Force Grip

Force Grip, sometimes called The Grip, was a technique by which a user of the Force used telekinesis to forcefully crush parts of a target victim's body, killing them or rendering them unconscious. It is a less devastating form of the more sophisticated and complex Force Crush. While similar to Force Choke, the primary purpose of Grip was to immobilize or control a target's movement; there were many occasions when choking the victim to death was secondary.

Effects
Rather than simply "shoving" the target, (or using Force Push), this was a sustained application of telekinesis, focused more specifically and usually with greater effect. It was not exclusively a dark side ability, although most applications of it were violent, and it was especially favored by members of the Sith.

A crushing application of the Force, the Force Grip was an advanced level of Force Choke and could be used to levitate and strangle a target's internal organs. The target could be seized with great strength and subsequently lifted off their feet and suspended in air, by a powerful user. It was possible to simply break the victim's neck, or to strangle them.

Limitations
Those most experienced with Force Grip needed only a live visual of their victim in order to perform the technique. Some used this provision as an advantage to escape the Grip's clutches: Jedi could implement Force Persuasion or Force Blinding to obscure a Grip-user's vision, or some could immediately leap to escape it (with mixed results in either case, depending on the user's knowledge of the Force). Boba Fett was known to have been able to escape a Force Grip by firing his jetpack, utilizing the external propulsion to fly safely out of the Grip-user's line of sight.

If one could not escape the sight of a Grip-user, the next best method was to disrupt the user's concentration. Jedi in the time of the New Republic could commonly do this by simply pushing their enemy with the Force, and others were known to have broken a Grip by blasting the user with a weapon. These solutions were both limited, however; those most powerful in the use of the technique could maintain concentration during a Force Push, and even more could control the Grip so well that the choked target would not be able to even draw his or her weapon.

Usage
One of the most (in)famous users of this Force technique was Darth Vader, who often choked 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 Count Dooku, who used it on Obi-Wan Kenobi when Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker boarded Grievous' ship to rescue Supreme Chancellor Palpatine; Gorc, who would keep a victim stationary while his "brother" Pic attacked; Maw, who took pleasure in his enemies' suffering; and Desann, who used the power at least once on Kyle Katarn. A notable light side user of the this power was Kyle Katarn himself, who first exercised a degree of control over Force Grip during the Reborn crisis, against Tavion Axmis, who had enraged Katarn by her involvement in his partner's (Jan Ors's) apparent death. Though Katarn released Axmis once she revealed that the supposed killing was a ruse, and though he would quiet his anger from that moment forth, Katarn would continue to demonstrate the power through the rest of his days.

Notable instances

 * Obi-Wan Kenobi&mdash;gripped by Count Dooku when he and Anakin Skywalker boarded the Invisible Hand to rescue Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Survived.
 * Jace Dallin&mdash;gripped by Darth Vader after he expressed doubt that the Jedi could have truly been traitors. Perished.
 * Kyle Katarn&mdash;gripped by Desann on Artus Prime, when Desann tried to goad Katarn to give in to his anger and accidentally reveal the location of the Valley of the Jedi. Survived.
 * Tavion Axmis&mdash;gripped and held over the edge of a platform by Kyle Katarn in Cloud City. Survived.

Behind the scenes
Like the relationship between Mind Trick and Force Persuasion, the line of discrepancy between Force Grip and Force Choke 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.

At least in the Wizards of the Coast Role Playing game, Force Choke is a sub type of Force Grip. Choke is used to temporarily stun a character that normally could resist Force Grip.

Appearances

 * Darth Maul: Saboteur
 * Star Wars Republic: Twilight
 * Star Wars: Clone Wars
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Republic 78: Loyalties
 * Classic Star Wars
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
 * Darksaber
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * Survivor's Quest