6 Times The Jedi Code’s Most Controversial Rule Was Proved Right, & 6 Times It Was Proved Wrong

Though, in the end, the Jedi in Star Wars fell for many reasons, no rule was as controversial or as morally complex as the Jedi’s rule against attachments. In essence, the Jedi of the Star Wars prequel era, in particular, believed that any deep attachments, be they platonic or romantic (though romantic seemed to be the bigger issue) could lead to feelings of anger, guilt, fear, jealousy, and frustration, all of which fuel those who use the dark side. As a result, there was a general rule forbidding the Jedi from forming deep relationships with one another and those they were sworn to help.

This proved to be a difficult endeavor – though plenty of Jedi could go through life without forming those kinds of bonds with others, plenty more Jedi also struggled to keep their distance. After all, the Jedi were encouraged to feel compassion and show kindness to everyone, so how could some of those relationships not develop into something more? It’s only natural. And yet, while for some, their feelings for those they loved only strengthened their resolve and their commitment to the Jedi Order, others crumbled under the weight of expectation and the depth of their emotions, with some even turning to the dark side forever.

12

Anakin Skywalker

Anakin’s love for Padmé and his mother doomed him from the start

Anakin Skywalker is the ultimate example of an attachment gone too far. His love for Padmé Amidala and his fear of her death opened Anakin up to all sorts of negative emotions. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, his jealousy often got the best of him, especially when one of Padmé’s past relationships came back into their lives, and when Anakin believed that Padmé was going to die and that he was the only one who could save her, he began to spiral, providing Palpatine with the perfect opportunity to push Anakin over the edge.

Of course, keeping secrets from the Jedi Order, but especially Obi-Wan Kenobi (who was aware but never said anything, as proven in Brotherhood by Mike Chen) and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, didn’t help matters either. But it wasn’t just Anakin’s relationship with Padmé that made him vulnerable to the dark side. His understandable love for his mother, who raised him and tried to protect him as best she could on Tatooine, created an issue, too. He became part of the Jedi Order at a much older age, and so his relationship with his mother had already been cemented. His killing of the Tusken Raiders who kidnapped his mother became a turning point in his life.

11

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan shouldn’t have kept Anakin’s secret

To many, Obi-Wan Kenobi is the ideal Jedi. Compassionate, kind, empathetic, wise, and strategic, Obi-Wan embodies everything the Jedi should be. But his relationship with Anakin, which became more than just a Master and Padawan relationship and morphed into something more familial – Obi-Wan admitted they were like brothers, after all – changed everything for not only Obi-Wan but Anakin, too. Obi-Wan may not have turned to the dark side, but his wish to see his friend and brother find happiness with Padmé and keep that relationship a secret, despite knowing that it could make Anakin vulnerable, arguably changed the fate of the Jedi Order forever.

What if Obi-Wan had told the Jedi Council of Anakin’s relationship? Would they have been able to keep them apart? What if Obi-Wan had simply told Anakin that he knew about his relationship and that he had experienced something similar? Perhaps sharing the burden of his secret life with his Master could have changed Anakin’s entire outlook, but Obi-Wan made a choice, a choice that would come back to haunt him for years to come.

10

Yoda

Yoda and the Jedi Council’s faith in Dooku was misplaced

Of all people, Yoda should have been the one to know how dangerous a genuine attachment could be for a Jedi. He’d been a Jedi for centuries, at that point, had trained and learned from each generation of Jedi, and yet, even he struggled with the “no attachments” rule. Before Dooku became Darth Sidious’ apprentice, he was Yoda’s, and the two shared a deep bond – a bond that was so influential, that Yoda and the rest of the Jedi Council refused to believe that Dooku had turned his back on the Jedi Order.

In Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, the Jedi couldn’t contemplate the idea of Dooku being responsible for the assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala. Surely, as a former Jedi, Dooku would know better? At least, that was what they believed. Yoda’s respect for his former apprentice, and the Jedi’s respect for Yoda’s opinion, blinded them to the truth, giving Darth Tyranus and Darth Sidious all the access they needed to begin their infiltration of the Jedi Order.

9

Dooku

Dooku took advantage of the Jedi’s faith in him

Dooku knew that Yoda and the other Jedi viewed him as their ally and that they showered him with respect, and he used that to his advantage. Even when he was already a Sith, and he was already chained to Palpatine and the dark side, the Jedi still welcomed Dooku with open arms, and he was able to visit the Jedi Temple with impunity and access the archives. The elder Jedi even sought his counsel and advice. They were attached to him, too – it wasn’t just Yoda.

In fact, the only one who truly seemed to see through Dooku’s facade was Master Yaddle, and she was brave enough to confront him about it, as seen in Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, episode 4, “The Sith Lord.” What if she’d seen it sooner? What if her fellow Council members weren’t so blinded by their trust in Dooku? Perhaps things would have turned out very differently.

8

Quinlan Vos

Quinlan Vos fell in love with a former Sith assassin

Quinlan Vos is a complicated character. As a Jedi, he was already probably looser with the rules than most, but even he still believed in the importance of the no attachments rule – until he met Asajj Ventress. In Star Wars: Dark Disciple by Christie Golden, the Jedi had already seemingly lost their way as they ordered Quinlan to assassinate Count Dooku (after finally admitting their failure) to restore peace in the galaxy and end the Clone Wars. They put him on a slippery slope, one that only became more complicated as he joined forces with Dooku’s former apprentice, Asajj Ventress.

Ventress convinced Quinlan that he could access the dark side without losing himself completely, and he agreed, because he trusted her and was in love with her. While to some extent, he proved her right, his grip on his humanity and his connection to the light side became incredibly strained, to the point where the Jedi believed he had turned against them, and even Asajj did, as well. Though Quinlan eventually recovered, even after Asajj’s supposed death, those are scars that would never truly heal. If he hadn’t been in love with her, would he have ever gone down that road? It’s unlikely.

7

Bode Akuna

Bode did everything he could to save his daughter

Introduced in the game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Bode Akuna is revealed to be an Order 66 survivor. In the aftermath of the Jedi’s destruction, Bode abandoned the Jedi’s teachings and fell in love with a woman named Tayala. They later had a daughter together, Kata. Tragically, Bode’s wife was killed by the Inquisitorius, and Bode went on the run with his daughter, eventually agreeing to work for the Empire as an undercover agent in exchange for keeping his daughter safe.

He infiltrated the Hidden Path and became friends with the Jedi Cal Kestis, and together, they discovered a path to a secret planet, one where Bode hoped he and his daughter could be safe. But, when Cal decided to share the location with more members of the Hidden Path, Bode became outraged, his fear for his daughter’s safety eclipsing his judgment. While everything he did was to keep his daughter safe, he eventually fell to the dark side completely, lost in his grief and his fear, and in his final fight against Cal, he also lost his life, leaving his daughter all on her own.

Bode’s story is a tragic example of what can happen to a former Jedi who loves someone fiercely and is willing to do anything, even turn to the dark side, to keep them safe. He is exactly what the Jedi’s “no attachment” rule was supposed to prevent. But there are other Jedi who did the opposite – some sacrificed their happiness for the sake of the Jedi Order, while others became better Jedi because of their relationships, rather than in spite of them.

6

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi fell in love with a Mandalorian leader

Yes, Obi-Wan Kenobi is on both sides of this list, and with good reason. Though he let his relationship with Anakin cloud his judgment, he also sacrificed his love and happiness when it mattered most. When Obi-Wan was still a Padawan, he and his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, were sent on a lengthy mission to protect Satine Kryze, the future Duchess of Mandalore. Though the full story has never been told, Obi-Wan and Satine fell in love, but he eventually returned to the Jedi Order. Later, when they reunited during the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan admitted that he would have left the Order for her, had she asked him to.

This proves that not all Jedi are destined to fall prey to the dark side should they form a deep relationship with someone. Obi-Wan would have done the right thing either way. He left her behind so that he could focus on his role as a Jedi, but he would have also left the Jedi Order and the power and status that it brings so that he could be with her. Obi-Wan proves that it truly depends on the person – Anakin tried to have it all, while Obi-Wan understood that he could never have it both ways.

5

Kanan Jarrus

Kanan Jarrus embodied the Jedi’s core values

In Star Wars Rebels, Kanan Jarrus fell in love, and eventually even had a son with Rebel pilot Hera Syndulla. After Order 66, Kanan closed off his connection with the Force and tried to survive in the galaxy rather than fight for it. That all changed when he met Hera – she inspired him to join the Rebellion, to use his abilities for good and even to train the next generation of Jedi, a young Force-sensitive boy named Ezra Bridger.

Without Hera’s love and encouragement, Kanan never would have become the man he was destined to be. He was a true hero, and though his love for Hera and his friends ran deep, he never let it cloud his judgment. In the end, he gave up his life so that they could continue to fight, a sacrifice which eventually led to the liberation of Lothal and one of many great blows dealt to the Empire.

4

Cal Kestis

Cal Kestis has had to overcome so much grief

Unlike his friend, Bode Akuna, Cal managed to rein in his darkness when it mattered most. Like Kanan Jarrus, Cal fell in love in the aftermath of Order 66 with Merrin, a Dathomirian Nightsister, and found a new family to love and take care of, made up of a former Jedi, Cere Junda, a talented pilot known as Greez Ditrus, and his trusty droid, BD-1. In Jedi: Survivor, Cal also struggled with the pull of the dark side, especially when Bode and the Empire threaten Merrin and his family, but it was Merrin who pulled him back to the light.

Despite all the loss he suffered, not just the Jedi, not just his old Master, but Cere, too, Cal still managed to return to the light. Despite Bode’s betrayal, he was still willing to look after Bode’s daughter, Kata, as well. Cal proved that, despite the darkness underneath the surface, there was still a way to come back from that pain and anger. The dark side is something the Jedi struggle with every day, but Cal’s love for his family and people in general is what got him through that struggle.

3

Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker’s heart is his greatest asset

Though Luke Skywalker eventually subscribed to the Jedi’s “no attachments” rule, too, there was a time when he ignored Obi-Wan and Yoda’s advice and followed his heart. Nowhere is this more apparent than in The Empire Strikes Back, when he decides to leave Dagobah to save Han and Leia on Bespin, in Return of the Jedi, when he redeems Vader, or in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, when, despite everything he did to keep himself hidden away from those he loved because he thought he was the problem, he still arrived when it mattered and offered his nephew the chance to redeem himself.

Though Luke made mistakes, he eventually realized them, too. He even tells Rey that she shouldn’t hide away the same way he did. One of the things that made Luke such a great hero and Jedi was his heart and his kindness towards others. Though he may have forgotten that for a while, it was always there, ready for him to embrace it when the galaxy needed him most.

2

Ezra Bridger

Ezra’s relationships taught him to be a better Jedi

Ezra Bridger became a better person and Jedi because of his relationships with his friends. Without Kanan, Hera, Sabine Wren, and Zeb Orellios, Ezra never would have become the one to liberate Lothal from Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Empire’s clutches. He never would have learned to make those kinds of sacrifices – when he first meets the members of the Ghost, Ezra is living on his own on the streets, grieving the loss of his parents and stealing from and tricking people to survive.

Kanan taught him that there was more to life and that Ezra had the power to help people, and Ezra took those lessons to heart. Much like his Master, he sacrificed himself for the greater good. He let his Master go to stop Palpatine from gaining access to the World Between Worlds, and he spent years in exile, with only the hope that his friends would come to find him, allowing him to keep going. Ezra is a true Jedi, but it was his relationships with his friends that gave him the chance to become that person.

1

Ahsoka Tano

Ahsoka Tano overcame her guilt and regret to become something more

Ahsoka Tano and her Master, Anakin Skywalker, had a deep and meaningful relationship, too. They weren’t just a Master and Padawan duo – they were friends, and they trusted each other completely. When Ahsoka left the Jedi Order, it hit him harder than it would have the average Jedi, and it was another step in his fall to the dark side. Ahsoka, on the other hand, never turned toward the dark side, despite her guilt and fear over what happened to Anakin after she left him behind.

When she discovered that Anakin and Darth Vader were the same person, it undoubtedly affected her. It changed her relationship with the Force and her view of the Jedi, but she never lost sight of what he taught her while she was still his Padawan, either. She became something more than a Jedi, eventually letting her guilt and regret go. Ahsoka proved that, unlike Anakin, guilt and fear didn’t need to turn her into something sinister. She overcame it on her own.

The Jedi’s rules against attachment are complicated. Though their fears weren’t unfounded, the Jedi never realized that every person functions differently. Each person handles emotions and relationships in their own way. Perhaps, if there had been a more tolerant policy in place, more Jedi could have realized their full potential, as Ezra and Kana did, while others could have lived peaceful, happy lives with their companions by their side and guidance from the Jedi Council. It’s impossible to say what might have happened, but Star Wars’ Jedi may have faced a very different fate if they had been more open-minded.