The History of the Jedi Order

Origins of the Order

The Jedi Order is one of the galaxy's most ancient institutions, founded on the principle that the Force — an energy field created by all living things — could be understood and wielded for peace rather than power. At its height it counted more than ten thousand Knights and Masters serving across the galaxy.

The Jedi Code

Every youngling commits the Jedi Code to memory before advancing to Padawan. Its five tenets have remained unchanged for over twenty-five thousand years:

There is no emotion, there is peace
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge
There is no passion, there is serenity
There is no chaos, there is harmony
There is no death, there is the Force

The Path to Knighthood

The route from youngling to Knight follows a strict and demanding progression, testing not only skill with a lightsaber but wisdom in its restraint:

Youngling — group training within the Temple
Padawan — one-to-one apprenticeship under a Knight or Master
Jedi Knight — granted after passing the Trials of Knighthood
Jedi Master — awarded for exceptional service or training a successful Padawan to Knighthood

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For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic.

Yoda, Jedi Grand Master

Legendary Jedi Masters

Yoda

The oldest and most venerated member of the Jedi High Council, Yoda served the Order for over eight hundred years. His unorthodox teaching style — favouring questions over answers — produced some of the Order’’s finest Knights.

Mace Windu

Second only to Yoda on the High Council, Mace Windu was the greatest practitioner of Vaapad, a lightsaber form that channelled the user’’s inner darkness into controlled power. His amethyst blade was unique in the Order.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Master Kenobi exemplified the Jedi ideal — patient, principled, and deeply connected to the living Force. He trained both Anakin and later Luke Skywalker, shaping the saga’’s most consequential lineage.

Qui-Gon Jinn

A maverick who often clashed with the Council, Qui-Gon followed the living Force rather than doctrine. It was he who identified Anakin Skywalker as the Chosen One and later became the first Jedi to master the ability to return as a Force ghost.