Ever since the first trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi hit the internet, fans have sensed a great disturbance in the Force. In its final moments, Luke Skywalker, whose path to Jedi-hood filled an entire trilogy, proclaimed the one truth he had learned: "It's time for the Jedi to end." It's nice to see Luke say something with his chest out, but let's not throw the Padawan out with the bacta fluid. The problem isn't that the Jedi need to end—it’s that they really need to change things up.
Sure, the Jedi have had their problems. That whole "not noticing Palpatine acting all Sithy and corrupting Anakin" situation was a pretty bad fumble, for starters. But they're still necessary. In Star Wars lore, the Force can be either good or bad. It's a stark binary, with no gray area whatsoever. And since there will always be Dark Side mooks, someone has to be there to train young Force-users and steer them towards the Light.
No matter how often the Jedi have betrayed their own ideals, or fallen short in the execution, the notion of bringing compassion and justice to an ugly galaxy is still a necessary one. Simply put, the Jedi don't need to end, they need to evolve—to go from "hokey religion" to grass-roots organization—and maybe lighten up a little bit.
__1. Dismantle the Forcetriarchy
__One of the Jedi's biggest problems, especially in the prequels and the cartoons, has been their top-down, authoritarian leadership. So forget that elitist Jedi Council circle-jerk; how about one Jedi, one vote? Or some kind of representative democracy via holocron? Also, term limits. The fact that the Jedi fight for the semi-democratic Republic, but are an oligarchy themselves, always seemed odd.
__2. Add an Establishment Clause to the New Republic Constitution
__Speaking of which, this faraway galaxy really needs some separation of Jedi and state. If there's a situation where innocent people are getting screwed over, then sure, ask the Jedi for help. But of all the things that were screwy in the prequels, the notion of the Jedi working for a government, or being anybody's soldiers, was always the screwiest.
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3. Overhaul Certification Procedures
This is clearly a job with a high attrition rate. Hell, Jedi seem to turn to the Dark Side every time someone cuts them off in hyperspace traffic. Posited: Force-users should have mandatory downtime and retraining every few parsecs. (Don't even think about it.) Let them chillax and work with other Jedi, who can watch out for Sith warning signs. Some primal scream therapy might be helpful, too. Given how many Jedi facilities already look like day spas, is a facial or some acupuncture too much to ask?
__4. Reform the Jedi Code (and Forget Celibacy)
__A code makes sense, but that "no attachments" rule needs to go. Obviously, a wild romance can wreck your priorities, because shagging leads to jealousy. But you know what else is bad for people? Isolation. What's wrong with the Jedi belonging someplace and having close friendships? Living with a community of non-Jedi can help to keep them grounded. This isn't unheard of: Master Plo Koon spent time hanging out with the order of the Baran Do on his home world, according to one of the recent novels. Yoda had a soft spot for Wookiees. Putting down roots should be part of the job, even.
5. Encourage Work-Life Balance
Jedi need hobbies, just to prevent them from taking themselves too damn seriously. Contact improv? Water skiing? The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Saber? The best portrayal of a Jedi is still the version of Yoda that we meet in The Empire Strikes Back: a Yoda who knows how to laugh at himself, and puncture Luke's pomposity. A Jedi with a sense of humor is way less likely to start murdering younglings all over the place.
6. Hire an Ombudsman
Seriously. People whose family and friends got recklessly lightsabered or mind-controlled need recourse—even if it's just in the form of a complaint hotline. Anyone who wields loads of power and wears a spiffy uniform needs to be held accountable, and the Jedi are no exception—and if they insist on turning themselves into the galaxy's police force, then they need an institutional review board. And maybe some body cams wouldn't hurt.
At their worst, the Jedi felt like any other big bureaucracy, like your health insurance company crossed with the TSA. Huge, entrenched, unaccountable, and oblivious to massive issues in their own ranks. But there's no reason they can't live up to their full potential, if they just find a few ways to put the "sensitivity" back into "Force sensitivity." You know it to be true.