Within the expansive universe that is Star Wars, the Jedi Temple Guards are some of the most enigmatic figures that are part of the Jedi Order, and what happened to them is something of a mystery. These masked, faceless figures wielding double-bladed yellow lightsabers evoke a sense of mystery and intrigue that, so far in the canon, has been only lightly explored. So who, exactly, are these mystical security guards?
Most of the known information on the Jedi Temple Guards comes from both Star Wars animated television shows, Star Wars Rebels. They first appeared within the seventeenth episode of The Clone Wars season 5, titled "Sabotage," and then shortly afterward were a significant presence in that arc's concluding episode, "The Wrong Jedi." The guards briefly showed up once again in the eleventh episode of season 6 (also known as The Lost Missions), "Voices," protecting a bedside Yoda.
However, the mythology of the temple guards got its true chance to shine in one of the most memorable episodes of Rebels. In "Shroud of Darkness," the eighteenth episode of season 2, Kanan Jarrus has a Force vision while visiting the remains of a Jedi temple on the planet Lothal. While the guards that appear in this instance aren't "real" living beings, their spiritual remnants allow for a chance to at least partially suggest the secret backstory of these seemingly important figures, while also hinting at one may have happened to them following The Clone Wars.
Jedi Temple Guards Explained (& How They're Chosen)
Out of all the Jedi to dedicate their lives to the Order, it is perhaps the vow of the Temple Guard that is expected to be taken the most seriously and intensely. Their near-featureless masks that obscured the faces underneath were the perfect representation of their roles as the absolutely committed and selfless security forces of the Jedi Temple. The Guards had no identities beyond this because they were expected to retain complete emotional detachment, even more so than the rest of the Jedi, and thus remained anonymous sentinels.
Chief of Security and pro lightsaber teacher Cin Drallig was in charge of the Guards and picked them out in order to train them in advanced lightsaber combat maneuvers involving their double-bladed yellow sabers (called a "lightsaber pike"). These special electees belonged to the ranking of the Jedi Knights, although the process of selecting the right from the ranks is still unknown. Their main duties involved temple patrol and assisting in captures and arrests of individuals deemed threats to the Order, most notably when they imprisoned Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee due to her involvement in a terrorist conspiracy.
Known Jedi Temple Guards In Star Wars Canon
Due to their anonymity, there are very few Temple Guards whose names and backgrounds are known. Cin Drallig led the security forces, but everyone under his command seemed to have lacked a distinct identity such as his. In The Clone Wars, they are seen breaking up a fight between Anakin Skywalker and Barriss Offee, performing their duty as peacekeepers and showing off their impeccable fighting skills. They are later seen helping to restrain Barriss Offee during her arrest, acting as internal security officers for crimes related to directly to the Jedi Order.
In Rebels, it was revealed that at least one of these Guards fell to the Dark Side and became known as the Grand Inquisitor. Although he was the main villain of season 1, it wasn't until season 1's "Shroud of Darkness" that the audience learned of his past as a Jedi Temple Guard. The Guards' own backstories are already shrouded in mystery, so it only makes sense that the ominously puzzling character of the Grand Inquisitor was born out of the mysteries of the Jedi. According to both series' creator Dave Filoni, the Inquisitor was one of the Guards present at the capture of Barriss Offee when she was brought forth to the Jedi Council for her crimes.
Jedi Temple Guards & Legends' Sentinels Comparison
The concept of the Jedi Temple Guard is an original creation of Dave Filoni's Star Wars animated shows, not having appeared in any of the "Legends" material that refers to the Expanded Universe stories written before 2014 (besides for The Clone Wars) now considered not part of the main canon. There have been characters and ideas, such as the fan-favorite villain Grand iral Thrawn and his fleet of TIE Defenders, pulled from the Legends lore for more recent creative ventures. However, the Temple Guard seems more inspired by Legends than an exact replication.
Based on their yellow lightsabers, the Guards are most likely inspired by the Sentinel class of Jedi introduced in the 2003 role-playing video game Knights of the Old Republic. KOTOR, as it is lovingly abbreviated by fans, included three branches of the Jedi Order known as Guardian, Consular, and Sentinel. Guardians used blue lightsabers and specialized in combat training, while Consulars wielded green blades and focused on diplomatic missions using their force skills more than their sword prowess. Sentinels, much like the Jedi Temple Guards, used yellow lightsabers, and they balanced their lightsaber and force skills to participate in security missions involving stealth and infiltration.
What Happened To The Jedi Temple Guards After Order 66
It's safe to assume that most of the Temple Guards were killed during the Jedi Purge and were probably even one of the first victims to fall since they held their positions at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. However, we know that one of them went on to become the Grand Inquisitor, reappearing in Kanan Jarrus' vision on Lothal after his death. At Dragon Con 2018's Star Wars animation , The Clone Wars and Rebels writer Henry Gilroy stated that the Inquisitor betrayed the Jedi as early as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader's massacre at the Jedi Temple, helping to kill off the other Guards so that the newly minted Sith Lord could enter more easily.
Since the Inquisitor witnessed the trial of Barriss Offee, it's quite possible that he was convinced of the fallen Jedi's argument about how the Order had lost its way and was responsible for the war. It's fitting, then, that he learned how to fight the Jedi using the Archives at the Imperial Palace, which was formerly his old Jedi Temple stomping grounds. He even carries a double-bladed lightsaber, as if his old position as a Temple Guard allowed him a smooth transition to working for the Sith. It's a neat way to circle back this piece of Star Wars mythology to the main storyline and explain the tenuous balance between the Light and Dark Sides.