# So what do the Jedi believe, exactly? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 1, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-the-jedi-believe-exactly/447547 "2008-05-01T01:38:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-the-jedi-believe-exactly/447547/41 "2008-05-02T15:51:48Z")
[QUOTE=shy guy] I do wonder, however, having never read any of the novelizations of the movies - do they ever give a good reason as to why they left Shmi _in slavery_ on Tattooine once they had rescued Anakin? It’s not like they hadn’t already broken their Prime Directive by meddling enough to liberate Anakin, and it seems totally monstrous to have left Shmi with Watto [/QUOTE] Say what you will about the “happy slave” trope, but Watto really does seem to care about Anakin and Shmi. He even gets a little misty when he sees Anakin again in Episode II and tells him about having to sell his mother. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-the-jedi-believe-exactly/447547/42 "2008-05-02T16:02:48Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] Say what you will about the “happy slave” trope, but Watto really does seem to care about Anakin and Shmi. He even gets a little misty when he sees Anakin again in Episode II and tells him about having to sell his mother. [/QUOTE] I do agree with you there, but I got the impression that, given the choice, Shmi and Anakin would have opted _not_ to be slaves, right? It’s true that she wasn’t being routinely beaten or raped or anything (that we know of), but I’m pretty sure that if I were Anakin and the Jedi were so blasé about rescuing my mother, I’d have told them where they could cram their lightsabers. ---
**Author:** ![Sweetums](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Sweetums](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweetums)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-the-jedi-believe-exactly/447547/43 "2008-05-02T16:31:50Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] Lucas has said that Anakin restored balance to the force by killing Palpatine and turning back to the good side which destroyed the Sith. [/QUOTE] ``` Gosh that sounds dumb. Does anyone else think that Lucas just puts in things like "you served with my father in the clone wars' and "he will restore balance to the force" because he thinks they sound cool, then is at a loss when he realizes that the story forces him to explain them. He could really take a lesson from the fanwankers. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-the-jedi-believe-exactly/447547/44 "2008-05-02T18:03:18Z")
[QUOTE=Sweetums] Gosh that sounds dumb. ``` Does anyone else think that Lucas just puts in things like "you served with my father in the clone wars' and "he will restore balance to the force" because he thinks they sound cool, then is at a loss when he realizes that the story forces him to explain them. He could really take a lesson from the fanwankers. ``` [/QUOTE] Amen, amen, amen. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-the-jedi-believe-exactly/447547/45 "2008-05-02T18:44:27Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] Especially given what a totally anti-Semitic stereotype he was. D&R [/QUOTE] Joke noted. Still, I always thought that was a funny assertion. To me, Watto to be an anti-Italian stereotype. But I guess we all see what we want in things. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-the-jedi-believe-exactly/447547/46 "2008-05-02T19:41:58Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] Amen, amen, amen. [/QUOTE] Double amen from me. Lucas is obviously wrong and **Smiling Bandit** and **Tristan** have it right. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-the-jedi-believe-exactly/447547/47 "2008-05-02T20:09:37Z")
[QUOTE=Tahssa] Double amen from me. Lucas is obviously wrong and **Smiling Bandit** and **Tristan** have it right. [/QUOTE] As much as I hate to inject my opinion over the author, he set up the story so that there was only one real conclusion - which I used, of course. For some reason, he doesn’t like that conclusion. Why did he set it up? I mean, he went way out of his way to do it! 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-the-jedi-believe-exactly/447547/48 "2008-05-02T21:20:49Z")
[QUOTE=shy guy] I do wonder, however, having never read any of the novelizations of the movies - do they ever give a good reason as to why they left Shmi _in slavery_ on Tattooine once they had rescued Anakin? It’s not like they hadn’t already broken their Prime Directive by meddling enough to liberate Anakin, and it seems totally monstrous to have left Shmi with Watto [/QUOTE] Why would they make sure she was free? It’s not any of their business, and caring about people isn’t part of the Jedi code. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-the-jedi-believe-exactly/447547/49 "2008-05-03T01:25:58Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] Why would they make sure she was free? It’s not any of their business, and caring about people isn’t part of the Jedi code. [/QUOTE] Indeed, it’s somewhat anathema to the Old Jedi, as demonstrated in the prequels. One could argue that Luke, who “converts” Vader with love, is showing that a better, new, Jedi Order can be founded with more compassionate Jedi. I forget how that plays out in the EU. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-the-jedi-believe-exactly/447547/50 "2008-05-03T02:24:12Z")
[QUOTE=Speaker for the Dead] Indeed, it’s somewhat anathema to the Old Jedi, as demonstrated in the prequels. One could argue that Luke, who “converts” Vader with love, is showing that a better, new, Jedi Order can be founded with more compassionate Jedi. I forget how that plays out in the EU. [/QUOTE] I don’t know much about the EU, but I know Luke is married, with kids. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-the-jedi-believe-exactly/447547.md?page=2)