It’s best not to think too hard about the practicalities of life in a galaxy far, far away. Star Wars has always been fantasy first, science fiction second, and it’s a long way away from being “hard” sci-fi. As such, there are a bunch of things that don’t make a huge amount of sense when you start picking them apart, unless you’re into some intense theory-crafting.
One perennial question that’s currently being debated on r/StarWars is who picks up the bill for the Jedi Order? The OP points out that the Jedi occupy a huge amount of prime real estate in Coruscant, seem to have unlimited resources to pay for equipment, and ships, and don’t seem to work for hire.
One reply says the closest we have to confirmation comes in the 2010 Legends book The Clone Wars: Gambit Stealth.
“They lived so simply, it was easy to forget that over the generations the Jedi had amassed vast wealth. Which was understandable-the Temple and its widespread activities were enormously expensive to maintain, and the Order received no Republic funding.”
Legends is no longer canon, though, and what we see in the movies strongly indicates they’re indeed funded by the Republic. The Jedi seem to be very much bound up in Republic politics, most notably leading their armies during the Clone Wars, being used as protection on diplomatic missions, and sent to help resolve trade disputes (as seen in The Phantom Menace).
It’s worth pointing out that this position makes the Jedi vulnerable, as an attack on the Senate’s legitimacy will also directly impact the Jedi themselves, which was, in a roundabout way, Palpatine’s plan in the prequels. It’s also noted that while roaming Jedi don’t ask for payment for their work, they do seem to accept shelter, food, and other basic needs when offered by grateful people across the galaxy.
So while we may never know the true intricacies of the Jedi Order’s finances, everyone seems to agree they have essentially bottomless resources. No wonder Palpatine wanted them out of the way so badly.
Published: Aug 9, 2022 10:04 am