Star Wars: Are Jedi allowed to marry?

Marriage in Star Wars is often a touchy subject, especially in the canon. The Jedi of the Galactic Republic (pre-Clone Wars and during this era) were known for their stance on having attachments of any sort. This rule was what prompted then-Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker to marry Senator Padmé Amidala in secret on Naboo. It was so under wraps that no one knew about it. Or so they thought.

The pair’s marriage was fraught with tension given they very rarely saw each other. While there were a select few who knew of their relationship, it is unclear whether these individuals were aware of the bigger picture.

When it comes to the overall Jedi Order, there is no information regarding what they thought about it. However, if we bounce off what we know from old Legends material, we can form a vague view of their thoughts on the subject.

Jedi marriage depends on species

In Legends material, it is said that the Jedi of old were against the concept of any form of emotional attachment, which means marriage was forbidden. Though, they did make exceptions depending on species.

One example of this was Ki-Adi-Mundi. Given his species, the Cerean, having a low birth rate, he was one of the few males in his village as he was the only son in his family in which he had all sisters.

Ki-Adi-Mundi had a number of wives in which he had children with all of them to ensure the survival of their species.

For every other species within the Jedi Order, marriage is seen as a taboo.

Anakin breaks the marriage taboo

Since when did Anakin Skywalker ever follow the rules of the Jedi Order? His love for Senator Padmé Amidala drove the both of them to agree to enter marriage against the oaths they took of their respective careers in the Jedi and the Senate, respectively.

For three years, Anakin was forced to keep his marriage under wraps from the Jedi Council, but the relationship did get the attention of Obi-Wan who kept the information to himself. (Though, he did poke fun at his former apprentice towards the end of the war.)

However, it was never established whether Kenobi knew about the marriage as it was never bought up — even though he was smart enough to work out that the unborn children Padmé was carrying were Anakin’s.

Ahsoka, Anakin’s Padawan knew about the relationship after Obi-Wan sent her along on a mission with her master and the senator as a third wheel. She chose to keep the information to herself given her closeness to both of them.

Finally, Captain Rex, Anakin’s second-in-command of the 501st Clone Battalion was also in the know, but it’s unclear how much he knew as he was told to stand guard while he took a personal call from Padmé. This is where Obi-Wan teased him and says to tell the senator he says hello.

Did the Jedi approve of marriage?

To finish off, we need to answer the overall question of whether the Jedi approved of marriage. No, they did not because it was a form of attachment. However, their ideals were backwards where they thought any form of relationship is a way to fall to the Dark Side.

Had things been different, they might have realized that having that special someone in one’s life is not a bad thing and can make a person better not drive them to the brink of darkness.

Next. Star Wars: Did Rey love Kylo Ren?. dark

What do you think? Should the Jedi have banned marriage from their Order? Comment below!

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