. To fool me, get me off my game. Because no one just walks up to the Temple and demands to be trained."
       "I'm not here to fool anyone or demand anything," the boy said. "Coming here's more like...a dream I've always had. I've even brought documentation to show I make a good candidate."
       "Documentation?"
       "Blood tests. They have my midi-chlorian count." The boy pulled out a flimsi from his rags. During his research, he'd discovered that the Jedi often examined a candidate's blood for microscopic organisms they called midi-chlorians. The greater the number, the stronger a candidate's suitability to join the Order. Anticipating the Jedi would request a count, the boy had paid an Ortolan bloodletter to perform a test. He proudly pointed out the results to the girl. "As you can see, my count is high."
       The girl only glanced at it. "No Master with any common sense cares about blood tests. When they search for younglings, they need proof of talent, not...paperwork." [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• While there was flexibility around various interactions, the High Republic Jedi still had to be adopted young to have the mental discipline to become a Knight:
        The girl trembled, pulling at her fingers, obviously flustered by what Yoda had proposed. "But what will he be? He's too old to train to be a Knight."
        "More than Knights the Jedi Order is. Watchers, stewards, caregivers also, of these flowers, the grounds, our home," Yoda said, gesturing with his stick. He regarded the boy once more. "A guardian of the Temple you can be, if ready are you." [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
•       "So, now that I'm not fighting with a comm droid, tell me about Genetia. Was it as pretty as they say?" Vernestra asked. "Imri, aren't you from there?" Imri nodded and then shrugged. "Yes and no. My father was from Genetia, and my mother was from Hynestia, and we lived on both planets before my parents took me to the temple on Hynestia when they discovered I was Force-sensitive. I only remember it a little bit." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI ADOPTION - SEQUELS:

•      She felt groundless, adrift. This must be why they identified children so young in the days of the old Jedi Order. They needed a foundation, knowledge, care, because the only way to survive their awakening into power was to be surrounded by those who had done it all before.
       Rey had no one. Luke was dead, his voice closed off to her. Leia was half a galaxy away. [Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker novelization]

JEDI SCHOOLING - PREQUELS:

• Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon both have fairly high level understanding of physics/chemistry, even when it’s something beyond what was included in their mission briefing:
       "Photonic? In the mission brief, it said the power core was comprised primarily of solid accelerite.  A photonic burst could lead to peculiar radioactivity..."
       "Radioactivity capable of suppressing the entire light spectrum."
       "Within hours, it could fuse with the atmosphere and plunge the entire moon into darkness for eons.  Every living thing would die off." [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
•       Sometimes Obi-Wan had wondered if Anakin purposefully slacked on political studies just to goad the opposition into making the first move so his lightsaber could do the talking. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

JEDI SCHOOLING - THE HIGH REPUBLIC: 

•      [Vernestra had] tried having [Imri] shadow other Jedi Masters on Starlight, since there were a handful who did not currently have an apprentice. Plus, she figured that it was good for him to see that even though the Jedi were united in their cause they were all very, very different. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•      They also taught a number of logistics classes for the Padawans, and supply chain principles were much harder than anyone ever believed. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI TRIALS & PADAWANS - PREQUELS:

• Some Padawans are chosen directly (like Depa asking Caleb in Kanan or Obi-Wan choosing Anakin directly in the films), but others are chosen through a Jedi Tournament (possibly the same kind as in Dooku: Jedi Lost):
       Since Sember had chosen Iskat as a Padawan after the Jedi Tournament, they constantly traveled together like this. [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]

JEDI TRIALS & PADWANS - THE  HIGH REPUBLIC:

•       Imri shook his head. "It's not the Force, Vernestra, it's just paying attention. Hey, do you think you could tell me a little bit about your trials?" he whispered. "Douglas thinks I should start training for them, but I don't know. I don't feel ready."
        Vernestra smiled and leaned in close to Imri. "You have a while. I took mine early because Master Stellan thought I was ready." Imri's hopeful expression fell just a bit, and Vernestra put a comforting hand on his should. "Don't worry, Imri! You have lots of time. Didn't you just turn fourteen?"
        "Yes, but . . ." Imri's voice trailed off and he sighed. "I'm ready to be a Knight." [Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage]
•       "Ah, yes, thank you, my dear Padawan, for the gentle reminder." He chuckled and held out a hand to Vernestra. "Ambassadors Weft, Janex, and Starstriker, please allow me to introduce you to the pride of Port Haileap, Vernestra Rwoh. Vernestra here—we call her Vern for short—is the youngest Padawan to pass her trials in a very long time. She is quite the rising star." [Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage]
•       "What exactly happens during the Jedi trials? Is it a test of strength or intellect?" Ambassador Weft asked. The man's face bore deep furrows, as thought he had lived a difficult life. His hair was fiery red and his skin tanned, though not nearly as dark as Avon's. He looked to spend a lot of time out in the warmth of a sun, of which Dalna had two. He and his son were the only humans from his delegation; the rest of the Dalnans were Pantoran, Trandoshan, or Weequay. All wore plain tunics and trousers, their knee-high boots simple and utilitarian. They each bore the same somber expression and carried a small arsenal of blasters, a show of strength that had intimidated other Republic envoys to the planet. There had been a war on Dalna a century or so before, and the population had responded by becoming a formidable culture that trained constantly for battle.
        "The trials are both," Vernestra said with a smile, answering the ambassador's question. "They are designed to test an individual Jedi's strengths and weaknesses."
        "No two trials are the same," Douglas interjected, clapping the ambassador on the shoulder like they were old friends. "I have heard that your Metamorphosis Trials on Dalna are similar." [Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage]
•        Vernestra's misgivings were no different from [Reath’s] own, and like her he had thought that he would somehow feel different once he was promoted to a Knight. Not that he believed that would happen any time soon. If his trials required researching something obscure like the history of Genetian wedding rituals, he'd have no problem, but for most Jedi their trials required dealing with something they weren't skilled in. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI ROLES + CAREERS - PREQUELS:

• Collecting Force-related or Jedi-related items was Sember Vey’s main career:
       Since Sember had chosen Iskat as a Padawan after the Jedi Tournament, they constantly traveled together like this, landing on backwater planets and busy trading moons to visit shopkeepers and collectors and archaeologists galore, negotiating the purchase of curiosities to be added to the Jedi Archives. Iskat had seen texts like this one, elaborate scrolls, ancient lightsabers crusted with barnacles or sand, even a rancor tooth covered in intricate carvings from a long-forgotten language. Sember was a sharp and stone-faced negotiator, and Iskat understood that her duty was to observe her master and gain the skills to recognize and acquire lost artifacts of Jedi history so that they might help further educate the next generation of scholars of the Force.  [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
• Jedi were flexible about finding where individuals wanted to go, including not even building a lightsaber if one didn’t want to, like with Mill Albeth:
        "You look happy," Anakin said, relief coloring his tone.
        Happy may not have been the right word. Content felt more fitting. A long journey into deep space as war broke out across the galaxy—would anyone be happy about that? But Yoda's suggestion that she use her innate abilities to assist Rig Nema in providing specialized medical and spiritual assistance for war-wounded Jedi, such a task felt far more important than building a lightsaber. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

JEDI ROLES + CAREERS - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•      "More than Knights the Jedi Order is. Watchers, stewards, caregivers also, of these flowers, the grounds, our home," Yoda said, gesturing with his stick. He regarded the boy once more. "A guardian of the Temple you can be, if ready are you." [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
•      For the past year, ever since his fight with the Drengir on the Amaxine space station, he'd been steadily getting used to adventuring. Master Cohmac might be a historian and folklorist, but he also had a penchant for seeking out artifacts that were in very, very dangerous places. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       Like communicating with beasts and meditative battle tactics, empathic abilities tended to need additional training, although some Jedi were naturally better at it than others. Some Masters practiced their entire lives to hone their skills in one area, but Imri seemed to have a natural gift that was growing far beyond the usual. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•        Master Oprand took the small cube from Vernestra and turned it over in his blue hands. "I do not recognize these glyphs," he said before handing it to Master Cohmac.
         Cohmac shook his head. "Neither do I. But it looks to be very, very old. I would say that it reminds me of an ancient puzzle box, but not knowing the language upon the sides it would just be an educated guess. Reath?" The Padawan shook his head, and Master Cohmac handed the cube back to Vernestra. "You should take this to the languages expert when we get to the Temple. Perhaps she will be able to translate it for you." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI AND COMMUNITY - PREQUELS:

• The Jedi cared about Dooku even after he left:
        "We don't need an answer now, at this moment. But we do need one. And we know what you've been through. We understand what happened. Dooku's decision didn't affect just you, Qui-Gon." --Mace Windu [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]

JEDI YOUNGLINGS AND PADAWANS ARE ADORABLE HELLIONS - PREQUELS:

• Jedi younglings do adorable, good-natured smack talk during sparring:
       "You'll never bessst me in combat, Jak'zin!"
       "We'll see which one of us the Force is with today, Gheyr!  Fine.  I guess it's with you today."
       "Maybe the Force will be with you next bout.  Maybe." [Star Wars: Yoda]
•       "Can we see your lightsaber?"
        "Oh! What color is your lightsaber?"
        "I bet it's green."
        "Shhh! You're supposed to be listening!"
        "No, it's blue."
        Anakin stepped back as the younglings spiraled out of control, their discussion turning into a competition about who had watched more holos of Mace Windu showing training moves with his purple lightsaber.
        "Whoa. Hey. Younglings?" Their collective chatter grew louder and louder, and each time Anakin called for their attention, they stirred themselves into their own conversations, like he didn't exist. He sighed, head in hands, and was just thankful that neither Obi-Wan nor Padmé was around to see this. The younglings eventually settled on their own, and once a dip occurred in their volume, he seized the moment. "Younglings…look, let's save the questions for the end, okay?"
        Some of them snapped back to attention, the younger ones lost in their own world. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

Chapter Text

JEDI CARRYING A PSYCHIC WEIGHT/FEELING OTHERS’ WEIGHT ON THEM - PREQUELS:

•      "Master Skywalker?"
       Anakin looked up to find the door ajar and Mill poking her head through.
       "I felt your—" Her lips pursed and nose wrinkled as she searched for the right word. "—concern." [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•      While Ruug had one eye in her scope, the other eye shut for focus, [Obi-Wan] sensed her reactions, her purpose, her inner moral compass. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       She'd been trained to reach into the pulse of the Force, to feel the unique signature of every plant and person around her, to tap into that harmony. They had prepared her to defend. To protect. --Iskat Akaris [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•        "Who's there?" Ventress barked, reaching out through the Force. Thanks to the throbbing in her head and the pain in her leg, her connection to the Force was horrifically, embarrassingly weak—and distracted by the annoying amount of life that flourished on this planet. Every surface was covered in vines. In every crevice, lizards and insects and snakes and some kind of scraggle-toothed half bird, half rodent lived their small lives. And over there, somewhere, holding very, very still—a person. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith, “Worthless”]
•       Obi-Wan let that feeling pass, knowing that any energy put into those thoughts would likely be wasted. He sat on the floor with nothing but himself and four walls, cross-legged and straight-backed, then closed his eyes. His sense of self released, giving in to something much greater than an individual body and mind, all in search of wisdom and a solution to an impossible problem. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       "No, Master... in our last encounter, I sensed something about the creature. Something... pained." --Obi-Wan [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]

JEDI CARRYING A PSYCHIC WEIGHT/FEELING OTHERS’ WEIGHT ON THEM - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•       NIB ASSEK: (COMMS) “What about the relay station, Marshal? Have we made contact with the crew?”
        AVAR KRISS: “Not yet, Nib, but I can still hear their song. Their fear is palpable, the poor people.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
•       NIB ASSEK: “The Force will guide us, pilot.”
        BURRYAGA: “[SHYRIIWOOK—But only if we listen. Master, I sense—]
        NIB ASSEK: “Yes, I sense them, too, Padawan.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
•       Cohmac nodded at Vernestra in thanks and then turned back to Master Oprand. "Is Jordanna going to be a problem?" Master Cohmac asked. "She seems capable, but I sense much... discord in her." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•      "Something isn't right here.  It's like the Force is trying to warn me away.  Com on.  Let's take a look.  And be sure to cycle the airlock shut behind us." [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Nameless Terror]

JEDI SENSING DEATH - PREQUELS:

• Jedi can feel the deaths of those around them as a physical thing:
      “But in preserving life, there was still the act of taking it.  And losing even more of it.  An endless tide of it.  I could feel thick pockets of it snuff out--small tremors in the Force, each like a clench squeezing the air from my lungs." --Obi-Wan Kenobi [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
•      The entire hallway lit up with electricity as he shook and screamed, and the acrid scent of oily, burning Duros flesh filled the air. Master Klefan spun and struck down the Geonosian with his lightsaber, but it was too late. Fvorn wasn't moving, and Iskat went entirely still as she felt him die, a startling, tearing, wrenching pain in the Force unlike anything she'd ever experienced. --Iskat Akaris [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•       It had to be done, and she had done it, and now there was a strange, hollow emptiness in her chest. She'd felt the Geonosian leave the Force, had felt their body gasp in surprise and pain. Had been intricately aware of the razor-blade difference between there and gone, someone and no one, alive and empty. --Iskat Akaris [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]

JEDI SENSING DEATH - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•       AVAR KRISS: “Sskeer? Keeve? Come in. Please respond. (NO ANSWER) They can't be dead. I didn't feel them pass.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
•       TEFF: “There's no pulse.”
        JANO: “How can you tell under all that armor?
        BURRYAGA: “[SHYRIIWOOK—She's gone.]”
        JANO: “What?”
        NIB ASSEK: “He says she's gone. We can't sense her.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]

JEDI AND IMPRINTS IN THE FORCE - PREQUELS:

• Objects leave imprints in the Force, especially dark side ones and they will cause an unguarded or inexperienced Jedi to be drawn to them:
       DOOKU: (NARRATION) “I couldn’t look away, walking toward the sculpture as if in a trance. It looked so alive, so vibrant, as if any minute it could spring from the wall to crash through the columns that held the domed roof in place. I could feel the creature’s heart beating in my own chest, its roar echoing at the back of my mind…”
       We also hear the roar of the Tirra’Taka. It’s distorted, low, rising in volume beneath the following exchange.
       JENZA: “Dooku, what are you doing? Don’t—don’t touch it, okay? It’s supposed to be bad luck.”
       DOOKU: “So beautiful.”
       The ground shakes, dust falling from above.
       DOOKU: (NARRATION) “I barely even noticed the ground shifting beneath our feet, flakes of paint falling from the ceiling high above…”
       JENZA:”What was that?”
       DOOKU: (WHISPER) “Tirra’Taka…”
       JENZA: “Dooku—don’t!”
       DOOKU: (NARRATION) “My fingers brushed the stone…and the world was torn apart…”
       A groundquake hits, shaking the foundations of the assembly hall.
       JENZA: “What did you do?”
       DOOKU: (NARRATION) “I snapped from my reverie, cracks snaking across the polished marble before us.”
       DOOKU: “Me? Nothing? What’s happening?”
       Another rumble, stronger this time.
       JENZA: “It’s a groundquake.”
       DOOKU: (NARRATION) “But it wasn’t the scrape of tectonic plates that caused me to clasp my head in pain, but an impossible bellow slicing through my mind as easily as plasma carves through flesh…”
       The beast roars in his head.
       DOOKU:(SCREAMS IN PAIN) [Dooku: Jedi Lost]
•      Dooku takes a few steps.
       DOOKU: “Hey. Look at this.”
       SIFO-DYAS: “Seriously. That’s what you want to look at? There’s all these…scrolls and weapons and whatever that creepy mask thing is, and you want to look at a lump of old metal?”
       DOOKU: “There’s something about it…something I’ve felt before.”  [Dooku: Jedi Lost]
•      "The text appears to be ancient, Master. I'm not familiar with the language. The pages are some kind of animal skin, almost translucent. The ink is dark red." She leaned close, careful not to touch the skins, and inhaled. "The tang of iron. Blood? Mixed with some sort of mineral powder."
       "That is what you can see. Reach out through the Force. What do you feel?"
  Iskat closed her eyes. "Darkness. Yearning," she said wonderingly. "It...it wants to be read, touched. It wants to be known." [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•      "This is no Jedi artifact," Sember said. "It is a Sith text."
       "Do you not want it, then?" the shopkeeper said, reaching to take it back.
       "I didn't say that." With a gloved hand, Sember flipped the tanned hide back over the text, hiding it from view. "We will take it at the promised price. Rest assured it will be stored safely, so that it won't fall into the wrong hands."
       Iskat was supposed to observe carefully as Sember haggled with the shopkeeper, but her attention was drawn to the text, now just a squarish lump under the hide. She'd never seen a Sith artifact before. No wonder Sember hadn't let her touch it. She could still feel it, though, like a small child with arms reaching out, begging to be held. [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•      "Can you read [the Sith text]?" Iskat asked.
       Sember was horrified by the thought. "I wouldn't dare try. Do your best to forget this thing; close yourself away from it. The dark side is cloying, like yista bugs burrowing under your skin and slowly sickening you. The Jedi Council will decide what to do with it, but our duty is to keep it away from anyone who might seek to use it for harm. In your travels, if you find anything similar, you must obtain it with the same skill as any Jedi artifact and contain it as soon as possible. Don't touch it, don't read it. Acknowledge your curiosity, but let it pass. I wanted you to feel it in the Force so that you would be able to recognize something similar later, but any such contact should be brief. Some knowledge is not worth the cost."
       Iskat tucked that away for later and went about securing the rest of the cargo as Sember took the pilot's seat. Even locked in the safe, she could feel the text reaching out with the blind probing of a plant mindlessly sending vines out to seek sunlight. Sember was entirely dedicated to hunting down artifacts and cataloging Jedi knowledge, and this was the first time she'd stood on the side of ignorance in all their time together. [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]

JEDI ABILITIES - PREQUELS:

• Force Speed is used in Brotherhood, but seems to come with some drawbacks in the book:
  -     Obi-Wan gave himself to the Force, and his body rode the ensuing wave, legs and arms moving infinitely faster than their normal pace. He ran and vaulted over the front podiums and landed in motion before slipping between the guards. And though each of them focused on the spot where he used to be—even Ruug—Obi-Wan thought he caught the corner of Ventress's eye, a simple tracking glance as he crossed the door's threshold.
         Halfway down the hall, he returned to normal speed, still moving at an athletic pace but now clear of immediate danger.
  -     He ran at normal speed, attentive to the way overexertion of the Force's physical gifts might affect anything from strength to coordination. The way the Force surrounded him as he moved informed his decisions and calculations; an extra burst down the long hall was feasible, but doing so might briefly drain him.
  -     Getting there required a precise leap at an exact angle to grip onto the buildings hanging down from the arch above, something that tapped into the way the Force augmented a body's natural ability to leap. He considered the current placement of all the beings around him, from the guards behind to the civilians in front. A Force-assisted burst of speed right now might leave his body exhausted, unable to tap into what he needed to scale such heights. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
• In using Force Speed, time goes a little wonky:
       Time snapped back into reality and he dashed forward, lightsaber blade drawn back into its hilt, and took one quick glance back. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
• Jedi often levitate when they meditate! [Star Wars: Age of the Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi + Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith + Star Wars: The High Republic 2021 + Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker]
•       "Just as one submerges below the rough waves of an ocean, deeper within I found more tranquility, and I began to probe my ally with the Force." --Obi-Wan [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
•        Reaching out through the Force was second nature to Cere at this point in her life. It was as much one of her senses as sight or smell, a constant input and output from her energetic body that pulsed into the world around her, flowed through her mind, seeped out of her pores. She let her mind roll out through her palm, across the rapidly closing space between herself and the Inquisitor, into his lightsaber, and all at once time slowed.
        Her nerves felt electrified as she rushed down each side of the sword, its blazing atoms searing her brain, and she willed it, just enough, not too much to get her into trouble, to hold.
        She knew what Cal would see, from where he was getting back on his feet. He would see the Inquisitor slow like he was hitting a wall of water, his feet betraying his own orders to continue their forward motion. He would see the red lightsaber and its circular threat halt, frozen mid-spin, returning to its less dangerous form. He would watch the Inquisitor sweat as he tried to push back through the Force, to regain control over himself and over his lightsaber, and he would see the dawning fear on the Inquisitor's face as he realized he was outmatched. [Star Wars: Jedi: Battle Scars]
•        Before sleep, Cal leaned back against the wall, crossed his legs, and placed his hands gently over his knees. He took a deep breath and felt himself fall into the dark, deep void that was the Force, sliding gently into a meditative state that would help heal his mind and prepare him for both battle and rest in a way that he couldn't find anywhere else. As he swam through the deep waters of the energy of the universe, he heard a voice in his mind, unbidden, but still welcome: [Star Wars: Jedi: Battle Scars]
• Jedi often have rare or unique abilities in the prequels, which are encouraged:
         "No, Master, I scouted forward." She looked up at Anakin, who gave a simple nod of encouragement. "I have an ability."
        "To sense patrol movement?" Obi-Wan asked aloud before his voice dropped to internal musing. "That could be a tactical advantage on the battle—"
        "No, not that. I sense pain. Master Skywalker is helping me learn to control it." Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow his way. "I can see the distress of the patients here. They're rescued from the disaster site. Or recovering after damage from the bomb itself. Physical pain. Or emotions. I give in to the Force and I see it, like you might see heat on a thermal scope."
        "Interesting," Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard. Anakin knew the gesture and the tone of voice; some people would use that word as a polite dismissive, but Obi-Wan only did so when his curiosity sparked. "Can you soothe them?"
        "I...don't know. I've only tried once, on just one patient. But I noticed a pattern with all of the infirmaries they've set up." She pointed again to the large tent. "They're not guarded. It's only medical staff here."
  [....]
        “Youngling," [Obi-Wan] said, kneeling to put himself on her level then tilting his head up to meet her eye-to-eye. "It is a unique gift. You should embrace it. And I have a challenge for you." [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

JEDI ABILITIES - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•       "What about Avar?" Elzar chipped in, maybe a little too quickly. He could feel Samera's eyes on him and ran through various micro-meditations to stop himself from blushing. [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       They had reached the transports, the party coming to a stop. Elzar shifted uncomfortably when he realized that Stellan's eyes were on Samera. Maybe he hadn't shielded his feelings about her as well as he thought. No, not feelings. That was overstating things. Friendship. Fondness. Either way, he would have to be careful now that Stellan was here. [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       OPPO RANCISIS: “You are angry.”
        LOURNA: “Of course I'm angry. They herded us together like rycrits. They— (HER VOICE CRACKS)”
        OPPO RANCISIS: “Well, perhaps we can start with that collar. It will be an interesting task for you, Dal. Can you remove it?”
        LOURNA: “No. It can't be removed without a key. It will shock me.”
        OPPO RANCISIS: “The Force is the only key a Jedi needs. Padawan?”
        FX: A swelling of the atmosphere, everything becoming more heightened as Dal uses the Force.
        DAL: “The Force is with us.”
        FX: An electronic beep as the collar deactivates before it clicks open. The heightened atmosphere fades away. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
•       Like communicating with beasts and meditative battle tactics, empathic abilities tended to need additional training, although some Jedi were naturally better at it than others. Some Masters practiced their entire lives to hone their skills in one area, but Imri seemed to have a natural gift that was growing far beyond the usual. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       Visions were not uncommon to those connected deeply to the Force, but prophecy was no gift; rather, many Force users saw it as a curse to be endured. Vernestra was not prone to prophecy. Those Force users were usually discovered very early on, and none of her previous mental wanderings had ever come true, so the vision must be something else entirely. Was someone trying to reach out to her? Was she seeing things that were happening in that moment? But how, and why now? [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI BONDS - PREQUELS:

• Jedi bonds appear to be built on time spent together and how well you know a person:
        "Yeah. You'll like her. Her name's Mill." He closed his eyes, reaching into the Force, searching for her presence. Though they hadn't known each other that long, their shared experiences had built a bond tangible enough to identify, even from a distance. And while he failed to pinpoint her exact location, her presence acted as enough of a beacon to get a general direction. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

JEDI AND KYBER CRYSTALS + LIGHTSABERS - PREQUELS:

• Some types of radiation could damage kyber crystals:
       "Perhaps we should keep our sabers stowed for now.  The radiation could damage the kyber crystals." --Obi-Wan Kenobi [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]

JEDI AND KYBER CRYSTALS + LIGHTSABERS - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•      Unlike the flimsi, she took it and turned it from side to side, then thumbed the activator. A bluish beam erupted from the lens on the hilt and kept its form as she swung it. "You built this? Impressive."
       The boy smiled at the compliment. "Thanks."
       She made one huge arc, then switched off the blade. "But not a lightsaber. A lightsaber has a presence in the Force. This is nothing more than a tightly focused welding torch." [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
•        FX: Burry deflects the bolts with his lightsaber.
        JANO: “You'll have to show me how to do that one day.”
        BURRYAGA: “[SHYRIIWOOK—A lightsaber isn't a toy.]” [Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner]
•       Vernestra shook her head. "No, it's something else altogether. It's about my lightsaber."
        Master Avar nodded and crossed her arms. "Ah, your whip. You've gotten quite proficient in dueling with it this past year. You should take comfort in that."
        "I'm concerned, Master Avar. I haven't had leave to document my changes with the Temple, and I want to show Master Stellan. But—"
        "But he is a stickler for protocol and you are afraid that he will object to the modifications you've made."
        "Yes," Vernestra said, sighing loudly. "He always taught me that my lightsaber was a tool, one to be used defensively and in the protection of life, but I don't know that this lightwhip meets the same standards." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       After tossing Reath a practice tunic, Vernestra grabbed a practice saber off the rack in the corner, and Reath did the same, testing them out until he found one that felt nearly the same as his own lightsaber. When he powered it up, it glowed a sedate blue, and the one Vernestra had chosen glowed a peaceful green. These lightsabers, while carrying a slight charge, did not have the killing ability of real lightsabers. That didn't mean that getting hit by one didn't hurt. It just meant that neither Reath nor Vernestra had to worry about accidentally cutting off the other's hand. The tunic was also made of a material that was sensitive to heat, and a direct hit would show on the snowy material as an angry scorch. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       Imri was a bit sensitive about his lightsaber. His previous saber had been lost nearly a year before, and until just recently he'd been using a loaner from the armory on Starlight Beacon. It had only been a couple of months since he'd been able to make a pilgrimage to find a new kyber crystal, a trip made dangerous by the looming threat of the Nihil. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

Chapter Text

JEDI TEMPLE ON CORUSCANT - MAIN ZIGGURAT - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•      It was a massive structure of stone, with a trapezoidal body on a rectangular base. Five towers crowned its flat top, four on each corner, with the fifth and tallest rising from the center. According to legend it had been erected on the summit of a mountain when mountains still dominated the planet's terrain. After millennia of expansion, the Temple itself was the only mountain in this district of the city, drawing the eye from every direction. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
•      The boulevard ended in a triple staircase of polished marble, topped by four giant statues of the Temple's founders. The group ascended the center staircase, and the boy got his first view of the Temple entrance. In place of gates, there were three rows of four stone pylons, the front featuring carvings of the Four Founders. Between the monoliths stood three masked sentinels armed with the cylindrical hilts of double-bladed lightsaber pikes. These were the Temple Guards, an elite corps of Jedi chosen to defend the Temple against intruders. So exceptional were they in combat that it was rumored in ages past a mere three had turned back an army of three thousand. They were not to be trifled with. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
•       With no direction, Iskat's feet led her to her favorite meditation garden, with its soothing pools filled with flickering orange fish and wide green leaves. [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
• There are all sorts of rooms for teaching younglings in the Jedi Temple, sometimes smaller and more intimate, sometimes more soaring heights and beautifully carved walls--but the classes themselves almost always seem to be with the teacher sitting in amongst their students. [Star Wars: Age of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi]
• Somewhere in the Jedi Temple during the High Republic, they had a detention center with a long row of cells lining a hallway, covered by laser bars and, at least in one instance of a Jedi who had fallen to the dark side, was guarded by two Jedi Temple guards. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight]

JEDI TEMPLE ON CORUSCANT - KITCHENS - PREQUELS:

• Just as younglings (and Padawans and Knights) have their own dojos and living quarter areas, they also seem to have their own refectory, a lively area with giant windows to look out over the Coruscant view.  [Star Wars: Yoda]
•       When her stomach's growling overshadowed the gentle drip of water, she visited the cafeteria and ate like she'd been starving, like she was trying to fill a bottomless pit. --Iskat Akaris [Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade]
•       "There you are," Obi-Wan called out. Right before he spoke, he'd spotted Anakin by himself but stayed quiet. The Jedi refectory was nearly empty, so much so that Anakin must have figured no one would notice if he changed the configuration of the holodisplays from a rolling list of schedules and menus to a podrace from some remote world. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

JEDI TEMPLE ON CORUSCANT - HALLS OF HEALING/INFIRMARY - PREQUELS:

•       "You look happy," Anakin said, relief coloring his tone.
        Happy may not have been the right word. Content felt more fitting. A long journey into deep space as war broke out across the galaxy—would anyone be happy about that? But Yoda's suggestion that she use her innate abilities to assist Rig Nema in providing specialized medical and spiritual assistance for war-wounded Jedi, such a task felt far more important than building a lightsaber. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

JEDI TEMPLE ON CORUSCANT - HALLS OF HEALING/INFIRMARY - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•      Vengeance was not the way of the Jedi, but Vernestra could not stop seeing the destruction on Valo. She woke some nights to the wailing of the people hurt in the attack, the cries of pain and terror echoing in her mind even though it had been weeks. Master Josiah, a Jedi counselor who helped ensure Jedi remained balanced after terrible events, had told her once that remembering was part of how one dealt with the pain and trauma of a disaster, but Vernestra would have liked to remember a little bit less. Her anger over the Nihil could become a liability if she gave into it completely instead of acknowledging it, letting it go, and remembering her oath as a Jedi. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

Chapter Text

JEDI’S TREATMENT FROM THE GALAXY - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

• The view of the Jedi is often mixed in the galaxy (which is on par with how they’re treated in the prequels):
        KETH: (EMBARRASSED) “I don't want her affections! Just her respect.”
        MOONA: “Chance would be a fine thing. Jedi respect no one but each other.”
        KETH: “I don't think that's true. Not for a minute.”
        MOONA: “Well, I think you deserve better, kid. That's all I've got to say on the subject.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha]
•       Everyone had seen the image of Master Stellan standing amid the wreckage, people wailing in pain while a single tear slid down his cheek. He had become the hero of Valo in a moment when everyone else was considered a villain—including the Chancellor, who was still in recovery—and it was strange that the Jedi who had ushered Vernestra through her Jedi training was now a galactic celebrity. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       She still had to pinch herself that she was here; Rhil Dairo, walking through the corridors of the chancellor's personal flagship. She had certainly come a long way from reporting on micro-g basket weaving as a cub reporter on Cordota, or whatever non-story her producer had picked for her that day. Now she was walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Jedi. And not just any Jedi. A member of the High Council, no less.
        Rhil liked Stellan. He was a bit stiff, sure... a bit earnest and, on days when she wasn't feeling generous, a little too keen on the sound of his own voice, but she could tell that his heart was definitely in the right place. [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       "The faithful?" Kufa barked a bitter laugh. "Not enough. You've seen it out there. Seen them, with their golden robes and flashing blades. So resplendent. So glorious. The guiding light of the galaxy." She gave another snort. "They are guiding us to destruction. The faithful know it, as we knew it on Jedha. As we knew it on Dalna. But the recreants are in the ascendant and the tide can no longer be turned." [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       The chaos after the Great Disaster had brought them a lot of attention, which had largely been the point. It had been a line in the sand, a wake-up call for the Republic, but the response from the Jedi, well, that had been something else. Ro had gambled that the so-called keepers of law and order in the galaxy would be taken by surprise by the Nihil's tactics, that they wouldn't be ready for combat, their skills dulled by years of being top of the food chain. The reality had proved somewhat different. The Jedi had proved to be more than a match for the Nihil, and the people... the people who should have feared the Nihil instead looked to the Jedi more than ever, still listened to that damn signal broadcast by the Republic's shiny new beacon. They still had hope. [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       Syl had felt unbalanced ever since she'd come to Coruscant, but this revelation put all that to shame. The Nihil weren't brilliant or strategic; they were cruel opportunists who had somehow stumbled upon a way to use hyperspace that surpassed everyone else. This seemed like weird, magical kind of stuff, like those stories people sometimes told about the Jedi and their great feats, stories that sounded half like typical cantina tales and half like hopeful musings. If the Jedi were so great, why hadn't they prevented the attack on Valo? Or the crash of the Legacy Run? If they were so great, why hadn't they shown up to save Syl's mother? [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI AND POLITICS - HIGH REPUBLIC:

• The state of the public on Coruscant in the High Republic is the same as any other era:
       Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh liked to say, "We are all the Republic," but in reality there were many who remained on society's fringes despite Soh's best efforts to eliminate old prejudices. Rich surface dwellers on Coruscant still feared outcasts like the boy would infect their districts with disease, poverty, and crime. If he was caught wandering about, he'd be branded a pickpocket and sent back down into the slums. No one would shed a tear at his disappearance. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• The Jedi’s relationship with the Senate and politics is the same in the High Republic as it was in the prequels, they are often deeply connected in both eras, and some praise them, some criticize them, and there are no easy answers, but the Jedi do their best to work with the Republic’s politicians because it lets them help more people:
          Soh spoke before Stellan could step in. "As you have just heard, reinforcements have been sent."
        "Yes," the Sullustan spat. "Jedi reinforcements. Again, we are relying on the Jedi to protect us."
        This time Stellan had to speak. "As is our duty, Senator. The Jedi have pledged—"
        "We know about the Jedi's covenant, Council Member," the Sullustan snapped, his jowls wobbling furiously. "Marshal Kriss's vow has been playing on loop for months on every holonet channel from Muunilinst to Tarabba. But powerful as the Jedi are, it is foolish to place all of our lives in their hands. Unfair even. The DFP proposes—"
        Now it was Soh's turn to interrupt. "Yes, Senator Toon, I am fully aware of your proposition, but this is neither the time nor indeed the place to discuss the Defense Force Program." [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       "This crisis will pass." Lina Soh's voice was like durasteel. "Just as Hetzal passed."
  That was a mistake. "Passed? Tell that to the victims of the Emergences. Or the billions who have found themselves at the mercy of these pirates."
        "Billions we have helped. Billions who have been rehomed. Even Hetzal is stronger than ever before, the Rooted Moon—"
        "Reseeded with specially engineered crops that will grow at twice the speed of traditional kavam," Toon interrupted, completing her sentence. "Yes, yes, I have seen the holoreels. The Jedi's legacy protected above all."
        "Our manufacture of bacta protected."
        "Be that as it may, the Great Disaster should have been a wake-up call, and yet what happened? Valuable credits that could have been used to establish a proper defense against the Nihil plowed into the folly of the Republic Fair."
        Now Soh's voice rose. "The Republic Fair will be a sign of solidarity. Of strength."
        Toon snorted. "The Spirit of Unity. Yes, we've seen the posters, Chancellor, but all the propaganda in the galaxy won't distract from the fact that the fair is a dangerous extravagance that should have been canceled the moment the Legacy Run was destroyed. All that time... all that money... frittered away on, on frippery and ostentation! The Republic Fair is a dangerous vanity project that puts the lives of our citizens in jeopardy. The Senate knows it and so do you, Madam Chancellor." [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       "That is enough!" Larep Reza's shout cut through the Sullustan's argument, shocking the senator into silence. "The chancellor is right. How dare you politicize this attack for your own gain."
        Soh raised a hand, but the damage was already done.
        "My own gain?" Toon spluttered. "I think only of the people, throughout the Republic, who live in fear of a cloud on the horizon every day of their lives. And what of those who believe the chancellor's politicizing, who believe the rhetoric, the promises. People who think they are safe, when this attack proves they are anything but, as do the other attacks that have blighted the frontier in recent months. These are the people your administration is failing, Madam Chancellor, and these are the people who will see for themselves, mark my words." With that, the Sullustan looked pointedly behind Soh, snorting with obvious derision. "After all, you already have the cams with you."
  Stellan turned, knowing full well who the senator was referring to. Rhil Dairo stood at a respectful distance with her ever-present cam droid, observing everything.
        "The Senate approved GoNet's presence," Soh argued, prompting another snort of derision from the Sullustan.
        "I know. I was one of those who voted to allow it, in the vain hope that the galaxy would see the truth, but somehow I doubt this footage will make the cut. It hardly fits your narrative, but let it be known that I am more than happy to speak to Ms. Dairo, on the record." [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       Rhil liked Stellan. He was a bit stiff, sure... a bit earnest and, on days when she wasn't feeling generous, a little too keen on the sound of his own voice, but she could tell that his heart was definitely in the right place. Of course, it didn't hurt that he was a handsome son-of-a-blaster. Oh no, not at all. That chiseled jaw beneath the dashing beard, those blue eyes. And the smile. That smile! That was the real killer, right there. No wonder the Council had decided to make him their poster boy. [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•        The aide turned back to her, his ridged brow furrowed. "But Madam Chancellor, the conference—"
        "Will continue as planned," Soh insisted, returning her gaze to the screens. "As everyone is aware the administration has afforded full access to GoNet. Of course, all footage gathered will be vetted for security purposes before broadcast, so we can speak freely." She turned back toward Rhil. "This is pre-recorded material, I believe."
  Rhil nodded. "Yes, Chancellor. We won't be going live until the night of the opening ceremony."
        "Excellent. Then join us. You, too, Master Jedi."
        Quo stepped back to let Stellan and the others join the chancellor, although it was clear the Koorivar's grip on his datapad had tightened. Stellan and Nib shared welcoming nods with the other person present in the room, Soh's Kalleran deputy, Larep Reza, another rising star in the Senate and the official most likely to replace Soh when the chancellor's term ended.  [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•        This, at least, seemed to put Noor at ease. "Yes. I know of the Master in question. Elzar Mann."
        "A fine Jedi and a trusted friend of this administration," Soh said.
        "Master Mann has been in constant contact with both Starlight and the Temple on Coruscant," Kriss assured them.
        "And is also working closely with my office," Samera added. "He is very impressive." [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
• Complicated political alliances needed to be made to get anywhere, even if the Jedi didn’t always like it, another mirror to the prequels:
         Stellan crossed his arms. "I thought he was going to start complaining about the Hutts there and then."
        Elzar mirrored the gesture, although Stellan doubted it was subconscious. Elzar never did anything subconsciously.
        "It's no secret that Avar is working with the slugs."
        Stellan raised a judgmental eyebrow.
        "Sorry, sorry. All life is sacred, I know. But you can't blame Toon. Who knows what the Hutts are planning?"
        "Avar trusts them, and therefore so do I."  [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       The rest of the wall was taken up by a dark-skinned woman with long red hair—Samera Ra-oon, the Valon tasked with organizing the Republic Fair on her home planet—and a face no one on the frontier could fail to recognize, the Hero of Hetzal herself, Avar Kriss. Master Kriss was the marshal of Starlight Beacon, the famed space station that acted as the center of Republic activity in the Outer Rim. Of all the images, Kriss's was flickering, and Rhil could see stars behind the woman's head, distorted slightly as if behind transparisteel. Was Kriss broadcasting from a starfighter? [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       "I still believe—" Senator Noor began, although the chancellor was quick to avoid a rehashing of his previous points.
        "All will be well, Noor. That I can promise you. We have been working with the Jedi every step of the way. A Jedi Master has even been assigned to Valo prior to the completion of their Temple to assure the safety of the planet."
        This, at least, seemed to put Noor at ease. "Yes. I know of the Master in question. Elzar Mann."
        "A fine Jedi and a trusted friend of this administration," Soh said. [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       Samera looked back up at Stellan. "The attack on Cyclor has spooked the Togruta ambassador. He's threatening to advise that the regasa no longer come to Valo."
        "That... would not be optimal."
        Elzar stopped himself from shaking his head. Since when had Stellan started using words like optimal? Elzar had hoped that he would be a good influence on the Council, not the other way around. He was starting to sound like Council Member Rosason. Worse than that. He was starting to sound like a politician. [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm]
•       "Welcome. May the Force be with us all. Before we begin, we recognize the generosity of Lina Soh, Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. She has allowed the Jedi access to the Senate building to allow us to efficiently gather in such numbers." --Pra-Tre Veter [Star Wars: The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight]
•        AMBASSADOR CEROX: “(SIGHS) Damn Jedi. All they do is interfere. Tell the droids to execute them on sight.”
        WARY COMMANDER: ”(SHOCKED) Execute the Jedi?”
        AMBASSADOR CEROX: “Yes. We've wasted enough time and enough lives here already.”
        WARY COMMANDER: “(UNSURE) But...surely killing the Jedi will bring the Republic down on our heads...”
        AMBASSADOR CEROX: “(SNAPPING, IMPATIENT) Just do it, will you? Before there are no droids left to carry out the damn order!” [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha]
•       The whole question of the responsibility of the Order in relation to the Jedi just proved how unprepared he was to be a Jedi Knight. Reath had heard Master Cohmac have the same conversation with other Jedi, the argument about how much the Order owed the Republic. Some Jedi were concerned that their focus was at risk of turning from research and education and the workings of the Force to war and politics. Master Cohmac certainly had expressed worry over how comfortable the Chancellor and her aides had become inserting themselves into Jedi Council meetings even after the Great Disaster had been resolved. And Master Cohmac might be a bit of a worrier, but he greatly disliked feeling beholden to the whims of the Republic, even if he also thought the Nihil were a dangerous threat. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•        "Master Cohmac, Reath, do you mind me inquiring why you're headed to Coruscant?" Vernestra asked, partly to change the subject from her terrible flying but mostly because she was curious.
       "The atrocities we witnessed on Genetia have attracted the attention of the Senate, so we've been summoned to testify before a committee consisting of a few well-known senators and the Jedi High Council," Cohmac said with a sigh. "I am not a fan of bureaucracy, but I do hope this will convince the Republic to intervene in the civil war. Good people are suffering, and so far they've ignored their pleas for help."
       "Why couldn't you just holo in?" Vernestra asked. It seemed silly to ask two Jedi to leave their work behind to testify in person.
       "Apparently the Senate likes to have people in the same room," Master Cohmac said, his lips quirking in a pained smile. "And this is a Republic meeting, not a High Council one, so what the Republic wants, they get." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       Vernestra blinked. Her pulse picked up a bit, and she took a few calming breaths. Everyone knew that being assigned to the main temple was important, and she felt the weight of responsibility settle over her. This was good, right? "Is there a reason why?"
        "Yes, actually." Stellan grinned again. "Your heroism and courage have distinguished you more than you know, and a Republic senator asked for you by name to handle an issue we're having in the Berenge sector." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI’S REASONS FOR JOINING THE WAR - PREQUELS:

• Neutrality in the face of extremism and those doing harm is not a good thing:
       "Extremism only escalates when it's left unchecked. When you stay neutral in the face of it." --Dexter Jettster [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
• The narrative of Star Wars generally supports the idea that it’s the Jedi’s duty to fight the Sith, no matter the era, and the Clone Wars and the Sith were inextricably linked together, just like it’s Luke’s duty to fight the Sith rising again post-ROTJ:
       "You should go with him," said Lando, turning to Komat. "It's not just a dead Sith at the end of those coordinates. It's Kiza, too."
       Komat tilted her mask at him. "As I have previously explained to you, Lando Calrissian, the Acolytes of the Beyond are no longer my concern. Kiza lost her way many years ago. There is little I could do to change that now. Master Skywalker is a Jedi Knight. This battle is his.” [Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith]
• The Separatists were not as above board as they claimed, this wasn’t just about independence:
       “The way this war has started, it's not just the violence. It's bad faith and disinformation, misrepresentation under the mask of independence." Her words came at the pace of a public speaker, as if she stood in a floating pod in the Senate chamber instead of sitting with a bowl of frozen joral cream. "I know the Republic gets stuck in bureaucracy, I've lived it. But to claim that—" --Padme Amidala [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
• The Separatists were never going to stop, it wasn’t about invading key worlds so they could secede, they oppressed every world they could reach:
        They'd said war wouldn't come to Devalok. Zohra remembered her parents and their friends debating back and forth all the reasons why they were safe. The planet had no...what was the word? Strategic? Yes, the planet had no strategic value. It was far away from the politics of Coruscant, and what did it produce? Nothing but gardeners! They were no danger to the Separatists and no help to the Republic.
       They'd all said they were safe.
       They'd all been wrong, and now the gardens burned. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• Starvation and occupation and indiscriminate death were the methods of the Separatists:
        Dumuz sat cross-legged in the middle of the room, gazing empty-eyed at his empty cup. "I drank it too quickly. It's all gone now."
  They'd shut off the water to the building in the first week. They'd all gone to the fountain to refill their bottles. Then the droids had demolished the fountain with a single shot from their cannon. Why? Droids didn't drink. Maybe they thought no one else needed to, either. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• The very foundation of the Separatists was based on devotion to greed:
       "And let me remind you of our absolute commitment to capitalism... of the lower taxes, the reduced tariffs, and the eventual absolution of all trad barriers.  Signing this treaty will bring you profits beyond your wildest imagination." --Count Dooku [Attack of the Clones shooting script]
• The Separatists were committing actual atrocities, like they did to Echo as a prisoner of war:
       “But look what the Separatists did to one of our people! They took away his freedom, his humanity. They tried to turn him into a machine. The Techno Union claims it's neutral, but they have chosen sides.” [Star Wars: The Clone Wars, “On the Wings of Keeradaks”]
•       "The right side is the side that wins," Ventress hissed.
        "Clever words, but you're not on the ground, watching a planet's people lose their way of life, their village and family and friends, simply because Dooku decided a place is valuable. The Separatists just want to rule. They don't want to help. They don't care about freedom." [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• The Separatists cause was not actually about being independent, that was propaganda to cover up their actual atrocities they were committing:
        "I don't know what to believe with the bombing. Or why. The way this war has started, it's not just the violence. It's bad faith and disinformation, misrepresentation under the mask of independence." Her words came at the pace of a public speaker, as if she stood in a floating pod in the Senate chamber instead of sitting with a bowl of frozen joral cream. "I know the Republic gets stuck in bureaucracy, I've lived it. But to claim that—" She paused again, her human side taking back over from the politician. "I'm sorry again." --Padme Amidala [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       But that wasn't the case here; he was a lone emissary of the Republic, and his goal was peace. Escaping now would cast the Republic in an even worse light, and though the odds appeared slim for any diplomacy to sway Cato Neimoidian officials, they still came with a very harsh—but hopeful—truth.
        Slim was better than none. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        "There is only one solution for all of us, on all sides: de-escalation. And there is only one path to de-escalation: The Trade Federation cannot stay neutral in this war. Neutrality in the face of extremism only gives the extremists more space to breathe. It must be extinguished before more lives are lost, and the only way to stop it is to de-escalate the war. My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master and emissary of the Republic, and I have presented the facts to you in good faith. I now invite you to return that good faith; join me in recognizing this threat—a threat not just to the people of Cato Neimoidia, but to the Trade Federation, and to stability across the entire galaxy. If the Trade Federation aligns with the Republic, we can use this tragedy as a first step to coming together and negotiating peace with the Separatists." [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        "She has shown me the path. She promises that Dooku will not exploit Neimoidians like the Republic has." Obi-Wan wished he could show Ketar what Dooku had said on Geonosis, how underneath the eloquent words and welcoming smile came deceptions both subtle and overt. But he respected Ruug enough to leave this to her.
        "Think this through. How do you know he will keep his word?" she asked, kneeling down. Obi-Wan watched as she tried to reach him, as if logic might break through where empathy failed. "Even if he does, how do you know that everyone underneath him will as well? The Separatists are an evolving organization, filled with competing priorities. Including Nute Gunray. Their future is uncertain."
        "So you throw in with the Republic? With the Jedi?"
        Ruug paused, then looked back at Anakin and Mill as they worked on the bomb. "The Jedi tried to help our people. You tried to murder them. That's unforgivable. There's no possible justification for this. Regardless of what Ventress told you, you planted the bombs." She pointed at him. "As Cato Neimoidia mourned, you made that choice." [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

JEDI REASONS FOR JOINING BATTLES - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•       MESOOK: “Works for me. The Guardians will follow your orders without question.
        AIDA: “(UNCOMFORTABLE) I'm no commander.”
       MESOOK: “No. But you are a Jedi. Your motives are unimpeachable.”
       AIDA: “Thank you, Mesook.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha]
•       WARY COMMANDER: “No, Ambassador. Tilson Graf did not lie. The enforcer droids are everything he promised they would be. It's just...he hadn't accounted for the fact that they'd be fighting Jedi.”
        AMBASSADOR CEROX: “They're what? Jedi! The Jedi are supposed to remain neutral in all of this.”
        WARY COMMANDER: “Indeed. And yet, Master Sun is apparently on a crusade to take out as many of our droids as possible.”
        AMBASSADOR CEROX: “(TIGHTLY) And our soldiers?”
        WARY COMMANDER: “Just the droids. Reports from the surface are sketchy, but it seems the other Jedi—”
        AMBASSADOR CEROX: “—Aida Forte—”
        WARY COMMANDER: “—yes. The Nikto. She's taking down all E'ronoh's war machines with the same zeal. They...umm...they have the Guardians of the Whills under their command, too.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha]
•        AIDA: “A few days ago, Creighton said something. I thought he was just brooding, but maybe he was right.”
        SELIK: “What?”
        AIDA: “He said we'd brought the war to your doorstep. That none of you wanted it, but we'd brought it here anyway. I told him we'd brought peace—the signing of a treaty that would finally end the conflict... But he was right, wasn't he? We did bring the war here. And now look at it. Look at what we've done.”
        SELIK: “Aida...you were right. This isn't on you, or Creighton, or the Republic. Nor is it a mere failure of diplomacy. You aimed for peace. What could be more important than that? Isn't that what the Force wills? Isn't that our true purpose, be us Jedi, Guardian, or disciple? What's happened here is the fault of Eiram and E'ronoh for starting this war in the first place. And it's on the shoulders of whoever was behind the bombings and assassinations. They carry the responsibility for all these deaths, and more.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha]
•       Master Avar and a number of other Jedi had been campaigning for swift and decisive action against the Nihil before they could spread their misery any farther, but the Jedi Council and the Republic had been slow to act before the tragedy on Valo. And now the Republic pursued the Nihil in earnest, but the battles against the Nihil had been slow and far-flung, a net cast too wide and not precisely enough to snag the marauders. Vernestra had seen what the Nihil could do, how little they cared for the lives of others and how destructive they could be. She had agreed with Master Avar more than many of the other Jedi, who saw any kind of aggression as antithetical to the goal of the Order. Wasn't it the calling of the Jedi to provide relief to those who were suffering? Shouldn't they help those who could not help themselves? How could they protect life if they stood by idly while it was wantonly being taken? [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       "You cannot stay, even if I need every Jedi able to hold a lightsaber for this upcoming mission." Sadness flitted across Master Avar's face before her usually determined expression returned. "What I will ask is that you return as soon as this favor, whatever it is, is completed. The Nihil may be on the run, but they are far from finished, and the Jedi are going to have to take the fight to them in earnest or countless others will suffer the consequences. We need swifter action, not more politicking." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•        "Master Cohmac, Reath, do you mind me inquiring why you're headed to Coruscant?" Vernestra asked, partly to change the subject from her terrible flying but mostly because she was curious.
       "The atrocities we witnessed on Genetia have attracted the attention of the Senate, so we've been summoned to testify before a committee consisting of a few well-known senators and the Jedi High Council," Cohmac said with a sigh. "I am not a fan of bureaucracy, but I do hope this will convince the Republic to intervene in the civil war. Good people are suffering, and so far they've ignored their pleas for help."  [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO ACTIVE COMBAT IN THE GALAXY - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•       The quartermaster's office stood at the end of a long hall marked with signage in several languages that warned only Jedi were allowed. A droid scanned all those that entered the hallway, a new addition since the attack on Valo. Everyone on the frontier was rightfully on edge because of the Nihil attacks, which had gone from a handful total to several daily. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       "Why couldn't you just holo in?" Vernestra asked. It seemed silly to ask two Jedi to leave their work behind to testify in person.
       "Apparently the Senate likes to have people in the same room," Master Cohmac said, his lips quirking in a pained smile. "And this is a Republic meeting, not a High Council one, so what the Republic wants, they get."
       "Is that something the High Council would normally do? Ask the Republic to get involved?" Imri asked, frowning. Master Cohmac shook his head.
       "Not usually. But since the Great Disaster, the High Council has gotten more and more involved in the affairs of the Republic. The Republic is out of their depth at the moment, and the Order helps all those who ask for our assistance.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]
•       It had only been a couple of months since [Imri had] been able to make a pilgrimage to find a new kyber crystal, a trip made dangerous by the looming threat of the Nihil. And after the tragedy on Valo, so many lives lost in a single terrible day, it was even more important for the Jedi to keep their choice weapons nearby. The attack had put every Jedi on high alert. There were not many who still believed the Nihil were a small, localized threat, and the past couple of weeks had seen even the most pacifist Jedi more readily draw their lightsabers at the first sign of danger.
       Everywhere except for the meditation garden. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI INTERACTIONS WITH THE PUBLIC - PREQUELS:

• Jedi are careful not to hurt civilians even in an emergency:
       Ruug replayed the last few actions in her head from the chase out into the hallway to the moment Obi-Wan vaulted upward. And through it all, he had moved swiftly and carefully around any civilians. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
• When a moon is threatened with radiation, Obi-Wan’s immediate thought is for the welfare of everyone living there and their home:
       "Radioactivity capable of suppressing the entire light spectrum."
        "Within hours, it could fuse with the atmosphere and plunge the entire moon into darkness for eons.  Every living thing would die off." [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
• Despite that Devalok had no major benefit to the Republic, Obi-Wan and Anakin are still sent to help the planet:
              They'd said war wouldn't come to Devalok. Zohra remembered her parents and their friends debating back and forth all the reasons why they were safe. The planet had no...what was the word? Strategic? Yes, the planet had no strategic value. It was far away from the politics of Coruscant, and what did it produce? Nothing but gardeners! They were no danger to the Separatists and no help to the Republic.
      They'd all said they were safe.
      They'd all been wrong, and now the gardens burned. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• Obi-Wan prioritizes civilians and workers even when he himself is injured as a Padawan:
       "You're hurt--"
       "Negligible. Is that miner injured?" --Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
•        Obi-Wan considered all of the gears of government across countless systems, how his words might impact chances of either peace or war.
        "You are right, Minister Eyam. History does not lie, and I cannot condone the longtime actions the Republic has made in dismissing the Neimoidian people and its colonies time and again. I cannot justify the ignorance, the way the Republic has seen the Neimoidians as assets of the Trade Federation rather than sentient beings. You have every right to be angry; you have every right to want a better life for your people and your children—you have earned your voice, as a people and for those represented by the Trade Federation. I understand the need to be heard, but I urge you now: Being heard requires truth and faith in return. So I ask you to judge the truths I will present in good faith. Otherwise, this war will consume us all."
        Outside, the mass of hostility gradually trickled into quiet. Obi-Wan hoped the more humble and philosophical tone of his words countered the bluster of Eyam, statements that might spur reflection rather than whip up a frenzy. He chose his words carefully, a blanket to drape calm over the storm. "You have lost loved ones. You have lost children. I cannot bring them back. But if you listen to me right now, everyone here, everyone watching this holocast—in the Republic or in a neutral system or aligned with Count Dooku's movement—we have a chance to stop this war." [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       "The puzzle was nearly complete, but the fearsome shadow remained a missing piece. And I feared for the lives of the innocent miners we had yet to discover... not to mention the environmental catastrophe the entire moon was facing." --Obi-Wan [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
•       "One last try: Who is your source implicating the Separatists?"
        Ketar's question hung in the air, enough time passing that the noise from the nearby crowd grew in volume, a sound that synthesized both the venom and the desperation of their anxieties, of this moment. Obi-Wan considered his last discussion with Ruug. In theory, he could name her. Would that be enough to sway the judge, the crowd, even Ketar? And what would that do to Ruug? She'd said herself that helping him put her life at risk.
        Did he have the right to do that, even with the galaxy at stake? Would he sacrifice Ruug for this?
        "Well, Kenobi?" Ketar asked.
        He did not.
        He would not put her in harm's way. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•       She heard Ketar challenge Obi-Wan to reveal his source, to name Ruug. But she already knew he wouldn't. As she tried to explain, people like her created the truths that people like him defended.
        Ruug wasn't afraid to lose her life. She wasn't afraid to be named, even to reveal her own sources, who'd sliced into the Cato Neimoidian archives to analyze the data. Not if it could tilt the axis of the galaxy. But she'd seen enough to know that it really wouldn't have made much of a difference, outside of some extra shouting by different parties. Everyone's fate had already been decided.
  That was the difference between someone like her and someone like him: Obi-Wan       Kenobi was too good for a galaxy at war. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        Obi-Wan looked at the [Neimoidian] tower, pausing to appreciate its architecture with attention he couldn't give earlier. It was a marvel, a melding of structural impossibility and artistic genius, from the way that it curved at angles that seemed physically impossible to the ornate carving that told one long story of their culture's creation myth. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        "Anakin, let me talk to him," Obi-Wan said under his breath, as if he knew that Anakin was already considering ways to rush him.
        "You heard Mill. You're not getting through to him right now."
        "I'm going to try. Give me a chance."
        Anakin nodded, letting Obi-Wan do what he did best, but he didn't like the odds—or have the patience required to let this play out. Obi-Wan's lightsaber retracted and he put both hands up. "You see?" Obi-Wan said. "We are calm. We are here to talk. I spoke of good faith before, and I intend to keep it." From the side of his mouth, he spoke quietly. "Disarm yourself."
        "I hope you know what you're doing," Anakin said, drawing his plasma blade back into its hilt. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        "Ketar," Obi-Wan said, trying to reframe the discussion. "Listen to me. No one has to know about the bombs you planted. No one has to know about this bomb, right here, next to this infirmary." Though no one said it, Ketar's plans suddenly connected in Anakin's mind—if this was all about framing Obi-Wan for disrespecting the Neimoidian people, then the targets would all be things that mattered to their culture and community rather than to the Trade Federation as an organization.
        Buildings and statues of cultural significance—and the unguarded wounded.
        "These bombs can be erased from history. And instead, you can be the one who said that you wished to take the first step toward peace. Use my evidence, I beg of you. You can be the hero the galaxy needs right now. This will give you everything you want. Greater recognition of the Neimoidian people. A resolution to the greatest crime Cato Neimoidia has ever seen. And vindication for your family bloodline." [Star Wars: Brotherhood]
•        "Do you judge me?" [Ruug] asked, eyes locked with Obi-Wan's.
        That question tied into many different outcomes, and he weighed the possibilities, the way each might ripple out. "You are in a position that I cannot fully appreciate. These are your decisions to make. However," he said, "if you need any assistance, you may ask. From the Republic, or from myself. As a friend." He turned to check on Anakin, who still worked on bomb disarmament. [Star Wars: Brotherhood]

JEDI INTERACTIONS WITH THE CLONES - PREQUELS:

• Jedi are shown to constantly put themselves between clones and danger, to value and protect them, and not consider them expendable at all.  [Star Wars: The Clone Wars]
• Any Jedi with significant screentime was shown to be protecting the clones, with the exception of Krell (who was said to not be like the other Jedi), not just one or two, this was all of them.  [Star Wars: The Clone Wars]
• Our first introduction to Jedi and clones interacting:
        “We thought this was a great opportunity to show how the Jedi interact with clones.  Specifically, Yoda in a teaching role of the clones, who were socially new, who kind of grew up, who were created to fight, and he really broadened their horizons and helped them realize there was a great big universe out there that was bigger than just fighting and killing.” --Henry Gilroy [Star Wars: The Clone Wars, “Ambush”]
• When Obi-Wan realizes that Airo has no weapon, only a banner to carry, he immediately vows to cut Airo a clear path:
       "You have no weapon?"
       "Only this banner, sir, but it's an honor to carry it."
       "What's your name?"
       "Airo, General.  It's Airo.  I chose it last night."
       "I will cut you a path, Airo.  Follow me." [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]
•      “You clones will never be fodder, not on my watch.  the Jedi, clones, senators, our allies–all of us, we’re in this together.  And I will fight for each one of us in equal measure, now and until the very last day of this war.” --Obi-Wan Kenobi [Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Battle Tales]
• Obi-Wan refuses to leave anyone behind on the bridge they’re about to blow up, especially when they’re wounded, to the point of carrying Airo himself:
       "The general's cleared a path! Go! Move! General, we're going to blow the bridge to cover your retreat.  Stand by!"
       "I still have people on that bridge! Wounded! [....] Airo, come.  I can carry you..." [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]

JEDI INTERACTIONS WITH THE PUBLIC - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

• There are holos of the Jedi available to the public:
            His lowborn background would not matter to the Jedi, however. In all the datafiles he'd read, the newsvids he'd watched, the stories he'd heard, the Jedi respected beings from all walks of life. The diversity of their ranks reflected this openness. Some of the greatest Knights had been nobles, others nobodies. A few had once been enslaved. A street kid like him would be in good company. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• When the Starlight Beacon falls, the Jedi are helping the survivors, but all Jedi are recalled to Coruscant in the wake of the attack on them and the impending fight with the Nihil, showing that sometimes they needed to retreat to regroup at their home:
        "It is with sorrow that I report that the great outpost of the Republic in the Outer Rim, the Starlight Beacon, has been destroyed. Loss of life was... significant, including members of our Order. Effective immediately, all Jedi, of all ranks, are recalled to the Coruscant Temple." [Star Wars: The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight]
•        MESOOK: “Works for me. The Guardians will follow your orders without question.
         AIDA: “(UNCOMFORTABLE) I'm no commander.”
        MESOOK: “No. But you are a Jedi. Your motives are unimpeachable.”
        AIDA: “Thank you, Mesook.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha]

JEDI OUTREACH - PREQUELS:

• The Jedi cared about helping on missions regardless of whether the planet was important to the Republic’s security or not:
        He had been summoned hastily to the Outer Rim planet, and ushered to the surface under cloak and shadow. No one was to know he was there; no one was to know a Jedi had landed.
         It was very much unlike the Jedi Council to practice such—if not outright deceit, then camouflage, Qui-Gon thought. [....] If Qui-Gon was being honest with himself, which he often was, this planet didn't matter much in the grand scope of the galaxy, or in the Jedi's efforts to secure the Republic. But it mattered enough. [Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith]
• During a mission on a remote moon, when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan come across a badly damaged body, Obi-Wan is the one who checks on him and handles him very gently. [Star Wars: Obi-Wan]

JEDI OUTREACH - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•       Reath held his hands out and used the Force to stack the final two crates. It was a ridiculous number of artifacts and tapes, but Master Cohmac was adamant that it was important they preserve as much as they could from Genetia, since the planet was spiraling toward civil war. The Order usually didn't get involved in such matters, but Master Cohmac had found the petition from the planet's academic community compelling, and he'd managed to save almost two entire libraries and a museum's worth of artifacts. One day when things were stable once more, the Order would return the artifacts and tapes to the ruling government. But until then, they would be stored on Starlight Beacon. [Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows]

JEDI AND OTHER FORCE-USERS - PREQUELS:

•       Cere sighed. "All right. Our mission is...to guarantee that the wisdom of the Jedi lives on. To establish a..." Cal watched her struggle for the right word for a second. "A legacy," she landed on with a firm nod. "There has to be meaning to what the Jedi believed and taught, even if there aren't Jedi to pass that wisdom on to. It's valuable knowledge about life and the nature of the galaxy, and it shouldn't disappear just because its stewards are no more. And it might help the people who take up this fight after us, and there has to be a safe haven out there, not just for our rest stops, but for people like us all the time. For people like Irei." [Star Wars: Jedi: Battle Scars]

JEDI AND OTHER FORCE-USERS - THE HIGH REPUBLIC:

•      KETH: “No. They're nothing like the Path of the Open Hand. They generally keep to themselves. Or at least, no one seems to want to talk to them. They have a bit of a...dubious reputation. I've heard it said that they have a tendency toward the dark side of the Force.”
       SILANDRA: “That doesn't make them villains. Misguided, perhaps...and driven by their emotions and fears.” [Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha]

JEDI RARITY - PREQUELS:

• Despite the Jedi’s frequent missions and outreach, while people have heard of them, 10,000 in a galaxy of trillions (which works out to be about one Jedi for every three populations of the entire Earth, something like 1 out of 20 billion), not many people actually met them.
       RUNE HAAKO: “Have you ever encountered a Jedi Knight before, sir?”
       NUTE: “Well, not exactly, but I don't...” [Star Wars: The Phantom Menace]

JEDI RARITY - SEQUELS:

•      "Rieve, no one on this planet has probably ever seen a Jedi or a Sith," said Dragus.  "Sure, we heard all the stories about the war, but do you really think I know anything about the Jedi or the Force?" [Star Wars: Hunters: Battle for the Arena]
•       "Because teamwork is the most important quality for a victory," said J-3DI.  "The Jedi Order found it appropriate for their masters to teach their Force-sensitive Padawans in the ways of--"
       "Hold on.  Do you see me as the Padawan in this scenario?" Rieve said.
       J-3DI paused.  "I suppose so."
       "I don't even know what a Padawan is, but I'm definitely not that." [Star Wars: Hunters: Battle for the Arean]

Chapter Text

JEDI AND BUDDHISM:

• An examination of the role of mindfulness in meditation through the lens of Buddhism and how it can intersect with the Jedi Order.
•       “I also wanted to explore the spiritual aspect of the Jedi as much as I could, so I asked for guidance in that area. George [Lucas] replied with the cryptic note, ‘Look to Buddha.’”- Tom Veitch, Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 13, 1997
•     “As a monastic you lead a life of monastic celibacy and community, and if the one you love realizes that, she will not suffer and you will not suffer, because love is much more than having a sexual relationship. Because of great love you can sacrifice that aspect of love, and your love becomes much greater. That nourishes you, that nourishes the other person, and finally your love will have no limit. That is the Buddha’s love.” -- Thich Nhat Hanh
•       "The concept of Yoda, which is a Zen concept, is for adults, but kids can get something out of it, too. I use to study Zen and Buddhism, and I found many ideas there. Also, after I read the script, I started reading fairy tales and the analysis of fairy tales. You see, this is not really science fiction, and I wanted to know what makes a fairy tale work for people so that it always stays in their culture for so many  years." --Irvin Kershner

JEDI AND REAL WORLD ANALYSIS:

•      “Try not to confuse attachment with love. Attachment is about fear and dependency, and has more to do with love of self than love of another. Love without attachment is the purest love because it isn’t about what others can give you because you’re empty. It is about what you can give others because you’re already full.”— Yasmin Mogahed

BONUS REFERENCES:

• Understanding the Dark Side of the Force by writerbudda on tumblr