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The Star Wars Actors Guild 77 has studied the literature to make this statement that parents of Force using children could “opt-out” of handing their Force using children to the Jedi.

This statement has a lot of historical context, and fictional trope subtext. 

The Buddhist monks of Tibet believe that their past leaders are reincarnated and come back as children as the old childlike spirits reach out to the monks (x). There is more to the reality of what occurs and this piece is not about the real life history, but fictional and is not comprehensive of all humanity’s reincarnation belief systems. However, given that George Lucas derived most of Star Wars from an Eastern influences, it is possible that he fashioned the idea of giving children to the Jedi was a standard practice and tradition.  

The Sith concept was added later as most Sith probably do not care about what the parents think and just abduct children or they sire children to not worry about more Force users to train. Either way the concept is “baby politics” in Star Wars.

But, as it stands, some parents “opted out” of training their children to joining Force using organizations: Jedi, Sith, Nightsisters, Nightbrothers, and many more. What Force using child was not trained by an organization because of their non-Force using parents refusal?

In the Star Wars story, after the New Sith Wars according to the Legends (Star Wars Expanded Universe or EU) storyline, the Ruusaan Reformations required all Force using children to be detected at birth and trained by the Jedi system (x). It was meant to stop Force using Jedi from becoming a warrior military force and turning to the dark side to conquer the galaxy. Non-Force users saw Jedi (or Force users) as going drunk in lust for power and turning to Sith in times of war. Overall, the Jedi beliefs were peaceful, until there was a dark side influence and destruction of planets ensued. It seems the best non-Force users could do is to create a pipeline for peace by making Jedi teach children from birth peaceful lifestyle and ways of the Force. 

As we can see from Star Wars prequels and original trilogy that goal failed with Anakin Skywalker turning to the dark side and becoming Darth Vader.

During the lifetime of the current Jedi in the cinematic lore, we do not see Force using families creating armies of protection and leadership. In the EU and somewhat in the television series, we see quite a bit of Force using families, creating armies of protection, leadership and conquering.  The entire “Lost Tribe” series is about that. So are the Nightsisters (Asajj Ventress) and Nightbrothers (Darth Maul) about that. The Hapes Consortium. In “Shatterpoint” all the children on the planet of Haruun Kal, Mace Windu’s homeworld, are from ancient Jedi and are Force users with their own rituals. It is not unusual to see in the story of Star Wars that families of Force users were much like the HBO show, “Game of Thrones” but with the Force.

And then there are these Ruusan Reformations as described.

But what of the parents who refused the Jedi (or Sith) to have their Force using children trained by an official Force using organization? Who were these children?

There are very few characters that were not trained and a few examples are listed.

Dessel who later became Darth Bane. Unfortunately, I have not read the Bane series in its entirety. But I know he was identified later in life and became a very powerful Sith with is military commando background.

Sheev Palpatine was not formally trained until an adult by Hego Damask (Darth Plagueis). Cosinga Palpatine outright refused to have the Jedi take his son for training because he did not like a senator, Vidar Kim doing that to his son, Ronhar Kim. Vidar Kim had a second non-Force using son who died and wanted his first son, Ronhar to return to help the family, but Ronhar just became a Jedi Knight and had to refuse his father. Cosinga Palpatine, while he feared his son, Sheev’s Force powers, they were not strong and he felt that his son ultimately would “grow out of it” and not desire becoming a Jedi. Unfortunately, the dark side came calling and Cosinga make a fatal mistake.

Alexi Garyn led the Black Sun and his parents lived in the outer rim where his detection was overlooked. He easily rose through the Vigo ranks swindling most of the Falleen. That made Palpatine angry and he sent Darth Maul to kill him. Maul was successful.

Padme Naberrie is said through much interpretation that she had the Force but she was not strong enough in it to be a Jedi. It was because of her useful negotiation skills for many galactic conflicts, she was successful in her campaigns. Even Obi-Wan Kenobi could sense her strength, but knew she did not have “enough” midi-chlorians to become Jedi.

Leia Organa the daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Naberrie. In the last original trilogy movie we discover that Princess Leia has similar powers as her brother, Luke Skywalker. But her powers had to be concealed from the Sith, Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) and Darth Vader (her father). In many books, she had regained her full Force powers like her brother and there is a lot of fan art depictions. But since what is in the new canon is unknown at this time, what her powers will resemble will be questionable.

There is a concept called “Latent Force Users”, where some people gain the Force later in life and are able to wield it similar to Jedi and Sith. Most Jedi in Luke Skywalker’s lead Jedi Order, were latent Force users. 

Corran Horn was one of them, part of the Corellian Jedi heritage of his Jedi grandfather, Nejaa Halcyon. 

Keyan Farlander

Kyp Durron

Danni Quee

Many more.

To be clear, Force use means to wield the Force in a particular manner aimed to achieve a desired end. Being Force sensitive means one is born with that natural ability. To be a “user” one should be trained in an organization. To be sensitive, most of these individuals have powers, but did not know how to focus and use them because their parents refused the formal training. Therefore, the children adapted to environments. If they were taught in a non-Force using formal education they had a tactical advantage. If they were not taught, they adapted quickly to survive. 

In the book, “Outbound Flight”, Jorus C’boath a Jedi Master, arrogantly felt every Force sensitive wanted to be a Jedi. His padawan,  Lorana Jinzler was more humble but sided with her master’s quest. Her situation is unique because many parents were allowed to serve in the Jedi temples as labor so that they could be close to their children after giving them away to the Jedi. Familial domiciles facilities were not frequent because the classes of younglings generally lived together to avoid distractions, but in latter years of the classical Republic era, before the rise of the Empire, the parents were permitted to “see” their children.

During the Empire and somewhat in the Galactic Civil War era, the Emperor’s Hand and Inquisitorius (EU version) sought out promising Force sensitives and trained them into the ranks of the Empire. Several names can be given, but in general, there were no refusals by parents. 

In an official fan fiction of the Star Wars Actors Guild 77 and Isle Sanctuary Creative Artists, I have written a story about the former Jedi padawan mother, Auset Lah, outright refusing Grand Master Yoda for the training of her daughter, Yemaja Lah ( senatoryemaja ) (x) who is an odd Force sensitive. (story here). Yemaja has the Force and it is powerful in her, but she cannot wield it at-will, it causes her great pain (Force pain), and her “Force prescience” or “aura” feels like their pockets of holes or voids in it. The reason is because Yemaja is Yuuzhan Vong-human hybrid, the first of her kind and she must straddle two universes of the Force. How she survives this demarcation is the basis of her story. (x).

I have only listed a VERY small portion of parental refusal to train Force sensitive children into Force using organizations. This piece is still a WIP and needs to edited. But we have roleplaying storylines that are addressing what happens when a parent refuses. We refuse to write about “anti-vaxxer” mentalities called, bias affirmation, until we come to that questions. But essentially, in my opinion, are we considering that parents should be able to refuse their children to be trained in any Force use, as if a child has a behavioral or communication disorder? Is Force sensitivity like those kinds of situations? I don’t know? Love to talk about it.

Lots of #StarWars Legends material with some fanfic added.