The Jedi: Fallen Order Star Wars game seems to secretly reveal the identity of the Prime Jedi - and the tragic truth that history repeated itself.

Star Wars may have finally revealed the truth behind the real First Jedi. The ancient history of the Jedi is a mystery lost in the mists of time. It's even been hinted that the Jedi themselves have forgotten it, and with that knowledge they have lost their original understanding of the ways of the Force.

Lucasfilm appears increasingly interested in exploring the ancient history of the Jedi Order, though, at least by implicit reference. As such, several recentStar Wars tie-ins have begun to shine a light on just what the early Jedi believed about the Force, and it's fascinating to see how different their teachings were to the Prequel Era Jedi. Cavan Scott's audiobookDooku: Jedi Lost, for example, hinted obliquely that the original Jedi believed the idea of "balance" to be another aspect of the Force, like light and dark. Supporting this, Claudia Gray'sMaster & Apprentice revealed that the Chosen One prophecy was of an agent of balance, not one dedicated to light or dark.

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But the most fascinating hint was inStar Wars: The Last Jedi, which revealed that Luke Skywalker had hidden himself away on the remote planet of Ahch-To, site of the first Jedi Temple.And there, Lucasfilm unveiled a mural of the Prime Jedi.

It's easy to miss in the film itself, but one pool in the Jedi Temple on Ahch-To contains a mural that represents the Prime Jedi. According toStar Wars: The Last Jedi Visual Dictionary, this was the first member of the Jedi Order, who founded the Jedi and constructed the temple. It presents the Prime Jedi as a member of an unknown alien race, wielding a proto-lightsaber. What's particularly interesting, however, is that this mural represents a very different philosophy of the Force to the one propounded by the Prequel Era Jedi. The Prime Jedi is envisioned as a servant of balance, rather than exclusively a servant of the light side of the Force. Light and dark are given equal prominence, with the Prime Jedi representing the darkness in the light, and the light in the darkness.

Concept artist Seth Engstrom explained that his designs were influenced by the Taoist symbolism of the yin and yang. He intended this to honor George Lucas himself, who had drawn upon Zen Buddhism when he was fleshing out the Jedi Order inThe Empire Strikes Back, and it went through several different versions before Lucasfilm settled on a final one. Earlier iterations had been even more clear that the Prime Jedi sat at the center of the Force, with light to its right and dark to its left.

Right now, the Prime Jedi is a subject of mystery. Luke Skywalker found books of ancient Jedi teaching at the Temple of Ahch-To, but at the time he was cutting himself off from the Force, and so he never read them. Fortunately, Rey took these books before leaving Ahch-To, meaning she has access to teachings that predate even Grand Master Yoda. As she turns those pages, it's most likely that she's learning from the very founder of the Jedi Order.

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TheJedi: Fallen Order game has introduced an alien race known as the Zeffo, who appear to have been entirely Force-sensitive. This is perfectly in accordance with George Lucas' notes from all the way back in 1977, when he imagined that certain species could naturally be strong in the Force. "It is said that certain creatures are born with a higher awareness of the Force than humans," he observed. "Their brains are different; they have more midichloriansin their cells."

Players take the role of Cal Kestis, a Jedi Padawan who survived Order 66 and is considering rebuilding the Jedi Order. His quest takes him in the footsteps of a previous Jedi Master, who was investigating the history of the Zeffo, and as a result he finds tombs dedicated to three different Sages: Eilram, Miktrull, and Kujet. Although it's not explicitly stated, each appears to represent a different aspect of the Force according to Zeffo teachings: Eilram stood for light, Kujet stood for darkness, and it seems likely Miktrull stood for balance.

Finally, in a vision imbued by something akin to an ancient Holocron, Cal hears an account of the end of the Zeffo race from one of their Sages.

"Despite our wisdom and technological achievement, we face extinction. Dogma blinded us to the path of balance and gradually we allowed our pride to corrupt us. The greater control we sought, the further we fell into ruin. I lead the remnants of my people into the great unknown, hoping that we will finally find peace."

Related:Jedi: Fallen Order Character & Cast Guide

The physical similarities between the Zeffo and the Prime Jedi are quite striking, right down to their body structure and posture. There is only one visual difference; the triangular shape at the top of the Zeffo Sages' head. But it's important to note that the only glimpses of the Zeffo are images of the three Sages, meaning it's entirely possible these distinctive cranial shapes aren't representative of all members of the race. There could well be a class difference, or even simply one of sex: it could be that the three Sages are all male, and possessed of these unusual head-shapes, whereas the Prime Jedi was female.All this raises the distinct possibility that the Prime Jedi was a Zeffo survivor; certainly that would explain the philosophical similarities between the Zeffo and the early Jedi Order, which are every bit as striking as the physical ones.

If the Prime Jedi was indeed a Zeffo, then tragically it means that history has gone full circle.Jedi: Fallen Order goes to great lengths to stress the similarities between the Zeffo extinction and the fall of the Jedi themselves. The Jedi made the exact same mistake as the Zeffo, neglecting balance, and forming a schismbetween light and dark, Jedi and Sith. In the end, this dichotomy consumed the entire galaxy in war. Fortunately, inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Rey has had the opportunity to learn from the books left behind by the Prime Jedi and their disciples, and as a result, it's possibleRey will be the one who breaks the cycle - and becomes the new Prime Jedi.

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Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant's staff writers, and he's frankly amused that his childhood is back - and this time it's cool. Tom's focus tends to be on the various superhero franchises, as well as Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Star Trek; he's also an avid comic book reader. Over the years, Tom has built a strong relationship with aspects of the various fan communities, and is a Moderator on some of Facebook's largest MCU and X-Men groups. Previously, he's written entertainment news and articles for Movie Pilot. A graduate of Edge Hill University in the United Kingdom, Tom is still strongly connected with his alma mater; in fact, in his spare time he's a voluntary chaplain there. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will quickly learn that he's interested in British politics as well.

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Star Wars May Have Just Introduced The Real FIRST Jedi - Screen Rant