One of the Jedi Order's most stringent rules was that no Jedi may fall in love and get married for fear that their attachment would lead to jealousy and ultimately tempt them to the Dark Side of the Force. This rule led to one of the most famous plots in Star Wars canon: Anakin marrying Padmé Amidala in secret and being seduced by the Dark Side to prevent her death. However, the Jedi Order made an exception to this rule and allowed one Jedi Master to marry for practical reasons, not love. This character was Ki-Adi-Mundi, and he didn't merely break the Jedi code — he fully smashed it by having five wives and seven children.

During the last years of the Galactic Republic, Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi served as a member of the Jedi High Council. Mundi was allowed to marry and have children because his home planet Cerea had a dangerously low birthrate. Since the marriages were performed out of necessity for the survival of the Cerean species, there was little risk that Mundi would let his emotions consume his judgment or that he would form any dangerous attachments. As a Cerean, Mundi had a large cranium with a binary brain that could conceive both sides of a logical argument. Mundi was held in high esteem on the Jedi High Council for his wisdom and noble thinking. The Jedi Order thought it would be permissible for Mundi to marry and have children, since Mundi would go about this arrangement with a sound mind and a clear goal of species survival.

RELATED: Star Wars: How Asajj Ventress Went From Jedi Padawan to Sith Disciple

The Cerean species often entered into polyamorous marriages to combat the low birthrate among their species. On Mundi's home planet of Cerea, females outnumbered males 20-to-1. Cereans were also a dimorphic species, meaning that males and females exhibit different characteristics other than the difference in sexual organs. Male Cereans aged much more rapidly than their female counterparts, making the birthrate crisis that much more dire. It was custom for Cerean males to have one primary wife and between four and ten "honor" wives to procreate with.

The Jedi Order recognized this birthrate crisis and took a risk by allowing any Cerean Jedi Knight to marry and have children. However, Mundi was the most famous Cerean and highest-ranking Jedi to do so, and he had four wives and seven daughters.

RELATED: Star Wars: What Death Sticks Are & Why They're So Dangerous

Even with a larger logic-minded brain, Mundi still struggled to not form emotional attachments to his wives. He did manage to keep his feelings in check and not let fears of loss tempt him to any unstable emotional impulses. It is interesting to note that Cereans also have two hearts to pump additional blood to their binary brains, yet Mundi couldn't use the extra heart to fully love any of his wives. Mundi was a rare individual, both as a male Cerean and as a Jedi who broke the code and was able to resist forming unstable emotional attachments.

KEEP READING: Star Wars: The High Republic Changes What We Know About Jedi Sex