May the Force be with you/Legends

"Good bye, old friend. May the Force be with you."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi, to his former Padawan Anakin Skywalker before traveling to Utapau

"May the Force be with you" was a phrase used to wish luck, generally when individuals parted ways or the object of the expression was facing some sort of imminent challenge. The phrase implied the speaker's wish that the power of the Force would be working alongside the addressee, in order that the addressee's goals would be more effectively accomplished.

It was first known to be used as a formal "'goodbye' and 'good luck" among Jedi, and members of the Jedi High Council often recited it after assigning missions to their Jedi Knights. After the Great Jedi Purge it was adopted, even among non-Jedi, as a means of conveying good luck and hope before a battle, as a show of the ongoing struggle against the Galactic Empire and admiration for the Jedi Order after their failed attempt to survive the corrupt Emperor's power struggle.

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was known to have used a variation of this phrase, telling Luke Skywalker, "The Force will be with you. Always." shortly after joining with the Force, and shortly after Luke Skywalker successfully shot a pair of proton torpedoes into the exhaust port of the first Death Star, destroying it completely. Another variation was uttered by Luke, when he said "May the Force be with me" before entering the Cavrilhu Pirates' base.

Although not a firm believer of the Force, Han Solo, before leaving Yavin 4, said to Luke Skywalker "May the Force be with you." as a way of saying 'good luck.'

Another similar phrase, which Darth Vader used on Bespin to greet Luke Skywalker saying "The Force is with you, young Skywalker", which perhaps expresses recognition and estimation of the foe's value and strength.

Additionally, the phrase was used by Admiral Ackbar just before the mission to destroy the second Death Star. To be precise, as Ackbar would personally lead the mission, he said "May the Force be with us"; this might indicate that Ackbar, although not a Force-sensitive being, was a firm believer in the power of the Jedi and disagreed with Imperial-supported tradition of criticizing the then-extinct Jedi Order.

In Old Corellian, the phrase was said as Mahn uhl Fharth bey ihn valle.

Behind the scenes
"The Force will be with you. Always."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

The phrase is used by some characters in (and fans of) the films, meaning something like "Good luck", although usually only Jedi and other believers in the Force use the expression. Han Solo, who expresses his doubt about the Force in A New Hope, eventually uses this expression to wish Luke good luck. In the expanded universe, it is revealed that the Alliance for the Restoration of the Republic used the phrase to call upon the legendary Jedi order, a symbol of the Old Republic, and also to differentiate themselves from the Empire.

The expression has found its way into popular culture as a result of the popularity of the films. Recently it got the 8th position in the TOPS AFI'S LIST OF 100 GREATEST MOVIE QUOTES OF ALL TIME.

Some might believe that, as the Force exists between all living things in any case, the phrase reflects a misunderstanding of its nature. In fact, the phrase implies a wish that the power of the Force is working alongside you, in order that your goals are more effectively accomplished. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi once used a different form that expressed a reminder rather than a wish: "The Force will be with you, always", stating that Luke would succeed, as he was working alongside the power of the Force.

The phrase itself is borrowed from Catholicism, which utilizes the phrase "May the Lord be with you," to which the response is "And also with you," except in Confirmation, where it is "and with your spirit."

Some fans celebrate May 4th as 'Star Wars Day' by paraphrasing the phrase as 'May the fourth be with you'.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Dear Anakin
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Dark Times 6: Parallels, Part 1
 * Star Wars Dark Times 9: Parallels, Part 4
 * Star Wars Journal: The Fight for Justice
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * One Last Night in the Mos Eisley Cantina: The Tale of the Wolfman and the Lamproid
 * Star Wars 5: Lo, The Moons of Yavin
 * Star Wars Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * The Lost City of the Jedi
 * Tatooine Ghost
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * Before the Storm
 * ''Betrayal
 * ''Invincible
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed