Jedi Order
From Star Wars: The Old Republic Wiki
Contents |
History
The Jedi have been the noble peacekeepers and diplomats for the Galactic Republic for 22,000 years. While law-abiding citizens look to the Jedi with respect and inspiration, the Galactic Republic’s enemies regard the Jedi with suspicion, fear, and anger.
Little is know of the origins of the Jedi. Studies of the Force, and of the symbiotic midichlorians living in most living things, had been previously practiced by the paladins of the Chatos Academy, the Followers of Pallawa and the mystic Order of Dai Bendu on diverse planets. The tenets of the Jedi are believed to have been laid down on Tython ,around the years 25000 B.B.Y., where many were able to harness the Force. Those who would use this new-found power for destructive and\or personal ends dragged the planet in a long and arduous conflict know as the Force Wars, from this conflict the Force-users of Tython established The Jedi Order, a monastic society who obeyed the precepts of peace, knowledge, serenity and harmony.
For the early Padawans there was a '"Jedi Forge" in which the hopeful would channel Force energy into a metal sword, honing the into a supernatural degree of sharpness and strength, this weapon would evolve into the modern lightsaber. Taking it upon themselves to liberate other worlds from oppression a proactive faction of Jedi set out into the galaxy, these warriors became know as the Jedi Knights.
A school of Jedi philosophy took place in Ossus and the Force came to be understood as Light Side and Dark Side alignments. The Order faced its first challenge since the Force Wars when followers of the Dark Side formed the Legions of Lettow and waged war against the young order. The Jedi emerged victorious, this marked the second of many Great Schisms between the Dark and Light sides of the Force.
The Discovery of a new hyperspace route communicated Ossus with the Republic, after seeing some similarity in their philosophy the Jedi loyalty to the Galactic Republic and so became its legendary defenders.
At 15000 B.B.Y. the Jedi had developed their signature Lightsabers, but were still unstable operable for a short period of time before over-heating, lightsabesr of this time were mostly ceremonial. The third Great Schism of the Force occurred approximately 7000 B.B.Y. when a host of Jedi abandoned the Light Side and were exiled from the Order, these Dark Jedi attacked the republic and began a century-long conflict know as the Hundred-Year Darkness. They were eventually defeated the few survivors fled to wild space where they encountered the Sith species on Korriban.
They returned for revenge 3000 years later and after a short but violent struggle the drove them back and followed them to Korriban, the Republic fleet bombed their homeworld. Following these war The Jedi finally developed the modern Lightsaber, which were able to operate nearly indefinitely with one charge and without the need of an external powerpack.
Over millennia the Jedi Order suffer several dissidents which caused no end of trouble for the Republic, the most distinguished of these were Freddon Nadd, Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun. Nearly 40 years after the war of Exar Kun, during which the Academy and the Great Library on Ossus was destroyed, the Mandalorian Clans launched an all-out attack on the Republic, as the Republic cried out for help the Jedi Council called for caution and refused to aid in the war effort sensing a far greater threat looming behind. A young powerful Jedi Knight named Revan defied the Council's orders and set out to aid the Republic and took control of its fleet, Revan had many supporters among the Order and when he left man more followed. After defeating the Mandalorians Revan didn't come back for he had grown a desire for power and went to search for the Star Forge, during this search Revan was corrupted and the former hero came back as a conqueror. After a terrible struggle which nearly destroyed the Republic, Revan was captured by a trap effected by young Bastila Shan, a padawan with an unusual affinity to the Force power Battle Meditation, after redeeming himself Revan aided the Republic in destroying Star Forge and defeated Malak, his former apprentice who had taken the Mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith.
Shortly thereafter Revan departed in a mission to unearth the true Sith Empire whom he believed were behind the Mandalorian Wars, he was never heard of again. Only a handful of Jedi were left after the so-called Jedi Civil War and they Publicly disbanded leaving the Republic vulnerable to outside threats. The Sith without strong leadership turned to civil war and the Sith Academy was on Korriban destroyed, three Dark Lord rose to fill the power vacuum; Darth Sion, Darth Traya and Darth Nahilius. Darth Sion dispatched assassins to terminate the remaining Jedi. This new threat was vanquished by a Jedi Exile who was believed to be the last of the Jedi, after a confrontation with Darth Traya of the which Jedi Exile emerged victorious he decided to follow Revan's path to search for the true Sith Empire. The Republic and The Order were allowed to heal for 300 hundred years before the true Sith would come for their Revenge...
Recent Events
With the return of the Sith and the war hundreds of thousands Jedi have been killed. During the sacking of Coruscant several Masters, youngling and many more Knights perished, the millennia of Temple was destroyed, and so the Jedi have relocated to their homeworld of Tython to rebuild and ready themselves for the approaching fight, still steadfast in their commitment to the Republic a new generation of Jedi Knights is being trained.
Despite their intentions, the Jedi Order’s search for serenity on Tython has been strained. Among the ancient Tythonian ruins, mysterious Force energies abound, and the legacy of a long forgotten darkness has re-emerged. With the arrival of a Twi’lek pilgrim clan determined to settle on Tython in violation of Galactic Republic law, delicate and dangerous trials have arisen for Jedi Padawans in training and for the Order itself.
These catastrophes have damaged the Galactic Republic’s faith in its legendary protectors, but they are far from defeated. Overwhelmed but fearless, the Jedi still hope to restore balance to the Force and peace and justice to the galaxy.
The Lightsaber
The Lightsaber is the signature of the Jedi Order and the only possesion a Jedi Knight is allowed to have. Each is hand crafted by its owner therefore unique.
General Information
Ranks
Grand Master
Jedi Councillor
Jedi Master
Jedi Knight
Padawan
Initiate(Youngling)
Governing Body
Jedi Council
Locations
HQ 25000 B.B.Y.-3996 B.B.Y. Great Jedi Library - Ossus
HQ 3996 B.B.Y.> The Jedi Temple - Coruscant
Enclave on Tython
Notable Members
(although all Jedi should be considered 'Notable' there are always those who outshine the already shiny)
Awdrysta Pina, Odan Urr, Ooroo, Ulic Qel-Droma, Cay Qel-Droma, Nomi Sunrider, Vandar Tokare, Bastila Shan, Jedi Exille, Revan
See Also
Notes
The information on this article is pertaining only to the Old Republic era
