The Mandalorian’s Lesson For Baby Yoda Might Be About Determinism
By: Thalassio Briand
Tags: Philosophy, Determinism, Religion, Star Wars, The Mandalorian

You probably already know this, but what opposes the tenets of the Jedi to those of the Sith is attachment. As a Jedi, you are not allowed to form them to anyone. You are not allowed to form a bond with anyone, not allowed to have children. Usually, those who become Padawans are taken away from their families at a very young age, provided they show potential in the Force. Since they grow up in the Jedi temple with fellow Padawans, they aren’t close to anyone other than those of the Jedi Order. Your only duty of devotion is to the Force, and you must remain calm, focused, and stoic at all times.

The Sith Order, however, is one of passion: their strength comes from their emotion, their anger, their fear. They form attachments to things, people, power, and become obsessed y them. The Sith are fuelled by their will to obtain and conserve. They let these emotions flow through them and guide them. “Always two, they are. Never more, never less. A Master and an Apprentice,” as Yoda said. The Rule Of Two was brought by Darth Bane during the Old Republic Era, when things were different. He considered the Sith were plagued by their own high numbers, bringing constant internal conflict within their ranks. This infighting was distracting them in their pursuit of the Sith Imperative. Darth Bane took the matter in his own hands and decimated hundreds of Siths before imposing his Rule Of Two. The Sith would progressively prefer moving in the shadows, using alter egos and conspiracies to gain in power. Star Wars: Darth Plagueis by James Luceno gives a thorough perspective into the Sith’s ways, specifically between Plagueis and Darth Sidious, also known as Sheev Palpatine, soon-to-be Emperor. If you’re interested, I recommend it in the audiobook version.

Throughout Star Wars lore, we also learn the sickening relationship Master and Apprentice would build, one of hatred, envy and abuse, to ensure the strength of the Sith Master and therefore the realisation of the Sith Imperative. With this, where a Sith Lord too weak or too careless, their apprentice would soon take this opportunity to eliminate them, take their place, and would seek out an apprentice — although they would sometimes even already have one in mind — , thus completing the cycle.

As both philosophies are certainly opposed, we learn with a few hints here and there that perhaps the Jedi were wrong in their beliefs. Yoda himself admits this as he’s about to be defeated by Lord Sidious in the Senate. The last season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars shows us the commitment of the Order in the war, and the sheer blindness it causes amongst them. They have allowed themselves to be fooled by the Sith, leading to the fall of the Jedi Order, of the Republic, and the death of many Jedis through Order 66. The ways of the Jedi, which are meant to enforce peace, protection and fairness, had perhaps strayed too far from their goals because of their self-imposed stoic nature. Perhaps they had too long forgotten that emotions such as empathy, compassion and love are part of life, part of what makes them “human” — For lack of a better word, as there are many other species within their ranks.