Could Luke Skywalker’s New Jedi Order Survive Order 66?

How much did the Jedi learn from the mistakes made during the prequel era? It’s one of the greatest questions of Star Wars, underpinning Revenge of the Sith. As Matt Stover’s novelization makes clear, the Jedi had remained static and stagnant while the Sith had evolved. But, when the destiny of the Chosen One was finally fulfilled, Luke Skywalker did what he had been instructed; he passed on everything he had learned, establishing a new generation of Jedi.

We haven’t really seen much of the New Jedi Order in canon. But the old Expanded Universe version was much more well-developed (a major reason Disney had to reboot the timeline). Curiously, though, this version of the Jedi knew less about the prequels than they do in canon – simply because the writers who created them did so before the prequels were made. That inevitably leads to a truly entertaining thought exercise: could Luke’s Jedi have survived where Yoda’s did not? Would they have escaped Order 66?

Luke’s Jedi Order Had a Very Different Relationship with the Republic

Let’s start with a simple fact: Luke’s Jedi Order had a very different relationship with the (New) Republic, and its successor state the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. The precedent was set in Revenge of the Sith, where Luke assisted the Rebel Alliance but took his own path. He resigned his commission not long after Palpatine’s death, and subsequently worked hard to keep his New Jedi Order separate from the New Republic. Yes, the Jedi were Republic assets, but they remained independent.

This independence was tested during the Yuuzhan Vong War, when a ferocious race of aliens invaded the galaxy. By this time, a Bothan named Borsk Fey’lya had taken charge of the New Republic, and he had a tense relationship with Luke; he considered the Jedi loose cannons, and hated how little control he had over them. Luke’s independence actually became something of a problem, resulting in limited coordination between New Republic and Jedi forces. The Jedi operated more as an independent militia than a part of the New Republic miltary.

That relationship did tighten in the end, but the fact remains: Luke jealously guarded the independence of the Jedi. He sensed that the Jedi of old had become too political, too integrated with the Republic, and that this had led to compromise. That said, Luke did allow Jedi to take on other roles in addition to serving as members of the Order. Luke’s Jedi could be healers, senators, or even soldiers. Some would have served alongside clone troopers had something similar to the Clone Wars happened – but not all. What’s more, Luke would have watched that relationship carefully.

Luke’s Jedi Order Had More Military Experience

The prequel era Jedi were largely unused to war. There are some exceptions in canon; we’ve had frustrating hints that Mace Windu earned his position as Master of the Order because he served on the front lines of some conflict or another, but they’ve never been explained. Still, the fact remains that most Jedi were ill-suited to the role thrust upon them by the Clone Wars – that of general. They learned on the job, and that likely explains why Yoda’s Jedi were too distracted to realize they were being played by the Sith.

In contrast, Luke’s New Jedi Order grew up in a galaxy at war. Many of their members were experienced in conflict and combat, and some – such as Luke himself, or Kenth Hamner – were skilled strategists. Their experience of wartime would have made them a whole lot more suspicious of the clone troopers. Even if they’d fallen for that particular part of Palpatine’s scheme, Luke’s Jedi tended to be more adaptive. They were used to the way situations change in the heat of battle, and they’d have reacted more quickly when they sensed Jedi dying. While Luke’s Jedi were fewer in number, I can’t imagine the same proportion dying in Order 66.

Luke’s Jedi Tended to Be a Lot More Powerful

This leads us neatly to the final point: Luke’s Jedi Order often operated at a far greater power level. Force powers in the old Expanded Universe were often much more spectacular than canon, with even the least powerful Jedi pulling off some pretty impressive feats. Luke found several prodigies, Jedi like Kyp Durron or his nephews (and niece). These powerhouses would have easily survived Order 66, and many would have worked to help other Jedi do so as well.

Luke’s New Jedi Order learned how to master their powers during the Yuuzhan Vong War. Most were familiar with military applications, and they’d have turned their power against the clone troopers in moments. Some had gotten used to treachery during the war, after the Yuuzhan Vong put a bounty on Jedi heads, and they cultivated a sensitivity to the Force that would have told them the moment clone troopers began to turn on them. While the clone troopers would have had the advantage of numbers, they’d have been overpowered – and Jedi casualties would have been far fewer.

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