Jedi Sentinel

Jedi Sentinel
Historical information
Established by	Jedi Order
Date suspended	19 BBY
Organizational information
Government	Jedi High Council

"This Jedi ferrets out deceit and injustice, bringing it to light."

―Dorak

A Jedi Sentinel was the name given to one of the three distinct schools of thought of the Jedi that sought a balance between the two other branches, the Consulars and the Guardians. While they possessed considerable combat skills and had somewhat extensive knowledge of the Force, Sentinels blended both schools of teaching and amplified them with a series of non-Force skills, such as in the fields of security, computers, stealth techniques, demolitions, repair, or medicine. These skills tended to take the forefront in their middle-road approach to problems; while a Guardian might bash down a locked door and a Consular might simply knock, a Sentinel would instead use equipment available or ingenuity to pick the lock. While the role of the Sentinels within the Jedi Order had remained largely consistent throughout its history, the branch of study was first documented by the Sentinel Jedi recruiter Morrit Ch'gally in the text The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force.

Overview

Within the Jedi Order, the spirit of the Jedi Sentinel had always existed, with many Guardians and Consulars building a strong connection to the Galactic Republic whom the Order professed to protect. These Jedi were more service-oriented, seeking out cities rather than temples, crowds over solitude. Jedi Knights pursued the Sentinel field of study as a specialization of their specific discipline, in the same way that a Consular might become a healer, or a Guardian might aspire to be a Peacekeeper.

A male Sentinel with a blue-bladed shoto.

While it was unclear when the Sentinels became their own unique discipline, rather than a specialization within another school of thought, some historians described Master Morrit Ch'gally as the founder of the practical discipline. Ch'gally served as a member of the Army of Light and a Jedi recruiter with the Acquisition Division, and he believed that the differences between his line of thought and the Guardians and Consulars were distinct enough to warrant its own branch of study. Driven by Ch'gally's vision, Sentinels flourished in the postwar era that followed the Ruusan Reformations and spread into the galaxy, where they became some of the Order's most recognizable members. Many served as freelance law enforcers, and were respected as Jedi that could be approached with any problem. When the Galactic Empire came to power at the end of the Clone Wars, the Sentinels suffered fewer casualties than the other Jedi in service to the Order due to their ability to remain anonymous, their avoidance of temples, and their proclivity for working in city environments. However, those who did not die during the execution of Order 66 were ruthlessly hunted by the Inquisitors of the Empire. Because of the local populace's familiarity with them, the Sentinels were easily and eagerly turned over by opportunists seeking to gain credibility with the new Empire. While many died during the Great Jedi Purge, others fled into the depths of the cities they served, becoming vigilantes in the night, working anonymously.

Philosophy

"In my view, it's possible to know too much about combat and the Force- if it means you know next to nothing about intelligence gathering, computer slicing, technological surveillance, or espionage. Sentinels approach these disciplines from the bottom up, without assuming that the Force will reveal all the answers. When you do this, you'll find there's a great deal the civilians of the galaxy can teach us."

―Jedi Recruiter Morrit Ch'gally

While studying all of the traditional techniques and abilities that made the Jedi who they were, the Sentinels of the Order found their isolation in the Jedi Temple to be a hindrance if they were expected to be able to work with the civilians of the galaxy. While adherents to the Force and all that it could do, Sentinels were not blinded by faith and realized that the mystical energy field did have its limitations. Typically opting for missions requiring them to stay in a single place for long periods of time, the Sentinels would take on assignments not suited to the other Jedi branches.

A Gand Sentinel

The rarely lit lightsabers of the Sentinels usually produced a yellow blade. Few in numbers, Sentinels had no superior titles such as Sage or Warrior Masters of the other two branches. Instead, they focused on the variety of techniques needed to be successful as a Sentinel. Known for practicing more specialized Force techniques, a form of Force Immunity was favored amongst those in this class. Crossing Force-based training with increased mental conditioning, this ability allowed them to better withstand outside mental influences, including Force-based attacks. The most notable Jedi Sentinel serving the Galactic Republic during the Jedi Civil War was Bastila Shan, who, while still a Padawan, mastered the ancient and difficult art of Battle meditation, using it to great effect during the defeat, capture, and redemption of the fallen Jedi Revan.

During the Great Galactic War, the Cold War and the Galactic War, "Sentinel" referred to Jedi Knights who specialized in wielding dual lightsabers and using the Jar'Kai variant of Shii-Cho, Ataru and Juyo.

Though many of the other Jedi classes were hunted to extinction during the Great Jedi Purge, Darth Sidious personally suspected that many of the survivors were Sentinels due to their tendency to serve on distant worlds, their ability to integrate more easily into society, and their secretive nature. Their teachings and ideals of this branch lived on in a recovered version of The Jedi Path. While the New Jedi Order did not initially reinstate the title, their roles were filled by the new Jedi filling out the Order. Grandmaster Luke Skywalker considered Masters Kam Solusar and Kyle Katarn to be prime examples of what that role signified. As of 137 ABY, when the Third Jedi Purge was in still in effect, the Order had begun to use the title, though many were slaughtered during the reign of Darth Krayt. The Sentinels who did survive felt personally responsible for failing to see the resurrection of the Sith scourge and began to hunt down members of the One Sith in hopes of rebuilding the galaxy and the Order.

Specialized paths

Sentinels focused on a variety of fields, some with honorifics in the Order, others with skills taken up by professionals in the rest of civilization. Applying their abilities to the art of the slicer, technician, spy, and security experts, the Sentinels also took on very specific titles in the Order.

Jedi Artisan

A Cerean Jedi artisan

Trying to understand creativity as a central aspect of the will of the Force, the craft pursued by Jedi artisans typically manifested in the construction of lightsabers and holocrons. Having an intrinsic skill with tools and machines, artisans joined their connection to the Force with their mechanical skill to guide their use of tools to create truly artistic and unique objects.

Jedi Investigator

Working as specialized trackers and even spies, the Jedi Investigators worked closely with law enforcement to track down criminals and discover the truth behind crimes. Going undercover for long stretches of time, investigators should not be confused with their Shadow cousins, as the role of an investigator focused mainly on crime as opposed to Dark Side Adepts.

Jedi Recruiter

Working as members of the Acquisition Division of the Order, the Jedi recruiters honed the talents learned from Jedi Investigators to track down and identify Force-sensitives to assess whether they belonged in the Jedi Order. Republic law required all newborns undergo testing, with potential candidates' names being recorded in the Division's prized Kyber memory crystal. After the child had aged a few months, the Order would dispatch a recruiter to test the child and see if they met the qualifications to begin training on the Jedi Path.

Jedi Shadow

A Mirialan Jedi Shadow.

A highly respected and secretive group of Jedi, the Shadows went farther than the Investigators in their hunt for the truth. Working closely with the Council of First Knowledge, the Shadows sought and destroyed all traces of the Dark side of the Force, and its adepts. While not always present at the Temple, the Shadows were based in the Temple Precinct and reported back as frequently as their mission allowed. Additionally, they were permitted to study and wield Dark Side Force Powers beyond what was normal for a Jedi Knight.

Jedi Temple Guard

A Jedi Temple Guard

Anonymous sentinels who served as security force and reported to Jedi Master Cin Drallig, who headed the Temple's security detail. They wore formal robes and identity-concealing masks, the ultimate expression of emotional detachment required in service to a higher calling. Temple Guards carried imposing lightsaber pikes—thick, double-bladed weapons that produced a rare and distinctive yellow blade.

Jedi Watchman

The Jedi Watchmen were a group of individuals who chose to work alone in the oversight of peace on a single planet or system. Focusing on bettering society and protecting the rights of a system for years at a time, they became a vital liaison between the planetary government and the Jedi High Council.

Additional specialization

A Dark Jedi Sentinel

Many Jedi Sentinels resided at the Jedi Temple, using their skills where needed and providing assistance to local law enforcement. The Technical division of the Order was staffed by tech experts who specialized in the maintenance of droids and other mechanicals, a skill rare among the generally anti-droid members of the Order. Developing a special technique known as mechu-deru, many were able to see the intuitiveness behind the complex structures that composed droids.

Security experts and slicers maintained their skills at the Temple by running through practice courses devised to test their abilities and the skills of their trade. Without the Force to assist them, these two skills were largely developed through unassisted training and the gift of years of hard work. The quartermaster of the Jedi Temple worked to ensure that all Jedi equipment had been updated and that the storehouse at the Temple was always stocked with the latest technology.

Behind the scenes

The term Jedi Sentinel was created solely for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic as one of the Jedi starting classes, and only later appeared in the pen-and-paper Saga Edition of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game as a Talent Tree for the Jedi class. This class is mostly signified by its use of yellow lightsaber blades. In Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, the prestige class that corresponds to Jedi Sentinel is Jedi Watchman; the dark-side counterpart is Sith assassin. The Jedi Watchman class also appears in other Legends works, such as the Tales of the Jedi comics and others. The class presumably became official in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic comic series along with Jedi Guardian and Consular.

The Star Wars Miniatures set Champions of the Force uses Visas Marr to represent the Jedi Sentinel class. Although she was the Sith apprentice to Darth Nihilus, she was still of the Sentinel class and later redeemed, becoming an apprentice to Meetra Surik.

Star Wars Galaxies had two hidden Jedi Enclaves on Yavin 4, one dark and one light. The Jedi of Galaxies could use these as meeting places. Each enclave was guarded by two CL 500 Jedi Sentinels, dark and light, who served as protectors for the meetings should an opposing side try to disrupt them. Starting at Chapter 7, the Sentinels were removed and the enclaves served as sites for those who wanted to see the ruins of both.

The Jedi Sentinel is an advanced class for the Jedi Knight class in the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO video game. This advanced class specializes in the use of dual lightsabers and dealing greater damage in battle. The Imperial counterpart for this archetype is the Sith Marauder.

Appearances

• "Shadows and Light" — Star Wars Tales 23
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (First appearance)
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
• Star Wars: The Old Republic
• Star Wars: The Old Republic Cartel Market
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Rise of the Hutt Cartel
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Shadow of Revan
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Eternal Throne
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Onslaught
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Legacy of the Sith
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Sabotage"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "The Wrong Jedi"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Voices"
• Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
• † Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Mentioned only)
• Riptide (Mentioned only)

Sources

• Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords: Prima Official Game Guide
• † Classes of the Old Republic
• Threats of the Galaxy
• Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide
• Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game — Champions of the Force (Card: Jedi Sentinel) (backup link)
• The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide
• Rebellion Era Campaign Guide
• Galaxy at War
• The Unknown Regions
• The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force
• The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Old Republic
• Star Wars: The Old Republic Explorer's Guide
• Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia
• Star Wars: Force and Destiny Core Rulebook
• Keeping the Peace
• Endless Vigil

Notes and references

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