Arguably, that’s exactly what he did…
Spoilers The Controversial Star Wars Opinion Thread
- Thread starter Christmas Canon Spock
- Start date
I never really liked Yoda that much, including/especially him being overly critical in Empire, he was fine but I thought OT Obi-Wan was a lot better and more likeable than OT Yoda. I also didn't particularly like Chewbacca or Jabba, they were also just fine.
Yoda was kind of a self-righteous ass in TCW, too, but since he was a hero in that series and the main Jedi in the galaxy his rough edges and unwillingness to see just how bad things were getting Dave Filoni made sure to give him enough good and heroic facets to tone down how much Yoda's been wearing a bag over his head.
My biggest frustration with the Prequel era, both films and TCW, is that it does not inspire any confidence in the Order as a whole. Yes, Lucas insisted they had lost their way, but there needs to be a redeeming aspect of the Jedi and show them being guardians of peace and justice and not just pawns.
I'd say Luke by Return of the Jedi is what a Jedi is supposed to be. But then the sequel trilogy happened and never mind.
Good luck Rey.
I would call Ahsoka the purist example of the Jedi ideal.
Yoda and Chewie are two of my favorite characters in the entire franchise.
The Jedi Order and the Republic falling to bureaucracy and internal rot was always part of the world building; it's even included in the original novelization's prologue.
The redeeming features of the Jedi at this time wasn't the larger organization but in the individuals doing their best regardless. The prequels and TCW both went to great lengths to show exactly this.
Yoda is consistently shown to be wise, compassionate, and reasonably flexible. But he's not perfect or infallible. Nobody is. By his own admission he was consumed by fear, and did not foresee what was closing in around them.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are also both consistently depicted as the quintessential Jedi ideal. Though again, neither are perfect. Qui-Gon was overconfident and got himself killed. Obi-Wan was quite the opposite, and his self-doubt is ultimately the root of his failure with Anakin.
Speaking of Anakin; also shown to be a brave, heroic Jedi. Genuinely compassionate to those in need. Massive personal flaws too of course, but we knew that going in.
Ahsoka also consistently shown to be a good Jedi, despite her struggles with impetuousness and learning a little too well from Anakin's example.
I could give a dozen or more examples, but the bottom line of it is that the Jedi were never meant to be idealized, superheroic robots, devoid of emotion and agency. They were always just people, even in the OT. Speaking of which, it's in the OT that we learn Anakin was both a great Jedi and was seduced by evil. We also see Luke's overconfidence and his inability to let go of attachments nearly got himself and his friends killed. And we see that both Yoda and Obi-Wan were wrong about both Luke and Anakin. So yeah, Jedi are flawed people like everyone else. Always were.
Though in that treatment it was the Republic specifically which fell to bureaucracy and internal rot, rather than the Jedi order -- but with these organizations joined at the hip it's much of a muchness. ((And for whatever it's worth that passage also claims the Emperor was controlled by his underlings and we know for damn sure that ain't true.))
Which is totally fine, but wasn't my argument.
Which also wasn't my argument.
Nowhere did I say they were not flawed. It's more my frustration that there is no redeeming qualities shown of the organizations. You are correct that the internal rot was part of the worldbuilding from the beginning. My frustration is the lack of showing these organizations as being good. We only see the rotted out aspects.
Yes, the Jedi are doing their best under extremely difficult circumstances and that is admirable at times. The use of the clones was not, but desperate times and I get that. But nothing says the Republic is good and must be restored like the OT did.
For me, I found the stilted acting one of the hardest things to stomach about the PT, but IMO, it was far more tolerable in TPM, and got worse from AOTCs onwards.
I still need to find an online citation, buuuut I do recall a newspaper article back in the day, with Lucas explaining that the ‘wooden’ mode of acting delivery he choose for the PT was an attempt to reference theatrical stagecraft conditions - or at least evoke a sense of the theatre.
[resumes reading to the bottom of the internet to find citations…]
I still need to find an online citation, buuuut I do recall a newspaper article back in the day, with Lucas explaining that the ‘wooden’ mode of acting delivery he choose for the PT was an attempt to reference theatrical stagecraft conditions - or at least evoke a sense of the theatre.
[resumes reading to the bottom of the internet to find citations…]
Yeah, they should totally taken the word of the person that tried to have two Jedi and a Senator publicly executed in a gladiatorial arena, by way of goaded wild beasts. The fact that he also signed a secret deal with the corporate alliances to supply weapons and battle droids with which to wage war against the Republic, and later showed up wielding a red blade and throwing lightning around only makes him and even more credible source of information!
Plus I mean it's not as if Yoda's penultimate line in the movie directly addresses this point or anything!
Then the Jedi were not very good at their job.
And yet they feel the universe couldn't adequately function without their existence. Much like damn near every government employee I've ever met as a contractor.
Opinion with which I don’t expect anyone to agree: As a “psychological novel”, The Acolyte was not only excellent, but pretty much one of the best things the franchise ever produced, up there with Andor.
EDIT, after a couple of likes: *Gasp!* There are others!
EDIT, after a couple of likes: *Gasp!* There are others!
Last edited:
Similar threads
