The Polygamous Lifestyle of Ki-Adi-Mundi
Cerean Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi was a wise and respected member of the Council. A close confidant of Mace Windu and firm believer in the tenets of the Jedi, Mundi closely followed the Jedi Code and what some might refer to as the "dogma" of the Jedi Order, with one important exception.
In an effort to prevent young Knights from being led down a dark path, the Jedi Order forbids attachments. This is interpreted in a number of different ways by different members of the Order, but one constant is that romantic relationships are forbidden among Jedi. Many Jedi, including Master Yoda, believe that forming strong bonds with others makes a Jedi fear losing that relationship. This shadow of greed, combined with the inherent fear of loss can cause one to start down the dark path of fear, hatred, and suffering.
With this being the case, it is extremely surprising to learn that (in Legends) Ki-Adi-Mundi has not one, but four Cerean wives, honoring an age-old custom of polygamy within his race. We will be examining the unique Cerean traits that led to this tradition and the compromises that Mundi made to his Jedi beliefs in order to follow these traditions.
Hailing from the garden planet of Cerea, the vast majority of Cereans shun technology and prefer to live a life in tune with nature. With his homeworld a veritable paradise and unspoiled by industry, Mundi fights to prevent development from coming to his world. Due to his adherence to Cerean beliefs and traditions, the Jedi Master is extremely proud of his homeworld, or at least as close to pride as a Jedi can be. Preferring to spend his time on his homeworld or on other planets teeming with life and nature, Mundi is naturally uncomfortable on planets such as Coruscant and makes efforts to prevent these natural worlds from evolving into cityscapes on par with the Galactic Capital.
With a binary brain structure, Cereans are gifted in examining all sides of conflict or situation and are thus gifted with innate wisdom, and are often called upon to be mediators in disputes. This surplus of gray matter also requires them to have two hearts, to pump blood to the top of their cones heads. As a result of their unique anatomy, Cereans are known for having an extremely low birth rate and high infant mortality. Beyond this, males of the species are extremely rare, causing further impairments to Cerean reproduction. This leads to the people of Cerea adopting the polyamorous lifestyle, with one male taking multiple wives and fathering the largest family possible, including Ki-Adi-Mundi.
While he is granted permission by the Jedi Council to take multiple wives and try to increase his species number, there are strict restrictions on these relationships. While he is permitted to marry, he is still forbidden to form attachments. It is made clear to Mundi, as well as his wives, that these pairings are in the interest of procreation only. This requires Mundi to meditate long hours to remove himself from these attachments and focus solely on the preservation of his race and the upholding of the Jedi Code. His four marriages yield seven daughters, and while Mundi is a wise and caring father, he certainly is not overly attached to his family.
Mundi focuses solely on his role as a Jedi Master, often assisting Windu in playing the politics of the capital and attempting to steer the Republic in a direction agreed upon by the Jedi High Council. When the Clone Wars erupt, he is one of the first to agree to be generals, even agreeing to a dangerous infiltration and espionage mission during the First Battle of Geonosis. The mission is ultimately a failure and Mundi is captured and returned to the arena floor by the Geonosians.
A few short months after the onset of the war, Mundi's worst fears are realized when his homeworld is attacked by the droid army. The Battle of Cerea is a long, drawn-out conflict that claimed the lives on many innocents, including Mundi's family. While no bodies are ever recovered, Mundi believes the reports that his wives and daughters are killed by Separatist bombs, and makes no effort to find them or confirm their deaths. Mundi is blinded by the ongoing strife and fog of war, as so many Jedi are, and a as a result he was one of the first cut down when Order 66 was handed down.
Source(s): Wookieepedia