The Living Force. The source of life and power. The thing that transforms theStar Warsfranchise from a simple, interstellar science-fiction space opera into an epic science-fantasy battle between good and evil. The Force is the crux of this beloved franchise, flowing in and around all living things in the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
The most powerful Jedi and Sith can manipulate this power to create awe-inspiring effects, from lifting massive boulders with little more than a thought to twisting the minds of the weakest-willed. However, no Jedi or Sith can access the entirety of the Force’s potential, and some have found novel ways to tap into this font of power.
Throughout the franchise, several Force users on both the Light and Dark Side of the Force have displayed unique and powerful abilities unlike anything else in the universe. Some of these powers are limited to individuals or species, while others require an adept mastery of the Force, but no matter the limiting factor, only certain practitioners can hope to access them.
This list covers 10 of these abilities, from the simplest navigational instincts to the ability to live on beyond death. Most of these entries are focused on canon displays of Force powers, but it will dip into the Extended Universe in order to explorethe full potential of this mystical power source.
10Force Stasis
Force Stasis is becoming more common, with it being one of Cal Kestis' primary abilities throughoutJedi Fallen OrderandJedi Survivor,so among these entries, it is becoming far less unique. It makes sense, given that it is an evolution of other telekinetic Force powers, but Stasis earns a spot here because it has only ever been displayed by the most powerful Force users.
A Powerful Connection to the Force
Kylo Ren showed a brutish but immensely powerful grasp of the Force, and Yoda was one of the Jedi’s best. While Cal was only an apprentice, he proved just how powerful his connection to the Force actually was, with his natural affinity to Force Stasis showcasing his immense potential.
9Shatterpoint
Jedi Master Mace Windu both have access to one of the rarest Force abilities. Known asShatterpoint,this power isn’t particularly flashy, simply giving Windu insight into the world around him. There exist two separate variants of Shatterpoint. The first allows the wielder to reach out with the Force and deduce the weakest point of an object, structure, or person.
The second, and the one with which Windu has shown proficiency, allows one to sense the significance of a person or event. For example, during the Jedi Council’s hunt for Count Dooku, Windu saw the Sith apprentice’s betrayal as a turning point in fate, leading the Council to war and disaster.
Shatterpoint Gives Mace Windu an Advantage in Wartime Strategy
From the first purple lightsaber to this incredibly useful Force ability, Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu gets all the best toys. To be fair, Shatterpoint only has a Legends appearance, though a brief mention in theAttack of the Clonesnovelization puts its canonicity in question. Needless to say, this power is largely what makes Windu one of the franchise’s greatest strategic minds.
Its limits haven’t fully been explored, but given that more focus is being given to the character through the fiction and Jackson’s proposal that the character didn’t die inRevenge of the Sith,there is a possibility that we may see much more of this power at work.
8Psychometry
While most Force abilities can be cultivated by a Jedi through arduous training or focused meditation, there are some abilities that cannot be taught. These abilities are developed at birth, though the power might not present itself until much later in the person’s life.Psychometryis one of those powers.
By physically touching an object, the psychometric can see a vision of the object’s past. Intense emotions or major events will often leave a stronger imprint on the object, producing a more powerful vision. Noted users of this ability are Quinlan Vos, Cal Kestis, Rey Skywalker, and Karr Nuq Sin, though the latter had no other access to the Force.
Psychometry Is a Powerful World-Building Tool
Many might scoff at Psychometry for its complete lack of combat effectiveness, but in terms of storytelling, the ability is ingenious. It lets writers fully explore the history of the world without diving into needless exposition. It keeps the pace moving forward, and it has been used in some fascinating ways throughout canon.
Quinlan Vos became a master spy for the Jedi Council, utilizing the ability to gain intel where others could not, and throughout the games, Cal Kestis used psychometry to allow players to explore the presented worlds at their leisure. It might not be the most iconic power in the franchise, but it certainly has left its mark across the canon.
7Force Healing/Force Drain
While Legends had introduced some Force users able to heal with their abilities, the first canon example ofForce Healcame inThe Rise of Skywalker.Rey and Ben Solo utilize the ability a handful of times throughout the film.
Force Heal allows its user to siphon their own life essence to heal the wounds of those around them, though this can be a dangerous process as seen in Ben’s death at the end of the film.Force Drain,on the other hand, is a purely Dark Side ability, utilized by Emperor Palpatine to drain the life essence from Rey and Ben during their final battle. It is essentially Force Heal in reverse, healing the user using another’s life force.
Force Drain and Force Heal Come from the Same Place
Force Drain and Force Heal share a spot on this list because they are opposite sides of the same coin, using the same basic concept (the manipulation of life essence) to produce different effects. They also share a spot for the controversy surrounding them.
To sayThe Rise of Skywalkerwas a low point in the franchise for fans is a bit of an understatement, and its introduction of so many new, game-changing Force powers out of nowhere is one of the reasons why. Thankfully, newer fiction has since gone on to make these powers more interesting, building on the lore of each with the beloved sidekick Grogu and the terrifying Abersyn Symbiotes.
6Crucitorn
Hailing from the planet Dathomir, Jedi Master Eeth Koth is no stranger to hatred and bloodshed, and while his origins haven’t been fully explored in canon, you can be sure that his path to the Light Side was likely a difficult one. Along that path, Eeth Koth developed a powerful skill known asCrucitorn,a Force ability that allows him to manipulate the pain threshold of a living being.
Used on himself, he can heighten his pain threshold, allowing him to fight even with a grievous wound. Used on others, he can use Crucitorn to lower their pain threshold, forcing them to experience vastly more pain from a minor wound.
Crucitorn Has Many Varied Uses on the Battlefield
On the surface, Crucitorn can seem like an incredibly cruel ability. After all, by lowering a person’s pain threshold, you’re forcing them to feel more pain, causing them more suffering. However, in reality, it is an attempt at mercy. Eeth Koth only used the ability to shorten fights, to make his opponent give up without killing them.
It’s a bit of a roundabout excuse but one that perfectly fits the Dathomirian Jedi’s sense of morality. On the other end of the spectrum, it is also a protective ability, allowing its user to endure extreme pain utilizing the Force. It is definitely one of the more obscure abilities on this list, but Crucitorn certainly has plenty of useful applications.
5Pathfinding/Wayfinding/Skywalking
In the vastness of the Galaxy Far, Far Away, it helps to have access to a skilled navigator. Some Jedi like the High Republic Padawan Imri demonstrate access toWayfinding, a unique skill that allows one to focus on a destination and have the Force lead them to it by instinct.
Another navigational ability, known asPathfinding,was used during the same era to guide ships through chaotic sections of space like asteroid fields. Darth Vader would use a similar ability calledSkywalking,allowing his Force awareness to guide his ship across the battlefield and through dangerous environments.
These Navigational Abilities are Necessities for Deep Space Travel
These three Force abilities are lumped together as “navigational powers.”. Skywalking is the least magical, simply combining Vader’s natural piloting abilities with his powerful Force awareness, but that level of concentration, even in battle, is difficult to attain. The other two showcase the High Republic line’s more interesting exploration of the possibilities of Force users.
If the Force is truly in and around all things, then a Jedi with the right level of focus can reach out and sense a particular destination using it. It also brings up an interesting connection to the Sith Wayfinders inRise of Skywalker,possibly speaking to an origin.
Related:10 Star Wars Quotes That Transcended the Films and Entered the Zeitgeist
4Electric Judgment
Force Lightning is an ability embedded in the Dark Side of the Force. Utilizing one’s rage and hate, a Sith can summon powerful electric bolts to torture and kill their enemies. The power was so tied to the Dark that the Jedi council forbade its use among its Knights. However, there is a light side variant to this ability.
Master Plo Koon was the first in the franchise to display it, accidentally unleashing it on a criminal. Rising from his sense of justice, not anger, Plo Koon decided to continue training in what he calledElectric Judgement,and future generations of Jedi would follow in his stead, careful to avoid accessing its more twisted opposite.
Electric Judgement Puts a Light Side Twist on a Classic Dark Ability
Emperor Palpatine’s first use of Force Lightning is one of the most terrifying moments of the original trilogy. It introduced a deadly new ability, and in the years since, writers have only cemented it as the trademark Dark Side power. This has only fed into the lore of Electric Judgment, with Master Plo Koon facing severe mistrust from the Jedi council upon his initial use of the ability.
Sadly, we have yet to see this power introduced in canon,despite Plo Koon’s major role inThe Clone Wars,but with the series continuing to explore new corners of this beloved universe, the time may yet come when this controversial power could make an appearance.
3Teleportation
Teleportationis a relatively new addition to the suite of Force Powers available to Jedi and Sith, and it seems that only the most skilled practitioners have access to it. DuringThe Clone Wars,the Dathomirian Nightsisters showed a special aptitude for the power, able to travel great distances in a flash of green flame.
The Bendu, debuting inStar Wars Rebels, also showed a proficiency for this skill, though this was no surprise considering his incredible control of the Force. Rey also used teleportation duringThe Rise of Skywalker,though she simply used her Force Dyad with Ben Solo to teleport a lightsaber into his hands.
Teleportation Somewhat Breaks the Rules of the Star Wars Universe
Another element ofThe Rise of Skywalkerthat proved controversial was Rey and Ben’s seemingly magical lightsaber handoff during the final battle. Many fans felt that it seemed goofy, that it didn’t fit the franchise’s prior portrayals of the Force, or that it didn’t make sense that Rey suddenly learns the ability out of nowhere.
However, even before that film, there was precedent for this power, and while it still seems somewhat out of place inStar Warscanon, it is thankfully an incredibly rare ability. After all, it would take away some of the impact of space travel, a major element of the series, if Jedi and Sith could just teleport from planet to planet.
2Force Ghosts
According to Jedi tradition, when a sentient dies, their essence is returned to the Living Force, losing their sense of self as they become one with the universe. However, through specialized training, one can retain their consciousness and individuality after death. After centuries lost, this ability was rediscovered by Qui-Gon Jinn.
Since then, Masters Yoda and Kenobi have undergone that same training, allowing their essence to continue on to guide the next generation of Jedi. Others, like Anakin Skywalker, were so intensely devoted to the Light at the time of their death that their spirit coalesced into aForce Ghostwithout the necessary training.
Force Ghosts Are One of the Light Side’s Purest Abilities
Since the beginning, Force Ghosts have been an icon of theStar Warsfranchise, with all the greatest onscreen masters reappearing awash in blue light. With that said, it may surprise many fans to discover that this is actually relatively rare. Viewers just happen to follow those with the training or the connection to the Light to transcend death in this way.
It also brings up some interesting lore implications, since Dark Side users cannot use it. They have their own methods, often bonding their souls to objects, but the process often drives their spirits to madness, unlike the pure connection to the Force that Light Side users display in their Force Ghosts.
Related:20 Movie Heroes Who Turned into Villains by the End
1Dathomirian Magick
On the planet Dathomir, men and women are separated into different classes. Men are sent to train as powerful warriors, while women are taken and trained to master potent Magicks as a Nightsister. Pulling from the Dark Side of the Force, this magick has myriad effects, many of which mirror the abilities of the Jedi and Sith.
Teleportation has already been mentioned, but through various rituals, the Nightsisters have shown the abilities to heal, shoot green flame, raise the corpses of past Nightsisters as a zombie army, rebuild destroyed structures in seconds, and many others.
Dathomirian Magick Provides Complexity to the Light/Dark Divide
Various alien species across the Galaxy Far, Far Away have access to several potent powers derived from the Force, many of which are simply considered to be natural traits of their evolution. Dathomirian Magick gets a special focus here for several reasons, not least of which is pure cool factor. Who knew thatStar Warsneeded zombies?
It also puts a more intense focus on the fantasy of this science-fantasy universe, while building on Force lore. Several Dathomirian witches, Merrin chief among them, have taken on heroic roles, illustrating that using the Dark Side doesn’t immediately turn you evil and making the Light vs. Dark struggle more complex.
