The Downfall of the Jedi and Public Opinion: A Clone Wars Essay

The Downfall of the Jedi and Public Opinion
by Andrew Liptak

Joruus C'baoth: "There was such a society once, Luke, a vast and shining example of the heights all could aspire to. For a thousand generations, we stood tall among the lesser beings of the galaxy, guardians of justice and order. The creators of true civilization. The Senate could debate and pass laws; but it was the Jedi who turned those laws into reality. And in return, the galaxy destroyed us."
Luke Skywalker: "I thought it was the Empire and a few Dark Jedi who exterminated the Jedi."

Joruus C'baoth: "Do you truly believe that even the Emperor could have succeeded in such a task without the consent of the entire galaxy? No Luke. They hated us-- all the lesser beings did. Hated us for our power, and our knowledge and our wisdom."

There have been debates about the nature of the Jedi Purge, but the fact remains that the Jedi were exterminated in part by Emperor Palpatine and his new agent, Darth Vader. At the time of The Phantom Menace, nearly ten thousand Jedi existed in the galaxy. This number includes Jedi Masters, Jedi Knights and Jedi Apprentices. So how then, could the entire Jedi order be virtually eliminated in the span of a decade or less? It hardly stands to reason that several Dark Jedi could best all of them in combat.

Joruus C'baoth puts the most logical theory forward. The Jedi weren't killed just by the Empire; they were killed by the Empire with the blessing of a vast majority of the Republic/Empire.

How could this happen? For a thousand generations, the Jedi stood as peacekeepers and were respected as such during that time. How could public opinion of the galaxy swing in such a dramatic fashion?

The reason, I think, stems from a large number of incidents, some revolving around the Clone Wars, some from other incidents around the same time period.
One of the first incidents occurred shortly before the Clone Wars broke out. On a war torn world, Jedi healers and investigators found a surviving child-- a child with force potential. Normally, children are taken from their homes with the parent's consent. However, the child's parents were nowhere to be found, and presumed dead. The child was taken in to the Jedi temple for training. Shortly after, the mother surfaced, and demanded her child back. By now, the child had begun his training, enough that it would be dangerous to release him back into normal life. The event was highly publicized and regular opinion from citizens was that the Jedi overstepped their bounds. The Jedi were now child-snatchers.

Event number two is the battle of Cartao. The Republic moved onto the world of Cartao, and occupied it's manufacturing plants to produce cloning cylinders to aid in the war effort. The move was not popular with the planet government, but they reluctantly accepted it, so long as the plants, the planet's main source of income, was unharmed in the occupation. The Trade Federation landed, and a fierce ground battle ensured. Towards the end of the battle, word came from space that a transport full of Jedi were on the way to help with the battle. The transport swooped down, and fired on the plant, ignoring the orders from the ground commanders on the ground. The transport crashed and destroyed the plant, as well as the planet's economy. The Republic and Jedi left hated by the planet, and much of the sector that they were in.

Both incidents like the child and Cartao were undoubtedly repeated several times throughout the galaxy. Word would have spread throughout the galaxy, or in certain places of strategic value to the Empire. It would be easy to come to hate the Jedi after a while. This can be summed up nicely with a conversation seen in Republic 55, Storm Chasers:

Soldier 1: The Republic Forces are on the move again.
Soldier 2: I know-- and I hear that they have Jedi with them.
Soldier 1: I didn't even think were Real until last week. Is it true that they steal babies?
Soldier 2: Yeah. And cut women in half with their laser swords?
Soldier 1: Then you hear that they grow the

 

Notice that the Jedi grow the soldiers in vats, not the Republic who bought them. It was the Jedi who grew the army.

True.

After all, it was Master Sifo-Dyas that ordered the Clones. And it just so happened that they were ready when a supposedly rebel Jedi had his own droid armies ready. Hey, funny that there?s Jedi on both sides of the war, and that both sides had huge armies being prepared for years before the wars started. They?re obviously working together to turn the galaxy into a military state, one that the Jedi will rule. I?m sure Supreme Chancellor Palpatine will discover what the Jedi are planning, and be horrified. He?ll try to negotiate, but the Jedi will attempt to assassinate him when they realize that they can no longer manipulate him. Hey, maybe one of the Jedi will see the Order for the hypocrisy it is and choose to stand with Palpatine.

Together, Palpatine and said young Jedi will be forced to declare the Jedi enemies of the Republic. He?ll offer them the most lenient terms, which they will angrily reject, and step up their efforts to take over the galaxy. Regretfully, Palpatine will be forced to end thousands of years of proud tradition, and call for the destruction of the Jedi. People will love him so dearly that they?ll insist he remain on after the end of his term, and declare himself Emperor.

Damn those treacherous Jedi. Building armies. Conspiring to create a war that has ripped the galaxy apart and killed billions. And I?m sure they?ll try to assassinate Palpatine as well. Plus, they steal babies, and practice strange rituals. As benevolent, kind, generous and forgiving as he is, I?m surprised Palpatine signed the ?Wipe them out ? all of them? act, but it?s a damn good thing he did. Otherwise, we?d be living under some sort of Force-user tyranny right now.

 

Exactly. That's exactly it.

 

Very interesting thoughts, JediTrilobite.

I'd also factor in the Dark Jedi working for the Separatists into your equation, (i.e., Count Dooku, Sora Bulq, other fallen/dissendent Jedi . . . along with Psudeo-Jedi types, like Asajj Ventress). The crimes and actions of these Jedi, like the Bppfashi (sp?) Dark Jedi mentioned in THRAWN TRILOGY, could also go a long way towards generated hatred for all Jedi.

Best,

Ana V

 

Interesting to read, although I found the Stackpole interview much more interesting at that site. I agree with the aforementioned stuff, but I do not have anything to discuss about it. This further's Kier's opinion that the Jedi were thinking of themselves as "the superior race" and beginning to be pretty elitist.

 

Great Job JT!

*Applauds*

This could make for some interesting disscussion! But as of now, I do not have time.

Jabba

 

I wrote something similar a while back, Knight1192 posted it on his website. I'll post it here later.

 

A fact to keep in mind is that there were 10,000 jedi at the start of the clone war.

Questions

1.) How many jedi died in the clone wars themselves?

2.)How many jedi would not come back and fight on the side of the republic

3.) Amount of psudo-jedi included in the 10,000 ie.)Jedisarri(sp), witches...

4.) Amount of young ones in the 10,000?

5.) Possibly of another large battle where not a 100 jedi fall but instead a 1000 jedi fall?

6.)Possibly the jedi all meet in one spot and BOOM a bomb kills many of them

7.) If the rumors are true and the clones do turn on the jedi....that could get very messy for the jedi

8.) Lack of centeral power, no orders to go off of once the jedi concil is destroyed by the sith.

9.) With Mace dead, Yoda in hiding, there is simply no one strong enough to beat Darth Vadar

10.) How does JT come up with such great topics lol

 

Whilst there are the incidents JT mentions, I reckon the destruction of the Jedi is also linked to the prevalence of an Imperial philosophy in all but name that was probably well-established by the start of ep 3.

One thing that Ep 2 never really makes clear is what is so bad about separatism? We see a fool like Gunray, the heads of the Commerce Guild and Techno Union, it is logical to suppose they want a galaxy where they have a unregulated monopoly. But Dooku? Dooku would cast the CIS as that which the Republic once was and has since fallen from.

Of course we know the real reason for Palpatine's anti-Separatist position, we know the only reason the Jedi oppose the Separatists is they are led by a Sith Lord, but the characters and the public do not.

At the same time Palpatine is promoting his philosophy of the greater good, it is under this pretext he acquires the emergency powers. After the war begins we see the ARC troopers exhibiting Imperial attitudes, of leaving prisoners on the moon of Naboo, of making the populace fear the Republic on Jabiim, there will probably be more examples. This view is a kind of prot-Imperialism, a desire to protect the Republic, the clones' greater good, at any cost and by any measure. Indeed the only thing Palpatine needs to do is replace the loyalty to the Republic with loyalty to himself, from institution to individual.

In all instances of Jedi-Clone conflicts, the Jedi's course has been taken over the trooper's objections. Thus the Clones and Jedi are at odds, which enables an almost enthusiastic liquidation once the Purge begins. But by that time the Clones may well also truly believe the Jedi must be killed for the greater good. Such is the corrosive influence of Palpatine's philosophy, a philosophy that plays a key role in the Jedi's destruction.

JB

 

1.) How many jedi died in the clone wars themselves?

I think that a great deal of them do. One of my essays explains that the Clone Wars is part of teh Jedi purge.

2.)How many jedi would not come back and fight on the side of the republic

We see this in Jedi: Mace Windu, where only a couple refuse Generalship. Not every Jedi is a general, but they will all play large roles I think.

3.) Amount of psudo-jedi included in the 10,000 ie.)Jedisarri(sp), witches...

Some joined the Imperial Ranks, some did not know. THere were many Jedi that did survive, just hidden for a long time

4.) Amount of young ones in the 10,000? No clue. Probably half that number

5.) Possibly of another large battle where not a 100 jedi fall but instead a 1000 jedi fall?
That would be one kickass battle.

6.)Possibly the jedi all meet in one spot and BOOM a bomb kills many of them
Doubtful.

7.) If the rumors are true and the clones do turn on the jedi....that could get very messy for the jedi

Recruit, watch the Epi-III spoilers, cover that up. However, I think that that is the most likely way for the Jedi to go, a government-sanctioned hunt with imperial troops.

8.) Lack of centeral power, no orders to go off of once the jedi concil is destroyed by the sith.

Yep

9.) With Mace dead, Yoda in hiding, there is simply no one strong enough to beat Darth Vadar

Yep

10.) How does JT come up with such great topics lol
I'm just that good. I have lots of time on my hands... And I'm a history major...

 

After the war begins we see the ARC troopers exhibiting Imperial attitudes, of leaving prisoners on the moon of Naboo, of making the populace fear the Republic on Jabiim, there will probably be more examples. This view is a kind of prot-Imperialism, a desire to protect the Republic, the clones' greater good, at any cost and by any measure. Indeed the only thing Palpatine needs to do is replace the loyalty to the Republic with loyalty to himself, from institution to individual.

There's also mention that the Jedi council and the Supreme Chancellor's office have tensions between them. In addition, Palpatine has been given a lot of authority on how the war should be fought, and lots of power.

 

True, but that was more a throwaway mention in Hero of Cartao. I'd hope we get to see a story in which we see how those tensions arise, were they truly tensions or were they engineered by Palpatine? Or perhaps simply exploited by if they were genuine? Either way there's a story there: COD 2 even?

Even if it is fairly easy to work them out from say the Jabiim arc.

JB

 

A throwaway mention sure, but still important.

 

At the time of The Phantom Menace, nearly ten thousand Jedi existed in the galaxy

There had to be more then that. At the battle of Ruusan alone there were 20,000 in the Brotherhood of Darkness and they got their asses handed to them by the Army of Light, so I think it's safe to say that the Jedi were at least equal and most likely greater then the Sith in numbers at the battle

True they were all killed by the thought bomb, but then 1000 years to replenish their ranks would be more then enough time to replace those lost. And the entire order didn't take part in the battle so there were still many off world

10,000 Jedi even as powerful as they are I doubt could police the whole galaxy like they did

 

I think that it's been confirmed that there were 10,000 Jedi at the time, and yes, it's too few to police a galaxy. As someone pointed out in Jabiim, when the Jedi are seen, it's as killers, not peacekeepers.

 

That's part of the point. The Jedi's conservative beliefs (that sort of grew out of Ruusan...IE only baby Jedi, no marriage etc) were part of their undoing. It led to fewer Jedi, thus the 10,000 Jedi (as mentioned in the TPM novel). It was becoming increasingly difficult to police the galaxy.

there were only 9000 by AotC.

 

1000 dead in ten years? that's a bit excessive.

 

That could only be the death toll if you assume that no new Jedi entered the order. I find that very unlikely, so the real death toll is probably higher than 1000.

Wow, that's at least a Jedi dead each week.

 

I believe this was refering to.

 

I think that it's been confirmed that there were 10,000 Jedi at the time, and yes, it's too few to police a galaxy. As someone pointed out in Jabiim, when the Jedi are seen, it's as killers, not peacekeepers.

Ten thousand Jedi according to the TPM novel and visual dictionary.

 

I still think that a Jedi a week is way too high, or there's something really really wrong there.

 

It's really hard not to hate the prequel-era Jedi Order...

 

Very true.

There's also the case on the HNN page, with the child...

 

"I still think that a Jedi a week is way too high, or there's something really really wrong there. "

Check out the AotC novelization if you dont believe me.

 

I still won't believe it...