The Jedi, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, frequently used this saying throughout their lives.
"May the Force be with you" served as an expression of good fortune or goodwill, typically exchanged during farewells or when the recipient was about to face a difficult situation. It conveyed the speaker's hope that the Force's power would aid the person being addressed, thereby improving their chances of achieving their objectives.
The Je'daii Order of old originally said "May the Force go with you," which is where the saying began. A simplified version, "The Force be with you," was also sometimes used.
Among Jedi, "May the Force be with you" functioned as a formal farewell and a wish for success. Members of the Jedi High Council commonly spoke it after giving assignments to their Jedi Knights. Following the Great Jedi Purge, even those who were not Jedi began to use it as a way to express hope and good luck before a battle, to demonstrate their ongoing resistance against the Galactic Empire, and to honor the Jedi Order after its unsuccessful fight to survive the corrupt Emperor's power grab.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Master, famously altered the phrase when he told Luke Skywalker, "The Force will be with you. Always." shortly after becoming one with the Force. Luke Skywalker also said "May the Force be with me" before successfully launching proton torpedoes into the first Death Star's exhaust port, which resulted in its complete destruction. This happened shortly before entering the Cavrilhu Pirates' base.
Juno Eclipse also used a similar phrase, "Then may the Force be with you", when she wished Galen Marek luck as he entered the Emperor's observation dome to liberate the rebels.
Back in 3986 BBY, Zayne Carrick and his friend Jarael engaged in a training fight. After their duel, Jarael, accompanied by Camper and their droid T1-LB on their ship, bid farewell to Zayne with "May the Force be with you".
Gar said goodbye to Revan with the following: "Farewell, then. May the Force be with you, is that how it goes? Yes, may the Force be with you".
The bounty hunter Durge sarcastically told Glaive, a Jedi Master, "May the Force be with you, meatbag" after Asajj Ventress decapitated him.
After outlining the strategy for destroying the original Death Star, General Jan Dodonna addressed the pilots of Red Squadron and Gold Squadron with "May the Force be with you" before they embarked on their mission.
Despite not being a strong believer in the Force, Han Solo wished Luke Skywalker "May the Force be with you" as a way of saying "good luck" before departing from Yavin 4.
Furthermore, Admiral Gial Ackbar used the phrase right before the mission to take out the second Death Star. Because Ackbar was in charge of the mission, he said "May the Force be with us".
Darth Vader greeted Luke Skywalker on Bespin with a similar phrase, "The Force is with you, young Skywalker," possibly as a way of acknowledging and valuing his opponent's strength. Before their final duel, Vader also insisted to a doubtful Tarkin that "Obi-Wan is here ... the Force is with him." More negatively, he also tells Leia Organa on Aargau, "May the Force.... give you what you deserve." Uthar Wynn and Yuthura Ban used a different version of the saying during a mission in the Sith Academy on Korriban: "May the Force serve you well." Lana Beniko, a Sith Lord, used this, along with the variation "May the Force ever serve you," three centuries later. Shortly after his "death", Darth Vader told his apprentice another Sith variation of the saying: "Remember that the dark side is always with you."
Characters in the films (and their fans) use the phrase to mean something like "good luck," although it is usually only used by Jedi and other Force believers. Han Solo, who voices his skepticism about the Force in A New Hope, eventually uses the expression to wish Luke good luck. The Alliance for the Restoration of the Republic, according to the expanded universe, used the phrase to invoke the legendary Jedi order, which stood for the Old Republic, and to set themselves apart from the Empire.
The films' popularity has helped the expression become a part of popular culture. It was ranked eighth in the AFI's 100 years....100 movie quotes list in 2005.
Some people may think the phrase reflects a misunderstanding of the Force's nature, since it exists between all living things anyway. The phrase is actually a wish for the Force's power to work with you so you can achieve your goals more effectively. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi once used a different form that expressed a reminder rather than a wish: "The Force will be with you, always", stating that Luke would succeed, as he was working alongside the power of the Force.
Some fans celebrate May 4th as "Star Wars Day" by playing on the phrase and saying "May the fourth be with you".