Star Wars has explained the different ways Jedi see the Force, thanks to The High Republic. The Force has been an ubiquitous part of Star Wars from the very beginning, when it was introduces as the energy that binds the galaxy together. Since then, Star Wars movies and shows have explored the Force in a variety of ways, revealing different Force users beyond just the Jedi and Sith, different Force powers, prophecies, views on it, and much more. For all it is a core feature of the franchise, though, there’s still much about the Force that remains unknown.
Almost every new addition to the Star Wars canon adds its own understanding of the Force, with takes on concepts such as balance or, like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker added, a dyad, or showing what it means to people who aren’t Force-sensitive, like in The Mandalorian. Star Wars: The High Republic is no exception; set 200 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, it features the Jedi Order in its prime. Because there are so many Jedi, and the Order is at the height of its power in the galaxy, then that allows for a lot of scope to explore the Force even further.
The High Republic has already done this in a few ways, such as revealing how the Jedi Avar Kriss uses her lightsaber to see the Force, and bringing the Legends Force power Battle Meld back into canon. One of the most intriguing expansions, though, is how it explains the way Jedi see the Force. This is something that hasn’t been explored much in Star Wars movies: while the Force is often defined as being an energy field that surrounds the galaxy and terms similar to that, giving a sense of what it is, that’s rarely been paired with a more individualistic view of it. That changes with Charles Soule’s novel, Star Wars: Light of the Jedi, which has many different Jedi connecting together via the Force, revealing just what each of them sees it as when tapping into it:
“What [Avar Kriss] heard as a song, Elzar Mann saw as a deep, endless, storm-tossed sea. The Wookiee Burryaga was a single leaf on a gigantic tree with deep-dug roots and sky-high limbs. Douglas Sunvale saw the Force as a huge, interlocked set of gears, made of an endless variety of materials from crystal to bone. Bell Zettifar danced with fire. Loden Greatstorm danced with the wind… All of the Jedi were the Force, and the Force was all of them.”
This fits with what has previously been established of the Force, but adds an even deeper layer to it. The Force is indeed energy, but it makes sense that every Jedi would experience it in a different way. All of the Jedi have different ways of understanding and linking to the Force, and differing levels of strength in that connection as well. Since being a Jedi is akin to a religion of sorts, albeit without so much dogma at the time of The High Republic, then each having their own personalized means of seeing or hearing it serves to deepen their bonds to it and offers even greater understanding of what the Force is. Much like people might see a God differently, then it’s logical the Force would appear in unique ways depending on the Jedi.
It’s easy to see why this kinda of idea hasn’t been developed as much in Star Wars movies or shows, since it would be harder to depict on-screen, and so is generally easier to show a Jedi simply meditating in the Force: viewers see them reach out, but not necessarily what they reach out to, beyond more vague or generalized terms, like Rey in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Of course, it’s also possible that this is because the Jedi Order was less powerful by the time of the prequels, with the fear being spread diminishing their powers and connection to the Force. Similarly, the Jedi Order of the High Republic seemingly has more freedom for such individualism; by the time of the prequels, it’s Yoda’s dogmatic view that rules, and someone like Qui-Gon Jinn is a bit more of an outsider for having different viewpoints or approaches. With all of that, there’s less scope to explore how Jedi might see the Force, but with The High Republic, Star Wars finally does a great job of explaining it.
Key Release Dates
Rogue Squadron
Release Date:2023-12-22
