Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker changed Palpatine’s Force lightning to act more like an old Clone Wars superweapon. There have been several Force abilities that have evolved in Star Wars over the years. After the final installment of the sequel trilogy, one of the most identifiable Sith Force abilities has been added to that list. Force lightning is perhaps the most well-known Force ability that is solely associated with the Sith, besides the Force choke – and the end of The Rise of Skywalker has made this ability even more horrifying.
Throughout the years, Star Wars canon has given additional details on this terrifying manifestation of the Force. In E.K. Johnson’s novel Queen’s Hope, it is made clear that Force lightning is a manifestation of hate and anger. This explains why Jedi do not use it, although a version of it called Electric Judgement was used by the Jedi in Legends. Still, true Force lightning is a distinctly Sith ability, and it is usually used by individual Sith Lords to attack one person at a time – as seen in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi when Palpatine attacks Luke Skywalker. The Rise Of Skywalker, however, uses it in a brand-new and terrifying way.
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Rise Of Skywalker Made Palpatine’s Force Lightning Similar To An Ion Cannon
In The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine summons a Force lightning storm that works like an ion cannon – the technology developed during the Clone Wars that cuts off power to ships. This form of Force lightning pushes the boundaries of what it was once believed to be capable of. Not only did Palpatine produce enough bolts to hit all the Resistance’s ships, but he also shot them high enough into the sky to reach the ships. This shows an incredible amount of power and makes Palpatine an even more terrifying Sith Lord, given the fact he is a weakened clone in The Rise of Skywalker. This also, however, shows something impressive about the ships of the sequel trilogy era, in comparison to those who came before them.
Starship Technology Has Massively Changed Since The Clone Wars
What’s fascinating about this Force lightning storm is how quickly the ships recovered. Technology has clearly developed since the Clone Wars, which is unsurprising given how other Star Wars media sets up the rapid progression of technology. For example, in the first installment of the canon Thrawn (2017) trilogy, it is established that Clone Wars technology is seen as almost archaic. Thrawn’s interest in it is a mystery to many people, as this takes place only a few years after the end of the Clone Wars. It is not a stretch, then, that canonically, technology would’ve evolved enough to allow ships to recover quickly from ion cannon bursts – especially given how dangerous they can be to ships.
The fact that Palpatine has introduced a new kind of Force lightning into canon paves the way for future Sith to become even more of a threat. If powerful Sith can conjure a storm of lightning rather than just a few bolts to hit one or two targets at a time, this could be used to injure or even kill Jedi en masse during a battle. Further, it can be used to take out starships – even if for a brief period. Still, in a fight, seconds matter, and if Star Wars chooses to use this power from The Rise of Skywalker more often, it will make the Sith stronger.
Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker
- Release Date:
- 2019-12-20
- Director:
- Array
- Cast:
- Array
- Rating:
- PG-13
- Runtime:
- 142 minutes
- Genres:
- Array
- Writers:
- Array
- Budget:
- $275 million
- Studio(s):
- Array
- Distributor(s):
- Array
- prequel(s):
- Array
- Franchise(s):
- Array
