Individuals sensitive to the Force, who are also referred to as Force-users, Force wielders, or Force Adepts, constituted sentient or non-sentient lifeforms with a profound connection to the Force, a mystical energy field. The extent to which one could perceive life energy and manipulate it varied, a capability stemming from the symbiotic relationship between individuals and midi-chlorians. These microscopic entities acted as intermediaries, conveying the will of the Cosmic Force. Through dedicated focus and training, individuals could harmonize with the Force, unlocking abilities that defied conventional possibilities.
While the Force remained universally accessible, its utilization for selfish and destructive purposes was classified as the dark side of the Force. Conversely, devotion to the Force's will and the preservation of life constituted the light side of the Force. Although the dark side offered seemingly easier access due to its reliance on emotions, its powers were no greater than the discipline of the light and rapidly corrupted its practitioners, known as dark side adepts. A high midi-chlorian count facilitated easier attunement to the Force, and individuals could inherit their predecessors' abilities, exemplified by the Skywalker family. Anakin Skywalker, recognized as the Chosen One, transmitted his gift to his children, the twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, who, in turn, passed it to her son, Ben Solo.
Throughout galactic history, various religious orders, including the Jedi Order and the Sith, have instructed Force-sensitives in mastering their abilities. During the Imperial Era, a group of Jedi hunters known as the Inquisitorius relentlessly pursued Force-sensitives. The Second Sister and Padawan Cal Kestis both sought a Jedi holocron containing a Kyber memory crystal that listed all known Force-sensitive younglings across the galaxy. Following the destruction of the Sith Lords Darth Sidious and Darth Vader, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker trained a new generation of Force-sensitive students, aiming to restore the Jedi. His efforts were undone, but he and Leia Organa subsequently trained Rey, who inherited Skywalker's position as the last Jedi after his death.
The Force, an enigmatic energy field permeating all sentient and non-sentient life, served as a binding element for the galaxy and the universe at large. While present in all living entities, only certain individuals possessed the innate capacity to perceive its power. Ahsoka Tano, a former Padawan, likened natural Force-sensitivity to "talent." Such individuals were designated as Force-sensitives, Force-users, or Force Adepts. These overarching terms encompassed practitioners of the dark side of the Force, including the Sith and the Inquisitorius, who were also specifically known 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. Despite lacking formal instruction, Rey's Force potential rivaled that of Kylo Ren, formerly Ben Solo, and their unique Force-bond enabled her to assimilate aspects of his Jedi training, granting her rudimentary skills in telekinesis and mind trick. Force-sensitives appeared across diverse species, ranging from humans and humanoids to various non-human aliens. The few known members of Yoda's species exhibited Force-sensitivity, including Grogu, Jedi Master Yaddle, and Grand Master Yoda himself.
The strength of an individual's connection to the Force, even before training, was indicated by the presence of midi-chlorians. These microscopic organisms resided within the cells of all lifeforms, and a higher concentration at birth correlated with greater potential for Force development. Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One born to a mother without a father, possessed a midi-chlorian count exceeding twenty thousand, surpassing all other Force-sensitives of his era, including even Yoda. While the Sith Lord Darth Vader wielded immense power, his reconstruction left him more machine than man, weakening his connection to the Force, which flowed more freely through living beings.
While the Force permeated all beings, Force-sensitives, unlike ordinary individuals, could actively manipulate its flow, granting them extraordinary abilities. This was a natural manifestation of the Force flowing through them. However, the Path of the Open Hand cult accused Force users like the Jedi of "enslaving" the Force and utilizing it unnaturally, labeling Force-sensitives as "Force abusers" and "Force killers." Jedi Master Char-Ryl-Roy refuted this perspective, arguing that denying one's connection to the Force, which flowed through all life, was the only unnatural act. The degree of Force-sensitivity determined the capacity to harness its powers. The Archivist possessed a minor sensitivity, allowing her to sense the Force but not wield it. Varying levels of Force-sensitivity existed even among those capable of using the Force. For instance, the sisters Elecia Zeveron and Oliviah Zeveron were both Force users by birth, but Oliviah's connection was naturally stronger. Elecia's connection remained weak into adulthood, fueling her resentment towards the Jedi, as she believed she should have been chosen instead of Oliviah.
However, history shows that individuals without a strong initial connection to the Force can still develop significant skills through dedicated training. Lyr Farseeker possessed limited Force-sensitivity but rose to the rank of Jedi Master, authoring influential texts for the Order. When Lohim Nara expressed his desire to join the Jedi Order despite lacking Force-sensitivity, Grand Master Yoda encouraged him to study Farseeker's life, emphasizing that the Force alone did not define a Jedi. Yoda offered the boy the position of guardian of the Temple, as he was too old to begin training as a Jedi Knight. Sabine Wren, possessing less Force-sensitivity than any Jedi Padawan, received training from Force-Sensitive Outcast Ahsoka Tano, who believed in her potential to connect with and harness the Force.
Tano maintained that while the Force resided in all living beings, "talent" influenced sensitivity. She insisted that Wren, despite lacking natural Force abilities, could attune to the Force through training and focus. Wren questioned why everyone did not use the Force if all were connected to it, but Tano explained 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 the ease with which Skywalker's nephew Ben Solo accessed the Force, Luke likened the Force to a stream of water and the individual to a door: the wider the door opened, the easier the flow. While some, like Solo, might begin with a more open door, Skywalker assured her that anyone could expand their own capacity.
Non-Force-sensitive members of the Path of the Open Hand ventured to Planet X, a hidden living world protected by "the Veil" in Wild Space. The Path sought the Nameless, creatures that consumed the Living Force and could be weaponized against the Jedi. On the planet, these individuals suddenly gained the ability to sense the Force as if they were Force-sensitive. Two members, Shea Ganandra and Bokana Koss, even developed Force powers. However, Calar, an initially Force-sensitive member, pleaded with them to abandon the mission after foreseeing dire consequences that could "consume" the Force itself. The Veil targeted Force-sensitives to prevent landings on Planet X, and Calar attempted to exploit this to sabotage their expedition until he was killed by Radicaz Dobbs. Koss experienced 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 upon leaving.
Conversely, some Chiss Force-sensitives lost their abilities despite training and discipline. Chiss navigators universally lost their Force powers before adulthood, with a single exception, regardless of training. Similarly, those with a natural affinity for the Force could lose their powers if they did not train. Upon discovering that Utalir was Force-sensitive, Yana Ro of the Path of the Open Hand wondered if her Force-sensitivity would develop or remain dormant. Alternatively, individuals could actively suppress their connection to the Force. However, Jedi Padawan Enya Keen realized that suppressing the Force was merely another form of using it. When she encountered Binnot Ullo, she sensed a disturbance stemming from his attempts to push away the Force. Finally, those skilled in the Force could completely sever their connection as an act of exile.
The offspring of Force-sensitives could inherit the same abilities, although Skywalker emphasized that this merely provided an easier path, and anyone could achieve the same level with dedication. 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 potential. Apart from the Skywalkers, Rey inherited the power of her paternal grandfather, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious.
The Force's origins trace back to a mystical world, believed to be the homeworld of the midi-chlorians. The energy of the Living Force flowed into the Cosmic Force through the midi-chlorians, which possessed their own will. Furthermore, the midi-chlorians maintained a symbiotic relationship with all lifeforms, especially Force-sensitives, who could manipulate the Force's powers through these microorganisms. The Force Priestesses, a group of ancient entities, resided on this world, embodying the connection between the Living Force and the Cosmic Force.
While the Force existed throughout the universe, "vergences" or nexus points amplified its energy and effects. One such vergence was Mortis, home to the Ones: the Daughter, representing the light side of the Force, the Son, representing the dark side, and the Father, who embodied the balance between them.
Long before the Jedi and Sith, the ancient Zeffo civilization revered the Force, referring to it as the "Life Wind." While not all members were strongly connected, those who were Force-sensitive became known as sages. The Tomb of Eilram, the earliest Zeffo site on their homeworld, served as a proving ground for Force-sensitive Zeffo before being converted into a monument honoring their remains, particularly Sage Eilram. Above all, it was built to honor the Life Wind. The Tomb of Miktrull, dedicated to the legendary and powerful Sage Miktrull, was also located on this world and served more as a temple to his pride.
As the Zeffo explored beyond their home system, they erected monuments dedicated to the Life Wind on various worlds 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 for Force-sensitives to perceive the vault's mysteries, atop the sacred Origin Tree.
The Zeffo also possessed knowledge of the dark side. Sage Kujet, a ruthless authoritarian, wielded 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 against his reign.
Ultimately, the Zeffo sages foresaw their civilization's destruction, attributing it to their own creed of sacrificing balance for power and control. After their fall, their history was largely forgotten by modern galactic civilization.
The Jedi Order served as protectors of the Galactic Republic, upholding peace and justice. Guided by the Jedi Code, a philosophy centered on 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 locating 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 embraced 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 an era of 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's recruitment of Force-sensitive Bardottan children, viewing it as a violation of their homeworld's sovereignty. Although the Jedi returned the children, the incident fueled anti-Jedi sentiment for centuries. Like the Jedi, the Dagoyan Masters possessed a strong connection to the Force, though their link was more passive. Rising to power in the Bardottan government, they outlawed the Frangawl Cult for their devotion to the dark side. The Jedi expanded their activities during the High Republic Era, partnering with other Force religions on the moon of Jedha.
Beyond their interactions with groups such as the Sorcerers of Tund and the Church of the Force, integral to Jedha's governing convocation to ensure diverse viewpoints on the Force were represented, the Jedi also relocated orphaned children to Jedha. These children were deemed too old for Jedi training but could be adopted by other Force-based orders. Groups aligned with the dark side were excluded from participation in the Convocation of the Force. During the Republic's period of expansion in the High Republic Era, the Jedi encountered the Path of the Open Hand cult on the planet Dalna. This cult erroneously taught that the Force should be "liberated" from all usage. While Force-sensitive individuals were permitted to join the Path, they were compelled to suppress their inherent connection to the Force in adherence to the Path's doctrines. Influenced by their leader, Elecia Zeveron, the Path initiated a campaign aimed at eradicating Force users, employing members of the Nameless species. This campaign triggered the Battle of Jedha, plunging the Holy Moon into turmoil.
Although the underlying cause of the Battle of Jedha was the religious discord among the various faiths that considered Jedha sacred, the inhabitants of Jedha united in the aftermath to rebuild their shattered home. Another figure within the Path was Binnot Ullo, a Force-sensitive Mirialan who, in accordance with the Path's tenets, actively suppressed his Force abilities. However, Jedi Knight Gella Nattai discerned that he selectively utilized the Force when advantageous, a transgression punishable by the Path if discovered, despite his attempts to deny her assertions. Ullo and fellow Path member Goi Ganok participated in a clandestine operation following the Battle of Jedha, aimed at prolonging the Eiram and E'ronoh War. During this mission, Ganok inadvertently revealed their true allegiances, partly by denouncing Force healing as an unnatural ability. Jedi Master Char-Ryl-Roy challenged Ganok and the Path's overall ideology during their confrontation, stating 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 initiated by the Path on their homeworld of Dalna. The Jedi, the Republic, and their allies from Eiram and E'ronoh quelled the Path, but only after incurring significant losses, partly due to the Path's release of the Nameless onto the battlefield. Ullo himself perished at the battle's conclusion, as did Zeveron. Path Guide Marda Ro discovered that Zeveron was actually a Force-sensitive individual who harbored resentment towards the Jedi Order for rejecting her. While even Marda was appalled by the effects of the Nameless, she maintained control over the Leveler and used it to kill Zeveron as the initial step in her new plan to "liberate" the Force. Following the battle, Jedi Masters Yoda and Creighton Sun decided to conceal the existence of the Nameless until further information about the threat they posed could be uncovered. However, Ro escaped with knowledge of the creatures, which would be passed down to subsequent generations of her family, the Ros.
During the final years of the Republic, a politician with Force abilities secretly rose through the ranks of the Galactic Senate. Sheev Palpatine, concealing his Force connection, was elected Supreme Chancellor due to the crisis on his home planet, the Invasion of Naboo. Unbeknownst to his peers, the former senator from Naboo was actually Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith and heir to the reformed Sith established by Darth Bane. As Sidious schemed to restore the Sith to power, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn discovered Anakin Skywalker. Intrigued by the child's immense Force potential, Jinn found that Skywalker possessed a higher midi-chlorian count than any other 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 of Jedi prophecy, destined to restore balance to the Force by destroying the Sith.
The Jedi Order maintained records of all known Force-sensitive infants who had not yet been brought to the Temple for training. During the Clone Wars, several infants were abducted 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, Skywalker, who had become a Jedi Knight, and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano rescued the children before they could be subjected to experimentation.
By the war's end, Sidious' manipulations led to the Jedi's downfall and his takeover of the Republic, establishing himself as the Galactic Emperor on a throne. He also corrupted Skywalker, turning the Jedi Order's Chosen One into a Sith apprentice named Darth Vader. The newly appointed Sith Lord marched on the Temple to eliminate his former Jedi brethren, 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 the 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. As the Empire solidified its control over the galaxy, the Inquisitorius—dark side converts from the Great Jedi Purge—hunted down both Jedi exiles and Force-sensitive children.
The few remaining Jedi were determined to rebuild 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 his demise at the hands of Darth Vader on Mon Cala prevented him from completing Verla's training, Barr instructed his apprentice to seek out other survivors, believing that the Order would eventually be reborn through a new generation of Jedi that included Verla.
Cere Junda, a former Jedi, shared this vision: the Order's revival depended on training 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 belonged to Junda's master, Eno Cordova. Jocasta Nu had given Cordova this holocron, which contained a list of all known Force-sensitive infants in the galaxy, as a safeguard in case the Order's prophesied destruction occurred. Although Kestis successfully retrieved the holocron, overcoming various obstacles, 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 a confrontation with Darth Vader, Kestis chose to protect the children's identities by destroying the holocron, entrusting their fate to the Force.
Although Kestis and Junda abandoned their plan to train a new generation of Jedi, Kanan Jarrus, another Jedi fugitive, took on an apprentice despite his own incomplete training. While operating as an anti-Imperial insurgent on Lothal, the Jedi-turned-rebel encountered Ezra Bridger, a young orphan and petty thief with a strong Force connection. 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, over time they learned to work together 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 late wife, had given birth to twins, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Both were strong in the Force, inheriting their father's abilities. To protect them from the Sith, Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda separated the twins. Skywalker was sent to his relatives on Tatooine, while his sister was raised as a princess by the royal house of Alderaan. Despite having minimal training by the time of the Battle of Yavin, Skywalker displayed immense potential. Guided by the Force, he destroyed the planet-killing superweapon, the DS-1 Death Star Mobile Battle Station, shaking the Empire's foundations and instilling a new sense of hope in the burgeoning Rebellion.
The Sith Lords sought to turn Skywalker to the dark side, knowing that he could dismantle everything they had built if he completed his Jedi training. Vader aimed to supplant his master and rule as Emperor with his son at his side, while Sidious saw an opportunity to acquire a younger, 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 of 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, but also fulfilled his destiny as the Chosen One by destroying the Sith.
With the Sith defeated, the Empire shattered, and the Force in balance, Luke Skywalker spent years contemplating his next move, uncertain about whether to rebuild the Jedi Order. The Force offered no guidance, so Skywalker traveled the galaxy seeking answers as a Jedi and as an individual. He ultimately decided to pass on his knowledge for a deeply personal reason: his nephew, Ben Solo. Skywalker recognized that his sister's son possessed extraordinary Force abilities but desperately needed a teacher due to his unstable nature.
However, the Jedi Order fell back into ruin after Solo succumbed to the dark side, like his grandfather before him. Adopting the identity of Kylo Ren, the former Jedi became the apprentice of 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 Force, 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 beings linked by a unique Force-bond that transcended time and space.
The term "Force-sensitive" first appeared 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 possibility of Sabine Wren learning to sense the Force, Star Wars Lore Adviser Pablo Hidalgo advised fans to consider "Force-sensitive" as a term similar 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 had the potential to use the Force, but only the Jedi took the time to train, with later works depicting Force orders, like the Sith, that also took the time to train their members. In the interview given to Paul Duncan, author of the Star Wars Archives books, Lucas retracted that statement saying only those with enough Midi-chlorians in their body 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 natural talent still requires practice. While acknowledging that midi-chlorians complicated the analogy, Hidalgo clarified that they don't guarantee skill and that everyone in the galaxy possesses 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, potentially leading to kidnapping attempts.