Star Wars Explains Why Jedi Can Have Sex

Star Wars has answered the question: can the Jedi have sex? The galactic peacekeepers are known for their monk-like devotion to the Force and the teachings of the Jedi Order — teachings that strictly forbid attachments like love. However, in the new Star Wars: The High Republic novel Into The Dark, some smugglers who meet the Jedi for the first time have some pretty blunt questions about just how far that vow goes. The High Republic is an era where the Jedi Order is robust in ranks and diverse in interpretations of the Force, and one Jedi Master has a thorough explanation of how and why that sex is totally okay.

Warning: Mild SPOILERS For Star Wars: The High Republic – Into The Dark Follow

The novel Star Wars: The High Republic – Into The Dark sees four Jedi embark on a voyage to the new Starlight Beacon base on the Outer Rim. The Jedi are being ferried by a trio of transporters/smugglers, the youngest of whom is a scrappy pilot/engineer named Affie Hollow. Affie has never met a Jedi before, and she has no problem shaking down the youngest Jedi — Padawan learner Reath Silas — for an explanation.

Reath (who is very much a bookish geek) starts by trying to explain what the Force is, but Affie knows about it already. In fact, she reveals that the Force is common knowledge in the High Republic era. What Affie doesn’t understand is what makes this particular type of Force user (Jedi) a mystical monk. According to Reath, “We ground ourselves in a spiritual existence and give up individual attachments in order to focus entirely on greater concerns.”

Affie hears that grand explanation and has one main takeaway, “So that means no sex.”

However, Reath surprises by considering introducing the views of his teacher, Master Jora, on the subject of sex. According to Reath’s internal monologue, Master Jora had a distinct view of “the difference between celibacy of the body and true purity of the heart.” He jokes to himself that Master Jora’s speech on the subject is too long, and instead to concede that Jedi are basically celibate monks.

However, Master Jora’s theory brings up the same “sex vs. attachment” debate of modern-day times. It’s interesting because while Jora clearly enjoyed her physical pleasures, other prominent members of the Order are unnerved by real feelings of romantic or friendly attachment to one another. Unfortunately, one of the pivotal moments of the larger interconnected story of The High Republic is Master Jora’s death and its impact on her fellow Jedi. However, it’s good to know Jora enjoyed life to the fullest before her demise.

The sex question is just one example of the fun to be had in the world that Star Wars: The High Republic is building. It’s an era where there the Jedi Order has many views and interpretations of the Force and what a Jedi’s duty should require. That more expansive view of Jedi beliefs has opened the door to fun (if titillating) debates like this, which fans have been having for years.

Star Wars: The High Republic – Into The Dark is now on sale. You can order it here on Amazon.

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