The annual Jedi Temple Apprentice Tournament was a recurring event at the Coruscant Jedi Temple throughout the Galactic Republic era.
This Apprentice Tournament, a Jedi Order initiative, provided a platform for its youngest members, the Initiates, to showcase their abilities and attract the interest of potential mentors. Knights and Masters would journey to the Temple each year, seeking suitable apprentices to accompany them on missions for the subsequent decade. Temple students prepared diligently for this trial, often fearing that failure would lead to reassignment to the Jedi Service Corps, a respectable yet less desirable alternative to serving as a Knight's apprentice.
Thirty-two apprentices would compete in a sequence of one-on-one lightsaber duels, with each round concluding when a student inflicted three burns on their opponent using a training lightsaber. Before each round commenced, all apprentices would gather around the dueling area as pre-selected students from different classes faced off. The final round involved the upper class as a group, fighting until only one remained. The Tournament's initial two matches were traditionally held in the Combat Training Chamber, before transitioning to more natural environments for the final free-for-all.
The Tournament occurred in 20 BBY during the Clone Wars timeline, prior to both the Battle of Honoghr and the Rendili Fleet Crisis. In that Tournament, Tallisibeth Enwandung-Esterhazy was defeated in the first round by a twelve-year-old with a broken leg.
Later that same year, Master Ilena "Iron-Hand" Xan oversaw the Tournament, observing both the preparations and the actual combat.
During the Tournament's opening round, Atresh Pikil battled Gumbrak Hoxz, Flerp fought Zrim, Horororibb was matched against Boofer, Page dueled Gilp, and Pax Chizzik competed against Tallisibeth Enwandung-Esterhazy. Enwandung-Esterhazy triumphed over Chizzik by employing deception and knowledge of pressure points; despite Hanna Ding's objections, Master Xan permitted it.
In the subsequent round, Ding was paired against Enwandung-Esterhazy in darkness. Ding resisted succumbing to frustration when her opponent attempted to deceive her, enduring a whip kick to the chest. When Ding believed she had defeated Scout, Esterhazy seized her lightsaber blade, set to a low power, and managed to place her in a stranglehold, compelling the Arkanian to yield.
In other battles, Sisseri Deo defeated Forzi Ghul with a roundhouse kick, Whie Malreaux performed exceptionally well, as did Lena Missa.
The ultimate round took place in one of the refectories during a meal. Enwandung-Esterhazy ambushed Deo, throwing a glass of muja juice in his face before ending the fight with a stranglehold. Pirt Neer and Enver Hoxha's duel garnered the most attention, while Malreaux and Hera Tuix engaged in hand-to-hand combat, culminating in Whie defeating Hera with a wrist-lock. Lena Missa defeated Bargu, who was seen clutching her arm in defeat; Missa then engaged Malreaux, along with, who took Hoxha's lightsaber, forcing him to surrender to Neer. Neer was about to attack Enwandung-Esterhazy, but Missa put her in an arm bar, forcing her to yield also.
As the final three competitors, Missa, Scout, and Malreaux prepared to battle each other. Malreaux defeated Missa with a thumb lock, before setting on Scout. After successfully overcoming a thumb lock, Scout defeated Whie with a shoulder thrust, sending him to the floor.