Rise Of Skywalker Subverted The Worst Jedi Trope
Though it has long been divisive among Star Wars fans, the film Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker actually subverted a long-held Jedi stereotype. Among other reasons, the ninth part in the Skywalker trilogy is sometimes lambasted for eliminating the first two sequel Star Wars movie narrative setup. Though the movie had other shortcomings, it did get one right in how it presented its main Jedi, Rey.
The Jedi's peace-keeping aspect is one item that characterizes them purportedly. The Jedi are, after all, diametrically opposite the Sith and naturally associated with the light side of the Force. With rare outliers over the years that have descended into the dark side, the Jedi are typically noble people. Still, the Jedi are renowned for their violent tendencies as well.
Jedi always seems to leap in swinging.
Though they are the ones trying to maintain peace over the galaxy, the Jedi are infamous for attacking before truly evaluating the circumstances or asking questions. Regarding monsters especially, this is particularly true. There are times, nevertheless, when this also holds true for sentient entities. Many species and humans alike have perished at the business end of a lightsaber throughout the franchise since it advanced the story.
The Star Wars series, including the first trilogy, shows instances of this all around. Before arriving at a peaceful resolution, monsters like the Rancor in Return of the Jedi were likewise slain. This is something Grogu demonstrated that one might avoid in The Book of Boba Fett episode 7, "Chapter 7: In The Name of Honor," when he subdued Boba Fett's Rancor with the Force.
Rise Of Skywalker Showed Rey Using Different Method
Rey and the other crew members fall victim to a field of quicksand even as they are fleeing the First Order on the planet Pasaana. Once they have sunk through it, they discover tunnels flowing barely under the desert floor. Here the gang comes upon a lethal monster known as a vexis, a serpentine creature that calls the tunnels home.
Rey took the time to recognize the vexis was wounded even if the creature looked terrifying and there was a chance it might have been hostile. She used the Force to cure the wounded vexis rather than launching into battle like so many of the Jedi who preceded her. This won the beast over, therefore averting a confrontation between the two entirely.
Rey's Rise Of Skywalker Decision Shows She's A Different Kind Of Jedi
Daughter of a "failed" Palpatine clone, Rey joined a phenomena known as the Force Dyad - a vergence in the Force tied to Kylo Ren. Under training from both Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, Rey battled the First Order alongside the Resistance. She finally prevailed against Palpatine personally, channeling all Jedi's might.
Rey is far more inclined than the Jedi who preceded her to adopt nonviolent answers to the challenges she finds herself confronting. Although a Jedi should always be ready to battle, Rey has proved that even in handling creatures most would consider as monsters, she has a gentle heart ready to offer a hand-out. Rey's thoughts still turned to assisting the vexis even though she was facing a beast that may kill her.
The Rise of Skywalker and Jedi Future
The way Rise of Skywalker presents Rey as a Jedi who values healing and Compassion above battle provides a fresh and fascinating framework for the Jedi Order. Rey's method points to a change in the Jedi's perspective, away from their conventional concentration on confrontation and toward a more mixed approach that emphasizes both strength and compassion. Her career highlights the need of empathy and knowledge even in the face of apparently terrible dangers. This change of viewpoint might produce a more complex and strong Jedi Order going forward.
The ideal structure for the Jedi moving ahead is this basic mental shift. The Jedi should always have concentrated on respecting life in all its several forms. When Rey's new trilogy starts in the future, Star Wars could be looking at a quite different Jedi Order if healing and compassion are top priorities in The Rise Of Skywalker.
