Discussions Do the Jedi in the outer EU seem a bit uncharacteristic?

The jedi convenant killing trainees,implied genocide against the sith species,mind wiping(lobotomizing)revan, not caring about clone lives(as implied in a lot of books). I understand the world's grey, but aren't jedi supposed to be trying to be above that, their very essence is about love and compassion as they are taught. It makes since if their corrupted by forces such the dark side and war. But the jedi throughout books seem to be doing questionable things on purpose while being fully in the light

 

I don't see the Jedi as fully light. They aren't perfect. This isn't just an EU thing but its also in the movies. Some of the Jedi even seemed to know that they did wrong such as Yoda in Dark Disciple and in ROTS with a conversation with Mace Windu.

During the Clone Wars they do some bad things. Maybe its intentional showing the Jedi do bad things to portray an Order that strayed from its original ideas/purpose and because of it they fall.
I'd like to think that many years ago before the movies take place the order was very different, not forbidding families, not willing to sacrifice beliefs to win a war, did not engage in deception, would never use clones, not forbidding emotion, but teaching control etc.

Perhaps the new EU will show a change in the Jedi order for the better, but I'm not optimistic about the future of SW.

 

No they aren't perfect, but they never commited acts of murder and genocide in the prequels unlike the old republic jedi. And considering most of it was before the prequels, I don't think the years before put them in a better light, matter of fact they seem to have been worse in the old republic era. The events of the clone wars seem to be more misguided than actual intentions of starting war.

 

Well that could change. I haven't gotten into all the old republic material, but its not "canon" so the Jedi back story could be done different now where they don't do a bunch of bad things., which I think it should. I'd prefer the "fantasy ideal knights of justice helping those in need" type order(Not that they can't write them making mistakes, because even good people can fall, but they should get up and it shouldn't be the norm for Jedi to engage in acts of deception, and hypocrisy, and other despicable acts.

 

Agreed.

 

Well for one the sith species produced a lot of Sith Lords and sith artifacts which produced more Sith Lords. The Jedi in the prequels certainly aren't saints either. Heck in LOTF Luke's Jedi act like a bunch of gangsters.

 

I never took the old EU that seriously, mostly because I was never too fond of how they portrayed the Jedi. Sure the Jedi aren't perfect, but the old EU too that to the way extreme, and I was never a big fan of that.

 

This often bothered me as well. The original trilogy for me, encapsulates what Jedi are. The teachings of Ben, his empathy toward smaller, vulnerable creatures, and Luke's own naivity and ascension to perfect discipline refusing temptations.

The second trilogy added things I didn't like, most notably midichlorians, but more important was the first time I saw things like condescension or sarcasm/cynicism in Jedi. I did not particularly like the character or alien species of Jar Jar Binks, In fact I plain disliked his and their inclusion. But I remember being "turned off" by the condescending attitude Qui Gon and Ben had toward Jar Jar. My idea of Jedi is far more strict, and perfect than what writers have envisioned. In time I started to notice in the novels and comics, jedi engaging in many activities or actions I didnt consider very jedi-like.

I do like the explanation that one poster above gave, that as Jedi discipline waned and they allowed themselves to think and act more negatively, without compassion and mercy, they were in fact setting the stage for their fall.

And what better character to rebuild them than Luke Skywalker who seemed to be almost infallible when it came to his moral compass.