Padawan braids were a symbol of rank used to distinguish apprentices within the Jedi Order. They were lengths of intricately woven hair, typically worn across the right shoulder. Padawans which belonged to species that did not grow hair on their heads would wear alternatives such as silka beads.
While Padawans are required to wear their hair in a braid to signify their rank, there are alternatives for species that do not grow hair or fur.
Padawans are mandated to sport a single hair braid before they officially become a Jedi in Star Wars — here's the reason behind this tradition.
Different colors possess different meanings. White indicated the Padawan was studying healing, blue meant mechanics, red meant piloting, yellow meant the lightsaber, other weapons, or combat in general. Green beads or bands indicated the areas of study for a consular, the living force, or precognitive visions.
For those who don't know what a Padawan braid is, it's essentially a rat tail haircut. A rat tail, however, that in George Lucas' sci-fi lore, is worn solely by Padawans (apprentice Jedi) before officially becoming Jedi Knights — at which point it's cut off with a lightsaber.
Padawan braids were a symbol of rank used to distinguish apprentices within the Jedi Order. They were lengths of intricately woven hair, typically worn across the right shoulder. Padawans which belonged to species that did not grow hair on their heads would wear alternatives such as silka beads.
Because he wasn't a padawan anymore. and jedi masters. Anakin successfully completed his trials and was knighted by ceremonially cutting off his braid, but he wasn't granted the rank of master.
A Sith apprentice was a Force-sensitive individual trained by a Sith Master to use the dark side of the Force. The age at which a Sith apprentice began their training varied.
Gray Jedi are those who, though having completed the teachings of the Jedi, operate independently and outside of the Jedi Council. They are typically seen as misguided, though they have not necessarily succumbed to the dark side.
Obi-Wan Kenobi sported his Padawan braid throughout the film to signify the rank he had reached in his Jedi apprentice training.
Jedi of the Old Republic were not celibate and were allowed to have sex, but they were not allowed to form attachments.
Jedi Knights are forbidden from having any kind of attachment, romantic or otherwise. This is one of the reasons why their training starts when they're very young, as they are not meant to stay close to their families.
Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi was the most famous member of the family. Due to the low Cerean birthrate, he was allowed by the other Jedi to follow the Cerean custom of polygamous marriage—he had four honor wives and seven daughters.
There was no fixed age when this happened. Padawans could even be adults, but for a Human, it usually occurred in the Padawan's early to mid-twenties. One such Jedi Padawan who successfully passed their trials was Selusda Kraren, shortly before Operation: Knightfall.
The Jedi Trials
A Padawan was typically a young adult at the time of their trial, although some prodigies like Vernestra Rwoh of the High Republic were as young as 15 years old.
Ahsoka Tano, a Togruta female, was the Padawan learner to Anakin Skywalker and a hero of the Clone Wars. Alongside Anakin, she grew from headstrong student into a mature leader.
He wanted his Jedi, Mace Windu, to have a unique purple lightsaber. Lucas initially refused, insisting lightsabers came in only three colors - blue, green, and red - but eventually relented. The purple lightsaber became Mace Windu's trademark weapon, setting a precedent for many other colors of lightsaber blades.
Anakin was a Gray Jedi; the problem was that no one around him was interested in understanding what that meant. He was light and had the capacity for great heroics; but through his great passion—his love and his rage—he also had the capacity for darkness.
What's more, Ahsoka died and was resurrected by the light side of the Force, and from that point on, served as one of the franchise's greatest heroes. Ahsoka was not a Gray Jedi, but, in actuality, a true Jedi.
Yoda held the title of Grand Master of the Jedi Order since the days of the High Republic Era. At some point, Yoda took on a human named Kantam Sy as his Padawan.
Even though Kylo Ren uses a red lightsaber, harnesses the dark side of the Force, and wears a cape, he is not a Sith. Because of that, he can never hold the title of Darth.
She eventually became the Padawan of a human male Jedi Master, Stellan Gios. Vernestra was enough of a prodigy that she eventually attained the rank of Jedi Knight at the age of only fifteen, making her the youngest Knight in a generation.
As a mentor, Kenobi was responsible for training two members of the Skywalker family, Anakin and Luke Skywalker, both of whom served in turn as his Padawan in the ways of the Force.
Silka beads were a type of decorative bead worn by species without hair, such as Twi'leks or the Togruta. Jedi Padawans from such species, such as Togruta Ahsoka Tano, had Padawan braids made out of the beads.
Galen Marek, codenamed Starkiller, was the son of a Jedi fugitive killed by Vader during the Great Jedi Purge. After his father's death, he was trained by Vader since childhood to become the Sith Lord's secret apprentice.