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The Force is a binding, ubiquitous power that is the object of the Jedi and Sith Monastic Order s in the '' Star Wars '' universe. using The Force, or more specifically, the Sith technique of Force Lightning .]] DEFINITION The Force is described by Obi-Wan Kenobi as "an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the Galaxy together." The Force is life, and life is the Force. Some think of the Force as a sentient entity that may be capable of intelligent thought—almost as if it were a sort of God —while others simply consider it something that can be manipulated and used as though it were a tool. In the original trilogy, there were two aspects of the Force given emphasis: the light side and the '''dark side'''. These are concerned with the moral compass of the Force in its various manifestations. The light side of the Force is the facet of that energy field aligned with good, benevolence, and healing. The dark side of the Force is the element aligned with fear, hatred, aggression, and malevolence; this side of the Force seems more powerful, though it is just more tempting to those that can touch upon the power as it doesn't impose any restrictions on its use. In the prequel trilogy, the Force was also described with two additional aspects: the '''Unifying Force''' and the '''Living Force'''. These aspects were not largely expanded upon in the films, but in the Expanded Universe they are defined by prominent Jedi philosophies. The Unifying Force essentially embraces space and time in its entirety. The Living Force deals with the directly ongoing niches present in the Force and compassion to living things. It can only be harnessed by a minority of beings described as " Force-sensitive ." These have been defined as either having a high count of Microorganism s called Midi-chlorians —the more midi-chlorians, the greater the person's Force ability—or having a strong Force " Aura ." It is probable that these traits are connected. Force-adepts are able to tap into the Force to perform acts of great skill and agility and control its various embodying powers (see below). The Force appears to be connected to, or responsible for, the '', some Sith masters were able to use the Force to manipulate life and death. SOURCES Although fictional, the Force does contain many similarities to existing Philosophical and Religious principles. The concept may be indebted to the Odic Force of Baron Carl Reichenbach . Many have related it to the concepts of Qi (also "chi" or "ki"; China , Japan , and Korea ), Prana ( India ), Mana ( Polynesia ) and other similar traditions focused around the idea of a spiritual energy that exist within the universe. With Taoism , the primary focus for ''Star Wars'' originates in the idea of Yin And Yang —the two diametrically opposed Forces of the universe. Everything from good and evil (as Metaphysical concepts) to hot and cold temperatures are considered as being part of this, and it is from here we see the most prominent comparison to the light and dark sides of the Force in ''Star Wars''. But, it must also be noted that it is even more similar to Taoist philosophy with less of a dichotomy and more of a necessary balance (seen in the philosophy of the balancing of the Force). Some have also drawn parallels between The Living Force and the use of Qi in Chinese Martial Arts . In the more internal arts (such as Tai Chi , Hsing-Yi, Pa-Kua and Qigong ), the maintenance and use of Qi is a key part of training. Such Qi is sometimes referred to as Empty Force , meaning that it is not seen, but its effect can be felt with time and training. Some of the abilities seen in the ''Star Wars'' movies are reported to have been attained by high-level Kung-Fu Masters. Others have drawn parallels between the Force and the Hindu Upanishad ic concept of Brahman , the world Soul which is the sum and source of the cosmos. THE SIDES OF THE FORCE Orthodox Jedi philosophy There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no death; there is the Force. ''Note: There are typically only four lines in this code. See Jedi and its discussion page for an explanation of the anomalous line on "harmony".'' The compared the light and dark sides to the processes of Symbiosis and Cancer . A follower of the light side tries to live in harmony with those around him. Mutual trust, respect, and the ability to form alliances give the Jedi their distinct advantage over the Sith. In contrast, a follower of the dark side is only interested in his- or her-self. To strike down a living creature with the Force out of anger, fear or another emotion is of the dark side. To refrain and clear one's self of these emotions is of the light side. Use of the dark side of the Force is forbidden within the Jedi Order, and is strictly considered the domain of the Sith. The Force plays a major part in the Jedi use of a Lightsaber in that their heightened awareness keeps them from accidentally injuring themselves while using the weapon in combat, as the blade has no relative weight, making it difficult to judge its position. Similarly, the Force allows a Jedi to use his/her lightsaber to deflect incoming blaster bolts. The Force also comes into play during the construction of a lightsaber, both in assembling its intricate innards, and the initial charging of the power cell. Traditional Jedi are keen to keep the Force "in balance". They attempt to achieve this by destroying the Sith and denying the dark side--essentially "keeping balance" by denying balance, as they view dark side as "corruption". This involves the purging of negative emotions such as aggression, anger, and hatred, since they can easily bring on acceptance of the dark side. In contrast, positive emotions such as compassion and courage nurture the light side of the Force. The Jedi Code compares such feelings and provides insight into the ethical use of the Force. Passion is considered dangerous as it may lead to strong emotions that could unbalance the Jedi and lead them to the Dark Side. Love is, curiously enough, seen as something both Jedi and Sith avoid. While the Jedi espouse a broad, all-encompassing, self-sacrificing love for all beings, love for another being -- Romance , a possessive love by nature -- is shunned. Possession of all types is shunned by the era of ''Episode I'', save for the individuality of a Jedi's lightsaber. The Sith view love as a danger best left untouched. While the passion that comes with love could lead to hatred and anger -- as the case of Anakin Skywalker represents -- it could also lead to pity, self-sacrifice and compassion, emotions the Sith do not see as beneficial and led to Anakin's reversal at the end of his life. One might speculate that this indicates that love is the true binding factor between the light and the dark. Neither the jedi nor the sith accept the other because they are either side to the extreme. It seems most Jedi are proponents for The Unified Force, wherein they focus on the past, present, and future as a whole (however, visions of the future are of particular significance in the conservative Jedi mindset), ignoring primary use of The Living Force. Voices for the latter espouse a philosophy of "live for the moment" and heavily rely on their instincts. This viewpoint might have allowed the Jedi Order to stave off the conflict that gave rise to the Galactic Empire , as its members lost themselves in looking forward rather than analyzing the unfolding events before them. The organizational goal of the Jedi Order is to maintain peace and justice in the galaxy. Sith philosophy Peace is a lie; there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall set me free. The dark side of the Force is innately tied to the distinctly negative ethical paradigm of the Sith. It is largely based on emotions and passion rather than peace and serenity which are preached by the light side of the Force. The dark side of the Force comes from the hate, anger, fear, aggression, vengeance, and malice in all living things. In the ''Star Wars'' movies, the practitioners of the dark side are Darth Sidious and his successive apprentices Darth Maul , Darth Tyranus , and Darth Vader . The Jedi believe that emotions such as fear, uncertainty, doubt, anger, suffering, and attachment lead to the dark side. The Sith, on the other hand, believe that such emotions can be used to fuel one's own Will To Power , Ego , and selfishness. The destructive havoc caused by the actions of a dark side practitioner are excused as serving a greater purpose under this philosophy. The negative emotions increase the strength and abilities of a dark side practitioner. As a result, the dark side of the Force is extremely addictive: every time one calls on its power, one becomes more and more attached to it. Darth Vader desired to use this to his advantage during his time trying to turn his son, Luke Skywalker , to the dark side. If he could convince the young Jedi hopeful to call on the dark side enough times, the boy would find it more difficult to resist in the future. The Dark Side can also strongly affect the user physically, as the intense emotion and rage required to fuel it usually corrupts the user's body; this is demonstrated by Darth Sidious , Darth Vader , Darth Traya , a dark-sided Jedi Exile , and in extreme cases, Darth Sion . The Sith also believe that instead of living alongside the Force, one must master it and use it as a tool. This is shown in the novelization of '' Revenge Of The Sith '', on page 72: "They allowed the Force to direct them; Dooku directed the Force."'' Overall, dark side relationships and organizations are inherently unstable. For instance, the pupil-master relationship of the Jedi is perverted under the Sith, as both the apprentice and the master naturally plot against one other, and one will eventually kill the other. Every time a dark side Force has risen in the Galaxy , it has collapsed from within due to its own unstable nature. The Empire is no exception. When Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader discovered that Luke Skywalker was Vader's son, both wanted to turn Luke to the dark side. Vader wanted his son to help him kill Palpatine and rule the galaxy together, but Palpatine wanted Luke to take Vader's place as his apprentice. This phenomenon of constant internecine warfare indicates that the dark side may in fact be weaker than the light side, as it is likewise one way of arguing that evil is weaker than good in Abrahamic religions; it was no doubt seized upon by proponents of the Potentium theory of the Force (see below). ," remained in practice throughout the Star Wars Extended Universe; the latest Sith Order, which underwent a small reformation by Dark Lady Lumiya after the deaths of Vader and Palpatine at Endor . The Dark Jedi Jerec was an exception who had seven apprentices/fellow Dark Jedi on his command when he sought the power of the Valley of the Jedi. The Dark Lords Sidious, Vader, and Tyranus had each trained some followers with dark side abilities and occasionally inducted a number deeply into Sith lore and powers, but none of these followers were given the full Sith rites and training; thus The "rule of two" was consistent during the era of Darth Sidious. Potentium and unitary views of the Force The Potentium view of the Force, considered Heresy by Old Republic Jedi, holds that the Force, and the galaxy in general, was inherently good, and that there was no evil side to the Force. Also Luke states in " The Unifying Force " that "the force doesn't flow from us but ''through'' us" which strongly suggests that the Force creates life and not the other way around. This view gained greater acceptance under the New Republic , mostly due to the influence of Vergere , a surviving Jedi from the days of the Old Republic. Palpatine (Darth Sidious) tells Anakin Skywalker in '''' that one must study the entire Force, including the dark side, in order to truly understand it. In the Expanded Universe , he later states there is only one Force: the only difference worthy of note is that the Sith see the Force as a means to an end; the Jedi see it as an end in itself. This is echoed by what Vergere teaches Jacen Solo in the '' New Jedi Order '' series, (part of the Expanded Universe of ''Star Wars''). She tells him that there is no light side nor dark side of the Force—only The Unifying Force, and that the "dark side" is actually a reflection of the intentions of the wielder. ''. Here, he tells them that no particular Force ability is inherently good or evil. It is how it is used that counts. He further demonstrates this by employing Force Lightning in combat, an ability universally considered to be on the Dark side of the spectrum. Belief in the Force waned after the fall of The Old Republic and the destruction of the Jedi, to the point that most of the galaxy's inhabitants viewed Force users as sorcerers and magicians. Many did not even believe that the Force existed. Two such examples occur in ''''. Smuggler Han Solo scornfully explains to Luke Skywalker that he had "flown from one side of this galaxy to the other" and seen nothing to make him believe there was "one all-powerful Force controlling everything," contemptuously adding that no "mystical energy field" controlled his destiny. The second example of this viewpoint was voiced, quite loudly, by Admiral Motti aboard the Death Star . When Darth Vader explained that The Death Star's ability to destroy a planet was insignificant compared to the Force, Admiral Motti, who did not believe in the Force, proceeded to brazenly mock the Sith Lord's "sad devotion to that ancient religion." Vader swiftly proved the admiral wrong about the Force's existence, when he used its power to telekinetically strangle the arrogant officer (see below). ORGANIZED FORCE TRADITIONS The Jedi and Sith Orders teach the Force as described above, but there are other traditions which teach different philosophies and uses of the Force, or powers similar to the Force.
Note: Only the B'omarr Monk s, the Jedi, and the Sith Orders were either seen or mentioned in the films. The rest appear in the Expanded Universe. THE ABILITIES OF FORCE USERS See also: '' Force Powers '' , a Jedi Master strong with the Force holding a senatorial seating area aloft in .]] Manifestations of the Force, which are mentally-based abilities and tapped through the practitioner's willpower, include to launch a Proton Torpedo into an extremely difficult target on the Death Star in the Battle Of Yavin . Through this ability one can cease to react to his or her surroundings and predict the future, such as the next blow in a duel. As a consequence of these skills, the Force has occasionally been associated with the real-life concepts of Taoism and Parapsychology . In addition to the above powers, Force-users are also capable of attacks through the Force by producing "Force lightning" from their hands, which inflicts terrible pain on its victims and can be lethal. Because of the philosophical beliefs of the Jedi, they rarely use this ability, so much that it's virtually exclusive to the Sith and other powerful dark Force-users. The Sith powers usually are powers that would be more offensive; while light side powers are usually more defensive. In the games '' Knights Of The Old Republic '', '' Jedi Outcast '', and '' Jedi Academy '', the powers drain, lightning, and grip/choke are all dark side powers, while absorb, heal, and protection are lightside powers. Then there are universal, or 'core' powers such as push, pull, speed, and jump that are neither dark nor light.Note: In ''KOTOR'', force absorb is a universal power. Of course, this is most likely simply the method used for video games to portray usage of the Force. The Force could likely be used in a different and unique way every time. Adherence to the light side and to allows its user to transcend death and become a "One with the Force", allowing the deceased to exist as an energy being who can interact with other Force sensitive individuals. According to Kenobi, in Timothy Zahn's '' Heir To The Empire '' book, this can only continue for a while before the Jedi must "move on" to a spirit realm. The Jedi were unaware of the possibility of speaking from beyond until a time during the Clone Wars , when Qui-Gon Jinn revealed to Yoda what must be done to accomplish this, though Qui-Gon described this state as "eternal," in contrast to what was said in Zahn's novel. Yoda soon passed this teaching on to Obi-Wan Kenobi . However, it is claimed that the Sith Darth Plagueis discovered a method to use the dark side to prevent death in the first place. In the Expanded Universe, some Jedi and Sith have learned the skill of transferring one's spirit to another body. In the '' Dark Empire '' comic, Palpatine used this in order to transfer his spirit to a fresh clone body, and later, Callista transferred herself to the body of a dying friend so that she could stay alive. Unfortunately, in the process of doing this, she lost her ability to touch the Force, though later it was discovered she could still touch the Dark Side. The spirits of Sith Lords Marka Ragnos, Freedon Nadd, and Exar Kun have also appeared. It is thought that the means of a Sith to become an active ghost are different, and less natural, than those of the Jedi. Longevity and Athletic Enhancement There is evidence to support that a Jedi or Sith's increased symbiosis with the force grants them longer life spans and a reduction of the effects of aging, not in terms of their physical appearance but rather their athletic abilities. Key examples are Count Dooku and Darth Sidious who, despite their advanced years, were still capable of feats of dexterity that defied their age. Dooku, who was over 80 years old, was still capable of performing lightning fast lightsaber parries and ripostes, somersaults, roundhouse kicks and was able to run at full speed. Yoda too, despite being circa 900 years of age, was quite acrobatic when engaged in combat and drawing on the force (although it is unknown what effect age has on Yoda's species). Qui-Gon Jinn was aged sixty when he died in The Phantom Menace although he physically appeared to be in his early forties. As for longevity, this comes from the lines of protested that Yoda couldn't die, the aged master proclaimed that he was strong with the force, but not ''that'' strong. DISTURBANCES IN THE FORCE When ''. The Force exists in all life, and when great amounts of life pass away, a disturbance is created, running through the Force like a scream which only a Force adept can hear. The Jedi Apprentice Corran Horn , during the events of '' I, Jedi '', felt the death of an entire world as a superweapon was used to make a planet's sun go nova. He said that anyone who thought of the experience as a 'disturbance' could also think of Hutts as 'cuddly'. What he felt was innumerable points of view of the last seconds of the planet's inhabitants--and sensory data such as screams, emotions upon death, and smells (mostly that of flesh roasting). It is likely Obi-Wan experienced something similar when the planet Alderaan was destroyed, but the disturbance was less severe because most on the planet were not force sensitive. Sometimes, other things are defined as disturbances. Life creates small disturbances, and Force adepts and people with a high ''. The phrase " I Have A Bad Feeling About This " is repeated a great deal, even by non-Force-adept characters, which may point to a universal connection with the Force. However, this is usually a tension-relief or comic-relief moment; few times is this said before some dramatically bad event. Jedi live in a Symbiotic Relationship with the Force. All living things are connected to the Force, so when large amounts of life simply end, a Jedi can feel this ripple through the Force. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU The light side of the Force is associated with a phrase used by some characters in (and fans of) the films: "May the Force be with you." Rarely used is the dark side of the force saying "May the Force serve you well." For more information, see Notable Lines In The Star Wars Series . THE LIVING FORCE The Living Force was thought to be in most living beings. It is what "makes you sensitive to other living things, makes you intuitive, and allows you to read other people's minds, et cetera" (''The Making of Episode I''). Jedi can sense Living Force in life-forms. Sick or dying organisms have little Living Force, while healthy ones usually have the quantity of their midi-chlorian count. The connection to the Living Force apparently also allows Jedi Masters to retain their identity when they become one with the Force. he could sense the deaths of the people on Alderaan when it was destroyed under orders of Grand Moff Tarkin . The only known beings without the Living Force are the Yuuzhan Vong , the antagonists of The '' New Jedi Order '' series. They exist without the Force and it cannot be used on them (still it can be manipulated around them). The Yuuzhan Vong once existed with the Force but were stripped of it by their home planet, which was a living planet much like Zonama Sekot . It stripped the Yuuzhan Vong of the Force after they waged war on others. The planet later disappeared mysteriously and was presumed destroyed. THE UNIFYING FORCE The Unifying Force is the other side of the Force (the other is the Living Force). It is the "greater, cosmic Force" that "has to do with destiny" (''The Making of Episode I''). The Old Order, including those in the Jedi Council, was more focused on the big picture of the future universe and fulfilling destiny rather than the compassion to other living beings. For example, the Jedi Council would not allow young Anakin Skywalker to train because he posed a threat to the future. FORCE GHOSTS In the Star Wars galaxy, the Force is tied into concepts of an afterlife. In Episode VI, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and a redeemed Anakin Skywalker appear to Luke in the form of spirits after their deaths. In , it is revealed that Yoda learned how to retain one's identity within the Force after death, and thus influence the living, from the spirit Qui-Gon Jinn . Qui-Gon, in turn, had learned this technique from a Shaman of the Ancient Order of the Whills. In the Expanded Universe, some Sith have become Force ghosts as well, usually by bonding their malevolent spirits to some particular place or object. Force-users known to have maintained their identities beyond death, in one form or another, are listed here.
UNUSUAL FORCE OCCURRENCES IN NATURE The Ysalamiri are a species of tree-dwelling slug-like creatues that are immune to effects of the Force. The creatures exude a "bubble" which "pushes back" Force energy, making them useful tools for individuals (such as Grand Admiral Thrawn ) requiring a means to nullify a Jedi's abilities. They originated on the world of Myrkr . They evolved this trait to survive being hunted by the predatory Vornskyrs, pack animals that hunt by tracking down live prey by using the Force. A creature with a similar peculiarity is the Taozin , a large, gelatinous predator. Though not widely known, at least one of these creatures was alive deep in the undercity of Coruscant approximately ten years before the Clone Wars (see List Of Star Wars Creatures ). While not immune to the Force, Hutts are highly resistant, having an innate defense against Force-based mind manipulation. Also, in Episode I, Watto informs Qui-Gon Jinn that Jedi mind tricks do not work on his kind, called Toydarians (this is probably due to their genetic relation to the Hutts ). Also, in Knights of the Old Republic, Force-resistant creatures called tarentateks are warned against and encountered. Some Jedi suspect that they were created by the Sith to hunt the Jedi down. Periodically the Jedi held a Great Hunt in an attempt to hunt down and destroy all of the tarentateks. QUOTES
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