Anakin Skywalker was about nine years old (see script link, below) during "The Phantom Menace". Yet according to various people, he was too old (or even "far too old") to begin training as a Jedi:
- QUI-GON: "I'm afraid not. Had he been born in the Republic, we would have identified him early, and he would have become Jedi, no doubt...he has the way. But it's too late for him now, he's too old."
- OBI-WAN: "The boy will not pass the Council's tests, Master, and you know it. He is far too old."
- MACE WINDU: "He is too old. There is already too much anger in him."
- and even ANAKIN himself: "I'm with Qui-Gon...but...they're not going to let me be a Jedi. I'm too old."
All quotes above from The Phantom Menace script.
However, during "The Empire Strikes Back" Yoda gives Luke's age (18 in chapter IV according to the Star Wars A New Hope script) as the reason to deny him training only after first saying that Luke is:
- too impatient
- too angry
- not ready
- is unfocused ("Never his mind on where he was") and
- reckless
All from The Empire Strikes Back script.
I would have thought that, if at 9 Anakin was too old, Yoda would have seen Luke at 18+ and started off by saying, "No chance, he has".
So, what is the age to begin Jedi training?