the Force

{{About|the metaphysical power in the Star Wars universe|other uses}}

The Force is a metaphysical, mysterious, and ubiquitous power in the Star Wars fictional universe. Characters refer to the Force as an energy that interconnects all things in the universe, maintaining cosmic balance. Particularly "Force-sensitive" characters, usually through rigorous self-discipline, training, and mindfulness, are able to connect to the Force and thus access and wield certain supernatural powers.

Heroes like the Jedi, a peacekeeping group of warrior-monks, largely seek to "become one with the Force", matching their personal wills with the will of the Force. This is evidenced by their ability to channel its powers, which they do towards selfless goals. Meanwhile, the Sith and other villains try to bend the additional abilities gained through the Force toward their own selfish and destructive desires. Throughout the franchise, this distinction is referred as the light side versus the dark side of the Force. Characters' actions are often described as either helping to bring balance to the Force or, its opposite, causing a disturbance in the Force.

The Force and the Jedi religion have been compared to aspects of several real-world religions, such as Buddhism and Taoism. The Jedi catchphrase and valediction "May the Force be with you" has become part of pop culture vernacular.

Concept and development

File:George Lucas cropped 2009.jpg created the concept of "the Force" both to advance the plot of Star Wars (1977) and to try to awaken a sense of spirituality in young audience members.]]

= Creation for the original films =

George Lucas created the concept of the Force to address character and plot developments in Star Wars (1977).{{Cite book |last=Windham |first=Ryder |title=Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Movie Scrapbook |publisher=Random House |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-375-80008-5 |page= |author-link=Ryder Windham}} He also wanted to "awaken a certain kind of spirituality" in young audiences, suggesting a belief in God without endorsing any specific religion.The Mythology of Star Wars (2000 documentary) He developed the Force as a nondenominational religious concept, "distill[ed from] the essence of all religions", premised on the existence of God and distinct ideas of good and evil. Lucas said there is a conscious choice between good and bad, and "the world works better if you're on the good side".Taylor, p. 58 In 1970s San Francisco, where Lucas lived when he wrote the drafts that became Star Wars, New Age ideas that incorporated the concept of qi and other notions of a mystical life-force were "in the air" and widely embraced.Kaminski, pp. 75–77

Lucas used the term the Force to "echo" its use by Canadian cinematographer Roman Kroitor in Arthur Lipsett's 21-87 (1963), a National Film Board production, in which Kroitor says, "Many people feel that in the contemplation of nature and in communication with other living things, they become aware of some kind of force, or something, behind this apparent mask which we see in front of us, and they call it God". Although Lucas had Kroitor's line in mind specifically, Lucas said the underlying sentiment is universal and that "similar phrases have been used extensively by many different people for the last 13,000 years".{{cite web |url=https://www.wired.com/2005/05/lucas-2/ |title=Life After Darth |last=Silberman |first=Steve |date=May 1, 2005 |website=Wired |access-date=May 23, 2016 |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108002525/https://www.wired.com/2005/05/lucas-2/ |url-status=live}}

The first draft of Star Wars makes two references to "the Force of Others" and does not explain the concept: King Kayos utters the blessing "May the Force of Others be with you all", and he later says "I feel the Force also".Taylor, p. 112 The power of the Force of Others is kept secret by the Jedi Bendu of the Ashla, an "aristocratic cult" in the second draft.Bouzereau, p. 36Taylor, p. 116 The second draft offers a lengthy explanation of the Force of Others and introduces its Ashla light side and Bogan dark side. The Ashla and Bogan are mentioned 10 and 31 times, respectively, and the Force of Others plays a more prominent role in the story.Taylor, pp. 116–117 In this draft, Luke Starkiller's mission is to retrieve the Kyber Crystal, which can intensify either the Ashla or Bogan powers. The film's shorter third draft has no references to the Ashla, but it mentions the Bogan eight times and Luke is still driven to recover the Kyber Crystal.Taylor, p. 122Bouzereau, p. 37

Lucas finished the fourth and near-final draft on January 1, 1976.Taylor, p. 126 This version trims "the Force of Others" to "the Force", makes a single reference to the Force's seductive "dark side", distills an explanation of the Force to 28 words, and eliminates the Kyber Crystal.Taylor, p. 142 Producer Gary Kurtz, who studied comparative religion in college, had long discussions with Lucas about religion and philosophy throughout the writing process.Taylor, p. 144 Kurtz told Lucas he was unhappy with drafts in which the Force was connected with the Kyber Crystal, and he was also dissatisfied with the early Ashla and Bogan concepts.

{{Quote box|width=25%|align=right|quote="The act of living generates a force field, an energy. That energy surrounds us; when we die, that energy joins with all the other energy. There is a giant mass of energy in the universe that has a good side and a bad side. We are part of the Force because we generate the power that makes the Force live. When we die, we become part of that Force, so we never really die; we continue as part of the Force."|source=—George Lucas during a production meeting for The Empire Strikes BackBouzereau, p. 181|style=padding:10px; background-color: #EFEFEF;}}

Lucas and screenwriter Leigh Brackett decided that the Force and the Emperor would be the main concerns in The Empire Strikes Back (1980).Bouzereau, p. 173 The focus on the Emperor was later shifted to Return of the Jedi (1983), and the dark side of the Force was treated as The Empire Strikes Back{{'}}s main villain.Bouzereau, p. 182

=Prequel films and midi-chlorians=

The Phantom Menace (1999) introduces midi-chlorians (or midichlorians), microscopic creatures that connect characters to the Force. Lucas later requested a passage about midi-chlorians be retroactively added to notes written in August 1977 expanding on the nature of the Force.{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/so-what-the-heck-are-midi-chlorians/ |title=SO WHAT THE HECK ARE MIDI-CHLORIANS? |last=Rinzler |first=J.W. |date=June 24, 2013 |website=Star Wars |access-date=May 16, 2020 |archive-date=May 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511051146/https://www.starwars.com/news/so-what-the-heck-are-midi-chlorians |url-status=live}}Taylor, p. 59 Lucas based the concept on symbiogenesis,Rolling Stone, June 2005 calling midi-chlorians a "loose depiction" of mitochondria.{{cite magazine |url=https://techland.time.com/2010/08/10/20000-per-cell-why-midi-chlorians-suck/ |title=20,000 Per Cell: Why Midi-chlorians Suck |last=Narcisse |first=Evan |date=August 10, 2010 |magazine=Time |access-date=May 25, 2016 |archive-date=May 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528222407/http://techland.time.com/2010/08/10/20000-per-cell-why-midi-chlorians-suck/ |url-status=live}} He further said:{{Quote|[Mitochondria] probably had something ... to do with the beginnings of life and how one cell decided to become two cells with a little help from this other little creature who came in, without whom life couldn't exist. And it's really a way of saying we have hundreds of little creatures who live on us, and without them, we all would die. There wouldn't be any life. They are necessary for us; we are necessary for them. Using them in the metaphor, saying society is the same way, says we all must get along with each other.}}

In a rough draft of Revenge of the Sith (2005), Palpatine says he "used the power of the Force to will the midichlorians to start the cell divisions that created Anakin Skywalker".{{cite web |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/darth-vaders-father-revealed/ |title=Does a New 'Star Wars' Comic Book Reveal Darth Vader's Father? |last=Young |first=Bryan |date=December 28, 2018 |website=/Film |access-date=March 17, 2019 |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108000800/https://www.slashfilm.com/darth-vaders-father-revealed/ |url-status=live}} This line was removed as the script progressed.

= Sequel films and other productions =

Lucas' story treatments for a potential sequel trilogy involved "a microbiotic world" and creatures known as the Whills, beings that "control the universe" and "feed off the Force." He elaborated that individuals function as "vehicles for the Whills to travel around in", and that midi-chlorians "communicate with the Whills [who] in a general sense ... are the Force."{{cite web |url=http://www.indiewire.com/2018/06/george-lucas-episode-vii-episode-ix-1201974276/ |title='Star Wars': George Lucas Would Have Set Third Trilogy in 'Microbiotic World' Linked to Midi-Chlorians |last=Marotta |first=Jenna |work=IndieWire |date=June 13, 2018 |access-date=May 15, 2020 |archive-date=July 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722070925/https://www.indiewire.com/2018/06/george-lucas-episode-vii-episode-ix-1201974276/ |url-status=live}} After selling Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, Lucas said his biggest concern about the franchise's future was the Force being "muddled into a bunch of gobbledegook".{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/19/george-lucas-star-wars-criticism-jj-abrams-disney-jar-jar-binks |title=George Lucas says he would not direct another Star Wars film after criticism |last=Child |first=Ben |date=November 19, 2015 |website=The Guardian |access-date=May 25, 2016 |archive-date=December 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221134357/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/19/george-lucas-star-wars-criticism-jj-abrams-disney-jar-jar-binks |url-status=live}}

When writing The Force Awakens (2015) with Lawrence Kasdan, J. J. Abrams respected that Lucas had established midi-chlorians' effect on some characters' ability to use the Force.{{cite web |url=http://www.slashfilm.com/jj-abrams-midi-chlorians/ |title=JJ Abrams on Midi-chlorians And The Inclusiveness Of The Force |last=Sciretta |first=Peter |date=December 7, 2015 |website=/Film |access-date=May 25, 2016 |archive-date=May 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170504160745/http://www.slashfilm.com/jj-abrams-midi-chlorians/ |url-status=live}} However, as a child, he interpreted Obi-Wan Kenobi's explanation of the Force in Star Wars to mean that any character could use its power, and that the Force was more grounded in spirituality than science. Abrams retained the idea of the Force having a light and a dark side, and some characters' seduction by the dark side helps create conflict for the story.{{cite web |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-jj-abrams-star-wars-empire-d23-20150817-story.html |title=J.J. Abrams explains why anyone would still want to join the new Empire in 'Star Wars' |last=Woerner |first=Meredith |date=August 17, 2015 |website=The Los Angeles Times |access-date=May 25, 2016 |archive-date=June 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602102937/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-jj-abrams-star-wars-empire-d23-20150817-story.html |url-status=live}} Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group gave his "blessing" for writer-director Rian Johnson to introduce a new Force power in The Last Jedi (2017) "if the story required it and if it felt like it stretches into new territory but doesn't break the idea of what the Force can do."{{Cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-star-wars-last-jedi-spoilers-20171218-htmlstory.html |title=Rian Johnson on the evolution of the Force in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' and more spoilers |last=Yamato |first=Jen |date=December 18, 2017 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=December 27, 2017 |language=en-US |archive-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226115332/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-star-wars-last-jedi-spoilers-20171218-htmlstory.html |url-status=live}} Johnson observed that every Star Wars movie introduces new Force powers to meet that film's story needs.

Star Wars Rebels producer Dave Filoni cites several influences on how the Force is used in the show. The character Bendu—named in homage to the term Lucas originally associated with the Jedi—does not align with the franchise's normal dark-or-light duality, and this role is an extension of Filoni's conversations with Lucas about the nature of the Force.{{cite web |url=http://www.slashfilm.com/dave-filoni-star-wars-rebels-season-3-interview/2/ |title=Dave Filoni Star Wars Rebels Season 3 Interview |last=Sciretta |first=Peter |date=September 23, 2016 |website=/Film |access-date=September 25, 2016 |archive-date=September 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926164810/http://www.slashfilm.com/dave-filoni-star-wars-rebels-season-3-interview/2 |url-status=live}} Filoni credits the prequel films for better developing the concept of the Force, particularly the idea of a balance between the light and dark sides.{{cite web |url=http://comicbook.com/starwars/2017/02/17/dave-filoni-explains-why-the-star-wars-prequels-are-so-important/ |title=Dave Filoni Explains Why the Star Wars Prequels Are So Important to Today's Stories |last=Siegel |first=Lucas |date=February 17, 2017 |website=Comicbook |access-date=February 25, 2017 |archive-date=February 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226130858/http://comicbook.com/starwars/2017/02/17/dave-filoni-explains-why-the-star-wars-prequels-are-so-important/ |url-status=live}}

Depiction

File:Force_unleashed_concept.jpg by Greg Knight of a stormtrooper being "Force pushed" was an early visualization of how the Force would be depicted in LucasArts' The Force Unleashed (2008).{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/gaming/videogames/news/news20070316.html |title=Production Diary: The Concept of The Force Unleashed |last=Rector |first=Brett |date=March 16, 2007 |publisher=Lucasfilm |access-date=August 31, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915231705/http://www.starwars.com/gaming/videogames/news/news20070316.html |archive-date=September 15, 2008}}]]

Obi-Wan Kenobi describes the Force as "an energy field created by all living things" in Star Wars. In The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon says microscopic lifeforms called midi-chlorians, which exist inside all living cells, allow some characters to be Force-sensitive; characters must have a high enough midi-chlorian count to feel and use the Force. Midi-chlorians are sentient, and arguably were the first species to emerge in the Star Wars universe. The species was a foundation of all life, as some deemed life impossible without midi-chlorians,{{Cite web |date=2013-06-24 |title=So What the Heck Are Midi-Chlorians? |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/so-what-the-heck-are-midi-chlorians |access-date=2022-02-16 |website=StarWars.com |language=en-US |archive-date=2020-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111205618/https://www.starwars.com/news/so-what-the-heck-are-midi-chlorians |url-status=live}} and ultimately resided in all living beings, connecting two aspects of the Force.{{Cite web |title=Force Planet |url=https://www.starwars.com/databank/force-planet |url-status=live |access-date= |website=Star Wars |language=en |archive-date=2021-09-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926062910/https://www.starwars.com/databank/force-planet}} The Living Force (also known as a spirit or life essence){{Cite web |title=Qui-Gon Jinn Biography Gallery |url=https://www.starwars.com/databank/qui-gon-jinn-biography-gallery |access-date=2022-02-16 |website=StarWars.com |language=en |archive-date=2022-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216100843/https://www.starwars.com/databank/qui-gon-jinn-biography-gallery |url-status=live}} is the energy generated by all living things.{{Cite web |title=Dagobah |url=https://www.starwars.com/databank/dagobah |access-date=2022-02-16 |website=StarWars.com |language=en |archive-date=2021-05-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515214104/https://www.starwars.com/databank/dagobah |url-status=live}} Through midi-chlorians, it is fed into the Cosmic Force, which bounds all things and communicates with living sentient beings.{{Cite web |last=Chamary |first=J. V. |date=January 6, 2018 |title='Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Finally Explains The Force |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2018/01/06/star-wars-last-jedi-force/ |url-status=live |access-date= |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-date=February 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216100841/https://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2018/01/06/star-wars-last-jedi-force/}}

In 1981, Lucas compared using the Force to yoga, saying any character can use its power.{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/star-wars-prequels-return-of-the-jedi_n_3313793.html |title=Star Wars Prequels Were Mapped Out By George Lucas & Lawrence Kasdan In 1981: Exclusive Excerpt From The Making Of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi |last=Ryan |first=Mike |date=May 22, 2013 |work=The Huffington Post |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408025655/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/star-wars-prequels-return-of-the-jedi_n_3313793.html |archive-date=April 8, 2014 |access-date=May 23, 2016}} Dave Filoni said in 2015 that all Star Wars characters are "Force intuitive": some characters, like Luke Skywalker, are aware of their connection to the Force, while characters such as Han Solo draw upon the Force unconsciously.{{Cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slwtHYyKMbY&t=10m40s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/slwtHYyKMbY |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live |title=Star Wars Rebels Discussion at FTW Comics: Dave Filoni, Henry Gilroy, and Kilian Plunkett Part 2 |date=June 2, 2015 |access-date=May 26, 2016 |time=10m, 40s}}{{cbignore}} Filoni said the most potent Force users are characters whose midi-chlorian count provides a natural affinity for using the Force and who undertake intense training and discipline.{{cite web |url=http://comicbook.com/starwars/2016/07/19/star-wars-rebels-showrunner-dave-filoni-defends-and-explains-mid/ |title=Star Wars Rebels Showrunner Dave Filoni Defends and Explains Midi-chlorians |last=Siegel |first=Lucas |date=July 19, 2016 |website=ComicBook.com |access-date=July 19, 2016 |archive-date=June 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170618094459/http://comicbook.com/starwars/2016/07/19/star-wars-rebels-showrunner-dave-filoni-defends-and-explains-mid |url-status=live}} Rogue One (2016) portrays the Force more as a religion "than simply a way to manipulate objects and people".{{cite web |url=http://comicbook.com/starwars/2016/12/18/how-the-force-changed-in-rogue-one-a-star-wars-story/ |title=How The Force Changed in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story |last=Siegel |first=Lucas |date=December 18, 2016 |access-date=May 24, 2017 |work=comicbook.com}} In the years following the Great Jedi Purge depicted in the prequel trilogy, some characters have lost faith in the Force, and the Galactic Empire hunts down surviving Jedi and other Force-sensitive characters. By the time of the events in The Force Awakens, some characters think the Jedi and the Force are myths.{{cite web |url=http://www.slashfilm.com/why-are-jedi-in-the-force-awakens-just-a-myth/ |title=How Did the Jedi Become Just A Myth in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'? |last=Anerton |first=Ethan |date=October 21, 2015 |website=/Film |publisher=Peter Sciretta |access-date=January 3, 2017 |archive-date=January 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101000926/http://www.slashfilm.com/why-are-jedi-in-the-force-awakens-just-a-myth/ |url-status=live}}

Some Force-sensitive characters derive special, psychic abilities from it, such as telekinesis, mind control, and extrasensory perception. The Force is sometimes referred to in terms of "dark" and "light" sides, with villains like the Sith drawing on the dark side to act aggressively while the Jedi use the light side for defense and peace.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5wROWR2Wbv8C&q=light+side&pg=PP9 |title=Star Wars: The Magic of Myth |last=Henderson |first=Mary |publisher=Bantam Books |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-553-37810-8 |page=116 |access-date=2020-11-22 |archive-date=2021-08-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829211115/https://books.google.com/books?id=5wROWR2Wbv8C&q=light+side&pg=PP9 |url-status=live}} According to Filoni, Lucas believed a character's intentions when using the Force—their "will to be selfless or selfish"—is what distinguishes light and dark sides. The Force is also used by characters who are neither Jedi nor Sith, such as Leia Organa and Kylo Ren.{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-jj-abrams-explains-847013 |title='Star Wars': J.J. Abrams Explains Why Leia Is a General, Not a Jedi (for Now) |last=McMillan |first=Graeme |date=December 8, 2015 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=May 25, 2016 |archive-date=April 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428225017/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-jj-abrams-explains-847013 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.slashfilm.com/kylo-ren-is-not-a-sith-in-the-force-awakens/ |title=JJ Abrams Says Kylo Ren is Not a Sith in The Force Awakens |last=Anderton |first=Ethan |date=August 25, 2015 |website=/Film |access-date=May 25, 2016 |archive-date=May 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525222929/http://www.slashfilm.com/kylo-ren-is-not-a-sith-in-the-force-awakens/ |url-status=live}} Characters throughout the franchise use their Force powers in myriad ways, including Obi-Wan using a "mind trick" to undermine a stormtrooper's will,{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/databank/jedi-mind-trick |title=Databank: Jedi Mind Trick |publisher=Lucasfilm |access-date=January 5, 2016 |work=StarWars.com |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112021813/https://www.starwars.com/databank/jedi-mind-trick |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/2012/12/05/jedi_mind_trick_nation/page/full |title=Jedi Mind Trick Nation |work=Townhall |publisher=The Heritage Foundation |first=Ben |last=Shapiro |date=December 5, 2012 |access-date=January 5, 2016 |archive-date=January 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130202322/http://townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/2012/12/05/jedi_mind_trick_nation/page/full |url-status=live}} Darth Vader choking subordinates without touching them,{{cite magazine |url=http://ew.com/article/2016/12/13/rogue-one-star-wars-story-ew-review/ |title=Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: EW review |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=Chris |last=Nashawaty |date=December 19, 2016 |access-date=December 24, 2016 |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922042502/https://ew.com/article/2016/12/13/rogue-one-star-wars-story-ew-review/ |url-status=live}} Qui-Gon Jinn repelling several battle droids at once, Rey lifting a large pile of rocks, and Kylo Ren stopping blaster fire in mid-air.{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/star-wars-the-force-awakens/facts-characters-best-scenes/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/star-wars-the-force-awakens/facts-characters-best-scenes/ |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=14 things Star Wars fans will love about The Force Awakens |last1=Robey |first1=Tim |last2=O'Hara |first2=Helen |date=December 17, 2015 |last3=McAloon |first3=Jonathan |last4=Hawkes |first4=Rebecca |work=The Telegraph |access-date=December 29, 2015}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/27/emo-kylo-ren-star-wars-the-force-awakens-polarizing-villain.html |title=Emo Kylo Ren: Star Wars: The Force Awakens{{'}} Polarizing Villain |work=The Daily Beast |first=Melissa |last=Leon |date=December 27, 2015 |access-date=December 30, 2015 |archive-date=February 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213021604/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/27/emo-kylo-ren-star-wars-the-force-awakens-polarizing-villain.html |url-status=live}} Film and television use of the Force is sometimes accompanied by a sound effect, such as a deep rumble associated with aggressive use or a more high-pitched sound associated with benevolent use.{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/tv-shows/spark-of-rebellion-trivia-gallery |title=Spark of Rebellion Trivia Gallery |website=StarWars.com |publisher=Lucasfilm |at=Click on image 5 of 18 with thumbnail of Ezra Bridger |access-date=May 23, 2016 |archive-date=May 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520104814/http://www.starwars.com/tv-shows/spark-of-rebellion-trivia-gallery |url-status=live}}

File:Jedi spirits-Return of the Jedi (1983).jpg (Sebastian Shaw), Yoda (Frank Oz), and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) appear as spirits at the end of the original version of Return of the Jedi.]]

Jedi with special training can continue to exist after death, and some interact with the living as "being[s] of light"{{Cite book |last=Slavicsek |first=Bill |url=https://archive.org/details/guidetostarwarsu00slav/page/47 |title=A Guide to the Star Wars Universe |publisher=Del Rey Books |year=1994 |isbn=0-345-38625-6 |edition=2nd |page=[https://archive.org/details/guidetostarwarsu00slav/page/47 47]}} referred to as "Force ghosts."{{cite web |last1=Whitbrook |first1=James |title=So, What Can A Force Ghost Do? |url=https://gizmodo.com.au/2019/09/so-what-can-a-force-ghost-do/ |website=Gizmodo |access-date=27 September 2023 |date=September 19, 2019}}{{cite web |last=Ratcliffe |first=Amy |date=January 12, 2018 |title=Star Wars: The Ins and Outs of Becoming a Force Ghost |url=https://nerdist.com/article/force-ghost-luke-the-last-jedi-history-star-wars/ |access-date=April 16, 2019 |website=Nerdist |archive-date=April 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416084341/https://nerdist.com/article/force-ghost-luke-the-last-jedi-history-star-wars/ |url-status=live}} Obi-Wan's spirit provides Luke with guidance at key moments in the original trilogy,{{cite magazine |last=Breznican |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony Breznican |date=July 8, 2015 |title=Star Wars: The Force Awakens theory: What role may Obi-Wan Kenobi play? |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/08/star-wars-force-awakens-obi-wan-theory |access-date=May 27, 2016 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |archive-date=May 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510182406/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/08/star-wars-force-awakens-obi-wan-theory |url-status=live}} and Yoda appears as a spirit to guide Luke in The Last Jedi.{{cite web |last=Evans |first=Nick |date=January 2018 |title=Why Star Wars: The Last Jedi Used A Puppet For Yoda |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/1758430/why-star-wars-the-last-jedi-used-a-puppet-for-yoda |access-date=April 12, 2018 |work=Cinema Blend |archive-date=April 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412145922/https://www.cinemablend.com/news/1758430/why-star-wars-the-last-jedi-used-a-puppet-for-yoda |url-status=live}} Voices of past Jedi help Rey at the climax of The Rise of Skywalker, and Luke's and Leia's spirits watch over her at the film's conclusion.{{cite magazine |last1=Breznican |first1=Anthony |last2=Robinson |first2=Joanna |date=December 20, 2019 |title=25 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Cameos You Might Have Missed |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/12/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-cameos-who-were-the-jedi-voices-jodie-comer-reys-mom |magazine=Vanity Fair |access-date=January 7, 2020 |archive-date=December 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201234554/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/12/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-cameos-who-were-the-jedi-voices-jodie-comer-reys-mom |url-status=live}} In an early draft of Return of the Jedi, Lucas planned to resurrect Obi-Wan and Yoda at the climax,{{cite web |last=Britt |first=Ryan |date=May 22, 2019 |title='Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker' Photo Suggests Luke Could Come Back to Life |url=https://www.inverse.com/article/56078-star-wars-rise-of-skywalker-spoilers-photos-star-wars-luke-alive-vanity-fair |access-date=May 23, 2019 |website=Inverse}} and some drafts included scenes of the two helping Luke stop the Emperor.{{cite news |last=Anders |first=Charlie Jane |date=September 25, 2013 |title=10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Star Wars: Return of the Jedi |website=io9 |publisher=G/O Media |url=http://io9.gizmodo.com/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-star-wars-ret-1383276948 |access-date=April 16, 2019 |archive-date=May 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512060419/https://io9.gizmodo.com/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-star-wars-ret-1383276948 |url-status=live}} The final arc of sixth season of The Clone Wars reveals that Qui-Gon Jinn learned how to transition into the "cosmic Force" from entities who represent various emotions; Yoda hears the deceased Qui-Gon's voice in Attack of the Clones (2002), and he reveals in Revenge of the Sith that he has contact with Qui-Gon. A short story by Claudia Gray depicts Obi-Wan learning this technique from Qui-Gon in the years leading up to Star Wars.{{cite web |date=October 3, 2017 |title=Qui-Gon Jinn Visits His Former Padawan in From a Certain Point of View - Exclusive Excerpt |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/qui-gon-jinn-from-a-certain-point-of-view-excerpt |access-date=April 16, 2019 |website=StarWars.com}}

The Force plays an important role in several Star Wars plot lines. Anakin Skywalker's rise as a Jedi, descent into the Sith Lord Darth Vader, and redemption back to the light side of the Force is the main story arc for the first six Star Wars films.{{Cite news |url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1997/01/06/why-is-the-force-still-with-us |title=Why Is the Force Still With Us? |last=Seabrook |first=John |date=January 6, 1997 |newspaper=The New Yorker |issn=0028-792X |quote=The scripts for the prequel, which Lucas is finishing now, make it clear that Star Wars, taken as a whole story and viewed in chronological order, is not really the story of Luke at all but the story of Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker, and how he, a Jedi Knight, was corrupted by the dark side of the Force and became Darth Vader. When I asked Lucas what Star Wars was ultimately about, he said, 'Redemption.' |access-date=May 26, 2016 |archive-date=May 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520075352/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1997/01/06/why-is-the-force-still-with-us |url-status=live}} Yoda's arc in the sixth season of The Clone Wars depicts him exploring "bigger questions" about the Force and taking various inspirations from the franchise's expanded universe.{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/dave-filoni-on-the-lost-missions-yoda-arc |title=Dave Filoni on The Lost Missions' Yoda Arc |date=March 12, 2014 |website=StarWars.com |publisher=Lucasfilm |access-date=June 10, 2016 |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108202650/https://www.starwars.com/news/dave-filoni-on-the-lost-missions-yoda-arc |url-status=live}} In The Force Awakens, Finn's exposure to the Force helps make him question his training.{{cite web |url=http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/632387-j-j-abrams-talks-luke-skywalkers-mythic-status-in-star-wars-the-force-awakens#/slide/1 |title=J.J. Abrams Talks Luke Skywalker's Mythic Status in Star Wars |last=Perry |first=Spencer |date=November 12, 2015 |website=ComingSoon.net |publisher=CraveOnline |access-date=May 25, 2016 |archive-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160802183735/http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/632387-j-j-abrams-talks-luke-skywalkers-mythic-status-in-star-wars-the-force-awakens#/slide/1 |url-status=live}} Writer Rian Johnson used the Force to allow Rey and Kylo Ren to communicate in The Last Jedi, developing the characters' relationship.

Analysis

Chris Taylor called the Force "largely a mystery" in Star Wars. Taylor ascribes the "more poetic, more spiritual ... and more demonstrative" descriptions of the Force in The Empire Strikes Back to Lawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote the film, but says the film does little to expand audiences' understanding of it. In 1997, Lucas said that the more detail he articulated about the Force and how it works, the more it took away from its core meaning.Bouzereau, p. 35 Kotaku suggests Rian Johnson depicted more nuance in the Force in The Last Jedi than Lucas did in his films.{{Cite news |url=https://kotaku.com/star-wars-the-last-jedi-has-a-really-cool-take-on-the-1821336396 |title=Star Wars: The Last Jedi Has A Really Cool Take On The Force |last=Hamilton |first=Kirk |date=December 15, 2017 |work=Kotaku |access-date=December 27, 2017 |publisher=G/O Media |language=en-US |archive-date=September 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923101710/https://kotaku.com/star-wars-the-last-jedi-has-a-really-cool-take-on-the-1821336396 |url-status=live}} According to Rob Weinert-Kendt, the "Force theme" in John Williams' score represents the power and responsibility of wielding the Force.{{Cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uwAlCwAAQBAJ&q=force+theme+star+wars+music&pg=PT119 |title=The Ultimate Guide to Star Wars |last=Weinert-Kendt |first=Rob |publisher=Time Inc. Books |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-61893-480-2 |chapter=Music of the Galaxy}}

=Comparison to magic=

Paranormal abilities like the Force are a common device in science fiction,{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nYeQCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA249 |title=Using Medicine in Science Fiction: The SF Writer's Guide to Human Biology |last=Stratmann |first=H. G. |date=2016 |publisher=Springer International Publishing |isbn=978-3-319-16015-3 |page=249 |access-date=May 20, 2016 |archive-date=August 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819154851/https://books.google.com/books?id=nYeQCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA249 |url-status=live}} and the Force has been compared to the role magic plays in the fantasy genre.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=er6YCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA157 |title=Wizards: The Myths, Legends, & Lore |last=Sherman |first=Aubrey |date=2014 |publisher=Adams Media |isbn=978-1-4405-8288-2 |page=157 |access-date=May 20, 2016}} The Star Wars films illustrate that characters not familiar with the particulars of the Force associate it with mysticism and magic, such as when an Imperial officer alludes to the "sorcerer's ways" of Darth Vader. The depiction of the Force in Star Wars has been compared to that of magic in Harry Potter, with the former being described as more of a "spiritual force".{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LJBAAAQBAJ&pg=PP368 |title=Ambiguity in Star Wars And Harry Potter: A (Post) Structuralist Reading of Two Popular Myths |last=Flotmann |first=Christina |publisher=Transcript Verlag |year=2014 |isbn=978-3-837-62148-8 |page=368 |access-date=2019-04-22 |archive-date=2020-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819150635/https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LJBAAAQBAJ&pg=PP368 |url-status=live}} According to The A.V. Club, The Last Jedi depicts the Force "closer to the sorcery of fairy tales and medieval romance than it's ever been."{{Cite news |url=https://www.avclub.com/part-kurosawa-part-wile-e-coyote-the-last-jedi-boldl-1821291545 |title=Part Kurosawa, part Wile E. Coyote, The Last Jedi boldly rewires Star Wars' origins |last=Vishnevetsky |first=Ignatiy |date=December 15, 2017 |work=The A.V. Club |access-date=April 2, 2018 |language=en-US |archive-date=December 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221134419/https://www.avclub.com/part-kurosawa-part-wile-e-coyote-the-last-jedi-boldl-1821291545 |url-status=live}}

Eric Charles points out that the television films The Ewok Adventure (1984) and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985), intended for children, are "fairy tales in a science fiction setting" which feature magic and other fairy tale motifs rather than the Force and science-fiction tropes.{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LV4Wdl13aqMC&pg=PA130 |title=Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology |last=Charles |first=Eric |date=2012 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-810-88513-4 |pages=129–131 |chapter=The Jedi Network: Star Wars{{'}} Portrayal and Inspirations on the Small Screen |editor-last2=Deyneka |editor-first2=Leah |editor-first1=Douglas |editor-last1=Brode |access-date=May 20, 2016}} These Ewok films have been described as depicting "sorcery" that is distinct from the Force powers depicted in the first six Star Wars films.{{Cite book |title=Star Wars FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Trilogy That Changed the Movies |last=Clark |first=Mark |publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema Books |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-4803-6018-1 |chapter=26}} Drawing from the Star Wars roleplaying game sourcebook he co-authored in 1987, Bill Slavicsek says that "The Ewoks' mystical beliefs contain many references to the Force, though it is never named as such."{{Cite book |last=Slavicsek |first=Bill |title=A Guide to the Star Wars Universe |year=1994 |publisher=Del Rey Books |edition=2nd |isbn=0-345-38625-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/guidetostarwarsu00slav/page/158 158]}}

=Religion and spirituality=

In his 1977 review of Star Wars, Vincent Canby of The New York Times called the Force "a mixture of what appears to be ESP and early Christian faith."{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/library/film/052677wars.html |title=Star Wars—A Trip to a Far Galaxy That's Fun and Funny... |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=May 26, 1977 |work=The New York Times |author-link=Vincent Canby |access-date=May 23, 2016 |archive-date=April 24, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060424081519/http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/052677wars.html |url-status=live}} It has been studied in a religious context from an academic perspective.{{Cite journal |last=Guitton |first=Matthieu J. |date=March 2019 |title=Studying Religion(s) in a Galaxy Far, Far Away |journal=The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture |language=en |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=1–2 |doi=10.3138/jrpc.2018-0049 |issn=1703-289X|doi-access=free }} The Magic of Myth compares the sharp distinction between the good "light side" and evil "dark side" of the Force to Zoroastrianism, which posits that "good and evil, like light and darkness, are contrary realities". The connectedness between the light and dark sides has been compared to the relationship between yin and yang in Taoism,{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FfBJSfmRhm0C&pg=PT53 |title=Religions Of Star Trek |last2=Cassidy |first2=William |last3=Schwartz |first3=Susan L. |date=2009 |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0-7867-5022-1 |last1=Kraemer |first1=Ross}} although the balance between yin and yang lacks the element of evil associated with the dark side.{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fHgKDWAZ0SIC&pg=PA156 |title=Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars: An Anthology |last=Jamilla |first=Nick |date=2012 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-8514-1 |pages=156–157 |chapter=Chapter 12: Defining the Jedi Order |editor1-last=Brode |editor1-first=Douglas |editor2-last=Deyneka |editor2-first=Leah}} Taylor identifies other similarities between the Force and a Navajo prayer, prana, and qi. It is a common plot device in jidaigeki films like The Hidden Fortress (1958), which inspired Star Wars, for samurai who master qi to achieve astonishing feats of swordsmanship.Kaminski, p. 76 Taylor added that the lack of detail about the Force makes it "a religion for the secular age". According to Jennifer Porter, professor of religious studies at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, "the Force is a metaphor for godhood that resonates and inspires within [people] a deeper commitment to the godhood identified within their traditional faith".Taylor, pp. 59–60 According to Christian Pastor Clayton Keenan, "the spirituality of 'Star Wars' has to do with the Force. It's depicted as ... something supernatural within this universe, but it's not the same thing as a personal god that Christians or Jews or Muslims might believe in. It's this impersonal force that is in some ways this neutral, impersonal energy that is out there to be used for good or for evil."{{cite news |last=Alleman |first=Annie |title='Star Wars' has been part of the culture for nearly 40 years |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-star-wars-cultural-impact-st-1217-20151216-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=April 22, 2019 |date=December 17, 2015}}

At one point, Francis Ford Coppola suggested to George Lucas that they use their combined fortunes to start a religion based on the Force.{{cite magazine |last=Pollock |first=Dale |title=A Man and His Empire: The Private Life of 'Star Wars' Creator George Lucas |magazine=Life |date=June 1983 |page=94}} Practitioners of Jediism pray to and express gratitude to the Force.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PB57P_dOF7EC&q=%22The+force%22+%22Star+Wars%22+%22Clone+Wars&pg=PR11 |title=Finding the Force of the Star Wars Franchise: Fans, Merchandise, & Critics |last1=Kapell |first1=Matthew |last2=Lawrence |first2=John Shelton |publisher=Peter Lang |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8204-6333-9 |page=107}}

=Scientific analysis=

Scientists are mostly skeptical about a "real world" explanation for the Force.Cavelos, pp. 178–179 Astrophysicist Jeanne Cavelos says in The Science of Star Wars that explaining the Force is particularly difficult because "it does so many different things".{{cite web |url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/science-of-star-wars-clone-wars/ |title=The Science of Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- Q&A with Author Jeanne Cavelos |last=Hadhazy |first=Adam |date=August 11, 2008 |website=Scientific American |publisher=Springer Nature |access-date=May 26, 2016 |archive-date=June 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605130026/http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/science-of-star-wars-clone-wars/ |url-status=live}} Force powers like precognition imply the time travel of information.Cavelos, pp. 188–189 Cavelos explores the possibility of brain implants or sensors being used to detect users' intent and manipulate energy fields, and compares such discipline to contemporary patients learning to control prosthetics.Cavelos, pp. 183–184

A scientific explanation of the Force would require new discoveries in physics, such as unknown fields or particlesCavelos, pp. 191–192 or a fifth force beyond the four fundamental interactions.Cavelos, p. 191 Flavio Fenton of the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Physics suggests a fifth force would carry two types of charge—one for the light side and one for the dark—and that each would be carried by its own particle.{{cite web |url=http://www.news.gatech.edu/features/science-star-wars |title=The Science of Star Wars |last=Maderer |first=Jason |publisher=Georgia Institute of Technology |access-date=May 25, 2016 |archive-date=June 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609001819/http://www.news.gatech.edu/features/science-star-wars |url-status=live}} Nepomuk Otte, also from Georgia Tech, cautions that Newton's third law of motion says telekinesis would apply a force back on the Force-wielding character. Fabien Paillusson from the University of Lincoln argues that the Force of the Star Wars universe reflects our own quest for understanding the forces of the world we live in.{{Cite web |last=Paillusson |first=Fabien |date=2016-12-15 |title=The Force And Physics: How The Jedi's Mastery Of The Force In Star Wars Reflects Our Own Efforts To Understand Our Universe |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/fabien-paillusson/star-wars_b_13623256.html |access-date=2021-05-16 |website=HuffPost UK |language=en}}

Cultural impact

File:BosonFusion-Higgs.svg of one way the Higgs boson might be produced. National Geographic compared the boson's role in "carrying" the Higgs field to the way Jedi are "carriers" of the Force.]]

National Geographic compared the Higgs boson's role as "carrier" of the Higgs field to the way Jedi are "carriers" of the Force.{{cite web |url=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/03/god-particle/achenbach-text/2 |title=The God Particle |last=Achenbach |first=Joel |date=March 2008 |website=National Geographic Magazine |access-date=May 25, 2016 |archive-date=May 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507130501/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/03/god-particle/achenbach-text/2 |url-status=dead}} A previsualization video highlighting the idea of "kicking someone's ass with the Force" steered LucasArts game designers toward producing The Force Unleashed (2008),{{cite web |url=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/20007.html |title=Unleashing The Force Part 1: The New Beginning |date=May 25, 2007 |publisher=GameTrailers |access-date=August 15, 2008 |work=Star Wars: Force Unleashed |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309192404/http://www.gametrailers.com/player/20007.html |archive-date=March 9, 2008}}{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/gaming/videogames/news/news20070222.html |title=Production Diary: How It All Began |last=Rector |first=Brett |date=February 22, 2007 |publisher=Lucasfilm |access-date=August 31, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915231655/http://www.starwars.com/gaming/videogames/news/news20070222.html |archive-date=September 15, 2008 |work=StarWars.com}} which sold six million copies as of July 2009.{{cite web |url=http://comic-con.gamespot.com/story/6214122/force-unleashed-unleashing-more-dlc-sith-edition |title=Force Unleashed unleashing more DLC, Sith Edition |last=Thorsen |first=Tor |date=July 24, 2009 |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=July 25, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090728165730/http://comic-con.gamespot.com/story/6214122/force-unleashed-unleashing-more-dlc-sith-edition |archive-date=July 28, 2009}} In 2009, Uncle Milton Industries released a toy, called the Force Trainer, which uses EEG to read users' beta waves to lift a training droid-themed ball with a shaft of air.{{cite web |url=https://nypost.com/2009/06/30/jedi-mind-trick-do-you-can/ |title=Jedi Mind Trick Do You Can |last=Kaplan |first=Don |date=June 30, 2009 |work=New York Post |access-date=May 25, 2016 |archive-date=August 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812041713/http://nypost.com/2009/06/30/jedi-mind-trick-do-you-can/ |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2009-01-06-force-trainer-toy_N.htm |work=USA Today |title=Toy trains 'Star Wars' fans to use The Force |first=Mike |last=Snider |date=January 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023104506/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2009-01-06-force-trainer-toy_N.htm |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |access-date=September 14, 2019}}

The New Republic, Townhall, The Atlantic, and others have compared various political machinations to the "Jedi mind trick", a Force power used to undermine opponents' perceptions and willpower.{{cite magazine |url=https://newrepublic.com/minutes/125959/donald-trumps-jedi-mind-trick-pledge-republican-party |first=Ryu |last=Spaeth |title=Donald Trump's Jedi mind trick is his pledge to the Republican Party |publisher=Hamilton Fish V |magazine=The New Republic |access-date=2016-11-10 |archive-date=2020-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922090846/https://newrepublic.com/minutes/125959/donald-trumps-jedi-mind-trick-pledge-republican-party |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/12/the-war-on-terrors-jedi-mind-trick/282620/ |title=The War on Terror's Jedi Mind Trick |last=Sanchez |first=Julian |date=December 23, 2013 |work=The Atlantic |access-date=May 22, 2016 |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112021831/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/12/the-war-on-terrors-jedi-mind-trick/282620/ |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35256156 |title=Obama's 'Jedi mind trick' and a revealing admission |last=Kay |first=Katty |work=BBC News |date=January 23, 2016 |language=en-GB |access-date=May 22, 2016 |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108100635/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35256156 |url-status=live}}

= Critical response =

Critic Tim Robley compared the Force to the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz (1939), with both being entities that send the protagonist on a quest.{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/star-wars--a-new-hope/movies-influences-george-lucas/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/star-wars--a-new-hope/movies-influences-george-lucas/ |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=10 films that influenced Star Wars |last=Robey |first=Tim |date=November 24, 2015 |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=December 2, 2015}}{{cbignore}} In her 1980 Washington Post review of The Empire Strikes Back, Judith Martin described the Force as "a mishmash of current cultic fashions without any base in ideas. It doesn't seem to be connected with ethics or a code of decent behavior, either."{{cite news |first=Judith |last=Martin |author-link=Judith Martin |date=May 23, 1980 |title=The Empire Strikes Back |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/review97/empirestrikesbackmartin.htm |access-date=May 23, 2016 |archive-date=February 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202220036/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/review97/empirestrikesbackmartin.htm |url-status=live}} John Simon wrote in his 1977 review of Star Wars for New York magazine:{{Quote|And then there is that distressing thing called the Force, which is ... Lucas's tribute to something beyond science: imagination, the soul, God in man ... It appears in various contradictory and finally nonsensical guises, a facile and perfunctory bow to metaphysics. I wish that Lucas had had the courage of his materialistic convictions, instead dragging in a sop to a spiritual force the main thrust of the movie so cheerfully ignores.{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QuQCAAAAMBAJ&q=star+wars&pg=PA71 |first=John |last=Simon |author-link=John Simon (critic) |title=Star Dust |journal=New York |page=71 |date=June 20, 1977 |access-date=May 23, 2016}}{{cite web |last=Lincoln |first=Kevin |title=Looking Back at New York{{'s}} Critical 1977 Review of Star Wars |url=http://www.vulture.com/2015/12/nymag-original-star-wars-review-1977.html |publisher=Vulture.com |date=December 17, 2015 |access-date=May 23, 2016 |archive-date=December 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151217215621/http://www.vulture.com/2015/12/nymag-original-star-wars-review-1977.html |url-status=live}}}}

The introduction of midi-chlorians in The Phantom Menace was controversial, with Evan Narcisse of Time writing that the concept ruined Star Wars for him and a generation of fans because "the mechanisms of the Force became less spiritual and more scientific". Film historian Daniel Dinello called midi-chlorians "anathema to Star Wars fanatics who thought they reduced the Force to a kind of viral infection."{{Cite book |first=Daniel |last=Dinello |title=Technophobia!: Science Fiction Visions of Posthuman Technology |year=2005 |publisher=University of Texas Press |location=Austin |page=211 |isbn=0-292-70986-2}} Referring to "midi-chlorians" became a screenwriting shorthand for over-explaining a concept.{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/star-wars-the-force-awakens/george-lucas-movies-hate-defence/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/star-wars-the-force-awakens/george-lucas-movies-hate-defence/ |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Why it's time to stop hating George Lucas |last=Bell |first=Chris |date=December 16, 2015 |website=The Telegraph |access-date=May 26, 2016}}{{cbignore}} Although Chris Taylor suggested fans want less detail, not more, in explaining the Force,{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/review-how-star-wars-conquered-the-universe-by-chris-taylor/2014/10/09/6cd5afa2-32bc-11e4-8f02-03c644b2d7d0_story.html |title=Review: How Star Wars Conquered the Universe by Chris Taylor |last=Musgrove |first=Mike |date=October 10, 2014 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=May 24, 2016 |archive-date=July 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701110410/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/review-how-star-wars-conquered-the-universe-by-chris-taylor/2014/10/09/6cd5afa2-32bc-11e4-8f02-03c644b2d7d0_story.html |url-status=live}} Chris Bell argues that the introduction of midi-chlorians provided depth to the franchise and fomented engagement among fans and franchise writers. Religion expert John D. Caputo writes, "In the 'Gospel according to Lucas' a world is conjured up in which the intractable oppositions that have tormented religious thinkers for centuries are reconciled ... The gifts that the Jedi masters enjoy have a perfectly plausible scientific basis, even if its ways are mysterious".{{Cite book |title=On Religion |last=Caputo |first=John D. |publisher=Routledge |year=2001 |isbn=0-415-23332-1 |location=London |page=87}}

Characters' faith in the Force reinforces Rogue One{{'}}s message of hope.{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4604797/rogue-one-star-wars-force-jedi-religion/ |title=Everything You Need to Know About the Force in Rogue One |first=Megan |last=McCluskey |date=December 16, 2016 |access-date=May 24, 2017 |magazine=Time |publisher=Time Inc. |archive-date=January 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103085917/http://time.com/4604797/rogue-one-star-wars-force-jedi-religion/ |url-status=live}} The A.V. Club said Rian Johnson's depiction of the Force in The Last Jedi goes "beyond George Lucas' original transcendental concept". Polygon said Johnson's film "democratize[s] the Force", depicting Force sensitivity in characters from outside a "Force-sensitive lineage" and suggesting that the Force can be used by anyone.{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/2017/12/30/16791054/star-wars-the-last-jedi-force-franchise-disney-lucasfilm-rian-johnson |title=Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens up the Force, which makes business sense for Disney - Polygon |last=Sarkar |first=Samit |date=December 30, 2017 |website=Polygon |language=en |access-date=April 2, 2018 |archive-date=August 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809015855/https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/2017/12/30/16791054/star-wars-the-last-jedi-force-franchise-disney-lucasfilm-rian-johnson |url-status=live}}

= "May the Force be with you" =

Several Star Wars characters say "May the Force be with you" (or derivatives of it) and the expression has become a popular catchphrase.{{cite book |last1=Gomez |first1=Rolando |title=Socially Smart: Twitter Plus Facebook, Marketing Multipliers And Brand Boosters |date=8 April 2013 |publisher=BookBaby |isbn=978-1-62675-475-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wJddDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT18 |access-date=28 April 2017 |language=en}} In 2005, "May the Force be with you" was chosen as number 8 on the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes list.{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/100years/quotes.aspx |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes |author=American Film Institute |author-link=American Film Institute |access-date=May 25, 2016 |year=2005 |archive-date=April 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415022946/http://www.afi.com/100Years/quotes.aspx |url-status=live}} May 4 is Star Wars Day, taken from the pun "May the Fourth be with you".{{citation |title='Star Wars' Day: May The 4th Be With You |date=May 4, 2010 |url=http://www.myfoxchattanooga.com/dpps/entertainment/star-wars-day-may-the-4th-be-with-you-dpgoha-20100504-fc_7371587 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100508193201/http://www.myfoxchattanooga.com/dpps/entertainment/star-wars-day-may-the-4th-be-with-you-dpgoha-20100504-fc_7371587 |url-status=dead |publisher=My Fox Chattanooga |archive-date=May 8, 2010}} The expression was intentionally similar to the Christian dominus vobiscum, "the Lord be with you".Taylor, p. 60

President Ronald Reagan in 1985 said "the Force is with us", referring to the United States, to create the Strategic Defense Initiative (itself often nicknamed Star Wars) to protect against Soviet ballistic missiles.{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/03/30/the-force-is-with-us-reagan-says/ |title='The Force Is With Us,' Reagan Says |last=de Lama |first=George |date=March 30, 1985 |website=The Chicago Tribune |access-date=June 2, 2016 |archive-date=July 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701203642/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-03-30/news/8501170975_1_aggressive-civilian-space-agenda-star-wars-national-space-club |url-status=live}} Some weeks earlier, Reagan had compared the Soviet Union to the Galactic Empire.{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/04/politics/flashback-friday-reagan-star-wars-speech/index.html |title=#FBF: Ronald Reagan and Star Wars |last=Williams |first=Brenna |date=May 4, 2018 |work=CNN |access-date=May 4, 2018 |publisher=Turner Broadcasting System |archive-date=May 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504111315/https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/04/politics/flashback-friday-reagan-star-wars-speech/index.html |url-status=live}} The Gospel According to Star Wars says that Reagan's invocation of the Force was actually perverting Star Wars{{'}} "self-dispossessing" (or other-focused) ethos:

{{Quote|text=[The] blessing "May the Force be with you" is the expression of a hope for others ("May the Force be with you"), not for ourselves as with Reagan ("The Force is with us"). Moreover, the [Star Wars] blessing is precisely a request for hope for others ("May the Force be with you"), whereas Reagan's claim sounds like a possessive assertion ("The Force is with us").{{cite book |title=The Gospel According to Star Wars: Faith, Hope, and the Force |first=John C. |last=McDowell |publisher=Westminster John Knox |year=2007 |page=26 |isbn=978-1-61164-425-8}}}}

References

= Citations =

= Sources =

{{cite book |last=Bouzereau |first=Laurent |author-link=Laurent Bouzereau |title=Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays |year=1997 |publisher=Ballantine Books |isbn=0-345-40981-7 |ref=bouzereau}}
{{cite book |last=Cavelos |first=Jeanne |author-link=Jeanne Cavelos |title=The Science of Star Wars |date=May 1999 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=0-312-20958-4 |chapter=5. The Force |ref=sosw}}
{{cite book |title=The Secret History of Star Wars |last=Kaminski |first=Michael |publisher=Legacy Books Press |isbn=978-0-9784652-3-0 |date=November 18, 2008 |pages=75–77 |ref=kaminski}}
{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Chris |title=How Star Wars Conquered the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of a Multibillion Dollar Franchise |publisher=Basic Books |year=2014 |oclc=889674238 |ref=taylor}}