Why The New Republic Still Doesn"t Believe In Jedi, Just 5 Years After Luke Skywalker"s Heroics

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Ahsoka episode 7.
Summary

• New Republic Senator Xiono dismisses the Jedi as "fairy tales" and questions their existence and power in Ahsoka episode 7.
• Xiono's reluctance to believe in the Jedi is understandable due to the young and fragile state of the New Republic.
• Xiono's refusal to believe in the Jedi and take action mirrors the failures of the New Republic government and foreshadows trouble in the galaxy.

Just five years after Luke Skywalker’s heroics in Return of the Jedi, some New Republic Senators are calling the Jedi into question yet again in Ahsoka. The galaxy has changed a lot since the defeat of the Empire, as the New Republic works to rebuild ties between distant planets and maintain the peace that was hard-won after the Battle of Endor. The audience knows that the Jedi were an integral part of winning the war against Palpatine and his Imperial Forces – Luke destroyed the first Death Star in A New Hope, redeemed Vader, and helped defeat Darth Sidious in Return of the Jedi, while others like Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, and Ahsoka Tano were an instrumental part of the Rebellion.
So why, when the few remaining Jedi in the galaxy helped so hard to win the war against tyranny, are some still so reluctant to believe in their existence and power? In Ahsoka episode 7 “Part Seven: Dreams and Madness,” New Republic Senator Hamato Xiono calls General Hera Syndulla’s accounts of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s imminent return into question, making sure to mention his disbelief in the Jedi, the star whales known as purrgil, and the possibility of traveling to distant galaxies. And yet, wouldn’t a senator, specifically one that has had dealings with someone like Leia Organa, know a bit more about the Jedi and who they are?
Your browser does not support the video tag. Ahsoka's Senator Xiono Dismisses The Jedi As "Fairy Tales" - Why? As Hera Syndulla tries to defend herself in front of the New Republic Senate Committee, Senator Xiono says: "An incident, yes, but this report reads like a child's fairy tale. Jedi, false Jedi, star maps, star whales, distant galaxies. Honestly, are we to believe any of it?" And to a degree, his reluctance to accept the truth is understandable. The New Republic is still young and fragile, and admitting that the Imperial Remnant is already on the rise and that their biggest hope is a group of people scattered across the galaxy who were thought to be extinct a mere few years earlier is a tough pill to swallow, even when working closely with Luke Skywalker’s sister.
Luke is undeniably a hero, yes – but there were very few who experienced his heroics with their own eyes. His bravery in Return of the Jedi was only witnessed by those whom he was confronting – Vader and Palpatine. Only a handful of people would have known the truth of what happened there, and Leia, with her position as a Senator, would never want to reveal the truth of who her father was, either. Aside from Luke, the other Jedi around during the war like Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka all dropped off the grid before the conflict ended. Ahsoka had “died,” Kanan sacrificed his life, and Ezra forced Thrawn into exile in another galaxy. Why should Xiono believe fantastical stories about people he’s never even met?
Senator Xiono Shows Why The New Republic Failed Senator Xiono’s firm denial of the Jedi’s existence and the events that have transpired in the Ahsoka show is emblematic of everything that was wrong with the New Republic’s budding government. Letting decision-making be guided by facts and truth is not a bad thing, and yet, Xiono’s refusal to believe anyone else’s first-hand accounts of what was going on would ultimately lead to the destruction of the New Republic. Others followed his example, and the New Republic refused to act, even as the imagined threat of the First Order became a reality.


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