Force-sensitive

The Force was a pervasive and enigmatic energy field present within all living beings, both sentient and non-sentient, that interconnected the galaxy and the broader universe. While the Force resided in all life, only a select few possessed the innate capacity to perceive its power. Ahsoka Tano, a former Padawan, drew a parallel between natural Force-sensitivity and "talent." Those with this sensitivity were categorized as Force-sensitives, Force-users, or Force Adepts. These terms encompassed practitioners of the dark side of the Force, including the Sith and the Inquisitorius, who were also specifically referred to as "dark side adepts."

Without proper training, knowledge, or belief, a Force-sensitive's connection to the Force would remain latent. Rey's Force abilities did not manifest until her nineteenth [year](/article/standard_year]. Despite her lack of formal training, Rey's Force potential rivaled that of Kylo Ren, formerly Ben Solo, and their unique Force-bond enabled her to assimilate some of his Jedi training, granting her the ability to perform techniques like telekinesis and mind trick. Force-sensitives could be found across diverse species, spanning humans and humanoids to various non-human aliens. The known members of Yoda's species, including Grogu, Jedi Master Yaddle, and Grand Master Yoda himself, exhibited Force-sensitivity.

The strength of an individual's Force connection, prior to any training, was indicated by the presence of midi-chlorians. These microscopic organisms resided within the cells of all lifeforms, and a higher count at birth correlated with greater potential for Force development. Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One born of a mother without a father, possessed the highest midi-chlorian count of his era, exceeding even Yoda and all Jedi at over twenty thousand. Although the Sith Lord Darth Vader wielded immense power, his reconstruction left him more machine than organic, weakening his connection to the Force, which flowed through living beings.

Unlike ordinary beings, Force-sensitives could tap into the Force's flow and access its power, granting them extraordinary abilities. This was a natural consequence of the Force flowing through them. The Path of the Open Hand cult accused Force users like the Jedi of "enslaving" the Force and using it unnaturally, branding Force-sensitives as "Force abusers" and "Force killers." However, Jedi Master Char-Ryl-Roy refuted this perspective, arguing that denying one's connection to the Force, which flowed through all lifeforms, was the truly unnatural act. The degree of Force-sensitivity determined the ability to harness the Force's powers. The Archivist had a slight Force-sensitivity, allowing her to sense the Force but not to wield it. Even among those who could use the Force, there were varying levels of sensitivity. For instance, the sisters Elecia Zeveron and Oliviah Zeveron were both Force users by birth, but Oliviah's connection was naturally stronger. Elecia remained bitter towards the Jedi, believing she should have been chosen over Oliviah, as her connection to the Force remained weak into adulthood.

However, history has shown that individuals without a strong initial connection to the Force could still develop their skills over time, as the Force resided in all living beings. Lyr Farseeker, despite limited Force-sensitivity, joined the Jedi Order and became a Jedi Master, authoring significant texts. When Lohim Nara expressed his desire to join the Jedi Order despite not being Force-sensitive, Grand Master Yoda encouraged him to study Farseeker and emphasized that the Force alone did not make a Jedi, but rather the boy's own determination. Although too old to begin training as a Jedi Knight, Yoda offered him the position of Temple guardian. Sabine Wren, despite having less Force-sensitivity than any Jedi Padawan, received training from Force-Sensitive Outcast and former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, who believed Wren could connect to and harness the Force.

Tano argued that while the Force resided in all beings, "talent" influenced sensitivity. She insisted that Wren, despite lacking natural Force abilities, could attune herself to the Force through training and focus. Wren questioned why not everyone used the Force if all were connected, but Tano maintained that mastering the Force required discipline, a quality few possessed. Similarly, Luke Skywalker believed that no one was inherently "stronger" in the Force. When his apprentice Voe expressed frustration at his nephew Ben Solo's natural affinity, Skywalker likened the Force to a stream and Voe to a door: the wider she opened herself, the easier the Force would flow. While some, like Solo, might start with a more open "door," Skywalker assured her she could expand her own, just as any door could be widened.

Non-Force-sensitive members of the Path of the Open Hand traveled to Planet X, a living world concealed by "the Veil" in Wild Space. The Path sought the Nameless, creatures that consumed the Living Force and could be used against the Jedi. On the planet, the individuals suddenly gained the ability to sense the Force. Two team members, Shea Ganandra and Bokana Koss, even developed Force powers. However, Calar, a Force-sensitive member, pleaded for them to abandon the mission, foreseeing dire consequences after passing through the Veil. The Veil targeted Force-sensitives to prevent landings on Planet X, and Calar attempted to exploit this to sabotage the expedition until he was killed by Radicaz Dobbs. Koss had a similar vision, warning of a "blight" that would attempt to "chain" and kill the Force. Koss died during the escape, but Ganandra escaped Planet X, only to lose her Force powers.

In the case of the Chiss, some Force-sensitives lost their abilities despite training and discipline. Chiss navigators universally lost their Force powers before adulthood, with a single exception. This mirrored how those with a natural affinity could lose their powers if they did not train. Upon learning that the Little Utalir was Force-sensitive, Yana Ro wondered if her Force-sensitivity would develop or remain dormant. Alternatively, one could attempt to suppress their connection to the Force. However, Enya Keen realized that pushing away the Force was another form of using it. When she encountered Binnot Ullo, she sensed a disturbance and discovered it was his efforts to suppress the Force. Finally, it was possible, especially for skilled Force users, to completely sever their connection to the Force as an act of exile.

The offspring of Force-sensitives could inherit their powers, although Skywalker clarified that this only made it easier to connect to the Force, and anyone could achieve the same level through dedication. The twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa were second-generation Force-sensitives through their father, Anakin Skywalker. Ben Solo, Organa's son, was a third-generation Force-sensitive in the Skywalker family. Due to his lineage, Solo possessed immense raw strength and limitless potential. Apart from the Skywalkers, Rey inherited the power of her paternal grandfather, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious.

The Force's origins can be traced back to a mystical world thought to be the homeworld of the midi-chlorians. The midi-chlorians facilitated the flow of energy from the Living Force into the Cosmic Force, which possessed its own will. These microorganisms existed in symbiosis with all lifeforms, especially Force-sensitives, who could harness the Force's powers through them. A group of ancient entities, the Force Priestesses, inhabited this world, embodying the connection between the Living Force and the timeless Cosmic Force.

While the Force permeated the universe, "vergences" or nexus points amplified its energy and effects. Mortis, a legendary realm, served as one such vergence, home to the Ones: the Daughter, representing the light side of the Force; the Son, representing the dark side; and the Father, who maintained balance between them.

Before the Jedi and Sith, the ancient Zeffo civilization revered the Force, calling it the "Life Wind." Force-sensitive members of this race became known as sages. The Tomb of Eilram, the earliest Zeffo site on their homeworld, was initially a proving ground for Force-sensitive Zeffo, but later honored their remains, especially Sage Eilram. Above all, it was built to honor the Life Wind. The Tomb of Miktrull also existed on this world; Sage Miktrull was a legendary and powerful Force wielder, venerated for his power, and his tomb served as a temple to his pride.

As the Zeffo explored beyond their home system, they erected monuments to the Life Wind on planets in the Outer Rim Territories. Bogano was one such planet, where they constructed the Vault, filled with offerings to the Life Wind. After contacting the Wookiees of Kashyyyk, they placed an Astrium, a key to perceiving the mysteries of the vault on Bogano, atop the sacred Origin Tree.

The Zeffo also possessed knowledge of the dark side. Sage Kujet, a ruthless authoritarian, harnessed the dark side's power. His palace, the Tomb of Kujet, was located on Dathomir. Kujet's legacy was marked by his destruction of the Astriums and the lives of those who opposed him, including members of his own species who rebelled.

The Zeffo sages foresaw their civilization's destruction, believing it was a consequence of sacrificing balance for power and control. After the Zeffo's demise, their history was largely forgotten by modern galactic civilization.

At its peak, the Jedi Order served as the guardians of peace and justice for the Galactic Republic. Guided by the Jedi Code, a philosophy emphasizing peace and calmness, and utilizing the light side of the Force for knowledge and defense, the Jedi rejected the dark side and the emotions that fueled it. They emphasized detachment and avoiding emotional attachments. Jedi seekers were tasked with finding Force-sensitive infants and bringing them to Jedi temples, where they learned the ways of the Force alongside other Jedi younglings.

However, not all ancient Jedi embraced the Code. A schism divided the Order, leading to the creation of the Sith, fallen Jedi who turned to the dark side, forming a cult that sought power and domination. This philosophical dispute escalated into open war between the Jedi and Sith, disrupting galactic civilization and devastating entire star systems. After millennia of conflict, the Jedi triumphed, ushering in the Great Peace and becoming peacekeepers and negotiators for the Republic in place of a standing military.

The Jedi identified Force-sensitive younglings and brought them to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The Dagoyan Order, another group of Force mystics, opposed the Jedi Order's efforts to recruit Force-sensitive Bardottan children, viewing it as a violation of their homeworld of Bardotta's sovereignty. Although the Jedi returned the children, the incident sparked centuries of anti-Jedi sentiment. Like the Jedi, the Dagoyan Masters had a strong connection to the Force, but their connection was more passive. Rising to power in the Bardottan government, the Dagoyan Order outlawed the Frangawl Cult for their devotion to the dark side. During the High Republic Era, the Jedi expanded their activities and partnered with other Force religions on the moon of Jedha.

Beyond collaborating with groups such as the Sorcerers of Tund and the Church of the Force as part of Jedha's ruling convocation, which aimed to bring together diverse viewpoints for discussions about the Force, the Jedi also relocated orphaned children, who were too old for Jedi training, to Jedha. These children were then adopted by other Force-based organizations. Groups aligned with the dark side were excluded from participating in the Convocation of the Force. During the Republic's expansion in the High Republic Era, the Jedi encountered the Path of the Open Hand cult on the planet Dalna. This cult falsely advocated for the "liberation" of the Force from any use. While Force-sensitive individuals were permitted to join the Path, they were compelled to suppress their inherent connection to the Force to adhere to the Path's core tenets. Under the direction of its leader, Elecia Zeveron, the Path initiated a campaign to eradicate Force users, deploying members of the Nameless species, which triggered the Battle of Jedha and plunged the Holy Moon into turmoil.

The foundations of the Battle of Jedha lay in the religious conflicts among the various faiths that revered Jedha as sacred. However, in the aftermath of the battle, the people of Jedha united to rebuild their devastated home. Binnot Ullo, a Force-sensitive Mirialan and another member of the Path, denied and suppressed his Force abilities in accordance with the Path's principles. Nevertheless, Jedi Knight Gella Nattai suspected that he selectively utilized the Force when it suited him, a transgression that would be severely punished by the Path if discovered, despite his attempts to refute her claims. Ullo and fellow Path member Goi Ganok participated in a covert operation following the Battle of Jedha, with the goal of prolonging the Eiram and E'ronoh War. During this mission, Ganok inadvertently exposed their true allegiances, partially by denouncing Force healing as an unnatural ability. Jedi Master Char-Ryl-Roy confronted Ganok and criticized the Path's overall ideology, asserting that the truly unnatural concept was the Path's rejection of the Force's true nature to align with its own beliefs.

Ultimately, the conflict between the Path and the Jedi culminated in the Night of Sorrow, a battle launched by the Path on its home planet of Dalna. After enduring significant losses, the Jedi, the Republic, and their allies from Eiram and E'ronoh quelled the Path, partly due to the Path's release of the Nameless onto the battlefield. Ullo was killed near the battle's end, as was Zeveron, whom Path Guide Marda Ro discovered was actually a Force-sensitive individual who harbored resentment towards the Jedi Order for rejecting her. Despite being horrified by the effects of the Nameless, Marda maintained control over the Leveler and used it to assassinate Zeveron, initiating her new plan to "liberate" the Force. Following the battle, Jedi Masters Yoda and Creighton Sun made the decision to conceal the existence of the Nameless until further information about the threat they posed could be obtained. However, Ro escaped with knowledge of the creatures, which would be passed down to future generations of her family, the Ros.

During the final years of the Republic, a Force-sensitive politician ascended through the ranks of the Galactic Senate. Sheev Palpatine, whose connection to the Force was a closely guarded secret, was elected to the position of Supreme Chancellor as a consequence of the crisis on his home planet, the Invasion of Naboo. Unbeknownst to his peers, the former senator from Naboo was, in fact, Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith and successor to the reformed Sith order established by Darth Bane. As Sidious plotted the Sith's resurgence to power, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn discovered Anakin Skywalker. Intrigued by the child's immense Force potential, Jinn discovered that Skywalker possessed a higher concentration of midi-chlorians in his cells than any other known being, including Grand Master Yoda. Furthermore, the revelation that Skywalker was conceived without a father led Jinn to believe that the Force-sensitive boy was created through the midi-chlorians. Ultimately, Jinn brought Skywalker to the Jedi Temple, convinced that the young slave from Tatooine was the Chosen One prophesied by the Jedi, destined to restore balance to the Force by eliminating the Sith.

The Jedi Order maintained records of all identified Force-sensitive infants who had not yet been brought to the Temple for training. During the Clone Wars, several of these infants were kidnapped and taken to Mustafar under the orders of Darth Sidious, who envisioned an army of dark side adepts serving as extensions of his will. However, before they could be subjected to experimentation, the children were rescued by Skywalker, who had been promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight, and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano.

As the war concluded, the Jedi were defeated through Sidious' schemes to seize control of the Republic, installing himself on a throne as Galactic Emperor. He also manipulated Skywalker into embracing the dark side of the Force, transforming the Jedi Order's Chosen One into a Sith apprentice known as Darth Vader. The newly appointed Sith Lord led an assault on the Jedi Temple, slaughtering his former comrades, including the Force-sensitive younglings who represented the Order's future.

Despite the fact that its founder, Emperor Palpatine, was secretly Force-sensitive, the newly established Galactic Empire actively suppressed any memory of the Jedi and knowledge of the Force. Imperial propaganda disseminated misinformation about the fallen Order, portraying the Jedi as frauds and the Force as a primitive superstition. While the Empire solidified its control over the galaxy, the Inquisitorius—composed of survivors of the Great Jedi Purge who had succumbed to the dark side of the Force—hunted down both Jedi exiles and Force-sensitive children.

The few surviving Jedi were determined to restore the Order. During the early years of the Empire's reign, former Padawan Ferren Barr began training Verla, a Force-sensitive individual and one of his disciples, in the Jedi arts. Although he was unable to complete Verla's training before his death at the hands of Darth Vader on Mon Cala, Barr instructed his apprentice to seek out other survivors, believing that the Order would eventually be reborn through a new generation of Jedi, including Verla.

Cere Junda, another former Jedi, shared this vision; she believed that the Order's revival depended on the training of new apprentices. After rescuing Cal Kestis, a Padawan, on Bracca, the two Jedi fugitives embarked on a secret mission to rebuild the Jedi Order. To achieve this goal, they sought a holocron that had once belonged to Junda's master, Eno Cordova. This holocron contained a list of all known Force-sensitive infants in the galaxy, provided to Cordova by Jocasta Nu as a contingency plan in the event of the Order's predicted destruction. Although Kestis eventually recovered the holocron, overcoming various challenges along the way, including Junda's fallen apprentice, the Inquisitor formerly known as Trilla Suduri, he foresaw that his efforts to rebuild the Order would result in the abduction and torture of his acolytes. After surviving an encounter with Darth Vader, Kestis chose to protect the children's identities by destroying the holocron, entrusting their fate to the Force.

While Kestis and Junda abandoned their plan to train a new generation of Jedi, Kanan Jarrus, another Jedi fugitive, took on an apprentice of his own, despite his incomplete training. While operating as an anti-Imperial insurgent on Lothal, the Jedi-turned-rebel encountered Ezra Bridger, a young orphan and petty thief who possessed a strong connection to the Force. Although Bridger agreed to learn the ways of the Force from Jarrus, their partnership proved challenging due to a master who never finished his own training and a stubborn apprentice with authority issues. However, as time passed, the two were able to collaborate more effectively, enabling Bridger to refine his Force abilities and use his power more responsibly under Jarrus' guidance.

Unbeknownst to Vader, Padmé Amidala, his former self's deceased wife, had given birth to twins, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Both siblings possessed a strong connection to the Force, having inherited their father's abilities. To safeguard them from the Sith, Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda separated the twins, sending Skywalker to live with his relatives on Tatooine while his sister was raised as a princess by the royal house of Alderaan. Despite receiving minimal training by the time of the Battle of Yavin, Skywalker demonstrated immense potential. Guided by the Force, he destroyed the planet-destroying superweapon, the DS-1 Death Star Mobile Battle Station, shaking the Empire's foundations and instilling a renewed sense of hope in the fledgling Rebellion.

The Sith Lords sought to turn Skywalker to the dark side of the Force, recognizing that he could undermine everything they had built if he completed his Jedi training. Vader aimed to overthrow his master and rule the galaxy with his son by his side, while Sidious saw an opportunity to acquire a younger and more powerful apprentice. Their efforts culminated in a final confrontation between father and son during the Battle of Endor, where Skywalker emerged victorious but refused to kill Vader. Luke's defiance towards the Emperor awakened Vader's former self, Anakin Skywalker, who cast his dark master down a reactor shaft to save his son. In doing so, he killed the Emperor at the cost of his own life, thus fulfilling his destiny as the Chosen One by destroying the Sith.

With the Sith defeated, the Empire in ruins, and the Force in balance, Luke Skywalker spent years contemplating his next course of action, uncertain whether to rebuild the Jedi Order. The Force offered no guidance on this matter, so Skywalker traveled across the galaxy seeking answers as both a Jedi and an individual. His eventual decision to share his knowledge stemmed from a deeply personal reason: his nephew, Ben Solo. Skywalker recognized that his sister's son possessed extraordinary Force abilities, but also desperately needed a teacher due to his unstable nature.

However, the Jedi Order once again crumbled after Solo fell to the dark side, mirroring his grandfather's path. Adopting the identity of Kylo Ren, the former Jedi became an apprentice to Supreme Leader Snoke, while Skywalker retreated into exile on Ahch-To, resolved to let the Jedi tradition end with his death as the last Jedi. But the will of the Force, which had remained dormant since Anakin restored balance, reawakened when Rey, a scavenger from Jakku, discovered her latent Force-sensitive abilities. Unbeknownst to both her and Ren, they were a dyad in the Force—two individuals sharing a unique Force-bond that connected them across time and space.

The term "Force-sensitive" was initially used in the 1978 Legends novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye. Following the release of Ahsoka's "Part Three: Time to Fly," which explored the concept of Sabine Wren learning to sense the Force, Star Wars Lore Advisor Pablo Hidalgo encouraged fans to consider "Force-sensitive" as a term akin to "gifted" or "talented," the latter of which Tano used in the episode. Indeed, George Lucas stated in The Making of Return of the Jedi that everyone possessed the potential to use the Force, but only the Jedi dedicated themselves to training, with later works depicting Force orders, such as the Sith, who also devoted time to training their members. In an interview with Paul Duncan, the author of the Star Wars Archives books, Lucas retracted that statement, saying that only those with sufficient Midi-chlorians in their bodies could "have a certain amount of control over our Personal Force and learn how to use it, like the Buddhist practice of being able to walk on hot coals."

Hidalgo likened Force-sensitivity to having a "musical ear," emphasizing that any inherent talent still required practice. While Hidalgo acknowledged that the presence of Midi-chlorians complicated the analogy, he asserted that midi-chlorians were not a guarantee of skill and that everyone in the galaxy possessed them.

An unfinished Clone Wars episode featured young Ahsoka Tano being kidnapped by a bounty hunter named Latrans. Dave Filoni speculated that, given the rarity of Force-sensitive individuals in the galaxy, they were highly sought after, and some may have attempted to abduct them.