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Force power

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 Force powers are the manifestations of a Jedi/Sith's connection with the Force. Various abilities have been seen in both the movies and Star Wars games licensed or developed by Lucasarts, where 'official' names and definitions are given.

The term 'Force Power' originated in Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, where they could be gained via a system of Force 'points'. The game has twelve powers (though more are presented below), each labeled as being Neutral (later known as 'Core'), Light and Dark. Note that some powers although have different names, describing the same power in different levels or ways of use. The names are often preceded by Force.... For example, Grip is mostly known as Force Grip.

According to the theory that the Force is one, the Light and Dark powers actually don't describe the Force, but they define how an individual uses it: to harm directly his enemies, or help himself overcome situations. Thus the aggressive abilities belong to the Dark Side, while those that are healing, defensive or diversive belong to the Light Side.

This is demonstrated in the games: In Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, the dark Jedi cast powers that belong to the Light Side (like Persuasion). In Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Kyle Katarn, who belongs to the Light Side, makes use of Grip and Lightning, possibly because of his experience while fighting Maw, and later in Dromund Kaas. This, along with Force Strike and Force Throw, indicates that Jedi of high level can use these abilities according to their wisdom, since their high experience averts them from slanting toward the Dark.

They are as follows:

Core

The Core powers are the first a Jedi learns, and, for the most part, directly affect his own body or objects without actually harming or benefitting anything.

  • Telekinesis - This ability is used to lift objects and move them, including the wielder and enemies, in a desired direction. While training Luke Skywalker on Dagobah, Yoda tells him that the size/weight of an object is only relevant in the mind of the practitioner, and that once the mental distinction about an object's size can be dispelled, objects of any size can be moved. Yoda demonstrates this by lifting Luke's X-wing starfighter out of the swamp.
    • Force Push/Pull - Telekinetic abilities to pull or push objects away, as well as enemies. The greater the user's aptitude with this, the heavier the object that can be pushed or the more wide the arc or radius of the force 'wave'. It can be used to pull the weapons from enemies. Force pull was used by Luke to get his lightsaber from the snow in the wampa cave, as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi when he pulls sabers, blasters, staves, and other varied weaponry to his hands in the prequel trilogy.
      • Force Strike - To attack an opponent with the Force. In the neutral sense, the target must not be a living organism. In The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon Jinn used Force Strike in a frey to throw a team of battle droids away.
    • Force Leap/Jump - Uses the Force to augment the user's natural leaping ability. Force users adept in this can perform record-smashing vertical/horizontal leaps with impunity. This ability appears to be somewhat basic and is performed many times in the Star Wars movies, notably essential when Obi-Wan killed Darth Maul, as it is mostly used during lightsaber battles. It is also seen in Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi when Luke is battling Vader for the last time. He jumps up and away to the higher platform. This ability is essential for practicers of Form IV lightsaber combat, like Yoda.
  • Burst of Speed - Makes the user able to maintain sprinting speeds (even moving in awkward directions like backwards) for as long as the effect lasts. Since Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast it seems that it bends the subjective time of the caster making everything slower. Greater aptitude grants boosts to speed and/or greater duration. The ability has been first seen in the game Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II and only later demonstrated at the beginning of The Phantom Menace when the Droideka show up.
  • Force Sense - Used with in the order to sense the future and the presense of the Dark Side. When Luke destroyed the first Death Star he must have used this ability, even unbeknownst to him. In Episode III, Yoda uses this power to avoid being assassinated. Anakin Skywalker is able to sense the images on Mace Windu's datapad when he is being tested by the Jedi Council. Empathy is a related Light Side-oriented ability (look below).
    • Seeing - Enhances the bearer's visual and spatial perception even in the dark or behind walls. Trained users are can have their sight amplified and are able to counter-attack Persuasion and Blinding powers of the Force. The dark Jedi Master Jerec relied on this power constantly in lieu of his physical blindness.
    • Farsight - Makes the mind of the Jedi fly through space and perceive around. This is a key ability, as it allows the user to see events over great distances that have occurred in the past, present, or future. The most notable practitioners of this power are Yoda and Darth Sidious.
    • Psychometry - The mental technique of picking up impressions and traces of information about the object touched and the events that have surrounded it. The Kiffu are able to use this power, and, particularly, Quinlan Vos is skilled with its use.
  • Saber Throw - Not clear if an ability or a technique of combination of powers (like Pull). Throws the lightsaber in a boomerang fashion, cutting its way through objects, and returning to the hand of the caster with Pull. In the movies, it is demonstrated by Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, when he duels Luke. Yoda also uses this tactic to kill a clone trooper in Revenge of the Sith. This tactic is also applied in some Star Wars games.
  • Cloak - Rarely seen, users with this rare ability can use the Force to bend light around themselves, rendering them invisible to others. The liability of this can be seen when machines/aliens that can scan beyond the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infra-red, easily note the person.
  • Battle Meditation - This power can influence the course of an entire battle, raising the morale of allies, and sapping the will to fight from enemies. The most prominent person to master this ability was Nomi Sunrider and Bastila Shan. It has been speculated that Emperor Palpatine used this power for his fleet during the Battle of Endor and with his death, the shock of the sudden removal of this influence threw the fleet into chaos and allowed the Rebel fleet to defeat them. Jedi Clone Joruus C'baoth is believed to possess similar ability. Battle Meditation can be performed by both Light and Dark Jedi, as shown by Bastila in Knights of the Old Republic.
  • Battlemind - Through the focus of this power, one's morale and fighting spirit is augmented. Mace Windu calls upon this technique in addition to more Dark Side-related abilities to exercise Vaapad (see lightsaber combat).
  • Morichro - A power not taken lightly by the Jedi for its fear of misuse, it is nonetheless a neutral ability that puts an opponent in a suspended state by shutting down particular bodily systems. Yaddle is a master of this power, as her student Oppo Rancisis is with Malacia, a more potent variation of this technique. For some reason, the Sith seem to avoid this ability and use even more aggressive powers.

Light

To the Light Side are powers who benefit the Jedi personally by protecting or defending him. Those who affect others, make no direct or permanent harm to targets, rather than help the Jedi overcome situations.

  • Heal - The Jedi Healer uses the Force to accelerate the natural healing process rapidly for a short duration. Initial levels require meditation, but greater aptitude usually grants faster regeneration, without need of meditation.
  • Empathy - A Light orientation of Sense. The Force endows the user with the skill to read surface thoughts and emotions of another. The Jedi Council often uses this talent to test Jedi initiates and potential members of the order. Darth Vader senses that Luke has a sister though he tries to suppress his feelings. This trait seems to run strong in the Skywalker family throuhg Anakin, Leia, Luke, and to some extent, Shmi when she tells Quigon that Anakin was meant to help him.
  • Combustion - The ability to cause an object to explode through concentration. Yarael Poof has been known to use this power.
  • Force Stealth - The ability to weaken one's Force presence. With this power, the bearer can, in effect, turn completely invisible. It is very useful in planning surprise attacks or avoiding dangerous confrontations. In a New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi must have used this on board the Death Star for a diversion while returning from the tractor beam controls. Darth Sidious is an incomparable master of this power, as he evades detection even on the Jedi Temple's homeworld. Aayla Secura also used this technique to hide herself from wild quarra beasts that had gathered around her; she walked past them without the beasts realizing she was there. This technique also appears to hide emotions as well; trying to track Aayla through the fear she senses with her antenna, Aurra Sing was confused when she hence lost the Jedi's trail.
  • Enhance Ability - The Force boosts the user's abilities, empowering his or her strength, dexterity, and endurance. Yoda uses this ability to overcome the infirmities of old age, which is quite necessary for a practitioner of Form IV lightsaber combat.
  • Alter Environment - Various techniques that allow the user to manipulate nature, enabling the creation of such phenomena as Force whirlwinds or fog over limited areas. Plo Koon further modifies this ability with his considerable knowledge of physics.
  • Force-Meld - This is a technique where number of Force users join their minds together through the Force, drawing strength from each other. This allowed the Jedi fighting the Yuuzhan Vong to form as a single, powerful entity. Also, Luke's students defeat Exar Kun's force ghost in this manner.
  • Hibernation Trance - This is an ability of a Force user to go into a very deep hibernation state. This slows down the Force user's metabolism and breathing to a standstill. A fully trained Force user can stay in this state for up to four days.
  • Protection - A power only achieved by high-rank Jedi masters, Force protection will make the bearer invulnerable to a wide range of attacks. The ultimate power in terms of defense.
      • Force Field - With this Force power, the user can create a defensive sphere around the body, which will protect him from a wide range of attacks, deflect laser blasts and inflict a certain amount of damage upon contact with the enemy.
    • Defend - Reduces damage taken by Force powers.
      • Dissipate Energy (or Absorb)- The ability to disperse the Force and even redirect it. A trained Jedi may convert all kinds of Force attacks used against them to additional Force charge. As the energy used to perform Force-related powers is limited, a Jedi can use the enemy's attacks to their own benefit, instead of receiving damage from them. In Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan used this to absorb Count Dooku's Lightning with his lightsaber. Mace Windu did a similar thing, only that he redirected the lightning against Darth Sidious, thus disfiguring him. Yoda is so skilled with the Force that he uses his palms to absorb dark lightning, as he did in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. In The Empire Strikes Back, it appears that Darth Vader uses it to dispel blaster fire.
  • Blinding - With this power, a Jedi can obfuscate any person's vision, making it very difficult of being spotted and targeted, converting the enemy to a more fragile position. It can be counter-attacked by Sense.
  • Force Light - This immense power is used to purge a Dark Side manifestation from a nexus point. Yoda uses this ability on Dagobah.
  • Animal Friendship - The ability to calm an animal. Anakin Skywalker uses this technique to still the reek and ride the creature. Jacen Solo uses this ability to have a dragon help him in The Crystal Star.

Dark

To the Dark Side belong powers used to harm or kill targets. Some (like Rage or Drain) are used to benefit the caster personally, like some powers of the Light Side, with the difference that these can be used in the expense of his own health or an other individual's Force reserve. While it is stressed (particularly in the games) that the powers themselves are not inherently evil, but rather reflect the alignment of the force-user (jedi/sith), these powers are often labelled as "evil" due to their common usage or because of the people who use them. Some of these powers can be used for good, just as some powers traditionally considered light can be used for malevolent purposes. Yet although they become evil only when used for personal gain, it has been reported that continuous use of dark powers has a corrupting effect on the force-user.

  • Force Grip - Believed to be an enhanced combination of two neutral force-powers (force pull and force push) the force grip (as shown by Darth Vader in A New Hope) can be used to grip a target's internal organs. Normally it's effected by lifting the target off their feet, choking them until they suffocate, and, optionally, slamming them into a wall or sending them flying over an precipice. While the attacker can quite simply break the target's neck, death by strangulation appears to be favored by the Sith (and, most prominently among them, Darth Vader). It was used briefly by both Darth Tyranus against Obi-Wan Kenobi at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith, and by a deluded Anakin against the pregnant Padme, and briefly against Obi-Wan. Some Jedi are also able to make use this ability, as evidenced by Luke using it to dispatch of two of Jabba's guards. In the Clone Wars Microseries, Mace Windu is also seen using this power on General Grevious. Other levels of this ability are:
    • Chokeholding - In early levels, Grip causes just immobilisation and choking, which in later levels it can lead to death. In the original trilogy, Darth Vader punished Imperial Officers that way.
    • Crush - Possibly the darkest Force ability known to both the Jedi and the Sith and used only by the greatest of the Sith Lords, this deadly Force ability lifts the opponent and instantaneously, as they are floating, their body literally implodes as it is crushed from within.
  • Force Lightning - First portrayed by Palpatine (commonly known as the Emperor) in Return of the Jedi, force lightning is a purely energy-based specialty attack of the Sith (Dark Jedi are capable of using this particular perversion of the Force, but their lightning is nowhere as effective as a Sith's). Force energy takes the form of lightning bolts which exit the force-user's body through his fingertips; force lightning can be executed with either one or two hands. The greater the user's aptitude, the more power the lightning bolts possess and the more they fork, allowing the possibility of striking multiple foes at once. This force-power is often used as a form of torture as it not only causes severe physical damage but also extreme agony to the victim. However, a single powerful blast may be sufficient to kill a person instantly. It is unclear why in the film Palpatine kept electrocuting Luke Skywalker for so long. It is likely that Palpatine, harboring extreme antipathy toward the Jedi, sought to maximize the intensity and duration of Luke's suffering. Others maintain that the Emperor's force powers were, by that time, insufficiently strong to rapidly dispatch Skywalker. More likely it was because of Luke's natural power in the force. In the novelization of Return of the Jedi, after Luke was first hit with Palpatines force lighting, he realized that if it was Force-generated, it could be Force-repelled. Using the Absorb/Dissipate skill, he raised his hand and was able to deflect Palpatines bolts away from him at first. But Palpatine increased the strength of the bolts and they soon overcame Luke's strong yet fledgling powers in the Force. That is when the Emperor said his famous line, "Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the dark side". This scene really showed why the Emperor was afraid of Luke's powers. In only six months of training he was able to do something that, as far as we know, only Yoda was able to do, which is to deflect Force lighting.
  • Depending on the intensity, force lightning can apparently ground itself on an ignited lightsaber, as seen in Attack of the Clones. Nevertheless, a sufficiently powerful force-user can blast through the defenses afforded by a lightsaber, as seen when Darth Sidious blows Jedi Master Yoda's lightsaber right out of his hand during their duel in the Senate chamber. Force lightning can also be absorbed and redirected by a Jedi of sufficient skill; Yoda demonstrated this ability by both reflecting and absorbing it during a fight with Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones. It appears that prolonged use of force lightning can drain the user physically, and could possibly result in severe deformations. This may have been the case in Revenge of the Sith, when Darth Sidious unleashes a barrage of force lightning on Mace Windu, but has it reflected back upon him by the Jedi Master's lightsaber. Nevertheless, this view is controversial; it is thought by some that Sidious' physical appearance as Chancellor Palpatine was an illusion created with force energy, and that the lightning merely melted the illusion away.
  • Though a powerful Sith Lord, Darth Vader was unable to use force lightning for much of his reign, as both of his arms were mechanical for most of the time he was a Sith Lord.
    • Lightning (Droid) - This version of Force lightning is attuned to generate maximum damage to electronic systems such as processor circuitry, but do absolutely nothing to the electrical systems of organic creatures.
    • Chain Lightning - Pretty much the same as the previous type of Lightning with the change being that now the target is one and there is a chance that the lightning will move to another person. It appears only in the Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith game, and curiously is used by Kyle Katarn and Mara Jade who belong to the light side.
  • Rage - For a short time, augments speed, strength and fiercness of the caster, with the expense of health. A noted ability of Sith Marauders
  • Force Push/Pull - A basic power (look above) that can be used for harming.
    • Force Strike - If the adversary assaulted is a living organism, the wielder verges upon the Dark Side. Yoda uses it in combat against Lord Sidious and his Imperial Guards, as does Count Dooku in his second battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi. In addition, Obi-Wan and Anakin struggle to overcome the other's "push" in their duel on Mustafar.
    • Force Throw - Causes objects to be hurled towards a target. Darth Vader used this to hit Luke in The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Maul used it in The Phantom Menace in order to hit a switch and open a door while fighting, and Count Dooku used it in Attack of the Clones to drop part of a pillar onto an unconscious Obi-Wan Kenobi and an injured Anakin Skywalker. A skilled force-user can throw multiple large objects simultaneously at great speed, as evidenced by Darth Sideous during his duel with Yoda in the Senate chamber. During the same duel, Jedi Master Yoda hurled a spinning delegate seat at Sidious.
  • Drain - Same as Heal, except that the user drains the target's Force reserves to fuel the regenerative process, or to replenish their own strength in the Force. Greater aptitude allows exceptional drainage speed and the ability to drain multiple people at once. A very few (possibly Darth Nihilus alone) have taken this ability to such heights that they can feed on entire worlds at a time. Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine fed off the inhabitants of his retreat world of Byss collectively with his dark side adepts. More commonly used in Star Wars games.
  • Destruction - Certain gifted Sith warriors are able to perform devastating explosive attacks upon their enemies. The Force destruction power, fueled by the Sith's hatred, can create a massive energy field and throw it at any direction.
  • Destruction Orb - Used by the Dark Jedi Boc and Jerec in the game "Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight", the force destruction orb is another energy-based attack in which a powerful blast of energy is fired. Even if it doesn't kill the victim, it will still cause severe physical damage.
  • Deadly Sight - The power of the dark side is capable of making Sith masters inflict damage upon their enemies merely with their sight. With this power, the user can also damage entire groups within the field of vision.
  • Storm - Possibly the most powerful Force ability known, Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine was able to generate and control, to a limited degree, limited-duration, self-sustaining storms of warped spacetime. These storms could range from the size of a small starship like a freighter to huge maws capable of obliterating whole starfleets. The smaller storms appear more easily controlled and from a greater distance. No other Force user has exhibited this talent.
  • Field - Generates a large energy field around the user, damaging and knocking out nearby foes.
  • Spark - With this power, the user can create an energy spark that will track and hit the nearest enemy.
  • Mind Control - Rarely used, this is a very powerful Force move. A more advanced form of "Persuasion/Suggestion" allowing one to enter another's mind and control brain activity. Darth Sidious seems to have perfected this ability to an extent not before seen. His exceptional force perception allowed him to plot intricately layered plans that stretched long into future; he also mastered the art of force telepathy, and was able to effectively grasp and manipulate the feelings of others. This latter ability was strikingly demonstrated when he used Anakin's love of Padme and belief that she might die, neither of which were publicly known, to manipulate Anakin into becoming his Sith apprentice.
  • Thought bomb - The most destructive Force power ever displayed. Only known to be activated by Lord Kaan and members of the Brotherhood of the Dark during the Battle of Ruusan, the Thought Bomb exterminates all life within a large radius (known to be potentially as large as planets) by targeting the brain or nucleus (with one-celled organisms and such) and wiping out all information in it. Force sensitive beings are sucked towards the source of the bomb, as if by an immense gravity or vacuum pull. Ever since Lord Kaan detonated the Thought Bomb, Ruusan was left uninhabited. The only one to ever escape a Thought Bomb was Darth Bane and the young girl he took as his apprentice.
  • Force Scream - This power is an involuntary reflex of a Dark Jedi as a result of frustration from battling an opponent. If a Dark Jedi is being beaten and frustrated by his foe, he may let out an enraged scream, amplified through the Force, that triggers shock waves that ripple through the Force, devastating both the Dark Jedi and those who are unfortunate enough to be in close proximity. The Force Scream has been called “a wave of hatred, amplified and fuelled by the dark side, that is capable of smashing through mental and physical defenses with ease”. A number of references to Dark Jedi in Old Republic archives often mention the Dark Jedi losing control, violently, in the final moments of battle. Anakin Skywalker once scream out Dooku's name in battle on the planet Tythe. With all the force and wrath in the scream, an entire building's roof collapsed. It is also seen in the end of Star Wars: Episode III The Revenge of the Sith when Anakin learns of Padmè's death. This scream completely destroyed the medical lab that put him in his suit. It had been rumored that this was what disfigured Palpatine, not Mace Windu and the Force Lightning

Characters capable of wielding Force Lightning

List of characters in Star Wars who could wield Force Lightning. Note that some of them are not Sith:

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