May the Force be with you / Legends " May the Force be with you " was a phrase used to wish luck or good will , generally when individuals parted ways or the object of the expression was facing some sort of imminent challenge . The phrase implied the speaker ' s wish that the power of the Force would be working alongside the addressee , in order that the addressee ' s goals would be more effectively accomplished . Jedi . The phrase originated with the ancient Je ' daii Order as " May the Force go with you . " Sometimes the phrase used was simply " The Force be with you . " " May the Force be with you " was known to be used as a formal " ' Goodbye ' and ' good luck ' " among Jedi , and members of the Jedi High Council often recited it after assigning missions to their Jedi Knights . After the Great Jedi Purge it was adopted , even among non - Jedi , as a means of conveying good luck and hope before a battle , as a show of the ongoing struggle against the Galactic Empire and admiration for the Jedi Order after their failed attempt to survive the corrupt Emperor ' s power struggle . Jedi Master Obi - Wan Kenobi was known to have used a variation of this phrase , telling Luke Skywalker , " " The Force will be with you . Always . " " shortly after joining with the Force , and shortly after Luke Skywalker successfully shot a pair of proton torpedoes into the exhaust port of the first Death Star , destroying it completely . Another variation was uttered by Luke , when he said " " May the Force be with me " " before entering the Cavrilhu Pirates ' base . Another variation is also " " Then may the Force be with you " " when Juno Eclipse wishes Galen Marek good luck , when he enters the Emperor ' s observation dome to free the rebels . Non - Jedi . In 3986 BBY , Zayne Carrick did a practice fight with his friend Jarael . After the duel , Jarael and Camper went in their ship with their droid T1 - LB , Jarael said goodbye to Zayne with " " May the Force be with you " " . Gar was saying goodbye to Revan with " " Farewell , then . May the Force be with you , is that how it goes ? Yes , may the Force be with you " " . After explaining the plan to destroy the first Death Star , General Jan Dodonna said " " May the Force be with you " " to the pilots of Red Squadron and Gold Squadron before the mission . Although not a firm believer of the Force , Han Solo , before leaving Yavin 4 , said to Luke Skywalker " " May the Force be with you " " as a way of saying " good luck . " Additionally , the phrase was used by Admiral Gial Ackbar just before the mission to destroy the second Death Star . To be precise , as Ackbar was personally leading the mission , he said " " May the Force be with us " " . In Old Corellian , the phrase was said as " Mahn uhl Fharth bey ihn valle " . Sith . Another similar phrase , which Darth Vader used on Bespin to greet Luke Skywalker saying " " The Force is with you , young Skywalker , " " which perhaps expresses recognition and estimation of the foe ' s value and strength . Similarly , Vader insisted to a skeptical Tarkin that " Obi - Wan is here . . . the Force is with him , " before engaging in their last duel . On a more negative note , he also states , " May the Force . . . give you what you deserve " to Leia Organa on Aargau . Uthar Wynn and Yuthura Ban during a mission in the Sith Academy on Korriban state a different version of the saying , namely " " May the Force serve you well . " " Another Sith variation of this saying was stated by Darth Vader to his apprentice shortly after his " death " saying " " Remember that the dark side is always with you . " " Behind the scenes . The phrase is used by some characters in ( and fans of ) the films , meaning something like " good luck , " although usually only Jedi and other believers in the Force use the expression . Han Solo , who expresses his doubt about the Force in " " , eventually uses this expression to wish Luke good luck . In the expanded universe , it is revealed that the Alliance for the Restoration of the Republic used the phrase to call upon the legendary Jedi order , a symbol of the Old Republic , and also to differentiate themselves from the Empire . The expression has found its way into popular culture as a result of the popularity of the films . Recently it got the 8th position in the " AFI ' s 100 years . . . 100 movie quotes " ranking . Some might believe that , as the Force exists between all living things in any case , the phrase reflects a misunderstanding of its nature . In fact , the phrase implies a wish that the power of the Force is working alongside you , in order that your goals are more effectively accomplished . Jedi Master Obi - Wan Kenobi once used a different form that expressed a reminder rather than a wish : " " The Force will be with you , always " " , stating that Luke would succeed , as he was working alongside the power of the Force . Some fans celebrate May 4th as " " by paraphrasing the phrase as " May the fourth be with you " .