Padawan braid
The culture of the Jedi Order had to be abandoned for practical purposes after Order 66 forever changed the customs of the Jedi Way. Since the hair braid was such an easily distinguishable symbol of a member of the Jedi Order, many Padawans cut their braids off after the execution of Order 66 to hide from the Jedi purge. As a part of this shameful expulsion, Ahsoka's braid was ripped out, dealing a crushing blow to her faith in the Jedi High Council, since they believed the false allegations against her.
Later, Ahsoka was wrongfully accused of a Jedi Temple bombing and was removed from the Jedi Order. However, Ahsoka's braid dilemmas did not stop there.
Ahsoka Tano went to great lengths to get her silka bead braid back from bounty hunter Cad Bane after he stole it. Other Jedi Padawans felt proud to wear the hair braid, as they embraced the steps they had to undergo to achieve a more honorable rank. RELATED: Star Wars: Ahsoka Tano's White Lightsabers Have a DARK History Significance and History of the Padawan Braid If a Padawan was expelled from the Jedi Order, however, their braid was then ripped off, as a symbol of shame for whatever transgression they committed. This makes the hair braid a practical signifier of rank when identifying Padawans, and a ceremonial tradition to mark the graduation of a Jedi to the next rank.
When Padawans completed their training and passed the Jedi Trials, meaning they were ready to move up to the status of Jedi Knight, the hair braid was ceremoniously cut off with a lightsaber. An example of this is Ahsoka Tano, who was a Togruta species that did not have any hair on her head, so had to wear an alternative material to mark her Padawan status when she trained under Anakin during the Clone Wars. Non-human Padawans that did not have hair or fur in their heads to braid were given a silka bead braid to show their Padawan status instead. The braid was a symbol among the Jedi Order that the individual is ranked as a Padawan, the first level in becoming a Jedi. It was customary for a Jedi Padawan to wear a longer section of their hair in a braid starting at the base of their neck.