The Force (Star Wars)
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In the fictional Star Wars universe, The Force is a binding, metaphysical and ubiquitous power that is the object of the Jedi and Sith monastic orders.
[edit] Definition
The Force as described by Obi-Wan Kenobi : "It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together." The Force is everywhere, and everywhere is the Force, as Yoda would say. It is generated by all living organisms; Yoda states "Luminous beings are we." Some think of the Force as a sentient entity that may be capable of intelligent activities; almost as if it were a sort of god—while others simply consider it something that can be manipulated and used as though it were a tool. A common compromise is that it is an "energy tool" but one which forms a fundamental part of the universe. Fundamental to its nature are certain practical aspects such as it's ability to cause change within the physical realm. An analogy is a sword with no handle - it can only be used by gripping the blade and therefore any attempt to strike someone would result in similar harm to the hand of the striker - the sword itself has no sentience or morality, but nevertheless exacts a price of those who use it unethically.
In the Expanded Universe, two aspects of the Force are given emphasis: the light side and the dark side. These are concerned with the moral compass of the Force in its various manifestations. The light side of the Force is its elegance and beauty. The dark side of the Force is the element aligned with fear, hatred, aggression, and malevolence; this side of the Force seems more powerful, though it is just more tempting to those that can touch upon the power as it doesn't impose any restrictions on its use.
The Force has also been described as having two additional aspects: the Unifying Force and the Living Force. These aspects were not expounded upon in the prequels, but in the Expanded Universe they are defined by prominent Jedi philosophies. The Unifying Force essentially embraces space and time in its entirety. The Living Force deals with the directly ongoing niches present in the Force and compassion to living things. These two aspects are not considered canon by many fans, as they are not discussed in the films or film novelizations. The only mention of the term "Living Force" in the films is made by Qui-Gon Jinn in Episode I, and many people consider the word "living" to be a simple adjective describing the Force, just as the use of "almighty God" does not imply the existence of another God. It is clear, however, that Qui-Gon is speaking of the Force concerning the present.
It can only be harnessed by a minority of beings described as "Force-sensitive." (In the books Luke Skywalker states that all are Force Sensitive.) These have been defined as either having a high count of microorganisms called midi-chlorians—the more midi-chlorians, the greater the person's Force ability—or having a strong Force "aura." It is probable that these traits are connected. Force-adepts are able to tap into the Force to perform acts of great skill and agility as well as control and shape the world around them. It allows them to control its various embodying powers (see below).
The Force appears to be connected to, or responsible for, the destinies of living beings. As Chancellor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) says in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, some Sith masters were able to use the Force to manipulate life and death.
[edit] The sides of the Force
[edit] Orthodox Jedi code
- There is no emotion; there is peace.
- There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
- There is no passion; there is serenity.
- There is no chaos; there is harmony.
- There is no death; there is the force.
Note: There are typically only four lines in this code. See Jedi for an explanation of the anomalous line on "harmony".
The Jedi and others refer to two sides of the Force, a dark side and a light side. This echoes the concept of Yin Yang in Eastern philosophy, but is not a straight translation, as the emotional dark side is denoted as a Force of evil by the Jedi. The dark side is not made up of specific "parts" or "abilities" of the Force: the dark and light sides of the Force exist inside of the life form which uses it, made from their emotions. George Lucas compared the light and dark sides to the processes of symbiosis and cancer. A follower of the light side tries to live in harmony with those around him. Mutual trust, respect, and the ability to form alliances give the Jedi their distinct advantage over the Sith. In contrast, a follower of the dark side is only interested in him- or herself. To strike down a living creature with the Force out of anger, fear or another emotion is of the dark side. To refrain and clear one's self of these emotions is of the light side. Use of the dark side of the Force is forbidden within the Jedi Order, and is strictly considered the domain of the Sith.
One might compare the Jedi code to some of the principles of Buddhism. One of the main concepts of Buddhism is that in order to escape the suffering of life, one must cease their cravings or passions. Only by not craving or wanting anything can you be at peace. Buddhism promotes wisdom, and the doing of good. All of these are teachings that Jedi learn to follow.
The Force plays a major part in the Jedi use of a lightsaber in that their heightened awareness keeps them from accidentally injuring themselves while using the weapon in combat, as the blade has no relative weight, making it difficult to judge its position. Similarly, the Force allows a Jedi to use his/her lightsaber to deflect incoming blaster bolts. The Force also comes into play during the construction of a lightsaber, both in assembling its intricate innards, and the initial charging of the power cell.
Traditional Jedi are keen to keep the Force "in balance". They attempt to achieve this by destroying the Sith and denying the dark side—essentially "keeping balance" by combating the dark side, as they view dark side as "corruption". This involves the purging of negative emotions such as aggression, anger, and hatred, since they can easily bring on acceptance of the dark side. In contrast, positive emotions such as compassion and courage nurture the light side of the Force. The Jedi Code compares such feelings and provides insight into the ethical use of the Force.
Passion is considered dangerous as it may lead to strong emotions that could unbalance the Jedi and lead them to the Dark Side. Love is, curiously enough, seen as something both Jedi and Sith avoid. While the Jedi espouse a broad, all-encompassing, self-sacrificing love for all beings, love for another being—romance, a possessive love by nature—is shunned. Possession of all types is shunned by the era of Episode I, save for the individuality of a Jedi's lightsaber. The Sith view love as a danger best left untouched. While the passion that comes with love could lead to hatred and anger—as the case of Anakin Skywalker represents -- it could also lead to pity, self-sacrifice and compassion, emotions the Sith do not see as beneficial and led to Anakin's reversal at the end of his life. To summarize, the Sith tend to see Love as a weakness.
One might speculate that this indicates that love is the true binding factor between the light and the dark. Neither the Jedi nor the Sith accept the other because they are either side to the extreme.
The Jedi approach to emotions may be seen as one of the key reasons for their fall during the movies. Denying themselves the right to feel the emotions of the Dark Side and abstaining from passion and love, many Jedi often fall under the sway of them when finally exposed. Unfamiliar with such emotions, they fail to see how they can come to dominate the personality and eventually become the personality. The repression of the emotions merely causes the fall of a Jedi to be even more violent and complete.
It seems most Jedi are proponents for The Unified Force, wherein they focus on the past, present, and future as a whole (however, visions of the future are of particular significance in the conservative Jedi mindset), ignoring primary use of The Living Force. Voices for the latter espouse a philosophy of "live for the moment" and heavily rely on their instincts. This viewpoint might have allowed the Jedi Order to stave off the conflict that gave rise to the Galactic Empire, as its members lost themselves in looking forward rather than analyzing the unfolding events before them.
The organizational goal of the Jedi Order is to maintain peace and justice in the galaxy.
Jedi Master Mace Windu elaborates, "Jedi do not fight for peace; that is a slogan and is misleading as slogans naturally are. Jedi fight for civilization, as civilization creates peace." (Windu in diary in Shatterpoint)
[edit] Sith code
- Peace is a lie; there is only passion.
- Through passion, I gain strength.
- Through strength, I gain power.
- Through power, I gain victory.
- Through victory, my chains are broken.
- The Force shall free me.
The dark side of the Force is innately tied to the distinctly negative ethical paradigm of the Sith. It is largely based on emotions and passion rather than peace and serenity which are preached by the light side of the Force. The dark side of the Force comes from the hate, anger, fear, aggression, vengeance, and malice in all living things. In the Star Wars movies, the practitioners of the dark side are Darth Sidious and his successive apprentices Darth Maul, Darth Tyranus, and Darth Vader.
One might compare the Sith code to Existentialism, as many aspects such as the quest for passion and freedom, and the concept of defining one's own destiny, are shared by the two. Other similarities between the two beliefs include awareness of death (the Jedi do not believe in death, they believe there is only the Force) and the absence of peace due to the role emotions play in life. Existentialists focus on anger and despair as major emotions, and these have been shown as aspects that help define Sith lords such as Anakin Skywalker. However, the appeal to responsibility as tied as one with freedom, at least as appears in Sartre´s writings, makes this comparison difficult, as dark siders clearly lose regard to others as they pursue their ends.
Another comparison may be Nietzsche's philosophy of embracing one's will to power. Nietzsche describes a will to power in which living things are not just driven by the mere need to stay alive, but in fact by a greater need to wield and use power, to grow, to expend their strength, and, possibly, to subsume other "wills" in the process, even at the expense of harming others.
The Jedi believe that emotions such as fear, uncertainty, doubt, anger, suffering, and attachment lead to the dark side. The Sith, on the other hand, believe that such emotions can be used to fuel one's own will to power, ego, and selfishness. The destructive havoc caused by the actions of a dark side practitioner are excused as serving a greater purpose under this philosophy.
The negative emotions increase the strength and abilities of a dark side practitioner. As a result, the dark side of the Force is extremely addictive: every time one calls on its power, one becomes more and more attached to it. Darth Vader desired to use this to his advantage during his time trying to turn his son, Luke Skywalker, to the dark side. If he could convince the young Jedi hopeful to call on the dark side enough times, the boy would find it more difficult to resist in the future. The Dark Side can also strongly affect the user physically, as the intense emotion and rage required to fuel it usually corrupts the user's body; this is demonstrated by Darth Sidious, Darth Vader, Darth Traya, a dark-sided Jedi Exile, and in extreme cases, Darth Sion.
The corruption also extends to the personality and soul of the Sith, as the emotions called upon eventually become the only emotions the Sith truly feel. Eventually the original purpose for using the Dark Side is forgotten as the emotions drive them to seek absolute power. The soul also suffers, as in death the emotions burn out and leave them empty. This is seen in Ajunta Pall, the first Dark Lord of the Sith who, even centuries after his death, lingered in his tomb, unable to join the Force because of the evil he caused and his inability to forgive himself.
The Sith also believe that instead of living alongside the Force, one must master it and use it as a tool. This is shown in the novelization of Revenge of the Sith, on page 72:
"They (the Jedi) allowed the Force to direct them; Dooku (a Sith) directed the Force."
Overall, dark side relationships and organizations are inherently unstable. For instance, the pupil-master relationship of the Jedi is perverted under the Sith, as both the apprentice and the master naturally plot against one other, and one will eventually kill the other. For the Sith, this in-fighting is a positive: it guarantees that the strongest (and thus most fit) will rule. However, every time a Dark Side Force has risen in the galaxy, it has collapsed from inevitable instability due to this practice. The Empire is no exception. When Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader discovered that Luke Skywalker was Vader's son, both wanted to turn Luke to the dark side. Vader wanted his son to help him kill Palpatine and rule the galaxy together, but Palpatine wanted Luke to take Vader's place as his apprentice.
This phenomenon of constant internecine warfare indicates that the Dark Side may in fact be weaker than the Light Side, since even by the Sith's own beliefs their inability to maintain power marks their rule as unworthy. This instability due to in-fighting is in line with George Lucas' characterization of the Dark Side as "cancer" and is likewise one way of arguing that evil is slightly weaker than good in Abrahamic religions; it was no doubt seized upon by proponents of the Potentium theory of the Force (see below).
Darth Bane considered the Force to be finite, and thus best restricted (ideally) to the use of a single Sith Lord. After the Battle of Ruusan, he eliminated the practice of having vast numbers of Sith at the same time and concentrated the dark side of the Force into two individuals: a Sith Master and Apprentice. This tradition, or "rule of two," remained in practice throughout the Star Wars Extended Universe. One might argue that the corrupted Jerec was an exception, as he had seven apprentices/fellow Dark Jedi on his command when he sought the power of the Valley of the Jedi, but Jerec was not a Sith, but rather, a Dark Jedi.
The Dark Lords Sidious, Tyranus, and Vader had each trained some followers with dark side abilities and occasionally inducted a member deeply into Sith lore and powers, but none of these followers were given the full Sith rites and training; thus the "rule of two" was consistent during the era of Darth Sidious.
Fear
"Fear is the path to the dark side..."
All sentient creatures experience fear at some point in their lives; it is a defense mechanism designed to impel creatures away from danger. One feels fear when they believe they may lose something valuable to them. Fear for one's own life is the most common motivator, but the fear can be for the lives or friends of loved ones, or even something as trivial as the loss of a possession or opportunity.
One acts out of genuine fear when they abandon reason and logic in order to eliminate or escape a threat. Unreasoning fear is characterized by desperation and frantic attempts to escape the danger at any cost. People who use the most lethal weapon available (regardless of their proficiency with it), attack all-out without first determining the actual degree of danger, or abandon threatened allies to save their own lives are almost certainly acting out of fear. Their journey to the dark side has begun.
Anger
"...fear leads to anger..."
Like fear, anger is almost unavoidable for sentient beings. It is symptomatic of frustration- stress without a suitable means of release. Such tension results in violent behavior, aimed at relieving the frustration all at once. It can be brought on by a variety of factors, but most commonly relates to fear. The fear of the consequences of failure can create tremendous surges of anger in sentient beings.
Someone acting out of anger loses the ability to show mercy; the target of his anger must feel his wrath. One gripped by anger often takes unnecessary risks in order to punish or destroy the target of his ire. Victory is not good enough if the foe is still moving. The angry do not wish to address the situation when they are rational; she needs to vent her fury now, while her blood is boiling and her enemy is within reach. Such a person deliberately gives her anger free rein, and thus gives in to the dark side.
Hatred
"...anger leads to hatred..."
Stress can also result in a more subtle kind of anger: hatred. Hatred is a simmering resentment, the outward expression of which may start small but gradually escalates into full-scale acts of violence. Hatred festers inside someone until eventually they come to believe that the target of their hatred somehow has less right to exist than they do. In their own mind, they reduce thier enemy to a nebulous menace, the source of all the things she despises and of all the ills that plague them. To their thinking, the target of her hatred consciously attempts to thwart them. But it is not a personal vendetta; their enemy clearly threatens all that they touch. The hateful personhas a right and even a duty to destroy their enemy and, what's more, to undo all that their enemy has wrought.
Hatred is often identifiable by an accompanying sense of righteousness; the person feels that he is morally bound to eliminate the thing that he hates. For him, considerations and mitigating circumstances are not a factor. Lenience is not an option. Justice is his to administer, and he does so with the assurance that anyone can plainly see the correctness of his decision. But whether he is right or wrong, the very fact that he acts out of his beliefand nothing else brings him one step closer to the dark side.
Suffering
"...hate leads to suffering."
Hatred often springs from a sensation of inferiority. What one cannot control, one frequently hates. But when a person has the power has the power of life and death over the object of his hatred- a single individual, or even an entire galaxy- he can cause suffering. Mental, verbal, and physical abuse are his tools; through these methods, the person denigrates and depersonalizes his victims- making them no more significant than objects, to be used or destroyed as he likes.
Malice is the ultimate expression of hatred, because the object of such hate invariably suffers. A person who wishes to cause suffering has no sense of pity. He cxallously causes pain, injury, and anguish, because he knows no one has the power to stop him- he is in command. But he has graduated beyond the need to destroy what he hates; to him, keeping his victims alive but always in fear of death reminds them of his authority over them. As long as he can continue to exert control over them, they feed his contempt for them. But should they challenge him, they present a threat, and he must destroy them. Thus, he returns to fear, and trances his path to the dark side all over again.
[edit] Potentium and unitary views of the Force
The Potentium view of the Force, considered heresy by Old Republic Jedi, holds that the Force, and the galaxy in general, was inherently good, and that there was no evil side to the Force. Also Luke states in "The Unifying Force" that "the force doesn't flow from us but through us" which strongly suggests that the Force creates life and not the other way around. This view gained greater acceptance under the New Republic, mostly due to the influence of Vergere, a surviving Jedi from the days of the Old Republic.
Palpatine (Darth Sidious) tells Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith that one must study the entire Force, including the dark side, in order to truly understand it. In the Expanded Universe, he later states there is only one Force: the only difference worthy of note is that the Sith see the Force as a means to an end; the Jedi see it as an end in itself.
This is echoed by what Vergere teaches Jacen Solo in the New Jedi Order series, (part of the Expanded Universe of Star Wars). She tells him that there is no light side nor dark side of the Force—only The Unifying Force, and that the "dark side" is actually a reflection of the intentions of the wielder.
Kyle Katarn also seems to embrace the Potentium view of the Force, or something similar, when he instructs his padawans Jaden Korr and Rosh Penin in the computer game Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. Here, he tells them that no particular Force ability is inherently good or evil- the intention behind the ability is what matters. He further demonstrates this by employing Force Lightning in combat, an ability universally considered to be on the Dark side of the spectrum.
These thoughts are also shared with the Grey Jedi Kreia, when she tells the Jedi Exile, "One quickly learns that the Jedi Code does not give all the answers. To truly understand the Force one mustn't simply adhere to the Jedi Code". She also says that one cannot truly understand or comprehend the Force by following one of the two Jedi religions. Both the Jedi Exile and Revan (although he was exposed to many masters' opinions by seeking them out) may also share these thoughts, since Kreia trained them.
Belief in the Force waned after the fall of The Old Republic and the destruction of the Jedi, to the point that most of the galaxy's inhabitants viewed Force users as sorcerers and magicians. Many did not even believe that the Force existed.
Two such examples occur in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Smuggler Han Solo scornfully explains to Luke Skywalker that he had "flown from one side of this galaxy to the other" and seen nothing to make him believe there was "one all-powerful Force controlling everything," contemptuously adding that no "mystical energy field" controlled his destiny.
The second example of this viewpoint was voiced, quite loudly, by Admiral Motti aboard the Death Star. When Darth Vader explained that the Death Star's ability to destroy a planet was insignificant compared to power of the Force, Admiral Motti, who did not believe in the Force, proceeded to brazenly mock the Sith Lord's "sad devotion to that ancient religion." Vader swiftly proved Admiral Motti wrong about the Force's existence, when he used its power to telekinetically strangle the arrogant officer (see below), stating, "I find your lack of faith disturbing."
[edit] Organized Force traditions
The Jedi and Sith Orders teach the Force as described above, but there are other traditions which teach different philosophies and uses of the Force, or powers similar to the Force.
- The Aing-Tii Monks
- The Ancient Order of the Whills
- The Baran Do
- The Blackguard
- The Bladeborn
- The Chatos Academy Paladins
- The Disciples of Ragnos
- The Ee Worms
- The Equilibrium Knights
- The Ewok shamans
- The Fallannassi
- The Followers of Palawa
- The Gand Findsmen
- The Guardians of Breath
- The Imperial Knights
- The Heresiarchs
- The Jal Shey
- The Jarvashqline shamans
- The Jedi Order
- The Jensaarai
- The Kathol Sector's Ta-Ree
- The Kiffar Guardians
- The Kilian Rangers
- Krath
- The Legions of Lettow
- The Matukai
- The Mecrosa Order
- The Naddists
- The Order of Dai Bendu
- The Order of Shasa
- Pelekotan of Haruun Kal
- The Potentium heretics
- The Prophets of the Dark Side
- The Rakatan Infinite Empire
- The Reborn
- The Scitrok Warriors
- The Shadow Knights
- The Sedrian priests
- The Seyugi Dervishes
- The Sith Order
- The Sorcerers of Tund
- The Theran Listeners
- The Thuwisten
- The Witches of Dathomir
- The Wyrd
- The Ysanna
- The Zeison Sha
Note: Only the B'omarr Monks, the Ewok shamans, the Jedi, and the Sith Orders were either seen or mentioned in the films. The rest appear in the Expanded Universe.
[edit] The abilities of Force users
Manifestations of the Force, which are mentally-based abilities and tapped through the practitioner's willpower, include telepathy, psychokinesis, prescience, enhanced physical and metaphysical perception as well as the abilities to bend the will of the weak-minded and improve one's own physical ability. The Force can also be used to allow an adept's body to be guided by the Force itself: such action enabled Luke Skywalker to launch a proton torpedo into an extremely difficult target on the Death Star in the Battle of Yavin. Through this ability one can cease to react to his or her surroundings and predict the future, such as the next blow in a duel. As a consequence of these skills, the Force has occasionally been associated with the real-life concepts of Taoism and parapsychology.
In addition to the above powers, Force-users are also capable of attacks through the Force by producing "Force lightning" from their hands, which inflicts terrible pain on its victims and can be lethal. Because of the philosophical beliefs of the Jedi, they rarely use this ability, so much that it's virtually exclusive to the Sith and other powerful dark Force-users. The Sith powers usually are powers that would be more offensive; while light side powers are usually more defensive. In the games Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Outcast, and Jedi Academy, the powers drain, lightning, and grip/choke are all dark side powers, while absorb, heal, and protection are lightside powers. Then there are universal, or 'core' powers such as push, pull, speed, and jump that are neither dark nor light. Note, too, that in KOTOR, force absorb is a universal power. Of course, this is most likely simply the method used for video games to portray usage of the Force. The Force could likely be used in a different and unique way every time.
Adherence to the light side allows its user to transcend death and become "One with the Force", allowing the deceased to exist as an energy being who can interact with other Force sensitive individuals. According to Kenobi, in Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire book, this can only continue for a while before the Jedi must "move on" to a spirit realm. The Jedi were unaware of the possibility of speaking from beyond until a time during the Clone Wars, when Qui-Gon Jinn revealed to Yoda what must be done to accomplish this, though Qui-Gon described this state as "eternal," in contrast to what was said in Zahn's novel. Yoda soon passed this teaching on to Obi-Wan Kenobi. However, Darth Sidious claims in Episode III that the Sith Darth Plagueis discovered a method to use the dark side to prevent death in the first place.
In the Expanded Universe, some Jedi and Sith have learned the skill of transferring one's spirit to another body. In the Dark Empire comic, Palpatine used this in order to transfer his spirit to a fresh clone body, and later, Callista transferred herself to the body of a dying friend so that she could stay alive. Unfortunately, in the process of doing this, she lost her ability to touch the Force, though later it was discovered she could still touch the dark side.
The spirits of Sith Lords Marka Ragnos, Ajunta Pall, Freedon Nadd, and Exar Kun have also appeared. It is thought that the means of a Sith to become an active ghost are different, and less natural, than those of the Jedi.
[edit] Longevity and athletic enhancement
"Physically, the Count's age was rarely a handicap. Deft as he had become with the Force he wore his eighty-three standard years better than most humans half his age. He was still in superb physical shape, senses keen, health undiminished by even the memory of a cold." -Count Dooku as described in the novel Dark Rendezvous
There is evidence to support that a Jedi or Sith's increased symbiosis with the Force grants them longer life spans and a reduction of the effects of aging. This reduction occurs not in terms of their physical appearance, but rather their athletic abilities. Key examples are Count Dooku, Yoda, and Darth Sidious who, despite their advanced years, were still capable of feats of dexterity that defied their age. Dooku, who was over 80 years old, was still capable of performing lightning fast lightsaber parries and repostes, somersaults, roundhouse kicks and was able to run at full speed. Yoda, too, despite being circa 900 years of age, was extremely acrobatic when engaged in combat and drawing on the Force (although it is unknown what effect age has on Yoda's species, or what his species' life expectancy is). Qui-Gon Jinn was age sixty when he died in The Phantom Menace although he physically appeared to be in his early forties.
As for longevity, this comes from the lines of Tarkin in A New Hope who thought that Obi-Wan had died of old age. Vader reminded him not to underestimate the Force. [NB: It should be noted that this line became an oddity after the release of the prequel trilogy, as it established Obi-Wan's approximate age, making the A New Hope Obi-Wan around 59 years old. This made Tarkin's expectation that Obi-Wan would be dead seem a little odd. Though it is possible Tarkin would assume that if Obi-Wan were alive, he would have aided the rebellion to bring down Vader and the Sith. Or finally, perhaps he thought that Obi-Wan did not survive the Great Jedi Purge and the persecution of remaining Jedi by the hand of Lord Vader after the events of Revenge of the Sith.] Another indication of Force-induced longevity was given by Yoda only minutes prior to his death. When Luke Skywalker protested that Yoda couldn't die, the aged master proclaimed that he was strong with the Force, but not strong enough to prolong his life further.
[edit] Disturbances in the Force
When Alderaan was destroyed in A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi sensed "a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced…" On learning of Anakin Skywalker's son being alive and leading a group of Rebels in The Empire Strikes Back, the Emperor says to Vader while communicating with him using a hologram that "There is a great disturbance in the Force." In Attack of the Clones, Yoda felt a disturbance in The Force, when Anakin, enraged by the death of his mother, destroys an entire village of Sand People. Likewise, Yoda sensed a disturbance in the Force when Anakin became a Sith and every time a Jedi was killed as a result of Order 66 in Revenge of the Sith. The Force exists in all life, and when great amounts of life pass away, a disturbance is created, running through the Force like a scream which only a Force adept can hear. Darth Vader stated, "I haven't felt that since..." when he sensed Obi-Wan Kenobi's presence.
The Jedi Apprentice Corran Horn, during the events of I, Jedi, felt the death of an entire world as a superweapon was used to make a planet's sun go nova. He said that anyone who thought of the experience as a "disturbance" could also think of Hutts as "cuddly". What he felt was innumerable points of view of the last seconds of the planet's inhabitants—and sensory data such as screams, emotions upon death, and smells (mostly that of flesh roasting). It is likely Obi-Wan experienced something similar when the planet Alderaan was destroyed, but the disturbance was less severe because most on the planet were not Force-sensitive.
Sometimes, other things are defined as disturbances. Life creates small disturbances, and Force adepts and people with a high midi-clorian count even more so. Qui-Gon Jinn felt a disturbance—or a convergence—in the Force when approaching Tatooine in The Phantom Menace, where Anakin Skywalker was. Dark side practitioners create strong, evil-feeling disturbances and the death and pain of those involved likely enhances the effect. When a powerful new Force user begins to manipulate the Force, it may be 'clumsy' enough to attract attention. In Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy, Luke Skywalker sensed the existence of the maddened Force adept clone Joruus C'Baoth as a ripple in the Force. Likewise, Luke and Kyle Katarn both sensed disturbances in the Force created by the Sith cult of Marka Ragnos in Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy.
The phrase "I have a bad feeling about this" is repeated a great deal, even by non-Force-adept characters, which may point to a universal connection with the Force. However, this is usually a tension-relief or comic-relief moment; few times is this said before some dramatically bad event.
[edit] May the Force be with you
The light side of the Force is associated with a phrase used by some characters in (and fans of) the films: "May the Force be with you." It is a farewell greeting that wishes good luck and embodies the spirit of the all-pervading Force that exists in the universe. It is uttered throughout the series as an expression of bidding good luck to one embarking on a journey. A similar saying for the dark side of the Force, "May the Force serve you well," also exists but is rarely heard. This is believed to originate from the Sith belief that the Force exists only to serve those who control it, that you and you alone decide your fate, and that the force is a servant for that decision. For more information, see Star Wars on Wikiquote.
Outside of the films, "May the Force be with you" has achieved cult status and is symbolic of the Star Wars legacy. The quote appears at #8 on the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes list, compiled by the American Film Institute in 2005 to showcase the all-time best lines in American cinema history.
[edit] The Living Force
The Living Force was thought to be in most living beings. It is what "makes you sensitive to other living things, makes you intuitive, and allows you to read other people's minds, et cetera" (The Making of Episode I). Jedi can sense Living Force in life-forms. Sick or dying organisms have little Living Force, while healthy ones usually have the quantity of their midi-chlorian count. The connection to the Living Force apparently also allows Jedi Masters to retain their identity when they become one with the Force. Qui-Gon Jinn was said to be a master of the Living Force—with a philosophy that focused more on sensitivity to living things, being in the present rather than the future, and relying on one's instincts rather than visions. Obi-Wan Kenobi also had some proficiency with The Living Force as in A New Hope he could sense the deaths of the people on Alderaan when it was destroyed under orders of Grand Moff Tarkin.
The only known beings without the Living Force are the Yuuzhan Vong, the antagonists of The New Jedi Order series. They exist without the Force and it cannot be used on them (still it can be manipulated around them). The Yuuzhan Vong once existed with the Force but were stripped of it by their home planet, of which Zonama Sekot was a seed. It stripped the Yuuzhan Vong of the Force after they waged war on others. The planet later disappeared mysteriously and was presumed destroyed.
[edit] The Unifying Force
The Unifying Force is the other side of the Force (the other is the Living Force). It is the "greater, cosmic Force" that "has to do with destiny" (The Making of Episode I). The Old Order, including those in the Jedi Council, was more focused on the big picture of the future universe and fulfilling destiny rather than the compassion to other living beings. For example, the Jedi Council would not allow young Anakin Skywalker to train because he posed a threat to the future.
[edit] Force ghosts
In the Star Wars galaxy, the Force is tied into concepts of an afterlife. In Episode VI, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and a redeemed Anakin Skywalker appear to Luke in the form of spirits after their deaths. In Episode III, it is revealed that Yoda learned how to retain one's identity within the Force after death, and thus influence the living, from the spirit Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon, in turn, had learned this technique from a Shaman of the Ancient Order of the Whills. It is widely believed however that Exar Kun is the first person to attain this ability.
In the Expanded Universe, some Sith have become Force ghosts as well, usually by bonding their malevolent spirits to some particular place or object. The only difference from the Jedi is that the Sith are forever bound to the maddening void between life and death. This likely relates to Ajunta Pall, who was able to manifest due to the part of his being he had imbued his sword with. The Sith may be able to eventually move on by releasing the dark emotions that are bound into the place or object, but must do so of their own accord.
Force-users known to have maintained their identities beyond death, in one form or another, are listed here.
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It should be noted that according to the Episode 3 novel, the Sith are unable to maintain their identity in the Force after physical death due to the very nature of Sith membership. Also to be noted is that references from people close to Palpatine (Mara [Vision of the Future], Lumiya[Betrayal]) have pointed to Palpatine's "rebirth" to be a hoax due to cloning capabilities, and was not actually his "spirit". These three sources would discount the possibility of Palpatine's presence being maintained, especially if one were to infer that the Lumiya line was a continued reference to the EP3 novel. On further notes, it is unclear when Luke was said to have died (aside from the Jedi Academy Trilogy when he was not dead), and Anakin Skywalker was in "one form or another" brought back in Traitor, after his death. Whether Anakin was a ghost, or a hallucination made by a very battered brother, remains unknown.
[edit] Unusual Force occurrences in nature
The ysalamiri are a species of tree-dwelling slug-like creatues that are immune to effects of the Force. The creatures exude 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. They evolved this trait to survive being hunted by the predatory Vornskyrs, pack animals that hunt by tracking down live prey by using the Force.
A creature with a similar peculiarity is 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.
While not immune to the Force, Hutts are highly resistant, having an innate defense against Force-based mind manipulation.
Also, in Episode I, Watto informs Qui-Gon Jinn that Jedi mind tricks do not work on his kind, called Toydarians (this is probably due to their genetic relation to the Hutts).
Also, in Knights of the Old Republic, Force-resistant creatures called terentateks are warned against and encountered. Some Jedi suspect 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 tarentateks. The monsters appear to be extremely long-lived and resilient.
In Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a gem known as the Kaiburr Crystal grants enhanced ability with the Force to a Force-sensitive user. Luke Skywalker uses the crystal to heal Leia after she is wounded in battle with Darth Vader.
[edit] Real World Parallels to The Force
The concept of the Force in Star Wars may be predicated on Qi, the Tao, or Chakras, invisible energies believed to help those who can manipulate it to achieve feats greater than what they could do naturally.[citation needed] It may also have been inspired by the Hindu belief of Brahman, an omnipotent essence that flows through all living things. In addition, the belief in becoming one with Brahman after breaking the cycle of reincarnation may have been the basis for the concept of becoming one with the Force after death.
The Force also draws influence from the Western Christian tradition. The phrase "May the Force be with You," is derived from the Catholic benediction "Peace be with you" (Pax Vobiscum in Latin). Additionally, the ability of the Force to conceive a "Chosen One," Anakin Skywalker, mirrors the Christian belief that God, via the Holy Spirit conceived Christ to save humanity from death and sin.
[edit] See also
- Star Wars
- Jedi census phenomenon
- Lightsaber combat
- Qi - Asian concept, important to martial arts
[edit] References
- Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Revised Core Rulebook, hardcover, 2002. Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, J.D. Wiker, ISBN 0-7869-2876-X
- Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Power of the Jedi Sourcebook, hardcover, 2002. Michael Mikaelian, Jeff Grubb, Owen K.C. Stephens, James Maliszewski, ISBN 0-7869-2781-X
- The Dark Side sourcebook, Wizards of the Coast, 1st printing, 2001. Bill Slavicsek, J. D. Wiker, ISBN 0-7869-1849-7
- The Tao of Star Wars, John M. Porter, Humanics Trade Group, 2003, ISBN 0-89334-385-4.
- The Dharma of Star Wars, Matthew Bortolin, Wisdom Publications, 2005, ISBN 0-86171-497-0.
- The Making of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Laurent Bouzereau, Jody Duncan, ISBN 0-345-43111-1
- Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races (Revised and Expanded), Troy Denning, West End Games, 1994, ISBN 0-87431-208-6
- Empire Building: The Remarkable, Real-Life Story of Star Wars, Garry Jenkins, Citadel Press; Revised & Updated Edition, 1999, ISBN 0-8065-2087-6
