Jedi Code Meaning, Symbolism and Truths

The Jedi Code is a set of basic beliefs held by the most modern Jedi in common. While this is based on work of fiction but the disciples find mystical meaning in the words.

The Jedi code intended to establish basic principles among its followers like self-discipline, empathy, coherence, patience, peace, and others that have remained unaltered through history.

Meaning and Origin of the Jedi Code

The Jedi Code constituted guidelines to regulate the behaviors of those who followed the Jedi Order. It teaches its disciples not to give up the feeling of empathy and forgiveness again others.

Meaning and Origin of the Jedi Code
Meaning and Origin of the Jedi Code

The code of conduct helped the followers stay away from the dark side of the force so that they could live bright and prosperous lives.

As per the orders of the code, it forbade the Jedi Masters and the Knights from taking on more than 1 Padawan at a time.

The Jedi Code forbade the followers for the following things;

  1. Forming attachments such as marriage, children, etc.
  2. Forming individual bonds such as family or romantic relationships.
  3. Killing unarmed or weak opponents.
  4. Seeking Revenge or vengeance.

The practice of non-attachment was enforced not because the Jedi’s were non-compassionate as they were the once that spread the message of love, passion, and empathy. 

People like Wilhuff Tarkin, who was a member of the Grand Army of Republic during the Clone Wars believed that the code prevented the Order.

That is from taking important steps to winning the war against the Coalition of Independent Systems.

Soon after the Clone Wars finished, the High Council via Obi-Wan ordered Anakin Skywalker to keep a close eye on the activities of his close friend.

This was Sheev Palpatine i.e. the Supreme Chancellor, which many felt was against the code of conduct.

The original Jedi code was however revealed during the 34 ABY, on Ahch-To when Rey heard the chanting of Jedi code near the tree library.

These prayers compelled her to enter the premises of the library where she found the original texts of the code.

This helped her develop a better understanding of the code of conduct and the origin of the Jedi Order from Master Luke Skywalker.

Versions of the Code

Most Jedi follow the Jedi Code, also sometimes referred to as the 4 Jedi Truths but there are different variations to it by different authors and followers who interpret it in different ways.

Versions of the Code
Versions of the Jedi Code

Variation 1: Four Jedi Truths

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no death, there is the Force.

Variation 2: The 5-line Mantra

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force.

The 4th line “There is no chaos, there is harmony,” is detached in some Jedi texts. This line was omitted at the Funeral of Mara Jade Skywalker.

Variation 3: The 11-line Jedi Code

There is no emotion; there is peace.

There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.

There is no passion; There is serenity.

There is no death; there is only the Force.

A Jedi does not act for personal power or wealth but seeks knowledge and enlightenment.

A Jedi never acts from hatred, anger, fear, or aggression but acts when calm and at peace with the Force.

Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy.

Jedi use the powers to defend and to protect, never to attack others.

Jedi respect life, in any form.

Jedi serve others rather than ruling over them, for the good of the galaxy.

Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.

Variation 4: The 32 BBY Jedi Code

Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy.

Jedi use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others.

Jedi respect all life, in any form.

Jedi serve others, rather than rule over them, for the good of the galaxy.

Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.

Variation 5: The 22 Code by Skywalker after establishing the Jedi Order

Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy.

Jedi use their powers to defend and to protect.

Jedi respect all life, in any form.

Jedi serve others rather than ruling over them, for the good of the galaxy.

Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.

Variation 6: The 22 ABY Jedi Code by Skywalker at Jedi Praxeum

A Jedi’s promise must be the most serious, the deepest of his or her life.

A Jedi seeks not adventure or excitement, for a Jedi is passive, calm, and at peace.

A Jedi knows that anger, fear, and aggression lead to the dark side.

A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.

There is no “try,” only “do.”

Believe and you succeed.

Above all else, know that control of the Force comes only from concentration and training.

Diverse beliefs about the Jedi Code

In this section, we have listed various beliefs that every Jedi should know even though these are not explicitly mentioned in the Jedi Code of Conduct.

Diverse beliefs about the Jedi Code
Diverse beliefs about the Jedi Code
  1. Jedi is the guardian of civilization and it is their duty not to let anyone destroy any civilization.
  2. Jedi is meant to use his powers only for the defense and protection of others and not for their vendetta.
  3. Jedi never works for personal benefits and their motive should be to spread awareness and wisdom.
  4. The members of the Jedi Order are represented by the light saber symbol.
  5. Jedi is always ready to lay down his life for the safety and protection of others in danger.
  6. As per Vergere, Jedi never marries with some exceptions. The goal is avoiding any personal relations or attachments that might later cause risk to the entire family.
  7. Mutual respect and love is very common expected behavior out of any Jedi.
  8. Jedi must try to fulfill the needs and requirements of others before his personal needs.
  9. Jedi take care of those who are unable to protect themselves from evil.
  10.  Jedi must collaborate in the situation of crisis or complications.
  11.  Jedi is not meant to be the True Ruler. However, this has been a topic of debate among the many if this is the true Jedi Order or Code.
  12.  Jedi must be free from personal comfort and desires and therefore self-reliance plays a critical role in this behavior.
  13.  Jedi Masters are prohibited from having more than one Padawan.
  14.  Jedi is not supposed to kill any defenseless opponent such as the incident in which Anakin Skywalker executed Count Dooku.
  15.  Jedi will never take revenge as it carries a lot of emotions such a fear and hatred which is prohibited in the Jedi code. Such as Anakin did against the Tusken Raiders.
  16.  Jedi does not believe in killing the prisoners or giving additional punishment apart from the sentence declare for them.

The Teachings of Jedi Code

“The Jedi shackle themselves in chains of obedience: obedience to the Jedi Council; obedience to their Masters; obedience to the Republic.

Those who follow the light side even believe they must submit themselves to the Force. They are merely instruments of its will, slaves to a greater good.”

Darth Bane, comparing the Jedi Code to the Sith Code
The Teachings of Jedi
The Teachings of Jedi Code

The teachings of the Jedi Code have been explained below in detail i.e.

  1. Self-Discipline
  2. Responsibility
  3. Public Service

Teaching 1: Self-discipline

Jedi Code and the Jedi Padawans have undergone the training of self-disciple at a very early age.

The lessons started with the basics of all the concepts and as the students progressed further they became further complicated.

A) Conquer Arrogance

Jedi were taught to conquer the feeling of hatred and arrogance as this will make them better than those who misuse their powers in the wrong ways.

They were taught that their goal is to serve others and not prove their superiority over others.

Jedi Master was only a Jedi Master as he had ignored his sense of arrogance and incorporated the will of the Force.

“The acceptance of others is not a guarantee. Like everyone else, a Jedi is accepted or not based on his behavior. The Jedi who believes that he is more important than others only demonstrates that his opinion is to be ignored.”

Dooku

B) Conquer Overconfidence

While taking the teaching of the force, it has observed that many students tend to gain a lot of overconfidence.

Thinking that they are superior over the others and therefore this teaching is also very important for them.

The young Jedi’s need to learn that the true power of the force is limitless and therefore the learning is also endless.

“Overconfident thinking is flawed because the Jedi does not take all possibilities into account.

He may understand the task at hand, the support of his fellows, and the ramifications of his success, and he may have even planned for unanticipated factors—but he has failed to understand his capabilities.

He has planned only for success because he has concluded that there can be no failure. Every Jedi, in every task, should prepare for the possibility of failure.”

Vodo-Siosk Baas

C) Conquer Resignation

Resignation or withdrawal is as dangerous as the overconfidence.

All the Young Jedi were taught to take into account all the plans of success and failure so that they are well prepared for accepting and tackling the defeat.

“Try not! Do, or do not. There is no try.”

Yoda

D) Conquer Inflexibility

Jedi should be completely flexible to changes and should accept things with calmness.

If the loss of losing is lower than the winning, then that should be preferred as winning is not the ultimate goal of Jedi.

Peace, patience, and calmness are taught to all Jedi’s and they should always choose the path that is more peaceful and humble.

“Do not see a light saber duel as a choice between winning and losing. Every duel can have many, many outcomes. When you concentrate solely on winning in light saber duels as in everything else you sully your victory.

Winning becomes worse than losing. It is better to lose than to win sorely. And it is always better to end a duel peacefully than to win or lose”

Rekpa De

E) Conquer Rashness

Many young Jedi were tempted to directly for wars and battles losing their calm and here comes another training for them i.e. to conquer rashness and hurry.

A Jedi should carefully assist the current situation and make note of all the dangers.

A careful evaluation of the situation will help the Jedi to resolve the situation with minimum danger and damage.

“Learn to recognize when speed is not important. Race when being first is important; move at your own pace at all other times. It is not necessary to always strike the first blow, to provide the first solution, or to reach a goal before anyone else does.

It is sometimes vital to strike the last blow, to give the final answer, or to arrive after everyone else.”

Wiwa

F) Conquer Inquisitiveness

New Jedi tend to use the force to satisfy their curiosity which is not correct and therefore this lesson was also included in the teachings.

The force must be utilized to uncover the secrets of others but not for satisfying their curiosity.

“Use the Force to satisfy the will of the Force—not to satisfy your curiosity.” 

Odan-Urr

G) Conquer Anger

Words like defense, attack, and aggression are often misunderstood many Jedi and therefore they must be thought that they should not attack with aggression.

A Jedi is allowed to murder others only in situations of extreme self-defense.

While fighting against the evil a Jedi should always look at all the possibilities of ending the battle with minimum or low hard which might also include the possibility of surrender.

Those who choose to kill might join the Dark Forces unknowingly.

“A Jedi Code uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.” ―Yoda

H) Conquer Outside Devotions

The order only accepted potential Padawans as young children only because of the reason that the Jedi should be free from all the internal and external distractions.

Marriage was strictly prohibited among them without special privilege.

This happened in the case of Cerean Jedi Ki-Adi-Mundi, who was permitted to marry several Cerean women because of his people’s low birth rate.

They are taught loyalty and self-discipline and therefore they don’t accept gifts from others.

“A Jedi is a Jedi, first and foremost, and only. For a Jedi to divide his attention between the will of the Force and the will of others is to invite disaster.”

Hoche Trit

I) Conquer Greed

As per the Jedi Code, they were not permitted to have more than the essential commodities with them as a goal to help them conquer greed and selfishness.

The other reason for this was the situation of emergency in which Jedi had to leave on a very urgent basis.

This required them to carry minimum items with them for easy travel and quick reaction to the problems.

“I wear my robe so that I am warm; I carry my light saber so that I am safe, and I keep enough credits for my next meal so that I am not hungry. If the Force wants me to have more, it finds a way of letting me know.”

The Kagoro

Teaching 2: Responsibility

Only after the Jedi has mastered all the skills of Self-disciple, he should be ready to handle the responsibility with loyalty and wisdom.

Jedi’s who refused to take the responsibility was never trained again and those who took it went ahead.

A) Practice Morality

Morality is the 1st responsibility that every Jedi should know as the permission was granted to them to stretch the truths per the Jedi Orders.

An honest Jedi was always honest with himself, his Chief, and the Board.

“Let there be truth between your heart and the Force. All else is transitory.”

Surenit Kli’qiy

B) Respect Your Undertakings

Jedi were taught to give promises only if they think they can fulfill it.

A true and hones Jedi will always keep his promise no matter what happens or can make amend if required.

They were also encouraged to talk to others or consult their chief before making any promises or commitments.

“Deliver more than you promise. The best way to be always certain of this is to deliver much, even when you promise nothing.”

Tho-Mes Drei

C) Respect Your Padawan

A Jedi Master must be well aware of his responsibilities towards his Padawan. He is not allowed to insult or give punishment to his disciples.

Instead, the force condemns such actions and appeals to praise the student so as the raise their confidence.

All these actions help gain confidence and it also nurtures the relationship and bond between the master and the student.

“Good call, my young Padawan.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi to his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker

D) Respect the Jedi master

As the masters gave respect to their Jedi’s. As a token of love and respect the Jedi’s gave equal love, affection, and respect to their Jedi masters.

They should never disagree with their master and should always call them with gratitude and respect.

“I’m sorry for my behavior, Master. It’s not my place to disagree with you about the boy. And I am grateful you think I’m ready to take the trials.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi to Qui-Gon Jinn

E) Respect The Jedi Board

The Jedi had the responsibility to carry the respect of the Jedi board or the council.

The council cannot be present everywhere and it is the highest authority that guards the Jedi Orders therefore they must be given the utmost respect.

The disciples should keep in mind to not let the council in difficult situations and therefore maintain the dignity and honor of the board.

“Now must I keep the word I made when only a Jedi Knight I was—a promotion this is not.”

Master Yoda after being invited to join the Jedi High Council

F) Respect the Jedi Code and the Jedi Order

All the actions that a Jedi takes throughout his life reflect the character of the Jedi Code.

If he does good deeds, then it enhances the reputation of the order. However, if it does not act as per the rules then it demeans the prestige of the order.

“When a Jedi behaves badly in public, an observer might think, ‘If this Jedi is a representative of the whole Order, then plainly no Jedi is worth respect.’

On meeting a second Jedi, who behaves better than the first, that same person might think, ‘Does this say that half the Jedi are good and half bad?’

On meeting a third Jedi, who behaves as well as the second, the person thinks, ‘Was the first Jedi an exception, then?’ In this way, only by the good behavior of several Jedi can the public be certain that the poor behavior of one Jedi was unusual.

Thus, it takes many Jedi to undo the mistakes of one.”

Odan-Urr

G) Respect the law of the land

To maintain peace and harmony for the public, Jedi was sometimes considered above the law of the land also known as the Jedi Code.

However, a Jedi should always follow the law and orders of the land as the other citizens follow them.

They can only break the law if there some urgency or extreme protection is required.

If their actions benefit others, then and only then they were permitted to go beyond the law and regulations.

H) Respect Life and Death

As per the Jedi order, there is no rule for Jedi to kill others or put their lives in danger.

Only in the situation of life or death should a Jedi kill someone and protect them to complete the mission successfully.

If they do so then they might enter the dark side of the worlds, however, if the act saves others’ lives and was done to do good for others then this was rewarded as well.

“Listen to the Force, Cade. A Jedi’s first concern is to preserve life.”

Kol Skywalker

Teaching 3: Public Service

The funding for Jedi came from the council even though they served the Force. The only reason behind this was that they served the public interests for goodwill and as part of their duty.

Even if in future Jedi were unable to serve the great Force, yet they will keep themselves up for serving the people’s interests.

The fact that the Force was real, and that the Jedi were its most creative and keen followers, only reinforced their tenacity to use it for good.

A) The Public Duty

It has been observed that Jedi served the Republic even though the Force was above all and both are separate organizations.

Also, no rank was given to any member of the order, even if they were given any role they usually would step aside from the position.

Yet his was a strange position in which both the order and the Republic would agree upon i.e. to serve the public interest for the greater well-being.

B) Solidify Aid

Jedi had their priorities set and one of the top priorities for them was to serve those first who need external aid or help.

They were given lessons on the importance of life and that saving multiple lives should always be their priority.

This does not mean that Jedi had to forget all other life lessons mentioned above but this should be kept as the top priority as per the Jedi Code.

C) Protect the Weak

Anyone weak and unable to defend themselves against slavery or oppression must gain support from the Jedi says the Jedi code.

The feeling of love, respect, and emotional well-being was taught to every Jedi.

Their moral and ethical wisdom is very well developed so that they can make decisions fast in the toughest of life situations.

D) Help and Support

Jedi are trained well to decide when the needy needs help in the true sense and when others should come in and help them gain back the control.

They have learned the art of stepping aside and making people confident to take up their fights.

A Jedi needs to remember that they are always protected by the marvelous Force and therefore they should make good use of the same.

E) Other Jedi Codes

The Jedi also abides by other codes that were not part of the original Jedi Code of conduct like the very popular Crystal Code.

When the students assembled near his/her lightsaber this mantra was recited by a Jedi and thus got introduced in the traditions and culture.

There is a separate tradition among the Jedi that the students should gather near the lightsabers in remote, without their master’s direction or interference.

The crystal is the heart of the blade.

The heart is the crystal of the Jedi.

The Jedi is the crystal of the Force.

The Force is the blade of the heart.

All are intertwined.

The crystal, the blade, the Jedi.

You are one.

Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Conclusion – The True Essence of Jedi Code

The selected and the peacekeepers of the star war universe are given the name of Jedi.

The Jedi Order is an ancient organization that dates back to 25000 years in history. To govern the behavior of the Jedi Order, the Jedi Code was formulated.

The Jedi code taught the devotees to give up the feeling of anger against others and live a happy, peaceful and prosperous life.

People Also Ask (FAQs)

What is the Jedi Code?

The Jedi Code constituted a set of guidelines to regulate the behaviors of those who followed the Jedi Order. It teaches its disciples not to give up the feeling of empathy and forgiveness again others.

Who is Jedi?

The selected and the peacekeepers of the star war universe are given the name of Jedi. The Jedi Order is an ancient organization that dates back to 25000 years in history.

Who revised the Jedi Code?

There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no death, there is the Force. This version was inscribed by Jedi Master Odan-Urr, a Jedi Librarian who spent his life studying the Jedi Code.