The Book of Boba Fett has opened a dam of discussion regarding Luke Skywalker and the direction he's taking the Jedi Order. During the final scene of the series' penultimate episode, the Jedi Master offered Grogu a choice: he can accept the beskar chainmail gift Din Djarin delivered to him, or become the owner of Yoda's former lightsaber. The catch? He can only have one.
Luke's justification for the difficult choice was that picking the chain mail would be a sign of Grogu giving in to his attachment to Mando, something forbidden by the Jedi way. Many have noted that this ultimatum is highly out of character for Luke, as he himself was saved from the Emperor's wrath because of the attachment he had to his father. Had Luke not shown unconditional love for Anakin Skywalker, he would have perished and Darth Vader would live on.
Anakin's fall to the dark side was entirely due to his attachments, but so was his return to the light. Luke came perilously close to falling himself when Vader threatened his sister in Return of the Jedi, but he was able to overcome temptation. Keeping in tradition with the family, Ben Solo turned and became Kylo Ren, only finding his way back to the light because of the attachments he had with his parents and the mercy he was shown by Rey.
Star Wars has never shied away from presenting the Jedi Order's rigid standing on attachments as problematic. Luke Skywalker proved that love conquered hate, and in the Legends EU, he was accepting of attachments in his new Order. To this point, the same can't be said for the canon - but a new rumor suggests Lucasfilm has an eye on pursuing that concept in future storytelling.
Lucasfilm Reportedly Developing New Jedi Order Doctrine
In a recent episode of the Ringer-Verse podcast, via Reddit, Joanna Robinson shared a rumor that Lucasfilm is interested in crafting a Jedi Order that undertakes a new direction. Robinson, a former writer for Vanity Fair, said the founding principle of the Order would be an embracement of attachments:
"I have heard whispers on the wind this is indeed something Lucasfilm is interested in. Just more broadly rebuilding the Jedi Order. A Star Wars story where someone actually tries to rebuild the Jedi religion as one that allows for attachment..."
Robinson went on to clarify that nothing was set in stone, as Lucasfilm has a history of playing with ideas and discarding them:
"I mean, but we should be clear, you could fill many football stadiums with all the ideas that Lucasfilm has thought they wanted to do and then didn't end up doing, right? So that doesn't mean it's going to happen."
Better Late Than Never?
Going into its eighth year, the Star Wars canon has yet to show any indications of an evolving Jedi Order that will be breaking away from the dogmatic, narrow views that led to their downfall. Granted, much of the storytelling has been focused on the prequel and original trilogy eras, and the High Republic timeline naturally has to adhere to that line of thinking as well, but the changes people expected from the sequel films never came to be.
When looking at the latest trilogy as a whole, the films actually do practically nothing to show a change in ideology for the Jedi, or really many elements of the Order at all. The closest things get is in The Last Jedi, which instead features a nihilistic Luke Skywalker grumbling about the failures of previous generations - something that Return of the Jedi had previously made clear he had learned from.
So what's the next move for the Jedi? In a short time, fans may get to see what choice Grogu makes in The Book of Boba Fett. If theories are correct and the entire ultimatum is just a test set up by Luke to encourage attachments for Jedi, then the teacher is on track as he should be. There's always the chance that the ball gets rolling on this new direction for the Order sooner than later, as the as-yet-unannounced Tales of the Jedi project could revolve around Luke and Grogu.
If the MandoVerse is the starting point for such a narrative development, then the series Ahsoka will almost certainly touch on the matter. Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker have a strong bond, and with Hayden Christensen returning to play the Chosen One, the opportunity for further enlightenment for Ahsoka is present.
Though she left him in The Clone Wars, it was Ahsoka who refused to leave Anakin behind in Rebels when he was consumed by Darth Vader - a choice that nearly cost her life, had Ezra Bridger not intervened.
Speaking of Ezra... the central plot of Ahsoka revolves around the search for the missing Jedi and Grand Admiral Thrawn. Ezra understands as well as any Jedi that attachments can lead to good things when cultivated in a healthy manner.
He had a strong bond with his master, Kanan Jarrus, and saw that Kanan and Hera Syndulla were able to love one another without putting the former's loyalty to the Jedi at risk. Through his love for his Ghost family, Kanan found the strength and resolve to give his life through a pure act of selflessness.
A Whole New Jedi Order?
The MandoVerse certainly seems to be heading down a path that will lead to Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Ezra Bridger coming together, and Grogu will likely be involved as well. "Chapter 6" of Boba Fett already showed that Ahsoka and Luke have connected, a bond made stronger by their relationships with Anakin, and both are living examples of what a good Jedi with attachment and compassion for others can be.
Then there's the alternative, where things start to get messy. If Luke's proposal isn't a test, and he actually hasn't learned from his own beliefs and experiences with his father, then things are currently a stalemate. Luke's Jedi Academy in doomed regardless, as the disaster between him and Ben Solo ultimately results in its destruction. By the time the sequel trilogy is finished, no living Skywalker remains, and all lies in the hands of Rey.
Presumably, Rey will now be the one to do what Luke would (and should) have, rebuilding the Jedi Order with a new philosophy built on the foundation of accepting attachment. She doesn't go through the same arc that Luke does in his younger years, nor does she learn about attachments and how they were perceived as a hindrance by previous generation of Jedi, so how her renewed perspective will make any sense will remain to be seen.
The unique thing Rey has going for her is the dyad in the Force she shared with Ben Solo. She believed that Kylo Ren could be turned after coming to understand where her perception came from, and perhaps the strength found when the two acted as one is something that she may be able to build on. However, Ben got killed off, so there's not much to work with on the dyad front... unless she actively seeks out a way to bring him back.
At this point, anything can happen. While it's disappointing that Luke Skywalker ultimately failed to learn anything from his attachment to Anakin that could save the Jedi, there's a chance that elements of such things could be seen in the earlier days of Academy in the MandoVerse with Ahsoka and Ezra. It could always be Rey's Super New Jedi Order that could explore an openness to attachments, with Finn being the first student of many to follow this way.
Or, the path may be something a completely new Jedi chooses to follow.
