Brotherhood by Mike Chen is one of the finest examples of Star Wars literature ever penned. Its exploration of the changing relationship between Anakin Skywalker, who is being promoted to the status of Jedi Knight in the second chapter of the book, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin’s former Master who has been promoted to the level of Jedi Master and now sits on the Jedi High Council, is subtle yet powerful in a way that only Star Wars can be.

During Anakin’s promotion ceremony, Chen alludes to the fact that this particular ceremony diverges from the traditions of the Jedi. For over a thousand years, Padawans had to face a variety of trials in order to be promoted. Once said trials were successfully passed, a formal ceremony was held to honor the transition from Apprentice to Knight. Thanks to the start of the Clone Wars, this ceremony is hastily held and handled so that the Jedi Order can have enough Knights to lead the clone army on the battlefield. No trials are held. No tests are passed. The ceremony itself, even in its haphazard state, is the only allusion to the traditions the Order held dear for generations.

The state of this knighting ceremony itself is not the problem, though. It is simply a symptom that exposes the beginning of the Jedi’s transition from peacekeepers to soldiers, which will lead to their ultimate downfall. It is this diversion from their purpose, not the war itself, that spells doom for an organization that was supposed to serve as a moral compass and shining light for the Republic.

Contrasting the Jedi during the Clone Wars era and the Jedi of The High Republic era provides an intriguing perspective in this regard, as the struggle with the Nihil and Marchion Ro is the closest the Jedi came to becoming soldiers of the Republic prior to the war with the Confederacy of Independent Systems. During the Nihil conflict, the Jedi stayed independent of the Republic while working in accordance with them. The two worked together and one could certainly make requests of the other, but there was a clear line that delineated the Jedi from the Republic. For instance, the Jedi Order enacts the Guardian Protocols, returning as many Jedi as possible to the main temple on Coruscant, despite the fact that the Republic would prefer them to be on the front lines. (Part of The High Republic’s narrative shows the dissolving of this line, although it still remains clear. Said line is further dissolved in The Acolyte, which lands closer to the prequels than the novels do.)

The Knighting ceremonies shown in the two eras further display how differently the Jedi behaved in the Clone Wars era. As previously stated, Anakin’s Knighting is haphazard and thrown together at best. Delilah S. Dawson’s Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade shows the ceremony from the perspective of another Padawan being promoted to Knight, Iskat Akaris. Iskat is very aware of the fact that she is not ready to be a Jedi Knight, as she still struggles with her role as a Jedi of any sort. She recognizes that she is simply being promoted because of the need for field generals, not her readiness nor merit. For Iskat, such a promotion is not an honor. Instead, it shows the rotting of the Order itself.

Nevertheless, the ceremony present in Brotherhood and Rise of the Red Blade is not the first time the Jedi have broken tradition in order to promote a student from Padawan to Knight. In Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland’s Defy the Storm, Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh gives her apprentice, Imri Cantaros, a field promotion without consulting the Council. However, the meaning behind Vernestra’s breaking of tradition and the breaking of tradition during Anakin and Iskat’s promotion is vastly different. When Vernestra finds Imri, whom she believed dead, Imri has changed. Instead of focusing on the ever-increasing conflict with the Nihil on a galactic scale, Imri has shifted his focus to helping the layperson. This, he believes, is his true calling, thus he forgoes the opportunity to return to the larger fight with his Master. Moreover, he has decided to lay down his lightsaber rather than perpetuate the cycle of violence he sees brewing as the conflict with the Nihil worsens.

When Vernestra sees the extent of Imri’s convictions, and the maturity that has come with it, she forgoes tradition and crowns her apprentice as a Knight. While the two joke about whether or not doing so is allowable, as it does break tradition, there is an understanding that it is the meaning that matters, not the ceremony. Vernestra’s knighting of Imri is her way of honoring the journey of her apprentice, internally and externally. Vernestra is giving Imri her blessing, even though (and maybe because) Imri no longer needs it. He has decided for himself what it means to be a Jedi, and he will live in that truth no matter what.

By being willing to sacrifice the minor yet important parts of their tradition without a deeper meaning, the Jedi Order slowly but surely begins to fracture itself. Instead of being peacekeepers, they become soldiers. Instead of being the light, they become a part of the problem. Instead of trying to find a peaceful solution, thus protecting life, they perpetuate violence across the galaxy to such an extent that the Empire is able to rise and institute its military industrial complex across the galaxy.

In our lives, it is easy to let the small things go. Sometimes it is even important to let the small things go. There is a reason for the phrase, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Nonetheless, not sweating the small stuff cannot be ubiquitous. When it violates the core of who one is and/or what one believes, the small stuff should be profusely sweated. If it is not, one’s core will be eroded slowly but surely.

The narratives explored in Star Wars literature, from Brotherhood to Rise of the Red Blade and beyond, vividly illustrate the gradual erosion of Jedi principles amidst the tumult of war. Mike Chen’s depiction of Anakin Skywalker’s rushed knighting ceremony serves as a poignant metaphor for the Jedi Order’s transformation from guardians of peace to instruments of conflict. This thematic exploration resonates with broader societal implications, emphasizing the peril of compromising foundational values in pursuit of expediency. There is an importance to the steadfastness in one’s beliefs and identity. Overlooking seemingly minor compromises can pave the path to profound consequences, both personally and institutionally. Thus, the lessons from the Jedi’s decline serve as a cautionary tale, urging vigilance in preserving integrity and purpose amid challenging circumstances. That, in the end, is the Jedi Way.