The Jedi

After losing the public support at the end of the clone wars and with the Empire's propaganda machine controlling the center stage of public thought, the legacy of the jedi has become muddled. Fear of the Empire has led many who remember the jedi to avoid mention of the legacy or their deeds. The Jedi Order held sway over public knowledge of the Force, but its relatively small numbers meant that Jedi were rarely, if ever, encountered by the average galactic citizen. Even the Jedi remained mysterious and isolated to most citizens; the Sith were almost entirely forgotten by the galaxy. Those few historians who knew of the Sith thought of them as a footnote in ancient history, long lost to time.
Now those who hear the word Jedi often dismiss them as charlatans who conned their way into power while others believe them to be magical warriors or sorcerers fighting for truth and justice. With much uncertainty the Jedi have become something of a myth and a legend. Now all that remains are ruins, echos of the Jedi that once were. Charlatans, heroes, children's stories, whose to say but as long as the Empire holds sway over public opinion all agree it's safer to only discuss such things in whispers.