The Force

"*I was a coward. But now I know there is something stronger than fear. Far stronger. The Force. Let me show you how strong it is.*"
―Kanan Jarrus to The Grand Inquisitor
**The Force** was an energy field created by all living things throughout the multiverse. It was worshiped as a deity by many religions throughout the galaxy, and it was known by many names. It was called **the Ashla** by the Lasats and the early Jedi, **It** by the Dianoga, **the Life Current** by the Mustafarians, **the Tide** by the Lew'elan, **the Sight** by the Chiss, the **White Current** by the Fallanassi, and **the Great Mystery** by Sith such as Darth Sidious. The Force was generated by life and existed in all life forms. The Ancient Order of the Whills somehow resided within it, granting the Force a will of its own, allowing each being to be presented with a destiny should they choose to embrace it.

The ways of the Force were studied by many religions. The most famous were the Jedi and Sith Orders, which were comprised of beings who could manipulate the Force - called **Force-sensitives** or **Force users**. However, not all Force religions were made of Force users. For instance, the Church of the Force was made it up by non-Force-sensitives who resonated with Jedi philosophy. Meanwhile, Sith cultists worshiped the Sith and the dark side of the Force, but most were not themselves Force-sensitive.

## Description

"*I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me.*"
―Chirrut Îmwe
Sometime after the beginning of the universe, life arose in the multiverse, and its energy created the Force. Simultaneously, the microscopic life forms called midi-chlorians were born on a planet in the Deep Core of the galaxy. The midi-chlorians allowed the Force — and the Ancient Order of the Whills residing in their microscopic world — to communicate with living beings. Those with high enough midi-chlorian counts in their blood gained supernatural abilities and the power to sense the will of the Force. There existed some debate among scholars about how much the midi-chlorians affected one's strength with the Force. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn seemed to believe the more midi-chlorians within one's blood, the stronger one's connection to the Force and the more powerful they could become. Meanwhile, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker compared the Force to a door. Force users could be born with their "door" partly open or open a significant amount; but *anyone* could open it all the way, suggesting that, with enough training, any Force user could become tremendously powerful.

### The Living Force

"*Be mindful of the Living Force, my young Padawan.*"
―Qui-Gon Jinn to Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Force had two components to it, the first of which was **the Living Force**. As the name suggests, the Living Force existed in all life and was indeed created by it. It could be sensed as a being's life force or vitality, what some might call a spirit. It was the Living Force that Force-sensitive beings like the Jedi and the Sith manipulated with their supernatural abilities. When a being died, their essence passed out of the Living Force and into the Cosmic Force. Likewise, when a being is born, essence moves from the Cosmic Force into the Living Force, and thus the balance of life is maintained. The Living Force also has duality to itself. It exists naturally as the light side of the Force, but can be corrupted into the dark side of the Force.

### The Cosmic Force

"*Well, Kanan is part of the Cosmic Force now. There are ways those who have passed on may still guide or influence the living. It's not impossible.*"
―Ahsoka Tano about Kanan Jarrus after his death

The **Cosmic Force** was the energy field's second aspect, acting as a binding agent that adhered all living things in the multiverse together. The Cosmic Force contained dimensions wherein the mysterious Whills resided, alongside places like the World Between Worlds, the Force planet Mortis, and the ethereal realm of the dark side. Because it was the residence of the Whills, the Cosmic Force also contained the Force's will. By quieting one's mind, a Force user could detect the will of the Force thanks the Cosmic Force communicating with the midi-chlorians in their blood. A "disturbance in the Force" referred to turbulence within the Cosmic Force that could signal a terrible wound in the Living Force, or the impending arrival of an event significant to the history of the galaxy.

## Aspects

### Balance and the Force

"*He is the Chosen One. He will bring balance.*"
―Qui-Gon Jinn about Anakin Skywalker

The Force strove for balance; but balance within the Force has long been a misunderstood concept. In essence, the Living Force itself had two sides: the **light side of the Force**, representing the Force in its natural state, and the **dark side of the Force**, a cancerous perversion of the Force that was entirely evil. The Force occasionally fell out of balance whenever the dark side achieved primacy over the light, requiring the balance to be restored. True balance in the Force was only achieved when light had primacy over darkness. The Jedi prophecy of the "Chosen One" foretold of one cycle of balancing, completed when Anakin Skywalker returned from the dark side to destroy his Sith Master, Darth Sidious. The Force again fell out of balance when Ben Solo, Skywalker's grandson, fell to the dark side and became Kylo Ren, requiring his antithesis, Rey Skywalker to rise and restore balance once again.

#### Light side of the Force

"*It matters. It matters what side we choose. Even if there is never more light than darkness. Even if there can be no more joy in the galaxy than there is pain. For every action we undertake, for every word we speak, for every life we touch—it matters. I don’t turn toward the light because it means someday I’ll 'win' some sort of cosmic game. I turn toward it because it is the light.*"
―Qui-Gon Jinn

The light side of the Force was the Force in its natural state and another name for the Living Force. For Force users, peace, serenity, and passiveness were qualities that gave one access to the light side. Despite the Jedi aversion to it, for fear of attachment, love was the strongest element that connected one to the light side of the Force, as it was the ultimate form of selflessness. Religions such as the monastic Jedi Order were practitioners of the light side. They idealized the protection of life rather than its destruction, and styled themselves as keepers of the peace, not soldiers (though they could be if the defense of life called for it). Because of its association with life and protection, the light side was typically seen as the "good" side of the Force.

#### Dark side of the Force

"*Anakin, if one is to understand the Great Mystery, one must study* all *its aspects. Not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace… a larger view of the Force. Be careful the Jedi, Anakin. Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi!*"
―Darth Sidious attempting to turn Anakin Skywalker

Called **the Bogan** by both the ancient Jedi and Sith, the dark side of the Force was a cancerous corruption of the Living Force that brought imbalance to both the Force itself and the individuals who use it. At the same time, the dark side was impossible to completely abolish, as it existed within all living beings and had to be accepted and ignored to obtain balance within oneself. The dark side was embodied by the emotions of fear, anger, and hatred. It was also characterized by selfishness. To fully embrace and used the dark side, one had to see themselves as the center of the universe and care only about what they wanted. However, no matter how much power a being achieved from the dark side, they never were truly sated or happy and always required more. Religions such as the Sith Order were masters of the dark side of the Force. The Sith sought power above all else, though the acquisition of it was at great detriment to themselves. For example, Darth Sidious' body could not withstand the sheer presence of the dark side within him, causing his body to wilt and wither.

The Nightsisters, dark side-using witches from the planet Dathomir, also used the dark side of the Force. However, they learned to use it without giving in to intense anger or hatred. This allowed them to use the dark side without the sheer level of corruption that plagued the Sith; however, they were much weaker than the Sith as a result. Because of its association with cruelty and pain, the dark side was typically seen as the "evil" side of the Force.

### Force powers

Main article: Glossary of Force powers

"*The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be… unnatural.*"
―Darth Sidious

The Force bestowed supernatural abilities on those sensitive to its touch. Among the most basic was the ability to increase a Force user's strength and speed. An early sign of being a Force user usually was the development of telekinetic powers. With training, a Force user could develop a variety of powers. Some Force users were gifted with visions of the future, while others, particularly those who used the dark side of the Force, gained powerful martial abilities, such as the power to project lightning from their hands, which gave them an edge in battle.

## Behind the scenes

The Force was Wookieeverse's fortieth article.

This article summarizes the canon interpretation of the Force and the version that is to be used, regardless of universe, on Wookieeverse.

### Gray Jedi, "Grayness," and the Force

"*Jedi and Sith wield the Ashla and Bogan. The light and the dark. I'm the one in the middle. The Bendu.*"
―Bendu

The concept of "Gray Jedi" and balance in the Force have been gravely misunderstood by *Star Wars* fans over the decades. In *Star Wars* Legends, **Gray Jedi** was a term used to describe Force users who used the light side of the Force, yet walked dangerously close to the dark side. Jolee Bindo, a self-exiled Jedi who fell in love and was seemingly okay with using the Force to harm his enemies, was considered an example of a Gray Jedi. Legends also used "Gray Jedi" to describe beings like Qui-Gon Jinn: mavericks who disregarded the authority of the Jedi High Council. However, thanks in part to the prominence of games like *Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic* and *Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy*, both of which allowed the player to control a Force user capable of learning powers from both the light and the dark, *Star Wars* fans began to associate the term "Gray Jedi" with any Force user capable of using both sides of the Force either in balance or at once. Fans even developed and popularized a "Grey Jedi Code" (pictured left) to encapsulate their view on these balanced warriors. This **gray** view of the Force is inconsistent with George Lucas' vision for how the Force worked.

"*I wanted to have this mythological footing because I was basing the films on the idea that the Force has two sides, the good side, the evil side, and they both need to be there. Most religions are built on that, whether it's called yin and yang, God and the devil—everything is built on the push-pull tension created by two sides of the equation. Right from the very beginning, that was the key issue in Star Wars.*"
―George Lucas
As illustrated in an interview with TIME magazine in 1999, Lucas viewed the Force as a dual struggle between the light and dark, where both struggle for dominance, but balance is ultimately achieved when light regains and maintains primacy over darkness. This view is later captured in canon by Qui-Gon Jinn, who expresses that no balance can ever be found in those who used the dark side of the Force. Some fans have interpreted the words of Bendu — a canon Force being from *Star Wars: Rebels* — as indicating the canonization of greyness and Gray Jedi, as well as the ability to use both sides at once. However, Bendu's words actually reflect his inaction. Once again echoing Qui-Gon's words, Bendu did not take a side, light or dark. Instead, he chose total inaction — to do nothing despite the worsening state of the universe — and thus occupied the middle.

Throughout the franchise, characters who have attempted to use both sides of the Force have *always* been swayed to one side or the other eventually, even in Legends. The most popular example, Darth Revan, from the *Knights of the Old Republic* video game franchise, was, at different points of his life, a Jedi and a Sith Lord. He used the light side as a Jedi, and the dark side as a Sith. In the novel, *Revan*, he attempted to use both and was immediately burned for his efforts. However, in the end, he eventually chose the light side and embraced his Jedi persona, proving that even he eventually had to choose. A canon example of this exists in Dooku, who learned to use Force lightning, a power associated with the dark side, while still a Jedi Master. Dooku's first use of the power was involuntary, but as he continued to use it against his enemies, he became crueler and crueler, eventually turning to the dark side and becoming the Sith Lord, Darth Tyranus. Dooku's turn highlighted the corruptive influence of the dark side and its inability to be compatible with the light.

Because of these examples, and because canon depictions of both the light and dark sides of the Force are so opposite one another, using both the light and dark side of the Force — and creating Gray Jedi who use this interpretation — are **banned** on Wookieeverse. A character may think that they can pull this off in-universe, but they must always fail and have some consequence applied.

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 On Wookieeverse, the Force is stated to bind the multiverse together.
2. ↑ "Fire Across the Galaxy" — *Star Wars: Rebels*
3. ↑ "Ancient Order of the Whills" — Wookieeverse
4. ↑ *Rogue One*
5. ↑ "Destiny" — *Star Wars: The Clone Wars*
6. ↑ *Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays*
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 *Star Wars* Episode I *The Phantom Menace*
8. ↑ *The Rise of Kylo Ren* 3
9. ↑ "Living Force" — Wookieepedia
10. ↑ In *Star Wars: Rebels*, Ahsoka Tano states that Kanan Jarrus passed into the Cosmic Force when he died, allowing him to influence the galaxy. Since the Force strives towards balance, it can be reasonably assumed that a new life then gets their essence from the Cosmic Force.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 *Age of Republic - Qui-Gon Jinn* 1
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "A World Between Worlds" — *Star Wars: Rebels*
13. ↑ "Overlords" — *Star Wars: The Clone Wars*
14. ↑ *Darth Vader* (2017) 25
15. ↑ *Star Wars* Episode IV *A New Hope*
16. ↑ *Star Wars: The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary*
17. ↑ George Lucas has referred to the dark side as "evil" and "bad" numerous times, most prominently in a 1980 *Times Magazine* interview.
18. ↑ *The Skywalker Legacy*
19. ↑ George Lucas contends that balance in the Force is when the light side is in control in the VHS documentary for *A New Hope*.
20. ↑ *Star Wars* Episode VI *Return of the Jedi*
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 *Star Wars* Episode VIII *The Last Jedi*
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 *Star Wars* Episode XI *The Rise of Skywalker*
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 *Master and Apprentice*
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 *Star Wars* Episode V *The Empire Strikes Back*
25. ↑ "Part V" — *Obi-Wan Kenobi*
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 *Star Wars* Episode II *Attack of the Clones*
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 *Star Wars: The Making of Episode I*
28. ↑ *Star Wars* Episode III *Revenge of the Sith*
29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 *Star Wars Rebels: Steps Into Shadow*
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 George Lucas, TIME magazine, April 26, 1999
31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 George Lucas explains the Force to the Lucasfilm story group (2010)
32. ↑ *Star Wars* Episode III *Revenge of the Sith* novelization
33. ↑ *Dark Disciple*
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 *Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic*
35. ↑ *The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force*
36. ↑ *Revan*
37. ↑ *Star Wars: The Old Republic*
38. ↑ *Dooku: Jedi Lost*

## External links

* The Force on Wookieepedia
* Living Force on Wookieepedia
* Cosmic Force on Wookieepedia
* Light side of the Force on Wookieepedia
* Dark side of the Force on Wookieepedia