I hate the term Gray Jedi and will now explain in depth why. I know this post is going to make some people upset, but I am sure other posts I made already did that and I feel it is more important people see what I am saying because then I think you will agree. So, please read the whole entirety of this post before you make a conclusion of what I am saying.

Star Wars was created by George Lucas, but it has grown beyond that. I accept it and it is proven when George made the Prequel Trilogy. He added worlds and characters created by EU writers to his story and I feel this kind of support from him is awesome. That being said he did not include everything the EU did into canon. Gray Jedi is one of those things never included by George or even Disney. Why? I can’t say for Disney cause they don’t always understand Star Wars, but Lucas did.

Jedi is not a term for all force users. It never was. In the EU there are many “force using” groups. The Jedi are just supposed to be the first group to come about. Again this is EU so it comes to what you accept. Many force sensitive people exist in the Star Wars Universe some good, some evil, some as a part of a faction, some outside any faction. This is in the EU and in Canon.

The main non-Jedi group we know are the Sith. The Sith are not the fallen Jedi or anti-Jedi. They are a faction of force users who use the dark side of the force and that puts them at odds with the Jedi. Why? Cause Jedi are a group of force using people who learn the force to protect others and do the will of the force. Whereas the Sith learn to use the “dark side” for personal gain and power.

Force Witches were made canon in the Clone Wars cartoon. The ones they spoke of the most were called Night Sisters. They are another dark sided group besides the Sith who have fought the Jedi. Assajj Ventress was one and funny enough she was even a Jedi but never a Sith. Darth Maul was a Sith but later became free of any force using order and followed his own will. Lastly, Ahsoka Tano was a Jedi who left the order after everything that happened to her to become a Force User associated with no Order/Group. This is important to note. She stated in Rebels that she was not a Jedi anymore.

Now I want to explain what a Jedi is. Jedi are members of the Jedi Order. They follow a code and learn specific teachings on how to follow the will of the force. I know people say Jedi are all force users and make it sound like every force user is a Jedi. That was never true. That is something people say but No character in the Star Wars Universe has ever claimed to be a Jedi if they were not. (unless if they were trying to lie and infiltrate of course.) Ahsoka Tano even said, “I am no Jedi.” Why? Cause she left the Jedi order. Did she become evil and join the Sith? No. She joined no order. She did not become a Gray Jedi as people try to claim.

So what the hell is a gray Jedi? Fanfiction came up with the term to say that Qui Gon was a Jedi that was against the order but still a Jedi. But that makes no sense. Jedi are to follow the will of the force. Qui Gon followed the will of the force against the wishes of the council, not against the wishes of the force. People say gray Jedi are neutral. Well if you feel that then why “label” Qui Gon and Ahsoka Gray because they definitely are light sided not gray or neutral. Qui Gon wanting to teach Anakin was not a “gray” thing cause Yoda thought it was a bad idea. In the end, they backed Obi-Wan in teaching Anakin and he is not called gray.

In fact, what does saying a Jedi is gray or dark mean? How can they be a shade or light? Are there light sith? Are there gray Night Sisters? The Jedi Order is just like a religion or a philosophy. Han said it in A New Hope. He, of course, called it a hokey religion, but the key here is that it is a religion. So are there Gray Catholics? Dark Muslims? Light Buddhists? I am not saying anything against any religion, to each their own. But the idea that some Jedi are Gray is not right. I am not saying force users cannot be “Gray” the Jensaarai, which is my favorite force using Order from the EU is definitely neural in philosophy. The name is a Sith word and they practiced both light and dark teachings.

Calling someone a dark Jedi is not right either. I know people will disagree cause the EU made up that term, but the fact is dark ties a person to emotion. How? well, how do you become dark? Through emotion. The Jedi Order’s main philosophy is well known.

There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force.

If a person falls from that they become a fallen Jedi and can be redeemed. They don’t become dark and continue with the Jedi Order. I know people will say what about Kyp? He was dark. Or what about Mace? He used Verpad. Well, Kyp fell and became dark but he did not stay there and become a Dark Jedi. He redeemed himself. Mace used a teaching that let you use anger to help you fight, but he still believed in the Jedi teachings and did not use Verpad to do evil. I am not saying a Jedi cannot have a moment of darkness or neutrality. I am saying there is No Dark Jedi Order no Gray Jedi Order. The Jedi Order is not those things. We don’t say Yoda was a Light Jedi. But we all know Yoda was light sided. In everything he did, he strived for the light. Same with Luke. He was tempted by the dark side, but he became the epitome of what it means to be light sided.

So, what does “Light and Dark” mean? Well, the way we understand the Force is that if you learn to follow the will of the force you practice what is good. Yes, I said “good.” That is very important. I hate that Disney really watered down this point in the new movies saying there is still light in Kylo instead of saying “there is still good” in Kylo. Light = Good in Star Wars. Also Dark = Evil. The force is not Dark. Never once did Lucas say the force was dark. The Dark Side is a way to tap into the force that some consider unnatural. The Dark Side is explained by George as a poison. The Dark Side is using emotion to quickly gain power, but because it is against the “Force” which is “Life” when you use the dark side you become corrupt and your body deteriorates. Disney is trying to change this and is one more reason I don’t like it.

This is why the term Gray Jedi is offensive to me. The force is not evil or neutral. The force is Life and Life is good. It has nothing to do with emotion. So now people are saying “What about the Prophecy to bring balance to the Force?” What is “balance” as to what they Jedi mean? Well “balance” means several things:

1: Stability produced by even distribution of weight on each side of the vertical axis. 2: Equality between the totals of the two sides of an account. 3: An aesthetically pleasing integration of elements. 4: Dealing with the fate or outcome about to be determined.

So what did the Jedi mean in the prophecy? an equal number of light sided and dark sided force users? No that would not be a good thing to the Jedi. cause there was a lot of them and 2 Sith. It meant peace. It meant the removal of the poison of the dark side. How do we know that? Obi-Wan said “You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!” Destroying the Sith would remove the Darkness. Destroying the Sith would mean there would only be Light and Light is Life. It is good and peace. The force is the energy that binds all living things. That is not evil or dark in any way.

So I ask you all to Please Stop using the term Gray Jedi. Call them what they are. Force Sensitive or Force Users. Or find out what Order they belong to. Hell, make up your own. But know that Jedi are Jedi. Not all who are force users are Jedi.