The Jedi | The Sith | Other Force Religions | Lightsabers

The Jedi

The Jedi are Force-wielding, warrior monks who practice a religion devoted to serving the light side of the Force. They have existed in
the galaxy for over 25,000 years, usually organized into the Jedi Order, an academic and meritocratic organization which trains Force
sensitive students in the use of the Force and the disciplines of the Jedi religion. The Jedi believe it is the will of the Force that they use
their powers for the good of others, and see themselves as the "guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy." The Jedi teach and favor
peaceful coexistence, negotiation, and cooperation, but practice and utilize Force-enhanced martial arts for self-defense, protection
of others, and to combat violent aggressors. The Jedi eschew possessions and personal attachments, living simple, monastic lives, and
practice meditation which fosters humility, builds their strength with the Force, and gives them access to insights from the Force.
The Jedi are inexorably linked to lightsabers, ancient weapons which amplify the Force and significantly enhance a Jedi's power. They
are legendary throughout the galaxy for wielding this weapon in defense of right, and despised by their opponents for their great power.
The Jedi desire to defend the innocent, end oppression, and to defeat evil, priorities which led them to become integrally associated
with the Galactic Republic, a democratic, interstellar organization which usually shared enough of the goals and beliefs of the Jedi
to warrant this partnership. This relationship dramatically enhanced the power of both the Republic and the Jedi, leading the Jedi to
play a major role in advising government policy, serving as negotiators, policing organized crime, and leading military campaigns as
the 'Knights of the Republic'. Lucas explains, "Its the monk idea. Whether you go to the Christian monks and the Knights Templar,
or you go to the Buddhist monks and the Kung Fu monks, you get the warrior monk." The Jedi are peace-loving, but are not pacifists.
The Jedi believe it is their responsibility to wield power and to lead any warfare, out of concern for what others would do in their place.

An individual must have a certain level of natural connection to the Force to wield the Force before being trained to use the Jedi arts.
The Jedi build their connection to the Force through calm centering, mindfulness, and by "reaching out with their feelings." This allows
them to access and apply the energy of the Force which surrounds and binds everything in the galaxy. This gives a Jedi supernatural
powers, the most easily accessible and well-developed of which are precognition, telekinesis, telepathy, and prophetic vision.
Jedi precognition, includes their predictive sense, which allows them to "see things before they happen" and is why they appear to
"have such quick reflexes." This allows a Jedi an extraordinary ability to pilot, battle with a lightsaber, avoid surprise attack, and
other instances of continually gaining insight moments before something happens. Jedi telepathy is primarily an empathic form of
ESP, where the Jedi can sense strong feelings, identify the presence of someone familiar, or get an intuitive sense of a situation.
This ability can also manifest direct images from another's undisciplined mind, referred to as one's thoughts betraying them. If
a connection is strong enough it can even allow for verbal telepathic messaging. This ability can also be used for the 'Jedi mind trick',
which can compel "weak-minded" individuals to follow a Jedi's suggestions. The Jedi are ethically compelled by their own religious
code to limit how and to what extent this power can be used to make others do things against their will. This power, combined with
a Jedi's calm vibration in the Force, is what allows Jedi to easily connect with animals and other living creatures. Telekinesis is a Jedi's
most obvious power, as they are able to push and pull using the Force. This allows for a huge variety of Jedi abilities, which use
the energy of the Force to move objects from a distance, propel themselves to great lengths or heights, or at great speeds. A Jedi
of sufficient ability can focus this energy enough to physically deflect objects, energy, and even energy weapons. A Jedi can also
channel this energy into their lightsaber, increasing its already great power. The prophetic power of a Jedi comes from their level
of focus and connection to the Force, but is most easily accessible only though meditation. The Force reveals things in dreams and
at times even in waking visions. It can show other places or people in the galaxy at the present time, or glimpses of events or possible
events from the past or the future. Often a person's visions involve people, places, and events that are connected strongly to them,
including "old friends long gone." The future is difficult to see as it is "always in motion." These visions are usually brief premonitions
about relatively proximal events, however those advanced in peering through the Force are sometimes shown prophetic visions of
the future, a power which the Jedi Order relies on to guide its strategies. Some Jedi are able to use psychometry, where they can
receive visions about the history of an object by touching it. There are other abilities the Jedi could access through the Force,
some of which are known to the Jedi, but given the scope of the power of the Force there is likely much the Jedi could still discover.

BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS
The Jedi believe in the Force, attempt to follow what they discern to be its will, and are devoted to serving the light side of the Force.
They believe it is their responsibility to stand up for others by using the gifts they have been given by the Force. The Jedi emphasize peace
and the virtues of humility, patience, restraint, discipline, respect, compassion, self-sacrifice, duty, honor, knowledge, wisdom, and justice.
The Jedi value nature, and favor the organic over the artificial, despite their regular use of advanced technology. The Jedi oppose greed,
arrogance, aggression, oppression, vengeance, vanity, selfishness, cruelty, slavery, corruption, and evil. The Jedi teach against using
the dark side, and actively oppose dark Force wielders like the Sith, whom the Jedi feel responsible to contain for the sake of the galaxy.

The Jedi Code
The Jedi Code is a codification of the central tenants of the Jedi Order. Developed over the millennia as the traditional teachings and
practices of the Jedi, the Code underwent several revisions and outright reforms at critical junctures of galactic history. The Jedi Code
familiar to the time period of the films and shows had been codified about 1000 years earlier, during the reformation of the Republic.
The oath of the Jedi states that "I do swear on my honor, and on the faith of the brotherhood of Knights, to use the Force only for
good, denying, turning always from the dark side; to dedicate my life to the cause of freedom, and justice. If I should fail of this vow,
my life shall be forfeit, here and hereafter." The oath appeared in an early script of Episode V. The rest of what is known of the Code
comes from direct statements or is implied by conversation in other SW material. What is known is that the Code encourages devotion
to the will of the Force, promotion of harmony, compassion, selflessness, the seeking of knowledge, respect for life, and maintaining
the disciplines of the Jedi religion. The Code requires Jedi to guard peace and justice, to defend and protect, to place the community
above the individual, and to confront evil. Forbidden by the Code are attachment, material possession, wealth, avarice, power-seeking,
revenge, unprovoked attack, or killing an unarmed or defenseless opponent. In the millennium of the films and shows, the Code also
forbids a master to have more than one apprentice. There may, obviously, be significant parts of the Code not yet known. The Code
does not explicitly state the oldest age at which a person may be trained, however refusing to train adults or even adolescents has
become traditional practice. This is due to the many attachments a person of those ages has already formed, among other concerns.


Common Jedi Sayings
"May the Force be with you."
"Trust in the Force."
"The Force will be with you, always."
"The simplest gesture of kindness can fill a galaxy with hope."
"I am a Jedi. I'm one with the Force, and the Force will guide me."
"I am one with the Force and the Force is with me."

Jedi Teachers

"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things.
It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together." (Episode IV)
"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck." (Episode IV)
Teachings About the Dark Side
"Don't give in to hate, that leads to the dark side." (Episode V)
"Sith Lords are our specialty." (Episode III)
"Only a Sith deals in absolutes." (Episode III)
"It takes strength to resist the dark side. Only the weak embrace it." (The Clone Wars S5E16)
"If you define yourself by the power to take life, the desire to dominate, to possess...
then you have nothing." (Rebels S3E20)
Teachings to His Students
"The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded." (Episode IV)
"Remember a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him. [It] partially [controls your actions],
but it also obeys your commands." (Episode IV)
"Let go your conscious self, and act on instinct." (Episode IV)
"Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them." (Episode IV)
"Stretch out with your feelings." (Episode IV)
"There are alternatives to fighting." (Episode IV, et al.)
"The Force will be with you, always." (Episode IV)
"You're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view." (Episode VI)
"Be mindful of your thoughts." (Episode II)
"This weapon [your lightsaber] is your life." (Episode II)
"Too dangerous. First Jedi rule: Survive." (Episode III, script)
"Be mindful of your frustration, it will only hold you back." (The Clone Wars S5E2)
"The most difficult trial a Jedi must face is to look inside oneself. Often we see things we don't like, but these
aspects are not set in stone, it is our decisions which shape our destinies." (Clone Wars Chapter 25)



"[The Force,] life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us.
Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." (Episode V)
"Feel the Force around you, here, between you and I and that tree and that rock, everywhere,
even between the land and that ship." (Episode V)
"For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is." (Episode V)
"Always in motion is the future." (Episode V)
"A Jedi uses The Force for knowledge and defense. Never for attack." (Episode V)
"Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force." (Episode VI)
"Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force.
Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not." (Episode III)
"Amazing the universe is." (The Clone Wars S1E1)
"Deceive you, eyes can. In the Force, very different each one of you are." (The Clone Wars S1E1)
"The Force resides in all living beings. Use it you can to quiet your mind." (The Clone Wars S1E1)
"To answer power with power, the Jedi way this is not." (The Clone Wars S1E10)
"Old sins cast long shadows." (The Clone Wars S4E11)
Teachings About the Dark Side
"A Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware: anger, fear, aggression - the dark side are they. Easily they
flow, quick to join you in a fight. Beware of them, a heavy price is paid for the power they bring." (Episode V)
"If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you it will." (Episode V)
"[Is the dark side stronger?] No, no. Easier, quicker, more seductive." (Episode V)
"Hard to see the dark side is." (Episode I)
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." (Episode I)
"Careful you must be when sensing the future. The fear of loss is a path to the dark side." (Episode III)
"In the end, cowards are those that follow the dark side." (The Clone Wars S1E1)
Teachings to His Students
"Wars not make one great." - Yoda (Episode V)
"A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind." (Episode V)
"Adventure, excitement - a Jedi craves not these things." (Episode V)
"A Jedi's strength flows from the Force." (Episode V)
"You will know [the good side from the dark], when you are at peace, calm, passive." (Episode V)
"Size matters not." (Episode V)
"You must unlearn what you have learned. Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try." (Episode V)
"Through the Force, things you will see: other places, other thoughts, the future, the past,
old friends long gone." (Episode V)
"Control, control, you must learn control!" (Episode V)
"Use your feelings, you must." (Episode II)
"Do not assume anything. Clear your mind must be." (Episode II)
"Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is.
Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose." (Episode III)
"You begin to see the true power of the Force. Visions they are. Underestimate them, you must not.
Meditate, to see clearly, more experience you need." (The Clone Wars S3E7)
"Choose you must how to respond to your visions, but remember, always in motion is the future,
and many possible futures there are." (The Clone Wars S3E7)



"Training to become a Jedi is not an easy task, and even if you succeed, it's a hard life." (Episode I)
"Without the midi-chlorians life couldn't exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force.
They continually speak to us, telling us the will of the Force." (Episode I)
"Living beings generate the Living Force, which in turn powers
the wellspring that is the Cosmic Force." (The Clone Wars S6E11)
"All energy from the living Force, from all things that have ever lived, feeds into the Cosmic Force,
binding everything and communicating to us through the midi-chlorians." (The Clone Wars S6E11)
Teachings to His Students
"Don't center on your anxiety, keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs." (Episode I)
"Be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the moment. Be mindful of the living Force." (Episode I)
"Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts." (Episode I)
"When you learn to quiet your mind you will hear [the midi-chlorians] speaking to you." (Episode I)
"Your focus determines your reality." (Episode I)
"Greed can be a powerful ally." (Episode I)



"Be mindful of your feelings." (Episode I)
"We are keepers of the peace, not soldiers." (Episode II)
"We cannot rush into this. We must remain calm and let the Force guide us." (The Clone Wars S6E9)
"Magic is only an illusion." (The Clone Wars S6E9)



"Our predicament is dire, but do not despair. Focus! We are Jedi." (Clone Wars Chapter 20)
"There is no such thing as luck." (The Clone Wars S2E5)



"Clear your mind, and you will see the path." (The Clone Wars S1E3)



"You need to be more quiet, not quiet with your mouth, but quiet with your mind." (The Clone Wars S2E11)
"The value of moving slowly is that one can always clearly see the way ahead." (The Clone Wars S2E11)



"The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi.
The Jedi is the crystal of the Force. The Force is the blade of the heart.
All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. You are one." (Clone Wars Chapter 14)



"To walk the path of the Jedi, one's spirit must be strong. That requires discipline." (Clone Wars Chapter 21)
"We can't set aside our most hallowed traditions!" (Clone Wars Chapter 21)



"Those who have power should restrain themselves from using it." (The Clone Wars S1E10)
"Revenge is not the Jedi way." (The Clone Wars S1E10)



"In my experience, just when you think you understand the Force, you realize just how little you know." (Rebels S2E20)



"Don't lose a thousand lives, just to save one." (The Clone Wars S1E13)



"Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love,
is central to a Jedi's life." (Episode II)
"[Killing] an unarmed prisoner. I shouldn't have done that, it's not the Jedi way." (Episode III)
"The Jedi use their power for good." (Episode III)
"The Sith rely on their passion for their strength, they think inwards only about themselves.
The Jedi are selfless. They only care about others." (Episode III)



"If all I do is try, that means I don't truly believe I can succeed." (Rebels S1E3)
"Now I know there is something stronger than fear - far stronger. The Force." (Rebels S1E15)
"Acting out of anger offers quick results, but it's a trap." (Rebels S3E1)
"It's not whether or not we fight, it's how we choose to fight that matters." (Rebels S4E3)


JEDI TEMPLES

Jedi temples were monasteries and ritual sites for the practice of the Jedi religion, almost exclusively built on top of a vergence in the Force
or a place of significant strength with the Force. In the later millennia of interstellar history, many Jedi temples were built over the ruins of
a Sith temple, in order to 'cap' the unnatural concentration of dark energy and purify what the Jedi saw as an abomination. Temples built
in antiquity are still useful to the Jedi due to being places of power in the Force, despite any decay of the physical structure. Many temples
were built of native stone or hewn out of the rock of a planet. Most Jedi temples of this sort did not require Jedi to maintain or guard them,
since they could only be accessed by the use of the Force. Due to their connection to the Force, many temples enhanced Jedi senses which
allowed visions and intuition from the Force to come more readily, or for Jedi to more readily connect with each other over large distances
through the Force. The temples the Jedi reside in are usually better maintained than those at ritual sites. In most eras of interstellar history,
those temples which were built or maintained were done so under the central direction of the Jedi Order, to meet the needs of their
current operations. Some historical Jedi temples were entirely lost or well-hidden. Planets known to have hosted a Jedi temple:


The most ancient Jedi temples were usually ruined, with rare exceptions like the temples at Ahch-To and Ilum. Despite its antiquity,
the Temple of Ilum was continually used by the Jedi Order until its fall in the Great Jedi Purge. Other ancient temples, like the one
on Tython, were abandoned but could still be utilized in its ruined state. Some, like the ancient Jedi temple on Jedha, were entirely
lost to history. Temples constructed in the galactic middle ages were more often still standing, however many were forgotten or
rarely frequented in later millennia, such as the temples on Lothal or Ashas Ree. This is also the era when the Jedi constructed
what became the Order's primary monastery, the Grand Temple on Coruscant, which served as their headquarters, collective
residence, and main academy. The Jedi also built and maintained a network of outpost temples as sanctuaries, and to facilitate
their work around the galaxy, and to facilitate their defense of the Republic, such as the Temple of Eedit on Devaron. Most of
the 'newer' Jedi temples were many millennia old. After the fall of the Empire, Luke Skywalker established a Jedi school on Ossus.




THE JEDI ORDER
In most eras of interstellar history, most or all Jedi were members of a unitary religious society known as the Jedi Order. The Order was
originally formed from the dominant Jedi sects whose views were orthodox enough to form a general consensus about Jedi practices,
beliefs, and priorities. Although there were at times competing Jedi sects, few survived many centuries without being destroyed by
enemies or integrated into the Order. The Order was composed of members of the various races in the known galaxy who were capable
of wielding the Force. The Jedi Order was monastic, academic, meritocratic, and martial, and was guided by the Jedi Code, which served
as their central doctrine. The Order had become codependent with the Galactic Republic since the era of the first Republic, over 20,000
years before Episode I, as the Republic's success and stability owed much to the power of the Jedi, and the Order came to rely on
the Republic as a vehicle to keep their ethics and political priorities widespread in the galaxy. The Jedi served as advisors, ambassadors,
peacekeepers, and warriors for the Senate as part of their role as Knights of the Republic. As a collective, monastic order, the Jedi
discourage personal attachments and forbid the owning of personal property, beyond their lightsaber. While a Jedi's clothes and
personal items are respected as theirs in practice, all Jedi property is technically communal. In most time periods, their equipment,
vehicles, and basics are largely funded by the state. The Order acted as an independent branch of the government, that served and
advised the Senate and its leader, the Chancellor, but also monitored their integrity and the ethical direction of Republic policy.
The Order was nearly destroyed at a few points in galactic history, but was a tradition so strong it was always reconstituted soon after.

The meritocratic and hierarchical nature of the Jedi Order developed naturally to facilitate the training of Jedi students, which was one
of the primary reasons for organizing collectively. Young Jedi were 'Jedi Initiates', informally called Younglings, who could eventually
earn an apprenticeship with an accredited Jedi. Those who passed the Jedi "trials" were granted the rank of 'Jedi Knight', and were
now confirmed Jedi who could take on an apprentice student according to the Jedi Code. In most time periods, there were thousands
of Jedi Knights in the galaxy. Jedi Knights who reached an advanced state beyond that of the average Jedi were made 'Jedi Masters'.
This required great proficiency, experience, and wisdom, and thus was usually reserved for older Jedi who had grown exceptional by
years of slowly building up their connection to the Force. In any era, there were more than a few promotions of prodigious Jedi to
the rank of Master in their 30s, or even 20s. In most time periods, there were hundreds of Jedi Masters in the galaxy. The Order was
organized into a system of departments overseen by councils, and was presided over by the Jedi High Council. The Jedi High Council
was a clerical assembly made up of a dozen of the wisest, most experienced, and most powerful of the Jedi Masters. The proceedings
were led by the Grand Master, who was the leader of the Order, and the Master of the Order, who was the elected leader of the High
Council. All members of the Council were considered to be the highest authority amongst the Jedi. The Council elected its own members
based on its own criteria of merit, to fill vacant seats due to deaths or Jedi retiring from the Council. Jedi Initiates numbered in
the thousands in most eras, and were almost always children who had spent the majority of their youth being raised within the Order.
The Jedi insist on the slow progression of their students and emphasize the place of an apprentice as subordinate. The aim is to teach
and reinforce humility, which is vital to maintaining a virtuous balance in the hearts of those who wield such extraordinary power.
The Jedi are aware that overconfidence is their greatest weakness, and arrogance their greatest shortcoming, and yet they feel their
overall success rate in training well-adjusted Jedi who don't become servants of evil is sufficient to overlook these flaws. The Jedi train
their child soldiers from a very early age, due to the years of advanced lightsaber and martial arts practice involved in becoming a Jedi
capable of defending oneself and others, and to ensure they can protect themselves from the Jedi's enemies, including organized
crime and in some eras even dark Force warriors like the Sith. Lightsaber training and martial arts aren't just about combat for the Jedi,
they are the primary method for Jedi to grow their abilities with the Force naturally, through utilization and self-discipline.
Known Jedi from canon material:
Jedi Masters









Jedi Knights







Jedi Padawans


Jedi Initiates





HISTORY OF THE JEDI
The majority of the history of the Jedi comes entirely from legendary sources. Dates are given in the Common Republic Calendar (CRC), along
with 'Before the Battle of Yavin' (BBY) dates in parentheses. BBY dates indicate how many years before the Battle of Yavin an event took
place. The Battle of Yavin was the climax to the original movie Star Wars, a.k.a. Episode IV, where Luke blows up the Death Star.

Origins of the Jedi
The Jedi emerged from an ancient order of Force wielders from many different worlds who had come to Tython to live apart from the early
intergalactic civilization, and who sought to study the mysteries of the Force and it's uses. The order was devoted to the Bendu, or balance,
of the Force, and its members sought to avoid attachment to the light or dark side.

Over time, their concept of balance proved impossible to maintain, which led to a series of conflicts known as the Force Wars.
The Jedi Order was formed near the end of the Force Wars, 17,806 years Before the Common Republic Calender (BCRC), or
25,783 years before the Battle of Yavin (BBY). Force wielders favoring the Ashla (light side), battled those seizing upon
the Bogan (dark side). Near the end of the conflict those devoted to the Ashla formed the Jedi Order, having
realized the unnatural and disastrous nature of using the Bogan.

After the defeat of their enemy, and the devastation of their world, the Jedi left the isolation of Tython to form their earliest temples
on other worlds. The Jedi built a temple on Ahch-To in the Unknown Regions. The founder of the Jedi Order, known as the Prime Jedi,
was likely their leader, or is a legendary composite of several individuals.


The Holy Order of the Jedi Knights
The Jedi would soon join the interstellar civilization, establishing their order on a number of worlds distant from the galactic core,
on the fringes of known space, far from the newly formed 'old' Republic. The Jedi established the center for their order on Ossus,
where they were joined by members of other Force traditions from known space, enriching their knowledge and doctrines.
This also led to an increase in Jedi involvement in the larger affairs of galactic settlement, culture, and politics. Over time, the rigid
doctrines of the Jedi High Council lead to the First Great Schism of the Order. Jedi who sought to explore force traditions deemed
heretical by the leadership broke away. The result was war between the new order and the old, which feared the new order's
pursuit of forbidden knowledge would lead inevitably to the dark side. The victory of the Order over the 'heretics' led to
the withdrawal of the Order to Ossus for 500 years, developing a Jedi code that would maintain the balance of the light side.

The Jedi were drawn back into galactic affairs by the Tionese War, which began in 16,023 BCRC (24,000 BBY), where the civilizations
of the Tion Cluster waged an opportunistic war against the Republic. The Jedi became leaders for the Republic's military, and after
the defeat of the Tionese, served as protectors of the Perlemian Trade Route that runs between Tion and the Core. The Republic
demilitarized after the war, and the Jedi inherited a position as defenders of the peace in the outlying regions.

During the Galactic Middle Ages, the Jedi withdrew from the Republic once again, which had become ruled by what they considered to be
a fanatical religious order. The Jedi Recusal of 3956 BCRC (11,933 BBY) was a response to the Pius Dea Crusades, launched by the Republic.
The Jedi Council refused to stand against the Republic it had fought to defend, nor to stand with campaigns of violence and repression.
For hundreds of years, the Jedi remained isolated, although Jedi did often disobey the Council an involve themselves in external affairs.
As the Crusades lost momentum, the Jedi were convinced by oppositional elements to rejoin the Republic in 3123 BCRC (11,100 BBY).
The Jedi worked with opponents from inside and outside the Republic to build a broad coalition against Pius Dea rule. A century later,
the coalition overthrew Pius Dea in a civil war led by the Jedi, who took power on Coruscant. This cemented the position of the Jedi Order
as the protectors of the Republic, and as the guardians of the principles of galactic peace and justice for a thousand generations.
The Jedi oversaw the restoration of democracy and civil society on Coruscant and other worlds of the Republic.


The Jedi Order of the Old Republic
By the year 1 of the Common Republic Calender (7977 BBY), advances in power technology had allowed the Jedi to construct a form of
the ancient concept of the lightsaber that could be realistically utilized in combat. The addition of a kyber crystal weapon to the practice of their
martial arts deepened and enhanced the Jedi as a conduit for the power and will of the Force, and became a central component of the religion.

Four thousand years of relative stability in the Order ended during its Second Great Schism in 977 (7000 BBY), when a group of Dark Jedi
emerged seeking to gain the power of the dark side of the Force. This began the Hundred-Year Darkness, when the Dark Jedi raised huge
armies to battle the 'Old' Republic and its Jedi defenders. After nearly a century of conflict, the Dark Jedi and their forces were defeated.
The remaining Dark Jedi left explored space, founding the Sith Order on the planet Moraband.

The Republic grew and expanded in relative peace and prosperity for 2000 years, and the Jedi Order along with it. The expanding Sith Empire
in the Outer Rim, which had become little more than a fable, finally made contact with the major hyperspace lane. This lead directly to
the Great Hyperspace War, around the year 3000 (c. 5000 BBY), beginning with the Sith invasion of the Republic. Despite the devastation,
the Jedi and Republic forces repelled Sith invasions of Coruscant and other major worlds, eventually driving the Empire from the Republic.
The Republic subsequently invaded and defeated the Sith Empire, conquering Morband, and exiling of the Sith Order.

The Order built the Grand Temple on Coruscant to replace the small temple they had maintained there, seeking to take a more central
role in galactic affairs. The Jedi Temple was constructed on the site of a Sith Temple built by the invaders for use during the war.
This common Jedi purification method was intended to contain and suppress the power and influence of the dark side on the capital.

Despite the victory of the Jedi, the dark side of the Force had grown stronger, and the Sith slowly rebuilt their power in unknown space.
The imbalance in the Force would continue to grow over the next thousand years, leading to turmoil in the Order. The lure of the dark side
led to the fall of several Jedi Masters in this period, beginning with a fall that led to the Third Great Schism of the Order in 3727 (4250 BBY).
These Dark Jedi were eventually defeated and destroyed, but not before further destabilizing the Republic and the Jedi. A series of devastating
conflicts known as the Old Sith Wars began in 3977 (4000 BBY). The fall of yet another Jedi master to the Sith, the first Mandalorian crusades
against the Jedi, the devastation of the ancient Jedi home on Ossus, and the return of the Sith Empire during the Great Sith War were
serious blows to the Order. The defeat of the Sith invasion left behind destruction and widespread disorder.

The Great Sith War had settled nothing, which soon led to further conflicts. The Jedi again defeated the Mandalorians in the Mandalorian Wars,
only to see them side with the Sith during the Jedi Civil War, when the Jedi faced the forces of Darth Revan, another fallen Jedi knight.
As one war ended, soon another began, and while the Jedi continued to emerge victorious, they had become severely weakened. The last of
the Old Sith Wars would see the Jedi Purge of 4023 (3954 BBY), where the Sith sought to eliminate the Jedi, removing them as the principle
hindrance to their efforts to rule the galaxy. This campaign, which included the use of kyber-powered superweapons by the Sith, was a major
blow to the Jedi, who were all but eliminated. The last of the Jedi defeated the Sith leadership, and with the Sith again driven from known space,
the Jedi retreated to a world in the Outer Rim to rebuild the Order in safety.


The Restored Jedi Order
The Jedi reformed the High Council, and began again to bolster their numbers, and soon returned to the abandoned temple on Coruscant.
Despite the return of balance to the Force, and a period of peace, the Jedi and the Republic did not easily recover from the dark era.

The slow recovery of the Jedi Order and the Republic over the next three centuries allowed time for the Sith to recover their strength
and rebuild their forces in the unknown regions. The Sith invasion of 4296 (3681 BBY) began the Great Galactic War, a 28-year conflict
which devastated the known galaxy, and culminated in a major victory for the Sith Empire.

The Jedi reaction to the Sith threat was an increased devotion to military action, leading the Republic forces in campaigns as had become
both traditional and politically expedient. Over the millennia, Jedi militarism and the politicization of their goals became hallmarks of
an imminent decline of the Order. This cycle, usually prompted by the pressure generated by the Sith, repeats through galactic history.

The climax of the Great Galactic War was the Sacking of Coruscant, where the Sith finally succeeded in conquering the planet.
As a result, the already failing Republic was forced to sign a peace treaty recognizing Sith rule over major galactic regions,
after which the Sith withdrew from Coruscant, leaving the Jedi and the Republic with a devastated capital and divided galaxy.

The Order sought refuge on their original home of Tython, finding the planet had recovered from the devastation of the ancient war.
The Jedi would use the world to recover, while the Jedi on Coruscant were steeped in the turbulent politics of the Republic.
With their Temple in ruins, and the turmoils of the cold war, the Jedi struggled to maintain peace and diplomacy in the known galaxy.

The uneasy cold war lasted only 11 years, and by 4335 (3642 BBY) the galaxy was again at war. The series of conflicts that followed would
last decades, during which the Jedi and the Republic achieved decisive victories, but suffered great defeats. The Sith Empire was eventually
defeated, and the Sith again driven underground, and beyond known space, not to be seen again for 1500 years.

For a millennium and a half, the Jedi and the Republic enjoyed an era of expansion, enlightenment, advancement, and prosperity that
was unparalleled in any of the classical eras. The Jedi solidified their traditional position as the guardians of peace and justice.


The End of the Old Order
This manifest age of the Old Republic came to an end in 5977 (2000 BBY) with the Fourth Great Schism of the Jedi Order, where fifty Jedi withdrew
from the order following a Jedi master who had secretly fallen to the dark side. This new dark lord unified various Sith cults and clans into a new
Sith Order, dedicated to the pursuit of the 3000-year-old vendetta against the Jedi and the Republic. The schism began the New Sith Wars, and
the rise of the 'New' Sith Empire. For nearly 1000 years, the Jedi and the Republic were locked in various conflicts, struggles, and full scale wars
with the Sith and their new Empire. By the year 6500 (1477 BBY) the Republic's economy, resources, and politics had become irreparably
damaged. The Sith Empire's victories in this time period further fueled the collapse of the Republic, which slowly but surely descended into
a feudal dark age. As a result, this era saw a corresponding rise in the militancy of the Jedi Order, and an eventual loss of central authority.

Some Jedi knights, frustrated by the High Council's constant compromises with Republic politics, left the Order for the Rim, where they established
Themselves as Jedi Lords, ruling protectorates and raising local armies. These Jedi Lords, which often became hereditary positions, established
the Jedi Grand Council, with influence that rivaled the High Council whose authority was largely limited to Republic controlled areas in the core.
By the year 6900 (1077 BBY), most of the known galaxy was under the control of local or regional Sith warlords or Jedi Lords. Near the end of
this dark age, the Jedi Order began to reunify, leading to campaigns to remove the Sith from the worlds and regions they controlled. The last of
the New Sith Wars saw the Jedi Army of Light battle the Sith Brotherhood of Darkness in 6967 (1010 BBY). The Republic existed in name only
beyond a small region of the Core, and the Sith nearly succeeded in its total destruction. After ten years, the defeat of the Brotherhood marked
the end of the 'New' Sith Empire, and the near extermination of the Sith Order in the known galaxy.


The Jedi Order of the Galactic Republic
As the Sith Lords fell to the Jedi, Darth Bane eliminated his most serious Sith rivals, and deceived the Jedi into believing he was dead. He took his
apprentice and went into hiding. The Jedi having defeated the remaining Sith were confident that order was extinct. Darth Bane instituted
the Rule of Two, to limit infighting amongst the Sith. The reforms instituted by the unified Jedi Order mirrored this, establishing, or perhaps
reestablishing, their own rule of two, a Jedi Master can have only one apprentice, to limit Jedi falling to the dark side. The Jedi Code was
reformed, requiring Jedi to renounce wealth and material possessions, and training of Jedi to be standardized and centralized on Coruscant.
About 6977 (1000 BBY), the Galactic Republic was reformed, with the restored Jedi Order as its guardians and protectors, thus beginning
a golden age that would see the Republic grow to its greatest extent, and enjoy unparalleled levels of peace and development.

The Republic would flourish for nearly a thousand years, during which the Jedi crystallized their power, knowledge, methods, and traditions.
The decline of the Galactic Republic was, in part, an eventual consequence of the power and prosperity the Jedi had fostered. The deeply corrupt
political and economic forces which dominated the Republic were easily manipulated by the Sith. Their ability to act without the knowledge of
the Jedi increased, due to an imbalance in the Force which clouded their vision, as the dark side steadily grew more powerful. This imbalance
coincided with the birth of the 'chosen one', a long prophesized vergance in the Force in the form of an immaculately-conceived child named
Anakin Skywalker. Before the Jedi were aware of him, the Force showed Master Sifo-Dyas visions of the great war on the horizon. The Jedi
Council ignored his warnings, and Sifo-Dyas took it upon himself to commission a clone army for the Republic. Sifo-Dyas was killed by his friend
and fellow Jedi, Dooku, who took control of the clone army project. Dooku was the secret ally of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. By the time the Jedi
discovered Anakin Skywalker in the year 7945 (32 BBY), Sidious had already begun to maneuver political control of the Republic under disguise
as his alter ego, a shrewd and accomplished politician. The Jedi now unknowingly served under a Sith Lord, and were having an army built for
them by the Sith to fight a war the Sith would engineer. The inability to act decisively without their prophetic vision came to plague the Council.

The Separatist Crisis that followed eight years later soon led to the Clone Wars, which began in 7955 (22 BBY), which were in fact both part of
a complex plan to eliminate the Jedi, enacted by the Sith. Having discovered both the huge Separatist army, and Count Dooku's fall to the Sith,
the Jedi became focused entirely on stopping the Sith and their forces. The Jedi fought with bravery and strategy, and while their clone army
was vastly outnumbered by their opponents, especially the droid army, the Jedi were leading the Republic towards victory. The Sith used
the Separatist Alliance to occupy the attention of the Jedi, and to kill them, but also to directly and indirectly spread galactic unrest, violence,
crime, and economic depression. The war would corrupt and weaken the powerful commerce guilds, and devastate loyal Republic worlds that
would have resisted the rise of a Sith order. The Jedi Order's single-minded focus on defeating Dooku and his Sith Empire in sheep's clothing
led to a growing sense amongst the public that the Jedi were responsible for fueling the conflict, exactly as Sidious intended.

As Sidious used the guise of the war and national security to reshape the Republic into a form that could transition into a Sith empire, the Jedi's
suspicion of him grew, and they conspired to remove him. When they discovered his true identity as a Sith, the Jedi moved to arrest him, but were
thwarted by the betrayal of Anakin Skywalker, who joined the Sith, becoming Darth Vader. The Jedi rebellion made them enemies of the Republic.

What followed immediately was the Great Jedi Purge of 7958 (19 BBY), where the Jedi Order was virtually eliminated. As planned, Sidious used
the Republic's own military to slaughter the Jedi in the Coruscant temple and across the galaxy. Sidious preempted pro-Jedi reaction by blaming
the Jedi for the war he orchestrated, and put the anti-Jedi sentiment he fostered to political use to justify the sudden end of an unfinished war.
This would also serve to tip public opinion in the galaxy against the Jedi, ensuring any Jedi survivors would have to go into hiding.

The purge ordered by Darth Sidious and led by Darth Vader left few Jedi survivors. The vast majority of survivors would be killed not long after
by Vader, or by others. With the Jedi out of the way, Sidious transitioned the Republic into a Sith Empire. Vader established an order of Sith Acolytes
known as the Imperial Inquisitors to hunt down remaining Jedi, and force sensitive beings who might eventually grow in their knowledge of the Force.


The Return of the Jedi
Those Jedi that did survive into the Imperial era carried on their own Jedi missions as they saw best without the Order. The remaining leadership,
Master Yoda and Master Kenobi, had taken Anakin Skywalker's twin infant children into hiding, in hopes of resurrecting the order. They succeeded
in training Luke Skywalker as Jedi, who was able to defeat the Sith in 7981 (4 ABY). Skywalker drew his father back towards the light side, leading
Anakin to return as a Jedi and sacrifice himself to kill Sidious. The Sith apparently destroyed, Skywalker became the inheritor of the ancient Jedi Order.

Luke Skywalker and his sister Leia Organa were not the only Jedi carrying on traditions from the old Order. Purge survivors Ahsoka Tano and Grogu,
Imperial era Padawan Ezra Bridger, and certainly other Jedi still remain. The future of the Jedi, and likely the Sith, remains to be seen...