The Force
- "Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together."
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Force, early known as the Power of Cosmos by the Kwa, was a metaphysical, spiritual, binding, and ubiquitous power that held enormous importance for both the Jedi and Sith monastic orders. Known as the Way in ancient times, the Force was viewed in many different aspects, including, but not limited to, the light side, the dark side, the Living Force, the Unifying Force, the Cosmic Force, and the Physical Force. The first two aspects were concerned with the moral compass of the Force, as manifested by the conduct and emotions of living creatures who were themselves part of the fabric of the Force. The light side of the Force was the facet aligned with compassion, selflessness, self-knowledge and enlightenment, healing, mercy and benevolence, while the dark side of the Force was the element aligned with hatred, fear, covetousness, anger, aggression, jealousy and malevolence. The latter four aspects were defined by prominent Jedi philosophies: The Living Force dealt with the energy of living things; the Unifying Force, with the entirety of space and time; the Cosmic Force, with life after death; and the Physical Force, with anything within one's surroundings. Though the Force was categorized in this way, there were no specific abilities or powers that were only usable by a follower of a particular path of the Force; the Force partially existed inside the life forms that used it, and drew energy from their emotions.
Some beings, particularly the Sith, believed that the dark side of the Force was more powerful than the light, though it was possible that the dark side was just more tempting to those who used it (or desired to use it). Others thought of the Force as an entity capable of intelligent thought, almost as a sort of deity. Anakin Skywalker, who was believed to have been conceived by the Force itself, may have shared this belief; if this was indeed the case, it would add credence towards the view of the Force as a sentient entity. Though the Force was thought to flow through every living thing, its power could only be harnessed by beings described as "Force-sensitive." This Force-sensitivity was correlated with, and sometimes attributed to, a high count of internal microorganisms called midi-chlorians that were found in a Force-sensitive's blood: the higher the count, the greater the being's potential Force ability, though there were some exceptions to this rule. Force-sensitive beings were able to tap into the Force to perform acts of great skill and agility as well as control and shape the world around them. Sometimes this ability was described as having a strong Force "aura".
Early history[edit | edit source]
In 36,453 BBY, philosophers and scientists from several Star systems gathered on Tython to share mystical knowledge. The Force was "discovered." Unfortunately, in 25,793 BBY, several Tythan scholars began using their knowledge of the Force to pursue power, leading to the beginning of the Force Wars. Peace-minded monks that survived the destruction on Tython established the Jedi Order in 25,783 BBY.
Four aspects of the Force[edit | edit source]
- "The ways of the Living Force are beyond our understanding… But fear not. You are in the hands of something much greater and much better than you can imagine."
- ―Qui-Gon Jinn
The grandiose nature of the Force made it quite difficult to study as a whole; a student could easily become lost in its depths or flounder in the shallows trying too eagerly to focus on a speck in the void. To remedy this situation, the Force had long ago been broken down into four aspects: the Living, the Unifying, the Cosmic and the Physical Force. In this way scholars might choose to focus on the tangible realities of the world and how the Force manifested itself in the lives of individuals and within the moment, or to delve deeper, reaching outside themselves to wonder at the mysteries of the universe on an infinite scale.
The idea of a Living Force reflects that aspect of the Force which connects all living beings. It represents the tangible Force: the Force as it exists in the present here and now, which flows about all things to allow a Forceful being to sense life and death. Scholars of the Living Force like Qui-Gon Jinn espoused a philosophy of "living in the moment," relying heavily on their instincts and concentrating more on a sensitivity to living things, rather than on fulfilling destiny or looking to the future. They believed that the future's instabilities caused uncertainty, and that the present held the answers to near-future events.
The idea of a Unifying Force reflects that aspect of the Force which requires a significantly greater amount of understanding than the Living Force, for it manifests the Force as a single cosmic power that can reveal visions of the future that are of particular significance.
The idea of a Cosmic Force reflects that aspect of the Force which connects the Living Force to a unifying gestalt, allowing users to merge with, or to become "one" with the Force, but also manifest themselves as Force ghosts.
The idea of a Physical Force reflects that aspect of the Force which allows one to manipulate objects within his or her surroundings.
The light side of the Force[edit | edit source]
- "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense. Never for attack."
- ―Yoda
The light side of the Force was concerned with the ideals of good, benevolence, and healing. Followers of the light side strove to live in harmony with the world around them, acting out of wisdom and logic rather than anger and hasty judgment. In order to achieve harmony with the light side of the Force, its practitioners would often meditate to clear themselves of emotion; particularly negative emotions such as aggression, fear, anger, and hatred, since these were thought to lead to, or entice one to an acceptance of the dark side of the Force.[1]
The Jedi Order[edit | edit source]
- "Qui-Gon believes that the boy―Anakin is his name―stands at the center of a vergence in the Force, and believes further that his finding him was the will of the Force... Despite his fixation with the living Force, he demonstrates his own contradictions by being a true believer in the prophecy [of the Chosen One]―a foretelling more in line with the unifying Force."
- ―Jedi Master Dooku to Senator Palpatine of Naboo
The largest group of proponents and teachers of the light side was the Jedi Order, who strove to maintain peace and justice throughout the galaxy. The values of the light side were encapsulated in the Jedi Code. The Jedi accepted the view of there being two sides to the Force: the dark side and the light side. A follower of the light side tried to live selflessly, in harmony with those around him, and in harmony with "the will of the Force" itself.[2] Mutual trust, respect, and the ability to form alliances gave the Jedi their distinct advantage over the Sith. In contrast, a follower of the dark side typically used the dark side of the Force out of selfish motive, for oneself. As such, use of the dark side of the Force was forbidden within the Jedi Order, and was strictly considered the domain of the Sith.
Traditional Jedi were keen to keep the Force "in balance." They attempted to achieve this by destroying the Sith and denying the dark side, essentially "keeping balance" by restoring the Force to its natural state, as they viewed the dark side as corrupt. This involved the purging of negative emotions such as aggression, anger, and hatred, since they could easily bring on acceptance of the dark side. In contrast, positive emotions such as compassion and courage nurtured the light side of the Force. The Jedi Code compared such feelings and provided insight into the ethical use of the Force.
Passion was considered dangerous, as it could lead to strong emotions that could unbalance the Jedi and lead them to the Dark Side. Love, curiously enough, was regarded by both the Jedi and Sith Orders as something to be avoided. While the Jedi espoused compassion, a broad, all-encompassing, self-sacrificing love for all beings, love for another being—romance, a possessive love by nature—was shunned in the post-Ruusan order. Possession of all types was shunned in the post-Ruusan Reformation era Jedi Order, the only exceptions being a Jedi's lightsaber and personal raiment. The Jedi viewed love as a danger best left untouched. While the passion that came with love could lead to hatred and anger, as Anakin Skywalker demonstrated in his transformation into a Sith because of his love for Padmé Amidala, it could also lead to pity, mercy, self-sacrifice and compassion, emotions the Sith did not see as beneficial, as demonstrated by Darth Vader in sacrificing himself to save his son from the Emperor at the end of his life, thus bringing balance to the Force.
With a few minor exceptions, the original Jedi Order lasted largely unchanged in structure and philosophy for twenty-five thousand years, despite many detrimental conflicts with various Sith Empires and an attempted purge by the Sith Triumvirate. However, in 19 BBY, the Order was annihilated by the Sith Lords Darth Sidious and Darth Vader in what would later become known as the Great Jedi Purge. When the Order was reconstructed by Luke Skywalker after the deaths of Sidious and Vader, it underwent a substantial change in both philosophy and policies, as Luke possessed little information regarding the structure of the Old Jedi Order and disagreed with some of its practices.
The dark side of the Force[edit | edit source]
- "The strength of the dark side lies with the power of the individual. The Force comes from within. You must learn to draw on it yourself. I will not always be there to teach you."
- ―Darth Bane to his apprentice
The dark side of the Force was considered by the Jedi to be the element aligned with selfishness, fear, hatred, aggression, and malice toward all living things. Such emotions seemed to increase the strength and abilities of a user of the dark side, providing a path towards personal power and the destruction or control of all opposition. It was generally accepted that use of the dark side of the Force was extremely addictive. Dark side Jedi were known as Dark Jedi. But some light-side Jedi, such as Luke Skywalker, Kyle Katarn, Jaden Korr, and Galen Marek, could use dark-side powers.
The Sith Order[edit | edit source]
- "It has been said that anyone who knows the ways of the Force can set her- or himself up as a King on any world where only she or he knows the ways of the Force. Any Jedi could do this. But the Jedi, fools that they are, adhere to a religion in which the Force is used only in the service of others. How shortsighted of them. Is that not why they lost the galaxy to the dark side?"
- ―Palpatine, in The Weakness of Inferiors
The earliest incarnations of the Sith Order were similar to the Jedi Order in structure. Many Sith of various ranks and abilities comprised the Order, which was often under the control of a single Dark Lord who wielded absolute authority. Over the centuries, numerous Sith Empires utilizing this power structure rose to challenge the Republic for control over the galaxy. Though several Sith Empires brought the Republic to the brink of defeat, they were all plagued by infighting amongst the power hungry Sith overlords who controlled them, and ultimately the Jedi and the Republic triumphed against all of them. With the advent of the Sith Lord Darth Bane however, the Order underwent a revolutionary overhaul. Bane considered the Force to be finite and thus ideally for exclusive use by the Dark Lord. He eliminated the practice of having vast numbers of Sith at the same time, thereby aiming to concentrate the dark side of the Force into two individuals: a Sith Master and his or her apprentice. In addition, he hoped to eliminate the infighting that had plagued previous Sith Orders. This reformed Order went on to achieve that the Sith Empires of old never could; the annihilation of the Jedi Order and the defeat of the Republic. However, Bane's Order was destroyed when Luke Skywalker redeemed the Sith Lord Darth Vader, who turned on his master Darth Sidious and killed him at the cost of his own life.
Though Bane's tradition, or "Rule of Two," would continue to influence the Sith for years to come, Sidious and Vader were the final Lords of Bane's orthodox Order. Following their deaths in 4 ABY, the Dark Lady Lumiya made a small but significant number of changes to Bane's philosophy. Trained by Vader and having had significant exposure to both him and Sidious, she had come to view the Order under Sidious and Vader as having been selfish and ineffective. Given this, she resolved to change the core philosophy of the Banite Sith. While she still viewed the light side as inferior due to the Jedi's history of being unable to affect change, she believed that a proper Sith Lord should rule selflessly, making decisions that would benefit the greatest number of people no matter how personally painful those decisions might be. In theory, negative emotions like hate would be crucial in maintaining the power of the dark side within such a Sith, but would not be allowed to influence their decisions. Such a Sith would theoretically be able to ruthlessly maintain order, yet govern with compassion. Her philosophy culminated in the creation of Darth Caedus, the grandson of Darth Vader. In a manner somewhat similar to Palpatine, Caedus gained control over the primary galactic government and sought to impose his idea of order on it's people. However, his reign was cut short by the Jedi, and Lumiya's school of thought died with him.
The Rule of Two was later rejected entirely by Darth Krayt, who instituted the Rule of One, using "One" to refer to the Sith Order itself, which encompassed many minions, acolytes/adepts and lords, and were led by only one Dark Lord of the Sith (or Dread Lord). Superficially, this reincarnation of the Order was no different from the ancient variations of the Sith Empires. However, Darth Krayt believed that his philosophy gave the Sith and their power a purpose, unlike Darth Bane, who believed that power was its own purpose. Unlike previous Sith Orders, the Rule of One called for cooperation and even some level of loyalty between the Sith. Most importantly however, the Rule of One called for complete and utter loyalty to the Dread Lord. These two rules of Krayt's Order were designed to prevent the infighting of past Sith Orders while still retaining the ability to field large numbers of Sith, the lack of which had been a notable shortcoming of Bane's Order.
However, the Rule of One did not represent the Sith as a whole, and Krayt was even labeled a heretic by the holocrons of Darth Bane, Darth Nihilus and Darth Andeddu, all of whom believed that Krayt's Order would ultimately turn on itself as so many similarly structured Sith Orders had. In addition to Krayt's Rule of One, there was a previous Rule of One philosophy created by Darth Sidious. In Sidious's case however, the "One" referred simply to himself, as he believed that, with him, the Sith had reached their absolute peak in terms of power and ability. As such, he discarded Bane's idea of training a more powerful replacement and intended to reign forever as the galaxy's sole leader.
Potentium belief[edit | edit source]
The Potentium view of the Force, not to be confused with the Unifying Force, was strictly disapproved by the old Jedi Order. While similar to the Unifying Force, which suggested that there was only one Force that did not take sides, the Potentium view stated that the Force and the galaxy in general were inherently good. According to this belief, the so-called dark side was not made up of specific "parts" or "abilities" of the Force: as espoused by the Light Side, it existed inside the life form which used it, made from their emotions. By that standard, and unlike the Light Side, all Potentium followers could perform any action and use the Force in any way they saw fit, as long as the intention behind it was good. In contrast, the Old Jedi Order acknowledged the existence of Potentium, but made it clear that it was subverting of the Jedi teaching and a way to misguide people to the dark side, or a means to serve it.[1] The living planet Zonama Sekot supported the Potentium theory of the Force as well.
Alternate views on the Force[edit | edit source]
Way of the Dark[edit | edit source]
- "I have been trying to create. To build, when I should have destroyed. I abandoned the Way of the Dark, and the Dark abandoned me."
- ―Cronal
The Way of the Dark, or simply the Dark, was a view of the Force taken up by Cronal and those that taught him. It was effectively the polar opposite of the Potentium, but taken a step further. This Way of the Dark belief did not just deny the existence of the Light side of the Force; it stated that the Force itself was simply a small extension of the Dark. This system stated that destruction was the universal constant that all things worked towards, going so far as to call it the "will of the universe". An initiate was taught that if one made destruction his primary goal, with whatever scheme he was taking part in being a secondary objective, then the Dark would effectively reward the initiate for the devastation caused by pushing the secondary objective to success.[3]
As a prime example of this, Cronal cited that Palpatine was able to achieve success against the Jedi and the Republic because his primary motive was the destruction of both parties. However, once he had achieved these goals and set about consolidating his rule and building the Empire, his focus shifted from destruction to creation, in total opposition to universal processes. Thus when before he could not fail, now he could never succeed.[3]
The insidious Force[edit | edit source]
Darth Traya, a female Sith living during the Old Sith Wars, believed the Force to be akin to some sort of deceptively sinister, indifferent god. She pointed to the numerous wars fought by countless Force users, as proof that the Force cared nothing for the lives it consumed, so long as balance was achieved. This philosophy emphasized the belief that neither the light nor the dark side was truly superior to the other, and that if people were to be truly free, the Force had to be eliminated from the galaxy. This was generally a very unpopular theory with both the Sith and the Jedi, and this practice disappeared with Traya's death. However, after the defeat of the dark side entity Abeloth, Grand Master Luke Skywalker came to a similar conclusion regarding the nature of the Force. While he ascribed no intentions or emotions to the Force, he believed that the Force being out of balance was the cause of the horrific amount of death and chaos that had occurred in the time since the death of the Ones. Instead of believing that the Force should be destroyed however, Luke instead took the approach that, to keep the galaxy at peace, Force-adepts themselves had to actively maintain the balance of the Force.[4]
Aing-Tii beliefs[edit | edit source]
The Aing-Tii monks from the Kathol Rift viewed the Force in a way different, but similar to the view of the Jedi. Instead of the dark and the light sides of the Force, they viewed it as having many colors, much like a rainbow. They believed that the Force could manifest itself in different ways, which allowed a being to develop unique abilities, unknown to most of the Jedi and the Sith. They believed the Force was much too complicated to be just light or dark. According to their beliefs, Force-users were not strictly good or evil, but instead had their place in a larger spectrum.[1]
White Current[edit | edit source]
The Fallanassi called the Force the White Current and saw it like the river flowing through the galaxy and all living beings. A single person could not alter the current any more than a being could divert a river with one hand. Thus, the Fallanassi immersed themselves in the Current, letting it flow through them. This way they managed to shape its flow without imposing their will on it, which also opened them a way for unique Force abilities.[1]
Sorcerers of Tund[edit | edit source]
The Sorcerers of Tund shared most of the Sith beliefs, which was not surprising, given the fact that their order was founded by Sith mages. However, they viewed the Force as a magical power and manipulated it mostly by arcane symbols and spells. The Jedi viewed the sorcerers as merely another Force sect, but would often try to "convert" the Sorcerers, attempting to convince them to use the Force without any of their trappings of magic and mysticism. However, they were unsuccessful, and eventually the Jedi contented themselves with making sure the Sorcerers did not descend into the dark side.
Killiks and the Ones[edit | edit source]
The Killiks believed that The Ones represented the Force. They believed that the Daughter represented the Light Side of the Force while the Son represented the Dark Side of the Force. Their father tried to maintain the balance between them on the planet they called home. Incredibly powerful, their fighting was destructive until another came to bring peace to the family, though this brought about the creation of Abeloth. In the Clone Wars, Anakin would meet the Ones in the Mortis Monolith, where the Father claimed it was the Chosen One's destiny to take the dying Father's place and control the Son and Daughter. An intense scene of power would bring about all the Ones' deaths. The Killiks were unaware of this and awaited for their arrival when they learned Abeloth, the Bringer of Chaos, was freed.
Knights of Zakuul[edit | edit source]
The Knights of Zakuul didn't believe in light and dark, seeing the Force as their reward for serving an ideal, swearing their allegiance to their Eternal Emperor. The more they honored his commandments, the more their power increased.[5]
The Paradox[edit | edit source]
Following the Eternal Empire's conquest of the galaxy, Satele Shan and the ghost of Darth Marr gained a new understanding of the Force, describing it as a paradox, possessing contradicting traits, such as that it had a will, but needed someone to command it.[5]
Force abilities[edit | edit source]
- "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force."
- ―Darth Vader to Admiral Conan Antonio Motti, referring to the Death Star
Manifestations of the Force, which were mentally-based abilities and tapped through the practitioner's thoughts, emotions, and willpower. These abilities could take all forms, and included telepathy, telekinesis, and enhanced physical and metaphysical perception. It can allow people to affect and some control over physical forces, such as kinetic energy, inertia, friction, pressure and even gravity, allowing them to be able to defy both of these and enhance force and momentum they create, with a variety of different effects and range. Such things allowed users of the Force to be almost completely unharmed by extreme impact, such as falling from great heights or being struck with great force or at high speed. It should be noted that anticipating the impact lessened its effects, allowing some users of the Force to not be stunned or even land on their feet with ease. This effectively enhanced the physical durability and recovery capability of a Force-user.
Power over physical forces and momentum also allowed force users to partially defy gravity and other weight, allowing them to move and jump at unnatural speed and distance in seconds, though the speed only worked for limited times and was not constant while jumping could be done repeatedly to those who have mastered this ability. This effectively enhanced the agility of those who used it, giving the user acrobatic capabilities at unnatural levels. The vitality, health, stamina and endurance of a Force user was naturally enhanced to varying degrees and can even be temporarily boosted further by more powerful and skilled, notably allowing aged or crippled users to be able to temporarily transcend their physical weaknesses or to allow user or allowing a user to temporarily enhance their physical abilities beyond the limitations of their respective species. A skilled user can use techniques to control their physical condition to the point of controlling their ability to feel pain or putting themselves in a trance that simulates suspended animation.
The Force could be used to bend the will of weak-minded beings and guide an adept's body. Users who were very good at using the Force could cease merely reacting to their surroundings and actually predict events in the very near future, such as the next blow in a duel. Guidance like this enabled Luke Skywalker to launch a proton torpedo into an extremely difficult target on the Death Star in the Battle of Yavin. The Force could also be used to induce mental or physical incapacitation, such as sedation or induced sleep. Qui-Gon Jinn used this power on Jar Jar Binks when traveling the dangerous underwater path to Theed. Qui-Gon placed a hand on Jar Jar's shoulder and asked him to relax causing the Gungan to almost lose consciousness. Obi-wan, observing the extreme change in Jar Jar's behavior, told Jinn, his master, "You overdid it." Further techniques could allow users to be able to subtly or fully manipulate the minds, emotions, memories, and willpower of their targets, with some Force users being able to enhance, decrease and drain it from their targets.
In addition to enhancing their own skill, Force users were capable of channeling the energy of The Force directly into the world around them. Dark Side users generally used the Force for abilities that were malicious, immoral and unnatural, such as the technique of telekinetically choking, strangling or otherwise physically damaging their victims. The Sith were infamous for making heavy use of this ability to conjure Force-lightning, which would deliver copious and often times lethal amounts of electricity to the desired target. The Jedi preferred to use their abilities to heal and protect; closing wounds and shielding others with barriers of Force energy. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn discovered that Jedi could achieve near-immortality through the Force by existing as a Force ghost after death.1
Some Force users even learned how to transfer their spirit into another body. Palpatine used this technique in order to prolong his life, and evidence suggests the legendary Dark Jedi Set Harth, who fell to the dark side in the aftermath of the New Sith Wars, used this power to leapfrog his essence between hundreds of clone bodies, lingering in the physical realm up until the Yuuzhan Vong invasion and beyond. Later Callista Ming transferred herself to the body of a dying friend so that she could stay alive. Callista, unlike Harth and Palpatine, lost her ability to touch the Force in the process of transference.
Others, such as Darth Nihilus and the Jedi Exile, could use the Force to feed off other Force users. Nihilus' power could encompass entire planets and drain them of life, like the Miraluka colony world of Katarr. Some dark side users could use a different and weaker form of this technique to drain the strength of others into themselves, occasionally to fatal results. Darth Nihilus' ability to do this originated from a "wound in the Force", which is essentially a rip in the fabric of the Force itself.
Palpatine mentioned that the Force could help one cheat death, or create life, a secret mastered only by Darth Plagueis. Another Sith Lord, Darth Sion, used a more indirect method to cheat death. As he could call upon his pain to strengthen his will and allow him to rise up again as strong as he was beforehand, he was arguably immortal.
The Force played a major part in the Jedi use of a lightsaber, in that their heightened awareness kept them from accidentally injuring themselves while using the weapon in combat, as the blade had no relative weight, making it difficult to judge its position. Similarly, the Force allowed a Jedi to use his/her lightsaber to deflect incoming blaster bolts. The Force also came into play during the construction of a lightsaber, both in assembling its intricate innards, and the initial charging of the power cell.
Manipulating the Force entailed significant risks, however. When a person used the Force beyond their body's ability to sustain it, the individual could suffer physical damage, accelerated aging, or in an extreme case, certain death by burning their own body cells from the inside out. Palpatine, and Dorsk 81 are prime examples of excessive Force usage and the consequences. This naturally happened to those who relied on the Dark Side of the Force for their power.
For most users, physical or mental fatigue, stress, or disorientation would subsequently weaken, nullify or invalidate the use of their power in the Force. In the event of exhausting or stressing their powers or themselves, physically or mentally, users have to wait a minimum length of time before they can use it again or refrain from using it until the user regains sobriety, willpower and calmness. Emotions could also affect the strength of a users abilities, which depending on the user, could add or detract strength. For Dark Side users, positive, non-aggressive and peaceful emotions would potentially weaken their strength, as strength in the Force can naturally be increased by raw, intense and aggressive feelings, but not without risk of being corrupted by the Dark Side. Such instances could hamper or limit the use of Force abilities, especially in combat, resulting in Force users resorting to physical combat especially with the use of a lightsaber. The ability is usually accompanied by motion of the eyes, hands or even the entire body, the latter being the most common way to use the power, which can can also limit use of the ability, especially when the user's mind or senses are strained or overwhelmed.
Disturbances in the Force[edit | edit source]
- "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi, referring to the destruction of Alderaan
The Force existed in all life, and when great amounts of life passed away, a disturbance was created, running through the Force like a scream that Force-adepts could hear. This was how a "wound in the Force" was created at the battle of Malachor V during the Mandalorian Wars when the Mass Shadow Generator was unleashed. In addition, when the Mandalorians destroyed the cities of Serroco using nuclear weapons. This happened again when Alderaan was destroyed; Obi-Wan Kenobi sensed "a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.…". The students of the Jedi Praxeum felt a similar disturbance when the Carida system was destroyed. It was suggested that Yoda could not even stand on Kashyyyk as Order 66 was being executed. It was as if Yoda was being overpowered by the disturbance caused by the many simultaneous Jedi deaths. It is possible that those strong in the Force could have glimpses of what is creating the disturbance, though the severity that the adept would feel would depend on numerous variables, including both their training and their innate connection with the Force. This could explain why Yoda seemed to know what happened when Obi-Wan Kenobi was about to look at the security recordings of the Jedi Temple. However, while typically called "disturbances", they were sometimes be referred to as "tremors", as Darth Vader did about Obi-Wan's presence at Death Star I. Disturbances could also be felt lingering from a past event, such as when Leia Organa Solo felt a disturbance when she visited the place where Anakin Skywalker slaughtered an entire village of Tusken Raiders.
Unusual Force occurrences in nature[edit | edit source]
The Rakatan Force-enabled hyperdrives allowed them to travel to hyperspace.
The ysalamiri were a species of tree-dwelling lizard-like creatures that were immune to most effects of the Force. The creatures exuded a "bubble" which "pushes back" Force energy, making them useful tools for individuals (such as Grand Admiral Thrawn) requiring a means to nullify a Jedi's abilities. They originated on the world of Myrkr. It is mentioned that the ysalamir, when put together, create a much more extensive bubble, sometimes expanding a few kilometers outside their native forest. They evolved this trait to survive being hunted by the predatory vornskrs, pack animals that hunted by tracking down live prey using the Force.
A creature with a similar peculiarity was the taozin, a large, gelatinous predator. Though not widely known, at least one of these creatures was alive deep in the undercity of Coruscant approximately ten years before the Clone Wars.[6]
Gurlanins could also 'hide' themselves from the Force, though they could also make themselves detectable in the Force at will if they chose to.
While not immune to the Force, Hutts were highly resistant, having an innate defense against Force-based mind manipulation.
Toydarians were immune to mind tricks as well. The Yinchorri and the Dashades were also largely unaffected by Force mental manipulation, and were thus both utilized to varying degrees by the Emperor; the Yinchorri during the period surrounding the Stark Hyperspace War and the Dashadi during the first few years following the Great Jedi Purge.
Additionally, Force-resistant creatures called terentateks were a major threat to the Jedi. Some suspected that they were created by the Sith to hunt down the Jedi. Periodically, the Jedi held a Great Hunt in an attempt to hunt down and destroy all of the terentateks. The monsters appeared to be extremely long-lived and resilient.
Although not natural, voxyn could hunt Jedi and other Force users by noticing their "Force scent." Like all other Yuuzhan Vong biots, they were immune to direct manipulation by the Force and could not be sensed by Jedi. This, in addition to their other abilities, made them a significant threat to the Jedi Order.
Hssiss could influence Force-sensitive beings around them. If bitten by an hssiss, one would succumb to the effects of a dark side poison. Hssiss also had the ability to conceal themselves and become invisible, possibly doing so through the Force.
Sith magic was sometimes considered outside of the Force by some of its practitioners, though how much of that is true is unconfirmed.
The Yuuzhan Vong could not be sensed or affected directly by the Force as they had been stripped of it around 15,000 BBY. However, it was theorized by some Jedi, particularly Jacen Solo that the Vong were connected to the Force in a way that the Jedi could not sense, because the Jedi believed that all life depended on a symbiotic relationship with the Force to at least some degree.
However, the notion that all life was dependent on the Force was apparently disproven by the Jedi Knight Meetra Surik. During the Battle of Malachor she cut herself off from the Force so completely that she became a Wound in the Force, completely dead to it and completely disconnected from it. The Sith Lord Darth Traya viewed Surik as definitive proof that life could exist independently of the Force and sought to exploit Surik's condition to suit her own ends.
Organized Force traditions[edit | edit source]
- "The Force is a river from which many can drink, and the training of the Jedi is not the only cup which can catch it."
- ―Luke Skywalker
The Jedi and Sith Orders taught the Force as described above, but there were other traditions which instructed different philosophies and uses of the Force, or use of powers similar to the Force.
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
- "The Force evolved out of various developments of character and plot. I wanted a concept of religion based on the premise that there is a God and there is good and evil. I began to distill the essence of all religions into what I thought was a basic idea common to all religions and common to primitive thinking. I wanted to develop something that was nondenominational but still had a kind of religious reality."
- ―George Lucas on the Force
The principles of the Force resonate with those of some real-world religions, including the Shinto religion of Japan, Buddhism, Taoism, and certain Celtic druidic concepts. The Force also bears a close similarity to the Chinese notion of qì, or qìgōng, and the splitting of the Force into light side and dark sides echoes the concept of yin and yang in Eastern philosophy (though this is not a perfect translation, as the dark side is considered a force of evil by the Jedi, and this moral duality is not the same as the Eastern concept).Template:Cite Along with the concepts of yin and yang, the concept of a ubiquitous Force parallels the real-world concept of a "Tao" or "way," which is said to flow everywhere in the universe. The concept of the Force also borrows heavily from Hindu theology, which also expresses a belief in a unifying Brahman energy that composes and is a composite of the Universe (and by extension, God), and can be used for either good or bad. In fact, this is particularly similar to the concept of the Potentium and the Unifying Force in that while the power can be perverted for evil, it ultimately leads only to a conclusion that is good.
A connection could be drawn to Zoroastrianism with the duality of the Force. The dichotomy between Ahura Mazda (the One God) and Angra Mainyu/Ahrima (the evil spirit) is nearly identical to the concept of the light and dark sides of the Force. Another connection can be drawn is spirits; in response to Christian philosophies: Jedi spirits resemble God's angels and/or saints, and dark side Sith spirits (most often of Sith Lords) as souls in hell or even perhaps devils themselves.
Another connection that can be made is towards the Hebrew religion and how it treated blood: Blood is the life source of every living creature, and during temple sacrifices, the Hebrews make sure to spill as much blood as possible, to "return" the life force of the animal back to God. This coincides with the whole concept of the Force; the person's strength in the Force is found in the person's blood.
In truth, the Force is an amalgamation of many religions and philosophies, and is intended as a metaphor for spirituality itself. As in real-world spirituality, there is the potential for a "light" and a "dark" side in each person as well as the universe at large.
It has also been quotedTemplate:Fact that George Lucas' study of Carlos Castañeda's books, which followed Mexican Native American teachings, may have helped to lead to Yoda's description of the Force as an energy force that emanates from all beings luminous in appearance. Carlos Castañeda's studies stated that we are all luminous "eggs" with "lines of power" that stretch from our bodies and connect us to the overlying "force of nature" that exists in our universe according to ancient Native American Shamanistic tradition. Only those trained in the tradition of the correct Native American traditions allow users to "see" the human's true nature as luminous "eggs" not the "crude matter" we all exist as.
Obi-Wan saying that the Force "binds the galaxy together" instead of "the universe" could suggest that the Force is unique to the galaxy, and not a universal power. But it also may be just a turn of phrase, such as when someone in real life says "world" but really means "everything in existence." It has been revealed that the extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong were Force immune, although they were Force wielders once.
The non-canon film Willow, which was the subject of an April Fool's Day 2006 Databank update, presents species which use fantasy magic spells, a power nearly identical to the Force. According to the entries, the planet of Andowyne, which the Databank claimed is the world seen in Willow, was the home of the midi-chlorian lifeform.
Despite great controversy regarding the truth of the Force in-universe, the matter was clearly settled in Wizards of the Coast's sourcebooks, such as the Power of the Jedi Sourcebook and the Jedi Academy Training Manual, which established that the Jedi Order has the best understanding of the Force among all other Force traditions, and the Jedi way of classifying and viewing the Force is the correct one, as intended by the creators of Star Wars licenses.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
Template:Moresources The Force resides in all life forms and binds the galaxy together, therefore making at least an indirect appearance in every Star Wars story. Below is an incomplete list of sources in which the Force is actually mentioned.
Non-canon appearances[edit | edit source]
- Jedi Academy
- Jedi Academy: Return of the Padawan
- LEGO Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
- LEGO Star Wars: Darth Maul's Mission
- Template:Microfighters
- Soulcalibur IV
- LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
- LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
- LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
- LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
- LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
