This Is What A Typical Day Was Like For A Jedi Initiate
Image Source: Star Wars Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Star Wars media gives us so much, but one thing it rather lacks is what exactly the life of a youngling entailed. We see bits and pieces, but not the details. So, what does an Initiate’s day look like?
Before becoming a proper Padawan, they were housed in the crèche, another word for nursery. From here, they were sorted into 1 of 15 clans based on foreseen personality. This instilled in the younglings a strong sense of loyalty, duty, and routine as they trained.
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The training applied was age-appropriate, no one was going to give a toddler a full-powered saber for deflecting blaster shots. The structure was rigid, though. Their mornings started with Force practice, efforts to hone their abilities, and pushing themselves to do better. Important lessons were taught during this time, such as the applications of the Force: Control, Sense, and Alter. That is not to be confused with the 4 aspects of the force, which include the Living, Unifying, Cosmic, and Physical Force. That was just as important to learn, however, because it could easily shape how the user interacted with the Force.
Other academic endeavours did occur. At noon, the children would attend what felt like a standard school taught by non-Jedi, giving the children outside exposure. Their classes could range from galactic law to languages, further culturing and broadening the younglings beyond the Temple.
Following their classes, physical training took up the afternoon. Being in tune with your body when using the Force and battling with lightsabers was very important; one wrong reflex and someone could lose an arm. This is when they would learn the Forms of lightsaber combat, which essentially were the different styles and philosophies associated with the combat.
Image Source: Star Wars Rebels Season 2 Episode 18
Meditation was heavily important in Jedi culture. It allowed the user to settle themselves within the Force and calm their mind away from tension and emotions associated with the Dark Side. 5 meditation sessions would be sprinkled throughout the day for the younglings. Learning the proper way early on makes something easier to remember, and at this stage in their lives, the younglings would have a lot of turbulent emotions. Communal meals were also scheduled periodically throughout the day.
To head off their time as Initiates, they would eventually experience The Gathering, a lesson that would teach them how to overcome fear and trust in the Force. During this, the younglings would get their Kyber crystal and build their own lightsaber under Professor Huyang’s watchful eye, as seen in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars series.
All of this training leads up to the Initiate’s goal: graduation to Padawan rank. To get to this level, the Initiates must go through the Trials. If they passed all 3, they would move on to a tournament to be chosen as a Padawan. If they weren’t chosen or failed the Trials, the Initiate could either join the Service Corps or leave the Order entirely.
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Source(s): YouTube