Is Cal Kestis a Gray Jedi?

One of the biggest questions I've been hearing after the release of Star Wars Jedi Survivor is whether Cal Kestis is a gray Jedi. We'll discuss his relationship with Merrin and more on today's Star Wars video.

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[fakenuke]

Gray or not, he definitely is a badass and a great character.

[hommemystere]

for me, I interpreted Cal developing attachments and "time to leave the order behind" as a recognition that the Jedi Order in the prequels were flawed. a true jedi is about serving the force to keep balance and not necessarily about all these rules. especially when it was attachment in RotJ that brought back Anakin, but supressing his attachment turned him to the dark side.

PS, Zee from the "golden age of the jedi" also called Cal a real Jedi too

[macwelch]

No, he’s very much a light-side Jedi, but he’s struggling with his inner darkness, especially after the events of Jedi Survivor

[canisblack]

I think the term "Grey Jedi" is a misnomer even when talking about the Jolee Bindo sort. Mostly because something we've seen consistently is that the dogmatic Jedi Order where they have things like rules against "attachment" and relationships are the versions that are about to be destroyed or fall. There are also eras where the Jedi allow and even encourage relationships both romantic and familial and their more concerned with morality than dogmatism.

[arthurbrandonnielsen]

I think part of the confusion also somes from a misunderstanding about the Jedi Code, and understanding the difference between "Tradition" and "Doctrine". The Jedi Code is the Doctrine, but the "Code if the Jedi Order", forlack of a better term, is Doctrine combined with Tradition. That's why the original Legendsverse EU included alternative Force organizations, and why they also pop up in the Disneyverse canon. Being a member of the Order and following their traditions doesn't make you a Jedi. Leaving the order doesn't mean you are no longer a Jedi. Both the Old and New EU have commented on how one of the reasons why the Jedi Order fell was because at the time, that Order had near monopoly on Code interpretation and recognized authority. "Maverick" Jedi like Qui-Gon Jinn recognized the difference between the Jedi Code and the Order's Code, and would use that to "go against the Council", but at the time, Jedi like him were few and far between.

[doomakarn]

I've said this before, and I'll say it again; I believe that Star Wars fundamentally misunderstands human nature. There is a way to draw on the darker parts of yourself without relinquishing yourself to it, and trying to reject those darker parts of yourself is an impossible task that only makes things worse. Hate, anger, fear can be transformed into confidence, determination & caution. It can give you the wisdom and strength to find balance within yourself if you are guided properly. The Jedi order can be, and is wrong about many things.

[lucasp]

Read the title as “is cal kestis a gay jedi” and was expecting an interesting upload

[Roger-]

Tho Kanan also developed a strong romantic connection with Hera, as well as a more familial type of connection to the rest of the members of the Ghost crew. Not to mention that both Kanan and Cal were knighted as Jedi Knights. Tho I’m sure Cere would have disagreed if she discovered the romantic bond that was sparked between Cal and Merrin.

There’s a lot of parallels between the two characters; but if anything they’re more like True Jedi rather than Grey Jedi imo; it’s their connections and relationships with those close to them that make them True Jedi imo.

But I mean, not unless the title of “Grey Jedi” has become like a very wide ranging type of description, (which to my knowledge it hasn’t) but weather it be in canon or legends, the Grey Jedi terminology always seemed rather vague and subject to change by the fan base, and/or new shit is added to the teachings of the Grey Jedi constantly to help identify them easier) otherwise I think the whole “Grey Jedi” term just muddies things tbh, it should just be scrapped lol

[loganwendigo]

Cal is basically the Disney version of Kyle Katarn to me, especially now with the beard and gun lol. A Jedi that follows the light side but is pretty lenient with following the Old Order’s rules

A classic Legends Jedi before the Prequels

[Freesorin]

Geetsly just did a really good video on why most people misunderstand the force, and his points show us why the concept of grey Jedi is fundamentally flawed. He points out that, according to Lucas himself, there isn't really a "light" side of the Force. The Force is a fundamentally good thing that intends to do what is best for all life, and to serve the light is to do for others. To provide for and help other people, and through that selfless action to be proud of the good you have done and thus find peace. The "dark side" is the deliberate perversion and corruption of the Force's power to serve selfish desires, to improve yourself at other's expense. The Force isn't a Ying-Yang, two halves of the same coin thing that are vying for power with each other. It is just positive (the force) and negative (the dark side). The phrase "light side" was used purely for the sake of simplifying the concept to the audience. Basically we should stop looking at the Force as a teeter-totter with one side being light and one side being dark and the middle being grey, and instead look at it as a boat on the water. The surface of the water is the Force, and that is where the boat should be for it's own safety. If you poke holes in the boat and it sinks it is now submerged by the dark side and it will eventually decay and be destroyed. It is everyone's best interest to stay above water.

[warner]

On the topic if the Jedi were wrong to forbid attachment/love; I find it interesting that Cal's attachment/relationship with his makeshift Mantis family is sort of what set off his rage when Bode betrayed them and Cere/Cordova died. On the opposite end, his attachment/love for Merrin is what pulled him back from the brink when he was about to kill Denvik, I honestly think that he would have fallen if she wasn't there to stop him. That being said I'm pretty sure if Bode killed Merrin Cal would also turn, I know I was ready to. Double edged sword I guess.

[aidanfedorochko]

I think we can’t ignore the fact Cal did embrace the darkness to defeat and kill someone and he did that willingly. In my opinion I think they are setting up Cal to potentially fall from Grace in a potential sequel, and I think that’s a natural progression of Cal.

We see Jedi in the form of Dagan and Bode that good intentions and desire to do what’s necessary to protect your love ones or the things you desire leads to darkness.


When call double tapped Bode I took that as him engaging embracing a inner darkness. Remember we had to embrace the darkside to overcome him during the fight and that can’t he ignored.

[slytester]

You should pay attention to the meditation circle it turns red when he’s falling to the dark but after the end scene with cere it goes to a blueish grey

[Mustachioed_Mollusk]

The second well made Cal with facial hair I’ve seen!

Wow, the customization in this game is intense!

[Sithplayer]

Gonna be that guy: Gray Jedi don’t exist. You’re either Jedi, Sith or Force Adept with a lightsaber. Plo Koon had a force lightning but for light side

[ColtonWhite]

You deserve a million subs bro. Love your stuff and have for years 👍

[NightDocs]

Good arguments I think it’s hard to put a label on someone who is ascribing to the tenets of an order which no longer exists. Without its structure nobody can hold the line perfectly especially if you need attachments just to survive

[thegamehbktaker]

To be fare the narrative of Jedi Survivor is made to put Cal in the position Cere was in Fallen Order, as she was in struggle with the dark side while trying to mentore Cal and finally being able to overcome the darkness and truly became a paragon of the Jedi Order. And this is probably what Cal will face in the 3rd part of the saga, training Kata and fighting his darkness.

[Dumpy_truck]

Is very interesting that on the new game when you meditate on the animation of him sitting down he always says “there is only the force”

[mgurcanli]

i think one of two things will happen in the sequel to this game: 1) he will (somehow) learn vaapad and use his dark side to his advantage (idk how that would translate gameplay-wise) or 2) in some moment that cal is about to turn dark, force ghost cere will speak to him and he will understand how cere won her fight vs the dark side and he will follow in her footsteps (i could picture this happening in a fight with vader)