Force lightning
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- "Young fool. Only now, at the end, do you understand."
- ―Emperor Palpatine to Luke Skywalker[src]
Force lightning was a well known Force ability associated with the dark side of the Force.
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[edit] Description
- "Some possess raw elemental power; they can unleash storms of lightning from their fingertips..."
- ―Darth Bane[src]
Force lightning was a purely energy-based attack used by practitioners of the dark side, especially the Sith. Because of this association, the ability was commonly referred to as Sith lightning. The attack channeled Force energy down the user's limbs, hurling arcing bolts of electricity from the wielder's fingertips or palms; Force lightning could be executed with either one or two hands.[1][2] Powerful discharges would branch out into dozens of smaller forks; thus, skilled practitioners could target several foes at once.[3]
It was also widely used as a form of torture, as it caused not only severe physical damage but also unbearable agony to the victim's emotions and spirit.[2] However, a single powerful blast may have been sufficient to kill a person instantly. Darth Bane's lightning would often electrocute his opponents to death on contact and Palpatine in 11 ABY, killed Rayf Ysanna with a single blast of lightning on Onderon.[4] Seven years before, he kept assaulting Luke Skywalker with the lightning for so long, applying it with a non-killing intensity in order to maximize Luke's suffering, tormenting the last of the Jedi to slow death for his own pleasure, the fact that Luke survived the ordeal at all is quite amazing.[2]
The intensity varied based on a number of factors, but a skilled user could render a target unconscious with only a short burst. Depending on the level of intensity, Force lightning could ground itself on an ignited lightsaber.[5] Powerful light-siders were sometimes able to resist the attack, or even block the lightning completely. Mace Windu, with his lightsaber combat form Vaapad, could reflect the lightning back to its source with a "superconducting loop". Nevertheless, a sufficiently powerful Force-user could overpower the defenses afforded by a lightsaber, as seen when Darth Sidious blasted Grand Master Yoda's lightsaber right out of his hand during their duel in the Grand Convocation Chamber. Force lightning could also be absorbed and redirected by a Jedi of sufficient skill; Yoda demonstrated this ability by both deflecting and absorbing the dark power during battles with Count Dooku and Emperor Palpatine, using nothing more than his own two hands.[5] Luke Skywalker attempted this, and succeed for a short amount of time, before the Emperor's attack overwhelmed him. [6]
There existed an advanced version of Force lightning which may have been used by Revan and the Jedi Exile in the Jedi Civil War. Its destructive potential was legendary; the apocalyptic power was known as Force Storm.[7][8]
- "Using the Force as a weapon is a sticky issue. Many Jedi feel it leads to the dark side. My experience has taught me that it's lack of discipline that leads a Jedi astray."
- ―Vrook Lamar[src]
Some Jedi refused to dismiss the natural power of this ability, even though the Jedi Council forbade its use. There have been several cases of usage among Jedi. Plo Koon used this ability before joining the Jedi Council. This incident occurred in an apartment building on Mettellos. Plo Koon was tracking a criminal named Pommel, who had taken a hostage. Koon used Force lightning to subdue the criminal and knock him out, yet claimed to have no plans to experiment with it in the future. Other Jedi users of this power have been Kyle Katarn, Jaina Solo, Jacen Solo, and a well-known practitioner of its variant Electric Judgement, Luke Skywalker. For unknown reasons, Force lightning (together with its various variants, such as Electric Judgment) was the only known Force power able to affect the Force-immune alien Yuuzhan Vong.[9]
[edit] Effect of Force lightning
- "The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed. But, I assure you, my resolve has never been stronger!"
- ―Palpatine[src]
Though the short-term effects of Force lightning are obvious, the sheer power invoked by its use could have insidious long-term effects, both on those subjected to its power and those who would wield it.
Prolonged exposure to intense electrical fields (such as a sustained current of Force lightning) caused most humanoids to experience sudden and massive calcification of their skeletal system; the abrupt drop in blood minerals provoked muscular microseizures all over the victim's body. Telltale symptoms included generalized muscle aches and double vision. A blood test or bioscan could be used to confirm the diagnosis. Unless the victim received complete bed rest and appropriate medical treatment, the disorder would become chronic, lingering for years (barring timely bacta immersion). A textbook case is found in Luke Skywalker, who was diagnosed with the disorder by 2-1B and was confined to a hoverchair for his trip to Bakura during the Ssi-Ruuk invasion, mere days after his near-fatal encounter with Palpatine.[10]
It is thought that very intense use of Force lightning could drain the user physically, and possibly result in severe facial and body deformations. Some consider the deformities Palpatine displayed after unleashing a barrage of Force lightning on Mace Windu, only to have it reflected back upon him by the Jedi Master's lightsaber, to be examples of such.[source?]
When Anakin Skywalker redeemed himself and seized the Emperor, hurling him away from his son, his life support circuitry was critically damaged, leaving him a heavy and lifeless quadriplegic.[source?] The electrical output was probably multiplied exponentially by the shock of the former Sith Lord's assault against his master, and the lightning made very short work of Anakin's systems. Because Force lightning required a living conduit for the energy to be channeled, Vader was never able to employ this power, as all his limbs were prosthetics.[11] Luke was able to wield Force lightning, or its variants, with his left hand, as his right was a prosthetic.
Besides draining the user's energy, Force lightning had the added drawback of occasionally charring the hand of the person who used it. When Jacen Solo flew into a rage underneath the ruins of the Jedi Temple on Yuuzhan'tar and attacked his Yuuzhan Vong pursuers with Force lightning, he later found that the blasts had burned charred holes in his palm. However, unlike other users of Force lightning, Jacen was untested with the ability, and it is possible that Force users more experienced with the technique can prevent this. It is also possible that the sheer intensity with which Jacen lashed out at his attackers caused the power to exceed his capacity to restrain it, which might also explain his sudden subsequent unconsciousness.[12]
Very powerful blasts of Force lightning can highlight and illuminate the victim's skeleton, as shown with Mace Windu, Asajj Ventress and Darth Vader.[2][5]
[edit] Force lightning users
Though a powerful Sith Lord, Darth Vader's usage of Force lightning was suppressed, due to the prosthetic arm he had fitted to replace a hand lost in battle with Count Dooku, and after the disastrous confrontation on Mustafar (although his trademark use of Force Choke more than compensated for this lack). Vader could not channel lightning through his body for fear of damaging his cybernetic implants, and also meant he became much more vulnerable to the effects of Force lightning. This vulnerability would eventually contribute to his death. Although there is one case where Darth Vader did use sith lightning. When Darth Vader was in close proximity to the presence of the Kaiburr Crystal on Circarpous V, the amplification effects of the Force caused the Dark Lord's affinity with the dark side of the Force to expand even greater. As a result, the crystal granted Vader the ability to cast Force lightning, normally impossible due to Vader's bionic limbs and life-support systems.
Emperor Palpatine was master of the technique. He used Force lightning to punish Luke Skywalker for his refusal to join him, beginning with an agonizing but non-lethal quantity and working his way gradually upwards toward lethality. When Darth Vader turned on the Emperor, Palpatine used the lightning at a much higher intensity, yet Vader was still able to endure it long enough to hurl his master into the second Death Star's reactor shaft.[2] It is also possible that although the lightning crippled Vader's suit, it also protected him like armor from any bodily harm caused by the electrical flow. Much later, he used it to kill Rayf Ysanna and mortally wound Empatojayos Brand during a confrontation on Onderon.
- "Much to learn you still have."
- ―Yoda to Dooku, after dispelling Force lightning energy[src]
Darth Tyranus used the technique to incapacitate Anakin Skywalker during the Battle of Geonosis. He also attempted the technique on Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was able to block it with his lightsaber, and Master Yoda, who managed to reflect and dispel the energy with his bare hands. In addition, Tyranus utilized this power to stabilize the heartbeat of General Grievous after the Kaleesh's body was mangled in a shuttle crash.[13]
Darth Malak used Force lightning as a means of torture to turn Bastila Shan to the dark side. It was intended to give her a "taste" of the dark side's power.[7]
Jorak Uln, the headmaster of the Sith Academy on Korriban who hid in the Valley of the Dark Lords during the Jedi Civil War, would sometimes kidnap and torture Sith students. One of his favorite games was testing his captives on Sith philosophy, punishing their failure with Force lightning, often until they were killed.[7]
Force lightning was not restricted to dark-siders. Jedi and other light-siders who were strong of will and character could learn this power without falling to the dark side—but its use was always viewed as inherently corrupting, and shunned by most Jedi. Force lightning was a purely offensive power, but it could be used in ways other than destroying one's opponent. Some members of the New Jedi Order used Force lightning, but it remained very controversial among most members. Another, non-lethal form of Force lightning (termed 'Electric Judgment' by notable wielder Plo Koon and referred to colloquially as 'emerald lightning') was occasionally employed, but its use was rare, demanding, and difficult to master.
Other Force-sensitives known to have used the power or its variants include:
[edit] Variants of Force lightning
- "Power! Unlimited power!"
- ―Darth Sidious[src]
[edit] Force Shock
Force Shock was a Force power that allowed the user to create an energy spark that would track and damage the nearest enemy. The shock could be thrown at an opponent to stun and injure them, or could be set loose to track an opponent until it dissipates. The shock would not last more than five seconds or so before disappearing into a tiny burst of heat, but it was a useful technique for Sith apprentices.
[edit] Force Storm
Force Storm was a Force lightning variant. The user would raise his palm upward and would create, through the Force, an explosion of electrical energy directed at all foes in the vicinity. It was used by both the Sith and Dark Jedi during the Jedi Civil War.
Unlike the Force lightning, Force Storm was not limited to attacking enemies in one direction, as it affected all foes within a certain radius from the user. Revan and the Jedi Exile may have been masters of this particular power. Darth Bane was also a notable user of this power, being able to call upon a nearly uncontrollable Force Storm shortly after having been taught the basics of Force Lightning by Githany, who herself had only learnt the power the same day from Qordis.
[edit] Chain Lightning
Chain Lightning was a variation of Force lightning with the difference being that the lightning was able to strike one person and then move to another or several others. As it was more powerful than the standard lightning, it required a greater amount of discipline and concentration to project and sustain the stream of lightning. The only confirmed user is the Force apparition known as Dark Mara.
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Sources
- Tales of the Jedi Companion
"Death Star II Limited" - Star Wars Customizable Card Game (Card: Force Lightning)
[edit] Notes and references
