15 Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Jedi Order

You might think that every Jedi trains to wield a lightsaber in the same way, but that's not how things work in the Star Wars universe. There are eight different styles or forms of lightsaber combat a Jedi can study and master:

• Form I: Shii-Cho - The oldest form of lightsaber combat that uses a simplistic style focused on disarming a foe.
• Form II: Makashi - An elegant style of graceful lightsaber combat. Makashi focuses on disarming a single combatant.
• Form III: Soresu - Defensive style of combat that is best utilized in any situation where an opponent is continuously attacking. Designed to keep the Jedi from wearing out before their opponent.
• Form IV: Ataru - Fast and acrobatic, yet aggressive, focusing on using the Force to enhance a wielder's movements in combat.
• Form V: Shien/Djem So - The two variants of Form V are physically demanding with a reliance on quick transitions between defense and attack. This form is ideal for fending off blaster fire while battling an opponent with a lightsaber.
• Form VI: Niman - The most popular Form within the Jedi Order. Niman focuses on balance by utilizing aspects of the other Forms of lightsaber combat.
• Form VII: Juyo/Vaapad - A highly aggressive form of lightsaber combat used by very few Jedi. It can leave a combatant exhausted easily and is incredibly difficult to master. The Vaapad variant was developed and used by Jedi Master Mace Windu to draw on both sides of the Force in his lightsaber combat.
• Jar'Kai - This Form is used by anyone wielding two lightsabers or a double-bladed weapon.

Jedi Master Jocasta Nu was the Chief Librarian of the Jedi Archives during the Galactic Republic. She managed all of the data and information stored in the archives, including the Holocrons stored in the vault, and she knew more about the history of the Jedi Order than anyone. Her primary job was to catalog and store information, but she helped other Jedi in their search for data pertaining to their relevant missions.

Jocasta Nu managed to survive the Great Jedi Purge, but she didn't simply go into hiding and fade away. Instead, she worked hard to preserve the knowledge she had, intending to establish a covert school to train Jedi. She even went so far as to sneak into the ruins of the Temple on Coruscant to retrieve a Holocron that contained the names of all the Force-sensitive children in the galaxy.

Ultimately, Nu wasn't able to escape from Coruscant and was captured by Darth Vader. When she warned him of what the Emperor might do with the Holocron she carried, he destroyed it. He also killed Nu, but her labors weren't in vain. She managed to store quite a lot of information before she died, and it was all found by Luke Skywalker years later.

One of the most important moments in a Padawan's training comes when they undertake the Gathering. The Gathering is a rite of passage that comes in the form of a trial meant to teach them to overcome their fears. If they can accomplish this, they are able to find a Kyber crystal in the Crystal Caves of Ilum.

Kyber crystals can be found elsewhere, but during the Clone Wars, the Crystal Caves of Ilum served the Jedi Order well. Once a youngling retrieves a crystal attuned to their Force presence in the cave, they then learn to construct their lightsaber.

Building a lightsaber is done telekinetically, so there is no touching of components. There is also very little instruction. The lightsaber is constructed while the Padawan is in deep meditation. The components come together to form a lightsaber attuned specifically for them.

During the Clone Wars, the Gathering and lightsaber construction was overseen by Professor Huyang, a droid who had been helping young Padawans with lightsaber construction for more than 1,000 years.

When Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn first brought Anakin Skywalker to the Jedi Council, he offered to train the boy. As a result, Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi said he was ready to undertake the Trials, but he was rebuffed by Master Yoda. Ultimately, Obi-Wan completed his Trials to become a full Jedi, though the details of this process weren't played out in the movies, though it is implied his duel with the Sith Lord Darth Maul played a part in the council's decision.

Jedi Trials are a process by which a Padawan finishes their training to attain the rank of Jedi Knight. There are nine steps: anger, fear, teamwork, isolation, instinct, betrayal, forgiveness, protection, and focus. The Trials typically come during a Padawan's early adult years, but some teenage Padawans have been known to complete them.

A Padawan's Trials are assigned by their Master, but they can be accomplished in other ways. If a Jedi Master feels their Padawan has accomplished their Trials through circumstance, they can become a Jedi Knight. This might occur if a Padawan finds themselves engaged in conflict or if they take part in the duties normally assigned to someone above their station.

Jedi Temple Guards were a special security force the Jedi Order employed to protect the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Each Temple Guard was chosen from the ranks of Jedi Knights to abandon their identities and become a Guard. It was considered to be one of the highest honors a Jedi Knight could achieve.

Each member of the Jedi Temple Guards donned ceremonial robes and a face covering, rendering them anonymous. None of the Guards retained their identities as long as they worked in the Temple, which separated them from the rest of the Jedi Order.

A Jedi Temple Guard carried a lightsaber pike, which is a special type of double-bladed lightsaber. All of the Guard's lightsabers formed yellow plasma blades, and there was no variation on this. After the fall of the Jedi Order, most of the Jedi Temple Guards were killed.

The one that remained fell to the dark side of the Force. He swore his allegiance to Palpatine and became the Grand Inquisitor — a Sith operative specially trained to hunt down and kill the Jedi.

Like many Jedi temples, the temple on Coruscant was built atop an ancient Sith shrine. The Grand Jedi Temple, as it was known, was the headquarters of the Jedi Order, making it the central hub of the Order. The Temple was constructed by the Four Masters thousands of years BBY atop an ancient Sith Shrine dedicated to serving the dark side of the Force.

After the Emperor began the Great Jedi Purge with the execution of Order 66, he had Darth Vader siege the destroy the Temple. When it was cleared out, the Emperor built his official residence and Imperial Palace atop the ruins. A Sith shrine became a Jedi Temple, which ultimately reverted to being a Sith shrine and residence of the Dark Lord of the Sith.