The newly released television show named Obi-Wan Kenobi is based on the story of Jedi Knights as they endure persecution around the galaxy. The interesting fact about the character is that the historical history of the Knights Templar might have a significant influence on the concept of the Jedi. Nonetheless it could be an amazing fact for Star Wars’ fans as the Disney+ limited series has brought Star Wars back into the spotlight.

The Knights Templar’s story dates back to the early 12th century. It was a knightly religious organization that was founded by Hugh de Payne a French knight following the First Crusade in the year 1119. He included knights from all around Europe in the organization. In the newly established Christian governments in the Holy Land the Templar knights initially guarded the highways and guarded pilgrims. However during the following two centuries they grew affluent and powerful. 

What inspired Star Wars was the abrupt demise of the Templars at the hands of a French King. Similarly in the Galactic Republic of Star Wars peace and justice are guarded by an ancient order of guardians known as the Jedi for over a thousand generations. However it was not until the trilogy of prequel films which were produced between 1999 and 2005 that the Jedi were portrayed as a monastic order with the Templars.

Another similarity between the Jedi Order and the Knights is that they both were autonomous units that served the Pope alone. The Knights Templar followed a monastic rule given to them by senior Church officials at the Council of Troyes in 1129 first known as the Primitive Rule while the Jedi lived by the Jedi code that is not explicitly described in the Star Wars films. The Templars followed stringent guidelines while they lived dual lives as warriors and monks and they resembled the Jedi code.

Tyrant-led plots put a stop to the Templars and the Jedi. The Jedi were the final barrier standing between the evil Darth Sidious and realizing his scheme to conquer the galaxy in the prequel trilogy's climax. Darth Sidious then had his forces execute the innocent Jedi after falsely accusing them of treason. Similarly the final grand master Jacque de Molay was eventually burned at the stake in 1314 as a result of accusations of heresy made against the Templars by French King Phillip IV in 1307 in an effort to get access to their enormous wealth.

The temples of the Templars and the Jedi were both attacked. While the Templars were detained by French soldiers the Jedi were killed in Revenge of the Sith when Darth Vader led an army into the Jedi Temple. Despite the similarities in their demise the Templars' destiny was undoubtedly better than the Jedi's. We witness Darth Vader and his inquisitors hunting down and killing the last of the Jedi in Obi-Wan Kenobi. However according to a common tale exiled Templars hid before allegedly founding the Freemasons. 

The tale of the exiled Templars is comparable to the destiny of the Jedi in which the remaining Jedi live in exile and receive assistance from a covert organization known as The Path. However the reality for the Templars was that former knights joined other orders or founded their own. The parallels between the Jedi and the Knights Templars' monastic lifestyles and the similarities in how both orders came to ruin show how influential the Templars were throughout history.