A superhero is anyone who helps a cause greater then themselves. Someone who cares about the needs of others, who will take a stand for what is right, and someone who has integrity. For example, someone who sticks up for a friend who is being teased for being themselves! Someone who sticks up for their friend who is being bullied, instead of saving their own skin and turning their back to the incident is a superhero in my eyes. Also, a firefighter who braves that burning building to save a woman and her child, police officers who go out every day with the courage to help someone. Anyone who takes a stand against important issues is a hero, which includes Jedi knights who fight in a galactic civil war.

•Are Jedi superheroes?

Absolutely. Maybe they’re not the “superheroes” our brain associates with the word (i.e.- Spider-man, Batman, X-men, people with “heightened knowledge” and “special powers”) but they are, nevertheless, superheroes.

•Have you ever been told your favorite Star Wars character isn’t a superhero?

To be honest this is the first time I’ve thought about this….but I do believe culturally that Jedi are classified as superheroes.

♥ Lillian Skye, Fangirl in the Force

Given those highly-simplified criteria, Jedi are Superheroes. They tap into a source of extraordinary power that others cannot, plus they act in the interests of others. However, Jedi decisions and actions frequently turn out to be wrong – something that is part of what distinguishes them as unique Superheroes.

Jedi put a more average, flawed, and “human” face on “super” heroism. They are not always right. They don’t always win every battle (although they usually win the wars). They don’t change into a different being (or change their appearance) in order to perform acts of heroism. They are willing to (and do) sacrifice their lives for others. Therefore I would suggest that Jedi faults and mortality injects more risk into their stories and makes them more relatable to readers than seemingly invincible characters. While Superheroes usually have a nemesis, each Jedi has personal demons and character traits that add even more uncertainty to the potential outcomes of their heroic acts.

Please correct me if I’m wrong but the Jedi are also the only Superheroes who act both individually and as a large, cohesive fighting force not replicated elsewhere. That sets them apart from the Superhero community yet also may be used as a unique strength or a weakness.

Jedi are proof that Superheroes need not be represented by excessive physical brawn or size. They are unrestricted by age, gender, and race. They are, in fact, unusually good fictional role models not only for heroism but for real life. Readers of Star Wars fiction are called upon first to believe in the Force. By extension they may begin to trust in the flawed humanity of Jedi heroes and at least some will recognize more potential in themselves. That is pretty exceptional leadership for a group of fictional characters. Superheroism? What better example is there?

Therefore, Jedi are definitely superheroes. They have powers, they fight for the innocent, and they have flaws. Even that one guy, I forget his name, the one all gloomy and wearing black. He redeemed himself.

Are Jedi superheroes? HELL YES. Although, I think they were a bit too altruistic in the sense until Luke Skywalker came along. I think he added just the right sense of humanity.

Have you ever been told your favorite Star Wars character isn’t a superhero? Nah. But I dare someone to stoke that fire.