Living Force

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TheLiving Force was the energy of all life. By springing from and feeding into theCosmic Force, the Living Force created and grewthe Force, an energy field that boundthe galaxy together, and was the fundamental unity that underpinned all of creation by maintaining harmony between dualities such as life anddeath andlight anddark, while also transcending them. Beyond its dualities, the Force had two complementary andsymbiotic aspects—the Living and Cosmic Forces. The latter possessed a will that was communicated to all life throughmidi-chlorians, which were Force-imbued organelles symbiotic with the life forms they resided in, thereby connecting the two Force aspects.

Mortal individuals with significant quantities of the organelle could exertcontrol on the Living Force, influencing lives andgalactic events. Some Force-sensitives, such as those of theJedidiscipline, chose to be altruistic and compassionate, acting to uphold nature's harmony using their powers; others were motivated by self-interest and passion, such as theSith, who found themselves in rebellion against the natural order to pursue their personal motives, refusing to let go of themselves and their powers. Ultimately, the will of the Force desired peace and community amongst the living—when life let go of fighting and came together as one collective unit. At death, a life form would return to the embrace of the Cosmic Force, renewing the cycle of the two Force aspects.

Through the Force, all life was connected. Every lifeform possessed their ownlife force—also known as aspirit,life essence,Force-essence, orvitality—each with its own echo in the Force, forming a symphony of life and death; however, individual Force-sensitives perceived the energy field in various ways unique to each person. The presence of a lifeform could be sensed in the form of asong in a greater symphony to one, while being a leaf on a largetree or the light of afire to another. The life force of one could be strengthened when in aForce-bond with another. Such bonds in the Force could in turn be strengthened by an abundance of non-sentient lifeforms or past shared experiences, as was the case betweenElzar Mann andAvar Kriss, the latter of whom was able to focus andenhance the connections between those attuned to the Force. A being's life force could also be given to another being to restore their vitality at thetemporary cost of one's strength. However, the cost could extend to one's life, as demonstrated byGarro andRey, who chose to commit themselves to their destined path in the Force, devoting to the light by acting as a Jedi; wholly letting go of themselves to eliminate users of the dark side, which was addictive as it was corruptive, thereby restoring balance and harmony between the Living and Cosmic Forces.

Anakin Skywalker, afatherlessvergence in the Force, fulfilled his destiny by bringing balance to the Living and the Cosmic Force, thereby fulfilling the Jedi prophecy of theChosen One—a prophecy thatQui-Gon Jinn, Skywalker's futurementor and a student of the Living Force who achievedimmortality by learning from theForce Priestesses to let go—believed was the will of the Force. Yet theSith wrestled for Skywalker's fate, and therefore the fate of the galaxy itself, byslaying Jinn and capitalizing on Skywalker's inability to let go of hislovedones. Consequently, thehuman struck a deal with theSith LordDarth Sidious and betrayed theGalactic Republic, falling to darkness and becomingDarth Vader, enforcer of Sidious'New Galactic Empire. Vader served hisSith Master until he was confronted by his son, the aspiring JediLuke, at theBattle of Endor. Moved by the selflessness of the Jedi, Vader assumed his place as Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker, and saved the Jedi from death by destroying Sidious and redeeming himself in his act of self-sacrifice, restoring balance to the Force.

Life and the cosmos[]

Cosmic symbiosis[]

Main articles:Wellspring of Life,Cosmic Force,midi-chlorian andsymbiosis

The Living Force wasthe Force that resided in and was generated by all life. Indeath,^[3] a living being, regardless ofForce-sensitivity, could perceive an interconnected tapestry of life andthe galaxy^[4] that was connected by the Living Force through space-time^[3] as their life^[4] fell through the tunnel leading away from the physical realm^[5] and feeding into theCosmic Force, which bound all things and communicated to livingsentient beings throughmidi-chlorians,^[6] microscopic organisms found in every cell of all living things that formed asymbiotic relationship with their host.^[7]

As such, they marked the foundation of life and what connected the Living and the Cosmic Force. Midi-chlorians originated from theWellspring of Life, and living beings were sustained by the symbiotes throughout their life. When a life form died, its energy passed away into the Cosmic Force. Thus, all is renewed.^[2] The Cosmic Force also gave life to the Living Force, whereas the death of people gave life to the Cosmic Force as they became "one with the Force," meaning that the cycle of life and death continued the cycle of the Cosmic and Living Forces feeding into each other.^[8] The Living Force was also what made one life form sensitive to its fellow living beings, while the Cosmic Force was connected with destiny.^[9]

The symbiosis of the living and the cosmic Force that formed an all-penetrating and transcending energy field that allowed life to thrive when not imbalanced by sentient interference was mirrored by the relationship between theNaboo and theGungan populace on theplanetNaboo, which was crucial to thedefense of Naboo.^[10] The Naboo people believed that the life force of the dead is returned to the planet once the body of the deceased is cremated as dictated by theirfuneral customs.^[11] The Force energies of sentients in aForce dyad relationship was also strengthened, allowing them to achieve feats such asForce healing.^[10] The Cosmic Force had a will that desired tranquility and community, wanting life to let go of conflict and come together as one.^[12]

Exception in immortality; luminosity of sentients[]

Main article:Immortality

However, by achieving a greater understanding of the relationship between life and the Force, a few sentient beings attained the wisdom and knowledge necessary for one of the rarest skills a Force-sensitive could learn—immortality—the continued existence of one's will and consciousness after death. This state of transcendence was only achievable by those deemed worthy by the Force, and entailed the holding on of one's life from flowing into the Cosmic Force and becoming one with it. Remaining in the Living Force, a luminous sentient had confronted their hubris and faced their own darkness, learning to reject thedark side of the Force as well as ensuring it did not hold power over them, whilst also accepting that it was a part of them that could never be banished.^[3] A being must also humble oneself,^[13] and let go of good and evil as well as emotions to transition to a state of immortality.^[3]

By thetime ofRey'straining onAhch-To, only a few Jedi found the way for their spirit to transcend its physical form.Qui-Gon Jinn was the first of these Jedi, having learnt from the ancientForce Priestesses,^[14] who observed and studied all those who were strong in the Force. Later, seeing thatYoda was to teachone who would save theuniverse from great imbalance and respecting the destiny that was set out for the JediGrandmaster by the Force, the Priestesses taught Yoda immortality after deeming him worthy of the gift.^[2]

Temporality; transcending the duality of past and future[]

Main articles:Time andWorld Between Worlds

Luminous beings existed where there was no future or past,^[6] nameless, without a body, and truly one with the Force having let go completely,^[16] and when they chose to appear to those of crude flesh, the spirits became a part of the Living Force once more,^[6] reconfiguring in the mortal realm where time was linear.^[16] Beyond the duality of past and future, the interconnected tapestry of life and the galaxy was the Cosmic and the Living Force. Between life and death, it was perceivable in a sentient's death^[4] or reaching-out into the Force,^[17] and the space-time–transcendent realm of theWorld Between Worlds functioned similarly to this interconnected tapestry;^[18] the Living Force transcended the dualistic temporal terms of future and past—there was alwayshope, and always growingdarkness^[6]—such was the nature of the realm ofMortis,^[19] the site of an eternal conflict between thedivine powers oflight,darkness, andbalance for dominance that was thefulcrum of the entire galaxy and the Force.^[20]

Thus, students of the Living Force, theJedi^[6]—altruistic devotees to^[14] and protectors of the light as well as the guardians of peace and justice in life^[21]—focused on the present^[6] and trusted their instincts.^[22] This lesson was echoed by the JediPadawanEzra Bridger during theGalactic Civil War. Having reconciled over theClone Wars and joined forces against their common foe, theGalactic Empire,Kalani andRex began to argue whilefacing an Imperial assault, although they were interrupted by the Bridger, who told them to focus on the present.^[15]

Life in balance[]

The Force was balanced when life coexisted in harmony. However, as the dark side—a way of wielding the Force's potential—was a part of sentients that could never be banished,^[3] the ever present darkness always threatened to rise up against the natural, harmonious way of life. The Jedi existed to protect peace and justice, although there was a widespread misconception that they were simply powerful,lightsaber-wieldingsoldiers of theGalactic Republic.^[23] Instead, the Jedi only used their powers for knowledge and defense of the galaxy and the Force,^[24] aiming for balance as it saved the totality of life from threats of the ever present and power-hungry dark side.^[23] When theSith conquered the galaxy and oppressed its citizens, the Jedi rose to remove the Sith from power, thereby restoring balance to the Force.^[25][7]

WhenJedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn was sent to find a peaceful solution for theconflict onBri'n, the Jedi guardian was forced to rescueTh'er, thepriestess of wood, from the hostile and unrelentingMetal Clan. As Th'er was brought to the Republiccapital world ofCoruscant for safety, the priestess asked the Jedi to instead strike down every member of the Metal Clan, thereby ending the conflict and ensuring her safety. However, Jinn refused because it violated the Jedi way, and was concerned by her use of the words "Jedi warrior" to describe him. After leaving the priestess on Coruscant, Jinn surrendered himself to the will of the Force, and was led to aworld abundant with life. There, he found a spreading darkness and hiked to its heart. A dark monument stood in the center of darkness, where Jinn entered avision and was attacked by entities shrouded in darkness. Because of his insistence on standing his ground against the darkness, Jinn was forced to defend himself with lightsaber, striking down the dark apparitions. In doing so, the Jedi became corrupted by violence, and was literally consumed by the darkness he swore to destroy.^[23]

As he was bound in place by dark tendrils, Jinn awoke from his vision to find that the light made its way into the darkness, thereby achieving balance. However, the Jedi noted that the light did so through a means beyond conflict, and realized that violence sowed the seeds of the dark side. Having learnt his lesson from the Force, Jinn returned to Coruscant and spoke with the priestess of wood, convincing her that much could be gained on that city of metal, such as recruiting off-world allies to her cause and finding a way to peacefully coexist with the Metal Clan, thereby achieving balance.^[23]

Perception of life[]

The Force could be perceived in a variety of different, unique ways by individual Force-sensitives. Where the humanAvar Kriss saw the Force as asymphony and the presence of individual lifeforms a song, theWookieeBurryaga Agaburry found himself as a leaf upon a largetree.Bell Zettifar saw other individual lifeforms as lights of afire, and where Zettifar danced with fire, his master,Loden Greatstorm, danced with the Force as a wind. ToElzar Mann, the Force was a bottomlesssea with infinitewater, whereDouglas Sunvale felt the Force as a set of gears made of an endless variety of elements.^[26]

Darth Sidious saw the Force as a chaotic ocean, encompassing life and death, past and future; everything and nothing. Unlike the Jedi, Sidious did not believe in the existence of symbiosis, instead viewing the Force as a ceaseless battle for control over both the shadow and the light. The Sith sought to emerge victorious on the basis that it was the only way to bend the Force to one's will. Sidious also thought that the Jedi had wasted themselves in dedicating to the foolish, primitive ideals of connection, symbiosis, and flow. While the Jedi were deeply concerned with life, they experienced very little of it.^[27]

While theElders of the Path preached that the Force was not to be felt nor used,Zeen Mrala, a young member of the religious group, felt the Force within herself. As the power she felt was huge and wild like an ocean, Mrala remained fearful of her capabilities, attempting to contain the Force within herself. However, whendisaster struck and a large piece of debris crashed towards herself and hercity's Jedi rescuers, Zeen Mrala's Force potential was realized, allowing the Force-sensitive to hold the piece of debris in place through the Force.^[28]

Connection[]

Main articles:Force-bond andLife Day

Interpersonal relationships[]

Main article:Song of the Force

A being's life force ran stronger when one was connected to another being through aForce-bond.^[30] In theHigh Republic Era, when the Republic was led byChancellorLina Soh, who popularized the phrase "We are all the Republic," bonds between sentients could bestrengthened by Jedi Master Avar Kriss, who uniquely perceived the Force as a symphony of life and death, always hearing what she referred to as "the Song". Kriss' own connection to the Force was also strengthened by the presence of life, the abundance of which onHetzal Prime allowed her to boost the bonds between Jedi across the galaxy during theGreat Hyperspace Disaster. While using her ability, Kriss was able to perceive in the Force symphony the individual life songs of Jedi in places faraway, such as that of Grandmaster Yoda, which she deemed beautiful due to its ancient and wise voice. Due to Kriss' efforts, the Jedi's echoes in the Force collectively focused on moving a volatile canister of liquidtibanna away from astar in theHetzal system, thereby saving Hetzal from certain doom and enacting the will of the Force.^[26]

Avar Kriss shared a bond in the Force with Elzar Mann, having grown up asyounglings, working well together. The two had shared moments as Padawans, and while such things were tolerated, understood, and even common in the Jedi Order, they had to be let go once becoming an adult. By the time Mann was selected to become a Jedi Master, he and Kriss had not discussed their moments for a long time despite them remaining close to each other's minds, particularly when the two were together. After thehyperspace disaster in the Hetzal system, the two were tasked by Chancellor Soh to stop theEmergences that threatened to wreck havoc and death throughout the galaxy, thus meeting with theSan Tekka clan family of hyperspace explorers at theirestate in Naboo'slake country to discuss the secrets of hyperspace. While there, Kriss gave Mann a look that the latter saw was of such depth that it felt like the Force, impossible to fully understand. As Mann drowned in the sea of feelings, he stated that they were Jedi, prompting Kriss to confirm the fact and look away, letting go of his hand that was in hers. As they continued to walk through the San Tekka compound, Mann was no longer drowning, although some part of him wished otherwise.^[26]

Over the course of his travels and experiences,historianLor San Tekka came to see that what bound the galaxy together was not only the Force^[1]—a powerful^[24] energy field created by living beings^[31] that bound life together^[32]—but people. After histravels alongside San Tekka, theResistancepilotPoe Dameron also realized that "the Force is all of us." Before they parted ways, the historian expressed his approval of Dameron's finding.^[1]

The Cosmic Force desired the harmony of life,^[12] which formed the basis of the Wookiee way of life.^[33]Life Day, a traditionally Wookiee holiday that celebrated the Wookiee tenets and values of family, joy, and harmony,^[34] was thus a celebration of the Force; life in balance. Qui-Gon Jinn taught Obi-Wan Kenobi such during the latter's apprenticeship to him during a Life Day celebration on the Wookiee world ofKashyyyk.^[33]

Individual connections to surroundings[]

Enhancement[]

As was harmony between families and tribes, harmony with one's surroundings was a part of Wookiee culture, and, as Qui-Gon Jinn taught Obi-Wan Kenobi, was also celebrated on Life Day.^[33] Under the tutelage of Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi also learnt to ride avaractyl by making use of his natural connection to the living beast, focusing on the mount until he felt itssoul, thereby bonding with the creature.^[32] For self-preservation, the Force-sensitiveSyla Trasker followed her instincts and slipped adolina ringseed onto her thumb, and was filled with the energy of the Living Force as a result. The life energy took the form of a burst of speed, which saved Trasker from the ImperialInquisitorius.^[3]

Thekyber crystal, a naturally-occurring stone attuned to the Force that focused and amplified energy, was said to choose its user, forging a deep connection between it and the one who found it. The crystal formed the heart of every lightsaber, a tool of the Jedi and a weapon of the Sith.^[10] After finding a brightblood-red kyber crystal within an ancient Sithlightspear and purging thecrystal of the rage and paininstilled into it by the lightspear's original owner, the JediJora Malli found herself tightly bound to the crystal. Malli thus took the crystal as the core of herlightsaber, which had a blade that shone a bright white.^[26] Similarly, theformer JediAhsoka Tano heard a calling from the twin red kyber crystals of theSixth Brother's lightsaber, leading Tano to liberate the crystals from their pain under the dark side and purifying them into white crystals that would serve as the hearts of hernew blades.^[17]

Disturbance[]

Main article:disturbance in the Force

Significantshifts in the Force could be perceived by Force-sensitives. Thedestruction of theDeath Star, caused by Luke Skywalker's act of letting go, resulted in a spike in the Force, signaling a new hope for the galaxy. In addition to key moments of destiny and potential changes for the collective whole of life,^[27] disturbances in the Force were also caused by mass-death. Both the fall of Jedi in the first moments of theGreat Jedi Purge and thethe Disaster ofAlderaan shocked those attuned to the Force's life currents.^[35][31]

Disconnection[]

Main articles:dark side of the Force andSever Force

Ahsoka Tano was unable to feel her fellow Jedi in the Force in the aftermath of the execution ofOrder 66. Where she could once reach out and sense the presence of others such as Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Tano could only feel an all-encompassing darkness.^[17] Afterfailing to bring upBen Solo and torebuild the Jedi Order, Luke Skywalkersevered himself from the Force^[14] in his incorrect thinking that the existence of Jedi was detrimental to the galaxy.^[37]

Restoration through letting go[]

Main articles:Force healing,meditation anddeath

A crucial part of Jedi training was to focus on letting go,^[38] an art considered the most beautiful form of mastery by the Force spirit Qui-Gon Jinn. Jinn's apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, learnt likewise in his death. Shortly prior,^[16] as they stopped for the night in their journey toMos Eisley^[39] on the planetTatooine at the nearbycity ofBestine,^[11] Kenobi taught Luke Skywalker Jedimeditation, instructing the orphanedmoisture farmer to focus on whatever emotions that were uppermost in his mind and be mindful of his feelings and how they affected him. He was then to let go of his emotions one by one, aiming to make himself an empty vessel. Kenobi told Skywalker that it was the only way for the Force to fill him with peace and serenity. The Jedi Master also told thefarmer to focus on the here and now.^[39]

The Jedi Order'sMedical Corps and theCircle of Jedi Healers countedJedi healers within their ranks. Thehealers often possessed the ability ofForce healing;^[40] Jedi healerTorban Buck taught Padawans first aid aboard thePadawan Academic CruiserStar Hopper,^[41] and Jedi CouncilorStass Allie's passed on her expertise in healing to other Jedi such asBarriss Offee.^[42]

A Force user could let their own life energy pass into the body of another being in order to erase injuries and restore vitality. However, this process left the Force-wielder weakened, and its potential cost extended to the life of the Force user.^[43] In letting go of his hoardedpower back to his environments,Garro fulfilled the final lesson set by hismentor, Yoda, and restored life through hishomeworld.^[13]

The Nameless[]

TheNameless were a species of hunters^[44] native toPlanet X inWild Space^[45] that feasted upon the Living Force,^[44] earning them the name "Eaters of the Force."^[46] ThePath of the Open Hand^[45] and, later, theNihil exploited the creatures during theHigh Republic Era, taking them off the life-filled Planet X^[47] and sending the starving creatures to battle the Jedi, who were overcome with a sense of fear in the creatures' presence and reduced^[48] to a dried husk as the Nameless consumed their energies.^[49] To the Path, the Nameless, known to them as the Levelers, were a way to balance the Force by destroying the Jedi^[50] and other Force users^[51] as per their warped understanding of the Force.^[50]

Manipulation of life[]

Theft of power to supplement the self[]

Main article:Force drain

However, life force could also be forcefully taken from a living being, and used to selfishly restore a Force user's own physical vitality. Otherwise sustained bycybernetics, Darth Sidious' broken body was restored with Force energies the Sith forcefully took from the dyad between Rey and Ben Solo.^[30]

Such a deed was echoed by theFrangawl Cultists onBardotta, who were also masters of dark side techniques. Aiding theNightsisters in using the Bardottanliving sphere Force artifact, the Frangawl aimed to restore their Great Mother,MotherTalzin, to flesh. The Bardottan Sphere was designed to capture and store the Force essence from living beings, as well as to focus the energy into a Force wielder when certain mystical and gravitational effects were applied. When a Force-sensitive attuned to the containment sphere willed it to a semblance of mineral life, the artifact glowed with an internal light and was activated. As directed by the controlling Force-sensitive, the Bardottan Sphere then formed a link with a nearby living creature, cut off the target's connection to the Force, and drained the being of their Force energy. With members amongst them being Force-sensitives, the Frangawl cultists were thus chosen by Talzin as minions for the ritual that would restore her physical body with the Force of others. Although the Force orb would work on all living beings, the Frangawl minions targeted the sentientBardottans,^[3] specificallyDagoyan Masters such asJoseph who sensed the harmony of the universe and connected to the Force passively. The Masters also formed the rulingBahk-tov Council of Bardotta.^[52][53]

The Frangawl believed that the Shadow approaches with the completion of the Great Mother's ritual, and made preparations onZardossa Stix for the Mother to draw the essence of the Bardottan and Dagoyanmonarch,QueenJulia, and for the living Force to combine with Talzin'sdark magic for the Nightsister to become the most powerful being in the galaxy. However, at the stone ziggurat of Zardossa Stix'sTemple of Malmourral, Talzin wasstopped byJar Jar Binks and the "bombad" JediMace Windu, and instead of absorbing the spirit of Julia and chanelling it into the Great Mother, the living sphere took that of aFrangawl cult leader, dropped to the stone ground, and shattered, creating an explosion of light that bathed the top of the ziggurat. The forlorn Talzin shrieked and sublimed, disappearing as a green mist.^[54]

Mother Talzin later attempted to drain the life force fromCountDooku to fully materialize once again. She successfullypossessed theSith Lord onDathomir with the help of herson,Maul, although the ritual was personally interrupted by Darth Sidious andGrievous, the latter of whom slayed the Nightsister with his lightsabers.^[55]

Because of the nature of the Sphere of the Nightsisters, some theorized during theImperial Era that it was cut off from the universe and instead reflected the Force away from itself, effectively becoming an anti-Force artifact and forming a "Force vacuum" within itself that naturally attracts the Force when active. Some Bardottans sought to utilize the binary nature of the Bardottan Sphere in both reflecting and absorbing the Force for benevolent purposes, also many failed to draw detailed plans for its use that met the approval of the Bahk-tov Council.^[3]

Preservation through drugs[]

In sacrificial rituals, the Force-sensitives amongst the Frangawl Cult used tools to extract the Living Force from their victims, and the extracted energy could be stored inFrangawl Force powder, a fine, crystalline powder that glowed a faint blue hue when charged with the Living Force. A single sacrifice typically yielded several doses of the powder.^[3] Similarly, thesparkling dust wielded by Frangawl cultists glowed a blue hue. The dust casted a spell upon the being which rendered them temporarily invisible.^[53]

Nexus of power[]

Main article:Vergence

Natural nexuses of the Living Force were found throughout the galaxy. High concentrations of the Force in one location created a vergence which echoed of power, strength in the Force that could be sensed by living beings attuned to the currents of the Force.^[3]Jedi temples were often built at Force vergences,^[10] which were created by life living in a harmonious, if primordial, balance. The lush biosphere of the planetDagobah made it one of the strongest vergences in the galaxy; the great quantities of life thriving in concert on the world created Dagobah's Living Force, which resonated to the extent of overwhelming Force-sensitives. With an unusually high concentration of the Living Force coursing across Dagobah, the planet allowed for even the most powerful Force users to camouflage themselves within its echoes. Verdantswamps andjungles on the world formed wellsprings of the Living Force—eddies, whirlpools, and springs in the cosmic flow of the Force that came and went with it. Sentients connecting to the flow of the Force at such wellsprings could deeped their understanding of the duality of life and death, as well as the nature of reality beyond what was possible in other locations.^[3]

However, sentience never developed on Dagobah, where there was simply the pure ebb and flow of life itself. The world was filled with native lifeforms such as the Force-sensitivejubba birds, as well as dense and dangerous fauna. Although the planet's fauna, weather patterns, and non-existence on standardastrogationcharts made it an ideal place to hide,^[3] Yoda lived in exile there for a deeper purpose than to live a life of hardship or to hide from the fledgling Galactic Empire. Without distractions or any means of leaving the world to confront the Sith on his own, Yoda was allowed to ponder ancientJedi texts, meditate on the deepest mysteries of the Force, and communicate with other Jedi such as Obi-Wan Kenobi^[11] andEzra Bridger.^[56] Patiently waiting until he would be called to help the children of Anakin Skywalker to restore balance to the Force^[11] as well as the Jedi Order to maintain it,^[3] Yoda lived a modest existence, meditating and studying Dagobah's strength in the Living Force whilst also monitoring the Skywalker twins.^[11]

Sentience[]

Echoes in the Force[]

Main article:Sentience

The energy of all life, the Living Force was particularly affected by sentient beings. Feeling emotions and capable of intelligence, sentients' actions echoed deeply in the Living Force throughoutgalactic history. Qui-Gon Jinn was a student of the Living Force,^[57] and stressed its importance to his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, telling him that being mindful of the Living Force required him to keep his concentration on the here and now, rather than letting anxieties about the future come at the expense of the present moment.^[7] While other Jedi perceived Qui-Gon Jinn as rash and impulsive because of his focus on the Living Force and living in the moment, Jinn was often proven correct in his instincts.^[58] After returning from Naboo, Jinn stated before the Jedi Council that although Kenobi was headstrong and had "much to learn about the Living Force," the apprentice was ready for the trials and had little more he could learn from him.^[7] Despite Kenobi's instructions to his own Jedi-learner, Anakin Skywalker, to think before he acts just prior to theoutbreak of theClone Wars, the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn taught his apprentice to trust his own instincts during the war,^[22] and after the war's end, Kenobi instructed Skywalker's son, Luke, to trust his.^[31] Kenobi also echoed the teachings of Qui-Gon Jinn, telling Luke to keep his concentration on the here and now, where it belonged, instead of centering on anxieties.^[39]

The JediKanan Jarrus also took to a path of trusting in the Force, accepting its will—the re-emergence ofLoth-wolves,^[59] sentient guardians of the light side onLothal^[10]—and letting go of his innate desire to save hislover.^[59] Later in his training, Skywalker was told by Obi-Wan Kenobi to bury his feelings deep down, on the basis that they could be made to serve the SithEmperor, Darth Sidious.^[25] Sidious manipulated Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker, during the latter's time as Kenobi's apprentice, telling him that in time, he would trust his feelings, and then, he would be invincible. Skywalker later indulged in his anger and hate when he found his belovedmothertortured to death byTusken Raiders, thereby falling to the dark side.^[36] Powerful emotions resonated in the Living Force, moving darkly around life forms that were about to kill another,^[60] the conflict of anger and hate fueling the dark side of the Force.^[61]

History[]

Main article:Timeline of galactic history

Harmony through native cultures[]

The Force could only be truly known when one surrendered to the ebb and flow of life.^[32] The sentientGungans' cultural tendencies to live in connection with the natural world were consistent with an understanding of the Living Force.^[3] Additionally, both the native Gungans and the human colonists of the planet Naboo made use of the world'splasma riches, although the Gungans took only what was necessary to constructunderwatercities such asOtoh Gunga, whilst the Naboo mined much more than needed for^[11] a business venture withDamask Holdings^[3] under the tenure ofSenator Palpatine.^[11] Nevertheless, the two were symbionts, their connection allowing each other to survive in spite of planetary challenges, such as the Invasion of Naboo.^[10] Naboo offered fruitful existences to those who lived in harmony with the planet; several chroniclers, including both Gungans and humans, advanced the theory that theancient civilization that once lived on the world failed to respect this balance and were destroyed by their own greed, leaving ruins composed of large statue heads dotting the countryside.^[11]

Recurring conflict with symbiosis[]

With sentience, life forms continually came into conflict with the symbiosis of the living and the cosmic Force. However, those aligned with the methodology and state of being of the dark side of the Force, such as the Sith, were opposed by guardians of peace, such as theJedi.^[7][25] The two groups were locked in constant wars beginning from their splintering in theHundred-Year Darkness.^[62] The Jedi also fought conflicts against theZygerrian Slave Empire,^[63] theOrdu Aspectu splinter faction,^[64] theMandalorians,^[65] the Path of the Open Hand,^[45] and the Nihil.^[48] The latter two factions used^[45][48] the Living Force-eating^[44] Nameless as weapons against the Jedi.^[45][48]

Peace and purpose[]

Sentients who let go of their lives in peace and purpose, such as Luke Skywalker and Yoda,^[37] descendants of the teachings of Qui-Gon Jinn, transformed intoForce spirits. As spirits, the luminous Jedi retained their identities after death to guide the living,^[66] ensuring that the next generation would grow beyond them and better the galaxy.^[37]

Behind the scenes[]

Conception[]

The creator ofStar Wars,George Lucas, took religious, spiritual, and political issues in the real-world and distilled human beliefs into the Force, using theStar Wars mythology as a form of psychological archaeology to explore the psychological motifs that underlie all of humanity. Human belief in a cosmic force, Lucas states, is a need that was put together mostly to create a society; a collective form of self-fulfilling self-defense that made communities, although isolated, share the same underpinning of life force;^[67] the Force was meant to explore the common denominator of world religions.^[68]

According to Douglas Gabriel, a group of fiveanthroposophy student-scholars of theWaldorf Institute including himself^[69] inMichigan took part in a three-day-long think-tank discussion with scriptwriter and film editorMarcia Lucas on rewriting the story treatment^[70] of thefirstStar Wars film, which had entered itsthird draft. As he was to become a Jedi, Luke's weapon, a gun, was replaced with an aura that took anything shot at Luke and reflected it back to its origin. Gabriel described the aura as one's "electric spine," with the Jedi having to develop that force. While such an idea later evolved into the lightsaber, George Lucas brought up the idea of midi-chlorians, which were located in the blood and directly connected to the Force and theprana, or life energy.^[71] In1977, Lucas himself said that he was influenced by the parapsychic phenomena of auras as described in the books ofCarlos Castaneda, where "the act of living generates a force field." Upon death, the energy of life would pass into a larger force comprised of all other energy that has moral, "good" and "bad," aspects, akin to the concept of a God.^[68]

Development[]

According toJohn Jackson Miller, the Living Force represents "the here and now," whereas the Cosmic Force is "the big picture."^[73] The Living Force was first identified as the living component of the Force in the1999 filmStar Wars: Episode IThe Phantom Menace,^[7] and the term "life force" was first introduced intoStar Wars inDarth Maul—Son of Dathomir 4, a comic written byJeremy Barlow that adapts a cancelled episode onStar Wars: The Clone Wars, a television series produced by George Lucas, that was scripted byAïda Mashaka Croal andMatt Michnovetz.^[55]

The formerJedi-Bendu in the comic adaptation of the1974rough draft ofStar Wars,The Star Wars, uses the phrase "May the Force of others be with you."^[72] The phrase was incorporated into the2016anthology filmRogue One: A Star Wars Story.^[60]

Appearances[]

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Sources[]

Notes and references[]