Star Wars World Building - Blog Posts

Yeah this, I feel like a lot the of the Jedi are boring and suffocatingly dogmatic complains come from not really understanding this idea.

I think the most frustrating/disheartening misconception I often see about Star Wars, and the Jedi specifically, is the misguided notion that love and attachment are one and the same. Which in turn leads to fundamental misunderstandings of who the Jedi are and what their teachings on non-attachment mean. While you absolutely can be attached to those you love, you do not need attachment to have love for someone. That's as true in Star Wars as it is in real life. The reason that Jedi teach non-attachment is because attachment leads to suffering, and suffering is a path to the Dark Side. This, like many other facets of Jedi philosophy, takes inspiration from Buddhism. Buddhism teaches non-attachment for the same reason: to mitigate or eliminate suffering, which is caused by greed, delusion, and/or aversion. This does not mean that the Jedi are forbidden from loving others. They are forbidden from developing attachments to others, which is why the Order, by the time of the Clone Wars, has outright banned romantic relationships. It's hard to be in a romantic relationship without attachment. But Jedi can love, and do. We see beautiful friendships throughout Star Wars. Parental-like relationships between Master and Padawan. Sibling-like relationships between Master and Padawan. Outside of the Clone Wars era, especially in the High Republic, we often see the Jedi in acts of loving service. Obviously, what that looks like varies from individual to individual, but that loving compassion for all living things is absolutely instrumental to being a Jedi.