Prime Jedi

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The Prime Jedi was an individual^[1] who was active during the Dawn of the Jedi era.^[3] Doing so while following an early version of the Jedi Code,^[4] the individual became the first Jedi to ever use the Force.^[5] Around 25,025 BBY,^[6] they discovered a Force nexus on the remote planet Ahch-To, where they built the first Jedi temple^[7] and founded the Jedi Order.^[1] Even after the temple was forgotten, a mosaic commemorating the first Grand Master was made.^[7] It depicted the Prime Jedi in a state of meditation,^[1] symbolically balancing the dark and the light aspects of the Force.^[7]

The Prime Jedi was referenced in the Rammahgon, one of the sacred Jedi texts, by the ancient Jedi Kli the Elder.^[2] During the High Republic Era, the Meditation Chamber located on the space station Starlight Beacon also featured a mosaic of the Prime Jedi.^[8] The Prime Jedi's mosaic within the first Jedi Temple remained^[9] for thousands of years,^[6] even as the location became lost to the galaxy at large^[10] and home to the exiled Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.^[9]

Behind the scenes

Introduction into the Star Wars canon

The Prime Jedi first appeared in a mosaic in the 2017 film Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, the second installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, written and directed by Rian Johnson.^[9] They were first identified in Pablo Hidalgo's reference book Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary, which was released on the same day as the film.^[1] In the Star Wars Legends continuity, the founders of the Jedi Order were Jedi Masters Cala Brin, Garon Jard, Rajivari, and Ters Sendon.^[12]

The final design of the Prime Jedi mosaic was completed by concept artist Seth Engstrom in April 2016 after a long process of trial and error. The inspiration for the mosaic came from the Chinese symbology of yin and yang—dark and light shapes within each other, which according to The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi is understood through Taoism as "representing both the balance of dualities and that the schism between them is merely perceptual."^[11]

Initial ideas and the Jedi's backstory

The idea of delving into the origins of the Jedi Order harkens back to the initial plans Star Wars creator George Lucas had for the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, according to original trilogy producer Gary Kurtz, back when the Star Wars saga was meant to be comprised of nine films in the early 1970s. However, much to Kurtz's dismay, Lucas changed his mind in 1980 and opted to wrap up the series with the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi before reconsidering his stance years later, but coming up with a different story than the one he originally had for the prequel trilogy.^[14]

On February 6, 2018, Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were announced by StarWars.com to produce and write a Star Wars film series,^[15] which reportedly focused on the time period in which the Jedi came to exist, due to the duo's apparent interest in that untouced era of the Star Wars canon.^[16] However, due to their scheduling conflicts with Netflix, Benioff and Weiss reluctantly walked away from their project on October 28, 2019, though Lucasfilm showed a willigness to work with the duo again in the future.^[17]

On April 7, 2023, it was confirmed during Celebration Europe that James Mangold would direct an untitled Star Wars film centered on the origins of the Jedi.^[18] According to Mangold after his panel, how The Force was discovered and found by the first of the Jedi was one of the things that drew him to the project.^[13][18]

Appearances

• Untitled Star Wars film (James Mangold)
• The High Republic (2021) 7 (Depicted in mosaic)
• The High Republic: Trials of the Jedi (and audiobook) (Indirect mention only)
• Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi (First appearance; depicted in a mosaic)
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Expanded Edition (and audiobook) (Depicted in a mosaic)
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi Graphic Novel Adaptation (Depicted in a mosaic)
• The Last Jedi Adaptation 2 (Depicted in a mosaic)
• The Last Jedi Adaptation 3 (Depicted in a mosaic)
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: A Junior Novel (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)

Non-canon appearances

• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Depicted in a mosaic)

Sources

• Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary (First identified as Prime Jedi)
• The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition
• Star Wars: The Secrets of the Jedi (Picture only)
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary
• Star Wars Day-at-a-Time Calendar 2021 (Indirect mention only)
• "Database" — Star Wars - Das offizielle Magazin 101
• Star Wars: Jedi Artifacts
• "Art Wars" — Star Wars Insider 226
• Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
• Ahch-To in the Databank (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
• Ahch-To Jedi Temple in the Databank (backup link)

Notes and references