What makes a good Jedi?

[Dasquian Belargic]

I am currently in the process of re-evaluating the character Dasquian Belargic. When I created him I wanted him to be the model Jedi, following the Code to a tee, but it feels like somewhere along the way he’s gotten all messed up. Storylines which could have gone better, events that possibly should not have happened … all this has culminated into him not being what I would have liked him to be.

So I am asking for your help on explaining up what a true Jedi should be like?

Is it how we see the Jedi act in the movies? Should I be following Obi-Wan’s lead? Or is he doing it all wrong himself?

Any help or advice you can give about any aspect of this is welcome and appreciated. Hopefully this topic will be helpful to others too who are trying to figure out just what a Jedi is supposed to be.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

I think being the model Jedi has different meanings for each and every Jedi. They all follow the code, but it seems that each one has their own personallity, their own quirks, and their own way of interperating (sp?) the code.

Take 4 examples: Yoda, Mace, Qui-gon and Obi Wan.

Yoda's peaceful and wise. He upholds the code to a T, and tries to teach it and preach it. He does have his fun in joking around with Obi when infront of the younglins, though.

Mace is more of the Warrior, abiding by the code, yet also willing to get things done by force and action if need be. He's sort of Dark in the sense that he's all B.A.

Qui-Gon thought of the Force differently than anyone else, and always went against the Council to do what he always felt was right. He could have been on the council himself, but I don't think he really cared or aspired for that kind of authority and power.

Obi-Wan... well, is Obi Wan. He did the best he could to follow the code given the era when he was a Jedi, mixing Yoda and Qui-gon-ish type ideas into molding his own Jedi Persona.

[Helios]

And none of them got involved in a threesome with two sith/dark jedi/witches lol!

[Morgan Evanar]

It really comes down to how the character defines "good." There is, of course, a point where their perception of good clearly places them out of the bounds of the Jedi. There is a line where they're delusional.

I think the core of it is adhereing to the spirit of the Jedi's code. Akrabbim and Morgan have different takes on whats acceptable on various subjects and actions.

Akrabbim's vision of justice tends to the very black and white, while Morgan sees things far more situationally. Neither approach is right or wrong, per se, its just derived from their outlook on life.

A good Jedi, must, at their very core, truly want to help people. They must have a functioning moral compass. They need to be emotionally steady, clearheaded if possible, and aware of their actions and the affect of those actions on others.

I'm probably missing several somethings, so this post might be prone to editing.

[Dasquian Belargic]

And none of them got involved in a threesome with two sith/dark jedi/witches l

See? This is what I mean. Can't be a good Jedi if this is all he is remembered for :(

[Xazor Elessar]

:lol @ Das -- yeah, you shouldn't have done that! ;) :mneh

JK, chica. I think you've done a fine job with Das, but the only problem is is the same problem I've got: too much drama. We threw our characters into situations that could have been and should have been avoided because now instead of them striving to be the best Jedi they can be -- they're playing roles on the hottest soap opera around. :rolleyes Seriously, if the drama was gone, you'd probably already be a Jedi Master. ;)

I have no idea what makes an 'awesome' or 'great' Jedi or whatever. Basically what Morg said sounds good. I just don't see where the stereotypical Jedi came from. They're fighters too, but people fail to recognize that. :\ Everyone has emotions and whatnot and I think that a good Jedi can control them, but they also know how to feel too, ya know what I mean?

Jedi are not puppets that walk around meditating and cowering in their boots for fear of the fact that if they fight, they're going to be sucked to the Darkside. No, they meditate and all that, sure -- but a good Jedi is real. :)

[Kelt Simoson]

I think to be fair on Jennys part here is that Dasquian had a choice between doing something that he he would regret for the rest of his life and hopefully rectify or basicly die...

Any person jedi or not at that stage would fend for his own life and i trust and i think many also do that Dasquian has rectified that mistake by being on the counsil and contribiuting himself to helping others and Kelt for one conciders him a friend and understands and as Jedi i think others should to...

[Dasquian Belargic]

BTW Please lets not bring the Jedi sandwich into debate here :mneh I'd rather just talk about this Jedi thang.

I don't think that Jedi have to be fighters, and just because they aren't doesn't mean they're afraid, it is just that as people have said there are many kinds of Jedi who do different things for the greater good.

I found these, and lots more, on a site with pages and pages of this stuff. What do you think of them?


A true Jedi expresses universal love.
A true Jedi creates balance.
A true Jedi inspires peace and joy.
A true Jedi nourishes body and mind.
A true Jedi works to make everything free.
A true Jedi is forever grateful.
A true Jedi knows we are all together.
A true Jedi uses technology for liberation.
A true Jedi spawns nature.
A true Jedi loves simplicity.
A true Jedi shares with others.
A true Jedi is the Force.
A true Jedi learns by direct experience.


"The Respect of Life"

As a Jedi one must have a certain respect for all life; no matter how small or how big; no matter how ugly or how beautiful. A true Jedi can see the miracle that is life, and it puts the Jedi in a sense of awe. Every aspect of life, from the smallest atom to the universe itself, has a certain uniqueness to it that no other can duplicate. Grass, as an example, is a very basic (in our eyes) form of life, yet even at it, one must marvel at its sheer willingness to survive and grow. When a Jedi can not see life as it truly is then that one has become out-of-touch with the very nature that is being a Jedi.

"Not Forgetting Death"

As taught in the Bushido, one must never forget one's own morality. One should remember death at all times... Now some may argue to this point and say that if one has death in the mind at all times then one would lead a life of fear. This, I believe, is quite the opposite. When one knows his/her own mortality and knows that death can come at any time, at any moment, then when it does come one can face death honorably. Because that one has reconized death for what it is and what it truly means, for death is psychosomatic. If one believes that death will be painful and frieghtning then so it will be. But if one knows death on the same level then one can confront death on its own level and maintain face at death.

This is a strong benefit but their are others... If one knows death can strike at any moment either to himself/herself or others, then one will recognize and employ strong moral values.

One will also make peace with their family, friends, employer, and co-workers, knowing that one would not want death to take them while in an angry dispute. For this reason also he or she will become more humble and passive and see that arrogance is, frankly, just a waste of precious life.

One will want to do his/her duties to the fullest to make one's employer, one's God, one's family, and one's friends happy with that him/her. So that he/she may die knowing that one's employer, God, family, and friends are all happy and proud of him or her.

"Arrogance"

Their is no reason at all for a true Jedi to have and show arrogance. It is a disgrace to the Jedi Way. But for some the problem is that they do not know of their own arrogance. This ability comes with true self-enlightment.

"Courtesy"

Now with a respect of all life one must also show the respect. One must always be able to humble one's self to show respect and courtesy to others. Not just to other human beings but to all life itself.

[Xazor Elessar]

I didn't say that they had to fight, I'm just stating that there is a misconception that Jedi don't fight.

I love the info you got there, Jenny. :) It's really cool! :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://212.168.23.160/creed/index.shtml

Some of it is really quite interesting :)

[Aegis Du' Caat]

I was just giving her crap...

Her is my so-called enlightened thoughts (so-called by me ,that's who!) on what it means to be a Jedi.

A Jedi is just...

They have a solid definition of good and evil and can make a discerning decision due to unforseen circumstances. They have no love for someone who is evil, knows it and does nothing about it and pity on those who have good intentions but can seem to get things to work for them.

Furthermore they deal out justice as Judge Jury and sometimes executioner. A Jedi must be willing to make hard decisions and live with them if they end up being the wrong one, work harder the next time to make sure they make the right one. A Jedi will cut off the hand to keep it from sinning, so to speak and as such will turn his/her back on those who do evil no matter how close they are to them.

A Jedi is Wise...

A Jedi has good horse sense. They know when to speak and when to be still, when to give advice and when to take it. They are constantly learning, knowing that they can never have enough knowledge. This in turn makes them great leaders in situations when common sense and knowledge are the diffence between life and death.

A Jedi is noble...

A Jedi does not associate themselves with scum. No I'm not refering to the poor or the weak, but rather the criminal or the dark-sider. They are not friends with those who prey off the weaker, rather they are an avenging angel, Righteous and strong, but both merciful and merciless in the same breath. They can not afford a moments pause before they strike down those who would harm others, yet they must be willing to hear all aspects of the story before carrying out their terrible judgment.

A Jedi is humble...

A Jedi knows their strenghts and weaknesses. Not only that though they recognize them in others as well. They never look down upon a person less fortunate, they never turn their back on an outstretched hand. They are shepherds tending to the flock of those who can not stand up for themselves.

A Jedi loves..

Their is compassion and caring in each act of kindness they perform. Their eyes should tell the story during their good deeds. They should be kind for the sake of love, not because it is their duty. A Jedi enjoys serving.

A Jedi is imperfect...

A Jedi has emotions, but they strive to control them, they have fears, but they strive to conquer them, they make mistakes, yet work to learn from them. A Jedi is not infallible but that is never an excuse.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

In the novel Shatterpoint Mace Windu says something about the Jedi and how they are like they are. I forget the exact quote, but words essentially regard how Jedi of the Old Republic are formed into what they are.

A Jedi is taught from birth to resist natural impulses. If left to themselves, the natural impulses of sentient beings drive them to basic acts that promote only their own survival. The Jedi represent the pinnacle of civilization's attitudes and beliefs, therefore they must be everything that basic animal instinct is not: calm, just, compassionate, and never interfering or taking direct action unless it is warranted.

In short, the Jedi stand for everything that make civilization work. The opposite of that is a return to the jungle.

[Wei Wu Wei]

My idea of what a good Jedi is comes from something Mace Windu said in episode 2

"We are keepers of the peace, not soldiers."

So for me the perfect Jedi ALWAYS seeks out the non-violent solution first, and if he cannot find one, only then should he fight. You can't really say you're keeping the peace if your looking for some one to beat into a pulp for doing wrong.

If you talk to the person first, and figure out why they are doing what they;re doing, then you can help them find a better way, or change them for better or even for awesome. And if a Jedi does fight, he never kills.

[Xazor Elessar]

I don't see how you can say that, Wei. I see your point on the fact that a Jedi should be peaceful and whatnot, but take a look at Ep. 2.

Did the Jedi stop and talk first, or did they get their lightsabers out and defend their fellow Jedi in the arena? If they would have stopped to talk, Padme, Anakin, and Obi-Wan would have died.

And Jedi don't kill -- maybe not on purpose, but look at Mace, he killed. I'm sure if you dove into the EU books you'd see other Jedi kill. Maybe not, but probably somewhere.

Jedi don't have to sit around and take crap, they can fight and defend too -- I just think that when doing so, they should not be motivated by anger and should be aware of their emotions all the time.

[Inu]

He's not saying to sit and try to negotiate with a horde of enemies; even he knows better than that. The point was more of a one on one thing, as one on one happens here way more often than giant horde battles.

[Wei Wu Wei]

That's also why I said that a Jedi would never kill. If you have to fight first, it's probably because the huy is just delirious with anger.

If Wei came across someone like that, he'd toss the guy around a little, wear him out, and then talk to him.

I suppose I should have gone more in-depth. My bad.

[Pierce Tondry]

I went and dug up that passage from Shatterpoint that I liked so much. You guys really need to read that book. It will sharpen your image of what a Jedi is.

"I thought you guys were all about going with the flow and using your instincts and stuff..."

"The difference," I said, "lies in the instincts themselves. It is possible for an untrained Force-user to wield as much power as the greatest of Jedi--look at Kar. But untrained, the instincts he falls back on are those granted him by nature. It is another of the central paradoxes of the Jedi: the 'instincts' we use are not instinctive at all. They are the product of training so intense that they replace our natural ones. That's why Jedi must begin at such an early age. To replace our natural instincts--territoriality, selfishness, anger, fear, and the like-- with the Jedi 'instincts' of service, serenity, selflessness, and compassion. The oldest child ever accepted for training was nine-- and there was much debate over that. A debate that has continued, I might add, for more than ten years.

"Being a Jedi is a discipline imposed upon nature, just as civilization is, at its root, a discipline imposed upon the natural impulses of sentient beings.

"Because peace is an unnatural state.

"Peace is a product of civilization. The myth of the peaceful savage is precisely that: a myth. Without civilization, all existence is only the jungle. Go to your peaceful savage and burn his crops, or slaughter his herds, or kick him off his hunting grounds. You'll find that he will not remain peaceful for long. Isn't that exactly what happened here on Haruun Kal?

"Jedi do not fight for peace. That's only a slogan, and is misleading as slogans always are. Jedi fight for civilization, because only civilization creates peace. We fight for justice because justice is the fundamental bedrock of civilization: an unjust civilization is built upon sand. It does not long survive a storm."

And on the subject of Jedi killing- it would have been much simpler to drop a baradium bomb on the arena and kill everyone in it. That would have cut the Clone War off before it could have begun. But that's pretty much the same as setting a Star Destroyer's turbolasers onto an entire city to destroy a single Rebel spy cell.