"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."
The Force was an energy field created by all life that bound everything in theuniverse together. It was known by a variety of names throughoutgalactic history. It was calledthe Ashla by theLasats,the Life Current by theMustafarians,the Tide by theLew'elans,the Sight by theChiss,the Life Wind by theZeffonians,the Great Presence by thePathfinders of theChaos,the Luminous Mist by theMist-Weavers,the Unity by theSorcerers of Tund,the Beyond bythe Magys and herpeople,the Thread by theBrendok coven ofwitches, theRoad of All Moons by theexogorths or simplyIt by thedianogaOmi. OnMetagos it was known as thethe Web. The Force was created by life, and therefore it resided in alllife forms. It was especially powerful in a select group of individuals who wereborn with a high concentration ofmidi-chlorians—microscopic, intelligent lifeforms that formed a symbiotic relationship with and communicated the will of the Force to their host and resided within all living cells. These people were deemedForce-sensitive, and were capable of consciously sensing the Force. With this conscious sense of the Force came the ability to harness it, allowing Force-sensitives to access variousForce powers. Unlike organic beings,droids and otherartificial constructs existed outside of the Force. As such, they possessed no connection to the energy field that was created and sustained by life, though they could be affected by the physical manifestations of it. Apart from itsscientific aspect, the Force was the basis of various religious organizations, who held differing views as to the nature and purpose of the Force. These included theChurch of the Force, theGuardians of the Whills, and most notably theJedi andSith Orders. In addition, the Lasats believed that the Force was the "spirit" ofthe galaxy.
The Force as a recorded concept existed for well over twenty-fivethousandyears. There were two overarching and symbiotic aspects of the Force. TheLiving Force was the energy of all life, which, in turn, fed into theCosmic Force—which bound everything together and communicated the will of the Force through the midi-chlorians. TheJedi followed acode of selflessness and service to others; therefore, they adhered to thelight side of the Force, one of two methods of using the all-encompassing energy field. The Jedi's adversaries, theSith,coveted strength and power through thedark side of the Force. Their opposing philosophies led to millennia of cyclical conflict between the two orders, which resulted in both theextinction of the Sith and thenear annihilation of the Jedi.
"If it isn't magic, then what is it?" "The Force is everything. The seas of Eiram. The canyons of E'ronoh. It is the current within me and you, and everything in between. The energy that makes life flow. And the one thing I am always certain of is that the Force is with me."
―Princess Xiri A'lbaran and Jedi Knight Gella Nattai[15]
All life in the galaxy was connected through a mystical energy field known as the Force.
The Force was the energy field that boundthe galaxy together.[7] Thus, distance was nothing when compared to the Force, which connected life forms together across thegalaxy. Additionally, it was believed nothing was impossible to the Force,[16] which was beyond the power of any man-made machine.[17] Every lifeform in theuniverse had a place in the Force, even simplebugs.[18] The Force existed in two forms: theLiving Force and theCosmic Force. The Living Force represented the energies of all lifeforms, and those energies were fed into the Cosmic Force, the wellspring from which it sprang,[19] which bound the galaxy together and communicated the will of the Force throughmidi-chlorians.[20] When a life-formdied, they would become "one with the Force" by becoming a part of the Cosmic Force, which then provided power to the Living Force.[21]
Mystics and scholars had long debated the origins of the Force, such as where and when civilizations first became aware of itspower, resulting in many answers and none that were considered definitive. Differentspecies had their own names for the Force as well as their own metaphors for how they perceived it and techniques for learning its powers.[7] Though only certain individuals wereForce-sensitive by birth, with the level of Force-sensitivity exhibited by even siblings differing even massively at times,[22] the Force resided within all living things.[23] As such,Ahsoka Tano stated that anyone, with enough time and focus, could learn to harness the Force. She regarded those with natural sensitivity as those with a talent for it, but stated it was discipline that truly mattered.[24] Force-sensitives could feel a "disturbance in the Force" whenever there was a great loss of life.[25] The Force could be extracted from living beings.[23]
Force-sensitive children without training were often skilled with one aspect of the Force instead of many.[26] Alternatively, a being's Force-sensitivity might remain totally dormant during a portion of their childhood; speaking of theLittleUtalir,Yana Ro pondered if her Force-sensitivity would develop with age or if it would remain dormant forever. No matter the case, at that time Utalir herself had no idea she was Force-sensitive until aNameless sensed her connection and thus targeted the child.[22]
Midi-chlorians served as a link between the Cosmic and Living Force.
When asked why the Force wasn't simple "magic" byPrincessXiri A'lbaran,Jedi KnightGella Nattai described the Force as existing everywhere and being everything, further explaining it was vital to the continual flow of life.[15] Indeed, theSunset Prayer of the Guardians of the Whills linked the Force to life itself, saying that life and the Force could be found in each other. The prayer also declared that the Force was eternal.[27]Droids, being mechanical creations and thus possessing no midi-chlorians, could never sense the Force.[25] Although the Force was everywhere, even being present in areas like deepspace, it was at its most powerful in areas of life, being easily noticed by Force-sensitives in such lively places. Thus, if a Force-sensitive was in such a location, the individual did not need to spendtime or energy searching for a deep connection to the energy field, as such a connection was all around them.[16]
The twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa were Force-sensitive like their father, Anakin Skywalker.
It was possible for siblings born to normal parents to not share a talent for Force sensitivity. Such was the case withZare andDhara Leonis. While Dhara, from an early age, could always sense her brother's presence, Zare never had this talent, nor any special abilities that could be attributed to the Force.[29] The technique of "Magick" was an aspect of the Force,[30] with theNightsisterTalzin claiming it allowed her to become a Force user through unnatural means.[31] Despite what non–Force-sensitives often believed, using a Force power was not as simple as waving one's hands, as channeling the Force took an effort, especially for individuals likeTy Yorrick, who had been through trauma. Being surrounded by negative emotions also made it hard for a light side user to focus on their abilities,[32] creating a weakness that was once exploited byMarchion Ro, who surrounded animprisoned Jedi Master with people being constantly tortured in order to hinder his ability to call on the Force.[16]
Life in the Jedi Order was a lifelong commitment to the ways of the Force.
Indeed, the study of the Force was a lifelong commitment for aJedi. Whereas Luke Skywalker devoted his life to the Force, his sister did not complete herJedi training, having chosen herfamily andpolitical career instead of the Jedi way of life.[28] TheJedi Code restricted members of theJedi Order from forming personal relationships. Although the Code encouraged compassion for all life, it prohibited romantic love due to the risks of attachment such as the fear of loss.[33] The Jedi of theRepublic Era were identified by their midi-chlorian levels; the Force-sensitive population of theGalactic Republic was more easily identifiable than that of the territories outside of the Republic's domain.[34] The Order sought to shield its members from fear, anger, hatred and other emotions that were considered dangerous to the Jedi. As such, the Order regardedyounglings as the preferred age group for recruitment, although exceptions could be made for older children[33] at the discretion of theJedi High Council.[34]
A Force dyad was joined together by a bond which formed across space and time.
AForce-bond was a connection between two Force-sensitive individuals;[35] the bond between aForce dyad was exceedingly rare and as powerful as life itself.[10] A Force-bond spanned across space andtime,[6] allowing the bonded Force-sensitives to communicate over vast distances,[35] such as separateplanets across the galaxy.[10] During theHigh Republic Era,Jedi MasterAvar Kriss held a rare ability involving such bonds, being able to connect and strength the natural connections into what effectively became acommunication network. Although it was inexact and best for informing each other of locations or sensations, dozens of Jedi could be brought into the network, allowing for greater coordination during the duration of the connection.[16]
Different beings saw the Force in different ways; while Kriss saw it as a song, Jedi KnightElzar Mann, at least in part because he knew that the Force would never end, saw it as an endless, deep, storm-tossedocean. TheWookieeBurryaga Agaburry thought of it as a massivetree with deep roots and high branches, while JediDouglas Sunvale compared the energy field to an interlocked series of gears made from an endless number of materials. MasterLoden Greatstorm felt that using the Force was like dancing with the wind, while hisPadawan,Bell Zettifar, thought of it as dancing withfire.[16] According toChirrut Îmwe of the Guardians of the Whills, the Force moved darkly around any being that was about to kill.[36] Despite the beliefs of thePath of the Open Hand, the Force could not be "damaged" from "overuse" by Force users. The Path incorrectly believed that, if the Force saw use, it would strike back to establish balance; for example, the Path believed that, if the Force was used to save a life in one location, the Force would arrange for another life[9] or several more[37] to be taken elsewhere in the name of balance. As such, the Path believed the Force needed to be "freed" from use and that Force users were abusing it.[9]
Although the Force is in all living things, it is seen differently by manyspecies. For example, the Force is called Third or Second Sight for theChiss, and is viewed as a tool to be used forlightspeed travel. AForce-sensitive for a Chiss is rare, but when it does happen, the sensitivity fades away when the Chiss are in their teens. For theMagys, it is only seen as the Beyond, and the afterlife.[38] For the Nightsisters, it is seen asMagick, and the Force was gained through the lands ofDathomir.[13] But no matter how the Force is perceived through culture, it is always there. Whether or not a being is Force-sensitive, the Force is still in the living flora and fauna around thegalaxy. Everywhere.[14]
Powers and abilities[]
"The Force is not a power you have. It's not about lifting rocks. It's the energy between all things, a tension, a balance, that binds the universe together." "Okay. But what is it?" "Close your eyes. Breathe. Now, reach out. […] Breathe. Just breathe. Reach out with your feelings. What do you see?" "The island. Life. Death and decay that feeds new life. Warmth. Cold. Peace. Violence." "And between it all?" "Balance. An energy. A Force." "And inside you?" "Inside me, that same Force."
Force-sensitives were capable of various abilities, including the power to see the future.
The Force granted a myriad of supernatural powers to Force-sensitives such as the Jedi and theSith,[7] as well as entities like theBendu[40] and theMortis gods.[41][42] The potential a being had to manipulate the Force was determined by the amount of midi-chlorians they possessed.[7] Non-Force-sensitive Path of the Open Hand members suddenly found themselves able to feel the Force upon arriving on[22] the living world of[43] "Planet X." Prolonged time on the world resulted in two members of the team,Shea Ganandra andBokana Koss, developing powers in the Force. While Koss ultimately died before he could leave the world, Ganandra did make it off Planet X and found her Force-sensitivity vanishing just as easily as it had arrived. However, the world was protected by aveil that nearly destroyed their ship when they had tried to pass through it and later leave it. Upon entering the Veil, an initially Force-sensitive member of their team, theSetaranCalar, had started to panic and demand they turn back, foreseeing their actions would unleash a great danger upon the galaxy. Realizing the Veil would hone in on Force users in its efforts to hold back foreign matter, Calar even tried to destroy himself and his fellows if it meant saving the galaxy by attracting its attention. While on Planet X, Koss also had a vision of theUnder-Dwellers spreading as ablight and destroying the Force itself.[22]
The Force enhanced physical qualities such as strength, stamina, and agility.
Fast reflexes were the more immediate effects of a Force-sensitive's precognitive senses; even without formal training, an untrained child was capable of developing Jedi-like traits.[34] Force-sensitives' physical vitality, strength, mobility, and resilience could also be augmented by the Force, allowing them to crush objects with their bare hands,jump across great distances, levitate or survive injuries that would cripple and kill normal beings.[10] During theduel on Kef Bir, for example, the Jedi apprentice Rey andSupreme Leader Kylo Ren harnessed the energies of the Force to increase their speed, agility, and other physical traits. Although Rey gained a slight advantage in speed, Ren was physically stronger than her.[46]
While some Force techniques were practiced by those on either the dark side or the light, such as telekinesis,telepathy, and augmenting one's own physical abilities, certain powers could only be harnessed depending on the user's stance in the Force.[47]Jedi younglings were taught that the Force could be used for many purposes, including protection, persuasion, wisdom, the manipulation of matter, and the performance of great physical feats.[48]
Force-sensitives who retained their identities after death were capable of communing with the living.
Yet whereas the Jedi harnessed the light side's abilities through a mental state of peace and calmness,[7] the Sith relied on their passion for strength, granting them access to many abilities some considered to be unnatural.[49] For instance,Force lightning was a dark side ability used totorture, disfigure, and kill one's victims.[47] Another example of the dark side's power wasForce choke; by visualizing the ability with a claw-like or crushing hand gesture, the user could strangle a victim either to intimidate or kill them.[50] While the Jedi usedmind tricks to gently influence weak minds,[17] the dark side could be used toforce one's way into a victim's mind. Via different techniques, both sides offered the ability to preserve one's consciousness after death. Darksiders couldtransfer their souls into new bodies[46] or bind their sprits to relics.[30] Those who served the light who gained this power could becomeForce spirits—beings who achievedimmortality by retaining their identities after becoming one with the Force.[51]
History[]
Origins and early studies[]
"All that surrounds us is the foundation of life, the birthplace of what your science calls midi-chlorians, the foundation of what connects the Living Force and the Cosmic Force. When a living thing dies, all is renewed. Life passes away from the Living Force into the Cosmic Force and becomes one with it. One powers the other. One is renewed by the other."
The Wellspring of Life was the birthplace of the midi-chlorians.
The Force existed as a recorded concept in the galaxy for well over twenty-fivethousandyears prior to the era of theGalactic Civil War, with disparate schools of study evolving in parallel on countless planets.[52] The midi-chlorians, which connected the Living Force to the Cosmic Force and allowed a Force-sensitive individual to feel the will of the Force, originated on theWellspring of Life.[19][53] Many beings believed in differing myths about the origins of the Force, along with myths on the proper way to wield and interpret it. TheJedi Order once had similar stories of its own, but those were lost in a dark age.[15]
Some believed that the origins of the Force came fromMortis.[8] Some suspected that the Force itself must have created the galaxy due to the complexity and beauty seen throughout it, but the theory was unproven.[54] Over time, the Jedi Order became the most well-known organization that practiced the ways of the Force, although the galaxy hosted many other religions, orthodoxies, and observances even among those who did not exhibit control or manipulation of the energy field—such as the Guardians of the Whills,[52] who held the Jedi in high esteem.[36] The Jedi believed themselves to be the instruments of the will of the Force, carrying out what they sensed to be the will.[16]
The Hundred-Year Darkness[]
The Sith Order was established following a schism that split the Jedi Order during the Hundred-Year Darkness.
"Once we were brothers in the Force. But from the Hundred-Year Darkness were born the Sith."
Thousands of years before theClone Wars,[56] the unity of the Jedi Order was fractured by arogue Jedi who came to believe that the true power of the Force could only be reached through passion rather than the calmness of the Jedi way. The Jedi High Council at the time balked at this new direction, and the fallen Jedi was banished from the Order. Nevertheless, a group of renegade Jedi followed the rogue into exile,[57] resulting in a schism that gave way to theHundred-Year Darkness and the rise of the Sith Order.[55]
As a result of the schism between the Jedi and the Sith, the Force came to be seen as divided between their two philosophies: the Jedi's selfless commitment to serving and defending others came to be regarded as the light side of the Force, whereas the Sith's use of emotion and violence became known as the dark side of the Force.[7]
The Force at war[]
The Jedi and Sith conflict[]
"The last great conflict, having been waged for the soul of civilization itself, was a decisive war fought between the Jedi Order and the Sith Lords."
The ancient Jedi and Sith warred against one another over the course of many millennia.
As the schism between the Jedi and Sith grew, their open hostility eventually turned to open war both for control of the galaxy and to impose their own philosophy with regards to the Force. During theera of the Old Republic, the Sith and Jedi fought countless wars to destroy one another. Great battles were fought between the two warring orders, and various ways of using the Force were discovered but later lost. The Sith also took to sacrificing Jedi in ancient chambers on theirhomeworld ofMoraband, places which would remain forever tainted with the darkness of the events that happened in there. The Sith also used these arts to create monsters, such asSith snakes, which remained on Moraband until the days of theClone Wars.[51]
The wars between the Sith and the Jedi raged forcenturies,[33] and several worlds of the galaxy were broken by their conflict, such as Moraband, which the Sith were eventually forced to abandon,[59] andMalachor, the site of anenormous battle[60] that left the planet scorched with no survivors on either side.[61] The Sithtombs in theValley of the Dark Lords were also marked with the darkness of the deeds of those who had been buried there.[51]
Both the Jedi and the Sith usedlightsabers as their main weapons. These devices were powered bykyber crystals, specialcrystals with a strong connection to the Force.[33] In addition to their study of the dark side, the Sith also took to buildingsuperweapons of power sufficient to destroy an entire planet. They would sometimes use giant kyber crystals to power these weapons.[62] As such, gaining control ofthe source of the kyber crystals, which had a strong connection to the Force, was vital to both sides of the conflict.[63][64]
The age of light[]
Beginning of a new age[]
The Jedi Knights served as guardians of peace and justice after millennia of war with the Sith Lords.
Eventually, in the waning days of the Old Republic, the Sith had practically destroyed themselves through infighting, and the Jedi finally emerged victorious. A modern Galactic Republic, emerged from the ruins of the previous Republic and, with the Jedi as their guardians andadvisors, expanded throughout the galaxy while beginning an age of peace and prosperity which would last for a thousand years.[65][17][66]
Days of the Path[]
"We are the liberators of the Force. We protect it with our lives, for the sake of all. I've seen what the Jedi's corruption of the Force has done to us firsthand. How it has twisted us, created abominations in our midst. If we leave the Jedi unchecked, their evil will tear through the galaxy like wildfire. The imbalance is real. I've felt it myself, seen what it can do and where it leads. The Force will die, and everything will die with it. Every planet, every moon, every star in the sky. How can we fight that if we continue to fight each other? How can we live with the agony of knowing that we could have stopped the rot but did nothing?"
The Path of the Open Hand cult from the planetDalna[9] believed the Force provided for all[15] but also, wrongly, believed the Force should not be used; to the Path, the Force needed to be "freed" from use. If used, they feared it would strike back at the universe, effectively meaning any use of the Force to save someone would bring an equal amount of destruction. As such, the Path entered into conflict with the Jedi and unleashed theNameless known as theGreat Leveler. Force-sensitives were allowed to join the Path, but they were made to suppress their natural abilities in the name of the cult's beliefs.[9]
Religious tensions between the faiths of Jedha were exploited by the Path[22] in382 BBY,[67] to begin riots that would give theChildren of the Open Hand time to steal theRod of Daybreak, with which they could better control the Nameless. The riots combined with the collapse ofpeace talks between the warring worldsE'ronoh andEiram[22]—whose treaty was to be signed on Jedha due to its status as neutral ground[15] until the Path also interfered in those events[68]—to create theBattle of Jedha, which brought great damage to theHoly City. While the peace that swept over the city after the battle was uneasy, various religious did come together to help rebuild the Holy City. Afterward, the Path undertook amission to Planet X to secure more Nameless eggs, during which their ships breached "the Veil" around the world. During the treacherous journey through the Veil, a Force-sensitive member of the expedition,Calar, began to panic, ranting that their actions would end in the Force being "chained," killed, and, along with everything else, "consumed."[22]
The once-peaceful Marda Ro became radicalized and led the Path of the Open Hand—turned into the "Closed Fist" under her watch—in the name of "freeing" the Force"
Calar tried to destroy their vessel by using his Force powers, but he was killed by their pilot,Radicaz Dobbs, before he could succeed. After the crashlanding, the Path team—whose membership includedGuide of the Open HandMarda Ro, who was disturbed that a Force-sensitive had been allowed to join their efforts—located a number of Nameless eggs thanks to Bokana Koss, who unlocked his own Force powers thanks to the planet's strange properties. Ro was horrified by Koss's Force powers, believing he, like Calar in her eyes, was defying the Path's ways, but Koss himself experienced a horrifying vision that their actions would help beings known as the Under-Dwellers; much like Calar, he began to fear a coming blight that would chain and destroy the Force itself. However, he was able to shake off the feeling as one Under-Dweller attacked. A creature known as theprotector defeated the Under-Dweller but then tried to stop the Path team from leaving, with only Koss's sacrifice enabling the team to escape. The Veil then tried to prevent their escape from Planet X, but engineer Shea Ganandra, who also unlocked Force-sensitivity within herself thanks to Planet X, plotted a successful hyperspace course back to Dalna.[22]
Meanwhile, underthe Mother's continued leadership, the Path was radicalized into a militant faction ready to 'reclaim' the Force from the supposed tyranny of the Jedi. That transformation was completed by Ro, who reformed the Path into aClosed Fist ready to wage war upon the Jedi. Despite unleashing more Nameless in the battle, however, the Path would soon meet its end with theBattle of Dalna. During the confrontation, even Ro herself grew horrified by the effects of the Nameless and discovered that the Nameless slaughtered Force-sensitive members of her own order, whether or not they actually used the Force, just as willingly as Jedi simply because they were sensitive to it. Further discovering that the Mother was herself a Force user whose only motivation was revenge for not being chosen as a Jedi in her youth, Marda wiped out the collected Nameless with an explosion that only the Leveler survived, with that explosion rippling out and destroying the Path caverns in the process. After killing the Mother for her treason, Marda left to forge a new plan to "free" the Force from use with the Leveler and theRod of Seasons. Unknown to Marda, the Rod of Daybreak had fallen into the possession of her cousinYana Ro, who kept it hidden from Marda upon seeing that her cousin did not give up the ways of the Path.[22]
Era of the Nihil[]
"We're moving. I promise. Just not in ways you can see. The Force doesn't feel the need to announce its actions. It just acts."
Marchion Ro (left) led the Nihil against the Jedi and unleashed the Nameless (a Nameless pictured, right) as part of his campaign.
Later in the High Republic Era, the Jedi Order's understanding of the Force grew because of Jedi Knight Elzar Mann, who experimented with different Force techniques.[16] However, the Jedi of that High Republic period were opposed by theEye of the Nihil,Marchion Ro,[32] a descendant of Marda[69] who inherited his family's revenge mission.[43] Marchion took command over theNihilraiders[32] originally formed by Marda[70] and guided by his family since.[43] While "the faithful" amongst the Ros still believed in the Path view of "balance,"[32] Marchion, perhaps not realizing it, was far more interested in securing his own freedom to act however he so chose.[43] Ro claimed that the Jedi thought themselves a group that always acted in ways that were right, only for his family to suffer because of their actions.[16]
Ro unleashed the Great Leveler against the Jedi during the conflict between the Nihil and the Republic[32] and later sent out other members of the Nameless[71]collected from Planet X.[43] Another threat faced by the Jedi, theDrengir, were strongly connected to the dark side.[18]
The Sith reformation[]
"The Sith killed each other. Victims of their own greed. But from the ashes of destruction, I was the last survivor."
The Sith Order secretly survived for generations through the reforms of Darth Bane.
Despite the Jedi's victory over their rival order, the Sith survived throughDarth Bane. As the sole surviving ancient SithLord, Bane created theRule of Two to prevent further infighting within the Sith Order.[51] Henceforth, their ranks consisted of only two members—theSith Master, who embodied the dark side's power, and theSith apprentice, who coveted the master's power. It was traditional for the apprentice to kill the master in order to ascend within the dark side of the Force.[33]
Although the Jedi eventually learned of Bane and his philosophy, they were convinced by his death that the Sith had truly become extinct.[72] However, the Rule of Two ensured the survival of the Sith for generations in hiding,plotting their revenge against the Jedi Order[33] and the restoration of Sith rule throughout the galaxy.[49]
The dark side ascendant[]
"You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!"
During the late Republic Era, Jedi MasterQui-Gon Jinn discovered the prophesied Chosen One in the form of ahuman child named Anakin Skywalker, whose potential in the Force surpassed all known Jedi includingGrand MasterYoda.[34] His raw strength in the Force—honed by Jedi training and wartime experiences—made Skywalker one of the most powerful Jedi Knights by the time of the Clone Wars.[49] The Clone Wars also shook the balance of the Force with their beginning alone.[73] In the closing days of the war,, Skywalker was seduced by the dark side of the Force through the machinations ofDarth Sidious.[49] As a result, hebetrayed the Jedi and helped thenewly formedGalactic Empirehunt them tonear extinction as Darth Vader.[17]
The birth of the Galactic Empire marked a new era under the rule of the Sith Lords Darth Sidious and Darth Vader, a dark and dangerous era for all Force-sensitives.
In theDuel on Mustafar, Vader engaged his former master and friend,Obi-Wan Kenobi, until he was cut down and left[49] to die[74] amongst thelava by Kenobi. At the same time, Yoda fought Sidious in theduel in the Galactic Senate that Yoda was forced to flee. Sensing Vader was in danger, Sidious rushed to Mustafar and found his apprentice's scarred body, which he returned toCoruscant. Vader was sealed in asuit of life support armor.[49] During the ensuingImperial Era, Vader hunted surviving Jedi with the aid of theInquisitorius,[75] a grouping of dark side agents operating under "the Grand Inquisitor."[76] While Kenobi's later wording implied that,[74] by9 BBY,[77] not allInquisitors were former Jedi,[74] the initial group were all former Jedi turned to the dark side by Sidious.[76] Although the Jedi were the Inquisitorius's main targets, allForce-sensitives were persecuted by the Empire, including children.[78]
By the time of theinvasion of Mon Cala a mere year into the Emperor's reign, Vader and the Inquisitorius had already seen great success in hunting down Jedi survivors.[75] That invasion would see the emergence of yet another surviving Jedi,Ferren Barr, who admitted he was not much of a Jedi anymore as he had manipulated the peoples ofMon Cala into fighting and dying in the name of bringing their great starships into a wider, galaxy-wide anti-Imperial effort. While Barr was killed by Vader, his plan succeeded whenAdmiralRaddus's starships escaped the besieged planet.[79]
Promise of Lira San[]
"And it is through your Force, our Ashla, that the prophecy comes. It is written and it is spoken. The promise of Lira San will follow the fate of The Three. The fool, simple and selfish, he would lead. The warrior, bold and bloodthirsty, to hunt the hope of tomorrow. The child, to destroy him! We will find our new home only if the child saves the warrior and the fool."
Inspired by the Ashla, a Lasat prophecy predicted the discovery of Lira San.
Following theFall ofLasan,LasatmysticChava the Wise and formerHigh Honor GuardGron discovered a prophecy in the Lasat's ancient writing. They embarked on a journey to findLira San, believing their quest was foretold by the Force, or "Ashla" as they called it.[80]Three years before theBattle of Yavin,[81] Chava and Gron were captured by the Empire. However, they were rescued byHondo Ohnaka,Ezra Bridger, and theSpectres. Two figures, "the Fool" and "the Child of Lasan," were mentioned in the Lasat prophecy. Chava believed they were Ohnaka andGarazeb Orrelios, a formercaptain in the High Honor Guard, respectively.[80]
Chava asked Orrelios to use hisbo-rifle in the ancient way with her staff, and with a galactic map provided byC1-10P, they were shown the way to a planet inWild Space. Believing this world to be the legendary Lira San, they attempted to reach it but were forced to exithyperspace due to ablack hole. Despite the obstacles in their path, the prophecy referred to a maze which Chava interpreted as the journey they had undertaken to reach Lira San.[80]
When confronted by anImperial light cruiser, Chava saw itscommanding officer,ISBAgentAlexsandr Kallus, as "the Warrior" in the prophecy. Refusing to surrender to Kallus, the Spectres used Orrelios' bo-rifle to guide their starship, theGhost, into thestar cluster. Against Kallus' expectations, theGhost safely navigated the gravity field and ultimately reached the location of Lira San. Chava and Gron settled on the planet, where they found other Lasat refugees, although Orrelios elected to remain with the Spectres and continue fighting the Empire.[80]
Purge and prophecy[]
"You are the Chosen One. You have brought balance to this world. Stay on this path, and you will do it again for the galaxy. But beware… your… heart…"
The purge all but destroyed the Jedi Order, its history forgotten and lost to the galaxy during the Imperial Era.
The Jedi Order was all but annihilated during theImperial Era.[17] Although a few Jedi escaped the initial purge, the survivors dispersed into hiding while Sidious consolidated his reign as Emperor.[49] The Galactic Empire made an effort to thoroughly erase the memory of the Jedi from the minds of the general population.[17] TheChurch of the Force operated as an underground movement, preserving faith in the supernatural,[3] but belief in the Force waned and was doubted by skeptics such as Han Solo.Members of the Empire'smilitary hierarchy regarded the Force as the basis of an ancient religion that had no place in theNew Order.[17]
Sometime after theBattle of Atollon and during their time working together,Grand AdmiralThrawn told Vader that theChiss Ascendancy,[83] a mysterious empire[84] from theUnknown Regions that Thrawn came from, used Force-sensitives asnavigators due to their lack ofnavigation computers. The Chiss knew the Force as the Sight, and their Force-sensitives were overwhelmingly female, though they would grow out of their sensitivity after childhood. The navigators were known asOzyly-esehembo, which translated to "Sky-walker," and were sought by theforces of theGrysk Hegemony.[83]
His destiny fulfilled, the Chosen One returned to the Force as Anakin Skywalker.
AlthoughGrand MoffWilhuff Tarkin was a veteran of the Clone Wars, and had therefore witnessed the Jedi's use of the Force,[85] he believed that the Jedi Order was extinct and Vader was the last trace of the Jedi religion.[17] Ultimately, the prophecy of the Chosen One was realized[7] when Vader killed Sidious in order to protect his son, Luke Skywalker, who followed the Jedi path like his father before him.[86] Having fulfilled his destiny at the cost of his life, Anakin Skywalker died and became one with the Force. Through his final actions, the Sith were destroyed and balance was restored to the Force,[7] with Luke emerging as the last of the Jedi in the aftermath of theBattle of Endor.[86]
The legacy of the Force continued through a new generation of light and dark side devotees.
Although the Jedi prophecy foretold that the Chosen One would herald the destruction of the Sith, it never predicted the end of the dark side of the Force.[87] With balance restored to the Force, Luke Skywalker gradually endeavored to rebuild the order that had been decimated by his father and the Emperor. Recruiting over a dozen students to train in the ways of the Force, he became the Jedi Master to a new generation of Jedi. One of Skywalker's acolytes was his nephew, Ben Solo, in whom he saw the raw strength of the Force.[39] Skywalker hoped that by passing his knowledge to Solo, the order would once again thrive and he would not die as the last Jedi.[88]
However, Solo's inherent strength was noticed by another powerful practitioner of the Force—Supreme LeaderSnoke, ruler of theFirst Order.[39] Although Snoke was not a Sith Lord, he was strong with the dark side of the Force.[87] Intrigued by the potential that Solo inherited from his grandfather, Darth Vader, he induced the young Jedi to embrace the dark side. Skywalker sensed the darkness rising in his apprentice'sheart and nearly gave into the temptation of killing Solo before his future as a dark warrior came to pass. As a result, Solo felt betrayed by his master and proceeded todestroy hisJedi training temple byburning it, killing most of the apprentices. Skywalker survived the destruction, which he felt responsible for, and went into self-imposedexile out of shame for his part in Solo's fall.[88]
Kylo Ren and Rey discovered a mysterious connection between them over the course of their war.
Having rejected both his family and the legacy of the Jedi, Solo renounced his birth name and adopted the identity of Kylo Ren—apprentice to the Supreme Leader,warlord and champion of the First Order,[89] andmaster of the Knights of Ren.[44] But in gaining the former Ben Solo as a disciple, Snoke was concerned that his apprentice's equal in the light would rise as Ren grew stronger in the darkness. Believing Skywalker would be the light's champion, the Supreme Leader hoped that Ren would grow powerful enough to kill his uncle, and therefore, complete the purge that his grandfather began. Snoke had been wrong, however. The one who rose to meet Ren's darkness with light was not Skywalker, but ascavenger fromJakku named Rey. Her encounter with Ren awakened her long-dormant connection to the Force which, combined with Ren's inner conflict, allowed the untrained scavenger to triumph over the dark warrior[88] during theBattle of Starkiller Base.[44]
Days of the Dyad[]
"I came from something evil. Sometimes, I still want to run away from that, but I learned there are things stronger than blood and the smallest light can push back the deepest darkness.[…] When I met Luke Skywalker, I offered him his lightsaber. And he tossed it away. But the Force doesn't always make things easy. So you keep trying. That's all you can do. Luke Skywalker was my master. So was his sister, Leia. And her son, Ben, gave his life for me. I took the Skywalker name to honor them and their legacy.[…] The Force is so much bigger than any creed, any philosophy, anything that can fit in a bunch of books. Master Skywalker taught me that in his first lesson on Ahch-To. I knew right away I'd never forget it. That I'd never be the same."
Ren recovered from his defeat[39] but was castigated by his master[89] for becoming unbalanced and losing to an opponent with no prior experience inlightsaber combat.[88] As he worked to regain his master's faith,[89] Ren discovered that a Force-bond had been formed between himself and Rey, allowing them to commune with each other across the galaxy.[39] The bond became increasingly powerful as their connections grew more frequent,[88] giving Rey insights into Ren's inner turmoil and pain.[87]
The raw strength of the Force was embodied by both Ren and Rey.
After touching hands through the Force, Rey confronted Ren in person with the intention of turning him back to the light.[88] Herarrival resulted in Ren betraying Snoke,assassinating him and later claiming histhrone.[39] He wanted to rule the galaxy with Rey,[88] but she rejected his offer and returned to her allies in theResistance. During theBattle of Crait, the new Supreme Leader was confronted by his former master. Skywalkerprojected his appearance onCrait from his actual location onAhch-To, and although the effort led to his death,[39] his stand against the First Order served to inspire hope across the galaxy.[88]
With the Sith destroyed, a new era dawned for both the galaxy and the Force.
One year after[91]the start of theFirst Order-Resistance War,[44] the Sith's rebirth was prevented, as Rey killed Darth Sidious, who had been resurrected after his death during the Battle ofEndor[10] by transferring his consciousness to a clone body,[46] and the Resistance andCitizens' Fleet defeated theSith Eternal.[10] The destruction of the Sith ushered in a new era.[7]
Force-based orders[]
"In a single generation, the entire Jedi Order…and indeed, the concept of wielding the Force itself…largely disappeared from the collective consciousness of the galaxy."
The first humbleJedi temple was built on Ahch-To, but as the centuries passed and the Jedi Order spread, the thousands of temples they built across the galaxy became more intricate and unique. The most famous Jedi Temple of all, located on Coruscant, served as the home of the Jedi High Council and the vast library of data known as theJedi Archives. When theEmpire took control of the galaxy, the Temple on Coruscant became their newImperial Palace. Most Jedi temples on other worlds were mined for their ancient secrets by Imperial forces and then reduced to rubble. Some Jedi temples, like the one onLothal, were hidden in plain sight and could only be found by those strong in the light side of The Force, though the empire was never really that far behind. Ach-To's humble stone huts and foreboding caves may be where the Jedi begun, but as the Order's influence across theGalaxy, so did the number of places where the force could be worshipped-by devotees of both the light side of the Force, and dark side of the Force.[97]
Temple of the Kyber[]
Church Of The Force Member
TheTemple of the Kyber's enormous spire stretched high aboveJedha City, welcoming all believers. The temple was home to the Church of the Force, a group whose followers had no Force-sensitive members yet still chose to follow the teachings of the Jedi Order. The Church of the Force started as an underground movement during a time when the empire strictly forbade the group's form of worship, but their flock only grew stronger, despite continued oppression over the years. The Temple of the Kyber was protected by the Guardians of the Whills, a near-extinct order of fiercely loyal warrior monks, until the Jedhas's Holy City was obliterated when the Empire used the area as a test site for the firstDeath StarSuperlaser.[97]
Sith temples[]
Sith Temple on Malachor
While Jedi temples could be found on countless worlds during the days of the Galactic Republic, by that time, most of the ancientSith temple's had long since been buried. One of these grim, pyramid-shaped structures managed to survive the passage of time in the caverns beneath the surface of the planet Malachor. This was the site of theGreat Scourge of Malachor, a brutal massacre that decimated theSith Order (Sith Empire) eons ago. The temple, filled with the petrified remains of those who fell in combat, laid dormant for thousands of years until it was rediscovered byKanan Jarrus' cell of rebels. It is said that those who visit Malachor's hidden temple can be overwhelmed by the rage and hate that still infused the Sith ashes covering the site.[97]
Fortress Vader[]
"Thank you Vader. You have saved the castle. One of my finest works. I would have been displeased if it were destroyed by those insects. I truly am grateful."
It seems fitting thatDarth Vader's ultimate monument to himself was built so close to the site of his most brutal defeat. Constructed on top of a Sith cave onMustafar, the lava-drenched world whereObi-Wan Kenobi defeated his former apprentice and left him to die, this obsidian stronghold was where Darth Vader would go to meditate and heal between battles. The castle's unique shape was based on designs by the ancientSith LordDarth Momin and was specifically attuned to the dark energies of that world in order to pierce the veil between life and death. It was the loss of Padme that had completed Anakin's journey to the dark side, and finding a way to see her again became Vader's secret obsession for the rest of his days.[97]
Beyond the Temple[]
Luke and Rey on Ahch-To
By34 ABY, almost all the great shrines dedicated to the Jedi and the Sith had been lost to history. Even the oldest of them all, the sacredJedi Tree on Ach-To, was ultimately reduced to ashes by Grand Master Yoda. But those who truly worship the Force understand they need not travel to a temple to find it. They only need look within themselves.[97]
The concept of The Force first appears in therough draft of what would becomeA New Hope, where it is referred to as "The Force of Others" and is first uttered by King Kayos. Thesecond draft goes into more detail describing The Force of Others as consisting of two halves; "Ashla, the good, and Bogan the paraforce or evil part."[100] These terms would later be introduced into canon inStar Wars Rebels; first by theLasatChava who refers to the "Ashla" as "the spirit of the galaxy,"[101] and later, the LasatZeb Orrelios would use "bogen" as a derogatory term fordokma.[102] Finally,Bendu (another word originating from the early drafts) to refer to the Ashla and Bogan both as names for thelight anddark sides of the force, respectively.[103]
Star Wars creatorGeorge Lucas stated in an interview forThe Making of Return of the Jedi that everyone in theStar Wars universe has the ability to learn how to use the Force. However, he stated that only the Jedi "take the time to do it,"[104] with otherStar Wars works showing other Force orders, such as the Sith, that also took the time to train.[34] Lucas compared the Force to Yoga or karate: those fields are open to anyone, but only explored by those who really want to.[104] The concept that the Force could be used by anyone if they took the time to learn was later picked up in the seriesStar Wars: Ahsoka.[24] In response to any confusion it could cause,Pablo Hidalgo stated that the term "Force-sensitive" is akin to someone being talented or gifted in the field.[105]
Aleitmotif of the Force exists. InThe Clone Wars, a deep rumble was typically used as the sound effect for the dark side of the Force. InStar Wars Rebels, a high-pitched tone likened to wind is used as the sound effect for the light side of the Force.[106]
↑Pablo Hidalgo (@pabl0hidalgo) onTwitter (post onAugust 30,2023):"I suspect the term "Force-sensitive" (which dates back to 1978's Splinter of the Mind's Eye, btw) may confuse things. If it's at all helpful, think of "gifted" or "talented" as an analog."(original link is obsolete)
Thisin-universe list is incomplete. You can help Wookieepedia byexpanding it.
Star Wars: Visions Filmmaker Focus — "Tatooine Rhapsody"
