This is a great thread, and really enjoyable reading all the posts in here. I really prefer the Jedi as they were portrayed both on screen and in the EU before Lucas implemented his changes to them for the Prequels.

Many fans only separate the novels and comic books into “Canon and Legends” from the old EU when Disney announced their thing in 2014. For me, my own head canon, there is also separation of the Jedi before/after 1999. The retcons of them after 1999 of no longer having family attachments, the interpretations of ‘compassion’, ‘love’, ‘fear’ (not a problem for Yoda in Empire), possessions, being separated from their parents, even uniforms (as Emre posted above). As well as the general disconnects between the two trilogies that George chose to introduce, all means it is a major obstacle to cohere the two.

In the PT they are aloof, stern, slow-witted, are portrayed now as being some sort of monk-like attitudes, and yet somehow very quickly become some sort of and tactical masterminds in the Clone Wars (because the vast Republic didn’t have any military generals tacticians before?). It is a pity they became the victims of Lucas poor vision and writing for the PT.

Compassion also seems in short supply for other characters. Whilst the Jedi do get some deserved criticism for not freeing Shmi, or Anakin for not going back for her sooner (as Servii posted), Padme or the people of Naboo could have express their gratitude to the mother of the person who saved their planet and people, and freed her. The person who also helped them in their Queen’s hour of need by agreeing to her son putting his own life in danger in a pod race, sharing food, giving them shelter and so forth. Again, the poor plot, for some illogical reason (all roads lead to the poorly told, underwhelming and very sudden fall of Anakin), demanded otherwise.