Summary
One line fromStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menacereveals howLuke Skywalkerwas able to rebuild a Jedi Order prior to theStar Warssequel trilogy. Although it was never fully depicted inStar Warsmovies and TV shows, Luke Skywalker did successfully begin a Jedi Temple betweenReturn of the JediandStar Wars: The Force Awakens. While Kylo Ren ultimately brought an end to that, it was nevertheless an impressive feat for Luke to single-handedly restore the Jedi at this point intheStar Warstimeline.
Star Warsmay have already revealed how Luke accomplished this, even if it wasn’t shown on screen. In fact, Luke’s strategy may have inadvertently revealed a massive flaw in the prequel trilogy’s Jedi Order and the recruiting practices at the time. Specifically,Luke Skywalker might have changed one key aspect of the prequel trilogy Jedi Order’s recruitment that enabled him to identify many more Force-users.
All 6 Times Star Wars Has Shown Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Temple & Their Inconsistencies
Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Temple has only appeared a handful of times in Star Wars canon - here are all the appearances to date, and how they compare.
The Jedi Only Looked For Force-Sensitive Children In The Republic
From the moment Qui-Gon Jinn encountered Anakin Skywalker on Tatooine inThe Phantom Menace, he knew that he was special and incredibly powerful in the Force. In fact,Qui-Gon told Shmi Skywalker that, had Anakin been born in the Republic, they would have identified him earlier. This line strongly suggests that the Jedi Order, at least at this point in time, only considered Jedi Initiates who were born within the Republic.
Given the Jedi Council’s hesitation being Anakin’s age rather than his place of birth, it seems the rule was not that only children born within the Republic were allowed to be admitted to the Order. However, it’s clear that the Jedi recruiting practices did not include exploring planets outside the Republic and identifying Force-sensitive children. Given the nature of the Force, this inevitably means that countless Force-sensitive children were missed by the Jedi Order, undoubtedly of varying levels of power.
This inevitably means that countless Force-sensitive children were missed by the Jedi Order.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
The issue with this approach to recruitment is evident inThe Phantom Menaceitself. Qui-Gon happened upon Anakin coincidentally (or, arguably, due to fate), meaning that the Jedi almost missedthe Chosen Onehimself because they only sought Jedi Initiates from the Republic. While, in the long run, perhaps that would have been for the best—as Anakin ended up wiping out the Jedi and helping Palpatine establish the Empire—it’s clear that the Jedi were missing children who could have become incredibly powerful Jedi.
The Jedi almost missed the Chosen One himself.
If someone as powerful as Anakin could be overlooked because he was born outside the Republic, it’s difficult to say who else could have been missed. Indeed, the Jedi Order may very well have deprived themselves of individuals who could have become some ofStar Wars’most powerful Jedisimply because they didn’t expand their search. However,this could be precisely how Luke Skywalker began to rebuild the Jedi OrderfollowingReturn of the Jedi.
Luke Skywalker
It’s unclear what precisely Luke’s recruiting practices were for his own Jedi Temple, butit’s unlikely he adopted the prequel trilogy Jedi Order’s approach. For one, that simply wouldn’t be practical for Luke. He was essentially beginning from nothing, which would have made it illogical for him to be restrictive in where he sought Force-sensitive beings. Moreover, the galaxy was recovering from the terrible reign of the Empire; planets and their affiliations would have been much less clearly defined at the time.
Luke would have been searching far and wide to identify Initiates for his burgeoning Temple.
In all likelihood, Luke would have been searching far and wide to identify Initiates for his burgeoning Temple. This would have proven quite difficult even with a wide net, though, as the Jedi had been hunted down and demonized for so long throughout the galaxy that it would have been challenging to get Force-sensitive individuals to feel safe stepping forward (or for parents to approve Luke training their children). In fact,The MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fettsuggested how challenging this was.
Clearly, Luke had struggled to recruit Force-sensitive children to his Temple, as Grogu seemed to be the sole Initiate when he briefly trained under Luke. Perhaps it was even Grogu’s departure that was the catalyst for Luke to redouble his efforts to grow his Temple. Either way, though, this line fromStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menacesuggests, in part, where the prequel trilogy Jedi Order went wrong with their recruiting practices and how Luke Skywalker may have improved upon this approach.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Cast
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is set in a galaxy facing political turmoil, as Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi seek peace while encountering Anakin Skywalker, a slave with great potential in the Force. Meanwhile, the Sith begin their resurgence, threatening the stability of the Republic.
