Force Choke



"I find your lack of faith disturbing."

- Darth Vader to Admiral Motti

Force Choke was an early level of the infamous Force Grip ability. Like Grip, it was used to telekinetically 'grip' one or more of the target's internal organs and apply pressure. However the target was not lifted or moved about. The area affected was typically the target's neck. It caused immobilization and choking, which with prolonged focus, could lead to death.

The reason why Sith masters usually used it instead of Grip, is when they need to just punish, threat or scare their target, without wanting to cause death.

Possibly the most notable display of this ability was by Darth Vader in the Death Star. Admiral Motti expressed his feelings concerning the Dark Lord's "sorcerer's ways", to which Vader replied with a Force Choke to his throat, saying "I find your lack of faith disturbing."

Usage
Those most experienced with Force Choke needed only a live visual of their victim in order to perform the technique. Darth Vader demonstrated this by choking Admiral Kendal Ozzel over a viewscreen, even though the admiral was on the bridge at the time.

Darth Vader was in fact one of the most (in)famous users of this Force technique, often choking those whose "lack of faith was disturbing" or who had failed him, in a clear and powerful demonstration of the Force to any non-believers in view of the grim display. Other Force-users known to have used this power included Darth Revan, who was seen choking a Republic Soldier who boarded his flagship, and Darth Malak, right before his death at the hands of Revan.

Although users of the dark side reveled in using the power, especially for humiliation, this power was used by the light side as well.

One of the most famous Jedi to use Force choke after the Great Jedi Purge was Luke Skywalker who used it against Gamorrean guards in the process of gaining entrance to Jabba's Palace. He meant only to disable them, not to kill them.

Notable instances

 * Visas Marr&mdash;choked by Darth Nihilus when she questioned if the Jedi Exile could be a threat to his power. She was spared despite pleading for death, so she might track down the Exile.
 * Hath Monchar&mdash;choked by Darth Maul as a method of torture, in Maul's search for a Sith Holocron. Survived.
 * Thrawn&mdash;choked by Jorus C'baoth in order to destroy Chiss forces leading the attack on the Outbound Flight shuttle. Survived due to Outbound Flight being destroyed by turncoat Kinman Doriana and C'baoth killed.
 * Padmé Amidala&mdash;choked by Darth Vader when Vader came to the belief that she had betrayed him. She survived its initial use, but it may have contributed to her death shortly after.
 * Antes Beladar&mdash;choked by Darth Vader after Vader realized how long Antes had "tolerated" the Rebel presence on Reytha. Perished.
 * Transe Decar&mdash;choked by Darth Vader after he decided to declare the planet's independence. Perished.
 * Prince Xizor&mdash;choked by Darth Vader's hologram during a meet with the Emperor during The Bounty Hunter Wars. Survived due to Palpatine's interference.
 * Motti&mdash;choked by Darth Vader aboard the Death Star I during a conference. Upon insulting Vader's belief in the Force, Motti was momentarily choked by the Sith Lord. Survived due to Tarkin's interference.
 * Kendal Ozzel&mdash;choked by Darth Vader after his miscalculation brought the Death Squadron too close to Hoth. Perished.
 * Lorth Needa&mdash;choked by Darth Vader after his failure to find the Millennium Falcon. Perished.
 * Two Gamorreans&mdash;choked by Luke Skywalker in Jabba's Palace when they tried to refuse him admittance. Survived.
 * Kyle Katarn used it on Tavion Axmis in revenge for the apparent death of Jan Ors.

Behind the scenes
Like the relationship between Mind Trick and Force Persuasion, the line of discrepancy between Force Choke and Force Grip is very fine. Though the name "Force Grip" appeared in Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II and the game implied this was to be the power we had seen in Star Wars films (the sound used is identical), the word "Choke" seemed to have already stuck, and it was used in other sources to describe Vader's power. This, combined with the fact that the ability depicted in the Jedi Knight games had noticeable differences from what was seen in the films, may indicate that they are separate, though similar, uses of the Force.

In the Knights of the Old Republic series, Force Choke was one of many dark side powers available to the player's Jedi characters. Like the majority of Force powers in the game, it was part of a set of three, along with a weaker version called "Force Wound", and an advanced form called "Force Kill".

In the Wizards of the Coast Role Playing game, "Force Choke" is a variant of "Force Grip", where Grip causes damage anywhere from exploding a bone or tissue, to crushing/breaking a neck or limb. In "The courtship of Princess Leia, the Nightsisters use many variants, possible related to other powers. Using the "choke" variant allows the character to "stun" the opponent. It also can be used as a "less lethal" version.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Star Wars: Epic Duels
 * Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
 * Rogue Planet
 * Star Wars Republic: The Battle of Jabiim
 * Star Wars Republic: The Siege of Saleucami
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Slave Ship
 * Dark Empire II
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
 * Children of the Jedi