Summary
There have been many Force powers showcased inStar Wars, but the franchise has recently begun to redefine its very first, and turn it into a dark side ability. ThroughouttheStar Warstimeline, the Jedi and Sith alike have revealed unique and powerful Force abilities. They give Force users their true power, and they’re the reason some ofthe most powerful Jedi everearned their spot on the list. Force powers aren’t always good, though, andStar Warsis beginning to dive into that idea even more.
The Jedi mind trick was the first timeStar Warsever showed the power of the Force in aStar Warsmovie. Obi-Wan Kenobi used it in the originalStar Wars, later retitledA New Hope, when he and Luke Skywalker needed to get through an Imperial checkpoint on the way to Mos Eisley. Since then, more and more Force powers have been added to canon on both the light and dark sides. Now,Star Warsis not only adding a power, but transforming one from a tool of the light side to a symbol of the dark side.
Star Wars: 10 Most Powerful Dark-Side Force-Users, Ranked
Although the light prevails in the end, the many powerful dark-side users make it very difficult for them, so here are the strongest of them.
The Jedi Mind Trick Has A Dark History
The Jedi mind trick may have been the first Force power shown inStar Wars, but it had been used long beforeA New Hope.During the High Republic era, mind tricks were known as the mind touch, and while the Order did allow its use, it was generally seen as something to be avoided. Jedi Master Avar Kriss, for example, mentioned that she saw the mind touch as a “focused intervention in another person’s path,” and preferred using different means to find out what a person was thinking. They weren’t always considered a tool for good, and looking deeper into mind tricks reveals why.
The Mind Trick & Mental Powers Symbolize Jedi Arrogance
Performing a mind trick requires a few dark things from a Jedi. It required them to have a very low opinion of others.This was stated, rather overtly, by Obi-Wan when he said that it only works on the “weak-minded.“That negative view is also an inherent part of the Force power. Mind tricks are, at their core, about overriding another person’s free will and forcing them to comply with the user’s command. It meant that they viewed their own goals as more important than another person’s agency, and they saw the other person as nothing more than an obstacle to be removed.
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Mind tricks were also evidence of the Jedi’s arrogance. They required the Jedi to see their enemies as less than them, but seeing someone as beneath them also meant they saw themselves as better. Additionally, the very act of entering someone’s mind and overriding their free will is extremely self-centered. Jedi might have had the ability to use mind tricks, but they also gave themselves the right to use them. They even went as far as to justify mind tricks as being for the greater good.
It’s important to note that inThe Acolyte, the Jedi were at the height of their power. They were the most dominant force in the galaxy, and the mind trick was symbolic of that. They had the power to override someone else’s free will, and they used it whenever they felt the need.Perhaps the best example of this came when Yord Fandar tried to mind trick one of the Trade Federation members, only for the other one to tell him what he wanted anyway. He didn’t need to use it, but his arrogance as a Jedi made it easier than simply talking to them.
Yord Fandar
Yord, a Jedi Knight and guardian from the Jedi Temple, is an overachiever and a rule follower. His need to be a by-the-book Jedi can cloud his mind.
For Kylo Ren, The Mind Trick Was A Window Into The Dark Side
Kylo Ren understood the dark nature of mind tricks better than anyone. InThe Rise of Kylo Ren#4, he first used the dark side Force power known as mind probe, which he used to interrogate people and forcefully go through their thoughts. He explained that Snoke taught it to him as a variation of the mind trick.The fact that just a simple variation of the mind trick can turn it into a mind probe proves how close to the dark side it is. It helped Ben Solo become Kylo Ren, and it brought the Jedi ofThe Acolytecloser to the dark side.
Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Ben was manipulated by Palpatine through the Force for most of his life, influenced toward the dark side of the Force. A misstep by Luke Skywalker ultimately left Ben feeling he had no choice but to embrace the dark side, and he became Kylo Ren, a key figure in the First Order. Kylo Ren’s heart remained deeply divided, however, even after he ascended to become Supreme Leader of the First Order. He was ultimately redeemed by Rey, with whom he shared a remarkable Force bond, and by the love of his parents.
In many ways, the mind trick is a gateway to the dark side, and that has serious implications forThe Acolyte. The fact that they use it so freely, even when just 100 years prior it was frowned upon, shows that the High Republic was coming to an end, and the problems of the prequel trilogy had already begun. Their use of mind tricks are also early proof that characters like Mae, Qimir, and the Sith Lord have legitimate criticisms of the Jedi inStar Wars. There’s some weight to the accusation that “the Jedi justify their galactic dominance in the name of peace.”
