Ever since A New Hope, the Jedi have been painted as the ultimate force for good in the Star Wars universe. While some of the later movies – namely The Last Jedi – suggest it isn't all it's cracked up to be, audiences are largely supposed to root for the Jedi Order and those who support it.
But some fans aren't completely on board. Having pored over Star Wars lore, there are many reasons why they disagree with both the Jedi Order and its storylines — many of which have been discussed at length on Reddit.
The Jedi Code Is Worse Than The Sith Code
The Sith are meant to be the antithesis of the Jedi. Not only does their Code preach that "peace is a lie" and "there is only passion", but it encourages followers to use their strength to destroy the weak. It sounds dark, but Redditor u/TheRealAttacker believes these are better guidelines to live by than the Jedi Code.
In contrast to the Sith, they push peace and knowledge over ignorance and chaos. This Redditor argues it's these oppressive beliefs that cause Anakin's downfall, and it's healthier to encourage emotions like the Sith. This is true to an extent — it's emotion that redeems Anakin in Return of the Jedi — but to be totally ruled by negative feelings is a recipe for disaster. A healthy medium, like that practiced by the Grey Jedi, seems more appropriate.
The Jedi Council Gaslit Anakin Into Becoming Vader
Anakin's personality plays a large part in his becoming Darth Vader. Emotional, reckless and quick to anger, he contradicts many of the qualities expected from a Jedi. The Order are aware of this, but mostly dismiss it as impulsiveness he'll learn to check in time. Instead, it leads to Anakin turning to the Dark Side.
According to Redditor u/erako, this constitutes gaslighting. They believe Anakin's behaviour is indicative of deeper issues that the Jedi Council try to convince him are his fault rather than actually providing help. If they had, he would've never become Vader. There's no denying that the Jedi's failure to help him opens the door to Sidious but, in the Jedi's defense, they want to think the best of Anakin.
Yoda Is A Bad Leader
Having trained Jedi for eight centuries, Yoda serves as the Order's Grand Master in the prequel trilogy. He helps navigate their forces through the Clone Wars, and ends up fleeing to Dagobah when Anakin executes Order 66.
In the opinion of Redditor u/Jumophone, this is just one of the reasons Yoda's a bad leader. He failed to put a stop to the darkness in Dooku when training him, doesn't discipline Obi-Wan when he insists he'll train Anakin with or without his permission, and just lectures Anakin when his nightmares begin. It's unfair to expect even Yoda to be aware of everything, but it is admittedly true that his missteps contributed to the fall of the Jedi Order.
The Jedi Order Is A Cult
One of the most controversial aspects of the Jedi Order is the fact they recruit young children as Padawans. Taken from their homes, they're expected to live a life free of attachments and instead dedicate themselves to maintaining peace across the galaxy.
To one deleted Redditor, this sounds an awful lot like a cult that indoctrinates an army of child soldiers. It is an uncomfortable part of the Jedi — while they're given the choice whether they'd like to train, most of the Jedi's Padawans are recruited at an age where they can't really make that decision themselves. However, unlike a cult, they are actually allowed to leave.
Padmé Ruined The Jedi Order
Padmé is a great leader and a staunch ally of the Jedi Order, leaning on them for support in tense political situations throughout the prequel trilogy. However, Redditor u/TimSnortons argues that it's her fault the Jedi Order disintegrates in Revenge of the Sith as she tempts Anakin into strong emotions and upsets the balance of the Force
While this Redditor is right in saying Padmé plays a part in the fall of the Jedi, it isn't conscious. Anakin's reckless emotions — and Palpatine's interference — are to blame. In Attack of the Clones, Padmé is reluctant to encourage Anakin to break the Jedi Code. Even when she's taken out of the equation, Anakin is still prone to extreme passion (as seen in his response to his mother's death) that Palpatine would have found other ways to manipulate.
The Jedi Should Have Taken Over The Galaxy
Despite their superior strength to those who don't wield the Force, the Jedi typically do not seek power or control. Instead, they serve as guardians of peace and justice throughout the Republic — only using the Force for knowledge and defense.
But Redditor u/Sypher90 believes they should have been using it for so much more. Rather than allowing the Sith to infiltrate the galaxy and establish the Empire, they think the Jedi should have had representation across different planets and let the Force lead the people. While it's nice to think this would have benefited the galaxy, the fact remains that this system would still be easy for the Sith to infiltrate.
Anakin Is The Only Morally Complete Jedi
Before he becomes Darth Vader, the Jedi Order think of Anakin as the "Chosen One". His destiny (which, unbeknownst to them, he does eventually fulfill) is to bring balance to the Force. However, once he embraces the passion and hate of the dark side, this is presumed to be false.
The way Redditor u/StopHavingAnOpinion sees it, the Jedi are in no position to judge. To them, Anakin is the only morally complete Jedi. The rest of the Council only cares about retaining power, not who is harmed in the process. But while Anakin does care deeply for those around him, he isn't much better at times, as proven by the fact he slaughters hundreds to save his wife.
Star Wars Is More Interesting Without The Jedi
In some shape or form, the Jedi are an intrinsic part of all three Star Wars trilogies. While the prequels deal with their downfall, both the original and sequel trilogies chart their reemergence from a galaxy plagued by dictatorial regimes.
To Redditor u/SummOfl, the franchise's obsession with the Jedi means their appeal has waned. With a whole galaxy of different civilisations, traditions and conflicts to explore, they argue it's much more interesting for storylines to look elsewhere. Admittedly, it might be time to retire the cycle of the Jedi rising and falling in Star Wars movies — but there's no denying the movies would be a lot less interesting without the clash between them and the dark side.
Obi-Wan Is One Of The Worst Jedi In The Entire Order
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a legend in the Star Wars universe. Not only is he intelligent, kind, powerful, and downright sassy, but he remains strong in the face of the suffering Anakin puts him through when he destroys the Jedi Order.
Redditor u/Trego421 doesn't agree. The way they see it, Obi-Wan is one of the worst Jedi in the Order — he gets lucky in his fight with Mace Windu as he's already injured, and he should have been able to take Anakin down on Mustafar as he's the one who trained him. This might be true, but to say Obi-Wan is one of the worst Jedi in the whole Order ignores the fact that he's responsible for teaching Anakin everything he knows.
The Jedi Shouldn't Have Been On The Front Lines
When the Galactic Republic takes on the separatists in the Clone Wars, the Jedi are quick to join the battle. Throughout The Clone Wars, members of the Order such as Anakin, Obi-Wan and Mace Windu fight on the frontlines as they try to stop the Confederacy's battle droid army.
This is the last place Redditor u/brickfugitive thinks they should be. In their opinion, the Jedi are peacekeepers first, not soldiers. They're not wrong to think that the Jedi stray too far from their original purpose before their downfall — to be completely impartial in keeping the peace, they ought to stay out of politics as much as possible. However, considering they're the ones with the best reflexes, powers and hand-to-hand weapons, it's their responsibility is to help where they can.