Jedi Initiate The term " Jedi Initiate " , " Jedi Trainee " , or " Youngling " referred to a Force - sensitive child who was undergoing the early stages of Jedi training at a Jedi academy . In the Old Order , the term was used to denote members of the Order from the time they joined communal learning group known as a clan , until the time they passed the Initiate Trials and were selected by a Jedi Knight or Master for one - on - one training as a Padawan . During peacetime when the academy functioned on a standard teaching regimen , Initiates ' training was restricted to the academy at which they were based , rarely venturing outside of its walls . " Youngling " was a term that existed in Galactic Basic Standard to refer to a child in a species - neutral way ; the term was often used affectionately by the handlers that oversaw Initiate training . Overview . Because the Order was comprised of many different species that matured at different rates , the rank of Initiate was not given at a certain age , but when an individual reached the maturity to begin formal education at the academy . While still in infancy , the Jedi fosterers that oversaw the care of the babies would foresee where an individual belonged and would organize the soon - to - be - Initiates into clans . These clans stayed together day and night , learning , eating , and sleeping together from around the age of three standard years until they were chosen as a Padawan around adolescence . During the Order ' s early years and those years following reform or a purge , the Initiate stage did not exist , or if it did , it was not the prime source of future Knights . During these times , any individual with an affinity with the Force would be accepted by a Master and taught . During the New Sith Wars , Knights and Masters actively collected Force - sensitives as they moved from campaign to campaign and taught them the militaristic style of the Army of Light . When formal teaching resumed , however , clans were formed and the High Council enforced the age restrictions that aided in the indoctrination process . After enjoying a Golden Age , the Order and the Republic were destroyed following the end of the Clone Wars , a war created through the machinations of a Dark Lord of the Sith , who had led the Confederacy of Independent Systems as Darth Sidious and the Republic as its Supreme Chancellor . While most of the academy ' s members were slaughtered during the initial execution of Order 66 , a standing order was put in place within the Galactic Empire ' s Stormtrooper Corps demanding that all Initiates found during the Dark Times be captured alive for interrogation and torture . While some Initiates escaped the initial stages of the Purge , most were later hunted down by the Galactic Empire and killed or converted to the dark side of the Force . As the Order was rebuilt by Luke Skywalker during the reign of the New Republic , he tried to come up with an appropriate way of teaching students without anything to start from . After finding a few surviving holocrons , Skywalker began to introduce some of the Old Order ' s methods , but out of necessity , Skywalker refrained from imposing the age restriction until the Order had a large number of Masters and Knights in its service . Youngling Clans . Upon arriving at the Temple , Initiates were sorted into one of a host of clans by fosterers who used the Force to place each child . Each clan was made up of about ten Initiates who lived and studied together for a little over a decade . Each clan was tended to by a trained instructor who would lead their charges in the early exercises , guide them to meals in the refectories , and ensure that they were assimilating well into Jedi life . When the Order was rebuilt following the Galactic Civil War , Luke Skywalker did not initially form clans , a fact he thought may have led to the defection of two of his first students . Following his recovery of a copy of " The Jedi Path " , Skywalker launched the Ronto and Veermok Clan , the first of many clans that would be formed during the New Order . Instruction . Upon entering into a clan , Initiates would begin basic training in the Order ' s academy . Morning rituals consisted of Force studies , leading into the midday political science classes and the study of the histories of a thousand worlds and cultures . Following a midday meal , clans engaged in mandatory physical training , honing the Initiate ' s body into prime condition . In addition to classes , students were required to set aside time for five mandatory meditation sessions each day . Every new class of students began their education with the teaching of the Jedi Code and the Three Pillars - - the Force , Knowledge , and Self - Discipline . It was these pillars that would support each individual as they moved through their lives . In addition to class - specific course material , each Jedi was given a copy of the guidebook , " " . Aside from their class work , students were expected to know the layout of the Temple by heart , as well as the names and histories of the Jedi memorialized in the Temple . It was vital that Jedi be not only aware of their history , but intimately familiar with the tradition and philosophies of the Order . Drawing upon each other for assistance as they studied and practiced together , clan - mates were meant to view each other as family as they learned the Jedi ways . In their studies in the Force , Initiates were first taught the ideas of Control , a set of abilities which require self - control . While not the most exciting abilities a Jedi will ever learn , they are necessary building blocks in the progression to mastery . It was mastery of this ability that added several decades onto a Jedi ' s life , preventing decay and illness that would kill other beings . Before a student could begin their training in the art of the lightsaber , they first had to prove themselves in their other classes ; otherwise , they would not progress to wield a weapon . When learning the Third Pillar , Initiates were first instructed to learn more advanced meditation forms so as to discipline one ' s mind for battle . Following courses in the six levels of lightsaber combat , students would be ready to take the Initiate Trials . Failure was not acceptable , and while the Trials could be repeated , an Initiate could not train for an additional year at the academy . One had to progress , or leave the path of the Jedi . The Initiate Trials were given when an Initiate had completed their initial training at the academy . The Trials consisted of three main tests : a demonstration of knowledge of the Jedi Code , observation of meditation and dueling technique , and fluidity in Force wielding . While all Initiates were required to take the examination , not all passed the tests . If one was not to become a Padawan , the Reassignment Council would intervene and place the individual in the Jedi Service Corps where they would continue serving the Order through tasks that did not require skill with a lightsaber or expertise with the Force . A third option was left open for those students that the High Council deemed unfit to walk the Jedi Path . Students could come to their conclusion themselves and walk away , using their skills learned at the academy to make the galaxy a better place through a civilian ' s work . Dress . Like the rest of the Order , Initiates had a standard dress code that was encouraged by the High Council . As representatives of the Order , Initiates were expected to wear some form of uniform from the time they could walk . Like the standard attire of Padawans , Knights and Masters , Initiates were given tan or gray tunics and pants with accompanying brown leather boots and a belt . The uniform ' s condition was to be maintained by the individual , and although laundry facilities did exist at the Temple , they were to be used in addition to daily cleaning . Because not all Jedi were humanoid , those with a body structure or composition that did not allow for full coverage were permitted to wear a sash at the least . Casting off the flashy colors or soft fabrics of the outsiders , Jedi were meant to be and appear humble , not only representing their own values , but those held by the entire Order . Behind the scenes . In " " , before Revan becomes a Padawan again in the Jedi Enclave of Dantooine , he is referred to as an " apprentice " and not an " initiate " . This choice of words is peculiar ; at that point the amnesiac Revan had not yet achieved Padawan rank and is therefore still an initiate , not an apprentice . Nevertheless , not only is it likely that the term is employed colloquially without regard for Revan ' s specific rank ( as part of the byplay that takes place during the initial conversations with the Jedi Council ) , but also because Revan had been trained to the level of Jedi Knight before , as was revealed later in the game . It is also probable that he was given this rank due to his age , which was well beyond the limit for a typical Jedi Initiate . In the Jedi Knight series of first - person shooter games ( " , " , etc . ) , Jedi Initiate is also used in references to some gameplay mechanics , particularly in multiplayer difficulty modes and the skill of " bots " used in matches . The Clam Clan was an Old Order clan that was not canon ; it was introduced in the comic , " " .