Force lightning / Legends Force lightning was a well known Force ability , most often used by practitioners of the dark side of the Force , especially the Sith . The ability was commonly referred to as Sith lightning , due to the affiliations of its typical users . Description . Force lightning was a purely offensive , energy - based attack that channeled Force energy down the user ' s limbs , hurling arcing bolts of electricity from the wielder ' s fingertips or palms ; Force lightning could be executed with either one or two hands . Powerful discharges would branch out into dozens of smaller forks ; thus , skilled practitioners could target several foes at once . The intensity varied based on a number of factors . Users skilled in controlling the intensity and force of their lightning could render a target unconscious with only a short burst , or kill a person instantly with a single , powerful blast . Darth Bane ' s lightning , for example , would often electrocute his opponents to death on contact . Galen Marek was another Force - user who could channel lightning that would kill on contact . Both Kyle Katarn and Darth Sidious could conjure lightning so powerful that not only would it instantly kill its target , it would also physically hurl them backwards . The latter ' s usage was also powerful enough to render anyone caught in it into charred husks if used to its full potency , as demonstrated by his execution of Headmaster Gentis for his military coup against him . Galen Marek ' s clone and Sidious were able to produce lightning at such intensity that it literally vaporized their targets . These are the most powerful known usages of Force lightning . The fact that it caused not only severe physical damage but also unbearable agony to the victim led to it being widely used as a form of torture . Sidious repeatedly assaulted his former apprentice , Darth Maul , as well as Luke Skywalker with lightning , and Darth Malak used it upon Bastila Shan , having captured her aboard the " Leviathan " and having brought her to Lehon , where he converted her to the dark side . Due to the fact that Force lightning was , at its core , simply electricity generated by the dark side , it could be grounded with any material that was resistant to electrical currents . Depending on the level of intensity , Force lightning could ground itself on an ignited lightsaber , with no apparent ill effect on the lightsaber ' s operation . However , some of the technique ' s most exceptionally powerful practitioners , were capable of producing blasts that contained enough kinetic energy to tear an ignited lightsaber from their opponent ' s grasp . One of the most notable examples of this was seen during the duel between Darth Sidious and Yoda , where Sidious disarmed the Jedi master with a particularly powerful lightning blast , forcing Yoda to use tutaminis to defend himself . Powerful light - siders were sometimes able to resist the attack , or even block the lightning completely . Mace Windu , with his lightsaber combat form Vaapad , could reflect the lightning back to its source with a " superconducting loop " . It required tremendous effort on the reflector ' s part , however , as seen in Windu ' s battle with Palpatine ; Windu was seemingly able to overcome Sidious ' s lightning . Obi - Wan Kenobi was also able to deflect Count Dooku ' s lightning , with his lightsaber , without exerting much effort as well . Darth Vader was also seen doing this against Starkiller , despite the fact that Starkiller ' s lightning was powerful enough to outright disintegrate his targets . Galen Marek was capable of creating a shield out of his lightning , and could deflect even Palpatine ' s Force lightning back at him . Force lightning could also be absorbed and redirected by a Jedi of sufficient skill ; Yoda demonstrated this ability by both deflecting and absorbing the dark power during battles with Darths Sidious and Tyranus , using nothing more than his own two hand s . Galen Marek was also able to block Palpatine ' s lightning with only his bare hands while walking towards him . Luke Skywalker attempted this , and succeeded for a short amount of time , before the Emperor ' s attack overwhelmed him . Revan demonstrated great proficiency in this ability ; he used his bare hands to absorb a very powerful barrage of Force Lightning from Darth Nyriss and then deflected it back at her , destroying her with her own power in the process . The Force could also be used to simply deflect Force lightning without absorbing it , as demonstrated by Darth Tyranus during his initial engagement with Yoda . There existed an advanced version of Force lightning which may have been used by Revan in the Jedi Civil War and Meetra Surik during the First Jedi Purge . Its destructive potential was legendary ; the apocalyptic power was known as Force storm . Galen Marek used this power on the giant sarlacc on Felucia during his duel with Shaak Ti . Effect of Force lightning . Though the short - term effects of Force lightning are obvious , the sheer power invoked by its use could have insidious long - term effects , both on those subjected to its power and those who would wield it . It could deform the person being shocked and it could also lead to them being crippled for the rest of their life . It was also known to cause brain damage and blindness . Prolonged exposure to intense electrical fields ( such as a sustained current of Force lightning ) caused most humanoids to experience sudden and massive calcification of their skeletal system ; the abrupt drop in blood minerals provoked muscular micro - seizures all over the victim ' s body . Intense enough doses of Force lightning will also have the victim having his or her skeletal system being seen through the body , as demonstrated with Darth Vader and Mace Windu . However , this does not impact the user if it is redirected at him or her . This is especially evident with Sidious shortly before his death , as despite being hit with Force lightning at an intensity great enough to cause Vader ' s skeleton to shine through his armor when picked up by Vader , he did not exhibit the same symptoms . Telltale symptoms included generalized muscle aches and double vision . A blood test or bioscan could be used to confirm the diagnosis . Unless the victim received complete bed rest and appropriate medical treatment , the disorder would become chronic , lingering for years ( barring timely bacta immersion ) . Luke Skywalker , who was diagnosed with the disorder by 4 ABY was confined to a hoverchair for his trip to Bakura during the Ssi - Ruuk invasion , mere days after his near - fatal encounter with Sidious . It was thought that very intense use of Force lightning could drain the user physically , and possibly result in severe facial and body deformations . The deformities Sidious displayed after unleashing a barrage of Force lightning on Mace Windu , only to have it reflected back upon him by the Jedi Master ' s lightsaber is an example of this , although it was also implied that he was using the mask ability up to that point . Darth Plagueis also implied that the users ' abilities with Force Lightning would grow even stronger when subjected to their own attack . When - Anakin Skywalker redeemed himself and killed the Emperor , his life support circuitry was critically damaged , leaving him a heavy and lifeless quadriplegic . Besides draining the user ' s energy , Force lightning had the added drawback of occasionally charring the hand of the person who used it . When Jacen Solo flew into a rage underneath the ruins of the Jedi Temple on Yuuzhan ' tar and attacked his Yuuzhan Vong pursuers with Force lightning , he later found that the blasts had burned charred holes in his palm . Very powerful blasts of Force lightning could highlight and illuminate the victim ' s skeleton , as shown with Mace Windu , Asajj Ventress and Darth Vader . For unknown reasons , Force lightning ( together with its various variants , such as Electric Judgment ) was the only known Force power able to affect the Force - immune alien Yuuzhan Vong . Use by Jedi . Force lightning ability was not restricted to dark - siders . Jedi and other light - siders who were strong of will and character " could " learn this power without falling to the dark side — but its use was viewed as inherently corrupting , and most Jedi Councils forbade its use . Some Jedi nonetheless refused to dismiss the natural power of this ability . During the Great Sith War , Jedi Master Lian Dray used Force lightning against the Sith apprentice Sindra . Revan , Meetra Surik , Jolee Bindo , Bastila Shan , and Vrook Lamar were amongst its users during the Mandalorian Wars , the Jedi Civil War and the First Jedi Purge . Plo Koon used this ability ( which he called Electric Judgment ) to subdue a criminal named Pommel , who had taken a hostage . Koon used Force lightning to knock Pommel out , yet claimed to have no plans to experiment with it in the future . Quinlan Vos could also employ this power effectively , and used it against the Anzat Jedi Volfe Karkko . Darrus Jeht also used Force lightning against the Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress . Galen Marek was an extremely skilled user of this Force power , even after his conversion to the light side , rivaling Darth Sidious . He could kill foes with a single blast and was able to hit many adversaries at the same time . He was also able to deflect Force lightning with his lightsaber or even with his bare hands such as during the Battle on Death Star I . He could also charge objects and people with lightning and use them as improvised grenades , and to create a shield of lightning around his body to protect himself . Marek ' s clone was even more proficient , being able to set stormtrooper armor on fire with the power . Some members of the New Jedi Order such as Kyle Katarn and Jaden Korr also used Force lightning ( colloquially known as " Emerald Lightning " , a similar ability to Electric Judgment ) , but it remained very controversial . Other Jedi practitioners of this power have been Relin Druur , Kyp Durron , Jaina Solo ( in a black variant respectively ) , Jacen Solo , Mara Jade Skywalker and Luke Skywalker . Skywalker in particular was able to utilize a green variant that possessed the ability to instantaneously kill his targets without succumbing to the dark side . However , he was only known to have utilized this deadly variant during his engagement with the Slayers during the Recapture of Coruscant . Cade Skywalker was able to use Force lighting in a very unique way . Utilizing his ability to see Shatterpoints in people and objects around him , he could use lightning to heal people , bringing them back from the very edge of death , or to kill them . Force lightning users . Force lightning required a living conduit for the energy to be channeled ; thus Darth Vader , despite being an immensely powerful Sith Lord , was never able to properly employ this ability , as any attempt to generate it carried the risk of shorting out his life support systems . In addition , Vader ' s life support systems were not well insulated , and the system ' s delicate circuitry was vulnerable to the damaging effects of Force lightning . This vulnerability would eventually contribute to his death . Jorak Uln , the former headmaster of the Sith Academy on Korriban who hid in the Valley of the Dark Lords during the Jedi Civil War , would sometimes kidnap and torture Sith students . One of his favorite games was testing his captives on Sith philosophy , punishing their failure with Force lightning , often until they were killed . Darth Malak used Force lightning as a means of torture to turn Bastila Shan to the dark side . It was intended to give her a " taste " of the dark side ' s power , a technique that eventually succeeded . The Sith Emperor ' s Force Lightning was so powerful that he overwhelmed the Jedi Master Revan , to a degree that Revan ' s mask started to melt into his skin . As Valkorion , he later employed this against both Darth Marr , killing him instantly , and his son Arcann , who was able to resist it , despite being severely burned . Arcann later used the same type of lightning against The Outlander . Darth Tyranus had used the technique to incapacitate Anakin Skywalker during the First Battle of Geonosis . He also attempted the technique on Obi - Wan Kenobi , who was able to block it with his lightsaber , and Master Yoda , who managed to reflect and dispel the energy with his bare hands . In addition , Tyranus utilized this power to stabilize the heartbeat of General Grievous after the Kaleesh ' s body was mangled in a shuttle crash . Darth Sidious was a master of the technique . He used Force lightning to punish Luke Skywalker for his refusal to join him , beginning with an agonizing but non - lethal quantity and working his way gradually upwards toward lethality . When Anakin Skywalker turned on the Emperor , Sidious used the lightning at a much higher intensity , which eventually killed him . Other Force - sensitives known to have used the power or its variants include : Variants of Force lightning . Force shock . Force shock was a Force power that allowed the user to create an energy spark that would track and damage the nearest enemy . The shock could be thrown at an opponent to stun and injure them , or could be set loose to track an opponent until it dissipates . The shock would not last more than five seconds or so before disappearing into a tiny burst of heat , but it was a useful technique for Sith apprentices . Force storm . Force storm was a Force lightning variant . The user would raise their palm upward and would create , through the Force , an explosion of electrical energy directed at all foes in the vicinity . It also appeared as a tornado of energy which created a great disturbance in the Force . Jedi could also join together to create a Force storm , though its use was frowned upon by more orthodox Jedi . Unlike Force lightning , Force storm was not limited to attacking enemies in one direction , as it affected all foes within a certain radius from the user . Some notable practitioners of this power were Revan , Darth Nox , Darth Nyriss , the Sith Emperor , the Outlander Darth Bane , Galen Marek and Darth Sidious . Chain lightning . Chain lightning was a variation of Force lightning with the difference being that the lightning was able to strike one person and then move to another or several others . As it was more powerful than the standard lightning , it required a greater amount of discipline and concentration to project and sustain the stream of lightning . The only confirmed users are the Force apparition known as Dark Mara , Galen Marek , Starkiller , and Count Dooku . Sith barrage . Sith barrage was a variant of Force lightning that allowed users to create a bolt of lightning up from the ground damaging anything in its way . Lightning Shield . Lightning Shield was another variation of Force lightning in which a shield of lightning covered and protected the user . Its effects could extend beyond the immediate space near the user , and could shock enemies in the distance . It could lower damage taken by the user , and could also enhance the saber damage the user dealt out . It was not the most powerful form of Force lightning , however ; it still took mastery in the art of Force lightning and high concentration to use Lightning Shield . It could even redirect Force lightning back at another user of Force lightning . The only known users were Emperor Palpatine and Galen Marek . Lightning Grenade . Lightning Grenade was a Force lightning variation in which the user gripped an opponent or object with the Force and lifted them up into the air . While the victim was suspended the user blasted them with a brief burst of lightning . The practitioner then either dropped the victim or slammed them into an object , causing the lightning coursing within them to explode . Galen Marek and Darth Sidious were the only known practitioners . Lightning Bomb . A powerful variation of Force lightning . The Force user blasted an opponent with lightning , and then , using the Force , caused the lightning to amplify within the victim ' s body until it reached a critical point and exploded out of the victim . The explosion would also shock and kill anyone unlucky enough to be standing near the victim when the explosion occurred . Sith Seeker . Sith Seeker was a very uncontrollable form of Force push . The Force user blasted the target with Force push , sending the object through the air . The user then generated a large ball of Force lightning . The Force user allowed the lightning to expand freely , until it was no longer under his or her control . They would then blast the Force lightning ball after the target , hence " Sith Seeker " . The lightning exploded on impact with an opponent or object . The only known practitioner of Sith Seeker was Galen Marek . Lightning Burst . Lightning burst was a variant of Force lightning , where the user would have lightning arc out from their body to strike adjacent enemies . Vader ' s variant . This was a particular variant of Force Lightning , utilized as an alternative for Vader , who was unable to generate it normally . He could summon Force Lightning from directly above an opponent , and then directing it from a storm he generates with the Force . Colors . While most Force Lightning manifested itself as blue , it could appear in several hues , though whether or not the color is distinctive was unclear . For example , Palpatine , Darth Bane and Darth Nox had all used purple lightning . The Hidden One used white . Talzin and Mother were seen using green . Dark side users like Darth Desolous , Darth Tenebrous , and the Son , were seen wielding red . Jaina Solo also used a highly unusual color variant , in the form of black . Force users of the Eternal Empire used a form of yellow / orange lightning . Behind the scenes . In the MMORPG " Star Wars : Galaxies " , if a player of the Imperial faction attempted to contact Emperor Palpatine via hologram upon completing the Avenging Mort mission , Palpatine ' s hologram will use Force Lightning on the player to cover up his involvement .