In Star Wars, the Jedi had been a powerful peacekeeping force for centuries until the rise of the Empire made their return a long and often painful struggle. But one aspect that the Empire exploited was the crippling rules placed on the Jedi in hopes that it would help them maintain their connection to the light side of the Force. However, while many of their doctrines were fair, one of them kept nearly every Jedi from achieving the greatness the galaxy deserved --emotional bonds.
For those in the Jedi Order, connections between loved ones were forbidden. That rule started when they were younglings, as Jedi typically couldn't remember their parents and family. And while it was okay to have friends and allies, as this would inevitably happen, romantic pairings were against the rules. The reason for this was because those bonds, should they be severed, would place a Jedi on a direct path to the dark side, should they succumb to their anger and other negative emotions.
But what has rarely gotten focused on was how those Jedi that weren't afraid to have deeper feelings for a person emerged on the other side stronger than ever. Not because it was love that gave them strength, but because their desire to protect and know they were protected allowed them to accomplish the impossible. To further prove this idea, there were several Jedi during the Age of the Republic that exemplified this forbidden yet effective methodology.
One of the best examples of this was Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was more than willing to leave the Jedi Order for the love of his life, Satine Kryze. However, their duties kept them apart, and the last time they were seen together, Darth Maul killed Satine. But rather than succumb to the darkness, Obi-Wan used his love to strengthen his resolve and continue to be the good man she knew he was. Likewise, another Republic-era Jedi, Quinlan Vos, initially fell to the dark side to hopefully uncover Darth Sidious' identity and stop him. But as he ventured into it, he was aided by his future love interest Asajj Ventress. While love wasn't why he broke bad, it was the thing that saved him and gave him the strength to survive far past Order 66.
The only true tragedy of this rule was Anakin Skywalker, who had a secret marriage with Padmé Amidala. Because he was afraid he would lose his status should the Jedi Council learn of his actions, he kept his fears over her death and the death of his unborn child a secret and played right into Palpatine's hands. Anakin's desperation and fear of opening up to his friends pushed him further to the dark side and led to the end of the Jedi. However, had the Jedi embraced the strengths of relationships, Palpatine would have been powerless against them.
In the end, the Jedi will always be heroes. But for some, there will be a limitation to their strength due to the desire to find companionship. Suppose the Jedi had opened themselves up to the idea and benefits of romantic and deep connections. In that case, they might have ultimately saved the galaxy as many of those that had found love in a time of war eventually survived Order 66. Star Wars' future is up in the air, but there's still hope that Rey Skywalker could finally change the rules and show there's strength in emotional bonds.
