Among the announcements at Star Wars Celebration 2023, one stand-out project was the new Star Wars movie by director James Mangold. Despite most stories keeping within a 50-year timeframe of the original trilogy, this new project will go back 25,000 years to the dawn of the Jedi and explore the origins of the Order. But the story won't be diving completely into the unknown, as some details have already been revealed about the first-ever Jedi.
While Star Wars comics go back hundreds of years into the High Republic era, 25,000 years into the past is truly uncharted territory. And because of this, everything known about the first Jedi has been discovered and told through archeologists, as well as vague details in Star Wars visual dictionaries. Nevertheless, there's enough to paint a picture of what fans should expect from Mangold's new movie.
The Origins of the Jedi Order
Ironically, most details about the original Jedi come from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Luke Skywalker's island on Ahch-To is said the be home to the very first Jedi Temple, which may very well be a key plot point of the movie. However, it's not the most important detail, as a mosaic art piece sits on the temple floor of Luke's home, depicting what's known as the Prime Jedi. It shows a humanoid figure with a large head sitting with a lightsaber, with a background displaying the light and dark sides of the Force.
While the figure's head is larger than any typical human, it's difficult to tell which species they are. But as for their backstory, it's known that they established the Jedi Order in the year 25,025 BBY on the uncharted world of Ahch-To. That planet would eventually get hidden away to protect the structure, which may or may not have been the Prime Jedi's doing. But it's also rumored that they established a Jedi Temple on Jedha from Rogue One, as it's considered the spiritual home of the Jedi Order.
The Jedi Were Far Different Before the Prequels
As the Star Wars prequel trilogy came out, audiences were surprised by the flaws of the Jedi Order. But that was entirely the point, as George Lucas chose to show the Jedi Order at its very worst -- corrupted by an unwinnable war and their own hubris. So, while the basic foundation of the Jedi Order was still on display, it's far different from the Order created thousands of years prior.
The early Jedi history has a far stronger focus on worshiping the Force and isolating themselves from the galaxy's conflicts. They eventually aligned themselves with the Galactic Republic, which was also established around 25,000 BBY, and became peacekeepers, but this duty only came after the Order was formed. So, whoever this Prime Jedi is, they will likely focus on discovering and understanding the Force and learning about the balance between the different sides.
Still, it's unlikely that the Prime Jedi is a pacifist, as their mosaic depiction shows them wielding the Jedi's iconic lightsaber. The art piece even shows a balance between light and dark, suggesting the early Jedi Order may not have avoided the dark side as much as their predecessors. But in any case, Mangold has a lot of freedom in creating the dawn of the Jedi.