Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Jedi and attachments

 SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS SHOWS AND MOVIES


In the prequels we learned that attachments were forbidden for the Jedi. Padme translates this as them being forbidden to love. Which, despite Anakins' response seems accurate since the movies make it clear their relationship can't be public. (Though it's obvious Obi-Wan figured this out and only gets Anakin motivated to fight Dooku by asking what Padme would do.) The order is also against letting him go to his mother. Anakin was noted to have deep attachment issues. This issue is also brought up in Clone Wars with not just Anakin but Obi-Wan (who admits he would have left the order for Satine) and briefly with Ahsoka.

Then we have Star Wars Rebels two Jedi, Kanan and his padawan Ezra. Kanan had abandoned the Jedi teachings out of necessity because of order 66 and he doesn't get back to his roots until he starts training Ezra. But despite his student's obvious crush on Sabine he never gives him the no attachment talk. Partly because it would be hypocritical since he has a romantic relationship with Hera but the crew on the Ghost is a family. Hera got Kanan out of his head and helped him be a better person. His attachments saved him but when Hera is kidnapped he has Ezra make the recuse plan because he knows he's too close to do it.

Ezra has attachment issues like Anakin and likewise has lashed out due to his frustrations. His pull to the darkside happens because he's afraid of losing those he loves and his own perceived weakness (which he blames for Ahsoka's disappearance and Kanan's blindness.) He only let's go when Kanan gets out of his own depression and becomes his teacher again. At the end of the series Ezra becomes a Jedi because he gives up the temptation to rejoin his parents and sacrifices his time with his new family to stop Thrawn. Love in itself isn't bad. Possessive attachment is. Once Ezra let his love be selfless he found the perfect balance between Jedi and loved one. Or to put another way:

Anakins' love for Padme became possessive. He was willing to cross lines and do so without her say. When people called him out on it he lashed out on them.

Han and Leia, at least in ROTJ was selfess. Han got jealous of what he thought was a romantic relationship between Leia and Luke. Yet he stayed to comfort her ("hold me") and was willing to back off if she chose Luke over him.

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