Force lightning/Legends



"Young fool. Only now, at the end, do you understand."

- Emperor Palpatine to Luke Skywalker

Force lightning was a well known Force ability associated with the dark side of the Force.

Description


Force lightning was a purely energy-based attack used most commonly by, but not restricted to, the Sith. Because of this association, the ability was commonly referred to as Sith lightning. The attack channeled Force energy down the user's limbs, hurling arcing bolts of electricity from the wielder's fingertips or palms; Force lightning could be executed with either one or two hands. Powerful discharges would branch out into dozens of smaller forks; thus, skilled practitioners could target several foes at once.

It was also widely used as a form of torture, as it caused not only severe physical damage but also unbearable agony to the victim's emotions and spirit. However, a single powerful blast may have been sufficient to kill a person instantly. It is unclear why Palpatine kept assaulting Luke Skywalker with the lightning for so long, but it is likely that Palpatine, who harbored extreme antipathy toward the Jedi, sought to maximize the intensity and duration of Luke's suffering, tormenting the last of their kind for his own twisted pleasure. The fact that Luke survived the ordeal at all is nothing short of a miracle of the Force.



The intensity varies based on a number of factors, but a skilled user could render a target unconscious with only a short burst. Depending on the level of intensity, Force lightning could apparently ground itself on an ignited lightsaber. Powerful light-siders were sometimes able to resist the attack, or even block the lightning completely. Mace Windu, with his lightsaber combat form Vaapad, could reflect the lightning back to its source with a "superconducting loop". Nevertheless, a sufficiently powerful Force-user could overpower the defenses afforded by a lightsaber, as seen when Darth Sidious blasted Grand Master Yoda's lightsaber right out of his hand during their duel in the Grand Convocation Chamber. Force lightning could also be absorbed and redirected by a Jedi of sufficient skill; Yoda demonstrated this ability by both deflecting and absorbing the dark power during battles with Count Dooku and Emperor Palpatine, using nothing more than his own two hands.

There existed an advanced version of Force lightning which may have been used by Revan and the Jedi Exile in the Jedi Civil War. Its destructive potential was legendary; the apocalyptic power was known as Force Storm.

Effect of Force lightning
"The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed. But, I assure you, my resolve has never been stronger!"

- Palpatine



Though the short-term effects of Force lightning are obvious, the sheer power invoked by its use can have insidious long-term effects, both on those subjected to its power and those who would wield it.

Prolonged exposure to intense electrical fields (such as a sustained current of Force lightning) caused most humanoids to experience sudden and massive calcification of their skeletal system; the abrupt drop in blood minerals provokes muscular microseizures all over the victim's body. Telltale symptoms include generalized muscle aches and double vision. A blood test or bioscan can be used to confirm the diagnosis. Unless the victim receives complete bed rest and appropriate medical treatment, the disorder becomes chronic, lingering for years (barring timely bacta immersion). A textbook case is found in Luke Skywalker, who was diagnosed with the disorder by 2-1B onboard the Redemption, a Rebel medical frigate, and was confined to a hoverchair for much of the Ssi-Ruuk invasion of Bakura, mere days after his near-fatal encounter with Palpatine.

It is thought that very intense use of Force lightning could drain the user physically, and possibly result in severe facial and body deformations. Some consider the deformities Palpatine displayed after unleashing a barrage of Force lightning on Mace Windu, only to have it reflected back upon him by the Jedi Master's lightsaber, to be examples of such. Nevertheless, this view is controversial; some believe that Sidious's physical appearance as Chancellor Palpatine was an illusion created with Force energy, or a physical form of concealment, and that the lightning merely melted it away.

Deformities like the Chancellor's&mdash;to a lesser extent&mdash;have been the product of intense Force usage and long-time immersion in the dark side, so perhaps the lightning did not actually cause the transformation. Testament to this are the bloodshot yellow eyes, rotten teeth and sharp, dirty fingernails that replaced the Chancellor's clear blue eyes and healthy teeth and nails after the lightning was redirected to him. Nevertheless, it is clear that Palpatine's lightning caused him some physical damage, external or internal, though to what extent is unknown.



When Anakin Skywalker redeemed himself and seized the Emperor, hurling him away from his son, his life support circuitry was critically damaged, leaving him a heavy and lifeless quadriplegic. The electrical output was probably multiplied exponentially by the shock of the former Sith Lord's assault against his master, and the lightning made very short work of Anakin's systems. Because Force lightning requires a living conduit for the energy to be channeled, Vader was never able to employ this power, as all his limbs were prosthetics. Even if Vader had a remaining flesh-and-blood limb intact, the lightning may have damaged the rest of his circuitry in any case.



Besides draining the user's energy, Force lightning had the added drawback of occasionally charring the hand of the person who used it. When Jacen Solo flew into a rage underneath the ruins of the Jedi Temple on Yuuzhan'tar and attacked his Yuuzhan Vong pursuers with Force lightning, he later found that the blasts had burned charred holes in his palm. However, unlike other users of Force lightning, Jacen was untested with the ability, and it is possible that Force users more experienced with the technique can prevent this. It is also possible that the sheer intensity with which Jacen lashed out at his attackers caused the power to exceed his capacity to restrain it, which might also explain his sudden subsequent unconsciousness.

Very powerful blasts of Force lightning can highlight and illuminate the victim's skeleton, as shown with Mace Windu, Asajj Ventress and Darth Vader.

Force lightning users


Though a powerful Sith Lord, Darth Vader's usage of Force lightning was suppressed, due to the prosthetic arm he had fitted to replace an arm lost in battle with Count Dooku, and after the disastrous confrontation on Mustafar (although his trademark use of Force Choke more than compensated for this lack). Vader could not channel lightning through his body for fear of damaging his cybernetic parts, and also meant he became much more vulnerable to the effects of Force lightning. This vulnerability would eventually contribute to his death - although in the Revenge of the Sith video game Anakin/Vader is able to cast force lightning.

Emperor Palpatine used Force lightning to punish Luke Skywalker for his refusal to join him, beginning with an agonizing but non-lethal quantity and working his way gradually upwards toward lethality. When Darth Vader turned on the Emperor, Palpatine used the lightning at a much higher intensity, yet Vader was still able to endure it long enough to hurl his master into the second Death Star's reactor shaft. It is also possible that although the lightning crippled Vader's suit, it also protected him like armor from any bodily harm caused by the electrical flow.

Darth Tyranus used the technique to incapacitate Anakin Skywalker during the Battle of Geonosis. He also attempted the technique on Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was able to block with his lightsaber, and Master Yoda, who managed to reflect and dispel the energy with his bare hands. In addition, he utilized this power to stabilize the heartbeat of General Grievous after the Kaleesh's body was mangled in a shuttle crash.

Darth Malak used Force lightning as a means of torture to turn Bastila Shan to the dark side. It was intended to give her a "taste" of the dark side's power.



Jorak Uln, the "crazy old hermit" who hid in the valley of the dark lords on Korriban during the Jedi Civil War, would sometimes kidnap and torture Sith students. One of his favorite games was testing his captives on Sith philosophy, punishing their failure with Force lightning, often until they expired.

Force lightning was not restricted to darksiders. Jedi and other light-siders who were strong of will and character could learn this power without falling to the dark side&mdash;but its use was always inherently corrupting, and shunned by most Jedi. Force lightning was a purely offensive power, but it could be used in ways other than destroying your opponent. Some members of the New Jedi Order used Force lightning, but it remained very controversial among most members. Another, nonlethal form of Force lightning (termed 'Electric Judgment' by notable wielder Plo Koon and referred to colloquially as emerald lightning) was occasionally employed, but its use was rare, demanding, and difficult to master.

Other Force-sensitives known to have used the power or its variants include:

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Jedi vs. Sith
 * Darth Maul
 * Star Wars Republic: Twilight
 * Star Wars Republic: Darkness
 * Star Wars: Poison Moon
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones / game/ novel
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
 * Star Wars: Clone Wars
 * "Chapter 7"
 * Dark Journey
 * Star Wars Republic: Trackdown
 * Star Wars Republic: The Siege of Saleucami
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith / game/ novel
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
 * Star Wars Empire: Betrayal
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Splinter of the Mind's Eye
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi / novel
 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * The Truce at Bakura
 * ''Shadows of the Empire: Evolution
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
 * Heir to the Empire
 * Dark Force Rising
 * The Last Command
 * Dark Empire
 * Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith
 * ''Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * Star by Star
 * Dark Journey
 * Traitor
 * The Apprentice
 * The Joiner King
 * Tempest
 * Star Wars Legacy: Broken
 * Star Wars Legacy 13: Ready to Die