Why did the Jedi go into hiding?

[Alan Wake]

It just seems... so lame.

Granted there was only like 2 left at the end of the 3rd movie, but that really caused them to hide?

Yoda and Obi-wan could have still caused some damage, and fought back, but instead they both decided to hide on barren worlds?

They both basically wasted the next 25 years hiding in a cave and eating soup out of a pot.

[Pharaoh Atem]

the entire empire VS 2 jedi..........

ya that would go well.

[Alan Wake]

the entire empire VS 2 jedi..........

ya that would go well.

It's better then sitting doing nothing.

Besides, there is the republic fighting back... why didn't they join them?

[DigiFluid]

I think going into hiding was definitely the better option. We're not talking about a simple defeat; if they were to die they're facing complete extinction.

When there's only two of you left in the entire galaxy, you're not exactly going to be out on recruiting drives. They were going all-in on the Skywalker twins.

Or we could just go with "plot device"

[mr_kennedy]

They got there asses kicked, they were too ashamed to retaliate

[Replicator Todd]

There were more than just two Jedi left, Quinlan Vos comes to mind. But it made since they would go into hiding. The Empire crushed many Jedi easily, not to mention the duo of Vader and Palpatine were more powerful than just about any Jedi that were left. The Republic they stood for no longer existed, they had no purpose except survival. In a way the ideas of the Jedi died with the Clone Wars.

[escyos]

because the sith were seeking....get it!

[Alan Wake]

The remaining republic seemed to fair at least okay against the empire.

No reason why they couldn't join up.

[DigiFluid]

What remaining Republic? The Republic was re-organized into the Empire!

[Alan Wake]

What remaining Republic? The Republic was re-organized into the Empire!

The rebel alliance.

[Wayston]

I don't know of anything related to the star wars universe other than the movies, but I always got the impression that the rebel alliance was a movement that was very weak initially but started gathering momentum at a rapid pace (hence the construction of the death stars to keep everyone in check, mere stardestroyers weren't doing the job any more).

Some Jedi could see in the future right? maybe they saw what they needed to do and decided to run and do it. It definatly wasn't just a haphazard run, since obi wan and luke were on the same planet and even fairly near to eachother.

[SaberBlade]

It makes perfect sense to hide. The Emperor had not only wiped out most of the Jedi, but he also turned any remaining Jedi into war criminals and traitors. Palpatine and his great new Empire had just won a civil war so no one was going to dispute anything he said without being given the same treatment as a Jedi sympathiser.

I think the biggest problem is that the RotJ makes it absolute that Luke would be the last so hiding is further proof that hiding was best because they were all hunted down. All your eggs in one basket comes to mind.

[TBA]

The rebel alliance.

The Empire = The Republic with Palpatine as emperor. There was no Rebel Alliance until a decade later, and they didn't get a lot of support until Palpatine decided to throw away the senate in ANH.

[RTechnik]

Rebel Alliance was formed in 2 BBY from three main resistance groups, there probably were rebel groups from the declaration of Empire (some non droid armies from CIS and support units from Republic army as well). These were crushed down with Empire Stormtroopers (like kamino rebel clones).

[Alan Wake]

All of these are pretty lousy excuses for hiding for years.

The best time for them to strike back, recruit people... form some type of counter attack would be in early stages of the Empire. Not wait.

They could have done something.

[DigiFluid]

Not really....I mean, the order to exterminate their entire order had just happened and been carried through. If I'm a Jedi, and as far as I know only myself and one other of my kind survived; and besides being hunted by soldiers and law enforcement galaxy-wide, there's a price on my head so large I'd consider turning myself in.... I'm not showing my face anywhere! For a very, very long time!

[Alan Wake]

Not really....I mean, the order to exterminate their entire order had just happened and been carried through. If I'm a Jedi, and as far as I know only myself and one other of my kind survived; and besides being hunted by soldiers and law enforcement galaxy-wide, there's a price on my head so large I'd consider turning myself in.... I'm not showing my face anywhere! For a very, very long time!

The Jedi are not cowards though.

It's out of character for them to just say, "Oh well, let's not do anything. hiding will keep us safe, so screw everyone else."

Jedi value other lives above their own, that's why I don't think they would hide.

[DigiFluid]

I'm pretty sure their priorities changed when overnight they transformed from 'galactic protectors' to 'betrayed by the galaxy they protected and hunted to virtual extinction'.

[Elorendil]

I think they were hiding because they knew it was a battle they could not win. Yoda and Obi-Wan would have been slaughtered, leaving the Jedi completely extinct. With them in hiding, they had hopes of secretly training Leia and Luke and continuing the Jedi order through them, and repopulating the galaxy with Jedi through them. Obi-Wan went to Tattoine specifically to watch over Luke and Yoda went to Dagobah to hide there until Luke could be trained. I don't think it was cowardice, or even for self-preservation, it was for the long-term good of the Jedi Order.

[RTechnik]

In the begining, the Empire was popular and with Clone Wars just finished, most people did not want another civil war. And within year or two Imperial Army grown significantly with all the recruits.