About a week ago there was a semi-viral tweet going around, asking respondents to name non-Star Wars characters who would be good Jedi. Most of the answers predictably included characters from big SFF franchises like Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and the MCU, plus action movie icons like Jason Bourne, Ellen Ripley, and John Wick. ScreenRant even published an article with a Top 10 countdown on the concept, and all 10 characters they chose are either superheroes or fantasy/action characters known for their combat skills.
I personally didn’t see many comedic characters (the few I saw included Ted Lasso and Mr. Feeney from Boy Meets World), or ANY classic literature characters.
Reply with a non-Star Wars character you think would make a great Jedi. pic.twitter.com/cAA3m04KxM
— Darius (@LordDagovere) May 22, 2023
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And I didn’t spend too much time wondering why that was. I think it’s pretty clear that when most people (or at least most people who responded to the tweet) think “Jedi” they think “warrior,” “physical combat,” or “fighter.” Most of what we see of the Jedi in the Star Wars films more or less supports this perception; we only hear occasional discussions of Jedi or the Force that are NOT in relation to physical combat in the main films. To gain more of a perspective on the philosophy of the Jedi, one would have to look deeper into some of Star Wars’ supplementary content.
According to the Wookieepedia entry on Jedi throughout much of the Order’s existence,
The Jedi aspired to attain a state of inner tranquility through calmness and meditation while avoiding emotions affiliated with the dark side of the Force, such as anger and hatred.
Jedi ideally only resort to violence for the purpose of self-defense, or the defense of other living beings who cannot defend themselves. Being guardians of peace does require physical combat at times, so Jedi would need those skills, of course. But what is more important to a Jedi’s training is the achievement of inner peace and balance. Which is why I think people are really sleeping on good potential Jedi characters by not considering those outside of action and fantasy franchises.
If you know me at all, or even if you don’t but you saw the title of this post, you know where I’m going with this. I think there are a lot of characters in classic literature, and especially in the works of Jane Austen, who would make excellent Jedi. Here are a few of my picks:
Elinor Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility)
Elinor is who came immediately to my mind as a character who comes very close to the platonic ideal of a Jedi, if you will. She perfectly embodies the Jedi mantra:
There is no emotion, there is peace.
[…]
There is no passion, there is serenity.
It’s important to note that for Elinor and for the Jedi, it’s not that they don’t FEEL emotions, but rather that they don’t let their emotions rule over them and determine their actions. Contrast that with Elinor’s sister Marianne, who is entirely ruled by emotion, at least in the early parts of the book, much like the enemy of the Jedi, the Sith.
Edward Ferrars (Sense and Sensibility)
Staying within Sense and Sensibility, Elinor’s love interest Edward also shows traits that would be invaluable to the Jedi. Similar to Elinor, he guards and regulates his emotions so as not to act rashly or hurt others. He is also willing to give up his deep personal attachment to Elinor to do what he sees as his duty or the right thing in honoring his engagement to Lucy Steele. The Jedi Order discourages strong attachments for that very reason:
It was essential for a Jedi Knight to make the right choice for the Order and not neglect their Jedi duties in the favor of their beloved, even if that would mean the end of the relationship.
Mr. Knightley (Emma)
Like my first two picks, Mr. Knightley has a deeply-ingrained sense of right and wrong and a devotion to doing good, for the benefit of all people around him. I see Mr. Knightley as having a somewhat similar approach to right vs. wrong as that of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
You’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view… The truth is often what we make of it; you heard what you wanted to hear, believed what you wanted to believe.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Mr. Knightley comments on other characters’ lack of perceptiveness and propriety (I could easily see him exclaiming “So uncivilized!”), especially in regard to what’s really going on with Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax, which no one seems to see except him.
I also see Mr. Knightley’s dynamic with Emma, especially in regard to what is the right thing to do, as very similar to that of Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, a.k.a the future Darth Vader. He sees Emma being “drawn to the dark side,” as it were, with the influence of Frank Churchill and Emma’s own carelessness. Fortunately, Emma, unlike Anakin, sees the error of her ways in time to stop herself from giving over to the dark side completely. She still would not be a good Jedi, though!
Anne Elliot (Persuasion)
I think Anne would be a very strict legalistic Jedi in her younger or Padawan years. After all, she does give up a deep personal attachment in order to do what she believes is her duty in breaking off her engagement with Captain Wentworth eight years prior to the novel’s beginning. But then I could see her following a similar path to Ahsoka Tano, who becomes disillusioned with the Jedi Order and leaves to live out her own truth as a Force wielder, just as Anne eventually breaks free from the societal rules that held her back from following her heart.
Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)
I know everyone is wondering whether Mr. Darcy would be a good Jedi. In fact, I’ll bet a pretty significant percentage of people reading this post just scrolled down to find his name without reading (or only skimming) the rest. You know who you are.
Here’s the thing: I think Mr. Darcy would be an ok Jedi. Not great, but competent. This is mostly because, while he does have a strong sense of right and wrong and duty to do what is right, he also has a problem with pride (I mean, it’s right there in the title of the book). In early parts of the book, he lacks the humility and compassion needed for Jedi to be successful in their duties, and he at times has an almost pedantic devotion to propriety at the expense of others. He does eventually learn to be more compassionate and humble through Elizabeth’s influence, though, so hope is not lost for his Jedi career.
Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)
Elizabeth Bennet could bring balance to the Force. That is all.
Jane Austen Herself
It’s no coincidence that so many of Austen’s characters that are portrayed as the most moral and wisest characters are also those that align with Jedi philosophy, as I think Austen herself would really vibe with the Jedi’s whole thing. According to moral philosopher Thomas Rodham,
Success for Austen’s characters depends on their developing a moral character. Her central virtues are conspicuously bourgeois: prudence (planning one’s actions with respect to protecting and furthering one’s interests); amiability (civility to family, friends, and strangers, according to their due); propriety (understanding and acting on an acute sense of what virtue requires); and dignity (considering oneself an independent, autonomous person deserving of respect).
These virtues to me sound very similar to the values of the Jedi. Master Jane, perhaps?
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with any of my choices?
Which Jane Austen or any other non-Star Wars characters do you think would make great Jedi? Which ones would make terrible Jedi?
Let me know in the comments!
How about Frank Churchill- the 1996 one in particular? 😀
....no, I did not miss the point you're making...it just had to be asked!