The Jedi are the undisputed “good guys” of Star Wars. Even when they mess up (Master Sol from The Acolyte), the Jedi Order, overall, was a force for good. However, the prequel trilogy Jedi Order made it clear that, especially towards the end, the Jedi were muddying the waters and making choices that harmed them, from entering the Clone Wars to becoming too involved in politics in general. Star Wars: The Clone Wars added to this conversation in interesting ways, such as by showing Jedi who voiced frustrations with and opposition to some of these actions.
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While that doesn’t mean they deserved to be massacred, throughout the prequel era, the Jedi Order behaved in ways that made it easier for Palpatine to wipe them out and then trick the galaxy into thinking they had been the real villains. Among these issues, particularly when thinking about internal frustrations, was the Jedi’s unwavering rigidity and die-hard commitment to their own rules, even when it made sense to be more flexible and adapt to situations. Now, Star Wars’ new TV show, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, has confirmed that, even after Order 66, the Jedi haven’t learned this lesson.
Eeko-Dio Daki Is Proof The Jedi Still Haven’t Changed
In Maul – Shadow Lord, Devon and Eeko-Dio Daki, a former Jedi apprentice and Jedi master who survived Order 66, are on the run. It’s clearly not going well, as early in the first episode, Devon tells Eeko-Dio Daki that she is tired of begging, and she seems to be bordering on starving, given that she tries to steal food. Unfortunately, after someone bumps into her, the food goes flying, and she is caught. When she is about to be arrested, she wants to run, yet Eeko-Dio Daki tells her to follow the instructions she’s being given.
This was a frankly bewildering response from Eeko-Dio Daki, as both Jedi are currently living in an incredibly dangerous post-Order 66 galaxy, and this arrest could have been life-threatening for Devon. Yet, therein lies the proof that the Jedi have still learned absolutely nothing. Eeko-Dio Daki should have recognized the dangers he and his Padawan were facing and adapted to the situation, but he instead held tight to his Jedi ideals—something that could have meant death for Devon.
Even Order 66 Didn’t Make The Jedi Reconsider Their Flaws
The Jedi of the prequels were good, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t flawed. All three trilogy movies proved just how flawed they were, in fact, especially when it came to Anakin Skywalker. Anakin was responsible for his own actions throughout Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, but the way the Jedi had treated him from the moment he arrived to Coruscant contributed to his path to the dark side.
He is even symptomatic of the Jedi’s rigidity, given that one of the first things the Jedi Council told the young boy was that his (normal) attachment to his mother was a risk for the dark side.That may have been true, yet Anakin was new to the planet and new to the Jedi. There was no reason for him not to have an attachment to his mother and miss her, and the Jedi could—and should—have approached him with more compassion and understanding.
Instead, they made a little kid feel like he was already a danger and an outsider. The rigidity only became worse as Anakin got older, with Yoda’s response to Anakin’s nightmares being a clear example. Yoda warned Anakin not to let his nightmares fuel his fear, as that too was a path to the dark side, but he did little to assuage the anxieties Anakin was feeling. “Don’t let it bother you” was never going to work for Anakin, and although it theoretically should have for a Jedi, Anakin was obviously an unusual case.
Will New Star Wars Jedi Have The Same Issue?
The future of the Jedi in Star Wars is currently in flux, it seems. As of Star Wars Celebration 2023, it seemed like Daisy Ridley’s Rey was going to be the future of the franchise, particularly with her previously announced upcoming movie, New Jedi Order. Since then, though, Simon Kinberg’s Star Wars trilogy has been announced, and there’s been little clarity from the franchise about what Star Wars’ new movies set after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker are going to look like (with the exception of Star Wars: Starfighter, which seemingly won’t focus on the Jedi).
It’s therefore difficult to say whether any new Jedi Order will repeat the same flaws of the past and hold tight to ideals and rules even when a different approach is needed. There have been hints that this will continue, though, with Ridley previously shutting down the idea of any future romantic arc for Rey because she is a Jedi (signaling that she believes in the rule against attachments). Hopefully, new Jedi will learn that strict rules aren’t always the best way and can actually be dangerous, but Maul – Shadow Lord confirms that, so far, some Jedi still haven’t.
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