Many Star Wars fans have already taken up a plastic lightsaber and pretended to fight like a Jedi, or lifted their hand to attempt to channel the Force. However, many more will tell you that, if you think about it, being a Jedi wouldn’t be all that great because of the restrictive set of rules they have to follow. Jedi Knights are sworn to obey the Jedi Code, and that means many things, from not falling in love to not being able to influence politics.RELATED: Star Wars: 14 Characters Stronger Than YodaOf course, the rules get broken all the time. Sometimes, Jedi Masters can get away with breaking the rules if they’re wise enough or powerful enough, but all of these rules are there for a reason. The Force is a powerful thing, and Jedi who, say, fall in love, give into fear or use their immense power in any way that contradicts the Jedi Code, are susceptible to the Dark Side’s influence. The most notorious example? Anakin Skywalker, of course, who broke most of these rules and became the infamous Sith Lord, Darth Vader.Updated April 14, 2022, by Gabrielle Huston: Star Wars has been trying to stay in our brains these past few years, with sporadic television shows and other content. We figured it was worth taking another look at those familiar Jedi rules and what they actually mean.

20 Fall In Love

star wars - padme and anakin

This is the most well-known of the Jedi rules. Love leads to attachment and attachment leads to strong emotions, which are the path to the Dark Side of the Force. Because of this, Jedi are forbidden to fall in love.

This, of course, doesn’t stop Anakin Skywalker from falling in love with Padmé. The Jedi code says nothing about lust, however, or having children, so technically a Jedi could have a child, as long as no strong emotions are involved. Sounds pretty horrible, if you ask us.

19 Get Married

star wars - padme and anakin's wedding

Of course, no falling in love means no getting married. Jedi are only loyal to the Jedi Order and have no time for things like marriage or family. The Jedi Code strictly forbids getting married, much to Anakin Skywalker’s dismay.

In his typical rule-breaker fashion, Anakin secretly marries Padmé on her home planet of Naboo anyway. This marriage was doubly controversial because of Padmé’s status as a senator and was only witnessed by the droids R2-D2 and C3PO. Their wedding ended in tragedy, which shows that the Jedi Code is not something you should take lightly.

18 Stay Close To Their Families

star wars - qui gonn jin and shmi skywalker

Jedi Knights are forbidden from having any kind of attachment, romantic or otherwise. This is one of the reasons why their training starts when they’re very young, as they are not meant to stay close to their families. Members of the Jedi Order are sworn to serve and protect, and families are unfortunately seen as a distraction.

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You guessed it: Anakin Skywalker also ignores this rule; his obvious attachment to his mother is frowned upon by the Jedi Council.

17 Grieve

star wars - anakin and shmi skywalker

A Jedi must stay focused on the present; they’re not allowed to worry about the future or dwell on the past. Because of this, grieving is against the Jedi Code. Of course, if you’ve followed the previous rules and have no emotional attachment, not grieving shouldn’t be hard.

For rule-breakers (once again, looking at you, Anakin), grief can lead to deep sadness and anger, which can lead to the Dark Side. Anakin’s anger and grief over Padmé’s end mark his rebirth as Lord Vader, proving how important this rule is.

16 Let Anger, Fear, Or Any Emotion Get The Better of Them...

star wars - luke skywalker

Talking about anger, a common misconception is that Jedi aren’t allowed to feel anger. That’s not entirely true; Jedi get angry, sometimes, and you’ll see that in the movies. The rule is that they’re meant to control their anger and not give into it. That's true of every emotion.

Siths, on the other hand, use their anger to channel the Dark Side of the Force. Anger is one of the most dangerous emotions a force-sensitive person can feel, which is why Jedi are forbidden to let it get the better of them.

You’ve probably heard this famous quote from Yoda:

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

It sums up precisely why Jedi are meant to keep their fear in check. Fear is a Sith Lord’s tool; it's something they use to manipulate others.

This means jealousy, sadness, joy, pride, etc. are all things a Jedi must control, too. This is one of the reasons Jedi are stereotypically depicted as “cold,” but, really, for a force-sensitive being, this is a necessary rule. The Dark Side of the Force is a powerful thing, and strong emotions could lead you directly to it, if you’re not careful.

15 Force Choke Someone

star wars - darth vader force choking someone

The Force choke is probably one of the most iconic uses of the Force there are. Darth Vader uses it several times in the movies, and it’s become a gesture that’s iconically associated with Star Wars. Of course, this is another “Sith-only” thing.

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Jedi are meant to protect, not harm, and they are not allowed to use the Force to injure or repeatedly attack other beings. Moreover, the Force choke is possible thanks to anger and uncontrolled hatred, which are, as we just saw, forbidden.

14 Be Self-Serving

star wars - obi wan

A Jedi’s mission is to protect the galaxy and obey the Council. Even they do not let their emotions get the better of them, there’s a limit to what Jedi can do with their powers. They’re strictly forbidden from using them for selfish purposes.

Considering that Jedi can use the Force to influence other people’s minds, and wield incredibly powerful weapons, that’s probably a good thing. Like all the rules of the Jedi Code, this one is there for a reason.

13 Attack Or Strike Down Someone, Unless It’s Self Defense

star wars - anakin killing count dooku

Yoda says it clearly:

“A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack."

Jedi are protectors, not aggressive fighters. In battle, they’re not meant to intervene unless it’s absolutely needed. They can’t just rush into battle without a good reason. And by good reason, we mean being directly attacked. When they do fight, they’re not meant to end their opponent’s life unless it’s a situation of self-defense. This makes sense, as such a violent act is usually a result of anger, and can lead to the dark side.

Surprise, surprise, this is another rule Anakin Skywalker breaks. When Palpatine gets Anakin to finish off Count Dooku at the end of their fight in the third prequel movie, he clearly knows what he is doing: he sets Anakin firmly on the path to the Dark Side.

12 Own Property Or Wealth

star wars - rey skywalker

A Jedi cannot be materialistic. They are nomadic people anyway, and they’re not meant to own property.

They may be called “knights,” but the comparison with actual medieval knights doesn’t really hold up. You definitely won’t see a Jedi in any sort of futuristic castle! Yoda lived in the swamps of Dagobah, Luke Skywalker took up residence in an abandoned hut on Ahch-To… If your dream is to own a house, then maybe the Jedi Order isn’t for you.

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It’s unclear how Jedi get any money. They’re not meant to have jobs, but that doesn’t matter, because they’re not meant to be rich. We can’t know if being rich leads to the Dark Side, but it still is forbidden by the Code.

After all, being a Jedi is a form of religion, and like many religions, its practitioners are not meant to have an attachment to material things. In a way, this is another form of the “no strong attachments” rule: just like they can’t get attached to people, Jedi can’t get attached to things or money.

11 Use The Seventh Form Of Lightsaber Combat

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Lightsaber combat is an art with many forms, and Jedi are trained in all of them except one. Form VII of lightsaber combat, also known as Juyo or the Ferocity Form, involves tapping into one’s violent side and channeling that energy for combat.

It’s a chaotic, vicious, aggressive style of fighting: everything a Jedi is supposed to avoid. While Sith Lords like Darth Maul practice the Ferocity Form, few Jedi are trained in it. One of them was Mace Windu, who developed a “safer” form of Juyo called Vaapad.

10 Have Red Lightsabers

star wars - rey skywalker, kylo ren, finn

It’s not an official rule inscribed in the Jedi Code, but Jedi can’t have red lightsabers. This may seem like a trivial thing to avoid: after all, as long as the weapon is wielded according to Jedi law, who cares what color it is?

The problem is that red lightsaber crystals can only be obtained with the Dark Side of The Force. This is why you’ll only see Jedi with predominantly green or blue sabers, while Sith prefer red blades. In the prequels, the green and blue lightsabers General Grievous uses are the weapons of fallen Jedi.

9 Serve Anyone Other Than The Jedi Council Or The Republic

star wars - anakin and palpatine

Jedi must not be self-serving, but they can’t serve other people, either. They’re servants of the Republic who must obey the Jedi Council. This means there’s no such thing as Jedi mercenaries, and, of course, Jedi can’t fight for their loved ones since they’re not meant to have any.

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When the Republic crumbles, the remaining members of the Jedi Order must fight to restore it, as everything the Empire stands for is in direct contradiction with the Jedi Code (not to mention the Emperor is, you know, a Sith Lord).

8 Have Several Padawans At The Same Time

star wars - obi wan, qui gon, anakin

A Jedi Master may only have one Padawan (AKA apprentice) at the same time. So, when Qui Gon Jinn, who’s already training Obi-Wan Kenobi, tries to take on Anakin Skywalker as a Padawan, he meets the Jedi Council’s glaring disapproval. Little Ani was breaking rules and causing controversy before he even properly became a Jedi!

This is one of the only instances where the Jedi and Sith codes are similar, as there are always “only two” Siths: the Master and the Apprentice. The Master isn’t meant to have more than one apprentice, although that rule is broken on multiple occasions…

7 Let Their Actions Be Influenced By Past Mistakes

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Jedi aren’t allowed to grieve, but they’re also not meant to dwell on the past in general. This means they mustn’t let their past failures or their mistakes influence their current decisions, either. Jedi must always focus on the present, not the past, nor the future.

This is a rule many Jedi break, from Anakin Skywalker (obviously) to Luke Skywalker himself (Yoda instructs him to “unlearn what [he has] learned”). Sith Lords, on the other hand, often focus on the past or on their grief to channel their rage.

6 Create A Mind Bridge

star wars - rey skywalker, kylo ren

In the Star Wars sequels, Supreme Leader Snoke creates a “mind bridge” between Rey and Kylo Ren, which leads Rey to believe she and everyone’s favorite emo villain are linked. This technique requires a high level of mind-manipulation, which means Jedi can’t use it.

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We do see Qui Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi use “Jedi mind tricks” (you probably remember the famous “these are not the droids you’re looking for” scene), which means Jedi sometimes resort to mind manipulation, but mind bridges are too close to the Dark Side of the Force for them.

5 Act Subjectively

star wars - ahsoka tano

Unlike Sith Lords, who encourage chaos, a Jedi must act rationally, weigh their options, and act in the interest of the greater good. As they are forbidden to be influenced by their emotions, they are forbidden to act subjectively.

According to the Code, a Jedi must always be objective and not pass judgement. Of course, the Star Wars saga takes place during a war, then a Resistance, then a Rebellion, so this rule is probably hard to abide by in the context of the movies.

4 Have A Job

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It’s unclear whether they’re compensated somehow (although probably not financially, as Jedi aren’t meant to value material things), but “Jedi” is definitely a full-time job. You can’t have a side career when you’re meant to be saving the galaxy!

For instance, while young Anakin Skywalker is a gifted pilot and racer, he couldn’t have become a pilot and a Jedi, as Jedi are meant to focus on their mission and on their mission only. If you can’t make up your mind about what you want to do with your life, you may not be suited to be a Jedi.

3 Break The Law

star wars - mace windu

Jedi are supposed to be wise and defend the law, and, for obvious reasons, they’re not meant to break it.

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However, they’re not exactly sci-fi cops, and some Jedi have been known to break the law if the situation calls for it. Deciding whether or not the situation calls for it must be an objective process, however, which is, understandably, hard when you’re the heat of action. This means that many Jedi have probably broken the law at times where they weren’t supposed to.

2 Be Involved In Politics

star wars - ahsoka tano and padme

We’ve already mentioned that Jedi can’t have a career, but they’re specifically forbidden from entangling themselves in politics. Given that they’re incredibly powerful beings, this makes sense, as they could quite easily change the political balance of the galaxy.

Anakin Skywalker, as is his custom, completely ignores this rule, as he not only marries a senator, he’s shown to have a close friendship with Senator Palpatine, which greatly worries the Jedi Council—even before they find out Palpatine is none other than sinister Sith Lord Darth Sidious.

1 Be Dishonest

star wars - luke skywalker and obiwan

Jedi aren’t technically meant to lie, but this is probably the rule they break the most. Of course, lies and deceit are some of the Dark Side’s most powerful weapons—it’s how they turn people over to the Dark Side.

But many Jedi also lie to accomplish their mission, including Obi-Wan Kenobi himself. He conceals the truth from Luke by telling him Darth Vader ended his father. Metaphorically speaking, sure, it’s technically true, but it’s a manipulation of truth that seems very un-Jedi like.

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