Editing Jedi Order (section)

='''Organization '''=

==='''Leadership'''===

''Once you embrace the Republic, the power of all Jedi is ready to serve you.''―Ulic Qel-Droma

At some point in the Order's early history, the Jedi formed a central political entity called the Jedi High Council. The High Council was a gathering of great minds that acted as a governing body for the Order, as well as an advisory board for the Office of the Supreme Chancellor. The High Council could have a maximum of twelve members at a time.

Membership on the Jedi High Council was decided by the standing Council and was made up of a series of different terms. Consisting of five lifetime members, four members who stayed on the Council until they chose to step down, and three short term members, who changed regularly and sat on the Council for a relatively short period of time, this method kept the voices and opinions of the Council fresh and focused. While membership was usually restricted to Jedi Masters, exemptions were sometimes made; allowing a Knight to sit on the Council should certain insight be needed or if they are in the transitional stage before formal elevation. A notable example was Anakin Skywalker, who was appointed by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in 19 BBY during the Clone Wars. While the Council accepted the appointment, they refused to make him a Master.

For several generations, three additional councils that oversaw various responsibilities within the Order oversaw the Order. The Council of First Knowledge oversaw the Jedi academy housed within the Coruscant Temple, in addition to direct oversight of satellite training academies and libraries. The members of the Council of First Knowledge were looked upon for advice in situations needing to be contrasted with the past. Jedi on this Council were sometimes former members of the High Council, and could give a different perspective on current events based on past decisions and mistakes. Instead of advising the Supreme Chancellor, the Council of Reconciliation worked closely with the Galactic Republic Diplomatic Corps in order to assist in the acquisition of new member worlds in the Senate. Assigning Jedi Diplomats and Ambassadors to implement treaties and welcome new people into the Republic, the Reconciliation Council's members worked very closely with the Senators on Coruscant. Finally, the Council of Reassignment oversaw the Jedi Service Corps and the placement of individuals who failed the Jedi Trials or were deemed unfit to continue along the standard path of the Jedi Knights.

The decisions of these four councils have shaped the progress of the Republic as well as the Order. When the High Council of 4,000 BBY refused to enter the Mandalorian Wars and taking a more passive stance on the issue until they could asses it, a group of disenchanted Jedi known as the Revanchists rose up and incited the Jedi Civil War nearly wiping out the Order. When the Order had managed to recover, the Council took a slightly more aggressive stance, culminating in the New Sith Wars where they actively ruled the Republic as a quasi-military dictatorship. The First Knowledge Council took the time following the Ruusan Reformation to purge all references to the Sith from the minds of the galactic populace, ensuring that within a few years of the war, the dark siders' legacy was all but forgotten. A millennia later during the Clone Wars, the twilight years of the Galactic Republic, the Jedi acted as generals, soldiers and military advisers in the conflict before being nearly destroyed once again, by the newly resurgent Sith menace.

==='''Jedi Ranks '''===

''Confer on you, the level of Jedi Knight, the Council does. But agree with your taking this boy as your Padawan learner, I do not!''―Yoda to Obi-Wan Kenobi

As the Jedi were instructed in the ways of the Order and of the Force, each member progressed through several different ranks.

*'''Jedi Initiate''' (or Youngling or "Jedi Hopeful") – The youngest members of the Order, these Force-sensitive child were given the rank of Initiate when they began their communal training in clans. Recruited from worlds throughout the galaxy where blood testing was required upon birth, Initiates were removed from their families and brought to a Jedi academy for formal training.
*'''Jedi Padawan''' – After being selected for individual tutelage under a single Jedi Knight or Jedi Master, Initiates were given the title of Padawan. Eligible for this rank following the successful completion of the Initiate Trials, Padawans were typically taken at adolescence and completed their training away from the academy. Per tradition, Padawans of a hair-growing species would wear a long braid of hair behind their ear; non-haired Padawans were encouraged to wear a type of jeweler, a tattoo, or other body modification. A Jedi Knight or Jedi Master could have only one apprentice at a time, and the Padawan had to be promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight before another apprentice could be chosen; a practice that was formalized following the Great Sith War. While in place, the policy could be revoked should the Order see a decline in number, and necessity forces the apprenticeship of several students to a single master. Following several unsuccessful attempts at the Initiate Trials or if a student is not chosen by a Master, the Council of Reconciliation would place the student within the Jedi Service Corps. Depending on where the student's talents lay, this might be the Agricultural Corps, the Medical Corps, the Educational Corps or the Exploration Corps. If this role did not suit a particular student, they could chosen to leave the Order entirely.
*'''Jedi Knight '''– Following a period of nearly a decade of one-on-one training with a master, a disciplined Padawan was eligible to attempt the Jedi Trials. Upon successfully completing all tests put forth, a Padawan's braid was severed by the High Council and their life as a Knight began. No longer attached to a master, Knights were free to accept missions from the Council, pursue specialized training on one of the three branches of Knighthood, or take their own Padawan.
*'''Jedi Master '''– A Knight who showed great understanding of the Force and managed to instruct a Padawan and train them successfully to the level of a Jedi Knight was elevated to the rank of Master by the High Council. Self-declaration of the title was frowned upon and rare practice in the latter days of the Order, but not uncommon during war times or periods of disbandment. Amongst the Order's Masters, only a select few were appointed to one of the Jedi Councils. Made up exclusively of wise, experienced Masters, the Councils of the Order had different levels of membership, ensuring fresh perspectives were expressed as new events occurred. The High Council was made up of 12 masters, five of them holding life terms, four holding long-terms, and three holding short-terms. The elected leader of the Council was known as the Master of the Order and was often bestowed upon the acting Grand Master; the recognized leader of the entire Order.