Star Wars Legacies
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SWRP's Ultimate Guide to the Force
The Force is not a power you have. It's not lifting rocks. It's the energy between all things — the tension, the balance, that binds the universe together.
— Luke Skywalker
What is the Force?
A rather simplistic question, but ask it of anyone and you'll get a variety of answers. The simple answer? The Force is a metaphysical energy field that exists everywhere in the Star Wars galaxy. It is created by life and death and connects everything from the sentient life in the galaxy to the lowliest of inanimate objects together with one another. It communicates with living beings through symbiotic microorganisms known as a "midi-chlorians," and, those who possess a high enough count in their blood and dubbed Force-sensitive.
To these beings, the Force grants supernatural abilities. They can hear thoughts, move things with their minds, enhance their physical speed and strength, and even extend their lifespan beyond their species' natural limits. As a result, Force-sensitives are both highly revered and (often) feared by the regular inhabitants of the galaxy, for their seemingly unnatural and godlike abilities.
The Force is split into three parts: the Ashla, the Bogan, and the Bendu. The Ashla, better known as the light side of the Force, is the Force in its natural state. Its power is often associated with life and healing and it is the paragon deity of the Jedi Order, who use it for defense and never attack. The Bogan, better known as the dark side of the Force, is a maleficent perversion of the Force generated by unnatural tampering with the Force's energies and extreme horrific acts of violence. The dark side is used by a variety of religious cults, the most famous being the Sith Order, each in their own unique way.
The Bendu, often described as the "the one in the middle," is a more elusive side of the Force, present only in nature. Little is known about the Bendu, save for that the early Jedi often strove for a balance between light and dark, but abandoned it due to the impossibility of mortals maintaining light with darkness. So far, only an elusive creature in the myths of the planet Atollon has truly been able to maintain that place "in the middle."
How is the Force used?
The early Jedi Order studied the Force to enrich their knowledge and wisdom and to strive for balance in nature. Many modern Force religions and cults still strive for this goal to varying degrees of success. However, the most common use of the Force is as a supernatural power source.
The Jedi Order uses the Force in service of others: to protect, defend, heal, and study. The Sith Order harnesses their carnal emotions of anger, hatred, and fear to fuel the power of the dark side in order to rule, dominate, and enslave. They use the Force to empower themselves and believe that their use of the dark side makes them superior to other forms of life.
Some religious sects, like the Nightsister Clan on Dathomir, and the Sith species on Korriban and Ziost, use the Force together with the natural forces on their homeworlds to create a form of "magick" (alternatively spelled magic). These uses of the Force set them apart from Sith Order and other dark side cults, as they do not necessarily use their emotions to empower themselves, rather they use ancient chants and ichors to harness the Force into powerful spells that can warp nature and transmutate objects, in addition to the more traditional powers granted by the Force. However, as users of the dark side of the Force, they are still prone to the xenophobia and superiority complexes often found in the Sith Order.
Tribal peoples exist who learned to use the Force elementally, such as to manipulate earth. The Jedi and the Sith could similarly generate fire, ice, and lightning by focusing on the Force (though to use the Force elementally in such a manner often put one in danger of using the dark side, and was therefore more common among the Sith).
To see specific powers, unique to our site, that the Force can grant, please see our Approved Site Lore board. This site also accepts Force powers that have been demonstrated in official canon media.
Does the Force have a will?
Jedi and Sith alike will often speak about the "will of the Force," as the Force does show signs of sentience. It is believed among both sects that Force acts through nature and through sentient beings to accomplish certain ends. While the Jedi and even some Sith seek to follow the will of the Force, many Sith seek to subvert or outright deny the will of the Force, as such a will stands in opposition to the free will of sentient beings.
There is natural evidence that the Force has a will. Kyber crystals, for instance, are deeply attuned to the Force and are known to select specific Force-users to wield them. They will also actively resist those who corrupt the will of the Force or use the dark side, unless they are made to bleed. On the planet Lothal, the Force manifests as loth-wolves: sentient wolf-like beings who guard the planet and actively resist those who disturb the natural light side energy that blankets the planet.
That said, there are those sects that either don't believe in the will of the Force or who have no concept of it. The Nightsister Clan, though observing deities like "the Fanged God" (a manifestation of the Son, an aspect of the dark side of the Force), do not acknowledge the Force's will, preferring to draw on communal knowledge and magical rituals to make decisions.
Other sects deny that the Force itself has a will, but that powerful Force users manipulate the Force to give the appearance of a will. Ancient Force religions worshiped the Mortis gods, a trio of powerful beings that represented the light, the dark, and the center and collectively had such a terrifying control over the Force that they could influence events in the natural galaxy if they were not kept locked away on the metaphysical planet Mortis. Other religions believed that the mysterious and elusive Whills guided the Force, with some believing that the Whills had merged with the Force and now control it from within (a view shared by the series creator, George Lucas).
Does the Force have risks?
Using the Force is not entirely without risk. Training is required to truly master the use of its power, but even the oldest and wisest Jedi Masters, and the most powerful of Sith Lords, cannot truly claim to be the Force's master, as new discoveries are often made. Without training, a Force user can be dangerous to others and themselves, as their powers are often erratic and instinctual.
Even when trained properly, the Force has drawbacks. Prolonged use of the Force is physically exhausting, and it would seem that there is a range to Force abilities. If that range is exceeded, the Force user in question runs the risk of exhausting their body to the point of death.
The dark side of the Force carries with it the most risk. Despite the unnatural abilities it grants, the stronger one is with the dark side, the more it takes a toll on one's body. Rapid aging and bodily deterioration, especially in humans, is common, as a mortal body is not capable of containing the full power of the dark side. As a result, those who use the dark side often become obsessed with obtaining immortality, as, the more power they obtain, the more their body deteriorates.
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