CT Disconnect between the Emperor and the Empire

Tarkin never calls the Jedi "ancient." Han and Motti do. But it doesn't matter. Ancient is ancient. The Jedi religion is ancient. It would still be ancient even if it were currently being practiced by a large number of adherents. It's been around since ancient times, and thus it is ancient. Just as a 25,000-year-old man would be ancient, even if he was still somehow among the living.

Seriously, what did you think Han and Motti meant when they said it was an ancient religion? How long did you think it had been since the Jedi religion went extinct? Luke's father was a Jedi. Luke was born 19 years before ANH. Do the math.

 

20 years. Wow that was easy. Now give me some algebra.

 

I feel it is clearly inferred that the Jedi are gone. Everyone believes it...even Palpatine..[read his overconfidence]...so a Giant Battle station [not a moon] with a huge "Laser" would be plenty to rule the galaxy. The idea of calling Jedi ancient is just for us as an audience to understand that this isnt a fly by night cult...but an ages old 'religion' that had been a staple of life as everyone knew it...or had heard of it.....that was no longer in existence...by means of extermination. Obi-Wan set the stage as to why there were once thousands...but now..all but extinct.

 

The Jedi had been around for 25,000 years. That's ancient. Just because they went out 20 years ago doesn't stop them from being an ancient religion. Here are what the characters are basically saying:

TARKIN
"You, my friend, are all that's left of that religion that had been in existence for 25,000 years but has died out 20 years ago."

MOTTI
"Don't try to scare us with your [???] words, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that religion that had been in existence for 25,000 years but has died out 20 years ago has not...GAK!" *choke choke choke*

 

He was using "ancient" in the context of outdated. That's how I saw it at least. He certainly wasn't implying that the Jedi were 25, 000 old.

 

Exactly. Saying ancient is like saying archaic, dated, obsolete, or antiquated.

 

in 1977 Vader was just a henchman working for the Empire, later on Lucas decided to make the Emperor a force user too(the most powerful)