Star Warshas always been rife with conflict, as war constantly rages in the galaxy - and, more often than not, the Jedi are involved. Sometimes only a few Jedi will offer their assistance for the good of the galaxy (like how Luke Skywalker,Ezra Bridger, and Kanan Jarrus fought the Empire). Other times, armies of Jedi are on the front lines (like in the Clone Wars orthe Jedi-Sith War). And sometimes, the Jedi are merely victims of a galaxy-wide slaughter, including during an epic story that’s all but begging to return: the Third Jedi Purge.
InStar Wars: Legacy#1 by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, fans are taken to the furthest point in theStar Warstimeline (130-138 ABY) where they are shown the Third Jedi Purge. In fact, the first issue of thisStar Wars Legendscomic seriesopens with the Third Jedi Purge, as the One Sith descend upon the New Jedi Order with only one sinister intention: wipe them all out. An army of Sith warriors viciously attacked the Jedi, and a great number of Jedi died during the conflict. However, the One Sith only managed to take out half.
WhileStar Wars' Jedi PurgeinStar Wars: Legacydid result in the deaths of many Jedi, it was - by definition - a failure. Half of the Jedi of the New Jedi Order were able to escape the assault with their lives, fleeing to Jedi Temples that had been established in secret just in case something like this were to happen. Not only that, but only a few years later, the Jedi were able to strike back at the Sith, which resulted in the death of the leader of the One Sith, Darth Krayt, and the subsequent crumbling of the entire dark side cult.
Wait… The THIRD Jedi Purge? What Were the Other Two in Star Wars?
The Third Jedi Purge was, indeed, a noteworthy moment inStar Warshistory (even if it did only happen inStar Wars Legends). But, perhaps the most striking thing about it is the fact that it was the third one, leaving some fans wondering: what were the previous two? Most - if not all -Star Warsfans are familiar with at least one of the other Jedi Purges, as it happened during arguably the most popular era ofStar Warshistory: the Clone Wars.
That was the second Jedi Purge, which came to be known as the Great Jedi Purge. As most fans know, the Great Jedi Purge was orchestrated by Sheev Palpatine aka Darth Sidious, who used political and dark side maneuverings to manipulate both the Senate and the Jedi to fight a sham war, all so he could deploy Clone Troopers all over the galaxy with a secret order that they had no choice but to follow: Order 66.The Clones murdered thousands of Jedi all at once after Palpatine executed Order 66, which effectively crumbled the Jedi Order entirely.
After Palpatine’s Fall, the Sith Only Survived Thanks to One of Yoda’s Tricks
Emperor Palpatine’s death should have meant the end of the Sith in Star Wars, but thanks to Yoda’s most famous trick, it was just the beginning.
The first Jedi Purge (aptly named the ‘First Jedi Purge’) happened a great deal of time before the second, during the age of the Old Republic, between the years 3954 and 3951 BBY. The First Jedi Purge came about when the Sith Triumvirate (consisting of Darth Nihilus, Darth Traya, and Darth Sion) effectively took over the galaxy, and focused all their might on exterminating the Jedi. The final nail in the Jedi’s coffin came when Darth Nihilus wiped out the entire population of the planet Katarr, where the vast majority of the Jedi were living, which decimated the Order.
Which Jedi Purge was the Most Detrimental in Star Wars?
Every Jedi Purge was Tragic, but One Easily Stands Out as the Worst
Obviously, every Jedi Purge was incredibly detrimental to the Jedi Order, as a great number of Jedi were killed by the hands of the Sith in each instance. Not only that, but the Sith responsible for launching each attack became stronger as a direct result of the respective purges, and anytime the Sith grow in strength, it is an automatic loss for the Jedi (purge or no). However, out of the three Jedi Purges, there is one that stands out as the worst of them all: the Great Jedi Purge.
Why is the Great Jedi Purge worse than the First or Third Jedi Purges? Well, the answer lies with how quickly the Jedi were able to bounce back. After the First Jedi Purge, a small faction of surviving Jedi came together and formed the Lost Jedi, which was led by “Jedi Exile” Meetra Surik. Surik was able to defeat the Sith Triumvirate soon after the First Jedi Purge, and then use the Lost Jedi as the foundation to rebuild the Jedi Order, which eventually led to the Jedi ofthe High Republic Era aka the Jedi Golden Age.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Has a Boring Finale, And We’ve Got the Sith Armada to Prove It
The end space-battle in Star Wars: The Last Jedi was epic, but the First Order’s armada is nothing compared to the Sith armada in Star Wars Legends.
The Third Jedi Purge was similar to the First, as only half of the Jedi Order were actually killed, and the half that survived came back with a vengeance to destroy Darth Krayt and his One Sith once and for all. The Great Jedi Purge - on the other hand - eliminated the Jedi Order for decades while also giving rise to the Empire. And even when the New Jedi Order was founded by Luke Skywalker, it was nowhere near what it was before Order 66, and wouldn’t be for roughly a century. All-in-all, the Great Jedi Purge was the worst.
The Third Jedi Purge NEEDS to Happen in Star Wars Canon
The Third Jedi Purge Only Happened in Legends, & the First Proves It Can Be Canon
While the Great Jedi Purge might have been the most detrimental of the three, the Third Jedi Purge is arguably the most badass. The Third Jedi Purge is reminiscent of the Jedi-Sith War, as an army of Sith are battling just as many Jedi on a battlefield in brutal, epic combat. Unfortunately, the Third Jedi Purge isn’t canon, as it only happened in Legends. However,Star Warshas the power to fix that, and the First Jedi Purge is proof.
The First Jedi Purge also originated inStar Wars Legends(the video gameStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords). However,Star Warshas subtly been integrating the Old Republic into canon with canonical comic books featuring the likes of Darth Nihilus, and even theClone Warsanimated series including Sith Lords like Darth Bane. Therefore, the First Jedi Purge - like the rest of the Old Republic Era - is as good as canon. And now,Star Warsneeds to do that with the Third Jedi Purge.
Order 66 Failed: How a Single Jedi’s Survival Undermined the Empire’s Bloodiest Ambush
Order 66 wiped out the majority of Star Wars' Jedi, but that doesn’t mean Palpatine’s bloody ambush was a complete success, as 1 crucial Jedi survived
Unfortunately, making the Third Jedi Purge canon isn’t as easy as the First, as there are a number ofLegends-specific elements that cannot be added seamlessly into canon (such as the existence of Cade Skywalker). Therefore, the Third Jedi Purge will have to be adapted into canon, which means this epic story will have to make its return toStar Warsin a big way - something it’s been all but begging for since itsLegendsdebut.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
