The Balance of the Force

[Stellar_Magic]

This well comes down to one thing in my mind when you watch the Star Wars movies from prequals to RoTJ. At the end of the RoTJ the prophecy of the one that will bring balance to the force isn't fulfilled in my mind, and makes the case for a brand new film.

 

When you say Balance of the Force, what does that mean, good and evil are balanced out, not good triumphs over evil, evil must continue to exist for a balance to be established.

 

"The Force has a will..." Luke Skywalker, the Unifying Force. Does the force truely have only one will, or is it two competing wills like God and Satan. The sheer complexity of the Star Wars universe and tales seems to advocate the second one. The Dark side is constantly portrayed as a seductive force, why can't it have a mind of its own?

 

The Star Wars universe seems to be full of such complexities and statements, hopefully we can straighten out some of them here.

 

My personal belief is that in Star Wars the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the force has not yet been fulfilled, and that if that is true Anakin Skywalker is either a bastard, or a creation of the force itself that can return in various reincarnations. Some of the very names of the Star Wars universe lend credence to this idea.

 

Ex: Emperor Palpatine

Now doesn't that look similar to Palpatable? Is it not possible then that Palpatine is an incarnation of the dark side of the force himself. It helps to explain why no one knows his true homeworld or ancestory.

 

It also enables the conflict between light and dark to transcend the original series and the EU and lay the groundwork for a whole new trilogy of conflict.

 

Now what do you think?

[Mad78]

An interessting idea. The balance of the force would be difficult to establish. there will always be somebody to unbalace it and some ont to balance it but what would the balance mean. That the universe would be in peace.

When the peace was signed with the Empire it was unbalaced but the Yuuzhan Vong arrived to rebalance. but then the unbalanced it... and so on.

 

BTW wasn't Palpatine originary from Naboo? I mean he does represent them in the senat.

[mawshiye]

Does the force truely have only one will, or is it two competing wills like God and Satan. The sheer complexity of the Star Wars universe and tales seems to advocate the second one. The Dark side is constantly portrayed as a seductive force, why can't it have a mind of its own?

 

The force would only have one will. You forget that there is no dark side of the force. The darkness only comes from the individual, not the force (if you dont belive me then read Traitor). Surely the force has a plan those with evil hearts and trys to keep them in balance, but I dont think that it would have two different minds. Everything would have to be a part of the force's plan, whatever that is, of course

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

mawshiye has pointed it out. Not only in Traitor, but in most of the later NJO books, it is stated that there is no "dark side" as such, but that the darkness ic created by the one who controls the power. Then again, this contradicts what is said in the movies, though I guess this could be a revelation that only occurs to the NJO Jedi.

 

As for Anakin Sr. being a bastard, well, Dooku is his father... I hope that didn't spoil anything for anyone.

[Trejiuvanat]

As for Anakin Sr. being a bastard, well, Dooku is his father... I hope that didn't spoil anything for anyone.

 

Where did you get that? Supposedly the Biblical concpetion was supposed to be kept for Episode III. (It says so in the 'Just the Facts' Section from TF.N).

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

I have a friend who tol me. guess that's not the most credible source (lets not see a spill over of that into this topic though ), but that's what I've heard. Could be, and probably is, wrong. The ramafications are interesting, though.

 

EDIT:

It's also a theory that fans have concoted, that I like. It would sort of complete the similarities between each film.

 

Ep I/IV: Young boy leaves home to join an ideological group (Anakin=Jedi, Luke=Rebellion). Ends up taking part in an epic space battle in which he single-handedly defeats the enemy. TPM, ANH, same number of words. Menace, Hope.

 

Ep II/V: Boy is strong-headed, thinks he is being held back, doesn't trust his master completely. Large battle in which the larger force crushes the underdog. Son confronts father for first time (doesn't know it) and looses a limb. The Empire Strikes Back, Attack of the Clones. Attack, Strikes.

 

Ep III/VI: Culmination of all things past. Battle of epic proportions that determines the fate of the government.Theoretical: son realizes/accepts father's identity. They fight in front of the Emperor. Where Luke refuses to give into his anger, Anakin has the death of his mother and other things to get him to kill Dooku. Anakin turns, but Luke didn't.Return of the Sith, Return of the Jedi.

 

Just some things that I thought were interesting.

Edited September 5, 2004 by Grand_Admiral_Thrawn

[Trejiuvanat]

I must say I really hated that biblical conception story. Even if Dooku being Vader's dad is still ridiculuous, I'd prefer it over the biblical story.

[Barkoa]

Ya, but how could Shmi not know about it? How could Dooku be the dad and no-one but him know?

[Stellar_Magic]

And if she did know, how could she lie to Qui-Gon's face. Of course Lucas would never think of that gapping hole in the plot.

 

As long as both good or evil triumph then the universe is out of balance. The 'will' expressed in the NJO seems to be of purely good nature, but if that were true where would the sheer power of Dark side users come from, why wouldn't they be cut off from the force itself?

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

Remember, Jedi have extraordinary powers when it comes to manipulating minds. A Dark Jedi could rip a memory from the mind of someone if they wished.

[Stellar_Magic]

Still if the force only had the same good leaning nature that is evident in the NJO, wouldn't those same Dark Jedi not be able to lift a rock let alone remove a memory? They're going against the force after all, and if it has a will, can't it refuse after all.

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

I'm not sure if a Jedi, Light or Dark, can go agains the will of the force. I think the ESB when Luke ran off to Cloud City he was going against the will of the Force.

I'm still not sure if the way Lucas portrayed the Force in the movies, as being light and dark, is the way things are, or if it is as the NJO books portray it, where the Force simply is, and the Jedi determines how the powers are used.

[Guest Scathane]

The parallel's between the episodes is interesting... Ihad never thought of it that way... And, indeed, it would be much, much better if Anakin had had a father...

[mawshiye]

those emotions make anyone stronger and would more likely allow them to draw upon the force more heavily than a light jedi who is acting without emotion.

 

I think the ESB when Luke ran off to Cloud City he was going against the will of the Force. I'm still not sure if the way Lucas portrayed the Force in the movies, as being light and dark, is the way things are, or if it is as the NJO books portray it, where the Force simply is, and the Jedi determines how the powers are used.

 

The way I see it, is that the force showed Luke only what he needed to see to get him to leave Yoda. It was showing him what would happen if he didnt leave his training.

 

I do not think that anyone can really go against the will of the force. It may seem like it, but really it is all part of the force's plan....If that makes any sense I think that the force is really how it is portrayed in the NJO. It seems to make more sense to me. If the force really had 2 sides, then how could it encompase all living things. Besides, a Jedi has to chose whether to be dark or light. The force doesnt chose for them.

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

I'm wondering if the Force really has a "will" of sorts. I know it's been said many times that it does, but perhaps its will is presented to Jedi more like a suggestion. The force can't revoke it's power from people who don't do it's bidding. Maybe the next series of books will expand on our knowledge of the Force.

[mawshiye]

I'm wondering if the Force really has a "will" of sorts. I know it's been said many times that it does, but perhaps its will is presented to Jedi more like a suggestion. The force can't revoke it's power from people who don't do it's bidding.

 

Now that's an interesting idea. It would explain the freedom of choice that exists in the Star Wars universe.

 

It also gives me an idea. What if the force does not seek any balance. The dark side and the light both are part of the force. If the book Traitor was right, then there is no difference between the light and dark within the force. If that was true, then the force would have no need for balancing. This need to balance the force would be little more than an excuse for the Jedi to hunt down the Sith and other dark jedi. This is, of course, not to say that hunting down dark jedi is bad, just that this idea to balance the force is just an idea, and that the need does not exist.

 

Maybe the next series of books will expand on our knowledge of the Force.

 

One can only hope

[Barkoa]

That's all very interesting.

 

I was thinking, if, by the explanation of Qui-Gon, that if the midi-chlorians are physical things, then why can't they, with all their technology, which is far more advanced than ours, inject or otherwise implant more for within creatures. We can do stuff like that these days. I know that was sort of started in the Heir to the Empire trilogy, but why wasn't it done more or better?

[mawshiye]

That's a good point. I guess it would be because of the problem of where you would get those extra midi-chlorians to implant. I dont think people would happily give up their connection to the force.

[Barkoa]

Surely you could breed them or synthetically reproduce them. For goodness sake the technology should be awesome!

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

Maybe that's how the Emperor became so powerful. He'd capture the most powerful jedi (well, build up to that) and remove the little guys from thier blood, then inplant them in his own, thus explaining why he was never identified as a Jedi candidate as a child.

[Barkoa]

Grand Admiral Thrawn wrote:

He'd capture the most powerful jedi

 

That sounds really easy. Why doesn't everyone just do it?

[Mad78]

I believe Midi-chlorians can reproduce. And i was wondering... If you did a transfussion from a jedi to a normal person. What would happen? would the person be able to feel the force?

[Guest Scathane]

In my humble opinion, you guys are taking this a bit far...

[Mad78]

You think?

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

There is one possibility that we haven't explored yet.

 

Remember, it was a prophecy that said balance would be brought to the force. Who made that prophecy? Probably a Jedi, right? Well, what Jedi see of the future is only one possibility, not set in stone. So, maybe balance won't be broughtto the Force?