Ability to assess edge and odds - definitely not a physical ability so I guess it's a mental ability. So clones have different mental ability then. That's fine. I have not studied clones in detail so I am OK with that definition.
I have studied clones for 10,000 hours, I am therefore an an expert on clones. This is the way clones are.
However...given the above.. How do we know that the winning 1/1024 Jedi:
- didn't have a higher mental ability (as we've established above that mental abilities can be different among clones) and used that as an edge to win all his/her battles? It may involve general human traits like courage, determination, cunningness, adaptability, attention to detail etc etc, to more Jedi specific dimensions.
Because the Jedi Wannabes were selected from an extensive list of clones, each of which was pitted against the other to assure quality control of the batch in terms of sword craft. This was six-sigma certified and the batch was such that the differences in direct conflict ability, however obtained, were so minute that the skills were within the margin of a dust particle in full combat conditions.
This allowed me to issue a PDS, which was cleared by APRA and the Nevada Athletic Commission , with the phrase:
"each Jedi wannabe was a perfect clone of another...so it was merely luck which decided the outcome of a physical contest like this. Each had equally matched sword skills (Amibroker code etc.). A waft of breeze or a speck of dust determined the outcome."
And, how do we know that the 1025th Jedi Wannabe:
- wasn't just lucky (as Teah/a said) because he/she stood in some obscure corner and didn't get pair up by chance?
- wasn't actually a coward and deliberately ran away from the contest?
The response to Peter2, in revealing the deep rationale, did include:
"Of course, the one who sat out might have just missed out randomly. So it's hard to tell..... Even so, there is a non-zero chance that the one who sat out meant to...so selecting this Jedi wannabe remains the best choice the Master could make if one apprentice is to be selected."
As for cowardice, is it cowardly to avoid a battle with no edge? Or is it a good judgment?
And lastly:
- When a Jedi's force allows movement of physical objects, choking someone's throat or shooting lightning from the fingertips using the mind alone... where does physical ability ends and mental ability begins for a Jedi?
Luke Skywalker could not move objects before training by Obe Wan. By Episode 7, the Star Wars franchise had gone downmarket and Rey ccould do all sorts of funky Jedi stuff via innate ability. That was just special effects and not the real deal. Episode 7 is a fictional representation, unlike Episode 4 which was legit.
Perhaps the Master should just walk into the room, and declared "The force is strong in this one" and made his/her decision then and there??
May the force be with you
Actually, you've got me there. The Master demonstrated one of the key traits of combat. She possessed an information advantage. There is no law against inside knowledge in Jedi land.