The Jedi are members of a fictional monastic order in the Star Wars galaxy, created by George Lucas. The Jedi Knights are known for two things: their observance of a spiritual awareness founded on The Force[1] and their selection and admittance to the order, based upon specific talents that demonstrate that a person has a special link to such Force. In the universe, the Jedi have a number of roles, and are often seen as monks, warriors, handcrafters and philosophers. They live in a temple on the capital world of the Republic, Coruscant. Recruited at a very young age, the Jedi are devoted to a life of service. Their early life involves training in the use of The Force; this training's purpose is to allow the Jedi to understand the special link each of them has with The Force. This collection of Jedi is known as the Jedi Order. The great Jedi go on to become high ranking members of the Jedi Council.
Among other tasks, the Jedi were eventually responsible for law enforcement and peacekeeping in the Galactic Republic. They have also acted as generals, soldiers and advisers in various conflicts, such as the Clone Wars.
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In the time of Episodes I-III there is a central political entity called the Jedi Council, a gathering of great minds which acts as a governing body for the order and an advisory board for the Old Republic Senate. The Jedi Council could only have twelve members at a time.
The Star Wars films chronicle the Jedi Order during a time when its existence is gravely threatened. The Jedi are a near-extinct entity in the original trilogy, while the prequel trilogy depicts the Order's downfall at the hands of its nemesis, the Sith.
In the novels set after the Star Wars films, Luke Skywalker re-establishes the Jedi Order by training a new generation of Jedi Knights. Due to Luke's lack of knowledge with the old ways of the Jedi Order, the new generation of Jedi develops in new ways. He established an academy in order to teach the way of the Jedi to others. Luke eventually turned the academy into a centre that would provide basic training for potential Jedi. He began pairing Jedi who had gone through that training with a more experienced Jedi, much like the master/apprentice system used in the old order.
In recent novels, and to counter the behavior of the Council in his absence, Luke attempted to unite the Masters against him by saying he was taking direct control of the Order. This tactic later backfired and Skywalker was then forced to actually take control. Luke decreed that the Jedi Order had to come before any other commitments.
The Jedi Order has a nemesis in the Sith Order, an order much more simple in structure but just as old and just as rich in traditions as the Jedi Order. They are also "Force-driven beings", like the Jedi; however, the Sith are able to call on both the Light and Dark Sides of the Force, rendering them potentially more dangerous than the Jedi. They are characterized by their single-minded lust for power and disdain for sentient life. The Sith once ruled the Galaxy but were thrown out of power and exiled from the Galaxy by the Jedi Order.
Within the Star Wars universe, the Jedi are usually portrayed as dressed in simple robes and carrying specialized field gear for their missions. The most notable instrument wielded by a Jedi is the lightsaber. Lightsabers are used by both Jedi and Sith. Often the colour of the saber is an indicator of whether the wielder is a Jedi or a Sith: red is a color commonly associated with the Sith, whereas green (consulars: those with a focus primarily in force skills), blue (guardian: those with a focus mostly in combat skills), yellow (sentinels: those with a mixed focus of combat and force skills) and occasionally purple (usually a mix of a blue and red crystal indicating some training in dark side forces as in the case of Mace Windu) or silver (rarely seen until later story lines and most commonly associated with the Imperial Knights in the Legacy stories) are considered Jedi colours.
Members of the order progressed through four to six tiers of rank, sometimes referred to as levels.
One of the enduring influences the Star Wars saga has had on popular culture is the idea of the fictional Jedi values being interpreted in a modern philosophical path or religion[3]. Over half a million people throughout the world declared themselves as Jedi on their census forms, which was considered to be a practical joke and may not reflect the real number of Jedi in the countries concerned. Jedi Sanctuary, an online temple dedicated to Jediism, has been accepted in to the Universal life Church, and there are at least two registered Jedi churches in the USA and the UK.
There are more and more ministries growing; the main ones are: