The Prime Jedi was the founder of the Jedi Order. The Prime Jedi established the Order on the planet Ahch-To, around 25,000 BBY. The first Jedi Temple, which was located on Ahch-To, contained a mosaic of the Prime Jedi in a state of meditation and balance. During the High Republic Era, the Meditation Chamber located on the space station Starlight Beacon also featured a mosaic of the Prime Jedi.


"This is a symbol of the first Jedi, or 'Jedi Prime'. The center, yellowish rocks represent the energy of a lightsaber, splitting off into two directions: the dark and the light side of the Force. The black rocks symbolize the energy of the Force—everything in between, binding our universe together."
―Seth Engstrom describing the mosaic of the Prime Jedi

The Jedi Code was a set of rules that governed the behavior of the Jedi Order. It taught its followers to not give in to feelings of anger toward other lifeforms, which would help them resist fear and prevent them from falling to the dark side of the Force. Odan-Urr was believed to have written the modern Jedi Code.

The Code
A Jedi such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, trained in the ways of the light side of the Force, could take comfort in the words of the mantra of the Jedi Code:

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.
There is no death, there is the Force.
There also existed an alternate version of the Code, recited by Jedi younglings during their Initiate Trials, and by Depa Billaba during her full fitness re-assessment after waking up from her 6-month coma:

Emotion, yet peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony.
Death, yet the Force.

Conquering the dark side
"Part of me you are, yes. But power over me you have not. Through patience and training, it is I who control you."
―Yoda, to the shadow of his soul
Jedi were taught to accept the inherent dark side within themselves and conquer it, and not let it conquer them. Fear of loss, anger, hate, jealousy, greed, and aggression—all of the dark side—had to be stripped from its influence over a Jedi through patience and training.

Love and attachments
"Are you allowed to love? I thought that was forbidden for a Jedi."
"Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life. So you might say that we are encouraged to love."
―Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker[src]
While the Jedi Code forbade possession and attachments, the Jedi were encouraged and trained to love in terms of compassion. Attachment was the inability to accept change as the fundamental characteristic of life; to accept death as the natural part of life; the inability to let go. Feeding into fear of loss and greed, leading to jealousy, attachment was selfish, a shadow of greed and thus a path of the dark side of the Force. Therefore, attachment was forbidden for a Jedi, who had to train themselves to let go of everything they were afraid to lose; to renounce all attachments. Thus, they could be compassionate and loving and caring, but not be possessive and grabbing and holding on to things, trying to keep them frozen in time, accepting the transitional nature of life. This allowed them to love the totality of life unconditionally without selectively choosing individual life-forms to become selfishly attached to.

Personal relationships
"Falling in love—that's what the Jedi Code forbids. Getting laid? Not so much. Not if it's casual, like me and Selbie."
―Rael Averross defends casual sexual relationships to Qui-Gon Jinn[src]
Members of the Jedi Order considered each other their family and sometimes were truly related by blood. Jedi Masters developed strong, trusting and loving bonds with their apprentices whom they raised, being like a parent to them. However, they were not supposed to form attachment—for the greater good, they had to be able to let go of them, to not lose a thousand lives just to save one. The Jedi considered romantic feelings natural and as such, they did not prohibited them, but for a Jedi Knight it was essential to make the right choice for the Order and not neglect their Jedi duties in the favor of their beloved, even if that would mean the end of the relationship.

Jedi Knight Rael Averross believed that the Jedi code permitted casual sexual relationships as long as the Jedi did not form attachments. Averross had such a relationship with Selbie, an innkeeper on Pijal, when he served as Lord Regent of that planet. His friend and fellow Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn did not agree with this belief.

Emotions and serenity
The Jedi were encouraged to rely on their instincts over their mind. They held their emotions valuable but were also warned to be mindful of them, for they could cloud their judgment. A Jedi had to maintain a serene, quiet mind in order to stand on the light side instead of the dark—thus, they were able to keep the Force within them in balance

Peace with death
The Jedi knew that the universe was far from static, and the way of the Force was that all living eventually must die. They had a strong faith in the Force and found comfort in knowing that upon dying, they, just like all things that ever lived, would be transformed into the Cosmic Force, the wellspring from which the Living Force emanated, becoming one with it. Therefore, they saw death as the natural part of life; despite being saddened by it, they were advised to remember that one day they would all pass on, and rejoice and celebrate those around them who passed away and become one with the Force, instead of grieving and missing them. The fear of losing the living to inevitable death was attachment, the shadow of greed.

Form I: Shii-Cho - The oldest form of lightsaber combat that uses a simplistic style focused on disarming a foe.

Form II: Makashi - An elegant style of graceful lightsaber combat. Makashi focuses on disarming a single combatant.

Form III: Soresu - Defensive style of combat that is best utilized in any situation where an opponent is continuously attacking. Designed to keep the Jedi from wearing out before their opponent.

Form IV: Ataru - Fast and acrobatic, yet aggressive, focusing on using the Force to enhance a wielder's movements in combat.

Form V: Shien/Djem So - The two variants of Form V are physically demanding with a reliance on quick transitions between defense and attack. This form is ideal for fending off blaster fire while battling an opponent with a lightsaber.

Form VI: Niman - The most popular Form within the Jedi Order. Niman focuses on balance by utilizing aspects of the other Forms of lightsaber combat.

Form VII: Juyo/Vaapad - A highly aggressive form of lightsaber combat used by very few Jedi. It can leave a combatant exhausted easily and is incredibly difficult to master. The Vaapad variant was developed and used by Jedi Master Mace Windu to draw on both sides of the Force in his lightsaber combat.

Form VIII: Jar'Kai - This Form is used by anyone wielding two lightsabers or a double-bladed weapon.

the Jedi had to use a much more archaic version known as a protosaber. The main reason for this is that the original lightsabers, known as Forcesabers, could not be wielded without its user being turned to the dark side, so early followers of the Jedi Order developed the protosaber. Protosabers were similar to lightsabers in terms of form and function, but they were inferior in that they relied on a bulky external power supply to function. Eventually, the Sith developed a way to use internal power cells, and the Jedi adopted this practice, leading to the creation of the lightsaber that we all know and love.

Protosabers were used during the Hundred-Year Darkness and Great Hyperspace War by Jedi, Dark Jedi, and Sith alike. During these conflicts, they clashed with Force weapons, conventional weapons, and exotic weapons such as those made of Mandalorian iron.

The protosaber design was eventually rendered obsolete by improvements in technology and materials. The invention of more potent power cell technology allowed users to replace external power packs with small power cells fitted within the hilt of the lightsaber. An internal superconductor was also introduced that transferred the returning looped energy from the negative-charged flux aperture back into an internal power cell. With this modification, the power cell would only expend power when the energy loop was broken by coming into contact with other material. It was possible to modify protosabers to take advantage of these improvements in technology, thereby making them into standard lightsabers. Vima-Da-Boda's lightsaber is one example of a protosaber that was "upgraded" at some point to match modern lightsaber designs. The First Blade was apparently installed with these improvements as well.

With these improvements granting the wielder greater freedom of movement and more efficient power consumption, the protosaber design would be abandoned until further advancements were made in lightsaber technology.


Retrosaber

At least one Jedi artisan eventually returned to the archaic lightsaber design, improving it with modern materials and engineering. The resulting weapon—dubbed a "retrosaber"—greatly resembled the original protosabers, but far exceeded their abilities. A retrosaber was just as potent as modern lightsabers, but offered a few advantages along with the disadvantage of the external power pack. The primary advantage was that modern belt-mounted power packs allowed for a brief "power surge", creating a more powerful blade for a short time and therefore a temporary advantage in combat.

A Golden Age

The High Republic Era was a period of time] that lasted for around two hundred years between approximately 300 BBY and 82 BBY in which the Galactic Republic was said to be at its height. It was also a golden age for the Jedi, who were significantly more active throughout the galaxy, and a time of expansion and exploration in the Outer Rim Territories.


The High Republic Era was considered a time of peace. The Jedi Order was at its height, and incredibly open, diverse, and accepting, as well as following the Jedi Code less dogmatically.[6][8] Their influence spanned the galaxy, as they had many outposts throughout it. Additionaly, the Starros and San Tekka clans were known to be active during this period. When there was conflict or another type of crisis, one of the earliest of the Great Works, the Salvation-class Republic medical frigate Panacea, was deployed to provide aid. During this time, the galaxy was not as settled as it was by the time of the Galactic Civil War, as areas like the Outer Rim were dangerous and difficult to navigate. In response, an enormous space station called the Starlight Beacon, one of Chancellor Soh's Great Works, was constructed at a great effort and expense and placed in the center of the dark zones. The station would send out a signal that acted as a beacon, helping travelers find their way.

Jedi Temple Guards were a special security force the Jedi Order employed to protect the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Each Temple Guard was chosen from the ranks of Jedi Knights to abandon their identities and become a Guard. It was considered to be one of the highest honors a Jedi Knight could achieve.

Each member of the Jedi Temple Guards donned ceremonial robes and a face covering, rendering them anonymous. None of the Guards retained their identities as long as they worked in the Temple, which separated them from the rest of the Jedi Order.

A Jedi Temple Guard carried a lightsaber pike, which is a special type of double-bladed lightsaber. All of the Guard's lightsabers formed yellow plasma blades, and there was no variation on this. After the fall of the Jedi Order, most of the Jedi Temple Guards were killed.

The one that remained fell to the dark side of the Force. He swore his allegiance to Palpatine and became the Grand Inquisitor — a Sith operative specially trained to hunt down and kill the Jedi.

Like many Jedi temples, the temple on Coruscant was built atop an ancient Sith shrine. The Grand Jedi Temple, as it was known, was the headquarters of the Jedi Order, making it the central hub of the Order. The Temple was constructed by the Four Masters thousands of years BBY atop an ancient Sith Shrine dedicated to serving the dark side of the Force.

After the Emperor began the Great Jedi Purge with the execution of Order 66, he had Darth Vader siege the destroy the Temple. When it was cleared out, the Emperor built his official residence and Imperial Palace atop the ruins. A Sith shrine became a Jedi Temple, which ultimately reverted to being a Sith shrine and residence of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

The Coruscant Temple's origins date back to 5000 BBY when, at the beginning of the Great Hyperspace War, the Galactic Republic granted the Jedi land on Coruscant over the sacred spire, which contained a Force nexus. A holy place for the local Coruscanti, the Republic hoped by granting the Order land they would build a massive fortress like those they had established on Ossus, Falang Minor, and Haashimut. However, the Order did not wish to entangle themselves with the politics of the capitol or become a symbol of war and opted to build only a small meditative enclave. It wasn't until the Old Sith Wars saw the devastation of Ossus and the Great Jedi Library located there that the Order decided to re-establish its academy at the sacred spire. At the behest of the Order's wisest thinkers, the Four Masters began the painstaking task of building the Temple Ziggurat. Growing steadily for the next thousand years the Temple incorporated various pieces of historical works and architecture from their past, including tiles and stained-glass mosaics from the lost complex on Ossus.

Following the construction of the four Jedi Council spires, the Jedi High Council moved from their temporary meeting place and permanently relocated to the High Council Chamber at the top of the northwestern tower. As the Order became more and more tightly-linked to the Republic they protected, the Order closed some of its satellite facilities and began moving all artifacts from Exis Station to the Temple's Archives. After the failed Jedi Conclave at Katarr, the Temple was abandoned as the remaining Jedi Knights went into hiding as Darth Nihilus and Darth Sion began the First Jedi Purge. Abandoned for only a brief period, the Jedi reorganized and returned to the Temple following the defeat of both the Sith Lords.

Order 66, also known as Clone Protocol 66, was a top-secret order identifying all Jedi as traitors to the Galactic Republic and, therefore, subject to summary execution by the Grand Army of the Republic. The order was programmed into the Grand Army clone troopers through behavioral modification biochips implanted in their brains, making it almost impossible for the clones to disobey the command to turn against their Jedi Generals. The Kaminoan scientists who designed the clone troopers believed it was only to be used as a contingency protocol against renegade Jedi. In secret, Order 66 was the means by which the Sith intended to bring about the long-awaited fall of the Jedi Order.


During the Clone Wars, the Sith agenda was progressing relatively unnoticed until a premature activation of Order 66 resulted in the death of General Tiplar at the hands of CT-5385 "Tup," a defective clone whose malfunctioning chip caused him to turn against his Jedi officer. The incident led ARC trooper CT-5555 "Fives" to conduct his own investigation into the matter, believing the incident to be a Separatist plot against the Republic. On the galactic capital Coruscant, however, he learned that the chips conditioned the clones to become hostile against the Jedi. Furthermore, he discovered to an extent Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine's involvement in the conspiracy and attempted to assassinate him. Fives told what he knew to his Jedi superior Anakin Skywalker, but before the clone could prove it, he was killed by clone shock troopers of the Coruscant Guard.

The plan continued apace for the remainder of the war, although the Jedi High Council had grown increasingly wary of the Chancellor's motives. In 19 BBY, a group of Jedi Masters sought to arrest Palpatine upon learning his true identity as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. When their efforts failed, Palpatine used the incident to frame the Jedi Order for treason and, as such, directed the clone army to execute their Jedi commanding officers in accordance with Order 66.


Across the galaxy, thousands of Jedi were killed by their own troops while the Chancellor's new apprentice, the Sith Lord Darth Vader, led the 501st Legion in a direct assault on the Jedi Temple of Coruscant. With the exception of a few surviving Jedi, such as Grand Master Yoda, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, former Padawan Ahsoka Tano and Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus, the Great Jedi Purge was largely accomplished through the initial activation of Order 66. Even after the initial onslaught, Order 66 still stood, and all Jedi, even people who might be Jedi, were to be killed on sight. Sidious would go on to consolidate his reign as Emperor of the Galactic Empire, ruling for decades until the prophecy of the Chosen One came to pass, marking the end of the Sith's rule and the restoration of balance in the Force by 4 ABY.

The Great Jedi Purge came about when Emperor Palpatine executed Order 66. The Clone Troopers who fought beside their Jedi Generals for years during the Clone Wars suddenly turned on their commanders, killing them all — at least, that's what the Emperor wanted to happen. Unfortunately for him, plenty of Jedi escaped.

Some of them have been featured in the movies and cartoons, while others have shown up in comics and novels. While the total number remains unknown, it's estimated that around 30 Jedi survived the Purge, and many of them were responsible for building the resistance into a Rebel Alliance, which brought about the Empire's fall.

The known survivors of the Great Jedi Purge include Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Kanan Jarrus, Ashoka Tano, Grogu, and Jocasta Nu. Some lesser-known Jedi to survive include Ferren Barr, Kirak Infil’a, Naq Med, Uvell, and many more. Ultimately, the ones who escaped helped bring about the Empire's downfall, so Palpatine's Great Jedi Purge ultimately resulted in his undoing.

Jedi temples were structures built by the Jedi Order on many worlds across the galaxy. They were constructed on quiet locations that often harbored rare kyber crystals. Although the first of those temples was erected on the aquatic world of Ahch-To, the one built on Coruscant over the foundations of an ancient Sith shrine ended up becoming the main headquarters of the Order. In fact, many Jedi temples were built over conquered Sith temples in an effort to purify the site.

The temple on Ilum.
The Jedi Temple on Ilum and the Crystal Caves beneath it was a complex erected by the Jedi Order, one of its earliest endeavors to construct temples across the galaxy. A common pilgrimage site for the members of the Order, the Temple hosted a trial known as the Gathering, wherein students of the Jedi academy retrieved the kyber crystal which would power their personal lightsaber. In the year 34 ABY, Resistance pilot Poe Dameron destroyed Starkiller Base, a superweapon built into Ilum's surface, destroying the planet and sealing the temple's fate.

The temple on Vrogas Vas.
A Jedi Temple was located on the planet Vrogas Vas. By the time of the Galactic Civil War, the temple had been left in ruins. Luke Skywalker ventured to the ruins of the Vrogas Vas temple to learn more about what it meant to be a Jedi, after learning of its location from a holocron that contained a message from Jedi Master Phin-Law Wo, who was once stationed in the temple.

"Recorded here are the teachings of Master Phin-Law Wo of the Jedi Temple on Vrogas Vas. Protect them at all costs."
―A Jedi holocron

The temple on Ossus.
The Jedi Praxeum, also known as the First Temple, was located on the Outer Rim Territories planet Ossus, operated by the Jedi Order. The temple had mosaic floors that were salvaged and used within the Order's newer headquarters on the galactic capital world of Coruscant. The Ossus temple, was once believed to be the first Jedi Temple and where the Force-sensitive Great Tree originally stood.

"They say it is old, even older than Yoda, that it originally stood on Ossus, at the heart of the First Temple."
―Dooku, to Jenza, on the Great Tree

A temple on Dantooine.
A Jedi Temple was located on the Outer Rim Territories planet Dantooine, operated by the Jedi Order.[1] Records about Jedi on the planet went back several centuries, but they had apparently left by the time of the Clone Wars.

The temple on Lothal.
The Lothal Jedi Temple was an ancient and megalithic structure established and maintained by the Jedi Order prior to the end of the Clone Wars and the execution of Order 66. Located in the northern hemisphere of the planet Lothal in the Outer Rim Territories, it was one of many temples associated with the Jedi throughout the galaxy, and one of the few that was not destroyed by the Galactic Empire. Built into a natural stone spire and the caverns that sprawled out beneath it, the Temple was commissioned by the Jedi due to the vergence found at the site. It became a place where Jedi Masters would take their Padawans to determine their readiness to become a Jedi. Kanan Jarrus brought his Padawan, Ezra Bridger, to the temple several years before the Battle of Yavin as well as bringing Ahsoka Tano at one time.

The Temple of Eedit on Devaron.
The Temple of Eedit, also known as the Eedit Temple, was a Jedi temple on the jungle planet Devaron. The temple was a place of personal rebirth and fortification for its visitors, drawing upon the vergence in the Force that the temple was built on. The Galactic Republic used it as a base during the Clone Wars, and the temple became a vital outpost in the Republic's campaign against the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

"Do not be fooled, Savage. The Temple of Eedit serves only as a front for the military operations of the Republic."
―Count Dooku, to Savage Opress

The temple on Ledeve.
The Jedi Temple on the planet Ledeve was a temple operated by the Jedi Order. Consisting of two dissimilar towers resembling those that crowned the Grand Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the Temple was unoccupied by the time of the Clone Wars.

The Temple of the Force on Ashas Ree.
The Ashas Ree Temple of the Force was a Jedi temple located on the planet Ashas Ree. The temple had been built atop a Sith Temple in an attempt to contain and suppress the dark power located inside it. By the time of the war between the First Order and the Resistance, the Jedi temple had fallen into some disrepair, and a trading outpost had sprung up next to it.

In 35 ABY, an archaeologist named Mika Grey got trapped inside the temple. She was soon discovered by Castilon resident Kazuda Xiono. Xiono accidently fell in where Mika was after being tempted to touch a relic that was held inside the temple. Mika claimed that she was inside the temple for almost 2 days. After Mika arrived on Ashas Ree, she stated that the villagers of the planet fled after Mika excavated the temple.

Qui-Gon Jinn was the first of the recent Jedi who rediscovered this secret with the assistance of a shaman of the Whills. Qui-Gon's spirit guided Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi and revealed to them the secret of retaining one's individuality after becoming one with the Force. Yoda during his exile taught it to another Jedi Master, Qu Rahn. The Dark Woman also learned of it at some point.

Death for those Jedi were different: their spirits could retain their individuality and could return as voices, dreams, or apparitions at will, so that they could help those in need of their guidance. On death, their bodies vanished; this was not the case with Qui-Gon, however.

As we know, Jinn taught this skill to both Yoda and Obi-Wan, but it’s unclear whether Anakin learned it on his own, or is just so strong in the Force that he was able to figure it out. So far, only Jedi with a very deep connection to the light side have been able to manifest themselves as Force spirits, which is kind of ironic when you consider that the Sith are the ones who long for immortality.

This state was temporary, as Force ghosts were an intermediate state between life and afterlife; after a certain amount of time, they would then have to move on to the Netherworld of the Force, another realm of existence. Darth Vader learned of this ability through Darth Sidious, and upon his death, the spirits of Kenobi and Yoda completed his training by granting him the last step in becoming a spirit. Anakin's spirit appeared as that of his younger self, prior to his fall to the dark side.



Known Force ghosts

The Skywalker family was a Force-sensitive Human bloodline whose first known member was Shmi Skywalker. The clan contributed members to both the Old[1] and New Jedi Orders, as well as the ranks of Sith Lords. Through several generations, the Skywalker family remained extraordinarily prominent in galactic affairs, having a significant impact on major historical events for over 150 years.


Shmi Skywalker's son, Anakin Skywalker, was conceived by the will of the Force and raised on Tatooine.

As a Jedi Padawan, Anakin married Padmé Amidala in 22 BBY. Three years later, Amidala gave birth to twins, Luke and Leia, passing away soon after. Due to Anakin's fall to the dark side of the Force and transformation to Darth Vader, Luke was raised on Tatooine by his uncle and aunt, Owen and Beru Lars (Anakin's step-brother and step-sister-in-law), while Leia was raised by Bail and Breha Organa on Alderaan.

Leia married Han Solo in 8 ABY and had three children: twins Jaina and Jacen in 9 ABY, and a younger son Anakin, who was named after his grandfather, in 10.5 ABY.

In 19 ABY, Luke married Mara Jade. Their son, Ben, who was named after Luke's first mentor Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi, was born in 26.5 ABY. Ben would later become the ancestor of brothers Nat and Kol Skywalker, as well as Kol's son Cade. Cade lived during 130 ABY and was the last surviving Skywalker of his time, his uncle having abandoned the famous name and living as "Bantha" Rawk. Nat married the Kiffar Jedi Droo Rawk and adopted her biological daughter, Ahnah, and two other children Skeeto and Micah.

The droids C-3PO and R2-D2 were both the creation or property of Anakin and Padmé respectively. Eventually the droids would later fall into the hands of their children. R2-D2 went under the possession of Luke Skywalker whereas C-3PO mostly remained with Leia Organa Solo and her family.

The family was unaware that they were related to the Naberrie family of Naboo until 36 ABY, when Luke discovered a group of holograms within R2-D2 dealing with the final days of his mother's life. Soon after, Leia traveled to Naboo to meet with Pooja Naberrie and revealed their relationship.


The Dark Side On The Family

"She has the Skywalker anger…like her brother…like her father."
―Palpatine, in reference to Leia Organa Solo

Since the miraculous conception of Anakin Skywalker, the majority of the Skywalker family fell to or struggled with the dark side. Anakin, whose very existence might have been influenced by the Sith, became Darth Vader, one of the most feared Sith Lords in history. His son Luke eventually took his father's place as the Emperor's apprentice as a hoax for a short while. Luke's sister Leia had three children. Her youngest son Anakin died at an early age, sending his sister Jaina temporarily over to the dark side. Leia's oldest son, Jacen, became Darth Caedus; unlike the other Skywalkers, Caedus did not want to be redeemed, having been led to believe that he could be a Sith and not be evil, only to end up doing "wrong things for the right reasons." Luke married a former Emperor's Hand Mara Jade, and their son Ben was influenced by his cousin Jacen to commit an assassination and other questionable acts. Even 130 years after the time of Luke Skywalker, his descendant, Cade Skywalker, was still dealing with his family's attraction to the dark side. Cade became an apprentice to Darth Talon in service to Darth Krayt, the new Dark Lord of the Sith. However, he abandoned this position and escaped Krayt's grasp with the help of his friends.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about the Skywalker family was not how easily they tended to fall to the dark side, but how they eventually returned to the light. All known members of the Skywalker clan who fell to the dark side returned to the light and redeemed themselves. Darth Caedus returned to the light a moment before his death to save his lover and daughter. In the long history of the Jedi, this was known as a very uncommon feat. Usually their redemption relied on the support and determination of their family members and close friends. The belief in redemption, originating with Padmé Amidala, and continued on by Luke Skywalker, was a powerful weapon the Skywalkers used to battle the dark side from within and without.