Force-bond

A Force-bond was a powerful connection between two Force-sensitive individuals that bridged their minds, allowing them to communicate through the Force both visually and emotionally. The range of the bond was vast; it could span the galaxy, keeping two beings united in a psychic link despite the physical distance between them. As a result, both parties would manifest in each other's location at the same time, making it possible for them to see, hear and feel each other through their bond. In the rare occurrence of a Force dyad, they were even capable of physical contact, therefore bridging the actual distance between them. The strength of the bond was determined by the level of their Force-sensitivity; the stronger they were in the Force, then the greater their bond became. In some cases, a bond or psychic link could cause at least one of the affected parties to suffer from aural and visual hallucinations.

Though the Jedi Luke Skywalker came to personally view them as an ability of the dark side of the Force, Force-bonds were a neutral phenomenon that could exist between any kind of Force-user. Jedi, for example, often developed bonds between teacher and student. Avar Kriss of the High Republic Era was able to strengthen and draw on the power of Force-bonds to allow for feats impossible to be accomplished by a single Jedi.

The creation of a lightsaber, the most visible symbol of the Jedi Order, required a kyber crystal that was bonded to a Force-sensitive individual. Kyber crystals were rare gems that emitted a distinct presence in the Force; the Jedi sought out their own unique crystals and developed a Force connection with them in order to craft a lightsaber. The Force-bonded crystal's energy was unleashed by the lightsaber's energy cell.

Dark-side wielders could create secret bonds with others who were unaware of their connection, making it easier to corrupt the target and influence their judgment. Even if the unwanted bond was detected, it was extremely difficult to break.

Though seemingly harmless and even advantageous, a bond could be used by a Sith Lord to manipulate the Force visions of a selected target through the use of a Force power known as a dark illusion. An ancient dark side ritual was required in order to harness the dark illusion. First, the practitioner had to draw blood from the person whom the target shared a bond with, compounded with an array of Force lightning in a sacrificial altar basin. At this stage of the ritual, the practitioner would chant an old Sith incantation in the Balc language while the bonded one concentrated on their bond with the intended victim. Once the ritual was complete, the Sith Lord would be able to peer into the mind of his target while controlling their visions to an extent.

It was also possible for a Force-sensitive person to manipulate a bond that already existed between other Force-sensitives. A master of the Force could use their own power to bridge the minds of the bonded persons, allowing them to see, hear and touch each other regardless of the physical distance between them. However, they could also become connected by the Force itself, without the outside party's direct manipulation.

Certain Force-based rituals could result in the creation of a psychic connection between two Force-sensitives, such as the fusion of two holocrons. In order to combine a Jedi holocron with a Sith holocron, the ritual required a light-side user and a wielder of the dark side to work together. If the process was interrupted, the participants could become mentally linked with each other.

A Jedi Master in the High Republic Era, Avar Kriss held a rare ability amongst the Jedi Order by being able to strengthen the natural bonds between Force-sensitives. She could then form these bonds into a Force network; though the Jedi could not speak to each other through this state, they could share emotional feelings, allowing them a form of communication. The Jedi in the network could "feel" each other in the back of their minds. Kriss used her ability to great effect during the Great Hyperspace Disaster and the Battle of Kur.

Before turning to the dark side, Count Dooku—later known as Darth Tyranus during his apprenticeship to the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious—was a Jedi Master who developed a strong Force-bond with Yoda, the Grand Master who mentored him in the Jedi arts. During the Clone Wars, Sidious detected Yoda's presence on the Sith homeworld of Moraband. Determined to learn the purpose of Yoda's visit, the Dark Lord also sensed an opportunity to strike a crippling blow to the Order by breaking the will of its oldest and wisest Jedi Master. At the time, the Jedi High Council was uncertain if a Force user could be compromised by their bond with another being. Ki-Adi-Mundi suspected that it was possible, although his conjecture was doubted by Obi-Wan Kenobi, who did not believe that a Jedi Master of Yoda's caliber could be affected by the dark side.

In order to affect Yoda's visions, Sidious required the assistance of someone who was once close to his intended target. To that end, he summoned Tyranus to Coruscant where they performed an old Sith ritual that enabled them to harness the power of dark illusion. By using Tyranus' Force-bond with Yoda, Sidious manufactured a Force vision designed to tempt Yoda with the dark side of the Force, resulting in a battle of wills between the Dark Lord and the Grand Master. Sidious' efforts to break Yoda's spirit ultimately failed, however. Yoda was strong, as noted by Sidious, and refused to be tempted by the dark side.

At the height of the Galactic Empire, Maul—a former Sith apprentice of Darth Sidious—sought the Jedi Ezra Bridger's assistance in his quest to learn the fate of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi Master who defeated Maul during the crisis on Naboo. Having captured the young Padawan's allies, Maul was able to coerce Bridger's participation in a ritual involving the fusion of two holocrons, and thereby discovered that Kenobi had indeed survived the Great Jedi Purge of Order 66. However, a psychic link was also established between Maul and Bridger as a result of the ritual.

Their newfound bond led Bridger to experience a series of aural hallucinations and Force visions relating to Maul; at one point on Atollon, he nearly killed a Rebel trooper whom he mistook for the Dathomirian. After the incident, Bridger's Jedi Master, Kanan Jarrus brought him to the Bendu, hoping to find a way to end the hallucinations that plagued his apprentice. By then, Maul had tracked their position and threatened to reveal the location of Chopper Base to the Empire unless Bridger agreed to finish the ritual on Dathomir. Bridger complied with the dark-side wielder's demands, both to ensure Maul's silence and to discover the key to destroying the Sith. Maul created a potion that merged their minds together, renewing their Force-bond. By finishing the ritual, Maul learned that Kenobi was on Tatooine, but was unable to find his exact location in the planet's vast desert. He therefore used his connection with Bridger to lure the Padawan to Tatooine in order to draw his old nemesis out of hiding. Though he managed to find Kenobi with Bridger's unwitting aid, Kenobi ultimately defeated Maul in single combat to the death.

A prophesied dyad in the Force was realized through the pairing of Kylo Ren and Rey, Darth Vader's grandson and Darth Sidious' granddaughter, respectively. Ren and Rey both possessed raw strength with the Force, and after the destruction of Starkiller Base, they discovered a mysterious connection that intractably bridged their minds. The bond allowed them to see and hear each other across millions of light-years, with Ren located on the First Order Navy flagship Supremacy and the latter on the planet Ahch-To. Their bond continued to grow stronger as Rey's powers increased, leading Ren to become mystified by the connection between them.

At first, Rey regarded their bond as an unwelcome development due to the series of Force visions that she shared with Ren, whom she begrudged for the murder of Han Solo, Ren's father. However, she was surprised to see that Ren, whose emotional state was further affected by their bond, and no longer tried to hide his hurt and pain from her. As time passed, Ren and Rey began to connect on a more intimate level, allowing her to sense his inner conflict and misery that caused him so much pain. Their connection was unprecedented in its raw power, and gave Rey insights into Ren that not even Luke Skywalker could see. As their connection grew stronger, Rey grew certain that their destinies were intertwined.

Rey's inability to remember her parents led her to confide in Ren, who understood her feelings of isolation and abandonment. They assured each other that they were not alone, after which Rey reached to touch Ren's hand even though she expected that they would simply pass through each other while connected in the Force. Rey was surprised to discover that they could touch hands, during which they each experienced a Force vision. Rey's vision was of the future in which Ren turned back to the light side as Ben Solo, leading her to believe that his turn from the dark side could be the catalyst for shifting the tide of the conflict in the Resistance's favor. Ren's vision was of Rey's past in which he discovered the identities of her parents. As a result, Ren was convinced that Rey would willingly join him on the dark side after he revealed the truth about her past. Confident that her premonition would come to pass, Rey left Skywalker on Ahch-To to find Ren, believing that she could help him return to the light. Although their bond provided Rey with insights into Ren that Skywalker did not perceive, Skywalker was unconvinced that his nephew could be saved. As such, Rey believed that the galaxy's last hope was Solo instead of Skywalker.

Rey confronted Ren on the Supremacy where she told him about the vision that she experienced during their last connection. Nevertheless, Ren brought her to the throne room of his master, Supreme Leader Snoke, who claimed that he had "bridged their minds" in a plot to use Ren's emotional conflict to lure Rey into a trap. Snoke accomplished his plan by manipulating Ren's insecurity to his advantage, knowing he could not hide his conflict from Rey, who could not pass up the chance to redeem the former Ben Solo. He encouraged Ren to complete his training in the dark side by executing Rey, only to be betrayed and killed by his own apprentice instead. Ren and Rey then stood with each other against Snoke's Elite Praetorian Guards, and as they fought together their bond grew stronger with their abilities mirroring and amplifying one other.

Their alliance was short-lived as Ren chose to take Snoke's place in spite of Rey's efforts to turn him to the light. However, he also intended to have Rey join him as rulers of a new galactic order. Therefore, Ren revealed the truth about Rey's lineage by telling her that her parents were mere junk traders who sold their daughter for money. He suspected that Rey suppressed the memory as a child, but had always known the truth on a subconscious level. Although Rey was tempted to accept Ren's offer, she instead returned to the Resistance and continued her training as a Jedi, leaving Ren to lead the First Order alone as the new Supreme Leader. In the aftermath of the Battle of Crait, Ren and Rey briefly reconnected with each other through their Force-bond, although by then Ren sensed that Rey felt neither hatred nor compassion for him.

By the last days of the First Order-Resistance War, the bond between Ren and Rey became so strong that they were capable of transferring physical objects through the Force to each other's location. On one occasion, Ren found his glove wet from rain due to Rey's location on Ahch-To. Ren used his connection with Rey to locate her on multiple occasions, first when he seized Rey's husk necklace that she acquired on Pasaana, and later when their connection transported Darth Vader's mask from the Steadfast to Kijimi. They were also capable of fighting each other through their bond despite being in separate locations. Ren, who was unaware at first of the cause behind their bond, discovered that they were a dyad in the Force, which he described as two beings who were one. Rey learned of their nature as dyad from Ren, who believed that it would cause her to join him, but Rey remained committed to the Resistance's cause.

Their final duel ended with Ren rejecting the dark side and fighting alongside Rey as Ben Solo during the Battle of Exegol. Armed with only a blaster, Solo was initially overpowered by his former followers, the Knights of Ren, but after sensing his presence in the Force, Rey used their bond to transfer the Skywalker lightsaber to Solo. Rey and Solo dispatched their remaining opponents before standing together as Jedi against Darth Sidious, who, upon discovering their nature as a dyad, drained the life force of their bond to heal the cloned body that served as a vessel for his essence. In spite of his increased power, Sidious was ultimately destroyed on Exegol but the battle also resulted in Rey's death. Solo therefore transferred his life force to Rey, sacrificing his life to revive her. Before Solo's death, he and Rey shared a kiss in acknowledgment of the bond that they shared as a dyad.

The Force power known as "Force-bond" was first mentioned in "Voices," the eleventh episode of The Lost Missions, which was released as the sixth season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series in March 2014. Force-bond was first identified by name in the "Sacrifice" episode gallery on StarWars.com.

It later appeared in the 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. But it was first properly identified in the 2017 film Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, the second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, directed by Rian Johnson, in which Kylo Ren and Rey experience a powerful connection with each other.

According to Johnson, Ren and Rey's Force-bond in The Last Jedi was a storytelling device to allow them to speak to each other. If they met face to face, they were either going to fight or one of them would have to be tied up. Their Force sessions became a way to get Rey to go from hating Kylo Ren to actually engaging with him.

Rey and Kylo's Force-bond reappears in the 2019 film Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker and is revealed to be a Force dyad. Chris Terrio, writer of The Rise of Skywalker, states that Kylo Ren and Rey's unique Force-bond is the Force acting as fate to bring them together. Their bond is the equivalent as being soulmates in the Force, in which even if they are enemies on different sides of the war, they are able to understand each other because of their connection.

In the novel The High Republic: Convergence, Jedi Knight Gella Nattai is described as forming "a tether she had not yet understood was forming," but could not afford to yet sever, with Axel Greylark. Through their connection, Nattai heard the man call her name, but she was unsure if he consciously knew he was leading her to him. As she grew closer, she realized he was thinking her name so forcefully she could sense it. In truth, Greylark knew she would find him as part of his plot to destroy Erami poison.

• Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary
• Star Wars Lightsabers: A Guide to Weapons of the Force
• Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
• Star Wars: The Secrets of the Jedi
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary
• Star Wars: The Secrets of the Sith