Just because one is strong with the Force, does it mean they should be trained as a Jedi? In Star Wars Insider #214, hitting newsstands and digital this week, writer Richard Dinnick tries to answer this question in his thought-provoking piece, “To Train or Not to Train?” Check out an exclusive excerpt of the feature below, in which Dinnick recounts perhaps the most famous case of a Jedi gone wrong.
Given the galactic upheaval caused by some who had been trained in the Jedi arts before taking a different path, it’s worth asking the question: should they have been given the opportunity in the first place? Did they possess the requisite characteristics, temperament, and skill to undergo the rigors of training? And were members of the Jedi Council mistaken in accepting some of those potential Padawans into their Order?
One objection raised about the suitability of a person did not concern an individual’s character, but their age: the belief that to give oneself fully to the Force—at least according to the traditions of the Jedi—you needed to be very young. Certainly, during the period that led up to the fall of the Republic and the issuing of Order 66, it seemed to be the case that all younglings were below the age Anakin Skywalker had been when Qui-Gon Jinn found him on Tatooine.
Qui-Gon Jinn was a very highly regarded member of the Jedi Order—and was even offered a seat on the Jedi Council. The fact that he refused the honor was testament to his unorthodox nature, partly engendered by the training of Dooku, who certainly took pride in how much of a maverick his apprentice became. Jinn followed his own path and was more concerned with the will of the living Force than he was the edicts of the Council. His rebellious streak was highlighted by his decision to take Anakin Skywalker to Coruscant, believing him to be the Chosen One spoken of in prophecy, after discovering his incredibly high midi-chlorian count. Qui-Gon was determined to see Anakin trained in the ways of the Jedi and was prepared to do it himself if the Council didn’t agree, despite already having Obi-Wan Kenobi as a Padawan. Certain that Anakin would ultimately restore balance to the Force, a dying Jinn placed the burden of training the boy on Kenobi, who was close to completing the trials to become a Jedi Knight himself. This raised two questions: Whether or not it was the correct decision to train Anakin, and did the task fall upon the best person for the job?
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Read more in Star Wars Insider issue #214 and subscribe to Star Wars Insider now for more of the latest news, in-depth articles, and exclusive interviews in every issue!
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