Jedi's Reputation after the Empire is declared

[Darth McBain]

In the end of ROTS, Palpatine initiates the purge of all Jedi. As he's declaring the Empire before the Senate, all of the delegates are buying into the lie that the Jedi were behind the war and that they were attempting a coup so as to control the Republic themselves. Surely word of the Jedi insurrection would have spread through the galaxy as the senators reported back to their homeworlds. Considering the reaction of the senators, you would think that public opinion of the Jedi would be chilly to say the least following the Clone Wars.

However, in ANH, Obi-Wan tells Luke that he and Luke's father were Jedi Knights, and Luke doesn't seem to mind in the slightest. You would think that the first words out of Luke's mouth at that point might have been "So what were you thinking, trying to take over the Republic???" or "So, were you in on the plot as well!?!?!". Yet, Luke clearly wants to follow in his father's footsteps and become a Jedi.

So, do you think that the masses bought into Palpatine's lie and hated the Jedi, and Luke was just an exception? Or do you think that the masses saw through it and realized the Jedi were duped, but can't resist as they're under a totalitarian militaristic state under the Empire? Or do you think they just plain didn't care?

[JMK]

I think there's 2 possibilities, one more likely than the other.

1-(Unlikely) In TPM, Shmi tells Qui Gon that the 'Republic doesn't exist out here'. It could be that Luke never really hears anything about a Jedi insurrection. In ANH Luke seems to be intrigued with the thought of the Jedi.

2- (more likely) After tyranny spread throughout the galaxy and as Palpatine slowly erased any powers the Senate had, they began to realize that they had been scammed.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

I had always thought that the public opinion on the Jedi was "yea, they suck". In the EU, after the fall of the Empire, many of the newer senators had a dislike for anything that used the Force, mainly because of Palpatine's use of it, but also because of the purge against the jedi and the 'threat' they posed with their god-like powers.

Plus, I don't think word really got to Tantooine about how 'bad' the jedi were.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think it depends on planet to planet. Where the rebellion was stronger (Tantooine comes to mind) than they knew the truth. I am sure Bail Organa told the other senators what he saw when he started the rebellion. The Jedi were considered heroes in their minds hence why that Rebel General in ANH tells the pilots, "May the force be with you."

[Jedieb]

I think public reaction was mixed. I'm sure some people bought it hook line and sinker while others had the same reaction that Bail had. They knew right away that what they were hearing couldn't be true. The sad part is, in a way, it was. The Jedi were ready to remove and kill Palpatine and take control of the Senate until order was restored. Yes, they may have been justified, but from a "certain point of view," they were guilty of many of the things Palpatine was accusing them of. Evil bastard.

[JMK]

Yeah...even though they would have had to assume control of the senate during a transition, I got the sense that taking over was something they wanted no part of, whereas Palpy spun is as if it was the Jedi council's plan all along.

[Darth McBain]

Yeah, I don't think they wanted to do it, but saw it as necessary to ensure a peaceful transition. Yoda said "to a dark place this line of thought will bring us." I think they saw it as an unfortunate, but necessary duty - and as you've pointed out, Palpatine was all to eager to put a slightly different spin on it to further his cause.

[Doc Milo]

Palpatine manipulated the Jedi into doing exactly what he was accusing them of doing. Meanwhile, he's accusing the Jedi of trying to take over the Republic, he has done exactly that, and, because of the mistrust the Senators had of the Jedi (or, in some cases, the control Palpatine had over them -- either way a manifestation of Palpatine's master manipulation) they were all too eager to hand over control to Palpatine as he reorganized the Republic into the Empire. The Senators probably saw the Jedi as these people with special powers they didn't understand, and there might have been a level of mistrust already there, so, when it became clear to them (because of Palpatine's lies) that the Jedi were a threat, they were all too eager to give up liberty for security.

Except for those that rebelled.

I actually think there is some credibility to JMK's theory that he says is "unlikely." In ANH, when Ben tells Luke about the Force, Luke has no idea what the Force is.... It's possible he has no idea what a Jedi is as well....

As for the general public, I'm sure there were some that bought it and some that didn't. Among those that didn't, some were willing to fight while others just sat back and didn't get involved, fearing for themselves or their family.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Luke already hated the Empire as it was, so its not a leap to suggest that by then, the Emperor's stranglehold was quite intolerable, and people were beginning to question why they hated the Jedi in the first place.

[Oriadin]

Luke was only a baby at around the time the Jedi were wiped out. By the time he reached the age he was in ANH the Jedi had been gone for some time. The Empire was clearly hated throughout the galaxy, as we saw by the celebrations after the Emperor had been killed at the end of ROTJ. My guess is that the Jedi had gone on to become legends. 'I remember when the Jedi were here to keep peace in the galaxy'. Things back in those days were never like they are now'. I imagine that would be the line of thinking of many many people. This being talked about, Luke probably doesnt know much about the Jedi, but he would have heard something. My guess is since the galaxy hate the Empire so much, they are held in fond memories by most.

[JMK]

I agree, at the beginning of the Empire I'm sure there were mixed feelings about the Jedi, but in the years to come, as Palpatine closed his iron fist around the galaxy I'm sure people began to put 2 and 2 together. "Hmm, things weren't lousy like this when the Jedi were around...coincidence?"

[MercZ]

Jedi were probably recieved with some mixed attidtudes, but I guess once Palpatine's rule tightened, some of them felt Jedi's were good. There could be a possibilty that Palpatine tried to erase any reference to the force or jedi's from the ordinary citizen too.