If you’re a Star Wars fan and you spend any time online, then chances are you’ve come across the term “Gray Jedi” at least once or twice. This popular fan theory suggests that there are Jedi within the Star Wars universe who can walk a line between the light and dark sides of the Force, dipping into both when they need to. For example, these neutral Force-users could say, use the Force to heal a teammate’s wound one second and then fry an enemy with Force lightning the next. It’s a fun concept that Disney will never make official canon – with good reason.
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That’s Not How the Force Works
The entire concept of Gray Jedi hinges on a fundamental misunderstanding of the Force. A Jedi will never be able to use light and dark side powers equally because, technically speaking, there is no light side of the Force. Nor a dark side. If you’re confused, don’t worry. We’re going to break it down for you.
The Force, as an entity, doesn’t really have any sides to speak of, rather, the terms “light” and “dark” really refer to the person using it. For instance, someone on the light side obeys the will of the Force, listens to it, and allows it to guide their actions. Meanwhile, a dark sider corrupts the Force, bends it to their own will, and attempts to make it do what they want instead of what the universe wants.
In other words, balance, as far as the Force is concerned, isn’t when the light and dark sides are equal but when there is no dark side to speak of. The theory that a Jedi can become “Gray” by mixing the light and dark sides doesn’t make sense when the dark side is just a perversion of the light. Imagine the dark side as a virus, and then imagine someone trying to find the balance between being half healthy and having half of the flu. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?
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Where Did the Idea of Gray Jedi Come From?
The phrase “Gray Jedi” originated in a 1998 Legends comic book, Star Wars: Republic, in a storyline known as “The Stark Hyperspace War”. It was originally used to describe Qui-Gon Jinn and was meant to imply that the Jedi Master didn’t always see eye to eye with the Jedi Council and sometimes operated in a “grey area.” The meaning of Grey Jedi didn’t really morph into a Force-user who uses light and dark side Force abilities until the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic games in the early ’00s.
In the context of a video game where players have skill trees, and their Force-use improves through EXP, the Gray Jedi fan theory actually makes sense; it only becomes an issue when fans try to apply it to the Star Wars IP as a whole. Much in the same way that Luke Skywalker didn’t have a life bar above his head in Return of the Jedi, no Jedi in canon uses light and dark side powers equally.
But you don’t have to take our word for it: Some of the top members of Lucasfilm’s Story Group have publicly stated that Gray Jedi are simply not a thing in Star Wars canon. Matt Martin,Sr. Creative Executiveand member of the Lucasfilm Story Group, once tweeted that the Gray Jedi theory “Kinda goes against what Star Wars is all about. The Dark Side corrupts.”
Likewise, Pablo Hidalgo, Lucasfilm’s Senior Creative Executive Franchise Story figure, said being a Gray Jedi was like being a “gray vegetarian who eats meat.”
None of this is meant to discourage people from coming up with fan theories based on their favorite IP: there’s no harm in coming up with a fun hypothesis like the one about Kevin from Home Alone growing up to be Jigsaw from Saw. It only becomes a problem when many of the fans who subscribe to the Gray Jedi theory insist that canon Jedi like Ahsoka and Qui-Gon Jinn are “Gray Jedi,” despite the people in charge of those characters saying otherwise.
Star Wars tried to give fans some middle ground with the recent “High Republic” initiative, which established that Jedi like Qui-Gon or failed recruits like Ahsoka are “Wayseekers,” who independently follow the will of the Force over the mandates of organizations like the Jedi Council. So if you are intrigued by the concept that “Gray Jedi” ebmody, you now have a new buzzword for it that’s canon-appropriate.
When it comes to fandoms, we try not to say “never.” That way, we don’t end up with egg on our faces when things like Robert Downey Jr. coming back to the MCU happen. In certain cases, though, like with Gray Jedi (or when fans swear they heard that Disney is going to retcon the Sequel Trilogy), we feel confident in saying it’s never going to happen.
What’s your take on Gray Jedi? Cool theory or ridiculous concept? Let us know in the comments!
