The ability known as Dark transfer, which Darth Krayt termed a Dark Transfer of Energy, represented a Force power enabling a user to rescue others from the verge of death or resurrect the deceased. This was achieved by harnessing the dark side for healing purposes. A prominent example is Cade Skywalker, who instinctively employed this ability without formal training. Darth Krayt mastered this technique and successfully resurrected himself after his own demise.
As a Force power, dark transfer allowed the user to heal individuals teetering on the edge of death, or, when maximized, to revive those already deceased. This was accomplished through the dark side, channeling the Force to manipulate shatterpoints. Some Jedi considered healing through this method as an imposition of one's will, defying the Force's natural course. When utilizing the dark side for healing, the user would exhibit arcs of Force lightning around them, concentrated around their hands. This same lightning could be directed at flaws in an object or person, serving to destroy the target.
Cade Skywalker, a Jedi learner, is one example of an individual who spontaneously manifested this ability, rather than learning it. His initial instinctive use of his healing powers occurred when his Jedi Master, Wolf Sazen, was critically injured following a duel with Darth Nihl. Skywalker tapped into his rage and fear, drawing upon the dark side to prevent death. When healing via dark transfer, the user perceived wounds or weaknesses as fractured red lines. By directing the Force into the intersections of these lines, the shatterpoints could be mended. However, the perception of these points could also be exploited to inflict harm when combined with Force lightning. The extent of damage to a body directly correlated with the difficulty of healing the target.
Lord Murr discovered this technique during his lifetime, which consequently meant that Celeste Morne also possessed the knowledge of how to apply the Force in this manner.
Around 137 ABY, Marasiah Fel was killed by Darth Nihl on Vendaxa while intercepting a lightsaber strike meant for Cade Skywalker, who was paralyzed by memories of the massacre at Ossus. Overruling Sazen's objections, Skywalker drew upon the dark side and resurrected Fel.
Darth Krayt imprisoned Skywalker with the goal of curing the Yuuzhan Vong affliction that was slowly killing him. Initially, Krayt tested Skywalker's healing abilities; Skywalker purged himself of lethal doses of ixetal cilona, but stated he could only heal himself. Krayt then presented Skywalker's crewmates, Deliah Blue and Jariah Syn, who were infected with deadly coral seeds by Darth Maladi. Despite never having healed two individuals simultaneously, Skywalker saved both his friends from the seeds. Skywalker then used his abilities to injure Darth Talon with lightning after she disrespected Krayt. After Skywalker accepted Krayt's offer to teach him how to use anger for power, he was ordered to heal the damage he had inflicted on Talon.
Celeste Morne's rakghouls infected Skywalker and Azlyn Rae with the rakghoul plague, a disease only known to be curable with rakghoul serum. Morne's remark that it was similar to a virus inspired Skywalker to successfully heal himself and Rae. Muur was surprised by this successful healing as he observed what his "host" witnessed.
Morne had possessed the Muur Talisman for many years and was gradually losing control to the spirit of Karness Muur within her. Muur, one of the first Dark Lords of the Sith, was skilled in dark side healing during his life, and he had preserved his own essence in the talisman. Using Morne's body, Muur contacted Krayt and offered to heal his Yuuzhan Vong infection, as part of Skywalker and Morne's plot to lure Krayt to his death. Darth Wyyrlok confirmed to Krayt that the ancient Sith was rumored to know the art of dark side healing. At the meeting of the two dark lords, Muur began to heal Krayt; during this process, Krayt gained an initial understanding of how to use the ability.
After Morne's Force lightning fatally wounded Azlyn Rae, Skywalker ignored her wish to die and forcefully sustained her life through dark transfer. He brought her to Droo Rawk, a Force healer married to Skywalker's uncle, Nat Skywalker, then known as "Bantha" Rawk. Cade secured the help of his uncle and aunt by falsely claiming Rae wanted to live.
Cade Skywalker initially believed his healing ability was exclusive to the dark side. The Force ghost of his ancestor Luke Skywalker and Sazen urged the young man to find inner peace, enabling him to heal with the light side instead of the dark. When Cade attempted to use the power as before to save Blue from the Embrace of Pain, he repeatedly failed, causing her more pain. Sazen encouraged Skywalker to trust in the Force and the power of the light side to heal Blue instead of persisting with the dark side. Skywalker succeeded, using the light side instead of dark transfer to heal his mother, Morrigan Corde, after she was poisoned.
Despite Krayt's murder by Darth Wyrrlok, Krayt informed Skywalker that his experience with death had taught him how to use dark transfer for both healing and killing; Krayt had resurrected himself from his own death. The Sith lord believed Skywalker would grasp his vision for the One Sith by experiencing the same death and self-revival. Consequently, Krayt killed Cade Skywalker and resurrected him, showing him a vision of a darkly glorious future of dark side supremacy if Cade submitted. Skywalker rejected this ideal and used the opportunity to finally defeat Krayt while the emperor was distracted. However, Krayt's Force ghost transcended his physical form and taunted Skywalker, saying that he would either resurrect himself again or claim Skywalker's body through transfer essence, learned from Darth Andeddu and Karness Muur. Skywalker prevented Krayt from using either power by sending the Sith's corpse into Coruscant's sun.