Would a female Jedi be referred to as Jedi Mistress instead of Jedi Master? Likewise would a Sith female be referred to as a Sith Lady instead of a Sith Lord?
asked Oct 24, 2014 at 13:40
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10mistress of the force ;)– SaturnsEyeCommented Oct 24, 2014 at 16:11
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9@SaturnsEye - if played by ANYONE other than Lucy Lawless (in "Eurotrip" getup) it would be a crime against nature.– DVK-on-Ahch-ToCommented Oct 24, 2014 at 17:09
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@DVK You are so right...– TonnyCommented Oct 24, 2014 at 20:12
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You're assuming the language they spoke a long time ago in a galaxy far far away was similar to English.– Misha RCommented Oct 25, 2014 at 6:51
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1@MishaRosnach The language that most often comes up is "Galactic Basic Standard" which is widely accepted among fans as being almost identical to English. Though if you look at the writing of Galactic Basic it's very different from English. See link for more details starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Galactic_Basic_Standard– Him_JalpertCommented Oct 25, 2014 at 21:22
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4 Answers
Jedi Master and Sith Lord are formal titles which are generally used by both sexes.
In current canon there are no female Sith Lords (Asajj Ventress was affiliated with the Sith as an apprentice of Darth Tyranus, but was never given a title like Sith Lord or a feminine equivalent). There were many female Jedi Masters, and they were called Jedi Masters rather than Jedi Mistresses (e.g. Shaak Ti and Adi Gallia).
Female Jedi and Sith generally use the titles Jedi Master and Sith Lord in Legends, too. The novel Dynasty of Evil includes the following explicit reference to a female Sith using "Lord" for a similar title, "Dark Lord of the Sith":
The Master will train his apprentice in the ways of the Sith, until one day she must challenge him. If she proves unworthy, the Master will destroy her and choose a new apprentice. If she proves the stronger, the Master will fall and she will become the new Dark Lord of the Sith, and choose an apprentice of her own.
There are a few exceptions among the Sith, however. For example, Lumiya used the title Dark Lady of the Sith rather than the normal Dark Lord of the Sith.
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4Yeah I suppose Jedi Mistress would sound sort of...dirty lol. Thanks for clearing this up! :) Commented Oct 24, 2014 at 15:28
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3@RyanJ: Just some extra information for this answer. Before the recent changes to canon by Disney, Lumiya referred to herself as the Dark Lady of the Sith. Whether she was even a Sith Lord or just an apprentice who was left without a master upon Palpatine and Vader's sudden deaths is, however, an open question. So it would seem that there is some precedence for the Sith, at least, using a different title for females. Commented Oct 25, 2014 at 3:36
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What about female Jedi Knights -- are they also "Knights", or perhaps "Jedi Dame" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dame)? Commented Jan 11, 2016 at 0:29
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@zipquincy Also, technically, wouldn't it be “damsel”? Commented Apr 15, 2017 at 0:24
Collins English Dictionary lists "a highly regarded teacher or leader whose religion or philosophy is accepted by followers" as a meaning of "Master," with no mention of gender, though it does specify male in other meanings. The general feeling is that "mistress" is not an acceptable feminisation of "master." "Lord" is used in a gender-neutral way in the House of Lords, if they are an authority on anything.
Jocasta Nu (the head of the Jedi archives and a former member of the Jedi council) goes by the term Madame in the second of the preview movies, as is referred to as Madame Jocasta Nu in the script. She is listed as a Jedi Master on Star Wars wiki, however. I think that the title itself is unisex, meaning that both men and women can hold the title "Jedi Master" however when addressing a female Jedi Master, one may use the term Madame to show respect or be indicative of a high rank.
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Madame is feminine form of Mister. (e.g. Madame President, etc). I don't think giving her that title has anything to do with a formal designation for a female Jedi, but it's a good anecdote. Commented Mar 19, 2016 at 21:49
There have been instances where there was a female Sith that was referred to as a "Sith Witch." However, there were also female sith that were not. So if that helps answers at least part of your question... I have posted a question about more details on the matter. Is “Sith Witch” a title, or a general term for female Sith?
answered Jan 16, 2015 at 15:07
