The balance of the Force has remained something of a mystery since it was first mentioned in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom MenaceBut I think Star Wars Has finally revealed what it really is. Viewers were shocked when The Phantom Menace Introduced Anakin Skywalker as the chosen one, a being destined to bring balance to the force. It introduced a new messianic element Star WarsBut unfortunately the concept wasn’t really developed in the prequels. frustrating, Yoda even concluded that the prophecy could be “misread,” Leave its true meaning in doubt.
The idea of ​​”balance” seems to be somehow central to understanding the force. Unfortunately, over the years it has become clear that each Force tradition has its own definition of “balance”, and they don’t all go together particularly well. Greg Rucka Guardians of the Hills introduced a haunting mantra of one cult suggesting balance is a transitory thing, but Claudia Grey’s Master & Apprentice Revealing the chosen one was supposed to bring “Final weightFinally, though, I think I’m beginning to figure out what weight really means.
Star Wars: The High Republic is all about the balance of the force
The Path of the Open Hand offers a tantalizing hint
Star Wars has always been so much more than just a film franchise. Personally, I absolutely love the ever-expanding range of Star Wars Books – and I’m hooked Star Wars: The High Republic Since the Transmedia Initiative launched back in 2021. The novels, audiobooks, and comics are set during the High Republic Era, the Golden Age of the Jedi and the Republic, which was approximately 100-500 years before The Phantom Menace. Intriguingly, I think they are actually an exploration of balance on a cosmic scale.
The High Republic Phase II introduced a Force cult known as the Path of the Open Hand, which believed that the Force could actually be depleted. In their opinion, every Force-sensitive naturally disrupts the balance of the Force by drawing on the Force, using it up, and they used monstrous Force predators known as the name to hunt the Jedi. Centuries later, the path would have morphed into a band of pirates known as the Nihil, who used the Nameless en masse.
A Jedi defends and preserves life, meaning their actions protect and enhance the Force.
The path of the open hand is wrong, of course. Although it is true that the chosen one destroyed both the Jedi and the Sith, Anakin did not bring an end to all Force-users, meaning this does not fit with the idea of ​​”final balance.” But what is the philosophy of the Drech Feller? I think it is because The force is generated by life. A Jedi defends and preserves life, meaning their actions protect and enhance the Force.
The Nemesas have unleashed a blight on the galaxy
The force can be consumed after all
I have already mentioned the monstrous creatures named (or the Shri Ka Rai, the Levelers, or Power-Eaters). These monstrous beings hail from a planet rich in the Force called Planet X, a unique vergence so rich in the Force that they have evolved to feed on Force sensitivity. They literally consume the force, leaving Jedi reeling in fear and turning them to dust as they feed on them. Shockingly, however, these names are the harbingers of an even worse threat.
The Nameless have somehow disrupted the balance of the Force itself, meaning – in an ironic twist – the path of the Open Hand’s fear is becoming a reality. The Force is consumed on a cosmic scale now, with entire worlds suffering the same fate as the victims of the Name. Planets are falling to this blight, and Even the Jedi Temple on Coruscant is vulnerable. The problem, of course, is that the name evolved on a planet where the Force is unusually rich. The Force exists at lower levels in the wider galaxy, and the name is disrupting the balance.
The name and the blade are massive clues to the force’s weight
The force is life, and balance is life
This is a story of world-shattering destruction, and – according to George Mann’s newly published Tears of the name – It all flows from an imbalance in the force. This, I think, is the last memory I needed to put the pieces together; This force is generated by life, and it loses weight when it is dead on a cosmic scale. But how does this fit in with Anakin Skywalker’s destiny as the Chosen One, which the Jedi took to mean that he was destined to destroy the Sith?
I’ve been thinking about the Sith homeworld of Moraband lately, which I think is another important clue. The planet was originally called Korriban in Legends, but Lucas changed it to Moraband, a name associated with the word “moribund” – which means “at the point of death.” The Sith, you see, are agents of death; There’s a reason their homeworld is a barren wasteland, and the Sith speech of Exego Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is lifeless. They consume and destroy, their existence creates an imbalance in the force.
The shroud of the dark side fell across the galaxy when the Clone Wars began, and the Sith orchestrated countless atrocities and acts of genocide during the galactic conflict. Death only increased under Palpatine’s rule, with the Emperor eagerly seeking to create superweapons that could destroy entire planets. It is no accident that the Sith Empire created superweapons; This is an expression of their purpose, as they establish dominance through destruction. The Sith are destruction by nature.
To circle back to the chosen one, this means that the Jedi are right about Anakin’s fate. The Force lost balance as death spiraled out of control, with the Jedi unable to stem its rise. A Sith Lord literally took control of the Republic for over a decade without the Jedi knowing it (it’s easy to miss, but Andrs flashbacks revealed the Republic itself committed atrocities during the Clone Wars, showing how bad things got). Anakin’s destiny was to set things right, to destroy the Sith, as foretold Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom MenaceS chose one prophecy.