- "Master Kenobi, meet the mighty Bear Clan."
- ―Jedi Master Yoda to Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Bear Clan was one of the many clans that prospective young Initiates were placed in when they first began to learn the ways of the Jedi Order. Students placed within this clan were chosen for their foreseen courage and bravery by their fosterers, who looked into each child's future so as to find the right clan to place them in.[3]
Consisting of about twenty hopeful Jedi, the clan moved through the Jedi academy's rigorous test together, forming bonds and support systems that were designed to help in the progression from Initiate to Padawan. Overseen by a particular sponsor, each clan was first met with simple lessons intended to serve as the basis for future instruction. Once all of the courses at the academy were completed, each member of the clan faced the Trials; a series of test used to determine what they had retained. If the student passed, their time in the clan was over and they most likely went on to become a Padawan. If a student failed to pass the final trials, they were reassigned to the Jedi Service Corps or asked to leave the Order completely.[3]
During the final years of the Galactic Republic, Grand Master Yoda sponsored a specific year of the Bear Clan, passing down his knowledge accumulated over his long lifespan. After the formation of the Galactic Empire and the Great Jedi Purge, Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious saw to it that the Bear Clan was disbanded during the Great Jedi Purge. Several decades later, the reformed Jedi Order did not reestablish the Bear Clan; though Grand Master Luke Skywalker did continue the use of the clan system following the Dark Nest Crisis.[3]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (First appearance)
- † Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones
- Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones junior novelization
- Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Movie Storybook
- I Am a Jedi Apprentice
Non-canon appearances[]
- LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace
- LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles — "The Phantom Clone"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles — "Menace of the Sith"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles — "Attack of the Jedi"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles — "Escape from the Jedi Temple"
- Tag & Bink: Revenge of the Clone Menace
Sources[]
- Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: The Illustrated Companion
- Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 30 (YOD9-10, Yoda)
- Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary
- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 4
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 13
- The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force
- Bear Clan in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide: Updated and Expanded (Picture only)
- "Jedi First Steps" — Star Wars Magazine 3