I have figured out a parallel between the Empire and the Jedi Order in Star Wars, and it proves why the latter had to fall. The many Star Wars movies have focused on the ever-raging war between the forces of light and dark, with the Jedi and the Empire often being personifications of this. While the franchise has focused on Star Wars’ powerful Sith Lords or Imperial-like organizations such as the First Order, Emperor Palpatine has been the overarching villain of the Skywalker Saga, with the Jedi of different generations opposing him.

This has tied organizations like the Empire and the Jedi together for decades in-universe. Be it in the best-ranked Star Wars movies of the original trilogy or the prequel era that highlighted the rise of the Empire, this conflict has been somewhat of a constant. Despite the Jedi and the Empire being on opposing sides of this war, though, Star Wars has provided a few parallels between them over the years. One I have recently found links the best Star Wars TV show to the franchise’s most controversial movie, proving why the Jedi Order was destined to fall.

Luke Skywalker Revealed The Jedi Order’s Greatest Weakness In Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The Jedi Fell Because Of One Fatal Flaw

Undoubtedly, the most controversial installment in the Star Wars franchise is Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Many did not care for how Luke Skywalker was portrayed in the movie, with the character believing his hubris as an all-powerful, legendary Jedi was what caused Ben Solo to become Kylo Ren and allowed the First Order to rise. Luke tied his own failings to those of the Jedi Order in general, stating that the Jedi needed to end as the hubris of the Order allowed Emperor Palpatine to rise under their very noses and form the Empire.

In Luke’s mind, this was the greatest weakness of the Jedi Order. The Jedi had grown powerful over the centuries and thus grown comfortable without the overt threat of the Sith, leading many to believe their mortal enemies were extinct. Even when the threat of the Sith rose once more, the Jedi believed themselves too powerful for this, insisting that they would have sensed such a shift in the Force. Meanwhile, Palpatine expertly orchestrated the Jedi Order’s near extinction, which was allowed to happen unchecked thanks to the hubris Luke Skywalker points out in The Last Jedi.

Cᴀssian Andor Knew The Empire Had The Same Weakness

The Empire Grew Too Comfortable, Just Like The Jedi

What makes Luke Skywalker’s words about the Jedi so intriguing is that they draw a parallel between the Order and the Empire, as proven in Andor season 1. In the third episode of this season, Luthen Rael questions Cᴀssian Andor on how the latter managed to steal an Imperial Starpath Unit from a secure facility. Andor tells Luthen that it was not that hard as the Empire suffers from the same flaw that the Jedi did, which allowed the fascist organization to form in the first place.

Cᴀssian’s words to Luthen are as follows: “They’re so proud of themselves, they don’t even care. They’re so fat and satisfied, they can’t even imagine it – that someone like me would ever get inside their house. Walk their floors. Spit in their food. Take their gear.” Immediately, this draws a comparison between the Jedi and the Empire. The Jedi Order’s hubris was what allowed Palpatine to walk their halls, get inside their house, and plan their downfall. Once the Empire gained a similar level of power over the galaxy, they fell prey to this exact same arrogance.

This Parallel Between The Jedi & The Empire Proved Why The Order Had To Fall

The Jedi Had Become Flawed Beyond Fixing

In drawing a parallel between the Jedi and the Empire, it becomes clear why the former was always destined to fall – and why they had to. The Jedi are not supposed to be arrogant, self-confident rulers of the galaxy. Star Wars’ High Republic era explores this by showing the Jedi Order working closely with the Republic as opposed to superseding it. In the prequel era, though, the Jedi began to take a much more active role in galactic politics, something that was never supposed to be part of the Order’s list of responsibilities.

The Jedi went from peacekeepers who served the wider galaxy to generals and soldiers who essentially began to rule. Of course, the Jedi did all of this with benevolent motivations, while the Emperor and future leaders of the Empire were the opposite. Nonetheless, the prequel era made it clear that the Jedi had lost their way and fallen victim to their own pride and arrogance, ultimately adding fuel to the galactic chaos of the Clone Wars and allowing Palpatine’s plan to go off easier than it should have. In sharing similarities with dictators, the Jedi Order had to fall and begin anew.

The Jedi Are Flawed… But They’ll Always Be Better Than The Empire

Star Wars Makes Sure The Jedi Are Still The Heroes

I want to point out that, despite the parallel between the Jedi Order and the Empire, the former is consistently depicted as superior to the latter. After all, the Jedi are the quintessential heroes of Star Wars. The strongest Jedi in Star Wars include some of the most iconic characters in the franchise, most of whom are deemed the good guys across generations. The reason for this is that the franchise never shies away from showcasing just how good the Jedi are. Yes, they have flaws, but they always fight for the light in a galaxy full of darkness.

The Jedi may share some of these flaws with the Empire, but the latter organization has no redeeming qualities. Even a morally gray show like Andor, which explores Imperials with a depth no other Star Wars story ever has, makes it clear that the Empire is capable of immense wrongdoing. The Jedi are flawed heroes, while the Empire is arrogantly evil. Herein lies the difference between the Empire’s hubris and that of the Jedi Order – the latter will always be Star Wars’ heroes despite that, while the former will always stand for what is wrong in the galaxy.

Star Wars’ Future Can Fix Some Of The Jedi Order’s Flaws

The Future Of The Jedi Looks Promising

With all of this in mind, it is worth pointing out that upcoming Star Wars movies can move the Jedi beyond these flaws. Star Wars’ New Jedi Order movie will see Rey Skywalker rebuilding the Jedi post-The Rise of Skywalker. Rey was taught by Luke and heard his laments about the Order’s past hubris. This, as well as her close connection to the Empire via her grandfather, Palpatine, means Rey is the best person to take the Jedi forward into a new era. Although the Jedi should still have flaws, as that is what makes so many of them great characters, Star Wars can finally fix their greatest weakness.