Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.
—Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Force was a metaphysical, binding, and ubiquitous power that held enormous importance for both the Jedi and Sith monastic orders. Depending on the faith or order the Force was viewed in many different aspects, including but not limited to the light side, the dark side, the Unifying Force, and the Living Force. The first two aspects were concerned with the moral compass of the Force, as manifested by the conduct and emotions of living creatures who were themselves part of the fabric of the Force. The light side of the Force was the facet aligned with compassion, selflessness, self-knowledge and enlightenment, healing, mercy and benevolence, while the dark side of the Force was the element aligned with hatred, fear, covetousness, anger, aggression, jealousy and malevolence. The latter two aspects were defined by prominent Jedi philosophies: The Unifying Force essentially embraced space and time in its entirety while the Living Force dealt with the energy of living things. Though the Force was categorized in this way, there were no specific abilities or powers that were only usable by a follower of a particular path of the Force; the Force partially existed inside the life forms that used it, and drew energy from their emotions. In the strain of thinking that coupled light and dark, some teachings taught that the light and dark were in need of balancing. The early Je'daii and late Jedi Orders focused on this Balance, believing that both darkness and light had a place in the Order's members' hearts.
Some beings, particularly the Sith, believed that the dark side of the Force was more powerful than the light, though it was possible that the dark side was just more tempting to those who used or desired to use it. Though the Force was thought to flow through every living thing, its power could only be harnessed by beings described as Force-sensitive. This Force-sensitivity was correlated with, and sometimes attributed to, a high count of internal microorganisms called midi-chlorians that were found in a Force-sensitive's blood: the higher the count, the greater the being's potential Force ability, though there were some exceptions to this rule. Force-sensitive beings were able to tap into the Force to perform acts of great skill and agility as well as control and shape the world around them. Sometimes this ability was described as having a strong Force "aura".
Overview[]
The Force is an energy field which maintains a symbiotic relationship with all things; the Force creates life, but is also dependent on life to thrive. As energy, the Force has both a positive and negative polarity of sorts which the prominent scholars of the galaxy have long denoted as being of light and dark sides. While spurring much debate between philosophers for all of history, the Force's polarity was not action-oriented but strictly emotional; the act of ending one life was not negative or positive, however the emotions of both the deceased and the executioner create polarity. If the being who loses their life feels great anguish and distress at the time of death, that emotion will cause a release of negative energy whereas a being who is centered and calm will release positive energy. The executioner who seethes with hatred or glee at the killing will likewise produce negative, or dark energy, where an executioner who is calm and acting to enforce justice is releasing positive or light energy. The Force is blind to all else. It does not feel emotion, nor does it favor the living over the dead; as energy cannot be created or destroyed, all that is helps circulate energy and continue the Force's existence.
Knowledge of the Force can be traced back as far as the Gree, Kwa and Rakata species. It was not until 36,463 BBY that philosophers and scientists from several star systems were brought together on the Deep Core world Tython to pool their theories and traditions in the study of the mystical energy which they dubbed the Force.
Two aspects of the Force[]
The ways of the Living Force are beyond our understanding… But fear not. You are in the hands of something much greater and much better than you can imagine.
—Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn.
The grandiose nature of the Force made it quiet difficult to study as a whole; a student could easily become lost in its depths or flounder with the shallows trying to eagerly to focus on a speck in the void. To remedy this situation, the Force had long been broken down into two aspects: the Living and the Unifying Force. In this way scholars may choose to focus on the tangible realities of the world and how the Force manifests in the lives of individuals and within the moment, or to delve deeper, reaching outside oneself to wonder at the mysteries of the universe on an infinite scale. A view codified within the histories of the Jedi Order, the idea of a Living Force reflects the aspect of the Force which connects all living beings. The tangible Force; the present here and now which flowed about to allow a Forceful being to sense life and death. Scholars of the Living Force who espoused a philosophy of "living in the moment," relied heavily on their instincts and concentrated more on sensitivity to living things, rather than fulfilling destiny or looking to the future. They believed that the future's instabilities cause uncertainty, and that the present held the answers to near-future events.
Jedi refer to the ‘light side’ and the ‘dark side’, but really, these are only words, and the Force is beyond words. It is not evil, just as it isn’t good—it's simply what it is.
—Barriss Offee
The concept of the Unifying Force was a deeper aspect of the Force which required a significantly greater amount of understanding then the aspect of the Living Force. While the Living Force was easily seen throughout the tangible reality of life, the concept of the Unifying Force focused on the aspect of the Force which constituted it as a single cosmic power. Visions of the future were of particular significance to Unifying Force scholars. Yoda was one of the most adamant proponents of heeding visions of the future though he was ever-wary of the multiple threads which might lead in different directions. Many of the Jedi held a similar philosophy, and focused on the flow of time as a whole, ignoring primary use of the Living Force. It was within the Unifying Force that a Force-practitioner might retain their identities after their physical death, becoming one with the Force and able to manifest themselves as ghosts.
The light side of the Force[]
The Force acts as a source of wisdom; a regenerative pool from which to draw strength, and an access point to unlock abilities superior to those who cannot feel the Force's call. We bask in its light, soaking up its warmth and channeling it so that it may shine all the brighter.
—Grand Master Zerrid Odai on the nature of the light side energies which give a Jedi her strength.
The light side of the Force was concerned with the ideals of benevolence and healing, with respect for life and a desire to bring about peace. Followers of the light side strove to live in harmony with the world around them, acting out of wisdom and logic rather than anger and hasty judgment. In order to achieve harmony with the light side of the Force its practitioners would often meditate to clear themselves of emotion; particularly negative emotions such as aggression, fear, anger, and hatred, since these were thought to bring on acceptance of the dark side.
The largest group of proponents and teachers of the light side was the Jedi Order whose members strove to maintain peace and justice throughout the galaxy. The values of the light side were codified within the Jedi Code and accepted by all Jedi as they embraced a view that there was duality in the Force: the dark side and the light side. A follower of the light side tried to live in harmony with those around him; mutual trust, respect, and the ability to form alliances gave the Jedi their distinct advantage over the Sith. Traditional Jedi were keen to keep the Force "in balance". They attempted to achieve this by destroying the Sith and denying the dark side, essentially "keeping balance" by restoring the Force to its natural state, as they viewed the dark side as "corruption". This involved the purging of negative emotions such as aggression, anger and hatred, since they could easily bring on acceptance of the dark side. Passion was considered dangerous, as it could lead to strong emotions that could unbalance the Jedi and lead them to the dark side. Love, curiously enough, was regarded by both the Jedi and Sith Orders as something to be avoided. While the Jedi espoused a broad, all-encompassing, self-sacrificing love for all beings, love for another being romance, a possessive love by nature was shunned in post-Ruusan order. Possession of all types was also shunned in the post-Ruusan Reformation era Jedi Order, the only exceptions being a Jedi's lightsaber and clothes. The Jedi viewed love as a danger best left untouched. While the passion that came with love could lead to hatred and anger it could also lead to pity, mercy, self-sacrifice and compassion, emotions the Sith did not see as beneficial.
During the Jedi Order's history, some of its own scholars created the Potentium view of the Force which claimed that the Force had an inherent goodness to it and that the dark side was only a characteristic of the user. While partly true because the user determined the polarity of the energy used, the Potentium view was innately flawed in its belief that the Force did not have polarity in its own nature. While the darkness was a cancer on the Force, it was naturally occurring with or without the intervention of living beings deliberately acting against one another.
The dark side of the Force[]
The strength of the dark side lies with the power of the individual. The Force comes from within. You must learn to draw on it yourself. I will not always be there to teach you.
—Darth Bane to his apprentice, Darth Zannah.
The dark side of the Force was the negative energy produced by fear, hatred, aggression and malice toward all living things. Such emotions increased the strength and abilities of a user of the dark side, providing a path towards personal power and the destruction or control of all opposition. It was generally accepted that use of the dark side of the Force was extremely addictive, as the access to strength and power came increasingly more accessible as dark side-generating emotions grew stronger.
It has been said that anyone who knows the ways of the Force can set her- or himself up as a King on any world where only she or he knows the ways of the Force. Any Jedi could do this. But the Jedi, fools that they are, adhere to a religion in which the Force is used only in the service of others. How shortsighted of them. Is that not why they lost the galaxy to the dark side?
—Darth Sidious, in The Weakness of Inferiors.
The earliest incarnations of the Sith Order were similar to the Jedi Order in structure and sought to build upon the perceived failings of the Jedi and their strictures. Focusing on personal gain and the pursuit of unlimited power, the Sith and other organizations that focused on dark side teachings often faced the same internal conflict: how do you form a cohesive order when all members are taught to be cutthroat and ruthless? Plagued cyclically with scheming and assassinations and a constant drive to usurp power, the Sith Orders as they existed throughout galactic history were never stable and constantly threatened from the inside. Generally having an upper hand against the Jedi in terms of raw strength, the Sith could always be undermined by attacking them when they attacked themselves. To this end, while the dark side was a path way to raw power, the light naturally would always triumph and vanquish a lasting darkness.
Balance in the Force[]
In the light, there is a darkness and in the darkness, a light. It is the way with us all. Be a prisoner of neither, and you will find your Balance in the Force.
—Je'daii Temple Master Ketu, 25,793 BBY.
The Je'daii Order, considered to be the oldest incarnation of the modern Jedi, embraced a view of the Force which stated that both the light and the darkness had a place in our hearts, as both states were natural. Seeing the duality of the Force in the tangible world, such as the moons Ashla and Bogan which orbited their homeworld Tython, the Je'daii believed that the true way of understanding the Force was to eschew reliance on either light or darkness and to allow both to work through one's body while being a slave to neither. The late Jedi Order would eventually return to this view after the Clone Wars, adapting the belief that the study of the dark side was necessary in order to understand and control it rather then strictly fearing it. While giving into the dark side was forbid, slaving oneself to the light was deemed radical and counterproductive to evolving Jedi beliefs. Increasingly, as new techniques and abilities were discovered, the Jedi began to dabble in alchemy, sorcery and even necromancy in their pursuit of Balance and enlightenment.
Force abilities[]
Manifestations of the Force, which were mentally-based abilities and tapped through the practitioner's willpower, could take all forms and included telepathy, psychokinesis, and enhanced physical and metaphysical perception. The Force could be used to bend the will of weak-minded beings and guide an adept's body. Users who were very good at using the Force could cease merely reacting to their surroundings and actually predict events in the very near future, such as the next blow in a duel. The Force could also be used to sedate or empower, calming the mind of an individual or rallying an entire army. In addition to enhancing their own skill, Force users were capable of channeling the energy of The Force directly into the world around them. The Sith were infamous for making heavy use of this ability to conjure lightning, or choke enemies by constricting their windpipes. The Jedi preferred to use their abilities to heal and protect; closing wounds and shielding others with barriers of energy.
Others, such as the ancient Sith Lord Darth Nihilus and the exiled Jedi Meetra Surik, could use the Force to feed off other Forceful individuals. Nihilus' power could encompass entire planets and drain them of life, like the Miraluka colony world of Katarr. Some dark side users could use a different and weaker form of this technique to drain the strength of others into themselves, occasionally to fatal results. Darth Nihilus' ability to do this originated from a "wound in the Force", which was essentially a rip in the fabric of the Force itself. The Force played a major part in the use of a lightsaber in that a wielder's heightened awareness kept them from accidentally injuring themselves while using the weapon in combat, as the blade had no relative weight, making it difficult to judge its position. Similarly, the Force allowed for the use of a lightsaber to deflect incoming blaster bolts. The Force also came into play during the construction of a lightsaber, both in assembling its intricate innards, and the initial charging of the power cell.
The powers collectively known to Force-users were generally learned at academies operated by Force-wielding organizations such as the Jedi or Sith orders, though certainly not limited to the two during much of history. Following the Clone Wars, all Force-sensitives were required by Republic and Confederate law to train within the Jedi Order while many existing traditions merged with the Order, causing a renaissance of knowledge as Force techniques were shared and pooled. Ranging from simple exertions of will to calling upon so-called magicks and spells, the Force could be learned in many different ways.
Aspects of Force powers[]
The Force allowed for a range of powers that functioned in accordance to fundamental attributes that were cardinal in nature, and categorized by the way in which a user was able to focus on the Force while using an ability. The aspects of the Force were divided into Control, Sense, and Alter by the Jedi Order and therefore became the standard for interpretation of Force-based abilities. Under these three themes were several core abilities, that could be expanded upon and changed, depending on the user. Because each individual felt the Force differently, application of certain techniques underwent some variation; sometime minor, other times significant.
Control[]
Control is internal. It is the Jedi's ability to recognize the Force in himself and to use it to his benefit.
—Jedi Master Bodo Baas.
Within the Grand Academy of the Jedi Order, Force-based curriculum began with the aspect of Control, taught to Jedi Initiates as a way to open their minds to the Force and establish a base point for further development. The theme of Control was centered on the ability to control one's own body, as self-control was the starting point for all Jedi teachings. Development of these skills would continue throughout a Jedi's life, as the basics of all other disciplines of Force use began here. One of the most well known side-effects of mastering the discipline of Control was prolonged life and the avoidance of decay; so long as there continued to be growth in the Force, death would not settle in the body or spirit of the practitioner.
The Control aspect could be subdivided into three umbrella abilities: tutaminis, or energy absorption; curato salva, the ability to heal oneself; and altus sopor, the ability to disappear within the Force. Meditation was considered the key to learning control; meditation brought about a sense of calm, an inner peace which soothed the mind and spirit and made it receptive to the energy of the Force. The most common forms of meditation focused on the control of one's breathing, which allowed one to find their center of being and, in extreme circumstance could be used to avoid inhaling a poisonous atmosphere. Advanced forms of meditation such as the highly personal Alchaka ritual or the moving meditation known as the Art of Movement were learned as a student progressed through their training to compliment new Force skills.
Tutaminis was an essential aspect of understanding Control, as it was built upon the realization of the body as a conduit of the Force. If one is to project energy from the body, the opposite should therefore also be true: energy can be absorbed into the body. The skills associated with tutaminis all related to the idea that, through the Force, a Jedi could draw energy into their bodies and either embrace it and empower themselves with it or diffuse it and channel it away completely. Viewed as a starting point for further study in the Force, the Council of First Knowledge designated the study of tutaminis to be taught during the very first classes at Grand Academy. While the basics were expected to be mastered upon graduation from the Academy, development of these skills would come over an entire life time; for a Jedi was never done learning. In addition to deflecting energy weapons, this ability could eliminate the harmful effects of other energy-based powers such as lightning conjured through the Force. With additional effort, after absorbing a blaster bolt or Force power the user could utilize the absorbed energy to heal his or her wounds or manifest other abilities. As the basis of many abilities, tutaminis included many skills that were more personalized and not taught at the Academy because they were not yet fully comprehended or studied, if at all. Many skills, such as a simple body shielding or as advanced as catching and/or dispelling a lightsaber blade with one's bare hand, were all considered applications of tutaminis. Mastery in self-protection would include the capability to encase oneself in an energy field that could drain energy from incoming attacks; this ability would make the bearer invulnerable to a wide range of attacks until the user discontinued its use, or it wore off when the user became fatigued. The basic technique known as tapas drew on the Force to maintain or adjust one's body temperature to endure harsh environments or inclement weather.
Another vital skill to the Jedi way of life was curato salva; because of the dangers a Jedi must face throughout her life, it would become necessary to have the ability to heal oneself. This ability ranged from control over vasodilation and hemorrhaging to the ability to detoxify the body of poison. Through deep meditation, a Jedi could enter into a hibernation trance wherein their body shutdown long enough for them to focus their energies on healing instead of running all body functions. The useful Force discipline of crucitorn was the ability to gauge pain and reduce its effects on the mind and body to a minimum, allowing a practitioner to maintain their calm under intense torture. Apart from actual healing, curato salva allowed a practitioner to maintain stamina and move at unbelievable speeds, or to push their body to its physical capabilities without collapsing from exertion. Skilled users could flashburn parts of their mind, shutting it down to avoid certain trauma to the brain in emergency situations. The talent it took to learn the flashburn technique was dwarfed compared with the challenging skill of morichro, a rare gift which enabled practitioners to suspend one's bodily functions to not only stave off injury but to survive without nourishment or sleep. Advanced users could also turn this ability on others through applications of the Alter aspect of the Force to dangerous results.
To fully gain control over the skill set embodied by altus sopor was to gain complete control over oneself. Basic use of this principle could lead to enlightenment through the Force, freeing the mind completely from distraction and ignorance and illuminating the one true way. Further study could help to develop the ability to sink deep within the Force and immerse oneself do deeply that their entire presence could be concealed. It was one step to diminishing one's own Force presence in the minds of others, but another entirely to be able to pass about unobserved while leaving the physical body intact. The complex skill of the Art of the Small allowed for the user to perceive the Force on the molecular level and to interact with the environment on that level as well. The deepest understanding of altus sopor was to understand the limitations of the body could be overcome. Descensum, or the ability to cast one's soul beyond Shadows, was known as Mind Walking to some and considered a fable by many early Jedi. Discovered during the Jedi Renaissance, the ability was used to move about the Spirit Realm. While the ability was useful in communing with Jedi of the past who were stuck in a sort of limbo, the body withered if separated from the body for too long. After the Spirit Realm was undone in 7 ABY, the technique could only be used to travel into the pseudo-reality of the Celestials. One of the most unique talents learned by a select number of Jedi Masters was to retain identity after death, transcending the veil of Shadows and returning to the land of the living as a spirit to interact and guide those with whom you attempted to communicate. A rare skill even during the Jedi Renaissance era, much of the knowledge on how to transcend death had been lost to history. Meditation on the bonds of the body and the spirit were necessary and once mastered, breaking that bond was all that it took to achieve the technique.
Sense[]
When learning to develop the Sense skill set, a Jedi must first come to recognize that the Force does not simply rest within oneself. The Force can not only give insight into others, but give you control over the minds and actions of other beings.
—Jedi Knight Spang Argor.
Classified as Sense abilities by the Jedi Order, these techniques were taught to Padawans to broaden the scope of their Control abilities. Dipping into a deeper understanding of the Living Force, Sense abilities allowed Force-wielders to immerse themselves in the environment. By the end of their apprenticeship, Padawans were expected to use the Force as an additional sense, constantly attuned to the undulation of the Force. The Sense ability ultimately expand the focus of Force-use; where Control rests on control over self, Sense seeks to gain control over that which is without. The Jedi Order saw the Sense abilities divided into four main groups: prima vitae, tactus otium, tai vordrax/psychometry, and projected telepathy. Through these basic methods, the Sense ability of an individual could reveal itself in many different ways.
The very basic ability of prima vitae allows for a student to hone on the Force signature of specific beings, such as a master or friend. The prima skills taught the very basic ability of connecting with others through the Force, sending ideas and reading emotion even at great distances. Empaths drew on these teachings to sense and embrace the feelings of others. At its advanced stages, a meld through the Force was possible; during combat situations several Jedi could meld their minds together to fight in a cohesive manner. Projected telepathy stemmed from this talent, ranging from a simple warning sense sent to another, or a more complicated signal including numbers of attackers, weapon type or threat level.
In the battery of abilities classified as tactus otium, focus on the actual physical movements of objects and beings outside of one's own body was the basic trait. Perceiving an ally as taking up a physical space, detecting an incoming starfighter without any visual information, determining the location of a specific object on an unknown level of a building all had to do with the tactus otium family of abilities. Projecting one's sensory abilities out beyond the body and using the Force as the extra sense was essential for further learning. Included within this family was the ability to amplify one's own sense perception with the Force. Hearing through the Force allowed one to hear the heartbeat of others in its simplest form, and the slow sounds of stars in its greatest use. If one learned to see through the Force, they will see in low- or zero-light situations and even through walls. The most advanced form of this ability is known as shatterpoint, which is the ability to pinpoint and perceive fault lines in objects and individuals through the Force, and influence them to break. A potent technique favored by the Jedi was battle meditation, or the ability to direct the outcome of a battle through meditation. Focusing on the principles of tactus otium, a trained Jedi could coordinate troop movement, plan strategy and implement it from a fortified position, encouraging troops and seeing the outcome become a victory.
Tai vordrax was the series of abilities which allowed a Jedi to use the Force to see either the past or future, also known as divination. Precognition was a dangerous technique when used to see too far into the future due to the tendency to force that particular future to occur. Post-cognition was used to call upon memories in the Force, the very time-stream which all things flowed through. A vision from the Force was a much rarer phenomenon which might occur to a Jedi in extreme circumstances, while deep in meditation or randomly. A vision from the Force could not be induced, though the clarity of such visions could be refined through meditation. Visions of the past were less frequent then visions of the future, which were often hazardous as any attempt to prevent the future event from happening might actually cause it to occur. Another manifestation of the tai vordrax technique was psychometry, the ability to know an object's past through touching it and extracting the memories off of it. This skill allowed for more vivid visual perception of the past then any recording could provide.
Alter[]
Modifying or altering the Force and redistribute its energies is a technique we use to truly interact with our surroundings. It is one thing to sense a friend's presence, but a different concept entirely to will him into the air. The Force enables you to manipulate matter, accelerate atoms, excite the particles which make up our world and encourage them to do what we want.
—Grand Master Memit Nadill
An increasingly graduated form of Force-use, many non-trained Force-sensitives stumbled upon this group of powers accidentally, usually resulting in disastrous events. Untamed, these Force powers can cause mass chaos as the art of manipulating other objects must be perfected and honed. Within the Jedi Order these abilities were considered to be Alter abilities and were taught to Jedi Knights who had mastered the art of Control and Sense. Capable of affecting the environment, these abilities were vital to a successful Knight, as without them, individuals could see the Force, but were incapable of manipulating it. Taught at the academy of Qigong Kesh, these abilities were extremely volatile if not correctly executed. In the Order of the Jedi, the great Masters considered the techniques of telekinesis, concilium, vitalus vitalum, dolor sato and transmutation to make up this family of abilities.
The most widely known Jedi skill was their ability to move objects with their mind. Requiring vast amounts of training to be able to control the direction, rate of speed, and force with which the object moved, telekinesis was no easy feat. Requiring a tremendous understanding to matter and the world at an atomic level, a user must be able to perceive the object through the Force and target their energy correctly to cause it to move whether that meant to accelerate the air molecules in a certain way to elicit wind or to affect heart rate or some other skill. A vast array of psychokinetic abilities existed within this umbrella term, ranging from creating small bursts of blinding light or dragging a Star Destroyer from orbit. Pyrokinesis was the ability to excite molecules an incite a flame which effectively allowed the user to generate and manipulate fire. Pyrokinesis also involved the ability to cause convection within one's own body, making your hands unbearably hot to others while causing the user minimal damage as well as the ability to cause objects to explode through flamusfracta or combustion. Cryokinesis worked in the opposite manner; draining the energy from another being or object through a focus on siphoning off energy which caused ice or frost build up on the surface of the target. The same technique can create ice without injury to others. Hydrokinesis, the ability to control the movement of water or condense gas molecules into liquid form paled in comparison to the advanced technique of electrokinesis. Drawing predominantly on traditional dark side emotion, a talented Force-user could produce bolts of lightning from her fingertips and cast them out toward a target. The focus of the bolts, as well as the intensity, number and length all depended on the level of control exerted. Not always a technique used against other living beings, electrokinesis was a valued tool to disable droids or security systems by ionizing the circuitry. Aside from dark side emotions, lightning could be generated through a focused sense of determination, a will to see justice carried out or stern righteousness. Photokinesis, the power to bend light and other forms of electromagnetism was a powerful tool for those who wished to travel about unseen. Bending light around one's body virtually rendered it invisible and if maintained could allow the user to move about unseen.
The power of concilium, or the Jedi mind trick, was the ability to confuse or control the undefended mind. While not all species' could be subjected to this technique, most could be convinced or persuaded using the gentle use of this ability. When altering the mind of another a Jedi must act with care so as not to destroy their mind or cause lasting damage or psychosis. While persuasion is permitted, the Jedi Code warns against the overuse of a 'mind rub', or the ability to erase memories, as this can cause lasting problems. Another form of concilium was the ability to create illusions within the Force. Implanting an image within the mind, a Force-user could make a target believe they were in a dark room, that the user was invisible, or that the target was on fire. Depending on the illusionist, illusions in the Force could last moments, years and even centuries. Not only could a Jedi control the minds of other sentients, but also those of beasts and animals. Animal friendship was the ability to link minds with wild beasts and urge them to do the wielder's control.
One of the most valued tools of the Force was its ability to heal and rejuvenate. The skills of vitalus vitalum involved balancing the scales; to heal another you must sacrifice of yourself. While your body acts to channel the Force into another, in the case of healing it calls for a greater amount of energy to be expended by the healer. It was true that healing stones and crystals may assist in reducing the amount of energy a healer must transfer, the most severe conditions can take a great toll on those who give of themselves. Such stones, like the Healing Crystals of Fire, were able to bring those back from the brink of death while only causing a small amount of physical pain to the healer.
To alter the environment was to control nature itself. In the family of abilities known as dolor sato, a Force-wielder might create a hailstorm or lightning strikes. Summoning bursts of rain or snow or gusts of wind could turn the tide in a battle or fight. Similarly, consitor sato was a technique to cause growth in plants, causing them to surge to the will of the wielder. Making vines entangle their opponents or trees march to their will, the ability to wield the powers of nature were a force to reckon with.
Advanced skills[]
Despite the way the Jedi categorize the Force, all Jedi Masters understand that the Force is not capable of being categorized completely and succinctly. Many of the most advanced techniques defied categorization as they drew upon all three aspects of Control, Sense and Alter. Most were taught at the Temples on Tython, others were only shared with the most capable Jedi Knights by respected Masters one-on-one.
Taught to Jedi Journeyers at the Temple of Science, Anil Kesh on Tython (Jedi Renaissance), alchemy was a form of Force science long viewed as a dark side art. As it was practiced on Tython, the Force could be used to scientifically alter the genetic makeup of beasts and plants to create new species. Biokinesis at its most basic level, alchemy was used by the Jedi to investigate how the Force worked in new species created for different purposes. At the academy on the Rogue Moon of Taris, Jedi used alchemy to manipulate precious ore and stones to create Force-imbued metals and other powerful crystals.
Similfuturus was the unusual technique of making a physical duplicate of oneself or others which could exist independently for a short-lived amount of time. Indistinguishable from the real thing, the dopplegänger could even use the Force if its original self could manifest those abilities. While not actually an individual, the dopplegänger did breathe and feel emotions as well as sustain some form of individual thought and will.
An alter skill taught to the Jedi by the Aing-Tii monks, transmutation was the ability to move an object, including oneself, from one place to another instantaneously without crossing the distance in the physical realm. In order to learn transmutation a Jedi had to learn the ability to fold space around oneself or an object and reappear in another location. Highly difficult to learn, this ability became a favored power of the Jedi as it allowed quick travel and an easy way to avoid physical harm.
Necromancy was a mysterious and strange technique whispered about cautiously by some Jedi. Based in a grey area of morality, in theory necromancy could be used to control the dead through reanimation; though it could not actually breathe life into the deceased. While practiced cautiously by some smaller sects which joined the Order during the Jedi Renaissance, the art was typically thought of as being a relic of Sith magic not thoroughly understood by the Order. The tribe of Marie Laveau, the immortal Voodoo Queen from the planet Delphi, practiced this strange art by going into a trance and assuming a type of battle meditation. Through this means, they could govern the movements of the dead like troops on a battlefield; an advantage being a corpse is not alive and thus is expendable whereas a living being isn't. Similarly, mechu-deru vitae was the ability to use the Force to create living machine warriors which could act as troops or sentries. This technique was utilized in populating the secret Jedi temple on Taivas.
The practice of malacia was one in which a Jedi focused on the internal workings of another being and planted that thought in their targets mind, inducing a form of disequilibrium in the target and causing them to feint or become severely nauseous.
A valued tool of the Jedi, the ability to create an impenetrable field of pure Force energy was the power to cleanse, purify and destroy. Conjured by a single being or many in sync with each other, the field could be focused as a beam to aim at a single target, a wall in which a dark sider could be trapped or a wave capable of spanning space itself, it was the scourge of the dark side regardless of form. In ancient times, Jedi Grand Master Nomi Da'Boda joined other Jedi in trapping fallen Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma in a wall of light, stripping him of the Force and purifying him of his hatred. Upon his death during the Silent War Master Zordon's plasma tube was shattered, releasing a wave of pure light side energy that washed across several planets as it radiated out from the epicenter of his death, cleansing the armies of the Dark Masters and reducing all of them to sand. To vanquish the malevolent Maiar Papa Legba, Grand Master Tomac Moorcé and the entire High Council trapped him within a circle before destroying his physical form, releasing his immortal soul to roam the galaxy formless. In this way, this talent could be used against Force Demons and other manifestations of the dark side.
- Force storm (wormhole)
Sever Force
- Spirit Transference
Disturbances in the Force and nexuses[]
The Force existed in all life, and when great amounts of life passed away, a disturbance was created, running through the Force like a scream that Force-adepts could hear. Known as a "wound in the Force", this phenomenon was recorded as happening at several points in history, specifically during wartime. The destruction of an inhabited planet, holocausts, genocide or the destruction of an entire fleet of starships could cause reverberations through the Force of varying degree. While spurned by an event, this phenomenon was not necessarily only felt at a fixed point in time. A traumatic event can mar the site of tragedy and create a nexus of dark energy. In rare instances, a nexus of light will occur naturally with no known source. The Coruscant Jedi Temple was built on one such site, while the planet Ossus became a nexus over the Jedi occupancy of the world.
Force occurrences in nature[]
The Force did not only manifest itself in sentient beings; as Jedi doctrine clearly illustrates it could be found in all forms of existence. Appearing naturally in all things, the way in which it appeared varied greatly from species to species.
Some sentient beings were resistant to the use of the Force, especially in terns of concilum. Hutts and Toydarians had an innate defense against Force-based mind manipulation, while the Yinchorri and the Dashades were also largely unaffected by Force mental manipulation due to a different form of brain function. Far more dangerous were the Gurlanins who could choose to hide or appear in the Force at will.
The ysalamiri of Myrkr were a species of tree-dwelling lizard-like creatures that were immune to most effects of the Force. The creatures exuded a "bubble" which "pushes back" Force energy, making them useful tools for the Jedi when dangerous Force-sensitives needed to be incarcerated within holding cells or detention facilities. where their Force senses could be nullified. When put together in a group ysalamiri created a much more extensive bubble, sometimes expanding a few kilometers outside their native forest. They evolved this trait to survive being hunted by the predatory vornskrs, pack animals that hunted by tracking down live prey using the Force. A creature with a similar peculiarity was 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. Their scales nullified a Jedi's Sense abilities, thus making a taozin scale a perfect amulet for those seeking to go about undetected.
Additionally, Force-resistant creatures called terentateks were a major threat to the Jedi during ancient times. The result of ancient Je'daii alchemy, the Sith corrupted them and used them to hunt down Jedi. The reptilian Hssiss could influence Force-sensitive beings around them, using a poisonous bite to subject victims to dark side poison. Hssiss also had the ability to conceal themselves and become invisible in the Force so as to approach and bite its prey.