Ask A Jedi: What Do The Jedi Serve?

If you spend any time on the official Star Wars: The Old Republic forums, you are sure to have seen his passion and prose regarding all things Jedi. You know him as Professor Walsh. Each week (or thereabouts,) Professor Walsh will answer a few reader-submitted questions in order to enlighten us all with the ways of the Jedi. You can submit your own question at the end of the article!

Dear Jedi,

The essence of the Jedi, like the Samurai, is service.  What, in your opinion, do the Jedi ultimately serve? The Republic?  The Living Force?  Civilization?  Life?

– Rick

Dear Rick,

Thank you for such a wonderful question. The Jedi ultimately serve the Force, I don’t like using the term “The Living Force” because people often confuse that for a separate philosophy. That goes back to the so called “Unifying Force” which is a whole different topic entirely.

The idea is that the Jedi’s primary duty is to serve the Force, but also it must be remembered that the Jedi Order did pledge to protect the Republic as well. So they are honor-bound to serve the Republic after the Force.

The Jedi don’t have any particular requirement to serve civilization, though the fruits of civilization normally serve the Force so to then do the Jedi.

The Jedi are not required to serve life specifically but since all life creates the Force and the Jedi do serve that then the Jedi are indeed required to serve all life.

If I had to place it in a hierarchy it would be as follows: The Force, then the Republic, then Life, then Civilization.

Dear Jedi,

In the new novel “Fatal Alliance” the Jedi Padawan and the Sith Apprentice whip out some pretty crazy Force powers. Are these powers canon? I have never heard of anything like that before.

– DarthWheeler

Dear Wheeler,

This is an interesting question that is a little self-explanatory but I am going to go a little in-depth on it. Since they appeared in a Star Wars novel they are indeed C-Canon. I suspect what you meant to ask though was have they ever appeared before. To that question, I can only answer that for the most part those powers have never appeared before to the level that they were demonstrated.

I have a feeling that a lot of those powers will appear in TOR however. The powers that were demonstrated were pretty high end. In the novel we saw force fields capable of deflecting everything from blaster bolts to lava, the ability to push fire away like it was nothing, to withstand direct hits from wrist rockets without any damage what so ever, these things were way off the charts. To be honest I wish they weren’t as over the top as they were but in canon we have seen similar abilities before just never quite to that level.

I hope my answer helps.

Dear Jedi,

Ajedisayswhat?

– Goofin’

Dear Goofin’,

What?

Well my Padawans that is all I have to say for this week. Tune in next week for more questions and answers. Until then I’m Professor Walsh and may the Force be with you.

Do you have a question for our Jedi-in-residence, Professor Walsh? Submit it via the form below, and we’ll be sure to pass it along to him when he emerges from meditation.