Just how many Jedi are there?

I don't know if this has been discussed before, but after checking out the we sbite I mentioned in the lightsabre fighting section, I want to get some opinions from you wounderful guys...

We've been talking a little about the enormous task of wiping out the Jedi. As we hear it, Vader "helped the Emperor hunt down and destroy the Jedi..." We may or may not see this happen in the next two episodes. If we DO, it is a mammoth task- but HOW mammoth, exactly?

The films have never stated how many Jedi there are. The books have stated 10,000. This seems reasonable enough for a small, super-elite force. Do you agree?

Interestingly, the 10,1000 figure can be destroyed by the Midi-Chlorians. If, as some poeple beleive, Jedi have to personally identify potential recruits, then a figure of 10,000 is way, way, way too small, in light of Qui-Gon's assertion that ALL potential Jedi are quickly discovered inside the Republic...

If, on the other hand, the Midi-Chlorians are an open secret and facilities to test for them are widespread, then the 10,000 figure is possible.

This is a bit of a double-jointed topic, touching on both the nature of the MCs (which I get the feeling everyone hates) and the more mundane number of Jedi. Thoughts?

well, I got three words for you. GRAND...ADMIRAL...THRAWN

I'm sorry, I have no idea what relevance that has... though as its EU, I doubt it has any...

right on. Oh wait, that had no relevance either...

do you read the books Ushi? If you do, you should know that a handful of books have better plot lines than Ep1. Oops, did I say a handful, I meant all of them, but they also tell about things that don't happen in the movies, so, to say that they don't count is an understatement. They count very much so, GL can't explain the entire SW Universe,so where else are you gonna get the rest of the story??

Some people would greatly disagree with you there, JM - I being one of them. I personally don't think that we should use the EU as a way to explain certain speculations in the Prequel Trilogy. I'm fairly sure that I'm right in saying that George Lucas stated that the Expanded Universe holds no importance or relevance to the films and that he shall do as he pleases, regardless of what other authors have said. It's his creation after all. I doubt he'll stand by and let others spoil what he wants to happen in his films.

yeah right, so where do you find your star wars entertainment in the 3 years between films, do you just sit and wait??

Don't get me wrong, I love reading the books, they are very entertaining, but they are not cannon. Lucas will not care if he totally goes against what the authors have said in the EU. Thrawn was a great character, but he has no place in the "real" SW universe.

As an example I give you 4 words... ORIGIN of Boba Fett.

Now, I know it's been said that because of the timescales both the EU version and the Movie version could co-exist, but it was stated that we should forget all we thought we should knbow about this guy in favour of the movie version...

BTW, I think the answer is 10,000 anyway.

10,000 is the current rumour, yes.

Wow, that got a bit off-topic, didn't it? Regarless of the wait between films, EU is NOT canon and is therefore to be ignored.

10,000 is indeed the rumour. Ht like I say, it comes down to midi-chlorians. If Jedi are having to amke personal diagnosis, then they are having to check several trillion people a year. Not even vageuly credible...

And are all Force-senstitive people Knights? Perhaps that's just the elite. The there could be many more than 10,000.

Wait a sec there ush, this whole topic is based on the books, you said it yourself, yet now you say that they should be ignored?? I don't get it, what is this topic about then, if it's to be ignored, then why did you make this topic.

I guess he's just curious...

As for the jedi numbers..it's possible that there are many many people who are tested and aren't knighted for whatever reason..It would seem likely that alot of the little jedi hopeful don't make the cut and maybe carry out other duties in the jedi organization..I mean, think about it...look at the kids that they take from their parents. It would seem that after all that time and investment that they would want to keep as many force sensitive people around the Jedi as they could..to care out other duties. It's also viable that maybe after a certain point some aren't so much rejected as that they're place in other arenas where they're talents are better utilized...Jedi Scholars for example.

Ah,ha but the number of jedi is only mentioned in the books... oh forget that for now, After the Sith War, jedi numbers were grealty depleted. and after 4,000 years, I doubt there would still be 10,000 jedi, at least 4,000, or maybe a smaller number, if the council members are supposedly "The Best" jedi, and there are about 15 of them. there is probably a much smaller amount of jedi.

Well, that's all EU ten. So your estimates are also based on EU and therefore not really valid for EpII speculation.

When we are talking jedi numbers should that include padawans?

Well, yes, Why not. They will all be killed I think. And the essence of knowing the number is that we can speculate how they all die within such a small time frame.

I would have thought that Jedi Knights would not include Jedi Padawans, after all they are in training.

The real question is: would Palpy let them live?

I dont mean if Palpy will kill them or not we all know he will, I`m just talking numbers. 10 000 is a rumored number, but do that include padawans?