Age of Initiates?

[Jedifish 64]

Up until the Empire took over, what age did the Jedi Order take force sensitives in? Was it at birth, if possible?

[thecowley 79]

not birth, but after potty training! I would think 3 or 4, or the equivalent ages, old enough to be talking and talked with/down. ITs a small window, and very rarely broke 

[Donovan Morningfire 10,200]

Up until the Empire took over, what age did the Jedi Order take force sensitives in? Was it at birth, if possible?

There was never any explicit age bracket, which makes sense given the wide range of species and different aging rates.

 

I think the general rule of thumb was within the first year (or so) of life, pretty much while the child is still in the very early developmental stage.

 

As for bringing the children in, I'm not entirely convinced that it was the "forced conscription" that some folks believe it to be.  For me at least, the Jedi Order's approach was to send a representative to the family, lay out the facts and discuss the child's options.  Given how much general reverence the Jedi Order throughout the Old Republic's history, there were very few families that wouldn't let the Order adopt their child, especially if the parents were in the low end of the economic strata.  After all, becoming a Jedi Knight was akin to becoming a superhero.  It was largely propaganda (especially during the Empire's reign) that the Jedi were painted as "baby-snatchers," and given how few Force-sensitives are born there's not a lot of people who'd be able to speak up and denounce such claims as false.  Again, this is my own personal take on things, as there's not much in terms of canon or Legends to say one way or the other what the actual truth of the matter is.

[leo1925 59]

One or two years old, and no I don't think that it was forced conscription but I also don't think that most parents would disagree.

[Darkvalkyrie 1]

In our stories, we figured it was like school.  The Jedi came to the family's when the child was say between the ages of 5 or 6.  If the child showed a desire and the ability of the force within was beneficial for training, the family was then given options as if the child was being accepted into an academy of sorts.  The child was then brought to the temple for training and regular family visits were still allowed to keep the child from being homesick.  as the child grew older, the visits lessened as the child was given more thorough training.  by the time the trials came (thus say age 16 - 20), contact with the family was usually by holovids as the child was an adult making their own choices.  It was entirely up the child at this point to make decisions on their own regarding aspects of life outside the Jedi Training.

 

The Jedi kidnapping the child at a young age is no their way.  If the child is not accepted to develop his force ability, it just lives with that child through life as "pure luck."  Those who are able to exercise their Force ability just seem to be stronger in it (Hence Luke Skywalker and those PC's in the game without Jedi Masters.).  If the parents said no, then the Jedi would leave and the child would grow up normal, never honing those skills.  Though the Jedi have been around for a 1000 generations, the parents were most likely to say yes due to the prestige of their child having such an ability and the traditions that Jedi have had for so long.  The feeling of prestige and tradition, perhaps.

 

I would think most parents would say yes if an Ivy League college came to them and said they see their child making an academic level equal to acceptance in their college and tuition was free.

"My baby was 6 and was able to read Homer when this Harvard Professor came to us and made sure his future was secure to enter an academy to lead him on a path to being a Harvard Grad."

 

We always basically stated Jedi Younglings were prodigies and the Jedi picked them for that reason.

 

Think the professional sports world.

 

If a child plays football all his life in the Pee Wee leagues and High School, as well as college doesn't mean he is going to be an NFL star.

If a child is found to be exceptional at playing and reaches High School catching the eye of a College or NFL scout is more likely going to make the NFL.

The Jedi did the same.  If a child has an exceptional way of using the Force, that child is more likely going to be a Jedi Knight.

 

...And of course if they fail, they can always work in the Jedi Temple Library or maintenance dock working on the Delta-7 Aethersprite fighters, etc.

[Blackbird888 4,110]

We know from The Clone Wars that they didn't take them at birth, although they did keep track of Force-sensitive newborns. My guess was they would wait until the child was at least weaned and able to walk before approaching the parents. I agree that the child-snatching things is probably propaganda spread by both the Confederacy and later the Empire.

[CrunchyDemon 264]

We play it where as soon as a Force sensitive child was born, like literally within hours if you were on Coruscant, they could have been given to the Jedi order and raised in a nursery at the temple by medical droids.

 

Removing a baby from its family at or near birth should do wonders for eliminating the whole troublesome business of "attachment".

Edited January 2, 2016 by CrunchyDemon

[CrunchyDemon 264]

We know from The Clone Wars that they didn't take them at birth, although they did keep track of Force-sensitive newborns. My guess was they would wait until the child was at least weaned and able to walk before approaching the parents. I agree that the child-snatching things is probably propaganda spread by both the Confederacy and later the Empire.

 

This is also excellent ^

 

Because I like my Star Wars gritty, I can also imagine ill-prepared or ill-equipped parents leaving a Force-Sensitive newborn on the steps of a Jedi monastery. 

 

That sort of thing was commonplace during the Victorian era.  It makes sense to me in Star Wars also.

 

Also this:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Children_of_the_Force_%28comic%29

 

was at one point canon.

Edited January 2, 2016 by CrunchyDemon