kamalayka said:

(For the record, I'm only a "casual" Star Wars fan. I couldn't tell you where Chewbacca went to college or anything like that. I might need the "Star Wars 101" answer.)

Kaaasssshyyyyykkk (sp? Can never get that planet name right) University. Graduated with honors with a Useless liberal arts degree. Later he went to Cambridge and got his Ph.D in English Lit.

Agreed on the whole Scientology notion. Aside from Han's comments on the force, Bib Fortuna and Jabba the Hutt scoff at the idea of Luke being a Jedi. I guess that could be taken as, "Wow, a Jedi. Haha, what a kook" or a, "Him? A Jedi? Yeah right!", I've always taken it as the first.

Prior to the prequels I imagined the Jedi as a monastic group of hermit superheroes who sensed trouble and came to the rescue where they were needed, but had a small range of influence in the massive universe. However, it turns out they are pretty much the central law enforcement of the entire galaxy, playing the official role of intergalactic peace keepers for a society that doesn't have any armed forces. Given that, you'd think everyone would know about them and believe they are legit. But that is kind of the role they had in some of the old script drafts too, so it seems that idea was always there.