And if it were in the context of being mindful and processing the feeling, that would be awesome. Sadly, it’s more “Those feelings are bad and you need to stop feeling that.”
Could you please tell me in which scene is that context obvious? I seem to have missed it no matter how many times I saw TPM.
When I was a teen enjoying the EU (before the prequels), I had always assumed the concept of “bringing balance to the force” wasn’t about destroying one side or the other, but about allowing force users to wield power without becoming corrupted (sith way) and without becoming emotionless zombies (Jedi way).
To me, both sides were clearly fucked and needed Luke to walk the middle line. He allows himself attachments to friends (even peacing out of Jedi training to save his friends) and feels emotions and wears black.
I’m a bit confused by your statement - as far as I’m aware, the “bringing balance to the Force” concept wasn’t established until the prequels, so I’m not sure how you would’ve taken away anything about balance from the EU before that point? Films supercede the EU in terms of intentions and lore, regardless, and I don’t see this interpretation being reflected by the films. Because the Jedi are notemotionless-we see them demonstrating emotion plenty of times in the films! They only ever advocate against letting it interfere with your duties or rule your actions, and they advise people to “be mindful of your feelings” (direct quote from Mace Windu, in TPM), mindful generally referring to awareness and understanding, which is the exact opposite of suppressing or ignoring.
I think it’s a bit disingenuous to frame the Jedi and Sith as opposite extremes. The Sith are going around slaughtering innocents and committing genocide. The Jedi expect their people to exercise self-control and be selfless. Even if you think they somehow go too far with that (which I disagree with, but to each their own), that’s not really comparable, and the best path is not in the middle of those two, it’s much, much closer to the Jedi side of things than it ever would be to the Sith.
I also disagree that Luke walks that middle line. The only thing he challenges his mentors on in ROTJ is the idea that Vader, specifically, cannot be saved. In everything else he’s in keeping with and honoring their teachings, not rejecting them. And the moment when he runs off in ESB is not framed as Luke being in the right. His attachment to them is not a good thing within the narrative of Star Wars, and it’s in fact exploited multiple times - in ROTJ, he reacts poorly when Leia is threatened, and he’s only just able to pull himself back from the brink when he severs Vader’s mechanical hand and recognizes where the path he’s on leads. He overcomes his attachment in that moment, and that’s what’s narratively condoned, not indulging or embracing them (because attachment is not the same thing as caring for or having a bond with someone; it’s specifically the inability to let go).
And as I already said, the prequel Jedi demonstrate that they feel emotion just as Luke does. They just strive not to let it affect their judgement. Nor does there seem to be any prohibition against wearing black among the prequel Jedi. Luminara wears black, for instance, and there’s no indication that that’s frowned upon.
Yes, I am obsessed with people who have dedicated their lives to helping others, who always try to do the right thing, who teach that while it’s ok to have emotions it’s never ok to use those emotions against others, who teach compassion towards those who have none for others.
I am obsessed with people who never try to accumulate wealth or political power. Who teach calm and rational approach. Who don’t ever make any difference based on gender, race, species, wealth…
Who above all else respect tiny green person for his kindness and wisdom. Who in turn keeps them safe regardless of their age or standing. Who asks tiny children to advise two Masters because he respects everyone’s opinion.
Who respect other cultures and welcome them into their sacred Temple.
Who allow their members to leave whether they spent a few months as a Jedi or their whole adult lives.
Who value knowledge and accumulate it and guard it.
Who stay true to helping others even when they have been betrayed, slaughtered, abandoned, and slandered, when all their children have been killed qnd everything they held dear was utterly destroyed.
I’m obsessed with them because every day I am overwhelmed by human greed, cruelty, and selfishness, and at least in a fantasy I want to see the opposite.
If I’m ever going to be called a stan of anyone, I’m proud it’s Jedi.
The new SWTOR trailer looks great and all but I don’t think that’s even close to how the Jedi Order takes new padawans. We do see some family issues between padawan and their original family like Bastila, and there are people who genuinely believe that the Jedi are children kidnappers, but like, they simply don’t just see a gifted child and drag them away.
It would be lame if the writer actually thinks that’s how Jedi works. It would be super lame if they wrote the plot like that just to make it dramatic. I mean, it makes sense that Malgus would twist it like that to manipulate a padawan who is emotionally exploit-able (and his line is delivered perfectly) but that child snatching scene is played so wrong like, stop the “Jedi is just as bad as the Sith” shit it’s not edgy anymore lol
There’s been an idea going around that the Jedi were war criminals, and it makes me wonder if some of these people have ever read the Geneva Convention.
My implication here, of course, is that the Jedi were not war criminals. In this post, I will be going through some of the instances people point to when they say the Jedi were war criminals, and checking them against the Geneva Convention to see if they count as war crimes.
Warning: A long post under the break. Also anti-Palpatine views.
