- "I sense a disturbance in the Force."
"You always sense a disturbance in the Force. But yeah—I sense it too." - ―Luke Skywalker and Kyle Katarn
A disturbance in the Force, referred to as echoes in the Force by exiled Jedi and former Sith Kreia, was an unusual fluctuation or anomaly in the Force that could be sensed by Force-sensitives. These disturbances could range in intensity from mild fluctuations to full-blown psychic trauma that would cause the individual to experience literal, physical pain and perhaps even mental shock.
Types of disturbances[]
- "'I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced."
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi, sensing the destruction of Alderaan
Every living being interacted with the Force in its unique way, sending ripples through it, allowing a Force-sensitive to feel one's presence in an area. Each person however interacted uniquelly with the Force, leaving their own signature disturbance that could be recogniseable by more powerful or experienced Force users. While fledgling Jedi Kyle Katarn could only vaguely discern some presence around him, Lord Jerec could feel Yun's presence thanks to the youngster's self-doubt.[3] Years earlier, on the Death Star, Darth Vader felt Obi-Wan Kenobi's presence who was hidden in the Millennium Falcon in Docking Bay 327; later, in the Battle of Yavin, he felt that the Force was strong in a certain Rebel pilot.[2]
Wounds in the Force were the most easily recognizable form of disturbance. Such massive disturbances were created from the most catastrophic events of death and destruction. Force adepts could often feel such disturbances from across the galaxy. Darth Sidious had managed to trace Darth Maul and Savage Opress' location on Mandalore via a disturbance in the Force, resulting in him traveling to Mandalore to personally confront the two Sith Nightbrothers.
While death caused the greatest ripples in the Force, many other developments in the Force caused disturbances such as alignment shifts. One such disturbance was sensed by Master Luke Skywalker when he no longer felt the dark side aura around the Massassi Temple and, years earlier, when he felt great power coming from a cave during his training on Dagobah. In 9 ABY, Leia Organa Solo sensed this when she passed through the place in orbit around Endor where Emperor Palpatine had died. Luke and Mara Jade also sensed this in his former palace. In the aftermath of the Battle of Hoth, Palpatine sensed a disturbance in the Force from Luke Skywalker's Jedi potential, and demanded that Darth Vader, who had also felt it, make contact with him on the matter.
The dark side of the Force often created disturbances—during the final years of the Mandalorian Wars, the Jedi Malak felt great amounts of power coming from the inside of the Rakatan ruins on Dantooine, stating that "he could feel its power". Almost a decade later, Kreia felt the dark side aura emanating from Korriban and she refused to even set foot on the planet's surface when Meetra Surik traveled there.
Disturbances in the Force caused by the dark side often had powerful effects on surrounding flora and fauna. When the Jedi Padawan Juhani briefly turned to the dark side, she drove the Kath hounds on Dantooine mad—causing them to become extremely aggressive and violent. The fractured planet Malachor V was so corrupted with the dark side that it affected the life on its surface—namely, the Storm beasts. Another creature corrupted by the dark side was the Terentatek. The power and presence of the dark side gradually distorted their shapes and corrupted their minds. As a side effect, terentatek became virtually immune to the effects of the Force.
Other disturbances may occur during unnatural events in the Force. One such event occurred when Kyle Katarn first felt the power of the Reborn warriors. After his first duel with one of the Reborn, he remarked that his encounter with the warrior felt strange. He stated that the Reborn looked like a Jedi and fought like a Jedi, but that his power felt warped. The Reborn and the Shadowtroopers were Dark Jedi that had been artificially infused with the Force. As such, when a Force adept came near them, they could feel the abnormality of their power.
Appearances[]
Non-canon appearances[]
Sources[]
- Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game
- Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition
- Star Wars: The National Public Radio Dramatization
- The Empire Strikes Back: The National Public Radio Dramatization
- "Heroes of Revenge of the Sith" on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game — The Price of Victory (Card: Disturbance) (backup link)
- Star Wars: The Card Game — Core Set (Card: A Disturbance in the Force)
- Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook
- Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook